Ukraine LIVE: Putin accelerates offensive as he relentlessly bombards cities with missiles
Russian strikes across Ukraine awoke millions of civilians in the early hours of Friday as one city in the south was hit 17 times in less than an hour, amounting to the “largest number” of attacks since the beginning of the invasion, according to local officials. Those still living in the south and east of Ukraine were urged to “stay in shelters” as dozens of Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drones struck cities in Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts. The attacks follow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 48-hour round trip through the UK, Paris and Brussels, in which Kyiv’s Western backers made renewed pledges to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia, including the provision of longer-range weapons that could be used to strike Crimea.
After Rishi Sunak promised to send longer-range missiles to Kyiv during a meeting with Mr Zelensky on Wednesday, Ukrainian defence sources said on Thursday night that such artillery could be used to strike the region of Crimea to the south of the mainland. Mr Zelensky himself said the weapons would be used to strike “deep in the occupied territories”. The two missiles being considered by the UK to send to Ukraine are believed to be the Harpoon, which has a maximum range of 150 miles, and the Storm Shadow, which can hit targets as far as 350 miles away.
Tom Watling
Russia bombs ‘critical infrastructure’ in northeast Ukraine
Russian missiles have delivered “another blow” to the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine as a missile strike damaged “critical infrastructure”, the mayor has reported.
Ihor Terekhov has just issued the following statement on Telegram: “Around 10 o’clock in the morning, another blow to the critical infrastructure of Kharkiv. Today there may be interruptions with electricity and other utility services.”
Tom Watling
Third wave of Russian missiles to hit southern Ukraine
A third wave in less than 12 hours of Russian strikes in southern Ukraine is expected to hit in the next few hours, a local governor has claimed.
Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitaly Kim, posted on Telegram a few minutes ago to warn civilians.
He said: “There will be a 3rd wave.”
Earlier, he suggested there would be 20 missiles fired on the city, with air defence systems working overtime to destroy the explosives before they hit the ground.
A cruise missile spotted over Odesa region. There are also cruise missiles flying trough Moldovan airspace reports governor of Mykolaiv Oblast Vitaly Kim. pic.twitter.com/9htRoiMQS7
u2014 NOu00cbL ud83cuddeaud83cuddfa ud83cuddfaud83cudde6 (@NOELreports) February 10, 2023
Tom Watling
Russian strikes continue in Kharkiv
Russian missile strikes in the northeast Ukrainian region of Kharkiv have continued into Friday morning, reports have suggested.
Tom Watling
Missile attack reported in Kyiv
A Ukrianian MP has suggested there are Russian attempts to strike the capital of Kyiv this morning.
Air defence working massively in #Kyiv. Apart from that the city is extra quiet, as if before a storm
— Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) February 10, 2023
Tom Watling
Air raid alerts sound across Ukraine
Air raid alerts are currently sounding across the entirety of Ukraine as Russia continues it’s major missile assault.
Tom Watling
Ukraine releases latest Russian death toll
Ukraine has released the latest Russian personnel and equipment losses in the conflict zones.
Tom Watling
Russian strikes continue into Friday in southern Ukraine
Russia have continued their missile assault on Ukraine this morning, following a swath of strikes in the early hours of Friday.
Several explosions were reported in the southern central Dnipropetrovsk Oblast at around 7am GMT on Friday, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s military administration.
Seven missiles in total were fired with more expected, he added.
The missiles launched are part of Russia’s latest mass missile strike in Ukraine, employing both air- and sea-launched cruise missiles. According to Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Viitaliy Kim, around 20 missiles were launched in the first wave.
Tom Watling
Zelensky meets Polish president
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with the President of Poland Andrzej Duda following his whistlestop tour of the UK and northern Europe.
Tom Watling
Russia make ‘tactical gains’ in Donetsk
Russian forces have made “tactical gains” in two areas in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence has reported, as Putin’s major spring offensive looks to be under way.
Wagner Group mercenary fighters “have pushed 2-3km further west” near the city of Bakhmut in attempts to encircle the city and cut off access to the E40 Bakhmut-Slovyansk and T0504 Kostyantynivka-Chasiv Yar-Bakhmut highways.
The two roads are the last remaining supply channels into the city for Ukrainian soldiers still holding their defence lines.
In Vulhedar, a coal mining town 60 miles southwest, the MoD reported that “Russian units have made advances around the western edge”.
They added, however, that it had come at the expense of “particularly heavy casualties” with the use of “inexperienced units” proving fatal.
On Thursday, the Institute for the Study of War said that Russian forces had made “marginal advances” near Kreminna in the Luhansk region east of Donetsk, suggesting such movements signalled the start of Putin’s spring offensive.
Tom Watling
Ukraine to use UK missiles to strike Crimea
Ukrainian defence sources have said they are prepared to use missiles set to be delivered to Kyiv from the UK to strike Russian bases in Crimea.
Rishi Sunak, during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Wednesday, said the UK would send longer-range weapons to Kyiv as part of the next tranche of support.
Mr Zelensky later said such missiles would be used to strike “deep in the occupied territories”.
The two missiles being considered for supply to Ukraine are believed to be the Harpoon anti-ship missiles and the surface-to-air Storm Shadows.
The former has a maximum range of 150 miles and costs around £1.2 million each. The latter, the Storm Shadow, costs £2.2 million and can hit targets more than 350 miles away.
The Ukrainian forces closest to Crimea are located in the Kherson region just north of the Dnipro River and the land corridor below the mainland. They are roughly 95 miles away from the northernmost point of Crimea.
Harpoon anti-ship missiles
A US warship launches a Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile (Image: GETTY )
Tom Watling
Russia strikes Ukraine in sweeping Friday morning attacks
Russian strikes across three regions of Ukraine have left cities “without electricity” as Putin reacts to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 48-hour round trip across the United Kingdom and northern Europe.
At 4am on Friday morning, Ukrainian civilians were urged to rush to nearby shelters as dozens of rockets and Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drones devastated regions across the east and south of Ukraine.
At least 17 missiles struck the city of Zaporizhzhya in southern Ukraine, according to the city council secretary Anatolii Kurtiev.
In Kharkiv, in the northeast, S-300 missile systems are believed to have been used to strike areas across the region at least 10 times.
Regional governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram: “At 4:00, the enemy launched rocket attacks on the city of Kharkiv and the region. Previously by S-300 missiles.
“Critical and infrastructure facilities were targeted. Fires broke out, which the rescuers managed to quickly put out.
“However, some areas of the city remain without electricity. Specialists are working to eliminate the consequences of the impact. Fortunately, there were no casualties.”
Serhiy Lysak, the military administrator in the Dnipropetrovsk region to the north of Zaporizhzhya, said Iranian drones were detected on their way to the area but were intercepted.
Tom Watling
Russia prepares 2,000 tanks for major spring offensive
Russia has prepared 2,000 tanks and 300,000 soldiers for a “huge invasion” in Donbas, which comprises the two easterly Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, according to local intelligence.
A Ukrainian intelligence officer warned that the attack, expected to coincide with the anniversary of Putin’s invasion on February 24, will be bolstered by thousands more armoured vehicles, artillery systems and hundreds of fighter jets and helicopters.
Ukrainian forces in the Luhansk city of Kreminna are already battling what appears to be the first waves of this next Russian offensive, with Putin’s forces making “marginal advances” in the past week with additional regiments arriving to the front, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Tom Watling
Good morning
Good morning from London. I’m Tom Watling. I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: tom.watling@reachplc.com
Twitter: @TomAWatling