We are now closing this blog but you can read all our Ukraine coverage here.
Summary
It is now approaching 6pm in Kyiv. Here is a summary of the main developments from today:
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has said the west are attempting to “destroy us” and to “contain our development” in his annual address to parliament. He said: “The so called West with its so colonialist tendencies is striving not only to contain our development but they are intent on destroying us and using our space for whatever their purposes are including Ukraine.
Putin also said Russia will fight back and “defeat” Nato on their own territory against the threat of expansion, which he warned could trigger a nuclear war. He said: “They are preparing to strike our territory and using the best possible forces most effective forces to do so. But we remember the fate of those who tried to invade our territory and of course their fate will be much more tragic than anything that we could face.”
European defence and foreign ministers will meet in Paris in coming days to discuss further support for Ukraine and Moldova, a French foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Russian authorities on Thursday detained journalist Sergei Sokolov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, on charges of discrediting the army, the newspaper and Russian state media reported. Novaya Gazeta said in an online report that Sokolov’s detention was over coverage of the Russian army in an article, but did not provide more details, according to Reuters.
The European parliament said on Thursday Russian president Vladimir Putin bore the “criminal and political responsibility” for opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death and should be held to account. AFP reports that in a resolution passed with 506 votes in the 705-seat assembly, the parliament said “The Russian government and Vladimir Putin personally bear criminal and political responsibility for the death of their most prominent opponent, Alexei Navalny.”
Ukraine has identified 511 people suspected of war crimes since Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion and has already handed down 81 convictions, its prosecutor general said in Kyiv on Thursday. Andriy Kostin was speaking at a war crimes conference alongside the chief prosecutors of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and the President of the EU justice arm, Eurojust.
Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow’s air force. On Telegram, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said: “After successful combat operations against an enemy aircraft in the night on Feb. 29, two more Russian aircraft were destroyed: Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors.”
A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a Russian-American woman against her detention on a treason charge. The FSB Security Service said last week that Ksenia Karelina had been detained on suspicion of raising funds for Ukraine’s armed forces. The Los Angeles resident had been collecting funds for a Ukrainian organisation whose ultimate beneficiary was the Ukrainian army, the FSB said.
Sri Lanka has decided to stop issuing free long-term visas to Russian and Ukrainian nationals who have lived in the Indian Ocean island nation for the past two years, a government official said on Thursday.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said he believes it is important for Russia to strengthen ties with Arab countries and Latin American countries during his annual address to the nation.
Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops from the village of Orlivka, west of Avdiivka, but the situation on the eastern front remains difficult, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday. Orlivka is less than 2 kilometres northwest of Lastochkyne, which was recently occupied by Russian forces.
Ukraine plans to export a high volume of electricity on Thursday, taking advantage of lower domestic consumption during a spell of mild weather, the energy ministry said. The country’s electricity exports, which began shortly before it was invaded by Russian troops in 2022, were halted after numerous Russian attacks on power infrastructure and the seizure of the largest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.
Russian authorities on Thursday detained journalist Sergei Sokolov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, on charges of discrediting the army, the newspaper and Russian state media reported.
Novaya Gazeta said in an online report that Sokolov’s detention was over coverage of the Russian army in an article, but did not provide more details, according to Reuters.
Russian news agency Tass reported that Sokolov had “posted material on the Novaya Gazeta Telegram channel” which showed “signs of verbal discrediting the actions” of the army.
Sokolov faces a fine of up to 50,000 roubles ($550), Tass and Novaya Gazeta both reported.
Novaya Gazeta is known for its investigations which have sometimes taken aim at the Kremlin, government policy and top officials.
Its former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel prize winning journalist, stepped aside in September to challenge his designation by authorities as a “foreign agent”, a label Moscow uses to stigmatise and complicate the life of people it deems to be working against Russian state interests.
Updated
The European parliament said on Thursday Russian president Vladimir Putin bore the “criminal and political responsibility” for opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death and should be held to account.
AFP reports that in a resolution passed with 506 votes in the 705-seat assembly, the parliament said “The Russian government and Vladimir Putin personally bear criminal and political responsibility for the death of their most prominent opponent, Alexei Navalny.”
Lawmakers called for an “independent and transparent international investigation” into the circumstances of Navalny’s death and asked the EU’s 27 members states to “intensify” support for Russian political prisoners.
Nine lawmakers voted against the resolution.
