Closing summary
At least 14 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, and other senior officials have been killed after a helicopter crashed near a nursery in a suburb of Kyiv. A number of children at the school in Brovary were among the casualties after debris hit the building. The most recent update, on Wednesday afternoon, suggested one child had been killed, after previous reports that the number was at least three.
Officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash. The SBU state security service said it was investigating possible causes, including a breach of flight rules, a technical malfunction and the intentional destruction of the helicopter.
Monastyrsky, who was responsible for the police and security inside Ukraine, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began. Ukraine’s national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, has been appointed acting interior minister. The victims of the crash include Monastyrsky’s first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, the state secretary of the ministry of internal affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the helicopter crew.
Separately, Ukraine reported intense fighting overnight in the east of the country, where both sides have taken huge losses for little gain in intense trench warfare over the past two months. Ukrainian forces repelled attacks in the eastern city of Bakhmut and the nearby village of Klishchiivka, the Ukrainian military said. Russia has focused on Bakhmut in recent weeks, claiming last week to have taken the mining town of Soledar on its northern outskirts.
Vladimir Putin has said he has “no doubt” that Russia’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable”. Putin announced that Russia’s military-industrial complex was ramping up production during a visit to a factory in St Petersburg. In a separate speech, the Russian leader also claimed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine were intended to stop a “war” that had been raging in eastern Ukraine for many years. Ukraine and the west have rejected Putin’s stated objectives of demilitarising and “denazifying” Ukraine as a pretext for a war of choice and unprovoked aggression.
Bulgaria helped Ukraine survive Russia’s early onslaught by secretly supplying it with large amounts of desperately needed diesel and ammunition, the politicians responsible have said. The former Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov and finance minister Assen Vassilev said their country, one of the poorest EU members and long perceived as pro-Moscow, provided 30% of the Soviet-calibre ammunition Ukraine’s army needed during a crucial three-month period last spring, and at times 40% of the diesel.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stepped up calls for Ukraine’s army to be supplied with heavy tanks and urged “resolve and speed” of decision-making from western allies in the face of resistance from the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Addressing a packed gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos via video link, Ukraine’s president warned that “tyranny is outpacing democracy” as Germany hesitated over whether to supply the country with Leopard 2 tanks.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Ukraine needed a “significant increase” in weapons in order to reach a “negotiated peaceful solution”. He was cautious on whether Germany would lift its opposition to sending its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer, saying consultations were ongoing. Nato’s deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, warned that the military alliance must be prepared “for the long haul” and support Ukraine for as long as it took.
Germany’s chancellor avoided committing to the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine at the Davos summit, although he held the door open to a positive decision at a special summit of western defence ministers on Friday. Olaf Scholz did not mention the Leopard tanks at all when a Ukrainian delegate asked him “why the hesitancy” in signing off their re-export, prompting an apparently frustrated Ukrainian president to warn the same forum against delay.
Poland’s president has warned that Russia could be planning a new offensive in the coming months, calling on countries to provide Ukraine with “weapons, weapons, weapons”. Andrzej Duda told delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Russia was still strong and that more action was needed to support Ukraine, adding that current levels of assistance were inadequate.
Canada has announced that it will donate 200 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine. The move came during a visit to Kyiv by Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand. Zelenskiy thanked the Canadian people and its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, “on this difficult day”.
Four people have been detained by Moscow police at a makeshift memorial dedicated to victims of Saturday’s deadly missile strike on a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to a report. People began placing flowers at the statue of Ukrainian writer Lesya Ukrainka in a “spontaneous memorial in memory of the victims of the missile strike in Dnipro”, the independent Russian human rights monitor OVD-Info said.
Updated
Joe Biden has released a statement expressing his condolences to the families of those killed in this morning’s helicopter crash in Brovary.
The US president praised interior minister Denys Monastyrsky’s efforts to fight Russian aggression and push for reforms to strengthen Ukraine’s democracy. He added:
We will continue to honour that legacy through efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s institutions, and in our unfailing partnership with the people of Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom bright.
Updated
Ukraine’s interior ministry adviser, Anton Gerashchenko, has shared pictures of two people he says were killed in a helicopter crash in Brovary, Kyiv, this morning.
Little Milana and her mom Olena died today after the helicopter crash. Milana's sister and her dad Oleksandr lost their two most important people.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) January 18, 2023
Deepest condolences.
📷: Anna Volkova/Instagram pic.twitter.com/HV02HL3QDM
Brovary’s mayor, Ihor Sapozhko, has announced three days of mourning after at least 14 people, including a child, were killed in this today’s crash.
Posting to Telegram, he said:
January 19, 20 and 21 have been declared Days of Mourning in our community following the tragedy that happened today in Brovary … There are no words to convey the pain of loss.
Updated
Poland’s president has warned that Russia could be planning a new offensive in the coming months, calling on countries to provide Ukraine with “weapons, weapons, weapons”.
Andrzej Duda told delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Russia was still strong and that more action was needed to support Ukraine, adding that current levels of assistance were inadequate.
He said:
This moment will answer the question, will Ukraine, survive or not?
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stepped up calls for Ukraine’s army to be supplied with heavy tanks and urged “resolve and speed” of decision-making from western allies in the face of resistance from the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
Addressing a packed gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos via video link on Wednesday, Ukraine’s president warned that “tyranny is outpacing democracy” as Germany hesitates over whether to supply the country with Leopard 2 tanks.
Scholz dashed hopes that he would announce a decision to supply Ukraine with heavy tanks in his keynote speech in Davos earlier in the day, making no new weapon commitments and warning the world needed to avoid escalating the conflict into a war between Russia and Nato.
Instead, Scholz ran through a list of the military hardware Germany was supplying and stressed his country’s determination to ensure Ukraine triumphed.
But speaking hours after a helicopter crash near a suburb of Kyiv that killed 14 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, Zelenskiy said that Ukraine cannot afford to wait for Russia to regroup. He said:
The world must not hesitate today and ever. When the evil seeks revenge the world needs resolve and speed. The supply of Ukraine with air defence systems must outpace Russia’s next missile attacks. The supply of western tanks must outpace another invasion of Russian tanks.
The restoration of security and peace in Ukraine must outpace Russia’s attacks on security and peace in other countries.
