Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow rages over Cameron strike remarks; Russia's 'three-part plan' to claim victory

As reported here earlier, Moscow has had a predictably indignant reaction to Lord Cameron's statement's yesterday during his trip to Ukraine (see 10.34am post).

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has offered a further reflection of displeasure within Vladimir Putin's regime, claiming the British foreign secretary's comments amounted to an acknowledgement that the West was waging a war against Russia using "Ukrainian hands".

Lord Cameron said yesterday that Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Cameron's words are further evidence of the hybrid war the West is waging against our country," Ms Zakharova said.

"Russia is responding to that and will continue to respond."

Russian's Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China later this month to meet President Xi Jinping, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

The visit is scheduled for 15-16 May, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the Kremlin's plans.

It comes after the White House said it remained "deeply concerned" that it was not seeing China make any changes amid accusations it is helping Russia's military with its war in Ukraine. 

Next week, Mr Xi will visit Europe for the first time in five years.

Beginning in Paris, France, he will visit Hungary and Serbia, the latter of which is a close ally to Mr Putin.

China has always maintained that it remains an objective and just party over the war, adding that its trade relations are "above-board".

 By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

The UK will appoint a new envoy to oversee a plan to ramp up the production of weapons and ammunition, which is now a "national priority", the foreign secretary has revealed. 

Lord Cameron, speaking on a visit to Ukraine, also underlined the importance of supporting the Ukrainian war effort against Russia, warning that the world was at an "absolutely critical tipping point" and Kyiv must prevail or else Europe faced a "very dangerous future". 

However, he cautioned against an idea by French President Emmanuel Macron to consider sending NATO troops to Ukraine to join the fight if Russia's Vladimir Putin achieves a breakthrough, saying that such a move would be a "dangerous escalation".  

"I don't think it is right to have NATO soldiers killing Russian soldiers," the foreign secretary said in an interview in the western city of Lviv today, having met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top ministers in Kyiv yesterday.

The foreign secretary said Europe faced "two futures" – one in which Ukrainian forces, backed by western weapons, are able to push out the Russian invaders and secure what he called a "just peace". 

"That is a footing on which you can see great security and prosperity for us and for Europe," he said. 

But he warned: "A future in which Putin is successful and Ukraine is pushed back is I think a very dangerous future."

Read the full story by Haynes here.

Russia will face consequences after being accused of an "intolerable" cyberattack in Germany, a top diplomat has said.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Russian state hackers were behind a cyberattack last year that targeted the leading party in the governing coalition, the Social Democrats.

The interior ministry said it had seen evidence that email servers of German companies had been affected in the alleged attacks. 

"We can attribute this attack to the group called APT28, which is steered by the military intelligence service of Russia," Ms Baerbock said.

"This is absolutely intolerable and unacceptable and will have consequences."

The acting representative of the Russian embassy was summoned by the German government today over the alleged cyberattack.

Lord Cameron has today visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as part of his trip to the country.

He was met by Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and was pictured signing a visitors' book and planting a tree in the city centre. 

Lviv is around 70km (43 miles) from Ukraine's border with Poland and has been the target of Russian strikes in the past.

Lord Cameron's visit comes after he was in Kyiv, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

Italy is planning to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine - which will include a SAMP/T air defence system - according to Italian media. 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will officially make the announcement at the G7 Summit being held in Puglia, Italy, next month, news website La Repubblica reported.

Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and long-range Storm Shadow missiles are also thought to be included in the package.

It will be the ninth military aid package sent to Ukraine from Italy. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking allies for high-end air defence systems to counter Russian air strikes. 

Last month he told NATO members that a minimum of seven would be needed as Russia ramped up attacks, particularly in eastern Ukraine.

We're hearing from the Kremlin, which has branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying".

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine could use British-supplied weapons to target areas in the country if it wants, but that such a decision would be a "direct escalation". 

On a visit to Kyiv yesterday, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has the right to strike targets inside Russia "just as [Moscow] is striking inside Ukraine".

He said he could understand why Ukraine felt the need to make sure it was defending itself, and that it was its decision as to how it would use British-supplied weapons.

Hitting back, Mr Peskov said Lord Cameron's comments could "imperil the entire system of European security architecture".

A man has been killed after planning to attack a Russian fuel storage facility, the Federal Security Service has said.

According to the Interfax news agency, the man planned to attack the terminal in the Leningrad region with explosives.

It said the man was a Russian national working for Ukraine's military intelligence.

He was reportedly shot dead by security agents on the scene. 

Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said.

According to Major General Vadym Skibitsky, the plan will begin this month. 

1. Military operations

Moscow will launch military operations that take advantage of Ukraine's ongoing material and manpower shortages, the Institute for the Study of War quoted Gen Skibitsky as saying. 

As Ukraine waits for fresh US military assistance to filter to the frontline, Gen Skibitskyi said Russian forces are likely to continue pursuing their long-time goal of seizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

2. Disinformation campaign

The second part of the plan, according to Gen Skibitskyi, involves spreading false information about Ukraine's mobilisation and the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The Kremlin has taken advantage of Mr Zelenskyy's presidential term ending on 20 May, claiming after that he will not be a legitimate leader, the ISW, a leading US-based thinktank, said.

But Ukraine's decision not to hold a presidential election is in line with the country's constitution, which allows a sitting president to continue to serve during times of war.

3. Isolate Ukraine internationally

Gen Skibitskyi said Russia aims to stop, or at least limit, critical provisions of security and military assistance to Ukraine as its third factor of destabilisation. 

Moscow also wants to block Ukraine's ability to form a network of partners that support a potential peace agreement.

"They will shake the situation as much as they can," Gen Skibitskyi said.

He added wars like the one in Ukraine only end with treaties and that both Russia and Ukraine are competing for the most favourable position ahead of potential peace talks that could begin as early as the second half of 2025.

At least five people have been killed and 17 injured in Russian strikes in the past day, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Kharkiv

Nearly 15 settlements have been attacked in the Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

One man died and 10 people were injured. 

In the city of Kupiansk, a man aged 66 was killed after his house was struck and another 66-year-old man was injured.

Eight children and a 75-year-old man were also injured in an attack on the town of Derhachi.

Donetsk

Two people were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, and two were injured in a strike on the village of Memryk, governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

A strike on the city of Kurakhove killed two others and injured two people, the head of the Kurakhove military administration wrote on Facebook.

Two more people were reportedly injured in two other villages in the region.

Kherson

One person was injured after Russia struck 14 settlements, Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, said.