Ukraine war: Russian ferry hit as Ukraine bombards key supply bridge in Kherson

• Kherson counter-attack could give Vladimir Putin a bloody nose - or provoke his wrath

• How dummy Himars are depleting Russia's missile supplies

• Ukraine launches counter-offensive to retake Kherson

• Ukrainian MP who supported Russian invasion ‘assassinated’

• Putin ‘sidelines’ defence minister ridiculed by his own soldiers

• Russia claims Ukrainian missile hit nuclear plant’s fuel depot

Ukrainian forces appear to have hit a ferry as they targeted the Antonovsky bridge in their long-awaited counter-offensive to retake the southern city of Kherson.

Video footage shared on pro-Ukrainian social media channels appears to show plumes of black smoke billowing above the crossing, Russia’s main route across the Dnipro River, after multiple long-range strikes.

It appeared that at least one of the rocket attacks on Tuesday was aimed at a temporary pontoon constructed by Moscow in order to transport military supplies across the Dnipro.

Another showed smoke rising from an object in the water which appears to be a barge ferry.

The latest reported strikes, possibly with US-provided Himars rocket launchers, occurred at around 4pm local time, according to posts on social media.

Russian forces have been scrambling to repair the Antonovsky bridge in recent weeks following a number of strikes.

07:53 PM

That's all for today

Today's top stories included:

• Ukrainian forces say they have breached enemy lines after launching their counter-attack to retake Kherson

• Footage suggests a Russian ferry crossing the Dnipro river after Himars strikes damaged the key supply bridge over it has been hit by a missile

• The most senior Moscow-appointed official in Kherson denies he has relocated to a five-star Russian hotel over safety fears

• Russian prosecutors have called for a former journalist accused of treason to be jailed for 24 years

• Moscow is accused of "deliberately" shelling corridors for an urgent safety mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

07:39 PM

Pictures from Ukraine

07:31 PM

Ireland needs to speak to the UK before tightening Russia visa rules, minister says

Ireland's foreign affairs minister said it already had a "strict regime" but would need to hold discussions with the UK before tightening rules on Russian visas.

Speaking ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Prague, Simon Coveney said: "Ireland is in an unusual space in this area because we're not part of the Schengen area.

"We already have quite a strict regime in terms of the facilitation of visas coming from Russia, we don't have a visa facilitation system like they have across Schengen, so we're in a slightly different category already.

"And of course we have a Common Travel Area with the UK so on issues like this we'd need to speak to the UK as well, but certainly we can be part of this discussion."

07:12 PM

Baby swinging footage of Kherson official who relocated to Russia resurfaces

Footage of the most senior Russian-appointed official in Kherson swinging his four-month-old baby daughter around his head has resurfaced online.

Kirill Stremousov today became a laughing stock after claiming "everything in Kherson was under control" in a video message which revealed he had relocated to a Russian five-star hotel some 500 miles away.

When asked about his location, the deputy leader of Kherson told the Guardian that he was currently “travelling around Russian cities, meeting different people for work”.

Stremousov denied he had fled Kherson over safety fears after another Russian-appointed official in the region, Alexei Kovalev, was shot dead in his home over the weekend.

Video updates posted to his Telegram account in recent days had shown he had travelled to the Marriott Hotel in Voronezh before Ukraine launched its long-awaited counter-offensive to take back Kherson.

The western Russian city's impressive five-domed Annunciation Cathedral can be seen in the background of his posts, about  120 miles from the border with Ukraine and more than 460 miles from Kherson itself.

"I don’t have to sit [in Kherson]. I am the deputy head of the region and have the opportunity to move around… These are working trips," he said.

“Kherson will remain my base."

Stremousov became the most senior Russian-appointed official in Kherson after the local governor, Volodymyr Saldo, was taken to hospital amid a suspected poisoning earlier in the summer.

A string of Ukrainian nationals appointed by Russian forces in occupied territory have been killed or wounded in apparent partisan attacks during the war.

In 2017, he  filmed himself swinging his four-month-old daughter Milada around by her legs and arms saying he was making her "bones pop".

06:51 PM

Smoke rises from Mykolaiv after Russian shelling kills two

Russian shelling hit residential areas of the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Monday, killing two people and destroying homes, city officials and witnesses said.

It came as a Russian ammunition dump was seen burning in Kherson.

