Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow spy chief makes bizarre claim US, UK and Ukraine were behind terror attack

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The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has made the bizarre claim that the US, UK and Ukraine were involved in the terror attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed 139 people – as the Kremlin keeps pushing a false narrative trying to link its invasion of Ukraine to the shooting.

Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the FSB offered no evidence for his claim, with the US, France and number of other nations all saying that a branch of Isis were responsible for the attack. Isis-K itself has claimed the attack and released a graphic video of it.

“The USA, Britain and Ukraine are behind the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall,” Mr Bortnikov, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, was quoted as saying by TASS, the Russian state-owned news agency. “We believe the action was prepared both by the radical Islamists themselves and, of course, facilitated by Western special services”.

Elsewhere, Ukraine has struck a navy vessel stolen by Russia during the occupation of Crimea, Kyiv has said. Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukraine navy spokesman, said his country’s forces hit the Olshansky landing ship with a missile.

Key Points

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Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich after almost a year in jail

The 32-year-old US citizen was arrested in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent nearly a year behind bars. His arrest was extended until June 30.

Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain27 March 2024 05:30

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Production at weapons plant doubles amid war in Ukraine

Production at a weapons plant in Northern Ireland has doubled, and is set to double again following Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Thales UK operate two sites in the region – with high precision missiles designed and produced at a plant in east Belfast, and final missile assembly at another plant in Crossgar, Co Down.

It designs and produces missiles including Starstreak, Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) systems as well as final assembly of the Saab designed NLAW.

They have also trained UK and Ukraine soldiers in the south of England.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 05:10

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Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich after almost a year in jail

A Moscow court has ordered Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late June, court officials said.

The 32-year-old US citizen was arrested in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent nearly a year behind bars. His arrest was extended until 30 June.

Mr Gershkovich and The Journal have denied the allegations from Moscow, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained.

His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 05:05

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Russia killed 32 prisoners of war this winter, says UN

Russia has executed at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) it had recently captured, a report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said yesterday.

The executions were carried out between 1 December 2023 and 29 February this year.

OHCHR said it recorded 12 cases of executions of at least 32 captured Ukrainian POWs during the winter, indicating that the Russian officials carried out these killings in groups.

“OHCHR has verified three of these incidents in which Russian servicemen executed seven Ukrainian servicemen hors de combat,” according to the report, which is based on interviews with 60 Ukrainian soldiers released from captivity.

Ukraine has flagged reports of torture or killings of Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2024.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 04:31

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Multiple victims of Moscow attack including children are in serious condition, Russian officials say

Twenty-two victims of the Russia concert hall attack that killed more than 130 people remain in serious condition in the hospital, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Tuesday, according to state news agency Tass. Two of them are children, it said.

Russia is still reeling from the attack Friday in which gunmen killed 139 people in a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the gunmen are “radical Islamists,” but despite all evidence pointing to the involvement of Islamic State, Putin repeated his accusation that Ukraine could have played a role. Kyiv has strongly denied any link to the attack.

Four men accused of carrying out the attack appeared before a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain27 March 2024 04:30

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Japan, UK back World Bank’s $1.5bn development loan for Ukraine

The World Bank will give $1.5bn in development loans to Ukraine under its Growth Foundations Development Policy Loan (DPL) program, officials in Kyiv said.

The loan will reach Ukraine by the end of March, a statement from the Ukraine’s finance ministry said.

It added that the funding will be backed by guarantees from Japan and the UK, and will be provided through the World Bank Trust Fund (ADVANCE Ukraine).

“The funds raised will be used to support the state budget of Ukraine and economic recovery, as well as to finance the priority social and humanitarian expenditures of the state budget,” Ukraine’s finance minister Serhii Marchenko said.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 03:59

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Zelensky replaces top security official in new reshuffle

Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the secretary of Ukraine’s national security council and replaced him with the head of his foreign spy agency yesterday in a new shake-up that follows the overhaul of the military high command last month.

Mr Zelensky, speaking later in his nightly video address, said Oleksiy Danilov was being transferred to new duties, with details to be made public later.

The Ukrainian president did not provide a reason for the reshuffle as his presidential website showed a series of plainly worded decrees.

Danilov, the outgoing secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, had held his position since October 2019, just months after Mr Zelensky took office.

Mr Zelensky said he expected „a strengthening of our state’s strategic capabilities to forecast and influence the processes upon which our national security depends.

„The strengthening of Ukraine and the renewal of our state system in all sectors will continue.”

Mr Zelensky appointed Oleksandr Lytvynenko, 51, head of the foreign intelligence service, who has no public profile whatsoever, to head the council.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 03:36

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Ukraine strikes warship stolen by Putin’s forces during Crimea occupation in 2014

“This ship was supposed to be used by Ukraine. That’s why it was decided to destroy this unit with our Neptune,” Mr Pletenchuk said, adding that it had been sitting in the Crimea port of Sevastopol waiting to be stripped for parts. “It was being prepared for use against Ukraine… so unfortunately the decision was taken to strike this [ship].”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain27 March 2024 03:30

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Ukraine strikes warship stolen by Putin’s forces during Crimea occupation in 2014

“This ship was supposed to be used by Ukraine. That’s why it was decided to destroy this unit with our Neptune,” Mr Pletenchuk said, adding that it had been sitting in the Crimea port of Sevastopol waiting to be stripped for parts. “It was being prepared for use against Ukraine… so unfortunately the decision was taken to strike this [ship].”

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 03:24

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France will soon deliver 78 howitzers to Ukraine

France will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine, its defence minister announced, with plans to boost its supply of shells to meet Kyiv’s urgent needs for ammunition to fight Russia’s continuing invasion.

Defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said an agreement was reached among France, Ukraine and Denmark to finance the Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, which will enable France to “quickly deliver” them.

France has also set a goal to deliver 80,000 shells for 155 mm guns to Ukraine this year – up from 30,000 delivered since the beginning of the war in February 2022, the minister said.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly requested his allies send more ammunition and other military aid as the war grinds on in the country’s east.

Russia has also pummelled Ukraine with several massive aerial attacks in the past week in what it calls revenge for the Moscow concert attack, despite the Isis militant group claiming responsibility.

Arpan Rai27 March 2024 03:14