Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia could be shifting battlefield focus

A 36-year-old US citizen has pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle over $250,000 (£200,000) worth of sensitive drone technology to Russia, the US Department of Justice has said.

Nikolay Grigorev pleaded guilty on Tuesday after more than 11,500 electronic components were stopped from going to Russia, fuelling the war on Ukraine. 

He faces a maximum of five years in prison.

Lisa Monaco, deputy attorney general in New York, said: "The justice department will continue to hold accountable those who defy our sanctions and export controls to support Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine – whether they're based in New York City or overseas."

The justice department said they are still searching for two other people in connection to the allegations. 

These images show devastation in Kharkiv after Russian strikes yesterday. 

One person died in the attack, which appeared to target the northeastern region's railway infrastructure. 

Two districts of the city were hit and at least nine people were injured.

A short time ago, we brought you a report from Russia detailing that defence minister Sergei Shoigu had ordered new weapons for Moscow (see 6.56am post). 

But what about weapons for Kyiv? 

On the Ukrainian side, a massive US military assistance package will soon be felt on the battlefield. 

On Monday, the White House confirmed that security assistance deliveries were taking place. 

"The aid into Ukraine is ongoing. They have been receiving that security assistance," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. 

"I want to be very careful, because there is operational security," she noted, "but we hope that the aid will get to the frontlines soon so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself."

The bill, worth some $60bn in support for Ukraine, was finally signed into law on 24 April after months of debate in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. 

Russia's focus on the battlefield may be shifting to areas other than around Avdiivka, according to a leading thinktank. 

Moscow's forces have seen their considerable progress slow to the west of the city, with troops now appearing to be concentrated in the Chasiv Yar direction, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said.

Chasiv Yar is some 80km north of Avdiivka. 

"The Ukrainian General Staff's morning and evening reports [yesterday] stated that Ukrainian forces repelled a total of 47 Russian attacks in the Avdiivka direction and 57 Russian attacks in the Bakhmut direction throughout the day, notably a much higher number of attacks in the Chasiv Yar direction than Ukrainian sources have recently reported out on," ISW said in a report. 

"One day's worth of reporting is not sufficient to establish a pattern," it said, "but it may suggest that Russian forces are somewhat slowing down the rate of attacks around Avdiivka while re-committing to offensive pushes around Chasiv Yar", it added. 

Reports have suggested Russia has set its sights on the strategic town of Chasiv Yar which, if captured, would make it easier for Moscow to advance further in the east. 

ISW also noted recent Russian successes near Avdiivka, notably at Ocheretyne (northwest of Avdiivka) and Novokalynove (north of Avdiivka), but said "the rate of confirmed advances appears to have slowed". 

Here's what the current battlefield situation looks like, according to ISW...

Russia's defence minister has ordered bigger and speedier weapon deliveries for its troops in Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry has said. 

In a statement, the Kremlin's defence minister Sergei Shoigu said: "To maintain the required pace of the offensive it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops, primarily weapons."

The comments were made days after Ukraine's troops were compelled to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the eastern region, where the Kremlin's forces have been making incremental gains.

Ukraine and its Western partners are in a race against the clock to deploy critical new military aid that can help check the recent steady Russian advance across eastern areas, as well as thwart drone and missile attacks.

Ukraine launched drones on several Russian regions overnight, Russian officials are saying this morning, with Russian news outlets reporting a fire at the Ryazan oil refinery after the attack.

Pavel Malkov, governor of the Ryazan region in western Russia, said there were no injuries in the drone attacks there.

But Russian Telegram channel Baza, which is close to the security services, said the attack sparked a fire at the Ryazan refinery.

"Eyewitnesses reported that a rumble was heard, and then two explosions occurred," the channel reported.

"Operational services employees are currently working at the oil refinery. According to preliminary data, no victims."

The refinery, owned and run by Rosneft, refines about 5.8% of Russia's total refined crude. 

It has been a frequent target for Ukraine's air attacks.

The governors of the Kursk and Voronezh regions in southwest Russia that border Ukraine also reported drone attacks on their territories, saying there was no damage or injuries.

Russia rarely discloses information about the full impact of Ukraine's attacks on its territory and infrastructure.

Sky News cannot independently verify the reports.

 Welcome back to our coverage of the Ukraine war.

Yesterday, the death toll from a Russian missile attack which targeted an educational institution in a popular seafront park in the Black Sea port of Odesa rose to five.

Here are the other key developments over the last 24 hours: 

• One woman was killed and three people were wounded after Ukrainian forces shelled the border village of Kozino, in Russia's Kursk region;
• Russian officials said that Ukraine attacked Crimea with US-produced army tactical missile systems (ATACMS) in an attempt to pierce Russian air defences of the annexed peninsula but that six were shot down;
• Russian guided bombs targeting a railway killed at least one person and damaged civilian infrastructure in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, officials said;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed "a significant acceleration" in deliveries of weaponry from its partners.

Live events elsewhere mean we are leaving our coverage of the Ukraine war there for the day. 

The main development this morning was the rise in the number of people killed in a Russian strike on Odesa yesterday to five.

Read more details in our posts below - and we'll be back with rolling updates and analysis of the war soon.

At least two people have been killed in another Russian strike, this time targeting the northeastern city of Kharkiv, local officials say.

Six more have been wounded in the attack, which Governor Oleh Synehubov says was carried out using guided bombs, according to preliminary information.

The attack damaged a residential building in one of the city districts, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. 

Emergency services are on the scene, local officials say.

Yesterday, a woman was reportedly injured after a "series of explosions" hit the city, according to the mayor.

Russia denies targeting civilians in the war that is now in its third year.

As we reported yesterday, a Russian missile attack targeted an educational institution in a popular seafront park in the Black Sea port of Odesa.

The number of victims from that airstrike has risen, with five people now reported to have died. 

Local officials had initially said four were killed.

Regional governor Oleh Kiper said in addition to those killed in the attack, one man died after suffering a stroke attributed to the strike.

Another 32 are said to be injured, eight of whom seriously - including a four-year-old child.

A pregnant woman and another child are also among the injured.

"Monsters, beasts, savages, scum, I don't know what else to say," Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said.

"People are going for a walk by the sea and they are shooting and killing."

Video footage, which could not be immediately verified, showed people receiving treatment on the street alongside pools of blood. 

One photo showed officials examining part of a missile.

Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said the strike was conducted by an Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead.

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks, particular port infrastructure.