Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s troops ‘use gas pipeline for surprise attack’ on Ukrainian forces in Kursk

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has said it is “deeply concerning” that military aid and intelligence-sharing from the US to Ukraine has been cut off.

Speaking to LBC on Sunday, Mr Philp said: “It’s deeply concerning that this vital support to Ukraine has been suspended, both the military support and the critical intelligence-sharing.

“We’ve seen in the last 48 hours Russia deliberately targeting Ukrainian civilians and it’s caused fatalities, so I’m not sure what the thinking is, I’m deeply concerned by it.

“Certainly, I think the United Kingdom should be continuing to stand unequivocally with Ukraine in this dark hour both in terms of military equipment and whatever intelligence we are able to provide.

“They’ve been barbarically and brutally invaded by a dictator, Vladimir Putin, and I think it’s morally right that we stand with them to help them defend themselves.

“It’s not just a moral case, there’s a wider case as well because we don’t want dictators like Putin thinking they can just walk into countries and invade them as he’s done.”

A Ukrainian drone hit an industrial facility overnight in Russia’s Volga river region of Chuvashia, some 1,300 km (800 miles) from the border with Ukraine, the regional governor said on Sunday.

The strike – one of the deepest yet into Russia by a Ukrainian drone – caused no casualties, Chuvashia Governor Oleg Nikolayev said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Emergency services were at the scene at the Kombinat Burevestnik facility in the region’s capital, Cheboksaray, Nikolayev added. He provided no further details about the strike and the extent of any damage was unclear.

Unofficial Russian news Telegram channels said Ukrainian overnight attacks on Ryazan and Lipetsk had targeted local oil refineries.

Ukrainian Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, who heads the Center for Countering Disinformation, part of the National Security and Defense Council, said, without providing evidence or saying directly that Ukrainian drones were involved, the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant in Lipetsk was under attack.

The reports on what was targeted in the attacks could not be independently verified.

Writing in The Independent, the Tory peer believes the threat of Mr Trump’s administration has opened the doors for Keir Starmer to have a much more profound repair of the damage of Brexit beyond the limited ambitions of his reset talks.

Read Lord Heseltine’s piece here:

The Latvian president has called for European countries to “absolutely” introduce conscription as well as up defence spending.

Edgars Rinkevics also admitted the continent is currently “quite weak” militarily, which is especially notable amid the “ups and downs” in its relationship with the US.

Latvia introduced conscription for men two years ago, while its defence spending is now four per cent of its GDP.

Mr Rinkevics told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “Seeing what is happening in the world, the decision that we took – many other European countries need to follow that.

“A lot of people are a little bit nervous. People are following the news. Of course strong reassurances [are] one thing, but another thing is other European governments [have] to make sure that we all get stronger.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that it had taken the village of Konstyantynopil, in the southern part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

The King is reportedly concerned about the clashes between the US and Canada as he is set to urge global unity in his Commonwealth Day message tomorrow.

Amid global instability and discord between world leaders over Russia’s war in Ukraine, The Sunday Times reported Charles is expected to say: “In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship … The Commonwealth’s ability to bring together people from all over the world has stood the test of time and remains as ever important today.”

The 76-year-old monarch will attend the the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey alongside the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales on Monday

It comes after the King met Justin Trudeau last Monday amid the outgoing Canadian prime minister’s ongoing clashes with Donald Trump over the US president’s imposition of tariffs.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that it had retaken the village of Lebedevka in Russia’s Kursk region, and taken the village of Novenke, across the border in Ukraine’s Sumy region.

Russian forces had been largely absent from Ukraine’s Sumy region since April 2022, when they withdrew from the border province in order to refocus their forces on eastern Ukraine.

Countries cannot be “dragooned” into the coalition of the willing by the UK, a senior minister has said.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said that “people have to be up for it”.

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg how many countries have said they would be willing to take part, Mr McFadden said: “These discussions are going on, I think it’s important to have European countries involved in this.

“The phrase ‘step up’ has been used quite a lot in recent weeks. The UK is stepping up.

“The Prime Minister certainly stepped up and other countries have indicated that they want to do that.

“Of course, coalition of the willing means people have to be up for it. They have to step forward themselves, they can’t be dragooned by us.

“But the UK and the Prime Minister is playing an important role in those discussions, and will continue to do that.”

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden did not say whether or not it was wrong for the US to have withdrawn satellite images and other information from Ukraine.

Asked whether it was “wrong”, Mr McFadden told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “Well, it’s their decision. It’s not something that we’ve done.

“We support Ukraine, we continue to supply Ukraine with weapons, with intelligence support, with help on the cyber front, because we believe that they’re engaged in a really important fight for their country’s freedom and the capacity to decide their own future.”

Pushed further on whether the White House bears any responsibility for casualties in Ukraine, Mr McFadden said: “With regard to the United States, what they’re trying to do is bring the war to an end. I think that aim is shared by everyone.

“What we want to secure is not just an end to the fighting, but a peace that lasts, and that has underlined every action the prime minister has taken in recent weeks, because it will do nothing to secure Ukraine’s future if we have a temporary ceasefire, which lasts only as long as president Putin wants it to.”

The UK is not considering conscription, a senior minister has said.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that “Europe does have to step up in terms of its own defence”.

Asked whether conscription is something in mind, Mr McFadden said: “We’re not considering conscription, but, of course, we’ve announced a major increase in defence expenditure a couple of weeks ago, and we do have to recognise that the world has changed here.

“The phrase ‘step up’ is used a lot in recent weeks and Europe does have to step up in terms of its own defence.

“President Trump isn’t actually the first president to say that, but he said it more loudly and with more force than his predecessors. So, I think we’ve got to recognise that moment.”