Why Putin's '£15BILLION-a-day' invasion ISN'T going to plan: MI6 chief warns war is 'unwinnable' and ex-defence chief says Russia will run out of cash and arms if Kyiv holds out for 10 days as Moscow send in superweapons after Ukraine OBLITERATED convoy
- Vladimir Putin's invasion with Ukraine is not going to plan due to Kremlin 'overconfidence' about war aims
- MI6 chief endorsed an article on Saturday saying Russia's war is 'unwinnable' because of Ukraine's resilience
- Ukrainian intelligence has claimed that Russia is running out of money, weapons and resources fast
- If Kyiv can hold off the Russian advance on Kyiv for 10 days, the Kremlin may have to enter negotiations
- Dramatic video shows a destroyed Russian convoy with Z-markings near Kherson in southern Ukraine
- Two Russian military transport planes 'carrying paratroopers', a fighter jet and helicopter were downed
The head of Britain's MI6 Secret Intelligence Service has said he believes Russia's war in Ukraine will prove 'unwinnable' because President Vladimir Putin will never attain political victory over the country's people.
Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, wrote how a report suggesting Putin's forces will ultimately fail in Ukraine because it underestimated its neighbour's military strength and fierce determination 'makes sense to me'.
The article Moore, 58, was reacting to was penned by Lawrence Freedman, the Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.
In the article titled 'A Reckless Gamble', Professor Freedman said Putin had 'become obsessed with Ukraine, and prone to outrageous theories which appear as pretexts for war but may also reflect his views.'
He wrote that victory for Moscow does not come in the form of a successful invasion that overthrows Ukraine's government, but with winning over the people of Ukraine.
This, the professor writes, is something Russia does not have the strength for.
'Even if the government loses control of the capital and is forced to flee, and the command systems for Ukrainian forces start to break down, that does not mean that Russia has won the war,' he wrote.
In an unusual move for the chief of MI6, Moore shared the article with his over 130,000 Twitter followers, writing: 'Fascinating. Makes sense to me.'
In a rebuke of Putin's human rights record, Moore also wrote around the same time in a separate tweet: 'With the tragedy and destruction unfolding so distressingly in Ukraine, we should remember the values and hard-won freedoms that distinguish us from Putin, none more than LGBT+ rights.'
Moore's endorsement of the article came as other intelligence sources claimed Putin's war with Ukraine is not going to plan due to Kremlin 'overconfidence', poor tactical planning, and 'shock' at the fierce resistance put up by brave Ukrainians fighting for their nation's survival.
Dramatic video on Saturday showed a destroyed Russian convoy with Z-markings near Kherson in the south of the country on the third day of fighting after Ukraine's army held control of Kyiv and last night successfully repelled Russian advances on the capital.
In addition to the video of the destroyed convoy, another video purportedly showed the destruction of a 20-vehicle Russia military column in Kharkiv.
Images of the carnage is the snow - from which it is suspected there were no survivors - appear to show Putin's invasion suffering brutal losses.
Kyiv's defence ministry has so far put Russia's losses at around 2,800 troops, 80 tanks, 516 armoured vehicles, and 10 airplanes and seven helicopters so far.
The Russian army has now been ordered to broaden its advance 'from all directions', with Kyiv residents braced Saturday for another night sheltering underground, as Russian troops closed in on the capital and skirmishes were reported on the outskirts.
However, a senior US defence officials claimed Russia is facing more resistance than Moscow anticipated in its invasion of Ukraine, and appears to have lost some of its momentum.
Professor Freedman's article backed this theory. He wrote: 'Despite the superiority of Russian forces they made less progress than might have been expected on the first day of the war when they had the advantages of tactical surprise and potentially overwhelming numbers.
'The Ukrainians demonstrated a spirited resistance and imposed casualties on the invaders,' he added.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military is asking people to remove the names of streets, cities and villages from road signs in their regions in order to 'confuse and disorient the enemy'. In a tweet, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said: 'We will do everything possible to clear Ukraine of the Russian occupier as soon as possible!'.
A sign over a part of the Boryspil highway triumphantly declared: 'Russian warship, go f**k yourself!', in reference to the killing of a small group of Ukrainian border guards stationed at Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine after they refused to surrender to Kremlin forces.
Estonia's former defence chief Riho Terras has now claimed that Putin's war is not going to plan because Russia is fast running out of money and weapons, and will have to enter negotiations with Volodymyr Zelensky's government if Kyiv holds off the Russians for 10 days.