His speech was attended by his wife, Olena Zelenska, and some of Ukraine’s closest allies including the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, as well as the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Four people have been detained by Moscow police at a makeshift memorial dedicated to victims of Saturday’s deadly missile strike on a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to a report.
At least 45 people, including six children, were killed and 19 people are still missing after a Russian X-22 anti-ship ballistic missile hit an apartment block on Saturday.
People began placing flowers at the statue of Ukrainian writer Lesya Ukrainka in a “spontaneous memorial in memory of the victims of the missile strike in Dnipro”, the independent Russian human rights monitor OVD-Info said.
It said authorities detained two people who laid flowers at the monument in western Moscow along with two of their companions.
The Ukrainian president has called on the world not to hesitate in confronting Russia, more broadly criticising the lack of speed in the reaction to various developing crises, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy told delegates at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday:
The time the free world uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill.
Polish president 'afraid Russia is preparing new offensive'
Poland’s president is backing Ukraine’s call for more support.
Speaking on a panel after Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s special address, Andrzej Duda says he fears Russia is preparing a new offensive in Ukraine within months.
It is crucial to provide additional support to Kyiv with modern tanks and missiles, Duda adds.
He tells Davos delegates:
They [ie Russia] are still very strong and we are afraid they are preparing for a new offensive in a few months so it is crucial to send additional support to Ukraine, specifically modern tanks and modern missiles.
Updated
The US will provide $125m (£101m) for electrical parts and other supplies to help Ukraine repair crews keep up with Russian strikes pounding the country’s electrical system, the head of the US international development aid Samantha Power has announced.
The money will be used to procure backup power for Kyiv’s water and district-heating systems, and to help replenish supplies of gas turbines, transformers and other vital power equipment, the US agency for international development (USAid) said.
Updated
Britain and the US “stand united against Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine”, the UK’s Foreign Office says.
The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, is in Washington where he met his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, before this week’s gathering of top defence officials from dozens of countries at the US Ramstein airbase in Germany to coordinate military aid for Kyiv.
The pair “agreed to deepen our two countries’ diplomatic and security ties to ensure that, in the end, the Ukrainian people will win”, the Foreign Office tweeted alongside a photo of the meeting.
The UK and the US stand united against Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) January 18, 2023
Foreign Secretary @JamesCleverly met @SecBlinken in Washington DC where they agreed to deepen our two countries’ diplomatic and security ties to ensure that, in the end, the Ukrainian people will win. pic.twitter.com/yjb83V6JnU
Updated
Zelenskiy: The world must not hesitate in its response to Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos to urge world leaders to quickly supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs to combat Russia’s aggression.
The world was “hesitant” when Russia took over Crimea in 2014, and when it attempted to invade the entire of Ukraine in February last year, Zelenskiy said, adding:
The world must not hesitate today and ever.
He said that although his country did not start the war, “it is us who will have to end it”.
He added:
The supplying of Ukraine with air defence systems must outpace Russia’s next missile attacks. The restoration of security and peace in Ukraine must outpace Russia’s attacks on security and peace in other countries.
Updated
Summary of the day so far
It’s nearly 7pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
At least 14 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, and other senior officials have been killed after a helicopter crashed near a nursery in a suburb of Kyiv. A number of children at the school in Brovary were among the casualties after debris hit the building. The most recent update, on Wednesday afternoon, suggested one child had been killed, after previous reports that the number was at least three.
Officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash. The SBU state security service said it was investigating possible causes, including a breach of flight rules, a technical malfunction and the intentional destruction of the helicopter.
Monastyrsky, who was responsible for the police and security inside Ukraine, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began. Ukraine’s national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, has been appointed acting interior minister. The victims of the crash include Monastyrsky’s first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, the state secretary of the ministry of internal affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the helicopter crew.
Separately, Ukraine reported intense fighting overnight in the east of the country, where both sides have taken huge losses for little gain in intense trench warfare over the past two months. Ukrainian forces repelled attacks in the eastern city of Bakhmut and the nearby village of Klishchiivka, the Ukrainian military said. Russia has focused on Bakhmut in recent weeks, claiming last week to have taken the mining town of Soledar on its northern outskirts.
Vladimir Putin has said he has “no doubt” that Russia’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable”. Putin announced that Russia’s military-industrial complex was ramping up production during a visit to a factory in St Petersburg. In a separate speech, the Russian leader also claimed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine were intended to stop a “war” that had been raging in eastern Ukraine for many years. Ukraine and the west have rejected Putin’s stated objectives of demilitarising and “denazifying” Ukraine as a pretext for a war of choice and unprovoked aggression.
Bulgaria helped Ukraine survive Russia’s early onslaught by secretly supplying it with large amounts of desperately needed diesel and ammunition, the politicians responsible have said. The former Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov and finance minister Assen Vassilev said their country, one of the poorest EU members and long perceived as pro-Moscow, provided 30% of the Soviet-calibre ammunition Ukraine’s army needed during a crucial three-month period last spring, and at times 40% of the diesel.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Ukraine needed a “significant increase” in weapons in order to reach a “negotiated peaceful solution”. He was cautious on whether Germany would lift its opposition to sending its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer, saying consultations were ongoing. Nato’s deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, warned that the military alliance must be prepared “for the long haul” and support Ukraine for as long as it takes
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has ducked a question about allowing Leopard 2 Tanks to be sent to Ukraine. Speaking to delegates in Davos, Scholz said Germany has been among the biggest supporters of Ukraine, adding that Kyiv can rely on Berlin’s support, but must avoid this becoming a war between Russia and Nato.
Canada has announced that it will donate 200 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine. The move came during a visit to Kyiv by Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, thanked the Canadian people and its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, “on this difficult day”.
Hello everyone, it’s Léonie Chao-Fong still here with all the latest developments from Ukraine. As always, feel free to drop me a message if you have anything to flag. You can reach me on Twitter or via email.
Updated
Zelenskiy leads minute of silence before addressing world leaders in Davos
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is addressing global leaders who have gathered for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, via video link.
He asks attenders to observe a minute of silence for victims of this morning’s helicopter crash in the Kyiv suburb of Brovary that killed at least 14 people.
