Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia warns Europe of 'prepared answer' if West seizes assets; Sunak to announce UK's largest military aid package for Ukraine

The Russian defence minister has said his troops will increase the intensity of strikes on logistics centres and the storage depots of Western weapons in Ukraine.

Sergei Shoigu addressed the new US military aid package for Ukraine, worth nearly $61bn, in remarks to defence officials.

In an apparent reaction to the aid package, Mr Shoigu said: "In proportion to the threats posed by the United States and its allies, we will continue to improve the composition and structure of the armed forces and increase the production of the most popular weapons and military equipment.

"We will increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centres and storage bases for Western weapons." 

As part of the package, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv will soon receive more long-range ATACMS missile systems.

US officials said the aid will also include ammunition supplies and interceptors for air defence systems.

The in-demand aid package will be voted on in the US Senate later today, where it is likely to pass. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it into law immediately after this.

As we reported earlier, nine people were injured in the Black Sea port of Odesa after a suspected Russian drone attack.

Four of the injured were infants and children, all of whom have been taken to hospital.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces said Iranian-made Shahed drones were used to target the southern city, seven of which were shot down. 

Watch the video below showing the devastating aftermath of the strike...

The Ukrainian foreign minister has suspended consular services for military-aged male citizens who are living abroad. 

In what appeared to be a measure to boost conscription, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement on X that measures had to be taken to restore "fair treatment". 

"How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state," he said. 

"It does not work this way. Our country is at war." 

The measures do not include those who need to return to Ukraine.

Last week, Ukraine's parliament passed a new law that will change how the country calls up new troops.

The law will essentially make it easier to identify every draft-eligible man in the country, where many have dodged conscription by avoiding contact with authorities.

Ahead of his trip to Poland this afternoon, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

During the call, Mr Sunak assured Mr Zelenskyy of the "UK's steadfast support for Ukraine's defence against Russia's brutal and expansionist ambitions", a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The prime minister also confirmed that the UK will provide an additional £500m in immediate funding - which will include 60 boats, more than 400 vehicles and over 1,600 missiles.

"President Zelenskyy thanked the prime minister for the UK's continued support, saying the new military assistance would make a material difference to ordinary Ukrainians fighting on the frontline to defend their country," the spokesperson said. 

Mr Sunak said he will use his trip to Poland and Germany to "galvanise the international community to support Ukraine's defence".

In a tweet, Mr Zelenskyy said...

The Russian ministry of defence has claimed to have taken control of Novmykhalivka - a town which could lead to further settlements. 

Although the town has no military significance, it lies on roads that lead to settlements that straddle the Sukhiy Yaly River, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Russian forces reportedly entered the town on 9 February and completely cleared it in 73 days - covering a distance of under 5km.

The 79th Separate Air Assault Tavriia Brigade reportedly stated the operation required 30,000 Russian personnel.

The MoD said Russian forces would now likely seek to advance towards the town of Kostyantynivka - which lies 18 miles west of Bakhmut.

Ukraine's anti-corruption agency is treating agriculture minister Mykola Solsky as a suspect in an investigation into the illegal acquisition of state-owned land worth 291 million hryvnia (£5.9m), according to Ukrainian media.

Mr Solsky has overseen the grain industry since his appointment in March 2022. 

In a statement, the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine said it had uncovered a scheme led by a current minister.

Although Mr Solsky was not named directly, it said the suspect was the former chairman of the parliamentary agrarian committee, a post held by Mr Solsky before he became agriculture minister.

If confirmed, Mr Solsky would be the first known government minister under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be named as a suspect in a corruption case.

​ The Kremlin has launched an operation to convince Ukrainians to flee Kharkiv - Ukraine's second-largest city - ahead of a possible future offensive, analysts have claimed.

Back in March, Russian state television propagandist Vladimir Solovyov said  forces should destroy Kharkiv City "quarter by quarter" and suggested offering Ukrainian civilians 48 hours to leave the city.

Reports from Russian neo-nationalist publication Tsargrad amplified these calls last week, citing several unspecified military sources in saying a Russian offensive operation was inevitable and that the situation in Kharkiv City would become "worse than Bakhmut and Avdiivka".

Despite these warnings, the Institute for the Study of War said the likelihood of a successful Russian ground offensive in the city was very low if Ukraine received renewed US military aid rapidly.

Moscow has recently stepped up its attacks, while Ukraine is suffering a shortage of air defence capabilities. 

Kharkiv and the surrounding region have experienced the most intense strikes. 

Yesterday, a 240-metre television tower in Kharkiv broke in half and fell to the ground after what local officials said was a Russian missile attack. 

The broadcasting signal was disrupted and smoke rose into the sky as the tower hit the ground.

Rishi Sunak is to announce the UK's largest military aid package to Ukraine during a trip to Poland later today. 

Some 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and four million rounds of ammunition are included in the package.

The announcement comes during a downswing for Ukraine as Russian forces have been gaining the upper hand in recent weeks.

The latest aid package will take the UK to £3bn in military aid to Ukraine this financial year.

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Ukrainian defence officials have launched a recruitment effort to try to get civilians to sign up for the army. 

Adverts on job sites, billboards and social media posts have been set up in addition to outreach centres in an attempt to conscript people. 

Candidates who sign up are able to select their precise unit and role, as well as how long they will serve.

In a campaign video, troops in the 93rd Mechanised Brigade are heard saying: "Everyone can do it!"

Kyiv is desperate to replenish its depleted forces, which are vastly outnumbered and outgunned by Russia.

The initial patriotic flood of volunteers who flocked to the army following the invasion in February 2022 has dried up, with many people going to lengths to avoid conscription. 

Current law states that Ukrainian men aged 18 or older have to abide to mandatory conscription.

But last week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new law which will make basic military training mandatory for all men starting from September 2025.