In a separate development, allies of Navalny said attempts to hire a hearse to take his body to his funeral service on Friday had been blocked. Reuters reports that Kira Yarmysh, a spokesperson for Navalny, said on social that unknown individuals had been threatening hearse providers by phone.
European defence and foreign ministers to meet in Paris in coming days to discuss Ukraine and Moldova
European defence and foreign ministers will meet in Paris in coming days to discuss further support for Ukraine and Moldova, a French foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Reuters reports they added that European states would discuss further concrete measures for Ukraine and how to defend countries being destabilised by Russia, notably Moldova.
More than 500 identified as war crimes suspects, says Ukraine
Ukraine has identified 511 people suspected of war crimes since Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion and has already handed down 81 convictions, its prosecutor general said in Kyiv on Thursday.
Andriy Kostin was speaking at a war crimes conference alongside the chief prosecutors of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and the President of the EU justice arm, Eurojust.
At a press conference after their meeting, the prosecutors announced the signing of a two-year extension to the work of the Joint Investigation Team, an initiative by five European Union countries to probe war crimes in the conflict, Reuters reports.
Russia has denied its troops commit war crimes, despite the conflict having killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
The JIT is conducting what Eurojust chief Ladislav Harman called the “biggest investigation of war crimes in history.”
Lithuanian Prosecutor Gen Nida Grunskiene said the JIT had so far spoken to over 5,000 Ukrainians as part of their investigations.
Commenting on the 81 convictions, Kostin acknowledged that most had been conducted without the suspects in custody.
He said Ukraine wanted to get justice as quickly as possible instead of waiting until the end of the war.
“Most of these convictions are in absentia, but it speaks to the fact that we are securing justice right now,” he said.
Kostin added that discussions were taking place with more than 40 countries about the possibility of forming a war crimes tribunal. He indicated that a decision on the format of the panel this year would be “a powerful signal”, but did not say more about when it could start.
He said such a tribunal was likely to last several years once it began.
Kostin and Grunskiene said investigators had managed to establish the identities of three people, all pro-Russian militants from the Donetsk region, suspected of killing Lithuanian film director Mantas Kvedaravicius in the city of Mariupol.
Kvedaravicius’ death was announced by Ukraine’s defence ministry in April 2022. Kostin on Thursday said the film director had died as a result of torture inflicted by the three suspects, including broken bones, knife wounds and a mock execution.
The director was filming a documentary showing the suffering of Mariupol’s residents during a brutal, months-long siege of the city by advancing Russian forces. The documentary, Mariupolis 2, was released several months after his death.
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February is the shortest month of the year, but our sky defenders have achieved the greatest results in downing russian jets since October 2022.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 29, 2024
The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed:
◾️ten Su-34 fighter-bombers
◾️two Su-35 fighters
◾️one A-50 long-range radar detection and control… pic.twitter.com/kctW7wDWK9
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met some well-known British faces during her visit to the UK.
The Polish prime minister said the country won’t rule out introducing a ban on agricultural products from Russia during a visit to Warsaw.
Like much of Europe, Poland has been gripped by protests in recent weeks as farmers demonstrate against EU environmental regulations and what they say is unfair competition from Ukraine since the bloc waived duties on imports in 2022.
However, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said agricultural products from Russia and Belarus were also causing market distortions.
Tusk told a news conference:
Latvia decided to implement an embargo on the import of [agricultural] products from Russia.
We will analyse the case of Latvia, and I do not rule out that Poland will take an appropriate initiative.
Tusk said the EU needed to “seriously focus on better regulations when it comes to the import of cereals and food products from the east”.
Tusk is due to meet the farmers’ leaders later on Thursday.
Updated
Ukraine says it shot down three Russian planes
Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow’s air force.
On Telegram, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said:
After successful combat operations against an enemy aircraft in the night on Feb. 29, two more Russian aircraft were destroyed: Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors.
Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, did not immediately comment on Syrskyi’s remarks. Reuters could not immediately verify his comments.
Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine fell to Russian forces this month after a long battle. Russia took full control of the south-eastern port city of Mariupol in May 2022.
The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia had lost six warplanes in three days, Reuters reports.
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Russian business people should invest in Russia and their assets and property rights should be protected, president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during his annual address.
He said that taxes for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia should be reduced, Reuters reports.
A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a Russian-American woman against her detention on a treason charge.