Russia's tyrant has allegedly convened a meeting with the oligarchs in a bunker in the Ural Mountains, at which it is claimed that he furiously vented that he thought the war would be 'easy' and 'everything would be done in one to four days'.
Citing Ukrainian intelligence sources, Terras claimed that the war is costing Russia around £15billion-per-day, and that they have rockets for three to four days at most, which they are using sparingly.
He claimed that Putin's plan has relied on panicking the country, firing missiles at residential buildings 'at random' to 'intimidate' the Ukrainians, trigger mass army desertions, national surrender, and Zelensky's flight from the country. Terras also alleged that Russian special operations have been near Kyiv since February 18, and had planned to swiftly seize the capital and install a puppet regime.
'The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered. The Ukrainians must avoid panic! ... Ukraine must stay strong and we must provide assistance!', he wrote on Twitter.
However, in a worrying sign for Ukraine, video from Russia's Western border with Ukraine showed TOS-1 heavy flamethrower tanks moving towards its neighbour. The tanks are capable of firing high-power thermobaric weapons - dubbed the 'father of all bombs'.
In Russian, 'TOS' stands for 'heavy flame thrower'. However, what the TOS-1 launches is perhaps even more frightening - fuel-air explosives (FAE) that cause a 'wall of napalm'. As the bomb explodes, it scatters dust that ignites when it meets oxygen, causing the very air around it to appear as if it is bursting into flames.
In other developments:
- Authorities in Kyiv have extended a curfew until early on Monday;
- Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Kyiv were now 19 miles from the city centre.
- Russian troops captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Russia's defence ministry claimed;
- UK armed forces minister James Heappey said Britain did not believe Russian forces had captured Melitopol;
- Refugees fleeing Ukraine continued to pour across its western borders on Saturday, with around 100,000 reaching Poland in two days;
- A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone said;
- At least 2019 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion;
- France has decided to send defensive military equipment to Ukraine to support the country against Russia's invasion;
- French sea police seized a ship on Saturday that authorities suspect belongs to a Russian company targeted by European Union sanctions over the war in Ukraine, a government official claimed;
- Putin urged the Ukrainian military to overthrow the country's leadership and negotiate peace;
- Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained from the vote.
Dramatic video shows a destroyed Russian convoy with Z-markings near Kherson in southern Ukraine
In addition to the video of the destroyed convoy, another video purportedly showed the destruction of a 20-vehicle Russia military column in Kharkiv (pictured)
In a worrying sign, video from Russia's Western border with Ukraine showed TOS-1 heavy flamethrower tanks moving towards its neighbour. The tanks are capable of firing high-power thermobaric weapons - dubbed the 'father of all bombs'
Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on the recognition of independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics
Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, wrote how a report suggesting Putin's forces will ultimately fail in Ukraine because it underestimated its neighbour's military strength 'makes sense to me'
A Ukrainian soldier runs holding his weapon outside a military facility, in Kyiv, Ukraine, February 26, 2022
Smoke rises from a Russian tank destroyed by the Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in Lugansk region on Saturday
A fragment of a destroyed Russian tank is seen on the roadside on the outskirts of Kharkiv on February 26, 2022
A destroyed Russian military vehicle is seen on the roadside on the outskirts of Kharkiv on February 26, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A view shows a destroyed armored personnel carrier (APC) on the roadside in Kharkiv, Ukraine February 26, 2022
A screen grab from drone footage shows cars forming a line that stretches some 35 km from the Shehyni border crossing to Poland as people try to flee Russia's military operation against Ukraine outside Mostyska, Ukraine, February 26, 2022
Ukrainian tanks move on a road before an attack in Lugansk region on February 26, 2022
On Saturday morning, the upper floors of a building in Kyiv were struck by a Russian rocket (pictured). Reports suggesting at least two people were killed in the explosion
Pictured: The tower block in Kyiv, just moments after being struck by a Russian rocket on Saturday morning
A police vehicle is seen patroling the streets as a curfew has been imposed from Saturday 5 PM to Monday 8 AM local time on February 26, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine
Russia's Interfax news agency claimed Moscow had captured the southeastern city of Melitopol. Ukrainian officials were not immediately available to comment on the fate of Melitopol. If the Interfax report about Melitopol, which cited Russia's defence ministry, is confirmed, it would be the first significant population centre that the Kremlin has seized.
However, Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey cast doubt on the report, saying the city of some 150,000 people was still in Ukrainian hands and that fighting in the capital was so far confined to 'very isolated pockets of Russian special forces and paratroopers' and that 'the main armoured columns approaching Kyiv are still some way off'.
