Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Russia claims 89 people were killed in the New Year’s Day attack
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile
Moment Zelensky told tanks would be delivered
Vladimir Putin’s commanders are likely lying about the true death toll of the Makiivka attack on New Year’s Day, UK intelligence has said.
The Ministry of Defence said Russia likely suffered more than 300 casualties in the strike on troop accommodation near Donetsk city.
Russia claims that 89 people were killed, but the MoD said the death toll is likely to be far higher, which it said highlights “the pervasive presence of disinformation in Russian public announcements”.
The MoD added: “This typically comes about through a combination of deliberate lying authorised by senior leaders, and the communication of inaccurate reports by more junior officials, keen to downplay their failings in Russia’s ‘blame and sack’ culture.”
It comes as three people were killed and at least two others wounded in a Russian attack in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka.
Russian troops are trying to breach Ukrainian lines in the east and northeast ahead of new weaponry arriving from the United States, Britain, Germany, Poland and others.
Russia “highly likely” suffered more than 300 casualties in the attack on troop accommodation in Makiivka on New Year’s Day.
Vladimir Putin’s commanders had claimed 89 soldiers were killed in the attack near Donetsk, but UK intelligence suggests it is over 300.
In an update on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence said it is likely senior commanders are deliberately lying about the true death toll.
On the spread of disinformation on the death toll, the MoD said: “This typically comes about through a combination of deliberate lying authorised by senior leaders, and the communication of inaccurate reports by more junior officials, keen to downplay their failings in Russia’s ‘blame and sack’ culture.”
Remarks by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban comparing Ukraine to Afghanistan and calling Ukraine “a no man’s land” have been criticised by Ukrainian officials.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Orban also criticised the further supply of armaments, asserting that Western countries providing weapons and money to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia have “drifted” into becoming active participants in the conflict.
Prime minister Orban has previously refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would summon Hungary’s ambassador to complain about the remarks.
“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said in a Facebook post.
The Russian defence ministry has accused Ukraine of a ‘war crime’, in deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday.
The alleged strike was reported to have killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.
The missile hit a hospital in the Russian-held settlement of Novoaidar and was carried out using a US-supplied HIMARS rocket launch system, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
“A deliberate missile strike against a known functioning civilian medical facility is without doubt a serious war crime by the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said.
“All those involved in the planning and execution of this crime will be found and held accountable.”
The ministery continued that civilian and military medics had been working in the hospital for many months, treating local people and soldiers.
There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.
Russia is violating the “fundamental principles of child protection” in wartime by forcefully issuing Ukrainian children with Russian passports and putting them up for adoption, the U.N.’s refugee agency chief has said.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, speaking after a six-day tour of the country, said his agency was unable to estimate the number of children who had been given passports or put up for adoption, due to limited access in Russia.
“Giving them (Russian) nationality or having them adopted goes against the fundamental principles of child protection in situations of war,” Grandi said.
“This is something that is happening in Russia and must not happen.”
Mr Grandi has also suggested that many refugees could return to the region in warmer months, as seen previously last year
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked his agency to “do more” to help children from occupied regions to whom this was happening with “defend and return” mechanisms.
Grandi also urged other countries to process asylum seekers from the region more quickly in order to stop unfounded asylum claims from clogging up the system.
A US Treasury official is expected to warn countries in the Middle East that they could lose access to US markets if they continue to trade with Russia.
Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey as the US cracks down on its curbs to Russian markets.
US officials have been increasing pressure on countries and institutions which are evading Russian sanctions, including repeated warnings to Turkey to ensure enforcement of economic sanctions to Russia take place.
A spokesperson told Reuters: “Individuals and institutions operating in permissive jurisdictions risk potentially losing access to U.S. markets on account of doing business with sanctioned entities or not conducting appropriate due diligence.”
The US has also imposed a series of sanctions on UAE-based companies who have evaded the Russian economic sanctions policy, including one aviation firm which has supported Russian-mercenary company Wagner Group.
President for the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has reiterated her unconditional support for Ukraine’s defence, ahead of a EU-Ukraine summit next week.
Speaking at an event in Dusseldorf, Germany, she said: “We stand by Ukraine’s side without any ifs and buts,
“[Ukraine] is fighting for our shared values, it is fighting for the respect of international law and for the principles of democracy and that is why Ukraine has to win this war.”
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, left, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
A planned summit between EU commissioners and Ukrainian officials is expected to take place on February 3.
Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership in June 2022, following its swift application to become a member state in February earlier that year.
Neighbouring country Moldova was also granted candidate status.
A senior aide to Ukrainian president Zelensky has slammed the International Olympic Committee on Saturday for siding with Russia over allowing its athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Olympic Council of Asia has offered Russian and Belarusian athletes a chance to qualify for the international games, to the criticism of Ukrainian officials.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter. “#IOC proposes to the world promotion of violence, mass murders, destruction. That’s why it insists Russian athletes should participate in contests as real ‘ambassadors of death’,”
“Sport doesn’t exist outside politics – sport promotes it. Thus, the IOC promotes the Russian anti-human policy.”
President Zelenskiy added on Friday that Ukraine would launch a global campaign to prevent Russian athletes from being allowed to compete in the 2024 Games.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport was “doomed to fail”.
Russian athletes have previously been banned from representing their flag at international games after allegations of state-sponsored doping.
A Ukrainian citizen was among those killed in the attacks in Jerusalem on Saturday, says Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Expressing his condolences, president Zelensky reported the news on Twitter.
He wrote: “We share Israel’s pain after the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem. Among the victims is a Ukrainian woman. Sincere condolences to the victims’ families.”
“The crimes were cynically committed on the Intl Holocaust Remembrance Day. Terror must have no place in today’s world. Neither in Israel nor in Ukraine.”
Seven people were killed in an attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday, a day after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing nine Palestinians.
Read more here:
UK and US have condemned the deadly attack, after the gunman was shot dead by Israeli police having fled the scene
Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks on equipping Ukraine’s forces with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide has said.
Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine’s allies “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the new armoured vehicles which have since been pledged.
He continued: “We must speak reasonably and tell them [allies], for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localized.”
Podolyak also said that Ukraine needs supplies of long-range missiles “to drastically curtail the key tool of the Russian army”, aimed at destroying the storage facilities where it keeps and maintains artillery used on the front line.
Read more on the newly pledged tanks here:
Further battalions of Leopard, Abrams and Challenger tanks could eventually be a game-changer, Andy Gregory reports
Ukraine’s troops are being offered advice and training on repairing donated military equipment through “encrypted chatrooms” and video calls.
A report from AP suggests a growing network of virtual, real-time maintenance advice conducted through interpreters is being given to Ukraine forces in the heat of battle.
Ukraine is being supplied with a wide range of high-tech and complex equipment from NATO allies.
Forces are pushing the donated equipment to their limits, one officer said anonymously.
“They’re using these systems in ways that we didn’t necessarily anticipate. We’re actually learning from them by seeing how much abuse these weapon systems can take, and where’s the breaking point.”
Douglas Bush, US assistant army secretary for acquisition said: “As we send more additional advanced equipment, like Strykers, like Bradleys, like tanks, of course that sustainment activity will have to increase.
“I think the challenge is recognized. I think the Army knows how to do it.”
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Ukrainian soldiers are seen on their way to the frontlines in the east of the country
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Log in
New to The Independent?
Or if you would prefer:
Want an ad-free experience?
Hi {{indy.fullName}}