KYIV police say they discovered evidence of another mass grave in Bucha – with fears Putin's troops are committing horrific war crimes.
Bucha has become synonymous with allegations of Russian crimes throughout the war, as Ukrainian police reported finding three bodies
The three bodies found in a pit were "brutally killed" by Russian soldiers – each shot in the head, the police said in a statement.
It read: "The victims' hands were tied, cloths were covering their eyes and some were gagged. There are traces of torture on the corpses."
The news comes as Russian assassins were just "minutes away" from killing President Zelenskyy and his family, the Ukrainian leader has revealed.
The hero president spoke in detail of the imminent danger he was in as war broke out in Ukraine during the early days of the Russian invasion.
Zelensky, 44, said kill teams of Russian special forces were parachuted into Kyiv on the day of the invasion.
Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…
- Joseph Gamp
Vladimir Putin set ‘to declare all-out war’
Putin’s furious army chiefs have urged him to launch an all-out war on Ukraine as “payback” over the shambolic invasion, officials have warned.
Russia had expected it could march across Ukraine without much of a fight when troops invaded for a “special operation” in February – but they have faced a valiant resistance and weeks of fighting.
Putin’s army chiefs have become increasingly frustrated with the scaled-down offensive in eastern Ukraine and his handling of the deadly war – with a vicious “blame game” exploding in Moscow.
Military bosses have now urged Putin to drop the term “special operation” used for the invasion and instead declare war on Ukraine – which would enable the mass mobilisation of Russian troops.
An all-out war would allow Moscow to draft in more conscripts, impose martial law and also bid for support from its international allies – such as Belarus.
A source close to Russian military chiefs told The Telegraph: “The military are outraged that the blitz on Kyiv failed.
“People in the army are seeking payback for failures of the past, and they want to go further in Ukraine.”
- Joseph Gamp
Bodies of three men found in Bucha pit, say police
Near Bucha, the town near Kyiv that has become synonymous with allegations of Russian war crimes, Ukrainian police on Saturday reported finding three bodies shot in the head with their hands tied.
The three bodies found in a pit were "brutally killed" by Russian soldiers — each shot in the head, the police said in a statement.
"The victims' hands were tied, cloths were covering their eyes and some were gagged.
"There are traces of torture on the corpses," it said.
- Louis Allwood
Russian assassins were just 'minutes away' from Zelensky
RUSSIAN assassins were just "minutes away" from killing President Zelenskyy and his family, the Ukrainian leader has revealed.
The hero president spoke in detail of the imminent danger he was in as war broke out in Ukraine during the early days of the Russian invasion.
Zelensky, 44, said kill teams of Russian special forces were parachuted into Kyiv on the day of the invasion.
Armed with Kremlin orders to assassinate or capture him and his family, he claims the mercenaries made two attempts to storm the presidential compound while he was still holed up inside with his wife and two children, aged 17 and nine.
In a video released just hours after the attempt on his life on February 25, Zelensky was filmed saying: "We're all here. Our military is here. Citizens in society are here.
"We're all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way."
- Louis Allwood
Russian anti-tank mine capable of blasting 100ft into the air
RUSSIA'S lethal anti-tank mine which can blast 100ft in the air and fire explosives from above has been seen in Ukraine for the first time.
The so-called "smart-mine", which is triggered when its target gets within 100m, has never been used on the battlefield before.
Russia's PTKM-1R top-attack mine launches itself into the air, scanning the ground for its target, and then firing an explosive slug from above.
Armoured vehicle turrets have thinner plating, making them more vulnerable to attack.
The mine, which is believed to have been introduced into service by Vladimir Putin's army in 2020, is similar to the US M-93 "Hornet" wide-area munition.
It was reportedly discovered in Ukraine on April 26, in the latest sign of further military escalation in the conflict there, according to The Telegraph.
- Louis Allwood
National Guard says video shows strikes on Russian convoy
Ukraine's national guard has released footage appearing to show strikes being carried out against a Russian armoured military convoy.
The strike has taken place near Izyum in eastern Ukraine.
The video shows what the Ukraine National Guard said were tanks and armoured personnel carriers being hit.
- Louis Allwood
France promises to increase military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine
France will step up military and humanitarian support to Ukraine, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
The news comes after the French President had a conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Macron also reiterated his "strong concern" over Russia's bombing of Ukrainian cities and the "unbearable situation" in the southern port city of Mariupol.
- Louis Allwood
Dramatic moment two Russian tanks blasted by bombs
This is the dramatic moment two Russian tanks were obliterated in a drone strike as Vladimir Putin loses more than 23,000 troops.
Striking footage showed the devastation caused by the strike from what was believed to be Ukraine's 503rd Naval Infantry Battalion.
In the clip the drone hangs in the air as it appears to eye up its Russian targets – understood to be Kurganets-25 tanks.
It then drops the bombs, plummeting towards the oblivious war machine before a strike rips apart the tank in a massive inferno.
It is unclear where the attack took place.
The shocking footage of the strike was shared online by the editor of the OSINT Bunker Podcast.
