The first Russian soldiers have arrived in Belarus to take part in a new joint force announced this week, Minsk's defence ministry said on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia announced $400 million in humanitarian aid for Kyiv. Read FRANCE 24’s liveblog to catch up on the day's events as they unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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9:36pm: At least 11 dead, 15 wounded in shooting at Russian military training ground
At least 11 people were killed and 15 more wounded at a training ground in south-western Russia on Saturday when two attackers opened fire on a group of volunteers who wished to fight in Ukraine, RIA news agency said.
The Russian news agency, citing the defence ministry, said the two assailants had been shot dead after the attack in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. It said they were nationals from a former Soviet republic but did not give any details.
"During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the special military operation (against Ukraine), the terrorists opened fire with small arms on the personnel of the unit," RIA cited a defence ministry statement as saying. "As a result of the shooting, 11 people were fatally wounded. Another 15 people with wounds of varying severity were taken to a medical facility," it said.
Authorities in Belgorod have repeatedly accused Ukraine of attacking targets in the city, but Kyiv has not claimed any responsibility.
3:30pm: Russian fuel depot on fire after being hit in region bordering Ukraine
An oil depot in Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine is on fire after being shelled on Saturday, the governor said, as strikes increases against the area.
"We're getting bombed again. One of the shells hit the oil depot in the Belgorod region," regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. He said emergency services were already on site, adding there was "no risk" of the fire spreading. Gladkov posted a photo showing flames and plumes of black smoke rising above a building.
State-run news agency TASS cited a source in the emergency services saying the burning depot was located in the village of Razumnoye-71, near the city of Belgorod.
Last week Russia complained of an increase in artillery and missile strikes on its territory bordering Ukraine. The Belgorod region has regularly come under fire. The capital of the region, also called Belgorod, had been hit more rarely. But on Friday a power station in the city was set on fire by a Ukrainian strike, causing electricity cuts.
1:48pm: Trains depart from Kramatorsk 189 days after station bombing
Trains are finally pulling into Kramatorsk from Kyiv, 189 days after it was the site of one of the worst attacks since the war in Ukraine began on February 24.
1:24pm: Russia hits power site by Kyiv, guards seized land
A missile strike seriously damaged a key energy facility in Ukraine's capital region, the country's power system operator said Saturday as the Russian military strove to cut water and electricity in populated areas.
Kyiv region Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said the strike did not kill or wound anyone.
Electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said repair crews were working to restore power but warned residents about possible outages.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, urged Kyiv area residents and people in three neighboring regions to reduce their energy consumption during evening hours of peak demand.
1:19pm: Iran denies supplying arms to Moscow for use against Kyiv
Iran has again denied supplying Russia with weapons to be used in the war in Ukraine.
Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones in attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. The issue is expected to be discussed on Monday at a meeting between European Union (EU) ministers in Luxembourg.
11:56am: First Russian soldiers arrive in Belarus for joint force, says ministry
The first Russian soldiers to take part in a new joint force with Belarusian troops have arrived in Belarus, Minsk's defence ministry said on Saturday.
"The first convoys of Russian servicemen from the regional force group have arrived in Belarus," the ministry said, adding that their mission was "exclusively to strengthen the protection and defence of the border".
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Monday that Belarus would be taking additional steps to support its Russian ally in the war against Ukraine.
To justify the new joint force, Lukashenko accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of training militants to attack Belarus and cited a "direct threat". He also accused Ukraine of planning attacks “on the territory of Belarus” from the south.
Lukashenko has allowed Russia to fire missiles from Belarusian territory since the early days of the conflict but has remained mostly on the sidelines.
Analysts say Lukashenko has been reluctant to send troops – especially since a wave of protests in 2020 exposed his immense unpopularity at home – but is likely caving to pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
>> ‘Russian pressure is too strong’: Is Putin pulling Belarus into the war in Ukraine?
9:28am: The city of Lviv faces power cuts
After several days of disruption caused by Russian strikes, the Ukrainian authorities announced on Thursday that they had managed to "stabilise" the electricity network. But in Lviv, in western Ukraine, the situation remains very delicate.
FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports.
9:10am: Russian evacuations amount to 'deportation', says Kyiv
Fighting remains active in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine, according to the latest military sources, as Ukrainian troops have been advancing towards Kherson.
Russian occupying forces had called for civilians to be evacuated out of combat zones towards Russia. Ukrainian members of Kherson’s counsel said that they would consider such movements to be "deportations", not evacuations.
FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent tells us more.
6:14am: Putin says Russia 'doing everything right' in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was "doing everything right" in its nearly eight-month invasion of Ukraine despite a string of embarrassing defeats against Kyiv's forces, who will receive $725 million in new US military assistance.
Putin's comments Friday came hours after Kremlin-installed officials in the southern Kherson region urged residents to leave as Kyiv said its soldiers were advancing on the region's main city.
Moscow also hinted at the extent of the damage dealt to the Crimea bridge -- the sole land connection between its mainland and the annexed Ukrainian peninsula -- following a blast last Saturday, saying it could take many months to complete repairs.
"What is happening today is not pleasant. But all the same, (if Russia hadn't attacked in February) we would have been in the same situation, only the conditions would have been worse for us," Putin told reporters after a summit in the capital of Kazakhstan.
3:01am: Saudi Arabia announces $400 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, reports SPA news agency
Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced $400 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, the official SPA news agency said, adding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had made a phone call to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The prince emphasised "the Kingdom's position of supporting everything that will contribute to de-escalation, and the Kingdom's readiness to continue the efforts of mediation," SPA reported.
1:50am: US announces $725 million in new military assistance to Ukraine, says Blinken
The United States will send an additional $725 million in military assistance to Ukraine, the State Department and Pentagon announced Friday.
The aid comes "in the wake of Russia's brutal missile attacks on civilians across Ukraine," and "the mounting evidence of atrocities by Russia's forces," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
This newest package includes more ammunition for the HIMARS rocket system and brings the total US military assistance to Ukraine to $18.3 billion since the start of Joe Biden's administration, the Department of Defence said in a separate statement.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
