Ukraine war latest: Russian forces take control of village in Kharkiv region - defence ministry

Ukrainian forces on the frontline say the war is entering a critical phase - and they are desperate for more ammunition as they struggle to hold off relentless Russian attacks. 

Colonel Pavlo Palisa, whose 93rd Mechanised Brigade is fighting near the key strategic city of Chasiv Yar, said he believed Russia was preparing a major push to break Ukrainian lines in the east.

"Without a doubt, this will be a difficult period for the armed forces," he said. 

"I would say that it is unlikely that time is on our side, since a long war requires more resources," he said, saying it would be critical to impose as heavy a cost on Russia as quickly as possible.

 "The enemy's resources, whether in terms of manpower or the materiel, cannot be compared with ours. It's extraordinarily large." 

Ukrainian gun commander Oleksandr Kozachenko said his unit's US-supplied M777 howitzer, which once hurled 100 shells a day at the enemy, is now often reduced to fewer than 10. 

"It's a luxury if we can fire 30 shells." 

Gunners with his brigade in the Donetsk region said they were desperate for more 155mm rounds for their Western cannons, which had given them an edge over Russia earlier in the war.

America says it's rushing ammunition and weapons to Ukraine following the delayed approval of a $61bn aid package by Congress last month. 

For the soldiers facing down an encroaching enemy, the deliveries can't come soon enough. 

Poland to spend £2bn on making border 'impossible' for potential enemies to pass

Poland is aiming to bolster its defences against what it says is a rising threat from Russia and Belarus with a £2bn security programme.

Poland will invest 10 billion zlotys - around £2bn - in making the eastern border "impossible to pass for a potential enemy", Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference.

"We are starting a major project to build a secure border, including a system of fortifications as well as landscaping and environmental decisions," he said.

Poland's border with Belarus has been a flashpoint since migrants started flocking there in 2021, after Minsk, a close Russian ally, opened travel agencies in the Middle East offering a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis. 

The previous Polish government built a fence on the Polish-Belarusian border that was over 180km long and 5.5m high, to protect against illegal migration. It is complemented by a system of cameras and sensors monitoring the frontier. 

Two children among five injured in strike on Kharkiv - reports

A 13-year-old and 16-year-old were among five people injured when Russian forces struck a residential area in Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian officials. 

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Tereknov said on Telegram that several residential houses were destroyed, and at least five people were injured. 

The regions's governor Oleh Syniehubov said they were injured by shrapnel, and the injuries suffered by the children were minor. 

Who's to blame for battlefield setbacks? Ukrainian minister says 'everyone who is not doing enough'

Asked whether the US aid delays were to blame for Ukraine's setbacks on the battlefield, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said the fault lies with "everyone who is not doing enough".

He described the situation on the frontline as "tough", saying "Russia is strong, we are suffering from... insufficient supplies of military assistance," CNN reported.

"We are forced to compensate with heroism and sacrifice of our soldiers," he added.

He was speaking via video conference at the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia and praised the country for allocating 1% of GDP to military aid for Ukraine.

If every country followed suit, Ukraine would be able to perform better, he said.

"Estonia is a country that proves to the whole world that a small country with a big heart can make a big difference and it's a paradigm for everyone to follow," he said.

Zelenskyy rejects idea of Olympics truce: 'It plays into the hands of the enemy'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has snubbed the French president's call for a truce between Russia and Ukraine during the Paris Olympics, saying it could give Russia the upper hand.

President Emmanuel Macron had suggested a temporary ceasefire, in line with the ancient Greece tradition that saw warring city-states lay down arms for the length of the Games. 

But Mr Zelenskyy said Russia could use the period to move its forces. 

"Let's be honest… Emmanuel, I don't believe it," Mr Zelenskyy told news agency AFP. 

"Who can guarantee that Russia will not use this time to bring its forces to our territory?" he asked.

"We are against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy."

Vladimir Putin also dismissed the idea when asked about it on his visit to China, saying the Olympics were violating the principles of the Games by requiring Russian athletes to compete as neutrals.

"If you demand something from someone, you have to follow the rules yourselves first," he said.

Thousands evacuated as Russia pushes on with offensive

Thousands of people in towns in the Kharkiv region have been evacuated since Russia's major ground offensive began just over a week ago.

Ukrainian authorities have evacuated around 8,000 civilians from the recent flashpoint town of Vovchansk, three miles from the Russian border.

On Telegram, Kharkiv's governor Oleh Syniehubov said 9,907 people had been evacuated from Chuguyiv district, Kharkiv district and Bogoduhiv district.

The Russian army's usual tactic is to reduce towns and villages to ruins with aerial strikes before troops move in. 

UK Ministry of Defence assesses impact of Ukrainian strikes on Crimea

Four Ukrainian strikes on Russian military targets in Crimea have degraded Russia's ability to defend the airspace around the illegally annexed peninsula, the Ministry of Defence says. 

In its defence intelligence update on X, the ministry said the strikes had also demonstrated Ukraine's capability to impact Russian Air Defence operations.

Ukraine attacked Belbek airfield on 14 May, destroying elements of an air defence missile battery, including a radar system and launchers. 

It carried out three other successful attacks between 16 April and 12 May.

The ministry said it was highly likely Russia would have to disperse and relocate air assets, ultimately increasing flight hours and maintenance requirements. 

At least 30 people have died crossing river to avoid conscription

At least 30 people have died trying to escape conscription by crossing a river separating Ukraine from neighbouring Romania and Hungary.

The near-naked, disfigured body of a man was recovered from the Tisza River this week by Romanian border guards. 

It appeared he had been floating there for days. He was the 30th known casualty, Ukraine's border service said.

Thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the draft since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

New laws have lowered the age of conscription from 27 to 25, increased fines for draft dodgers and offered convicts a place in the army (see our 12.12 post for more).

Ukraine's divisive mobilisation law comes into force

Laws overhauling how army mobilisation works in Ukraine came into force today. 

The legislation, which was watered down from its original draft, will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country.

It also provides incentives to soldiers including cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car - which some analysts say Ukraine cannot afford.

The law was passed in mid-April, a week after Ukraine lowered the age for men who can be drafted from 27 to 25.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed two other laws on Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers.

The measures reflect the growing strain of more than two years of war on Ukraine's stretched forces, who are now trying to repel Russia's advances in the Kharkiv region. 

However, experts and commanders say it could take several months before fresh recruits reach the front and reinforce exhausted troops there.

Zelenskyy warns Russia's Kharkiv offensive could only be 'first wave'

Russia could step up its offensive, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned, saying its operation in Kharkiv is potentially only the "first wave" in a summer assault. 

Mr Zelenskyy renewed his calls for allies to send more air defence and fighter jets on Friday in an interview with the AFP news agency.

He said Ukraine only had a quarter of what it needed in terms of air defence to protect its skies. 

He played down Russia's gains, but warned that Moscow was advancing. 

"We have to be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory. Not vice versa. And that's still their advantage."

On Friday,  Mr Zelenskyy said the situation in Kharkiv had "stabilised", adding Russian forces' "deepest point of their advance" was 10km.