05:53 PM

Crimean evacuation routes being developed, Zelensky's adviser says

Kyiv is developing evacuation routes for Ukrainians living in occupied Crimea, an adviser to Volodomyr Zelensky has said.

Mykhailo Podoliak's comments come after Ukraine launched its counter-offensive to take Kherson back from Russia.

The Crimean peninsula is next to the southern region and was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Mr Podoliak tweeted: “For Ukraine life of every citizen is an absolute priority.

"Therefore, we are developing evacuation routes for the residents of occupied Crimea who wish to leave during active deoccupation.

"For now, we ask everyone to stay away from military facilities and to check the bomb shelters."

05:46 PM

UNESCO backs bid to give Odesa World Heritage status

UNESCO has backed a bid by Ukraine to put its port city of Odesa on the United Nations cultural agency's World Heritage List.

Following a meeting of Ukraine Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay at the agency's Paris headquarters, UNESCO said it had mobilized experts to support Ukraine so that the nomination can be examined urgently by World Heritage Committee member states.

UNESCO said it also wants to add Odesa on the List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as World Heritage sites Kyiv and Lviv, which are also under threat.

Black Sea port Odessa is just a few dozen kilometres from the frontline and has already been struck by artillery fire, UNESCO said. Last month, part of the large glass roof and windows of Odesa’s Museum of Fine Arts, inaugurated in 1899, were destroyed.

UNESCO will fund repairs to the museum as well as to the Odesa Museum of Modern Art since the beginning of the war and finance the hiring of additional staff dedicated to the protection of collections. It will also help with the digitization of artworks and will provide protective equipment.

05:30 PM

Zelensky meets UN's nuclear watchdog chief

Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky has met the director of the UN's nuclear watchdog (IAEA) amid fears shelling at Zaporizhzhia plant could cause a major radiation leak.

An IAEA team has reportedly arrived at Europe's biggest nuclear facility for a long-awaited safety mission after the plant was damaged in shelling over the weekend.

Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the strikes.

05:08 PM

Eight EU nations agree seven-fold increase to offshore wind energy

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden have agreed to increase offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea seven-fold to 20 gigawatts by 2030.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the agreement as Europe tries to wean itself off Russian gas.

03:10 PM

Pictures from the war in Ukraine

03:00 PM

Kherson's deputy leader relocates to five-star Russian hotel

The Moscow-appointed deputy leader of Kherson relocated to a five-star Russian hotel before Ukrainian forces launched their counter-attack to retake the southern region.

Video updates posted to Kirill Stremousov's Telegram account appear to have been taken from the Marriott Hotel in Voronezh.

Voronezh's impressive five-domed Annunciation Cathedral can be seen in the background of his posts.

The western Russian city is about 120 miles from the border with Ukraine and more than 460 miles from Kherson itself.

02:40 PM

Former MI6 chief welcomes 'extremely unexpected' situation in Kherson

Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger has welcomed the "extremely unexpected" situation in the southern region of Kherson.

The head of MI6 from 2016 to 2020 told the BBC said it was important to look at Ukraine's bid to retake key areas around the city as a key psychological moment in Ukraine.

"The forces have reached some kind of balance, which is an extremely unexpected and frankly welcome situation for us to be in," he said.

"The long-term trend is the gradual weakening of the Russian military capability and the gradual strengthening of the Ukrainian capability with Western help."

He added the Kherson offensive was "all about the urge of Ukraine to demonstrate they can get get on the front foot and in turn underpin the resolve of Ukraine and its backers into what is going to be a difficult winter".

02:36 PM

EU to set up military assistance mission for Ukraine

EU defence ministers have agreed to start the work necessary for setting up an EU military assistance mission for Ukraine, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell has said.

"There are many training initiatives on the way but the needs are enormous and we need to ensure the coherence of these efforts," EU foreign policy chief Borrell told reporters after a defence ministers' meeting in Prague.

"I can say that all member states agree clearly on that and on launching the work necessary to define parameters for a EU military assistance mission for Ukraine."

02:29 PM

Power and water outage in Kherson, Russian media says

Kherson has been hit by a partial power outage after Ukrainian forces launched their long-awaited counteroffensive to take back the southern region from Russia.

Russian media also reported a partial shutdown of the water supply with traffic lights and building lights going off.

02:17 PM

Pussy Riot held for daubing anti-war graffiti in Switzerland

Swiss police detained three members of the Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot after they spray-painted a slogan against the war in Ukraine.