- Louis Allwood
Putin ‘to undergo cancer operation'
Putin is set to undergo an operation for cancer and will hand over power to his hardline spy chief, a Kremlin insider has reportedly claimed.
The Russian tyrant’s health has been source of considerable speculation amid reports that he is battling both abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.
But now it has been reported that the 69-year-old Putin could soon vanish for as he goes under the knife with power transferred to Nikolai Patrushev.
Shadowy Patrushev, 70, is seen as a key architect of the Ukraine war strategy and the man who convinced Putin that Kyiv was awash with neo-Nazis.
- Louis Allwood
Russia repels Ukrainian plane entering its air space, Bryansk regional governor claims
Russian air defence units repelled a Ukrainian warplane attempting to enter Russian airspace according to the Bryansk regional governor.
Two shells hit an oil refinery in a region bordering Ukraine as a result and Alexander Bogomaz said the blast wave from the incident damaged parts of the oil terminal.
It was not clear from his post on Telegram whether the blasts were a result of Russian air defence fire or came from missiles fired from the Ukrainian military plane.
- Louis Allwood
Russia formally 'freezes' strategic stability dialogue with US
Dialogue between Moscow and Washington on strategic stability is formally "frozen", the TASS news agency cited a Russian foreign ministry official as saying on Saturday.
Vladimir Yermakov, head of nuclear non-proliferation and controls at the foreign ministry, told TASS those contacts could be resumed once what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine was complete.
- Louis Allwood
Zelenskyy says Russia is trying to completely destroy Donbas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there.
He warned: "The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people.
"Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation."
The president also said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing.
If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol.
Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins.
In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the citys residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them.
Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war.
- Louis Allwood
Kharkiv targeted by more shelling as US slams Putin 'depravity'
Ukraine's second city Kharkiv was hit by more deadly shelling on Saturday while Ukrainian forces made some gains in the surrounding region as Washington slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin's "depravity".
Although Ukraine has retained control of Kharkiv, the city has been repeatedly battered by Moscow's forces and still faces daily attacks.
One person was killed and five were injured in artillery and mortar strikes, Kharkiv's regional military administration said on Telegram.
"The situation in the Kharkiv region is tough. But our military, our intelligence, have important tactical success," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his latest televised address.
Ukrainian forces said they had recaptured the village of Ruska Lozova, near Kharkiv, that had been occupied by Russian troops for two months and evacuated hundreds of civilians.
- Louis Allwood
Inside cheapskate Russian army’s shoddy equipment
Russian soldiers have been complaining bitterly about their shoddy equipment, including flimsy helmets and useless first-aid kids.
In a viral video, a soldier crushes a Russian helmet with just his foot to show how poor quality they are.
Putin's mercenaries have also shared pictures of their inferior first-aid kits alongside the Ukrainian one, to show the contrast in equipment.
The Ukrainian kit seems to contain a number of tools, including scissors, an intubation tube to help someone breathe with a blocked airway, and much more.
In contrast, Russian troops have been sent to war with a kit appearing to contain nothing more than several instruction manuals and something to tie off a tourniquet.
Russian mercenaries who allegedly posted the picture on social media complained: "This is what Putin and Shoigu brought us," referring to the defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
The photo's original source is unclear, but it's believed it was originally shared on several popular Russian Telegram accounts and blogs, including one which is crowdfunding to buy Putin's soldiers equipment.
A Ukrainian first-aid kit (bottom), compared to the Russian oneCredit: Twitter - Louis Allwood
Boris Johnson spoke to Zelensky today
Boris Johnson has revealed that he spoke to Ukrainian President Zelensky today.
The conversation was to set out how the UK will continue to provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Boris stated that he is 'more committed' than ever to help reinforce Ukraine and to make sure 'Putin fails'.
- Louis Allwood
Bodies of three men found in a pit near Bucha
Ukrainian police have said that the bodies of three men have been found in a pit near Bucha.
The bodies were found on Friday in the town close to Kyiv.
Kyiv regional police said in a statement: "The victims' hands were tied, cloths were covering their eyes and some were gagged. There are traces of torture on the corpses".
- Louis Allwood
Around 100,000 civilians remain in Mariupol
It's estimated around 100,000 civilians remain in the city of Mariupol – with 1,000 living beneath the sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials, as food and supplies run out.
Ukraine has not said how many fighters also are in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but the Russians put the number at about 2,000.
Graphic videos and images shared from inside the plant purport to show kids holed up there while injured men need stained bandages changed as others have open wounds or amputated limbs.
A wounded man in need of treatment at the Mariupol facilityCredit: AP - Louis Allwood
'60 kids’ trapped in Mariupol bunker in desperate last stand
Terrified civilians including dozens of kids remain trapped in horror conditions beneath a steel plant as brave Ukrainians stage a final stand against Russia in the besieged city of Mariupol.
Horrifying footage shared by soldiers holed up in a bunker under the Azovstal iron and steel works – the port city's last remaining holdout – shows mums and tots among those desperately waiting to be evacuated.