Updated
Nato’s deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, has warned that the military alliance must be prepared “for the long haul” and support Ukraine for as long as it takes, as Russia prepares for an extended war.
Addressing top European military chiefs, Geoană said Nato countries must invest more in defence, ramp up military industrial manufacturing and harness new technologies to prepare for future wars.
Noting that Russia had mobilised more than 200,000 additional troops, he said:
We have no indication that Putin’s goals have changed, so we must be prepared for the long haul. 2023 will be a difficult year and we need to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images we have received from the site of this morning’s helicopter crash in Brovary, Ukraine.
H
Updated
Bulgaria, one of the poorest EU members and long perceived as pro-Moscow, helped Ukraine survive Russia’s early onslaught by secretly supplying it with large amounts of desperately needed diesel and ammunition, the politicians responsible have said.
The former Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov and finance minister Assen Vassilev said their country provided 30% of the Soviet-calibre ammunition Ukraine’s army needed during a crucial three-month period last spring, and at times 40% of the diesel.
The men, who are now in opposition, have described along with the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, the remarkable operation mounted by the small Balkan state, which officially was refusing all requests to arm Ukraine, in interviews with Die Welt.
“Kiril Petkov has shown his integrity, and I will always be grateful to him for using all his political skill to find a solution,” Kuleba told the German newspaper, adding that the Bulgarian leader “decided to be on the right side of history, and help us defend ourselves against a much stronger enemy”.
Petkov had to act covertly because of the overtly pro-Kremlin sympathies among many in Bulgaria’s political class, including his Socialist coalition partners. Days after Russia’s so-called special operation in Ukraine began on 24 February, he fired his defence minister, who was refusing to call the invasion an act of war.
Scholz ducks question on Leopard 2 Tanks, warns of risk of Russia-Nato war
We had hoped that Olaf Scholz would announce a decision on allowing Leopard 2 Tanks to be sent to Ukraine, but he has not.
Instead, the German chancellor tells delegates in Davos that we must avoid the conflict escalating into a war between Russia and Nato.
He’s asked by one delegate …
Q: Why are you hesitating on the decision on allowing Leopard 2 Tanks to be sent to Ukraine?
Germany has been among the biggest supporters of Ukraine, Scholz insists, as he embarks on a lengthy defence of Berlin’s approach.
He points out that while the US has sent more military support, it does have a much larger defence budget.
We decided very early in the war to change our political strategies, Scholz says, not simply supporting Ukraine with humanitarian aid but with a lot of weapons.
We will continue to provide support for as long as needed, he insists.
Scholz says that the artillery coming from Germany to Ukraine, and its multirocket launcher, are very effective to Ukraine defending its sovereignty.
Ukraine can rely on our support, but must avoid this becoming a war between Russia and Nato, Scholz explains.
And his “willingness” and the willingness of Germany, is that Ukraine becomes an independent, free, democratic nation that can join the European Union.
Reminder: Germany is under heavy pressure to allow the re-export of German-manufactured Leopard 2 tanks, which are used by 13 Nato countries, or to give some of its own to help Ukraine.
For more developments from Davos, please follow the live blog here.
Updated
German chancellor ignores question on supply of tanks
German chancellor Olaf Scholz did not respond to question about supplying Leopard tanks to Ukraine, my colleague Dan Sabbagh writes.
...but in reply, no word from Scholz on Leopard tanks. Instead he highlights Germany's list of military aid so far, promises to support Ukraine for "as long as necessary" whilst ensuring there will be no war "between Russia and Nato". https://t.co/7SoVfFR3kx
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) January 18, 2023
Updated
Ukraine needs 'significant increase' in weapons, says Stoltenberg
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Ukraine needs a “significant increase” in weapons at a pivotal moment in Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine’s western allies need to provide more weapons in order to reach a “negotiated peaceful solution”, he told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He was cautious on whether Germany would lift its opposition to sending its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer, saying consultations were ongoing.
Beyond tanks, he said Ukraine needed more air defence systems and armour but also ammunition, spare parts and maintenance capabilities to ensure that its existing weapons continued to function.
The situation along the frontline had stabilised over the past weeks he said, but pointed to the protracted fierce fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut which he said showed the importance of providing more weapons to support Ukraine.
Updated
In an interview on the BBC’s World at One programme, the former head of Nato and former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that Germany’s “hesitation” in sending tanks to Ukraine has “allowed Putin to escalate the war without consequences”.
During the interview Rasmussen is critical of Germany, saying “I don’t see any logical argument for the German hesitation.”
He went on to say: “I think that hesitation has allowed Putin to escalate the war without consequences. We should not be giving Putin time to come up with new cruel strategies. So we must force the Russians into the defensive.
“For far too long, we have followed what I would call a bureaucratic strategy, where we have gradually increased arms deliveries when Putin has escalated. And this step by step strategy should now be replaced by a surprise strategy where the Ukrainians push the Russians on the defensive.”
Rasmussen also called for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Ukraine, saying “I think what is needed now is to close the skies over Ukraine to protect the Ukrainian population against the Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure. So we should deliver anti-aircraft, anti-missile, anti-drone and long range missiles to hit the Russian missile launchers. But in addition to that, we should also deliver heavy battle tanks to give the Ukrainians the means to retake lost ground.”
Former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen tells #BBCWATO Germany's "hesitation" on sending tanks to Ukraine has "allowed Putin to escalate the war without consequences".
— The World at One (@BBCWorldatOne) January 18, 2023
Full interview on Radio 4 at 1pm. pic.twitter.com/ndrhtKHXYX
Updated
Canada has announced that it will donate 200 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine. The move came during a visit to Kyiv by Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand.
In an appearance alongside Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov, CBC reports that Anand said: “Today, I am glad to confirm our next package of military aid. The vehicles offer state-of-the-art, best-in-class technology and weapons can easily be mounted on them. These vehicles also allow for the safe transportation of personnel and equipment.”
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has responded on social media, tweeting: “On this difficult day for Ukraine, our friends continue to support us. Thank you Justin Trudeau and the Canadian people for another defence aid package announced today in Kyiv by Anita Anand. Today the Ukrainian army needs 200 APCs more than ever. Together we are moving towards victory!”
