Ukraine news – latest: Moscow warns strikes in Russia will have consequences for West

Boris Johnson has been accused by a former head of the Polish military of “tempting evil” and jeopardising efforts to assist Ukraine in its struggle towards Russia by revealing that Ukrainian troopers have been receiving coaching in Poland on easy methods to use British anti-aircraft missiles.

Basic Waldemar Skrzypczak, additionally a former junior defence minister, stated the British prime minister’s feedback might threaten the protection of the troops concerned with the battle now in its third month and exhibiting no indicators of abating.

Mr Skrzypczak stated that Mr Johnson had revealed “a army secret” when he gave particulars of the Ukrainian coaching plan throughout a visit to India final week.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley experiences:

Commenting on remarks about arming Ukraine from British International Secretary Liz Truss, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned that giving Kyiv heavy weapons would threaten the safety of the European continent.

Western international locations are overtly calling on Ukraine to assault Russia, International Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has stated on Thursday, including that the West ought to take Moscow severely when it says strikes on Russian territory will result in a response.

Russia reported a collection of blasts within the south of the nation and a fireplace at an ammunition depot on Wednesday, the most recent in a spate incidents {that a} high Ukrainian official described as payback and “karma” for Moscow’s invasion.

Russia sees current incidents in Moldova’s breakaway area of Transdniestria as an try to pull it into the broader battle in Ukraine, International Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on Thursday.

Tensions have been rising in Transdniestria, a Russia-backed area that borders Ukraine, after native authorities stated it had been topic to a number of assaults.

Russia’s overseas affairs ministry spokesperson has stated in a stay press briefing that EU international locations have turned a blind eye to Nazism in Ukraine.

Maria Zakharova has additionally accused Ukraine of holding civilians hostages and utilizing them as human shields.

Some 27,100 individuals have arrived within the UK underneath Ukraine visa schemes, based on authorities figures revealed on Thursday.

This contains 16,000 individuals underneath the household scheme, and 11,100 individuals underneath the Properties for Ukraine sponsorship scheme as of Monday.

The figures additionally present that, as of Wednesday, round 117,600 purposes have been made for visas, and 86,100 visas have been issued.

These embody 42,900 purposes underneath the household scheme, of which 34,900 visas have been granted, and 74,700 purposes underneath the sponsorship scheme, of which 51,300 visas have been granted.

Vladimir Putin dangers changing into “cancerous development” in Ukraine as his army goals stutter and Kyiv wants assist to drive his forces in another country solely, UK ministers have stated.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace stated the UK should assist Ukraine drive Russian forces in another country however insisted the Kremlin chief would “fortify and dig in” to make it arduous for Ukrainians to maneuver out of besieged areas with the battle now in its third month.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley has extra:

Talking from his hometown of Vinnytsia, central Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman additionally claimed that his nation was the “solely defence” for Europe towards Russia’s advance west, writes Emily Atkinson.

Finland and Sweden will have the ability to be part of NATO shortly ought to they determine to ask for membership within the Western army alliance, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has stated.

“In the event that they determine to use, Finland and Sweden can be warmly welcomed and I anticipate the method to go shortly,” Mr Stoltenberg informed reporters in Brussels, including he deliberate to talk with the Finnish president later within the day.

He stated he was positive preparations might be discovered for the interim interval between an software by the 2 Scandinavian international locations and the formal ratification within the parliaments of all 30 NATO members, including:“I’m assured that there are methods to bridge that interim interval in a manner which is nice sufficient and works for each Finland and Sweden.”

Russia, with which Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border, has stated it’s going to deploy nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad if Finland and Sweden determine to hitch NATO.

Russia‘s defence ministry has stated that Russian missiles had struck 4 Ukrainian army targets in a single day, destroying two missile and ammunition depots close to the settlements of Barvinkove and Ivanivka within the east of the nation.

It stated Russian forces had additionally downed a Ukrainian Su-24 plane close to Luhansk.