The Ukrainian health minister said 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the Russian offensive. Viktor Lyashko said there were three children among those killed.
His statement was unclear whether the casualties included military and civilians. He said another 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion.
It was later reported that a further 19 civilians were killed in shelling in Ukraine's east, while two were reported killed in a strike on a tower block early on Saturday - bringing the civilian death toll to 219.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov claimed Saturday that since the start of Moscow's attack, its military had hit 821 Ukrainian military facilities, 87 tanks and other targets.
Konashenkov didn't say how many Ukrainian troops were killed and didn't mention any casualties on the Russian side. Neither his claims nor Ukraine's allegations that its forces killed thousands of Kremlin troops could be independently verified.
A sign over a part of the Boryspil highway read: 'Russian warship, go f**k yourself!', in reference to the killing of Ukrainian border guards stationed at Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine when they refused to surrender to Kremlin forces
A column of Russian military vehicles is seen near the village of Oktyabrsky, Belgorod Region, near the Russian-Ukrainian border, on February 26, 2022
Civilian Members of a territorial defence unit fit their weapons to repel the Russian attacking forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday
A Ukrainian serviceman checks on a man who was acting suspicious not far from the positions on Ukraine's service members in Lugansk region on February 26, 2022
A local man shakes hands with a serviceman of the People's Militia in Stanitsa Luganskaya, a rural town abandoned by Ukrainian troops without resistance, February 26, 2022
Ukrainian servicemen arrive from Zmeiny Island, their garrison voluntarily surrendering to Russian troops, February 26, 2022
Firefighters try to extinguish a fire from a bombed civilian building in a residential area on February 26, 2022, in Kiev, Ukraine. A missile has hit this residential building in the capital
A couple embraces, on Maidan Square, February 26, 2022, in Kiev, Ukraine
Kyiv's military is far inferior to its Russian counterpart with an air defence system and air force dating back to the Soviet era
HOW IS PUTIN'S WAR NOT GOING TO PLAN?
MONEY
According to Ukrainian intelligence sources, Putin's war with Ukraine is costing the Russian economy around £15billion-per-day alone – meaning the Kremlin will have spent around £45billion by the end of today in fighting Ukraine.
Writing on Twitter, Terras claimed that Russia would be forced to enter negotiations with Ukraine if Kyiv can hold off the Kremlin's advance for 10 days, by which point Russia will have spent around £150billion.
Though it is widely believed that the Russian dictator will have factored Western sanctions into his calculations, the combined effect of punitive measures on Russia's banking system will further squeeze its economy.
The United States, Britain, Japan, Canada, Australia and the European Union unveiled more sanctions on Moscow on top of penalties earlier this week, including a move by Germany to halt a gas pipeline from Russia.
President Joe Biden delivered further measures to target Russian banks, oligarchs and high-tech sectors, while the EU unveiled its own new package including financial, energy and technological sanctions.
WEAPONS AND RESOURCES
Citing Ukrainian intelligence, Terras also claimed that Russia has rockets for 'three to four days at most' which they use 'sparingly'.
He added: 'They lack weapons, the Tula and 2 Rotenberg plants can't physically fulfil the orders for weapons. Rifles and ammo are the most they can do.
'The next Russian weapons can be produced in 3-4 months – if even that. They have no raw materials. What was previously supplied mainly from Slovenia, Finland and Germany is now cut off.
'If Ukraine manages to hold the Russians off for 10 days, then the Russians will have to enter negotiations. Because they have no money, weapons, or resources'.
OVERCONFIDENCE
Terras also claimed that at a meeting of the oligarchs in his lair in the Urals, Putin was 'furious' and ranted about how he thought the war would be 'easily' won in 'one to four days'.
He continued: 'Russia's whole plan relies on panic – that the civilians and armed forces surrender and Zelensky flees.
'They expect Kharkiv to surrender first so the other cities would follow suit to avoid bloodshed. The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered'.
A Ukrainian soldier smokes a cigarette on his position at an armored vehicle outside Kharkiv, Ukraine, February 26, 2022
Ukrainian service members look for unexploded shells after a fighting with Russian raiding group in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning of February 26, 2022, according to Ukrainian service personnel at the scene
Putin gives comments to the media after a ceremony to sign a declaration on allied cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan at Moscow's Kremlin, February 22, 2022
'We survived the night. The occupiers wanted to capture our capital and install their puppets...We broke their idea': Zelensky's warning shot to Putin as noose tightens around Kyiv, Ukrainian civilian death toll hits 219 and missile hits tower block
Defiant president Volodmyr Zelensky today said his country's army had successfully repelled Russian forces advancing on Kyiv and was in control of the capital after a night of brutal fighting that saw terrified residents seeking shelter underground.