The FSB Security Service said last week that Ksenia Karelina had been detained on suspicion of raising funds for Ukraine’s armed forces. The Los Angeles resident had been collecting funds for a Ukrainian organisation whose ultimate beneficiary was the Ukrainian army, the FSB said.
A Russian lawyers’ group said she had donated just over $50 to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine.
Sri Lanka has decided to stop issuing free long-term visas to Russian and Ukrainian nationals who have lived in the Indian Ocean island nation for the past two years, a government official said on Thursday.
Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Sri Lanka has allowed Russians and Ukrainians to stay in the country without paying for visas, but they will now have to pay the charges.
The rate is about $50 for a 30-day visa, if they wish to stay in Sri Lanka, public security minister Tiran Alles told Reuters.
“Whoever wants to stay back can apply for new visas,” Alles added. “They can immediately renew their visas and remain here.”
Last week immigration authorities said they were ending the free long-term visa scheme for Russian and Ukraine nationals, setting a 7 March deadline for the departure of those without new visas in a notice that sparked comment on social media.
About 300 to 400 Russians and Ukrainians are estimated to have been staying in Sri Lanka since February 2022, said Priantha Fernando, the chairman of the island’s tourism body.
“This has nothing to do with normal tourists,” Fernando said. “We are more than welcoming them … there is no issue.”
Here are some images from the news wires of Putin during his state of the nation address:
Russian president Vladimir Putin said he believes it is important for Russia to strengthen ties with Arab countries and Latin American countries during his annual address to the nation.
Here is some more background about Putin’s state-of-the-nation address:
It comes two weeks ahead of a presidential election, in which Putin is expected to win another six-year term in a landslide.
It was delivered to members of both Houses of Parliament, state officials, military commanders and soldiers.
He covered the war in Ukraine, threat of Nato expansion, Russian nuclear capabilities, the declining birthrate and support for large families.
More from the speech to come …
Putin warns Nato of risk of nuclear war in major speech to Russian parliament
Putin also said Russia will fight back and “defeat” Nato on their own territory against the threat of expansion, which he warned could trigger a nuclear war.
He said:
They are preparing to strike our territory and using the best possible forces most effective forces to do so.
But we remember the fate of those who tried to invade our territory and of course their fate will be much more tragic than anything that we could face.
They have to understand that we also have weapons. Weapons that can defeat them on their own territory and of course all this is very dangerous because it could actually trigger the use of nuclear weapons. Do they not understand that?
These people are people who have not been through arduous experiences. They’ve forgotten about it, but we did through the Caucasian war, for example, and now in the conflict in Ukraine.
Updated
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has said the west are attempting to “destroy us” and to “contain our development” in his annual address to parliament.
He said:
The so called West with its so colonialist tendencies is striving not only to contain our development but they are intent on destroying us and using our space for whatever their purposes are including Ukraine.
They are absolutely determined to introduce division among us and weaken us …
Citizens of Russia will defend our freedom and independence. It is only down to you that our way will be determined for the future.
Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops from the village of Orlivka, west of Avdiivka, but the situation on the eastern front remains difficult, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday.
Orlivka is less than 2 kilometres northwest of Lastochkyne, which was recently occupied by Russian forces.
Russian forces last week captured the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka after a months-long assault and are pressing on several other areas along the frontline, Ukrainian authorities say.
Ukraine’s military said this week it had withdrawn from two more villages near Avdiivka, losing more territory as support from its western allies runs short.
On Telegram, Syrskyi said:
The enemy continues active offensive actions in many areas of the frontline. The situation is particularly tense in the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhia sectors.
He said Russian assault units were trying to break through the Ukrainian defences and capture the settlements of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka.
Syrskyi, who visited troops on the eastern front, said some commanders had revealed certain shortcomings in their “situational awareness and assessment of the enemy”, which directly affected the sustainability of defence in certain areas.
I took all measures to remedy the situation on the ground, with the allocation of additional ammunition and material resources, as well as the necessary reserves.
Ukraine plans to export a high volume of electricity on Thursday, taking advantage of lower domestic consumption during a spell of mild weather, the energy ministry said.
The country’s electricity exports, which began shortly before it was invaded by Russian troops in 2022, were halted after numerous Russian attacks on power infrastructure and the seizure of the largest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.
However, Ukraine has exported significant volumes of power to eastern Europe this month.
