Russian mercenaries dying of ‘ammo hunger’

Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin has posted a graphic picture of dozens of dead bodies in Bakhmut, saying they were mercenaries fighting for his company who had been killed due to “ammunition hunger”.

Mr Prigozhin has been pushing hard for more ammo to be delivered to his frontline troops in recent days.

On Wednesday, he urged Russians to pressure Moscow’s regular army into sharing ammunition with his fighters in Ukraine.

“If every Russian at his own level – in order not to call anyone to rallies – would simply say ‘give ammunition to Wagner’, as is already going on on social media, then this would already be important,” he said on Telegram. “We’ll make them give (us) ammunition.”

Last week, the Wagner Group released a video of a stack of corpses to make a point about the shortage of ammunition it was facing and Mr Prigozhin said he would risk arrest to get his fighters more shells and bullets.

It comes as Mr Biden was due to meet eastern European leaders on Wednesday, a day after vowing Russia would never see victory in Ukraine.

Have you got a burning question about the Ukraine war? Community are hosting a live Q&A today where Telegraph readers’ queries will be answered by Dominic Nicholls, Nataliya Vasilyeva and Roland Oliphant, starting at 12:30pm. Add your question here. 

11:46 AM

Russia-China cooperation at highest level, says Putin

Russia and China are reaching “new levels of cooperation”, Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting with China’s top diplomat.

He also said that trade could hit new heights this year and that he was looking forward to meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping when he eventually comes to Russia. A date for that visit has not yet been set.

Close ties between Beijing and Moscow were important to “stabilise the international situation”, Putin added.

“The cooperation between China and Russia on the world stage is very important to stabilise the international situation,” he said at the meeting with Wang Yi.

Story continues

Mr Wang responded by telling Putin that relations between Beijing and Moscow could not be influenced by other countries, in remarks broadcast on Russian state TV.

11:41 AM

Russia poses serious military threat to Sweden, say security services

Russia poses a serious threat to Swedish security and has become increasingly aggressive in its actions, Sweden’s security police said on Wednesday.

“Russia is currently the single biggest threat (to Sweden),” the Swedish Security Services said in a statement. “The regime’s actions are unpredictable and it is inclined to take big risks.”

The Security Services said the war in Ukraine had changed the security situation drastically, and that Russia now posed a military threat in Sweden’s immediate area as well as threat to Sweden’s internal security.

The Security Services said China and Iran were the other two most prominent threats to Sweden, and that the two were cooperating with Russia.

“Foreign powers are spending vast resources to illegally acquire advanced technology in Sweden,” they said.

11:00 AM

Heineken under scrutiny after launching more than 60 new products in Russia despite war

Dutch brewery Heineken is under scrutiny after it emerged that it had launched as many as 61 new products on the Russian market last year.

Heineken had promised, like many other Western firms, to quit the Russian market following the illegal invasion.

According to a report published by Heineken Russia, the brewer launched 61 new products “in record time” and sold 720,000 hectoliters more beer and soft drinks.

“2022 was a turbulent year for all market players, but at the same time, it offered plenty of opportunities and opened up new possibilities for the development and growth of our business,” Heineken Russia said on its website.

“We are proud to announce that we have reached record highs in multiple segments.”

Heineken initially vowed to sell its Russian operation, but last week conceded it would take longer than expected because of local legislation.

10:53 AM

MoD: Putin presenting an ineffective and contradictory message

The British Ministry of Defence’s latest update looks at Putin’s speech yesterday as well.

It concludes: “Putin continues to present a contradictory narrative of existential struggle, while insisting everything in Russia is fine and going to plan. This renders both messages ineffective.”

10:49 AM

Analysis: Putin’s speech showed his many faces – but one was missing

Nationalist fervour has served Vladimir Putin well over the past 12 months, writes Roland Oliphant, senior foreign correspondent. 

But blood-and-soil war fever is a short-lived high. To ready your public for a long conflict, you need a more sustainable offer.

So to mark the first year of his short, victorious war, Vladimir Putin went back to basics.

Keep fighting, he told the Russian public on Tuesday, and I’ll keep the lights on. I’ll also cut your taxes, subsidise housing, and raise the minimum wage, and fix the road network.

It was a rehearsal of a pact that has served Putin well ever since he walked into the Kremlin more than 20 years ago. And long time watchers of the Russian president will have recognised several of his favourite personas.