On this difficult day for 🇺🇦, our friends continue to support us. Thank you @JustinTrudeau & 🇨🇦 people for another defense aid package announced today in Kyiv by @AnitaAnandMP. Today the Ukrainian army needs 200 Senator APCs more than ever. Together we are moving towards victory!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 18, 2023
Updated
This map shows the location of the helicopter crash near Kyiv this morning which has killed at least 14 people, including interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy and his deputy. The helicopter came down near a nursery in Brovary, and officials have said that one child is among the dead.
Updated
Russia’s ambassador to the UK has criticised the decision of the British government to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.
In comments reported by Russian state-owned news agency Tass, Andrey Kelin said:
The British have announced that they will supply tanks first. From a military point of view, I cannot qualify this, this should be done by specialists, but from a political point of view, this is no doubt an escalation. The tank is an offensive weapon, and so far everything they said that Ukraine should be given such weapons so that it would defend itself.
Reuters is reporting that Ukraine’s emergency services have revised down the death toll in the helicopter crash to 14, including one child.
Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has described the news of this morning’s helicopter crash as “incredibly tragic”, and sent his condolences to the families of the victims, President Zelenskiy, and the people of Ukraine.
The news of the helicopter crash in Brovary is incredibly tragic. I’m sending my condolences to the families of the victims, to President @ZelenskyyUa, and to the Ukrainian people – and I’m wishing a fast and full recovery to the injured. Canada continues to stand with Ukraine.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 18, 2023
Ukraine's police chief appinted new acting interior minister after helicopter crash
Ukraine’s national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, has been appointed acting interior minister after Denys Monastyrsky was killed along with other senior officials and several children in a helicopter crash in a suburb this morning.
❗️The head of the National Police Igor Klymenko has been appointed acting head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs after the death of Denys Monastyrsky in today's helicopter crash in Brovary. pic.twitter.com/f9WGtByleh
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) January 18, 2023
Updated
Here’s more from Vladimir Putin’s speech to workers at a factory in St Petersburg, where he said Russia’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable”.
Putin announced that Russia’s military-industrial complex was ramping up production and that was one of the main reasons why Russia would prevail in Ukraine, during a visit to a factory in his home town that produces air defence systems.
Reuters has these quotes:
In terms of achieving the end result and the victory that is inevitable, there are several things … It is the unity and cohesion of the Russian and multinational Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters … and of course the work of the military-industrial complex and factories like yours and people like you.
Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it.
CNN quotes Putin as saying that military-industrial workers could be exempt from the upcoming spring draft:
As for conscripts who are called up for military service: Considering that the defence industry is currently overwhelmed, and taking into account the fact that you work in three shifts, and the products of defence industry enterprises are in high demand, now we are looking at the possibility of granting a deferment to those who should be called up for military service.
He added that he believed that the “issue will be resolved soon”.
Updated
The head of the Russian Wagner private mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has criticised the Kremlin administration for failing to block YouTube.
The US-owned video platform is the “information plague of our time”, Prigozhin posted to Telegram. He alleged, without providing any evidence, that 40% of the videos on the platform were “politicised and directed against Russia”.
He went on to say that there were two reasons why YouTube had not been banned in Russia: that it was supposedly indispensable for ordinary citizens and, primarily, the opposition of President Vladimir Putin’s administration.
Prigozhin said:
Those who are against the closure of YouTube are, in my opinion, people who are traitors to their people and their country, traitors to previous and future generations of Russians. They live abroad, take holidays abroad, raise children abroad, proclaim high values but, nevertheless, support the west in every possible way and feed on it.
Updated
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, says his colleagues Denys Monastyrskyi and Yevhenii Yenin, who were among those killed in this morning’s helicopter crash, were “close colleagues and friends of mine, true Ukrainian patriots”.
Tragedy far from the frontline, in Brovary. My condolences to relatives of the victims, especially children. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured. Denys Monastyrskyi and Yevhenii Yenin were close colleagues & friends of mine, true Ukrainian patriots. Huge loss for all of us.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) January 18, 2023
Updated
Putin: Russia's victory in Ukraine is ‘inevitable’
Vladimir Putin has said he has “no doubt” that a Russian victory in Ukraine is “inevitable” while addressing workers during a visit to a weapons factory in St Petersburg today.
The Russian leader also claimed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine were intended to stop a “war” that had been raging in eastern Ukraine for many years.
While attending a meeting with veterans in his home town, he said Russia had long sought to negotiate a settlement to the conflict in Ukraine’s Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists have battled Ukrainian forces since 2014.
He said:
Large-scale combat operations involving heavy weapons, artillery, tanks and aircraft haven’t stopped in Donbas since 2014. All that we are doing today, as part of the special military operation, is an attempt to stop this war. This is the meaning of our operation – protecting people who live on those territories.
Describing Ukraine’s east as Russia’s “historic territories”, he said sending troops into Ukraine on 24 February last year was necessary to protect Russian speakers and conduct “demilitarisation” and “denazification” of Ukraine to prevent it from posing a threat to Russia.
Ukraine and the west have rejected Putin’s stated objectives of demilitarising and “denazifying” the country as a pretext for a war of choice and unprovoked aggression.
Updated
More tributes are coming in from European leaders on social media to Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy and his colleagues who have been killed in a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, expressed her “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims, President Zelenskiy, and the entire country.
Tragedy strikes at the heart of war-torn Ukraine.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 18, 2023
I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, @ZelenskyyUa and the entire country following the helicopter crash at #Brovary.
We are mourning with you.
Europe “joins Ukraine in grief” after the death of Monastyrskiy, her colleague and president of the European Council, Charles Michel writes.
We join #Ukraine in grief following the tragic helicopter accident in #Brovary
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) January 18, 2023
Minister Denys Monastyrsky was a great friend of the EU.
We share our deepest condolences with the families of the victims, President @ZelenskyyUa PM @Denys_Shmyhal and the people of #Ukraine
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, writes that the crash shows the “immense toll” Ukraine is paying in the war against Russia.