A ministry statement said:
For the current day, electricity imports are forecast to total 2,497 megawatt hours (MWh) while exports are expected to reach 4,797 MWh.
Ukraine has been experiencing a surplus of electricity for three days and the surplus was transferred to Poland.
Energy minister German Galushchenko last month told Reuters that Ukraine could resume substantial energy exports as early as this spring because of lower domestic consumption.
Opening Summary
Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has just passed 10am in Kyiv. Here are the latest developments:
Several members of Ukrainian special forces have died in an assault on the Tendra Spit in Kherson oblast, according to reports. Ukraine’s special operations forces confirmed the deaths, suggesting those who died had stayed behind to ensure the main contingent escaped.
Russia claimed on Thursday that its forces had re-entered the village of Robotyne, which Ukraine retook from the occupiers in August 2023. Russia’s state-run Interfax news agency cited the defence ministry saying troops had taken over some buildings but it was unclear whether Ukrainian troops had completely withdrawn. There was no confirmation from reliable sources. Robotyne lies between Avdiivka and Kherson, and south-east of Zaporizhzhia, on the frontline in Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Ukraine’s forces shot down 10 Russian aircraft in as many days with the latest being two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers on 27 February, according to the Ukrainian general staff.
The UK government said on Wednesday that how Ukraine uses donated cruise missiles is “the business of the armed forces of Ukraine” after comments by Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, about possible UK and French involvement in targeting, and how Germany would not get involved in similar activity by sending its Taurus missiles.
The Russian defence ministry claimed through state media on Wednesday that its forces had captured Petrovske, formerly renamed by Ukraine as Stepove, in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Wednesday cautioned against any meddling from Russia in Moldova’s neighbouring breakaway region of Transnistria, whose separatist leaders have supposedly appealed to Moscow for “protection” – a ploy that has previously been instigated by Russia to justify invading other countries.
Moldova’s government has called the Transnistrian separatists’ request a propaganda event. Transnistria is a primarily Russian-speaking region that is legally part of Moldova. In February 2022 leading up to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian-backed militants in Ukraine also asked for Moscow’s “protection”.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has promoted the idea of joint arms production at a summit of south-eastern European countries in the Albanian capital, Tirana. Zelenskiy proposed a Ukrainian-Balkans defence forum in Kyiv or a Balkan capital, similar to initiatives held last year with British and US weapons companies. A joint declaration signed by 10 countries at the summit said their leaders were ready to take part in a Ukrainian-led peace summit in Switzerland this spring to discuss Zelenskiy’s vision of peace.
Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania are Nato members, have joined western sanctions against Russia, and sent arms and equipment to Ukraine. There are significant arms industries in parts of the Balkans left over from the former Yugoslavia. Serbia has not imposed sanctions on Russia, and neither Belgrade nor Kyiv recognise the independence of Kosovo, an Albanian enclave that claims independence, backs Ukraine and seeks EU and Nato membership.
The EU should consider using profits from frozen Russian assets to buy military supplies for Ukraine, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday. Japan has backed the idea, saying the EU proposals appear to have a basis in international law.
Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said his government was considering a “temporary” closure of the border with Ukraine for goods, amid tensions over low-priced Ukrainian grain. “We are talking with the Ukrainian side about a temporary closure of the border, the cessation in general of trade.” However, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukrainian deputy PM, said: “Ukraine is not going to close its borders with Poland. No one from the Ukrainian side is negotiating about this. Our people are fighting for their existence in a war with the Russian aggressor. For us, a stable border is a matter of survival.”
Ensuring Ukraine’s success against Russia is “the biggest test of our generation”, UK Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said on Wednesday. He added: “At the G20 foreign ministers meeting it was clear there are few illusions about what Russia is doing and that the UN and Britain underlined how dangerous Putin’s actions are for the entire world.”
Russian forces struck 11 communities along the Sumy oblast border in 42 separate attacks on Wednesday, the regional military administration reported according to the Kyiv Independent. No casualties or damage to local infrastructure were reported.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will attend a diplomacy forum in Turkey from Friday, the countries’ governments said. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Lavrov would meet Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
A court in southern Russia jailed a Ukrainian man for 11 years and six months after convicting him of espionage for trying to procure secret missile components for Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.
China’s Eurasia envoy, Li Hui, will visit Russia, Ukraine and the headquarters of the EU this week for talks. The trip will represent “the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement, adding Li would also go to France, Germany and Poland.
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