Read Roland’s full analysis of Putin’s speech yesterday here. 

10:45 AM

Pope Francis condemns ‘absurd and cruel’ war

Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed calls for a ceasefire in the “absurd and cruel” war in Ukraine shortly before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.

“The death toll, wounded, refugees, those isolated, destruction, economic and social damage speak for themselves,” said the 86-year-old pontiff during his weekly general audience.

Francis noted that Friday marks one year since the war began, calling it “an absurd and cruel war, a sad anniversary”.

He urged all powers to make “concrete efforts to end the conflict, reach a ceasefire and start peace negotiations”.

The pope has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, even expressing a desire to travel to Kyiv and Moscow – trips that have not taken place.

His offers to try to broker a peace have come to nothing.

10:24 AM

Pictured: Russia firing Grad rockets at Ukrainian troops

A grab from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service showing a Grad multiple rocket launcher firing rockets at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location.

10:20 AM

Putin to meet with China’s top diplomat

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet China’s top diplomat in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, after the United States warned Beijing against providing material support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin will receive Wang Yi,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier on Wednesday, Mr Wang said that he looked forward to clinching new agreements during his visit to Moscow.

“No matter how the international situation changes, China has been and remains committed, together with Russia, to make efforts to preserve the positive trend in the development of relations between major powers,” Mr Wang said.

In an earlier meeting, Mr Wang said Chinese-Russian relations were “rock solid”.

10:13 AM

Strike on Kharkiv’s industrial plant injures two

Two civilians were wounded in a Russian missile strike on Wednesday on industrial facilities in Kharkiv, the biggest city in eastern Ukraine, local officials said.

“According to preliminary data, four strikes hit the Kyiv district of Kharkiv. The enemy is targeting industrial facilities,” Ihor Terekhov, the city mayor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The regional governor, Oleh Synehubov, said separately that two civilians had been lightly wounded but gave no details.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, lies about 30 km (19 miles) from the border with Russia and has frequently been under fire since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

Some of the fiercest fighting of the war has been in eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian officials have said they expect intensified Russian missile and drone attacks in coming days because Friday is the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

09:13 AM

Vladimir Putin expected to attend pro-war rally in Moscow

Vladimir Putin will likely attend a pro-war rally in Moscow on Wednesday.

It will be the third time the Russian president has attended a mass gathering in support of his invasion of Ukraine, which he launched almost a year ago.

The outdoor rally will feature musical acts and speeches, according to Russian media outlets. 

09:04 AM

Ukraine destroys Russian ammunition depot deep behind enemy lines

Ukraine appeared to have hit a Russian ammunition depot in occupied Mariupol on Wednesday, with more than a dozen explosions reported in the early hours.

The southern port city is known to be outside the range of the American-made Himars rocket launcher, which has a range of some 50 miles.

“Information on night explosions in Mariupol. The data were confirmed that an ammunition depot of the occupiers had been destroyed near the airport,” The Mariupol City Council posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has yet to officially take responsibility for the apparent strike. 

08:55 AM

Ukraine has suffered at least 100,000 casualties over the past year

Ukraine’s armed forces have suffered at least 100,000 casualties since Russia invaded almost a year ago, according to Western officials.

But far fewer Ukrainians have died because of good medical care compared to the 200,000 Russians estimated to have been killed or wounded in the war.

“We can’t escape the fact that Ukrainians have been taking casualties at a level which would be unsustainable for many countries,” a Western official said.

“But Ukraine’s death to wounded ratio is significantly lower than for the Russians, which is about three wounded to one dead. The Ukrainian figure is between 10 or 20 to one.”

08:21 AM

Biden to meet with eastern European leaders

US President Joe Biden will meet leaders of NATO’s eastern flank on Wednesday to show support for their security after Moscow suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty.

He will meet staff from the US embassy in Warsaw before gathering leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the countries on NATO’s eastern flank who joined the Western military alliance after being dominated by Moscow during the Cold War.

Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine, and officials from countries in the group have called for additional resources such as air defence systems.

At the meeting, Mr Biden plans to reaffirm commitments over their security and discuss support for Ukraine before he returns to Washington.

Mr Biden arrived in Warsaw late on Monday after a surprise visit to Kyiv just days ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.