Mariupol has been battered by Russian troops ever since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in February – with large parts of the city reduced to rubble by constant air and artillery pounding.
Troops defending Ukraine from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade and the Azov Battalion are using tunnels underneath the steelworks to make a last stand against the Russians.
The plant has become the final refuge for hundreds of Ukrainians in Mariupol – including 60 children, according to Commander of Ukraine's 36th Separate Marine Brigade Major Serhiy Volyna
But as the hero Ukrainian troops cling on to the final piece of Mariupol, the United Nations has been frantically brokering a civilian evacuation from the last Ukrainian stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the city.
Dozens of kids are trapped at the steel plantCredit: reuters - Louis Allwood
'Russia still faces considerable challenges'
Putin has suffered a new blow as FAILED advances have left weakened forces having to merge and redeploy, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The UK's Ministry of Defence gave their latest update on the war in Ukraine today.
Their Twitter account said in their daily briefing: "Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control.
"Russia still faces considerable challenges. It has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in north-east Ukraine. Many of these units are likely suffering from weakened morale.
"Shortcomings in Russian tactical co-ordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements."
- Louis Allwood
Vladimir Putin set ‘to declare all-out war'
Putin's furious army chiefs have urged him to launch an all-out war on Ukraine as "payback" over the shambolic invasion, officials have warned.
Russia had expected it could march across Ukraine without much of a fight when troops invaded for a "special operation" in February – but they have faced a valiant resistance and weeks of fighting.
Putin's army chiefs have become increasingly frustrated with the scaled-down offensive in eastern Ukraine and his handling of the deadly war – with a vicious "blame game" exploding in Moscow.
Military bosses have now urged Putin to drop the term "special operation" used for the invasion and instead declare war on Ukraine – which would enable the mass mobilisation of Russian troops.
An all-out war would allow Moscow to draft in more conscripts, impose martial law and also bid for support from its international allies – such as Belarus.
A source close to Russian military chiefs told The Telegraph: "The military are outraged that the blitz on Kyiv failed.
“People in the army are seeking payback for failures of the past, and they want to go further in Ukraine."
- Louis Allwood
Odesa airport hit by missile attack
According to reports three loud explosions were heard across Odesa late this afternoon, coming from the south west of the city.
Images on social media show smoke rising on the horizon.
The head of the press centre for the southern defence forces put a message on social media saying that the runway of Odesa airport had been damaged as a result of the missile attack.
- Louis Allwood
Angelina Jolie visits Ukraine
Angelina Jolie has been visiting Ukraine to meet children affected by the conflict.
Jolie, who’s a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, met with orphaned and displaced children.
She also met with those who have been evacuated from Mariupol as well as the Ukrainian volunteers and doctors caring for them.
The actress also surprised people in a coffee shop in Lviv, western Ukraine.
Footage posted on social media shows her waving at onlookers and signing autographs for fans.
- Louis Allwood
Russian assassins were just 'minutes away' from Zelensky
RUSSIAN assassins were just "minutes away" from killing President Zelenskyy and his family, the Ukrainian leader has revealed.
The hero president spoke in detail of the imminent danger he was in as war broke out in Ukraine during the early days of the Russian invasion.
Zelensky, 44, said kill teams of Russian special forces were parachuted into Kyiv on the day of the invasion.
Armed with Kremlin orders to assassinate or capture him and his family, he claims the mercenaries made two attempts to storm the presidential compound while he was still holed up inside with his wife and two children, aged 17 and nine.
In a video released just hours after the attempt on his life on February 25, Zelensky was filmed saying: "We're all here. Our military is here. Citizens in society are here.
"We're all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way."
- Louis Allwood
Russian anti-tank mine capable of blasting 100ft into the air
RUSSIA'S lethal anti-tank mine which can blast 100ft in the air and fire explosives from above has been seen in Ukraine for the first time.
The so-called "smart-mine", which is triggered when its target gets within 100m, has never been used on the battlefield before.
Russia's PTKM-1R top-attack mine launches itself into the air, scanning the ground for its target, and then firing an explosive slug from above.
Armoured vehicle turrets have thinner plating, making them more vulnerable to attack.
The mine, which is believed to have been introduced into service by Vladimir Putin's army in 2020, is similar to the US M-93 "Hornet" wide-area munition.
It was reportedly discovered in Ukraine on April 26, in the latest sign of further military escalation in the conflict there, according to The Telegraph.
A Russian anti-tank 'smart-mine' has been pictured in Ukraine for the first timeCredit: @blueboy1969/Twitter - Louis Allwood
France promises to increase military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine
France will step up military and humanitarian support to Ukraine, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
The news comes after the French President had a conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Macron also reiterated his "strong concern" over Russia's bombing of Ukrainian cities and the "unbearable situation" in the southern port city of Mariupol.
- Louis Allwood
National Guard says video shows strikes on Russian convoy
Ukraine's national guard has released footage appearing to show strikes being carried out against a Russian armoured military convoy.
The strike has taken place near Izyum in eastern Ukraine.
The video shows what the Ukraine National Guard said were tanks and armoured personnel carriers being hit.
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