Ukraine-Russia war news: Putin’s weary forces make first gains in 3 WEEKS as Wagner mercenaries CAPTURE huge power plant
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RUSSIAN forces have taken over Ukraine's second biggest power plant as Putin advances in Donbas after three weeks of tactical deadlock.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was likely Russian private military firm Wagner had advanced in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
The advances were made around the Vuhlehirska Power Plant and the nearby village of Novoluhanske, the Ministry of Defence said on Twitter.
And speaking of the capture, Ukrainian official said Oleksiy Arestovych: "They achieved a tiny tactical advantage - they captured Vuhlehirsk."
Seizing the Soviet-era coal-fired Vuhlehirsk power plant in eastern Ukraine, it is Putin's first strategic gain in more than three weeks in what it calls its "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour.
The MoD also added some Ukrainian forces have likely withdrawn from the area.
Read our Ukraine war live blog below for the latest up-to-date news...
More than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees arrive in Britain
More than 100,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine have received sanctuary in the UK through its visa schemes, according to Government figures.
Some 104,000 people had arrived in the UK under Ukraine visa schemes as of Monday, figures published by the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration show.
The milestone was reached more than four months after the Government's visa schemes were launched in March.
The Government thanked members of the public for their generosity in opening their homes to those seeking safety.
The total includes 31,300 people under the family scheme, and 72,700 people under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme.
Overall, there have been almost 200,000 visa applications, meaning just over half of those who have applied have arrived in the UK.
The figures show that, as of Tuesday, around 198,200 applications have been made for visas, and 166,200 visas have been issued.
These include 55,000 applications under the family scheme, of which 47,200 visas have been granted, and 143,200 applications under the sponsorship scheme, of which 119,000 visas have been granted.
Russian gas flows remain steady
Operator data has shown that Russian gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline and via Ukraine remained steady on Thursday.
Physical flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia to Germany were at 14,415,629 kilowatt hours an hour (kWh/h) for 0800-0900 CET, a similar level to the previous 24 hours.
Russia cut flows on the pipeline to just 20% of its capacity on July 27 citing maintenance work.
Ukraine claim to have eliminated 1,742 Russian tanks
The Ukraine's Ministry of Defence have released their latest update on Russian losses since the start of their invasion of Ukraine.
They claim to have taken out 1,742 tanks and 3,979 armored vehicles.
We’ll still work closely with Truss OR Sunak, Zelensky tells Piers
Ukraine's hero president says he doesn't want Boris Johnson to disappear from the world stage - but vowed that his country will stand by the new PM.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the current Prime Minister's support is "from the heart" in a moving interview for Piers Morgan's TalkTV show Uncensored.
Sitting beside wife Olena Zelenska, the president said that he will "cooperate closely" with either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak.
"It will be the same close relationship with the UK and Ukraine," he said.
"I know those two candidates are very respectful and have the support of people from the UK.
"We know about the support, the positive strengths of those leaders."
But asked whether he'd still support Mr Johnson - after the PM bade "hasta la vista" to PMQs - Mr Zelensky said he's a "big friend" of Ukraine.
"I have no right to play in politics inside the UK," he said.
World dangerously close to NUCLEAR WAR amid threats from Russia
The world is edging ever closer to a catastrophic nuclear war, amid threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Britain's top security chief has warned.
National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove sounded the chilling alarm amid fears China and Russia are upgrading their weapons of mass destruction.
And he said the war in Ukraine, coupled with the secretive regimes in both Moscow and Beijing, means we are "more likely to see 'escalation wormholes' — sudden, unpredictable failures in the fabric of deterrence causing rapid escalation to strategic conflict".
Speaking in Washington DC at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, he said nuclear war was averted during the Cold War only because the Soviet Union and Nato were able to speak to each other with a mutual understanding which he said does not exist today.
He was speaking as North Korea's Kim Jong-un warned that South Korea was pushing the world towards the brink of nuclear armageddon.
Kim also claimed that his country's nuclear war deterrent was ready for use against the US, and issued a thundering attack on the new South Korean leadership.
Russian attack gains momentum
Ukraine's counteroffensive is gathering momentum in the Russian-controlled southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Britain's defence ministry said on Thursday.