Der Hubschrauberabsturz in #Brovary zeigt erneut den immensen Tribut, den die #Ukraine in diesem Krieg zahlt. Unsere Gedanken sind an diesem traurigen Tag bei den Angehörigen der Opfer und den Verletzten sowie bei @ZelenskyyUa, der heute seinen Innenminister verloren hat.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 18, 2023
Tributes are being left at the site of a helicopter crash near a nursery outside Kyiv that killed three children and Ukraine’s interior minister and other senior officials.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, says he is “saddened” by the death of his colleagues and sends his deepest condolences to their families, and to the families of everyone who was killed this morning.
I’m saddened by the tragic death of my colleagues, Interior Minister Monastyrskiy, his 1st Deputy Yenin & State Secretary Lubkovych.
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) January 18, 2023
My deepest condolences to their families & to the families of everyone who died in this horrific accident, especially those who lost their kids…🕯️
The prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, also posted a tribute to Twitter, alongside photos of some of the victims, the interior minister, Denys Monastyrskyi, his first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and the ministry’s state secretary, Yurii Lubkovych.
Tragedy in #Brovary. At least 18 people died as a result of helicopter crash. Among them are 🇺🇦 Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy Yevhen Yenin & the ministry's state secretary Yurii Lubkovych. A great loss. My sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. pic.twitter.com/ta1wby0OWP
— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) January 18, 2023
Updated
At least 16 killed in helicopter crash, says official
The death toll from this morning’s helicopter crash near a nursery outside Kyiv has now been updated to 16, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office.
Among the 16 dead are Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrskyi, his first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, other senior officials, and three children.
Regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba had earlier said that 18 people had been killed but Tymoshenko later announced a death toll of 16.
He said 30 others had been injured, including 12 children. Many had burns, officials said.
Nine of the people confirmed dead were on board the helicopter, the police chief and emergency services said.
Downing Street has said its thoughts are with all those affected by the devastating helicopter crash this morning.
The people of Ukraine “will continue to be collateral as long as Putin continues his needless war”, No 10 writes on Twitter.
Britain will continue to stand with Ukraine, it says.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by the devastating helicopter crash in Kyiv, and those currently responding.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 18, 2023
Ukrainians will continue to be collateral as long as Putin continues his needless war.
The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine to secure a lasting peace. https://t.co/1cXnTJOfmq
‘Horrible day for Ukraine’, says first lady
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, has described this morning’s helicopter crash which has claimed the lives of interior minister, Denys Monastyrskyi, and several children, as a “horrible day for Ukraine”.
Horrible day for 🇺🇦. In helicopter crash we lost the Interior Minister and his colleagues – but the biggest tragedy is a death of children. They have faith that we, as adults, are able to protect them. My thoughts are with the victims’ families. Wish the injured speedy recovery.
— Олена Зеленська (@ZelenskaUA) January 18, 2023
The “biggest tragedy” from the crash in Brovary “is a death of children”, Zelenska wrote on Twitter, adding:
They have faith that we, as adults, are able to protect them. My thoughts are with the victims’ families.
Six local residents said the crash happened sometime between 8am and 8.15am this morning.
Two grieving parents awaited news beside an ambulance as dozens of other locals stood around the police cordon. More than 100 police and soldiers watched over police investigators as they marked and picked their way through fragments of the helicopter which were strewn between a residential building and the nursery.
Head of Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, was at the crash site. He said he was not prepared to comment on the circumstances of the crash and that rescue workers were still clearing the rubble.
One witness claims to have seen what may have been the cause of the crash.
Ivan, a 14-year-old boy who lives at Lohunova Steet 17, a 17-storey high rise block one building away from the crash site, said he said the helicopter approach the neighbouring building 18b Lohunova from his kitchen window.
“They didn’t see 18b Lohunova, it’s a high rise because of the fog,” said Ivan.
They tried to come up quickly but didn’t manage to and then it fell sharply.
Vova, who was collecting his seven-year-old boy, from the school which is next to the nursery, said his son saw the helicopter from the classroom window. “He said it was on fire and then it crashed and I believe him,” said Vova.
Yulia, whose two children also attend the school next door but were studying remotely that day, says she heard the helicopter circling and then a loud boom, which she believes was the sound of the crash.
“Whether it landed on the nursery or parts of it did, I couldn’t say,” said Yulia.
Updated
Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian interior ministry adviser, has posted a clip of what he says is a witness to today’s helicopter crash in Brovary talking about what she saw.
“The helicopter was circling, burning, and flew in that direction,” she says. She adds:
It’s a kindergarten. I think there are casualties there.
A witness of the helicopter crash in Brovary shares what she saw. pic.twitter.com/d3EjLMpieT
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) January 18, 2023
The video has not been independently verified.
Summary of the day so far …
At least 15 people including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrskiy, other senior officials and three children have been killed after their helicopter crashed into a kindergarten just outside Kyiv. A number of children at the school in Brovary, a suburb of the capital, were among the injured after the helicopter hit the building’s roof. Officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash.
Monastyrskiy, who was responsible for the police and security inside Ukraine, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began.
Volodymr Zelenskiy has described this morning’s crash as “a terrible tragedy” and a “black morning”. Writing on Telegram, Ukraine’s president said “The exact number of victims of the tragedy is currently being established. Among them are the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, Denys Monastyrskyi, his first deputy Yevhen Yenin, state secretary of the ministry of internal affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the helicopter crew. 25 people were injured, including ten children. As of this minute, three children died. The pain is unspeakable. I have instructed the security service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the national police of Ukraine and other authorised bodies, to find out all the circumstances of what happened.”
The UK’s foreign secretary, James Cleverly, paid tribute to Monastyrskiy, describing him as “a true friend of the UK”, saying “we are ready to support Ukraine in whatever way we can”. The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A Brink, has said she is “shocked and saddened” by the news. The EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, said the crash victims were “excellent cooperation partners and friends”.
Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, has said in Brussels that he expects Germany will sign off on sending tanks to Ukraine at a key meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group at the Ramstein airbase in Germany on Friday.
Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the Russian missile strike on an apartment building that killed 45 people in Dnipro at the weekend, including young children, as heartbreaking.
A search and rescue operation in the rubble of Saturday’s Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Dnipro has been completed, authorities said. The death toll currently stands at 45, including a child, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration said. At least 19 people are still missing and a further 79 people injured, according to local officials.