In a video message to the besieged nation, Zelensky accused the Kremlin of attempting to seize Kyiv, overthrow the government and install a 'puppet' regime 'like in Donetsk', one of two separatist regions which warmonger Vladimir Putin officially recognised before launching an all-out invasion.
Declaring 'we broke their idea', he added: 'The fights are going on in many cities and areas of our state. But we know that we are protecting the country, the land, the future of our children. Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army.
'The [Russian] occupants wanted to block the centre of our state and put here their marionette, like in Donetsk. We broke their idea.'
Ukraine's president Volodmyr Zelensky today claimed the country's army has successfully repelled Russian forces advancing on Kyiv and is in control of the capital after a night of brutal fighting that saw terrified residents seeking shelter underground
It comes after a high-rise apartment block in Kyiv was hit by a devastating missile this morning, while Ukraine's civilian death toll hit 219.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Kyiv were now 30 km (19 miles) from the city centre.
'Russia has yet to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine greatly reducing the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force,' the defence ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.
But armed forces minister James Heappey said today there was no reason to think a 'happy ending is just around the corner' as he warned the conflict could rumble on for months.
He told BBC Breakfast: 'Nobody should think that this is anywhere near over. What stands in front of Ukraine, its armed forces and very tragically its people, is days, weeks, months more of what we have seen over that last 48 hours.'
A 5pm to 8am curfew in Kyiv is now in force across the capital to ensure the most effective defence of the city and the safety of its people. The previous curfew had run from 10pm to 7am.
Surveillance footage shows a missile hitting a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday morning
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said: 'All civilians on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups.'
As Ukrainian forces said they had fought off a Russian attack on their capital today, Zelensky vowed to stay and fight on in an impassioned video to his people.
'I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth,' he said outside his office, denouncing as disinformation claims that he had surrendered or fled.
Wearing military garb the president added: 'A lot of fake information has appeared on the internet saying that I allegedly called on our army to lay down its arms and that evacuation is underway.
'Our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children and we will protect all of this. This is what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine!'
WHAT'S THE STATE OF PLAY TODAY?
HELICOPTERS, JETS AND PLANES
The mayor of a city south of the Ukrainian capital claimed that the country's military has fended off a Russian attempt to take control of a military air base.
Natalia Balansynovych, the mayor of Vasylkiv, about 25 miles south of Kyiv, said on Saturday that Russian airborne forces landed near the city overnight and tried to seize the base. She said fierce fighting also raged on Vasylkiv's central street.
She said that Ukrainian forces repelled the Russian attacks, and that the situation is now calm. Balansynovych claimed there were heavy casualties, but didn't give any numbers.
At around 3am on Saturday, fighting between Russia and Ukraine broke out at Vasylkiv, which is home to a Cold War-era base.
Ukraine's military claimed a Russian IL-76 military transporter planer was brought down, reportedly with 150 paratroopers on board. Sources in the city then claimed that Russian soldiers, allegedly dressed as Ukrainian police, ambushed a checkpoint.
Kyiv: Fierce fighting erupts in capital after a Russian transport plane carrying '150 paratroopers' was shot down
Smoke and flames are seen billowing over Kyiv's Peremohy Avenue in the west of the city, near the zoo, early Saturday
Significant explosions were seen from Beresteiska metro station in the west of Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is seen addressing the nation on Friday night
Heavy fighting ensued in Vasylkiv, as Putin's forces tried to gain a foothold in the south from which to launch their attack on Kyiv.
At around 4am, Ukraine's Defence Ministry claimed 'two enemy targets were shot down' – identifying them as a Russian SU-25 helicopter and a military bomber – near the separatist zone in the east.
At around 4am, a second Russian military transport plane was shot down near Bila Tserkva, 50 miles south of Kyiv, according to two American officials with direct knowledge of conditions on the ground in Ukraine. The Russian military did not comment on either plane.
Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) denied a report earlier on Saturday that Russian helicopters had landed in the Lviv region, a development that would have signalled a widening of the theatre of Moscow's invasion.
The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, said Russia had landed three helicopters near the city of Brody in the western Lviv region and that Ukrainian forces had repelled the attack.
The SBU said the information was false and that no such landing had taken place. It said a Ukrainian helicopter had done a reconnaissance flight in the area.
