Ukraine LIVE: Britain put on alert as Putin ‘shifting war to focus on NATO and West’

Here are some photos from today of the situation on the frontline.

Local residents chat near the site of a Russian rocket strike in Konstyantynivka town (Image: GENERAL STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE )

A Ukrainian soldier fires a shoulder-mounted rocket towards Russian positions (Image: AP )

Three civilians have been killed in a residential district of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka after a Russian strike destroyed four apartment blocks and a hotel, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Various unconfirmed reports have suggested a further 14 people have been wounded.

Factory worker Iryna Maltseva, 42, said she was watching television when the explosion violently rattled her living room.

She said: "I opened my eyes and everything was blown out. I was covered in blood. Mom was sitting in the bedroom, also covered in blood."

Images from the aftermath of the attack show a square in the city littered with the debris of damaged buildings.

Donetsk's governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said on Telegram: "Rescuers and law enforcement officials are working at the scene of the tragedy to help people and carefully document yet another crime by the Russian occupiers on our land."

Footage from the scene of the shelling of the densely populated area of #Kostiantynivka \ud83e\udd2c\ud83e\udd2c\ud83e\udd2c\ud83e\udd2c\ud83e\udd2c #RussiaIsATerroristState pic.twitter.com/a6lYWadsVG

\u2014 Aurora Borealis (@aborealis940) January 28, 2023

Ukraine has called on the West to supply 24 fighter jets to counter the Russian threat in the air, in what would be the first military package of its kind.

Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman of Ukraine 's Air Force, said that the country is hoping for two fighter squadrons of 12 combat aircrafts each.

Mr Ihnat said that American F-16 fighter jets are their priority, though French Rafale and Swedish Gripen jets were also being considered.

So far, only the Netherlands has publicly stated it is considering sending F-16s to Ukraine .

On January 19, the day before the Ramstein meeting of Kyiv's backers, the Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra said he was "open" to the idea.

Good afternoon from London. I'm Tom Watling and I'll be bringing you all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine .

Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: [email protected]

The Ukrainian military must recover damaged British tanks to prevent Russian intelligence from stealing key UK tech, military experts have warned.

Britain’s decision to become the first NATO ally to supply Ukraine with modern Western battle tanks helped pave the way for Germany’s crucial announcement that it is finally to follow suit with its Leopard 2s.

Rishi Sunak told President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month that the UK is to send 14 Challenger 2s as part of its latest support package for the Ukrainian military.

It also includes around two dozen AS90 self-propelled guns, hundreds more armoured vehicles and precision-guided missiles, and 100,000 artillery rounds on top of the 100,000 already sent.

It keeps the UK at the forefront of Kyiv’s military backers with £2.3 billion of support provided during the course of 2022, with ministers promising a similar amount this year.

But military experts are now worrying advanced technology could be stolen if damaged British tanks are not recovered by Ukrainians.

Read more here

The UK will be sending Challenger tanks to Ukraine (Image: Getty)

President Zelensky described the situation on the frontlines as “extremely acute”, after Russia stepped up its Donbas offensive.

Ukraine ‘s leader said: “The occupiers are not just storming our positions – they are deliberately and methodically destroying these towns and villages around them.”

His comments come as fighting intensifies around Vuhledar and Bakhmut in Ukraine ‘s Donbas.

Friday saw a Russian push to try and capture the town of Vuhledar, a town south-west of Donetsk.

Agence France-Presse reported that both claimed success in the small administrative centre, a short distance from the strategic prize of the village of Pavlivka.

Fierce fighting has been reported in the Donbas (Image: Ukraine General Staff)

North Korea condemned the decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with advanced battle tanks to help fight off Russia ‘s invasion, saying Washington is escalating a sinister "proxy war" aimed at destroying Moscow.

The comments by the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the country's deepening alignment with Russia over the war in Ukraine as it confronts the United States and its Asian allies over its own growing nuclear weapons and missiles program.

North Korea has blamed the United States for the crisis in Ukraine , insisting that the West's "hegemonic policy" forced Russia to take military action to protect its security interests.

It has also used the distraction created by the war to accelerate its own weapons development, test-firing more than 70 missiles in 2022 alone, including potentially nuclear-capable weapons believed able to target South Korea and the US mainland.

The United States has accused North Korea of sending large supplies of artillery shells and other ammunition to Russia to support its offensive in Ukraine , although the North has repeatedly denied the claim.

Read more here

Kim Yo Jong with her brother (Image: Getty)

The UK’s Ministry of Defence said that Russian forces likely lost over 300 soldiers in the Ukrainian missile attack on a military base in Makiivka on New Year’s Eve.

At the time, the Kremlin took the unusual step of confirming that an attack had taken place.

Russian officials claimed that 89 troops had been killed, while Ukrainian authorities put the figure at around 400.

Analysts from the UK’s MoD said in their Saturday bulletin that it was “highly likely” that more than 300 Russians died in the missile strike.

They wrote: ” Russia highly likely suffered more than 300 casualties in a strike on troop accommodation at Makiivka near Donetsk City on 01 January 2023.

“We assess that the majority were likely killed or missing, rather than wounded.”

The researchers added: “The difference between the number of casualties Russia acknowledged and the likely true total highlights the pervasive presence of disinformation in Russian public announcements.”

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 28 January 2023 https://t.co/rQI3IVrDMH #StandWithUkraine \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 pic.twitter.com/QA2OBo1rpk

\u2014 Ministry of Defence \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@DefenceHQ) January 28, 2023

Russia and Ukraine are gearing up for “major offensives”, a retired British Army army officer has claimed, but he warned President Volodymyr Zelensky now faces two major headaches.

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former infantry battalion commanding officer who served for 30 years, believes “relative inactivity” on the battlefield could be the “lull before the storm”.

The first anniversary of Russia ‘s invasion of Ukraine is approaching, with speculation President Vladimir Putin could launch a huge mass-mobilisation plan of half-a-million troops as he looks for a significant boost.

Colonel Kemp said Putin could attack from three areas of Ukraine , adding “the options are open to him to some extent”, but warned Ukraine must do two things simultaneously to fight back against Russian forces.

Read more here

Zelensky is facing two huge headaches (Image: Getty)

Good morning from London. I'm john Varga and I'll be bringing you all the latest developments on Ukraine .

Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: [email protected]