Updated
At least 15 people, including interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy, killed in helicopter crash near Kyiv
Isobel Koshiw in Kyiv and Peter Beaumont report for the Guardian:
At least 15 people including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrskiy, other senior officials and three children have been killed after their helicopter crashed into a kindergarten just outside Kyiv.
A number of children at the school in Brovary, a suburb of the capital, were among the injured after the helicopter hit the building’s roof.
Officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash and there was no immediate comment from Russia, which invaded Ukraine last February.
Monastyrskiy, who was responsible for the police and security inside Ukraine, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began. The national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, said Monastyrskiy had been killed along with his deputy and other senior ministry officials.
An earlier death toll of 18, was given by regional governor of Kyiv, Oleksiy Kuleba – and reported earlier in this live blog – but has been revised down by authorities.
The helicopter appears to have been travelling to a frontline area in foggy conditions when it came down in an area where there are a number of tall buildings.
Here are some further images that have been sent from the site of the helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv over the news wires.
Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, has said “All this is very painful” about today’s helicopter crash, while saying “I sympathise with the relatives of the victims, I sympathise with the parents of the children.”
His tweet includes an image of the damage to one of the buildings as the helicopter came down.
В Броварах Київської області сталася трагедія. Внаслідок падіння гвинтокрила, загинули діти, загинуло керівництво МВС.
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) January 18, 2023
Денис Монастирський, його перший заступник Євген Єнін, держсекретар Юрій Лубкович…
Співчуваю близьким загиблих, співчуваю батькам дітей. Все це дуже боляче. pic.twitter.com/VO0pKZXJxa
The UK’s foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has paid tribute to Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy, who has been killed in a helicopter crash this morning, describing him as “a true friend of the UK”, saying “we are ready to support Ukraine in whatever way we can.”
Tragic news of the helicopter crash in Ukraine this morning, which took the lives of Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy, members of his team and civilians.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) January 18, 2023
Denys was a true friend of the UK. We are ready to support Ukraine in whatever way we can.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, has posted to Telegram to say that the region’s air defences have been in operation this morning. He states “According to preliminary data, it is known that there were no damages and victims. Operational services are now inspecting the area.”
Zelenskiy: helicopter crash that killed minister is 'terrible tragedy' and a 'black morning'
Volodymr Zelenskiy has described this morning’s helicopter crash in Brovary which has claimed the lives of interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi and several of his team as “a terrible tragedy” and a “black morning”.
Writing on Telegram, Ukraine’s president said: “Today, a terrible tragedy occurred in Brovary, Kyiv region. A state emergency services helicopter crashed, and a fire broke out at the crash site.
“The exact number of victims of the tragedy is currently being established. Among them are minister of internal affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrskyi, his first deputy Yevhen Yenin, state secretary of the ministry of internal affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the helicopter crew.
“25 people were injured, including ten children. As of this minute, three children died. The pain is unspeakable. The helicopter fell on the territory of one of the kindergartens.
“I have instructed the security service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the national police of Ukraine and other authorised bodies, to find out all the circumstances of what happened. All services are working on the scene of the tragedy.”
Zelenskiy’s message concludes “My condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Denys, Yevhen, Yuri, the team of the ministry of internal affairs … true patriots of Ukraine. May they rest in peace. May all those whose lives were taken this black morning rest in peace.”
Updated
Maksym Kozytskyi, governor of Lviv, has paid tribute to this killed in the helicopter crash outside Kyiv today, writing on Telegram “Eternal memory to those we lost, condolences to their families. The whole country mourns with you.”
Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the Russian missile strike on an apartment building that killed 45 people in Dnipro at the weekend, including young children, as heartbreaking.
Reuters reports that as he has in nearly all of his public appearances since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Francis appealed for peace at his weekly general audience in the Vatican.
“Last Saturday another missile attack caused many civilian victims, among them children. I share in the heartbreaking pain of the family members,” he said.
“The images and the accounts of this tragic episode are a strong appeal to all people of conscience. One cannot remain indifferent,” he said.
A total of 45 people have been confirmed killed in the strike.
Ukraine says the apartment building was struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile. The Kremlin said its wave of missile strikes on Saturday did not target any residential buildings.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv, has provided this update on the latest situation in Brovary on Telegram:
11.40am. In Brovary, a rescue operation is underway at the scene of the tragedy. Debris analysis is underway. Children from the kindergarten are in another educational institution, and the relevant services work with them. The circumstances of the disaster are currently being investigated. All emergency services are on site.
Isobel Koshiw is in Ukraine for the Guardian, and is heading to the scene of this morning’s helicopter crash. She writes:
Prime minister Denys Shymhal wrote on Telegram that a special investigative group will immediately be established describing the crash as “a great loss for the government team and the entire state.”
“My sincere condolences to the families of all the victims,” he added.
Tributes are being paid on social media this morning to Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy and his colleagues who have been killed in a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv.
The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A Brink has said she is “Shocked and saddened” by the news.
Shocked and saddened by the terrible news from Brovary. My deepest condolences to the loved ones of Minister Monastyrskyi, First Deputy Yenin, and all those killed and hurt in this morning’s crash. Our hearts are with the Brovary community and our friends and partners at @MVS_UA
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) January 18, 2023
The EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, has said he is “horrified” by the news, describing the crash victims as “excellent cooperation partners and friends”.
Horrified to learn about the death of Ukraine's Minister of Interior Denys Monastyrsky and his Deputy Yevhen Yenin. They were excellent cooperation partners and friends. My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones.
— Matti Maasikas (@MattiMaasikas) January 18, 2023
Ylva Johansson, who is the EU commissioner for home affairs, said Monastyrskiy was “a true Ukrainian hero – over the last year leading with bravery and stoicism”
1/2
— Ylva Johansson (@YlvaJohansson) January 18, 2023
News of the death of Denys Monastyrsky, Yevhen Yenin and Yurii Lubkovich has shocked me deeply.
My condolences to the families of all the victims of this tragedy.
Denys is a true Ukrainian hero - over the last year leading with bravery and stoicism…@EUDelegationUA
2/2
— Ylva Johansson (@YlvaJohansson) January 18, 2023
..He was my friend
Working with him this past year was an honour.