'We ask residents to remain calm!', the SBU said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Sadovyi's office declined to comment and the SBU declined further comment. The Lviv regional administration said that footage circulating on social media of a helicopter firing rockets in the Lviv region was Ukrainian, not Russian.
Ukrainian soldiers walk past debris of a burning military truck on a street in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday morning
Ukrainian service members look for and collect unexploded shells after a fighting with Russian raiding group in Kyiv
GROUND FORCES
Earlier, small arms fire and explosions were heard in the capital's northern district Obolonsky as what appeared to be an advance party of Russia's invasion force left a trail of destruction.
Ukrainian forces reported fighting with Russian armoured units in two locations between 40-80 kilometres north of Kyiv.
Ukraine's military claimed Russia had 'attacked one of the military units on Victory Avenue in Kyiv' but that the assault had been 'repulsed'. It also reported another incident northwest of the capital.
Kyiv said 137 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed during the fighting, and claimed that 2,800 Russian service personnel have died.
An adviser to Ukraine's president says that fighting is raging in the capital and in the country's south, and that the Ukrainian military is successfully fending off Russian assaults.
Russian forces were also focusing on the country's south, where intense fighting is underway in Kherson just north of Crimea, and in the Black Sea ports of Mykolaiv, Odesa and around Mariupol, it was claimed.
A Ukrainian soldier walks past debris of a burning military truck, on a street in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday morning
A view shows an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday morning
Firefighters extinguish fire in a high-rise apartment block which was hit by recent shelling in Kyiv on Saturday
A high-rise apartment block in Kyiv was hit by a devastating missile this morning as fighting continues to rage in the capital between Russian attackers and Ukrainian forces
Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia considers it a priority to seize the south, but it has failed to make any significant gains.
Britain claimed that Russian forces have not captured the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol and armoured columns advancing on the capital Kyiv have been held up by Ukrainian resistance.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said on Saturday it was the British assessment that Russia had so far failed to capture any of its day one targets for its invasion of Ukraine, which began on Thursday.
'Even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to have taken but we can't see anything to substantiate that, are all still in Ukrainian hands,' Heappey told BBC radio.
'The fighting ... reported on the outskirts of Kyiv overnight, we understand to just be Russian special forces and pockets of paratroopers. The reality is that the armoured columns that were coming down from Belarus and the north that were going to encircle Kyiv are still some way north because they've been held up by this incredible Ukrainian resistance.'
A Ukrainian soldier stands guard behind tires in Kyiv during Russia's military intervention in Ukraine
A Ukranian fireman kneels by a damaged vehicle, at the site of a fighting with Russian troops after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, February 26, 2022
Russian missiles pounded Kyiv on Friday, families cowered in shelters and authorities told residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to defend Ukraine's capital from an assault that the mayor said had already begun with saboteurs in the city.
But an American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested a mixed picture for the Russian effort to press an offensive that Washington and Kyiv say is aimed at decapitating the government and installing a puppet regime.
'We do assess that there is greater resistance by the Ukrainians than the Russians expected,' the senior defence official said, adding Ukraine's command and control of its military 'remains intact'.
'They are not moving on Kyiv as fast as what we believe they anticipated they would be able to do. That said, they continue to try to move on Kyiv.'
Still, Russia has not yet mobilized the majority of its forces arrayed around Ukraine, the official said, assessing that just about one-third have now been 'committed' to its offensive.
Although most of the Russian targeting has been against Ukrainian military installations, some of the missiles have landed on civilian residential areas, the official said.
Ukraine's military was putting up a fight, the official added.
'They are fighting for the country,' the official said, noting that Russia had yet to establish control of the airspace above Ukraine or used the extent of its electronic warfare capabilities. 'In general, the Russians have lost a little bit of their momentum,' the official said.
A militant of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic inspects the remains of a missile that landed on a street in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk
A Ukrainian servicemen walk by a damaged vehicle, at the site of a fighting with Russian troops, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, February 26, 2022
RUSSIA'S ACTIONS
Kyiv officials are warning residents that street fighting is underway against Russian forces, and they are urging people to seek shelter.
The warning issued Saturday advised residents to remain in shelters, to avoid going near windows or on balconies, and to take precautions against being hit by debris or bullets.
The Ukrainian military said a battle was underway near a military unit to the west of the city center.
A rescue worker says at least six civilians were injured by a rocket that hit a high-rise apartment building on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.
