Russia-Ukraine war live: Kyiv’s troops forcing Russians out of positions in south, says general | Ukraine

Russia’s military leadership is likely to face an increasing problem in being directly criticised by subordinates, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

In its latest intelligence, the ministry cited the sacking of Russia’s Maj Gen Ivan Popov, who was dismissed after being scathing of the military leadership in a leaked video intended for his troops.

Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms army, which is fighting on the front in Ukraine near Zaporizhzhia, said the Russian defence ministry leadership was “hitting us from the rear, viciously beheading the army at the most difficult and intense moment”.

The UK ministry said Russia had routinely sacked commanders since the start of the invasion of Ukraine but that Popov’s removal was notable because “he was apparently dismissed for voicing concerns rather than for any alleged poor performance”.

The ministry tweeted:

Popov’s comments draw attention to serious disaffection many officers likely harbour towards the senior military leadership. The complaints largely echo those made by Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin prior to his June 2023 mutiny.

Direct criticism from subordinates is likely to become an increasing problem for defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the general staff General Gerasimov.

A top Ukrainian general has reported new progress on the war’s southern front, saying his troops are “systematically moving the enemy out of their positions”.

Reuters reports that Gen Oleksander Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian forces in the south, said on Telegram on Saturday that enemy losses over the previous 24 hours were equivalent to at least 200.

His comments came as Ukrainian military analysts suggested things were not easy for Ukrainian forces in their bid to advance southward.

Kyiv has focused on capturing villages in the south-east in a drive towards the Sea of Azov and areas near the eastern city of Bakhmut, taken by Russian forces in May after months of intense fighting. Russian accounts said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks in eastern Donetsk region, including around Bakhmut.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address after chairing a meeting with top commanders on Friday:

We must all understand very clearly, as clearly as possible, that Russian forces in our southern and eastern lands are doing everything they can in order to stop our soldiers. And every thousand metres we advance, every success of every combat brigade deserves our gratitude.

Military analyst Serhiy Hrabskyi told Ukrainian NV radio that in the south, “the situation is very difficult in advancing towards Berdiansk”, referring to a port on the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian forces hoped to cut off a land bridge Russian forces had established with the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Welcome back to our ongoing live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. This is Adam Fulton and here’s an overview of the latest key developments.

A top Ukrainian general has reported new progress on the war’s southern front, saying his troops are “systematically moving the enemy out of their positions”.

Gen Oleksander Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian forces in the south, said on Telegram on Saturday that enemy losses over the previous 24 hours were equivalent to at least 200.

His comments came amid reports that Ukraine’s counteroffensive is progressing slowly. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday night that Ukrainians must understand that Russian forces “are doing everything they can in order to stop our soldiers” from advancing in the south and east.

In other news:

• The head of the Ukrainian president’s office said battles were difficult but that western allies were not putting pressure on Kyiv to advance faster. Andriy Yermak said: “Today it’s advancing not so quickly. If we are going to see that something is going wrong, we’ll say so. No one is going to embellish.”

• Vladimir Putin has said he sought and failed to have Yevgeny Prigozhin replaced as the leader of Wagner’s fighters in Ukraine. Putin’s version of events, which appeared in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper, was a surprise admission that the Russian president was still negotiating a takeover of the Wagner mercenary group.

• Boris Johnson has criticised Nato’s “mealy mouthed procrastination” and called for a timetable to be drawn up for Ukraine to join, after this week’s difficult summit in Lithuania. Writing in the Daily Mail, the former British prime minister said it was “no wonder” that Volodymyr Zelenskiy “found it hard” to conceal his frustration at the joint declaration released on Tuesday that stopped short of outlining a roadmap to Nato membership.

• Vladimir Putin has agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal, which expires next week, according to the Turkish president. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that he had spoken with his Russian counterpart about the crucial deal allowing for the export of Ukrainian grain to ease a global food crisis. Moscow played down Erdoğan’s comments, saying an agreement had not yet been reached.

• A Kyiv court has ordered pre-trial detention for a senior cleric of a branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox church with historic links to Moscow on suspicion of sympathising with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian news reports said a Kyiv district court set bail at more than 33 million hryvnias (about $900,000). The church denies the allegations and says it severed all ties with Moscow last year. Metropolitan Pavlo had been under house arrest since April on suspicion of inflaming religious hatred and justifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• An alleged Russian intelligence officer has pleaded not guilty to US charges of smuggling American-origin electronics and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine. Vadim Konoschenok, who was extradited on Thursday from Estonia, entered the plea in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday. Magistrate judge Ramon Reyes ordered Konoschenok, 48, be detained pending trial, after prosecutors called him a flight risk.

• Russian air defence systems shot down two UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles that Ukraine had fired at Melitopol and Berdiansk on Thursday, the Russian-imposed leader of occupied Zaporizhzhia, Yevhen Balitsky, has claimed.

• Mercenary fighters from Russia’s Wagner group are training Belarusian soldiers in Belarus, the country’s defence ministry has said. “[Wagner] fighters acted as instructors in a number of military disciplines,” it said on Friday.

• A Ukrainian court has jailed a man for 10 years after finding him guilty of plotting with Russia to blow up transport infrastructure to disrupt foreign arms supplies. Ukraine’s domestic security agency said it detained the man in February before he had been able to carry out his mission.

• Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a meeting with Ukraine’s intelligence chief and said on Telegram that according to intelligence data, there was no threat of invasion from Belarus.

• Russia has accused the west of sponsoring “nuclear terrorism” after authorities said a Ukrainian drone struck the western Russian town of Kurchatov, where a nuclear power station similar to the Chornobyl plant is located. Roman Starovoit, the Kursk oblast governor, said on Telegram that no residents were injured. “Critical facilities were not damaged as a result of the drone crash and its subsequent detonation.”