The feminist band which is famous for their opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin and their provocative concerts is currently on a European tour.

On Monday, "just before 11:00 pm, we were alerted that three people were 'tagging' a wall in Wabern," a village on the outskirts of the Swiss capital, Bern police spokesman Joel Regli told AFP.

"On site, we arrested three women who were carrying spray-paint canisters," he added.

They were released overnight and whether or not they will be charged depends on whether the owner of the property files a complaint, he said.

02:06 PM

Putin 'bypassing' defence minister to speak to commanders on the ground

Vladimir Putin is "bypassing" his defence minister Sergei Shoigu to speak to operational commanders on the ground, retired air vice-marshal Sean Bell has said.

The war analyst told Sky News that it was becoming "very evident" that the Kremlin's defence minister was not able to provide the judgement required by Mr Putin.

"I think the Russian military has not performed as well as anybody would have expected," Bell said.

"The defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, has been in post for about 10 years and often appears in military uniform with loads of medals and ranks.

"He's never done any military service, which might work fine in peacetime but come wartime, it's very evident that he's not able to provide the sort of judgement that Putin needs.

"Putin is now bypassing him, talking directly to operational commanders on the ground. I think the message from here is the Russian military has stalled.

"The leadership is clearly displaying weaknesses. And that's all the things that the Ukrainians will be seeking to exploit."

02:02 PM

Pope calls Russia's war 'senseless' after rebuke over Dugina's 'innocence'

Pope Francis has called the invasion of Ukraine "senseless" after being criticised for calling Russian ultra-nationalist Darya Dugina an innocent victim of war.

Referring to his "numerous interventions" in the context of the war, the Vatican's daily bulletin said: "On more than one occasion, as in recent days, public discussions have arisen on the political significance to be attached to such interventions.

"In this regard, it is reiterated that the Holy Father's words on this dramatic issue should be interpreted as a voice raised in defence of human life and the values associated with it, and not as a political stance.

"As for the large-scale war in Ukraine, initiated by the Russian Federation, the Holy Father Francis' interventions are clear and unequivocal in condemning it as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, senseless, repugnant and sacrilegious."

Pope Francis sparked the controversy when he said "innocents pay for war" and referred to "that poor girl thrown in the air by a bomb under the seat of a car in Moscow" last Wednesday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba summoned the Vatican's ambassador in Kyiv to protest, saying the pope's words were "unfair" and had "broken Ukraine's heart".

That move followed sharp criticism of the pope by Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash.

01:25 PM

Russia calls for ex-journalist to be jailed for 24 years

Russian prosecutors have called for a former journalist accused of treason to be jailed for 24 years at Moscow City Court.

Ivan Safronov, who covered military affairs for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers, denies accusations of passing military secrets about Russian arms sales in the Middle East and Africa to the Czech Republic, a NATO member, while he worked as a reporter in 2017.

He has called the allegations against him "a complete travesty of justice and common sense".

Safronov was arrested two months after becoming an aide to the head of Russia's space agency in April 2020, state-owned news agency TASS reported.

01:16 PM

Netherlands backs EU-wide ban on Russian tourists

The Netherlands will support proposals to ban Russian tourists from entering the European Union, Dutch foreign minister has Wopke Hoekstra said.

He told Dutch broadcaster RTL: "We would like to make a difference between the Russian state and its citizens.

"But at the same time, we see that by far the most people that come here are rich Russians who often have ties to the regime."

01:08 PM

Russia has 'deliberately' shelled corridor to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russia has "deliberately" shelled corridors for an urgent safety mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, a Ukrainian presidential adviser has said.

A team from the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) is heading to the Europe's biggest nuclear facility.

Thousands of people fleeing Russia-occupied areas of south Ukraine arriving in a city near the site despite fears of a radiation leak from fighting.

As Moscow and Kyiv trade accusations of shelling in its vicinity, Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia was attempting to force the IAEA mission through occupied Crimea and parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

01:00 PM

Residents near Zaporizhzhia will receive 5.5m potassium iodide tablets

The European Commission says it will distribute 5.5 million potassium iodide tablets for residents living in vicinity of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.

The powerful medication is to become available if there is a major radiation leak at the plant as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for shelling near Europe's largest nuclear plant.

