Russia Ukraine war latest news today: Putin unleashes mass overnight strikes leaving 17 dead

Russian Colonel Common Mikhail Mizintsev, who was sanctioned by the West and dubbed the “Butcher of Mariupol” for his position within the Ukraine struggle, has been eliminated as deputy defence minister, in keeping with a army blogger and a number one information web site.

Mizintsev orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol within the early months of the struggle final yr. In September, he was appointed deputy defence minister accountable for logistics and provides.

Imposing sanctions in opposition to Mizintsev final June, the European Union referred to him because the Butcher of Mariupol and mentioned he was accountable for the “inhuman” siege of the shattered Ukrainian metropolis, which Russia says it’s now rebuilding.

His departure was reported by a Russian army blogger, Alexander Sladkov, and by the RBC information web site. Neither supplied a proof for why he had apparently been eliminated.

The defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, whereas the Kremlin has mentioned it can’t say something on the topic and has referred questions on the matter to the defence ministry.

Ukraine is wrapping up preparations for a counteroffensive in opposition to Russian forces and is basically prepared for it to go forward, Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov mentioned on Friday.

“As quickly as there’s God’s will, the climate and a choice by commanders, we’ll do it,” he instructed an internet information briefing.

He gave no date for when the counteroffensive would begin however mentioned: “Globally talking, we’re to a excessive proportion prepared.”

Kyiv hopes its deliberate counteroffensive will change the dynamics of the struggle that has raged since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months in the past.

The Kremlin mentioned on Friday that Russian army items which have fought in Ukraine might be represented in a parade in Moscow on Could 9 to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World Battle Two.

The vacation is without doubt one of the most vital within the Russian calendar, normally that includes an enormous present of army {hardware} on Pink Sq. and a speech from President Vladimir Putin.

The Victory Day army parade is a celebration that pays tribute to the overcome Nazi Germany in 1945.

Russia could have pulled its annual Worldwide Military Video games as a result of losses sustained in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has mentioned.

A scarcity of tanks, tank crew and different expert personnel may have risked the Russian staff’s typical domination of the medals tables, it added.

The video games have been used to reestablish the army on the coronary heart of well-liked tradition.

The demise toll following final evening’s assaults has risen to 12.

Russia hurled missiles at cities throughout Ukraine as individuals slept early on Friday.

It was the primary massive scale assault by Russia in almost two months

Pope Francis plans to stipulate his imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Europe throughout a three-day go to to Hungary beginning Friday, with Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, migration flows and Hungary’s tense relations with Brussels looming massive over the pontiff’s weekend journey.

Hungarian officers say Francis’ pilgrimage was designed primarily to let the pope minister to the nation’s Catholic neighborhood and to encourage its members of their religion.

However with the struggle unfolding subsequent door and Hungary butting heads with different European Union nations over rule of regulation points and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis’ phrases and deeds within the coronary heart of Europe will carry robust political undertones.

After his arrival, Francis is scheduled to fulfill with President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, after which to ship his major political speech to Hungarian authorities and diplomats. He has an opportunity to talk to Hungarian society and Europe at massive in his last occasion Sunday, when he’ll handle educational and cultural figures at Budapest’s Catholic College.

In between, Francis is about to fulfill with a number of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who’ve remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled throughout Ukraine’s border with Hungary’s early on in Russia’s invasion. It will likely be one other alternative for Francis to lift immigration as a subject and and to reiterate his perception that European nations ought to, inside their means, open their arms and borders to individuals fleeing poverty in addition to conflicts.

Russia has fired greater than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kyiv and different components of Ukraine, killing a minimum of eight individuals and hitting a residential constructing in central Ukraine, officers mentioned.

Air raid sirens sounded across the capital within the first assault in opposition to the town in almost two months and Ukraine’s air drive intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial autos over Kyiv, in keeping with the town administration.

There have been no instant reviews of any missiles hitting targets in Kyiv however fragments from intercepted missiles or drones broken energy strains and a street in a single neighbourhood.

No casualties had been reported.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned on Friday that the US and its allies try to revive their army presence in Central Asia beneath the pretext of combating terrorism, Russian state-owned information company RIA reported.

RIA cited Shoigu as saying that Russia was rising fight readiness at its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in consequence.

Civilians are nonetheless trapped beneath the rubble of attacked buildings in Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned on Telegram as he confirmed Russian missiles and drones struck the war-hit metropolis in a single day.

“Final evening the enemy attacked Ukraine once more with missiles and UAVs. Terrorists focused civilians and objects. A rocket assault on Uman broken about 10 house buildings. Your complete block of one among them was destroyed. Persons are nonetheless trapped beneath the rubble,” he mentioned on Telegram at present.

He added: “Sadly, there are casualties, together with a toddler. In Dnipro, terrorists’ shelling claimed the life of a kid. My condolences to everybody who misplaced their family members due to the Russian terror!”