Live blog: Ukraine secures additional $5B to fight Russia — PM Shmyhal

Friday, April 14, 2023 

Ukraine secured promises of $5 billion in additional funding to support its ongoing fight against Russia amid "fruitful meetings" in Washington this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters.

Shmyhal met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank as well as top US officials, on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.

He said Ukraine received new pledges of additional support from Switzerland, Denmark, and a number of other countries during the meetings, as well as an agreement from US aircraft maker Boeing to relieve Ukrainian companies of $200 million in previous commitments. 

Kiev expected to receive more support during an upcoming conference in London, he added.

For more updates👇

1918 GMT — Eight killed, 21 injured in Russian missile attacks: Ukraine

The death toll in Russian shelling of an apartment block in the east Ukrainian city Sloviansk has risen to eight including a toddler, the governor of the Donetsk region said.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Ukrainian military administration of the Donetsk region, said on social media that Russia attacked Slovyansk with S-300 missiles.

A two-year-old pulled from the rubble of a block of flats shelled by Russia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk died in an ambulance, authorities said.

"The child died in the ambulance," Daria Zarivna, a presidential communications adviser, said on Telegram. 

1819 GMT — Ukraine says remains united with US, partners

Ukraine remains united with the United States and other partners in its ongoing military fight against Russia's offensive, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters.

Asked about the leaked US intelligence, Shmyhal said no Russian disinformation would disrupt Ukraine's battle for its country. 

1800 GMT — UN chief raises concerns with Russia about Ukraine grain deal

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has written to Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye to raise concerns about the implementation of a deal that allows the safe wartime export of grain from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports, a UN spokesman said.

The United Nations has said no ships were inspected on Tuesday under the deal - agreed in July last year - "as the parties needed more time to reach an agreement on operational priorities." Inspections resumed on Wednesday.

"The Secretary-General has written letters to the parties and we are diligently working in close collaboration with Türkiye to maintain the continuation of the vital agreement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

1434 GMT — Russia says trying to seize Bakhmut's western districts 

Russia has said it was pushing to take the western districts of the frontline hotspot of Bakhmut, as sources told AFP Ukraine was still sending in fresh troops.

Moscow has been trying to capture Bakhmut since last summer in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia began its offensive more than a year ago.

On Friday, the Russian defence ministry said mercenaries from the Wagner paramilitary outfit were advancing further into the city, supported by Moscow's air force.

"Wagner assault units are conducting high-intensity combat operations to conquer the western districts of the city," it said in a statement.

Russian airborne troops were "providing support to assault squads and halting the enemy's attempts to deliver ammunition to the city and bring in reserves."

1426 GMT — UK, Ukrainian leaders discuss efforts to accelerate military support

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have discussed ramping up military support to Kiev in a phone call.

Sunak’s office said the leaders discussed the latest situation on the battlefield “and the Prime Minister paid tribute to the efforts of the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut.”

Discussing the efforts to accelerate military support to Ukraine, Sunak said the UK and its allies “needed to continue to ensure Ukraine was in the strongest possible position to build on its recent battlefield successes. That included increasing interoperability with NATO both in the short and long term.”

1306 GMT — Russia trained Belarusian pilots in nuclear weapons use

Belarusian air force crews have completed their training for using tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia's plan to deploy the weapons to its ally Belarus amid the fighting in neighbouring Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

The ministry released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said that the training course in Russia had given the crews of the Belarusian air force's Su-25 ground attack jets the necessary skills for using the weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared last month that Moscow planned to put some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. 

1231 GMT — Russia builds up provisions at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Ukraine

Russian forces have brought large amounts of provisions and water supplies to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which they captured in southeastern Ukraine last year, Kiev's state atomic agency said.

Energoatom said the move might indicate Russia is preparing to barricade employees inside because of an acute shortage of qualified staff at Europe's largest nuclear plant and Ukraine's much-expected counter-offensive.

There was no immediate comment from Russia.

1101 GMT — UK PM Sunak denounces Ukrainian POW beheading video

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has denounced a video purporting to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war, saying those responsible should be brought to book.

Downing Street said Sunak told Zelenskyy in a call that the footage was "abhorrent".

"The prime minister said the video was appalling and those responsible had to be held to account," a statement read.

Russia announced on Thursday that it was opening a preliminary probe into the footage, which has sparked fury in Ukraine.

1048 GMT — West still has time to solve grain deal issues: Russian diplomat

The West still has time to remove "obstacles" hindering the implementation of the Black Sea grain export deal before a deadline on May 18, senior Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov has said.

The Türkiye-brokered deal was renewed for 60 days last month, but Russia has signalled it may not agree to extend it further unless the West removes obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertiliser.

"(The deal) needs to be implemented in full, as agreed in Istanbul in July 2022. There is still some time for the West to remove obstacles to the full implementation of the arrangements," Ulyanov said on the Telegram messaging app.

1040 GMT — US defence chief heads to Sweden, Germany to discuss Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet with his counterparts in Sweden and Germany next week, including hosting a Ukraine-related defence meeting with top officials from nearly 50 countries, the Pentagon has said in a statement.

In Sweden, the Pentagon chief on April 19 "will discuss security-related topics of mutual interest between our two nations and speak with senior Swedish defence and government officials," the statement said.

In Germany, Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley will host the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on April 21 to "discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and continue our close coordination on providing the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to protect themselves against Russia's continued aggression," the Pentagon said. 