12:19 PM

MoD says Russia is relying on an 'untested structure' in Kherson

12:04 PM

Radiation levels at Europe's biggest nuclear plant remain normal

Radiation levels at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain normal, said Russia's Defence Ministry, claiming it had downed Ukrainian drone that crashed into the roof of a building storing nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.

The ministry also accused Ukrainian forces of firing two artillery shells into the plant's territory.

Russian troops captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, in March. It remains close to the frontline, and has come under fire repeatedly in recent weeks, raising fears of a nuclear disaster.

11:50 AM

Ukraine deploys dummy Himars to trick Russian forces

Ukraine has deployed a fleet of dummy Himars across the battlefield to trick Russian forces into wasting expensive long-range weapons on pointless targets, reports our Brussels correspondent Joe Barnes.

The decoy versions of the US-supplied rocket launcher systems have drawn fire from at least 10 Kalibr cruise missiles fired by Moscow’s naval fleet in the Black Sea.

Russian drones were said to be unable to distinguish between the wooden dummy targets and the real deal when scouting the battlefield for Ukrainian targets.

“When the UAVs see the battery, it’s like a VIP target,” a senior Ukrainian official told the Washington Post newspaper.

You can read Joe's report in full here.

11:37 AM

Germany open to discuss EU price cap

Berlin is open to discuss a price-cap scheme on gas supplies at a European level, a source said, citing a text message Germany's economy minister sent to his colleagues across Europe.

The source, who read the message and asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Robert Habeck sent a message to European energy ministers flagging that Berlin was open to discuss the price cap at an EU summit on energy scheduled for Sept 9.

A spokeswoman for the German economy ministry declined to comment on internal communications.

11:08 AM

Kremlin: Only sanctions prevent Nord Stream from working

Nothing stands on the way of Russian gas exports to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline apart from technological problems caused by Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced it will shut the pipeline for three days from Wednesday to undertake maintenance of a pumping unit.

The European Union accuses Russia of using gas cuts as an economic weapon, which Moscow denies.

Mr Peskov said Russia was ready to fulfil its obligations on gas exports, but Western sanctions were preventing the maintenance and return of equipment.

10:47 AM

Moscow condemns 'Russophobia' in Baltic states

Russia's foreign ministry has condemned the demolition of Soviet-era monuments in the Baltic states as "Russophobic" and said that they would have an impact on bilateral relations.

In a strongly worded statement, Moscow also accused Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia of xenophobia and discrimination, saying they were treating ethnic Russian minorities as "second class people".

"What is happening now in the Baltic states is unacceptable for us and will certainly affect the state of bilateral relations with these countries, which are already in complete decline," the ministry said.

The Kremlin has also slammed calls by some European leaders for a visa ban on Russian tourists, saying the proposals were "irrational" and the latest manifestation of the West's anti-Russian agenda.

At a meeting in Prague this week, European Union foreign ministers will discuss calls from the Baltic states and some others to stop granting Russians visas for access to the Schengen Zone.

10:28 AM

Metal bars, heavy sandbags and air raid shelters – the battle to reopen schools in Ukraine

Education has become a matter of life and death as back-to-school preparations begin, reports Gabriella Jozwiak.

You can read Gabriella's dispatch in full here.

10:11 AM

Olaf Scholz: Germany in 'better position' to counter Russian gas threat

Government measures to assure supplies of gas over the winter have prepared Germany to deal with further curbs in Russian deliveries, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, a day before Moscow is due to cut off gas supplies for three days.

The government said Sunday it had made faster progress replenishing its gas stocks than expected and should meet an October target early.

The preparations meant Germany "was in a much better position in terms of security of supply than was foreseeable a couple of months ago", Mr Scholz said in a statement to journalists.

"We can deal well with the threats we are confronted with from Russia, which uses gas as part of its strategy in the war against Ukraine."

Ministers are set to discuss their further response to soaring prices for energy and relief for bill payers.

They will also be joined by Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, later today, whose country has capped the price of gas used at power plants to mitigate electricity price rises.

The measure is seen as a possible template for a reform of the wider European electricity market, as leaders search to reduce the pressure on households.

Yesterday, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, said the EU is preparing to take "emergency" action to reform the electricity market and bring prices under control.

09:58 AM

Kherson counter-offensive

09:37 AM

Food aid vessel leaves Ukraine for Yemen

The second shipment of humanitarian food aid since Russia's invasion has left Ukraine for Yemen, the World Food Programme said in a statement.