Petro Prokopov, a firefighter who was taking part in rescue efforts, said the building on the southwestern edge of Kyiv near Zhuliany airport was hit between 16 and 21 floors on Saturday. He said at least six people were injured and apartments on two floors were gutted by fire. Emergency responders have evacuated 80 people.
Soldiers tasked with defending Kyiv from advancing Russian troops take up positions underneath a highway into the city
Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted an image showing a gaping hole on one side of the apartment building.
AFP saw a dead man in civilian clothes lying sprawled on the pavement as nearby medics rushed to help another man whose car was crushed by an armoured vehicle.
Separately, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said a Russian missile was shot down before dawn Saturday as it headed for the dam of the sprawling water reservoir that serves Kyiv.
'If the dam is destroyed, the flooding will cause catastrophic casualties and losses – including flooding of residential areas of Kyiv and its suburbs,' the ministry said.
Marine who blew himself up to destroy a bridge and halt advancing Russian troops is made a 'Hero of Ukraine' - the country's highest honour
Volodmyr Zelensky has declared a marine who blew himself up along with a bridge near Crimea to repel advancing Russian forces a Hero of Ukraine.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vitaly Shakun was manning the Henichesk bridge in the Kherson region when Kremlin troops advanced and the battalion decided the only way to stop them was to blow up the bridge.
It was mined, and Shakun had no time to get out. He texted them and told them he was going to blow up the bridge. Seconds later, they heard an explosion, a post on their Facebook page said. Shakun's efforts dramatically slowed down the Russian advance and allowed his comrades to regroup and re-deploy, the Ukrainian General Staff added.
Zelensky has now made Shakun a Hero of Ukraine, the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the country's president.
Vitaly Shakun was manning the Henichesk bridge in the Kherson region when Russians advanced
The Henichesk bridge in the Kherson region at the Crimean crossing which the Ukrainian forces said was a key area of defense. This image was shared by Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform on Thursday
A post on the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Facebook page detailed his heroic efforts
In an emotional speech to the besieged nation uploaded to Facebook, the Ukrainian President also accused Moscow of attempting to seize Kyiv, overthrow the government and install a 'puppet' regime 'like in Donetsk', one of two separatist regions which warmonger Vladimir Putin officially recognised before launching an all-out invasion.
Declaring 'we derailed their idea', Zelensky added: 'The fights are going on in many cities and areas of our state. But we know that we are protecting the country, the land, the future of our children. Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army.
'The [Russian] occupants wanted to block the centre of our state and put here their marionette, like in Donetsk. We derailed their idea.'
Zelensky pushed for Ukraine's urgent ascension to the European Union, saying he discussed the issue with the EU leaders. He also urged cutting Russia from the SWIFT international electronic bank payment system, noting that Germany and Hungary should show 'courage' and agree to the move.
Briefly switching to Russian, he claimed that thousands of Kremlin troops were killed and hundreds of those who were taken prisoner 'can't understand why they were sent into Ukraine to kill and get killed'.
Thanking Russians who spoke out against the war and asked them to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, he said: 'The sooner you say to your government that this war should be immediately stopped, the more of your people will stay alive.'
COULD RUSSIA LOSE THE WAR?
Despite Western fears, American officials believe that Putin's assault and attempted seizure of Kyiv has become bogged down.
While Russian special forces have reached the suburbs of Kyiv, the bulk of Moscow's heavy armour is believed to be still more than 30 miles away from the capital.
Britain claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been slowed by strong Ukrainian resistance.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said fighting in Kyiv was so far confined to 'very isolated pockets of Russian special forces and paratroopers'. He added that 'the main armored columns approaching Kyiv are still some way off'.
Heappey said: 'It looks like the Russian plan is nowhere near running to schedule. I think that will be a great cause of concern for President Putin and rather points to the fact that there was a lot of hubris in the Russian plan and that he may be awfully advised.'
However, Western officials fear that Putin could resort to high-power thermobaric weapons – dubbed the 'father of all bombs' that vaporize bodies and crush internal organs – as brave Ukrainians resist his attempts to take control of Kyiv.
A thermobaric bomb explosion during the Caucasus 2016 strategic drills at Opuk range of Russia's Southern Military District
Thermobaric weapons – also known as vacuum bombs – are high-powered explosive that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed. Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the US and the Soviet Union in the 1960s
Thermobaric weapons – also known as vacuum bombs – are high-powered explosive that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed.
A thermobaric bomb dropped by the US on Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 1,000ft wide after it exploded six feet above the ground.
Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the US and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. In 2007, Russia detonated the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, which created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons. The US version of the weapon reportedly costs over $16million each.
