5.50 a.m. BST 05:50
Zelensky warns Russia prepares for major attack on Donbas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that Russia is concentrating its forces in the eastern Donbas region in preparation for a major offensive. Speaking in one of his midnight televised speeches from the streets of Kiev, Zelensky said any withdrawal of Russian troops from the areas around Kyiv and Chernihiv – as the Kremlin met on Tuesday – was due to Ukrainian resistance. But he added: We also see that at the same time there is an accumulation of Russian troops for new strikes in Donbas. And we are preparing for that. This assessment is in line with Russia’s other statement on Tuesday that it had reportedly completed its operations in Kyiv and was heading to the eastern Donbass region, which has hosted two self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist republics since 2014. According to a Russian military report released late Wednesday “A planned reorganization of troops is taking place in these areas, the aim of which is to intensify operations in priority areas and, above all, to complete the operation for the full liberation of Donbas.” Read more about the military situation, peace talks and other key developments here:
5.38 a.m. BST 05:38
Summary
Hello. Samantha Lock is with you to continue to cover the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that Russian troops are gathering in the east of the country, as the White House has claimed that Putin was being misinformed by his inner circle about the army’s performance. The following is a summary of the latest developments in the last 12 hours:
The Russian Defense Ministry announced a local ceasefire on Thursday to allow the evacuation of civilians from the besieged port city of Ukraine, Mariupol, according to the French Agency. Russia and Ukraine will resume online peace talks on Friday (April 1st). A senior Ukrainian official said the leaders of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, could meet “soon”, but the Kremlin had dashed hopes of early progress. The Ukrainian president said in a televised speech to the nation on Wednesday that “at the moment there are only words, nothing concrete.” Zelensky said he spoke with Joe Biden for an hour on another “very active diplomatic day”, thanking the US president for a new $ 1 billion humanitarian aid package and an additional $ 500 million in direct budget support. Zelensky said: “The support of the United States is vital to us. “And now it is very important to lend a hand to Ukraine, to show all the power of the democratic world.” The Ukrainian president also said he was wary of Russia’s “verbal constructions” and described the movement of Russian troops as “not as a departure, but as a consequence of exile.” “Yes, there is an ongoing negotiation process. But these are still words. “So far there are no details,” he added. A recent Russian military report appears to contradict Russia’s promise to withdraw its troops from northern Ukraine following “substantial” progress in peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday. A report by the Russian Defense Ministry published in a Telegram post late Wednesday states that Russia is simply undertaking a “planned troop reorganization” following the successful completion of its military objectives in Kyiv and Chernihiv. The Russian bombardment continued on Wednesday, despite Moscow announcing on Tuesday that it would reduce its attacks around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv. However, Pentagon-based reports said Russian forces were “leaving” the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Officials in the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union say Putin has been misled about Russia’s military performance. Putin has been misinformed about how well Russia is doing and how much sanctions have affected the country because some of those closest to him are afraid to tell him the truth, according to a speech by the head of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency. on Thursday. Sir Jeremy Fleming said that some Russian soldiers refused to carry out orders and that they were inadequately equipped and of low morale. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters: “It’s his. [Putin] Army. It’s his war. He chose … the fact that he may not fully understand the extent to which his forces are failing in Ukraine is a bit embarrassing. Global restrictions on exports of industrial components to Russia have affected the production of cars and tanks. A car industry has closed and tank production has stopped, according to the US. The government of President Joe Biden is considering releasing 1 million barrels of oil a day for several months from the Strategic Oil Reserve (SPR) to reduce gasoline prices, two senior US officials have said. The Russian ruble has regained its pre-war value despite Western sanctions on the country’s exports and financial systems. Germany could shrink its power if a controversy over Russia’s demand to pay for rubles in fuel disrupts or cuts off supplies. The administration of President Joe Biden is also considering releasing 1 million barrels of oil a day for several months from the Strategic Oil Reserve (SPR) to reduce gasoline prices, two senior US officials have said. Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign minister, is set to land in India on Thursday to urge the government of Narendra Monti to reduce its strategic dependence on Russia. Her arrival in New Delhi coincides with that of her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who will pay his first visit since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United Kingdom has announced new laws targeting Russian oligarchs’ access to “UK aviation and shipping technical services”, according to the Foreign Office. Eight Russian oligarchs on the UK sanctions list for their ties to Vladimir Putin have been granted “golden visas” to live in Britain. Individuals have been granted the right to live in the UK after pledging to invest at least εκατο 2m under the controversial Category 1 visa system, the UK government has admitted. Russian hackers have recently tried to infiltrate NATO networks and the armies of some Eastern European countries, according to a report by Google’s threat analysis team. The report did not say which soldiers were targeted in what Google described as “credential fishing campaigns” launched by a Russian-based group called Coldriver or Callisto. Slovakia has announced that it will deport 35 Russian diplomats based on information provided by the intelligence services. Other EU countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic, have announced the deportation of Russian diplomats suspected of espionage. It could take at least a year for Ukraine to hold a referendum on its neutrality – a key Russian demand for an end to the war – according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation to peace talks with Russia.