The MV Karteria left from the Black Sea port of Yuzhny and will stop in Turkey along the way for the grains to be milled into flour, the UN agency said.

Ukraine's grain exports have slumped since the start of the war in February because of port closures, driving up global food prices and increasing hunger in some of the poorest parts of the world.

09:17 AM

'At least 4' dead in Kharkiv shelling

At least four people have been killed as Russian shelling hit the centre of Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv, the regional governor said.

"The Russian occupiers shelled the central districts of Kharkiv," Oleg Synegubov said on Telegram, giving a toll of four dead and another four injured and warning residents to "stay inside the shelters".

08:54 AM

Germany may consider European gas price cap - Italian media

Berlin is willing to consider a price-cap on gas, several Italian papers have reported, citing a text message sent by Germany's economy minister to energy ministers across Europe.

According to the reports, Robert Habeck sent a text to European energy ministers flagging that Berlin might consider capping the price of gas at a Sept. 9 emergency meeting of European Union energy ministers, which is set to tackle soaring costs due to curbed gas supplies from Russia.

The exact wording of the text message was not disclosed.

Germany faces the "bitter reality" that Russia will not restore gas supplies to the country, Mr Habeck said on Monday, ahead of a planned halt by state energy giant Gazprom of exports to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

08:34 AM

Ukraine today, in pictures

08:20 AM

Heavy fighting in 'almost the entire territory of Kherson'

"Heavy fighting" is taking place in "almost the entire territory" of the southern occupied region of Kherson, Ukraine's presidency said Tuesday.

The clashes were raging after Ukrainian troops on Monday launched a counter-offensive to retake the region, which was seized by Russia early in the war.

"Powerful explosions continued throughout the day and throughout the night in Kherson region," the president's office said in a morning update.

"Heavy fighting is taking place in almost the entire territory of the Kherson region. The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched offensive actions in various directions."

Regional officials said the long-awaited offensive was "the beginning of the de-occupation of Kherson region".

In an intelligence note, Britain's Ministry of Denfece said although it was "not yet possible to confirm the extent of Ukrainian advances" its army had increased "artillery fire in front line sectors across southern Ukraine".

It added that it was using "long-range precision strikes to disrupt Russian resupply" lines.

08:02 AM

Gazprom further cuts gas deliveries to France

French energy firm Engie has said Russian energy giant Gazprom has further slashed its natural gas deliveries due to a disagreement over contracts.

"As previously announced, Engie had already secured the volumes necessary to meet its commitments towards its customers and its own requirements, and put in place several measures to significantly reduce any direct financial and physical impacts that could result from an interruption to gas supplies by Gazprom," the statement said.

Engie added that Russian gas supplies had already been reduced drastically after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Elisabeth Borne, the French prime minister, urged companies yesterday to draft energy savings plans by next month, warning that they would be hit first if ever France is left with no choice but to ration the supply of gas and electricity.

France is less reliant than some neighbours on gas imports from Russia, which account for about 17 per cent of its gas consumption. But concerns about supply from Russia nevertheless remain.

07:40 AM

Josep Borrell eyes green light for Ukraine training mission

European Union defence ministers might agree in principle on setting up an EU military training mission for Ukraine, the bloc's foreign policy chief said.

Several EU countries have been training Ukrainian troops individually, mainly enabling them to operate weapons Western nations are delivering.

"The situation on the ground continues to be very bad," Josep Borrell said as he arrived at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Prague.

"We will continue supporting Ukraine with initiatives such as this training mission which ministers will discuss."

He added: "A general, overall political agreement (on a joint training mission) is what I think we have to get today... I hope we will have a political green light for this mission."

It is not clear yet where a broader EU training programme could be based and what mandate it might have, and Mr Borrell provided no details.

Later in the day, EU foreign ministers, also meeting in Prague, may agree tightening the issuance of visas for Russians and start debating a wider ban on tourist visas, though EU officials said there was no agreement on that.

"There is war in Europe and not far from here. Russia's brutal aggression will be the most important topic of our meeting today," Jana Cernochova, the Czech Defence Minister,  said.

07:15 AM

Latest MoD update

06:44 AM

Russia accuses Ukraine of nuclear plant shelling

Russian-installed authorities in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar accused Ukrainian troops on Tuesday of once again shelling the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia's TASS news agency said.