The @EUHomeAffairs community and Interior Affairs Ministries in all 27 capitals, will feel this loss greatly.
We will continue our work helping Ukrainians and helping Ukraine, in Denys’ memory.
Slava Ukraini
A police briefing at the scene of the helicopter crash on Brovary, Kyiv region, has appealed for witnesses to the incident to come forward, reports government adviser Anton Gerashchenko.
“All citizens who have the necessary information are requested to contact law enforcement agencies. Every detail matters” Gerashchenko has posted to Telegram.
Brovary is located to the east of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, and is one of its suburbs, with a population of about 109,000.
Here are some of the images sent over the news wires from the scene of the helicopter crash in Brovary, which has killed interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy and at least 17 others including three children. The helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region.
Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estonia, has offered her condolences over the helicopter crash in Kyiv region today which has killed Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy, saying it is “yet another tragic reminder of incredibly heavy price Ukraine is paying during its freedom fight against Russia.”
Just heard about the helicopter crash in #Ukraine.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 18, 2023
Deepest condolences to @Denys_Shmyhal, the Ukrainian people and victims' families. Estonia mourns with you.
Yet another tragic reminder of incredibly heavy price Ukraine is paying during its freedom fight against Russia. https://t.co/WDsX3Aa8tI
Death toll in Brovary helicopter crash which killed minister rises to 18
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv region, has said three children are among 18 dead in the helicopter crash at Brovary in the region.
He has posted to Telegram.
Tragedy in Brovary. The number of victims increased. As of 10.30am — 18 dead, including three children. It is known about 29 wounded, including 15 children. All necessary assistance is provided to the victims. All emergency services are on site.
Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the minister of the interior who has been killed in the crash, has posted an unverified video clip of the site of the crash, which shows flames enveloping a building with wreckage to the side of it. He has also published a tribute to the government officials who have been killed in the crash, writing:
My friends, statesmen of Ukraine – minister of internal affairs Denys Monastyrskiy, Yevhen Yenin and Yuriy Lubkovych died in a helicopter crash of the State Emergency Service in Brovary. Everyone on board the helicopter also died. Everyone who was on board the helicopter were patriots of Ukraine, each defended and strengthened Ukraine in their place. We will always remember you. Your families will always be under the protection of friends and the state. Eternal memory to you, friends.
My friends, statesmen Denys Monastyrskyi, Yevhen Yenin, Yurii Lubkovych, everyone who was on board of that helicopter, were patriots who worked to make Ukraine stronger.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) January 18, 2023
We will always remember you. Your families will be cared for.
Eternal memory to my friends. pic.twitter.com/SdHfujCUAI
Updated
Russian foeign minister Sergey Lavrov has been giving a long speech this morning, in which he has likened the actions of the west to Hitler and Napoleon, and accused the west of trying to wear down Russia by sending more weapons to Ukraine.
He has also ruled out any possibility of talks with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and said that Russia would be ready to respond to proposals from the west over Ukraine, but that it doesn’t see any serious proposals.
Lavrov has blamed the conflict in Ukraine on a US "“hybrid war” against Russia.
Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. In March 2022 Lavrov said “We are not planning to attack other countries. We didn’t attack Ukraine in the first place.”
Ukraine's interior minister killed in Brovary helicopter crash
Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy is among the dead in a helicopter crash near a kindergarten in Brovary, Kyiv region which has also claimed the lives of two children, according to police reports.
Monastyrsky’s deputy and other interior ministry officials are also reported to be among the dead. The Ukrainian police channel on Telegram quoted police chief Ihor Klymenko saying:
This morning, 18 January, a helicopter of the State Emergency Service crashed in Brovary. As a result of the crash, the leadership of the ministry of internal affairs died: the minister, the first deputy minister and the state secretary.
In total, 16 people are known to have died, including two children. Of them, nine were on board the helicopter.
22 victims are in hospital, including ten children. All emergency services work on the site. The inspection of the scene is ongoing.
Updated
16 people including children killed in helicopter crash near kindergarten in Kyiv region – reports
Sixteen people have been killed in a helicopter crash in the town of Brovary, in the Kyiv region. The helicopter came down near a kindergarten that was in use at the time, and two children are reported to be among the dead. Another ten children are said to be among 22 people who have been hospitalised.
State broadcaster Suspilne, quoting police officials, report that nine of the dead were on board the helicopter, and that the victims include officials from Ukraine’s interior ministry. Some media sources are reporting that the dead include Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskiy and his first deputy Yevhen Yenin, but this is yet to be officially confirmed by the government.
Unverified video posted to social media shows a building in flames, and still images appear to show at least one body on the ground amid the wreckage.
Suspilne reports that the helicopter belonged to Ukraine’s state emergency services, although many of the details of the incident remain unconfirmed at the moment.
Updated
Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, governor of Sumy region, and Maksym Kozytskyi, governor of Lviv region, have both posted their regular morning status updates on Telegram, and both say that their regions passed the night without any shelling or air raid warnings taking effect.
Politico’s chief Brussels correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports from Brussels that the Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, has said he expects Germany will sign off on sending tanks to Ukraine at a key meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group at the Ramstein airbase in Germany on Friday.
New — Lithuanian Foreign Minister @GLandsbergis tells says he expects Germany will sign off on sending tanks at a key meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday#Davos #Ukraine
— Suzanne Lynch (@suzannelynch1) January 18, 2023
Updated
Helicopter crashes near kindergarten in Brovary, Kyiv region – reports
A helicopter has crashed near a kindergarten and residential buildings in the town of Brovary in Kyiv region, according to reports.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv, has posted to Telegram to say:
In the city of Brovary, a helicopter fell near a kindergarten and a residential building. At the time of the tragedy, children and employees of the institution were in the kindergarten. At this point, everyone was evacuated. There are victims. Ambulances, police and firefighters are working at the scene of the crash.
The Guardian has seen an unverified image that appears to show at least one adult severely injured at the scene.
The state broadcaster Suspilne has posted to Telegram to say “Preliminarily, it is known about five injured people, there are also deaths due to the fall of a helicopter in Brovary.”
Updated
It has been up on Twitter for more than 14 hours, but still nobody at the Russian embassy in Sweden has deleted the map they pushed out on Tuesday to try and illustrate how Europe’s energy prices are suffering because of sanctions against Russia. It shows Ukraine with its internationally recognised borders, including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, all areas of Ukraine that the Russian Federation claims to have annexed.