In a regular intelligence bulletin on Twitter it said: "Ukrainian forces have highly likely established a bridqehead south of the lngulets River, which forms the northern boundary of Russian-occupied Kherson."
Russia's 49th Army, stationed on the west bank of the Dnipro River, now looks highly vulnerable, British military intelligence said, adding that Kherson was virtually cut off from the other territories occupied by Russia.
Russian court fines WhatsApp messenger over data storage violation
A Russian court fined Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger 18 million roubles (£246,000) on Thursday for an alleged failure to localise user data on Russian territory.
The fine follows an earlier penalty for Snapchat owner Snap Inc. for a similar offence.
Russia fines Snapchat owner for data law violation - reports
A Russian court on Thursday fined Snapchat owner 1 million roubles ($16,667) for an alleged refusal to localise Russian user data on the country's territory, the Interfax news agency reported.
Moscow has clashed with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in a simmering dispute that has erupted into a full-on battle since Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russian-backed separatists say four civilians killed in Ukraine shelling
Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine's Donetsk said on Thursday that four civilians had been killed by Ukrainian shelling over the previous day.
According to a message posted on an official separatist Telegram channel, four people were killed and another 11 wounded between 08:00 local time on Wednesday and 08:00 on Thursday.
Reuters could not verify battlefield reports.
Donetsk city has been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions on the city's outskirts.
Separatist authorities have accused Ukraine of shelling Donetsk city on multiple occasions, including at a bus stop earlier this month.
The UK is to host Eurovision contest next year
2023’s competition will be hosted by the UK on behalf of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won this year’s competition, however organisers agreed it would not be safe to host the show in Ukraine next year.
The BBC said it will hold the “glorious Ukraine at it’s heart.”
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Stick with The Sun to get all the most important updates about Ukraine.
Readers are given updates every 30 minutes, with breaking news posted straight away.
Consultant uses artistic talent to raise medical funds for Ukraine
A hospital consultant who took up oil painting to relax during the pressures of the Covid pandemic is now selling her creations to raise funds for Ukraine.
Dr Jennifer Elder, a consultant respiratory physician at the Ulster Hospital, uses the scenery of the Co Down coast to inspire her pictures.
Dr Elder, together with other doctors from across the UK, have joined MAU (Medical Aid Ukraine) which raises funds to send essential health supplies to Ukraine.
Equipment and ambulances donated to the cause are now in active use in Ukrainian hospitals and fundraising by MAU totals almost £100,000.
Dr Elder, who was born in Scotland but has lived in Co Down for the last 19 years, said her artwork has been inspired by beauty spots such as Strangford Lough, Murlough and Tobermory.
She said: “I am a respiratory doctor first and foremost but one who now breathes art – there are many things that make us feel alive and, for me, painting is one of them.
“I started to paint during lockdown as a way of escaping, after long days working in a Covid-19 high dependency ward.
“All of us experience hundreds of different lights and moods in a day, which I hope I have captured in my paintings.
“It is one of the reasons why I started to paint.”
Ukraine sends fierce message to Russians
The Ukrainian military have sent a strong warning to Russian soldiers after achieving successful attacks on Russian occupiers in Kherson.
The Defence of Ukraine Twitter account said: "Successful missile strikes on bridges over the Dnipro River by create an impossible dilemma for russian occupiers in : retreat or be annihilated by .
"The choice is theirs."
Russia cuts gas flows further
Russia delivered less gas to Europe on Wednesday in a further escalation of an energy stand-off between Moscow and the European Union that will make it harder, and costlier, for the bloc to fill up storage ahead of the winter heating season.
The cut in supplies, flagged by Gazprom earlier this week, has reduced the capacity of Nord Stream 1 pipeline - the major delivery route to Europe for Russian gas - to a mere fifth of its total capacity.
Hypersonic missiles
Hypersonic missiles travel five times the speed of sound and can redirect while in the air.
The United States, China, and Russia are locked in a new arms race to develop reliable hypersonic missile technology.
Russia claims to have stockpiled hypersonic missiles that can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads and the Kremlin had previously branded the deadly weapon “unstoppable”.
Meanwhile, the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed a third test flight of a hypersonic missile built by defense contractor Raytheon - the missile ripped across 300 nautical miles at speeds greater than Mach 5.