The city authorities said two shells exploded near a spent fuel-storage building at the plant, the agency added.

Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused each other of attacking Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, set to be visited this week by a mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

04:50 AM

Zelensky warns Russian army to 'go home'

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has urged Russian troops to flee from an offensive launched by his forces near the southern city of Kherson.

Ukraine's assault comes after weeks of stalemate in a war that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions, destroyed cities and caused a global energy and food crisis amid unprecedented economic sanctions.

Mr Zelensky, in his nightly address late on Monday, vowed that Ukrainian troops would chase the Russian army "to the border".

"If they want to survive, it's time for the Russian military to run away. Go home," he said. "Ukraine is taking back its own."

Oleksiy Arestovych, a senior adviser to Mr Zelensky, said Russian defences had been "broken through in a few hours".

03:56 AM

Scholz calls for EU air defence system

Olaf Scholz called for a common European air defence system in a major speech on the EU’s future on Monday, saying the bloc needed to close ranks against Russia, Jorg Luyken writes.

Mr Scholz, the German chancellor, said such a system would be “a security win for the whole of Europe” as he proposed reforms on military cooperation.

“Russia will define itself in opposition to the European Union for the foreseeable future. [Vladimir] Putin will exploit any disagreement between us, any weakness,” he said in an hour-long speech at Prague’s Charles University.

Signalling a willingness to pursue a European army proposed by France – about which Berlin has previously been lukewarm – he said he wanted a central military command system, with the end goal being an “EU head headquarters”. Building up the EU’s military capabilities in such a way “would strengthen Nato”, he added.

Read more: European air defence system needed to counter Russian threat, says Olaf Scholz

03:15 AM

Russia ‘having trouble with Iran-made drones’

Russia has faced technical problems with Iranian-made drones acquired from Tehran this month for use in its war with Ukraine, Biden administration officials are reported to have said.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described "numerous failures".

They added that the US believes that the delivery of Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles over several days this month is likely part of a Russian plan to acquire hundreds of Iranian drones.

It was reported last week that Russia had recently obtained hundreds of Iranian drones capable of being used in its war against Ukraine despite US warnings to Tehran not to ship them.

02:32 AM

Putin sidelines defence minister

Vladimir Putin has lost confidence in his defence minister and has sidelined him just as Ukraine launches its biggest counter-offensive of the war, Joe Barnes and James Kilner write.

Media reports backed up by Western intelligence said that the Russian president had ordered his military commanders to report to him directly rather than to Sergei Shoigu, whom he blames for the stalled invasion of Ukraine.

Putin and Mr Shoigu had been considered close allies but iStories, a Russian investigative reporting outlet, said that this bond had now fractured.

“Relations between Putin and Shoigu have changed so much that the defence minister does not even dare to promote decisions that the military considers necessary,” it said, quoting sources in the defence ministry.

Read more: Vladimir Putin sidelines Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister ridiculed by his own soldiers

01:11 AM

US wants 'controlled shutdown' of nuclear plant

A US spokesman said a “controlled shutdown” of the Russian-seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would be the safest option amid continued shelling around Europe’s largest nuclear facility.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will lead an inspection of the plant, with his team expected to reach Kyiv on Monday evening.

President  Zelensky warned at the weekend that the situation at the plant remains dangerous, even after two power units were reconnected to the grid following a power failure.

Mr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to create a global sense of fatigue about its invasion, including by restricting the flow of gas to drive energy prices higher.

On Monday, Russia claimed that a Ukrainian missile strike punched a hole in the roof of a fuel depot at the plant.

12:54 AM

Today's top stories

• The long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to seize Kherson officially began on Monday, marking a major step forward in Kyiv's campaign to retake key Russian-held territory in the south.

• Olaf Scholz called for a common European air defence system in a major speech on the EU’s future on Monday, saying the bloc needed to close ranks against Russia.

• Vladimir Putin has lost confidence in his defence minister and has sidelined him just as Ukraine launches its biggest counter-offensive of the war.

• Russia has claimed that a Ukrainian missile strike punched a hole in the roof of a fuel depot at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, with the claim coming as a UN watchdog team prepares to visit the site this week.

• A former Ukrainian MP who collaborated with Russian occupying forces has been shot dead in his home, marking the fifth apparent assassination by partisans in the region.