Gasoline prices per liter, 9 January 2023 pic.twitter.com/cUbJjhuVQx
— Russian Embassy, SWE (@RusEmbSwe) January 17, 2023
This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog for the next few hours. You can contact me on martin.belam@theguardian.com
Updated
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a changing world order are straining ties between France and Germany as they prepare to celebrate 60 years since a post-second world war treaty sealed their reconciliation, AFP reports.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in Paris on 22 January to meet President Emmanuel Macron before the pair lead a joint cabinet meeting to mark the Élysée treaty signed on 22 January 1963. But the two leaders’ relationship is seen as cordial at best.
“Scholz isn’t very European at all, he’s much more ‘Germany first’,” a senior member of Macron’s Renaissance party, who asked not to be named, told reporters this week.
In Paris, there’s an impression of German “disinterest in the French-German relationship”, said Jacob Ross, a researcher at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin.
The frictions are even being felt by the public, with 36% of French respondents and 39% of Germans telling pollster Ipsos this week that relations were suffering.
But the legacy of the 1963 treaty – signed in Paris by Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle – remains strong on everything from military cooperation to youth exchanges.
Updated
Finland is prepared to support Ukraine in its war with Russia for as long as necessary, Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday while speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.
“I think the only message that we need to send is that we will support Ukraine as long as needed. One year, two years, five years, 10 years, 15 years,” Marin said.
In 2022, the Finnish government spent €300m on support to Ukraine, about €190m of it on buying defence equipment.
Updated
Two of three Nato surveillance planes deployed temporarily to Romania have arrived at an airbase near Bucharest, from where they will fly missions to monitor Russian military activity near the borders of the 30-nation military alliance, AP reports.
The Airborne Warning and Control System planes landed at Otopeni airbase on Tuesday afternoon, with one more expected later. They are due to be based there for several weeks.
The AWACS aircraft, which Nato refers to as its “eyes in the sky”, belong to a fleet of 14 usually based in west Germany. They have large fuselage-mounted radar domes and can detect aircraft hundreds of kilometres away.
Updated
Earlier this week, Britain said it would donate a squadron of 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv, but that number is well below the 100 minimum that experts have said would be needed to allow Ukraine’s forces to achieve a breakthrough against Russia.
However, there are more than 2,300 Leopard 2 tanks available or in storage across Europe in 13 countries, including Germany, and if a group of countries were to donate some of their tanks it could add up to a significant force on the battlefield.
Berlin’s permission is needed to re-export the tanks because they were originally made in Germany, and it has been particularly cautious about making any move that could be interpreted by Moscow as a significant escalation. Politicians are also mindful of the country’s second world war history.
The British defence secretary, Ben Wallace, will join counterparts from Poland and the Baltic countries in Estonia to mount a final attempt to put pressure on Germany to authorise sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine this week.
The meeting of so-called “Leopard coalition” of countries willing to or keen to see western tanks sent to Kyiv comes a day before a group of about 50 defence ministers assemble in Ramstein, Germany, to discuss future weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Defence sources said a purpose of the meeting on Thursday was “to encourage the Germans” if no decision has been made by Berlin before then, although the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is due to speak at the Davos summit on Wednesday afternoon.
Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, speaking at the Davos World Economic Forum on Tuesday, said a positive decision from Berlin to allow the re-export of German-manufactured Leopard 2 tanks was “very, very, very, very needed”, and that a group of Nato countries wanted to come together to help form an armoured brigade that could be given to Ukraine:
Updated
Welcome and summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest for the next few hours.
Our top story this morning: the British defence secretary, Ben Wallace, a meeting to mount a final attempt to put pressure on Germany to authorise sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine this week.
Defence sources said a purpose of the meeting on Thursday was “to encourage the Germans” if no decision has been made by Berlin before then, although the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is due to speak at the Davos summit on Wednesday afternoon.
More on this shortly. In the meantime here are the other key recent developments:
A search and rescue operation in the rubble of Saturday’s Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has been completed, authorities said. The death toll currently stands at 45, including a child, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration said. At least 19 people are still missing and a further 79 people injured, according to local officials.
The Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has tendered his resignation after a public outcry over comments he made suggesting the Russian missile that struck the building in Dnipro had been shot down by Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force says the apartment complex was hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which Kyiv does not have the equipment to shoot down.
Russia has announced it will make “major changes” to its armed forces from 2023-26, promising to shake up its military structure after months of setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine. In addition to administrative changes, the defence ministry said it would strengthen the combat capabilities of its naval, aerospace and strategic missile forces.
More than 9,000 civilians, including 453 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last February according to Ukraine. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential staff, said at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, “We will not forgive a single [act of] torture or life taken. Each criminal will be held accountable.”.
Ukraine’s top general, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, spoke to his US counterpart, General Mark Milley, face to face near the Ukraine-Poland border for the first time. Milley, who is the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met for a couple of hours with Zaluzhnyi at an undisclosed location in south-eastern Poland on Tuesday. The pair have talked frequently over the past year but had never met.
Ukraine has urged world leaders to intensify efforts to remove Vladimir Putin’s troops from its soil as its war with Russia dominated the first full day of the gathering of the global elite in Davos.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday picked little-known Boris Pistorius to be Germany’s new defence minister, putting him in charge of steering the armed forces through an era of momentous change. The appointment follows the resignation of Christine Lambrecht at a crucial time for the ministry, with Germany under intense pressure to send battle tanks to Ukraine.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has told Joe Biden that the Netherlands will offer Patriot missiles to Ukraine. The Netherlands will join the US and Germany in sending the Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine, Rutte told Biden at the White House. Biden thanked Rutte for being “very very stalwart” on its support for Ukraine.
The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has justified the supply of Challenger tanks to Ukraine, saying it was designed to bring the war to a quick conclusion and there was a moral imperative to end the war soon due to the casualties and cost. His remarks seemed designed to encourage the US to step up its own weapons supply.
The EU executive has confirmed it is releasing €3bn in emergency aid for Ukraine, the first tranche of an €18bn fund intended to help run essential public services during winter.
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