The missile uses an air-breathing system partially powered by oxygen passing through the missile and .
"DARPA demonstrations are always about learning, whether it’s in the interest of feasibility or practicality, and this time we certainly got new information that will further improve performance,” project manager Andrew "Tippy" Knoedler said in a .
The United States Department of Defense 2023 budget allocates almost in funding for the research, development, testing, and evaluation of hypersonic missile projects.
Russia Today loses court fight
State-controlled media outlet Russia Today on Wednesday lost its court fight against a European Union ban imposed in March over alleged disinformation, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retaliatory measures against Western media.
Europe's second highest court upheld the EU decision, taken after Brussels accused Russia Today of systematic disinformation over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The Grand Chamber of the General Court dismisses RT France's application for annulment of acts of the Council, adopted following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, temporarily prohibiting that organisation from broadcasting content," the Luxembourg-based General Court said.
UK’s Ministry of Defence latest update
Russian private military firm Wagner has likely made tactical advances in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Wednesday.
The MoD said: "Russian private military company Wagner has likely succeeded in making tactical advances in the Donbas around the Vuhlehirska Power Plant and the nearby village of Novoluhanske.
"Some Ukrainian forces have likely withdrawn from the area."
'We are in danger'
Piers Morgan has said that Zelensky is the No1 target for the Russians and his family No2.
When Piers discussed the attempted assassinations with Zelensky and his wife it was obvious that the couple had been fearing the possibility for some time.
Olena Zelenska said: "It’s an unpleasant feeling.
"I don’t want to think that they want to do this to our family. I’m trying to push these kinds of thoughts away.
"You can see what they did to civilians and what they are doing now, in any part of our country.
"I don’t understand what they’ve got in mind, and possibly we are in danger.
"I don’t want to allow these kinds of thoughts to go deep into my mind because I could feel scared, and this is not what we need right now."
First Ukraine grain exports likely this week - Turkish official
The headquarters overseeing exports of Ukrainian grains is set to be unveiled in Istanbul on Wednesday after a landmark U.N. deal last week, and a senior Turkish official said the first ship is likely to depart Black Sea ports in a few days.
Russia and Ukraine signed the deal on Friday, brokered by Ankara and the United Nations, to reopen grain and fertiliser exports that have been blocked by war to ease an international food crisis.
Zelensky nominates lawmaker from own party as prosecutor general
Zelensky has nominated Andriy Kostin, a lawmaker from the president's Servant of the People party, to be the country's next prosecutor general.
Zelensky submitted a formal request to parliament for the assembly to vote to confirm Kostin's appointment to replace Iryna Venediktova, who was removed as prosecutor general earlier this month.
It was not immediately clear when parliament will vote on Kostin's appointment.
Inflation skyrockets in Ukraine
As Ukraine faces huge odds in its battle against Russia, the economic state in the country continues to worsen.
Inflation sat at 10% in January, and has now hit 21.5%, "mainly the result of war-driven shocks and global price pressures,'' the National Bank of Ukraine said.
In order to prevent further economic downturns, Ukraine's allies have been providing both military and financial aid.
84% of Ukrainian against peace with Russia
According to the Kyiv Independent, 84% of Ukrainians are against finding a peace with Russia.
Moreover, only 10% of Ukrainians would accept giving up territory to find peace.
This comes as Russian losses surpass 40,000 troops.
UK’s Ministry of Defence latest update
Russian private military firm Wagner has likely made tactical advances in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Wednesday.
The MoD said: “Russian private military company Wagner has likely succeeded in making tactical advances in the Donbas around the Vuhlehirska Power Plant and the nearby village of Novoluhanske.
“Some Ukrainian forces have likely withdrawn from the area.”
Separatist leader calls on Putin to invade more Ukrainian cities
A leader of the pro-Russian sepratists in Donetsk region has called on Putin to expand invasion efforts.
Denis Pushilin said on the messaging app Telegram: “Today the time has come to liberate Russian cities, founded by Russians: Kyiv, Chernigiv, Poltava, Odessa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk.”
If Putin satisfied these commands, Russia would essentially rule all of Ukraine.
Catch all the most important live updates
Stick with The Sun to get all the most important updates about Ukraine.
Readers are given updates every 30 minutes, with breaking news posted straight away.