1027 GMT — Kiev will 'test and use' any non-banned weapons to retake Crimea: Ukraine

Ukraine will "test and use" any non-banned weapons to liberate its territory, including Russian-occupied Crimea, the head of its National Security and Defence Council said on Friday.

"Crimea is the territory of Ukraine, and we will test and use there any weapons not prohibited by international laws, that will help liberate our territories," tweeted Oleksiy Danilov.

1027 GMT — Ukraine bans its national teams from competing with Russians and Belarusians

Ukraine has banned its national sports teams from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events that include competitors from Russia and Belarus, the sports ministry said in a decree published.

Some Ukrainian athletes, including Olympian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, criticised the ban saying it would lead to the destruction of Ukrainian sports.

The decision comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) angered Kiev by paving the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals despite Russia's attacks on Ukraine.

1023 GMT — China vows not to sell arms to any party in Ukraine war

China won't sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, the country's foreign minister has said, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide military assistance to Russia.

China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its military offensive.

Qin Gang is the highest-level Chinese official to make such an explicit statement about arms sales to Russia. He added that China would also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use.

1004 GMT — Russia announces unexpected combat readiness check of Pacific Fleet

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has announced an unexpected combat readiness check of the Russian Pacific Fleet with the participation of the Aerospace Forces.

Speaking at a meeting with military chiefs in Moscow, Shoigu named training skills of the armed forces to repel the aggression of a potential enemy from ocean and sea directions as the main goal of the inspection.

He also said as part of the exercises, the navy will have to prevent the conditional enemy from entering the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk and repel the landing on the Sakhalin island and the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

1002 GMT — Ukraine retrieves bodies of 82 troops from Russian-held regions

Ukraine has retrieved the bodies of 82 of its soldiers from Russian-controlled territory, a government ministry said.

Ukrainian and Russian forces have held regular prisoner exchanges during the war, which is now in its 14th month. Russia holds swathes of territory in Ukraine's east and south.

The Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories gave no details about how it retrieved the bodies, but said it was carried out "in accordance with the norms of the Geneva Convention". 

Meanwhile, Russia's military has pressed on with unrelenting attacks on the smashed eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and also shelled the southern city of Kherson, officials in Kiev said.

0847 GMT — China defence minister to meet Russian counterpart in Moscow

Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu will visit Russia next week for meetings with counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials, China's Defence Ministry has said.

Li’s visit underscores China’s strengthening engagement with Russia, with which it has largely aligned its foreign policy in an attempt to reshape the world order to diminish the influence of the United States and other Western democracies.

China has refused to criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blamed the US and NATO for provoking Moscow. During a 2022 visit to Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a joint statement declaring a “no limits” relationship between the two countries.

0753 GMT — China's Xiaomi says opposed to Ukraine adding it to 'international sponsors of war' list

Chinese tablet and phone maker Xiaomi has said it strongly opposed Ukraine adding the company to the "international sponsors of war" list.

Ukraine's National Corruption Prevention Agency designated Xiaomi on the list, according to an April 13 press release, and reported by local media.

According to the agency, Xiaomi was designated for continuing to do business in Russia following the start of its war in Ukraine, reported the Kiev Independent, Ukraine’s English-language media outlet. 

0649 GMT — Ukraine forces pull back as Russia mounts 're-energised' Bakhmut assault: UK

Ukrainian troops have been forced to withdraw from some territory in Bakhmut as Russia mounts a renewed assault there with intense artillery fire over the past two days, Britain said in an intelligence update.

"Russia has re-energised its assault on the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut as forces of the Russian MoD and Wagner Group have improved co-operation," it said, referring to Russia's defence ministry and its main mercenary force.

"Ukrainian forces face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede," Britain's military said in a daily intelligence update.

0647 GMT — German FM urges China to 'call on the aggressor Russia to stop the war'

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock  has urged Beijing to ask "the Russian aggressor to stop the war" in Ukraine, saying "no other country has more influence on Russia than China".

"It is good that China has signalled its commitment to a solution but I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese position so far does not include a call on the aggressor Russia to stop the war," she said at a joint press conference in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang after their meeting.

Baerbock said Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Moscow showed "that no other country has more influence on Russia than China".

0510 GMT — EU cannot trust China if it does not seek peace in Ukraine: Borrell

European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell has said it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for Europe to trust China if it did not try to find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.

The remarks published on the EU's website were due to be delivered at a think tank in Beijing on Friday, but Borell had to cancel his trip to China because he caught Covid-19.

0459 GMT — Ukraine's FM calls for integration of air defence systems with NATO

Ukraine’s foreign minister has called for the integration of his country’s air defence systems with those of its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in two areas.

"We call for the integration of the anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems of Ukraine and NATO allies in the region of the Black and Baltic Seas.

The events of the last year have shown that security in the Baltic-Black Sea region is indivisible. A threat to one is a threat to all," Dmytro Kuleba said in an opening speech at the Black Sea Security Conference in Bucharest.

0100 GMT — Ukraine reports unrelenting Russian attacks on besieged Bakhmut

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said heavy fighting gripped all parts of the eastern front. She said pro-Kiev forces repelled attacks in most areas.

"The enemy is using its most professional units there and resorting to a significant amount of artillery and aviation. Every day, the enemy carries out in Bakhmut from 40 to 50 storming operations and 500 shelling episodes."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior officials are pressing allies for more weapons that Kiev hopes will enable it to launch a major counter-offensive later this year.

"We are readying our boys," Zelenskyy said in a new video address. "We look forward to the delivery of weapons promised by our partners. We are bringing victory closer as much as possible."

For our live updates from Thursday (April 13), click here.