Ukraine retakes Sloboda and Lukashivka villages on supply route near bombarded Chernihiv


Simon Rushton
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Ukrainian forces have retaken two villages near the bombarded city of Chernihiv which are located along main supply routes to Kyiv, British military intelligence said on Friday.

President Vladimir Putin “is now a man in a cage he built himself”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.

Chernihiv and Kyiv, the capital, have been subjected to continued air and missile strikes despite Russian claims of reducing activity in these areas, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

“Ukraine has also continued to make successful but limited counter attacks to the east and north-east of Kyiv,” it said.

The retaking of Sloboda and Lukashivka villages, south of Chernihiv, could help reduce the attacks on Chernihiv.

A Russian official has said two Ukrainian military helicopters struck a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod on Friday, the first accusation of a Ukrainian air strike on Russian soil.

Video images, so far unverified, of the purported attack posted online showed what looked like several missiles being fired from low altitude, followed by an explosion.

As the Russian war against Ukraine entered day 37, Mr Wallace said: “President Putin is not the force he used to be. He is now a man in a cage he built himself. His army is exhausted, he has suffered significant losses”.

A part of a rocket is seen in a garden of private house in partially blocked by Russian troops city of Chernihiv. EPA
A part of a rocket is seen in a garden of private house in partially blocked by Russian troops city of Chernihiv. EPA

“The reputation of this great army of Russia has been trashed. He has not only got to live with the consequences of what he is doing to Ukraine, but he has also got to live with the consequences of what he has done to his own army.

“We have seen it before. It always gets worse. It goes for more civilian attacks, more civilian areas.”

In an earlier intelligence update on Friday, the MoD tweeted that the Russian army was deploying up to 2,000 troops from Georgia into three tactical battle groups destined for Ukraine.

The UK Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said Russia's bid to take all of Ukraine during its invasion looks to have “fallen apart” as Mr Putin's troops retreat.

He said Mr Putin was a “weaker and more diminished figure today” than he was before the invasion started on February 24.

He said the UK was “incredibly cautious” about believing Russian claims of ground troops withdrawing from Kyiv but said there did appear to be signs the Kremlin was preparing to focus its efforts on the east and south of Ukraine.

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Based: Dubai, UAE

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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)

Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)

Wednesday

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Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)

Thursday

Burnley v Watford (9pm)

Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)

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List of alleged parties

 May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members

May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party

Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff

Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson

Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party

Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters

Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz

Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party

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Day 3, stumps

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India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining

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MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

if you go
Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')

Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)

Updated: April 01, 2022, 8:08 AM`