The official said: 'My fear would be that if they don't meet their timescale and objectives they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence.
'They don't adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and rule of law that Western forces do.'
'Will we declare war on Russia? No': Armed Forces Minister James Heappey insists NATO troops will not be sent in to Ukraine as he admits 'ultimate economic sanction' of removing Russia from the SWIFT system will require 'further diplomacy'
NATO troops will not set foot in the Ukrainian theatre of war as Britain presses ahead with its plans to enact the 'ultimate economic sanction' and boot Russia out of the SWIFT international payment network.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey warned that any further financial penalties were being held up in the courts and reiterated the Government's desire to see Russia expelled from the international SWIFT banking system.
Speaking during his media round of interviews on Saturday morning, Mr Heappey also stopped short of committing sending NATO troops to fight in Ukraine.
'You're asking me if we will declare war on Russia? No,' was his answer when pressed by veteran journalist Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey reiterated NATO troops will not be entering the Ukrainian theatre of war
Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers walk around debris of burning military trucks in a street in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, February 26
In later comments to the BBC, Mr Heappey said the Government's position on removing Russia from the international SWIFT financial servers was clear.
'The reality is that SWIFT is not a unilateral decision the UK can take. If it were, the Government's position is clear and we will push ahead with every means at our disposal.
'Clearly, it's the ultimate economic sanction. It's the one the UK government wants to see enacted.'
It was also revealed that the Government will continue to supply arms in its efforts to aid the Ukrainian's attempt to repel the Russian invasion and the Ministry of Defence is working on plans to potentially support a resistance movement and a government in exile if Ukraine was finally overrun.
Warning that the Ukrainian conflict could last for months to come, Mr Heappey added: 'Nobody should think that this is anywhere near over.
'What stands in front of Ukraine, its armed forces and very tragically its people, is days, weeks, months more of what we have seen over that last 48 hours'.
Ukraine's SECOND Tiananmen moment: Local man climbs on top of Russian tank before kneeling on the ground in bid to stop military convoy as Putin's men face fierce fight back on the streets
Another brave Ukrainian local has been captured on video trying to single-highhandedly block the advance of a Russian military convoy - in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man' blocking Chinese forces in 1989.
The footage emerged as Moscow's forces continued their illegal invasion of the country, where Ukrainian soldiers and citizens alike are putting up a fierce resistance against Vladimir Putin's invading army.
Video of the brave face-off showed a column of Russian tanks passing through a junction in a Ukrainian town.
As the hulking vehicles rumbled through, one man decided to take a stand, heroically climbing on to the front of one of the tanks. It continued forward a few meters, but then came to a halt, blocking the route of those following.
Once the tank was no longer moving, the man can be seen climbing down from the tank and kneeling in the middle of the road, blocking the progress of the Russian convoy.
Recognising the futility of the man's protest, onlookers are seen trying to drag the man away from the tank.
However, defiant in his protest, the man continues to hold on to the front of the tank.
Another brave Ukrainian civilian has been captured on video trying to single-highhandedly block the advance of a Russian military convoy - in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man' blocking Chinese forces in 1989. Pictured: A Ukrainian local kneels in front of a Russian tank as a convoy of military vehicles passed through a town
Video of the brave face-off showed a column of Russian tanks passing through a junction in a Ukrainian town. As the hulking vehicles rumbled through, one man decided to take a stand, heroically climbing on to the front of one of the tanks. It continued forward a few meters, but then came to a halt, blocking the route of those following
The incident came after a similar confrontation went viral on Friday, which saw another man bravely walk into the middle of the road and into the path of another column of Russian military vehicles passing through Ukraine.
The footage, thought to have been filmed in the south of the country close to Crimea, shows the man bravely waving down the convoy in an attempt to block its path.
Some military vehicles in the procession swerve around the man, but others are shown stopping for him, bringing those behind them to a complete stop as well.
The man has since been dubbed 'Tank Man' on social media, and while his identity is now known, his bravery quickly drew praise from others inspired by his protest which has become emblematic of Ukraine's resistance.
A brave Ukrainian citizen has been filmed apparently trying to stop a convoy of Russian Tigr-M fighting vehicles - similar to American Humvees - moving along a highway close to Crimea in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man'
FILE - In this June 5, 1989 file photo, a Chinese man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square. The man was calling for an end to the violence and bloodshed against pro-democracy protesters
Russian troops move towards Ukraine on the road near Armiansk, Crimea, in what appears to be the convoy that a citizen later tried to stop as it drove down a highway, February 25, 2022
Russian soldiers on the amphibious infantry fighting vehicle BMP-2 move towards mainland Ukraine on the road near Armiansk, Crimea, February 25, 2022
Kremlin website is DOWN: Russian state websites including media watchdog crash and TV channels 'are hacked to broadcast Ukrainian songs'
Russian government websites including the official Kremlin and media regulator pages are down, in what could be the first round of tit-for-tat cyberattacks after the West united in their opposition to Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine
Russian government websites including the official Kremlin and media regulator pages are down, in what could be the first round of tit-for-tat cyberattacks after the West furiously condemned warmonger Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's telecoms agency also announced that Russian TV channels had been hacked to broadcast Ukrainian songs, the Kyiv Independent reported on Saturday afternoon.
Just hours before Russia's tyrant launched his aggressive war to 'demilitarise' and 'de-Nazify' Ukraine, Kyiv was hit by a 'massive' cyberattack targeting its government and banks.
The websites of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service, and Cabinet of Ministers were all out of action Wednesday afternoon.
Bomb threats were also phoned in to several government buildings, thought to be part of a psychological pressure campaign by Moscow.
The Russian president's war appears not to be going to plan due to Kremlin 'overconfidence', poor tactical planning, and 'shock' at the fierce resistance put up by brave Ukrainians fighting for national survival
Cargo ship 'belonging to Russian bank that is pivotal' to country's defence sector and among those targeted by UK government sanctions against Moscow is SEIZED in the English Channel
A cargo ship bound for St. Petersburg was intercepted in the English Channel early on Saturday as the latest trade sanctions begin to hit at the Russian economy.
The 416ft commercial boat named the 'Baltic Leader' is understood to belong to Promsvyazbank, one of the five major Russian banks which were hit with crippling EU sanctions this week, and was seized in the English Channel early on Saturday morning.
Promsvyazbank was named in the House of Commons as one of five Russian state-owned financial institutions that would be hit with sanctions.
Meanwhile, a US Treasury document said 'Baltic Leader' was owned by Promsvyazbank, which was described as 'systemically important' to Russia's defence industry.
Maritime officers have been given the power to intercept and seize vessels suspected of contravening EU-backed sanctions of Russia in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion.
In what is understood to be the first instance of Russian assets being frozen while in transit, the boat was intercepted by customs officials near Honfleur, in Normandy, after departing from the French city of Rouen.
'Baltic Leader' a cargo ship bound for St. Petersburg was intercepted in the English Channel early on Saturday, as the latest trade sanctions begin to hit at the Russian economy
'Baltic Leader' departed from the French city of Rouen on Friday, February 25 before it was intercepted by French maritime officials and diverted to Boulogne-sur-Mer port in Normandy at around 3am local time (2am GMT)
Pictured: The cargo ship impounded in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France on Saturday, February 26
French authorities said the ship, which has been loaded with cars, belonged to a company suspected of violating trade sanctions linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
'Baltic Leader' had arrived in the French city of Rouen on February 19 and spent almost six days docked there until departing on Friday night.
The vessel had been expected to reach St. Petersburg on Thursday, March 3.
Captain Véronique Magnin, regional communication officer for the maritime prefecture, said the ship was then diverted to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer between 3 and 4am (2/3am GMT) and that ongoing checks were being carried out by customs officials.
Those aboard 'Baltic Leader' are said to be co-operating with the investigation. The process could take up to 48 hours.
Captain Magnin said the boat is 'strongly suspected of being linked to Russian interests targeted by the sanctions'.
The short journey taken by 'Baltic Leader' as it was intercepted by French maritime officials in the English Channel and escorted to Boulogne-sur-Mer early on Saturday morning
Captain Véronique Magnin, regional communication officer for the maritime prefecture, said the ship was diverted to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer (above) between 3 and 4am (2/3am GMT) and that ongoing checks were being carried out by customs officials
'Baltic Leader', a Ro-Ro Cargo vessel built 22 years ago, had been expected to dock in St. Petersburg on March 6. The ship sails under the flag of Russia.
One official was quoted by the BBC saying: 'It has been taken to the French port after a request by the French government because it is suspected of belonging to a company targeted by EU sanctions against Moscow.
'French boarder forces are currently investigating the cargo ship. Crew aboard the 'Baltic Leader' has been cooperating with French authorities.'
The Russian embassy in France is said to be 'seeking explanations' from French authorities behind the seizure of one of its cargo ships.
A spokesperson in Paris told the Russian TASS news agency the boat's captain had called the embassy, which had then contacted French officials.
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