Ukraine has launched its first cluster bomb attack against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine, according to reports.
The Washington Post reported that the controversial weapons were fired at Russian trenches slowing down Ukraine’s advance, citing Ukrainian officials familiar with the matter.
It is the first report of the weapons use since the US started sending them to Kyiv this month.
Cluster bombs are also expected to be used near Bakhmut. The weapons spray “bomblets” across an area three times the size of a football pitch.
We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates on Ukraine.
The Belarus Red Cross has sparked international outrage after its chief told Belarusian state television that the organisation is actively involved in bringing Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied areas to Belarus.
Both Ukraine and the Belarusian opposition have decried the transfer as unlawful deportations, and there have been calls for international war crimes charges for Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian Belarus leader, similar to the charges against Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The actions of the Belarus Red Cross drew stern criticism from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Moscow slaps domestic travel restrictions on UK diplomats in Russia
Moscow has announced that British diplomats working in Russia will need to notify authorities in advance about their movements around the country.
Russia’s foreign ministry said it summoned Britain’s charge d’affaires Tom Dodd to inform him of a “notification procedure for the movement of employees of British diplomatic missions”.
Moscow said it was introduced in response to the “hostile actions” of London, a key ally of Ukraine. The measures will not apply to the British ambassador and several other diplomats.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has condemned a warning by Russia that any ships travelling to Ukrainian Black Sea ports will be seen as possibly carrying military cargoes.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns any threats to use force against civilian ships, regardless of their flag,” it said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it would deem all ships travelling to Ukraine to be potentially carrying military cargo and “the flag countries of such ships will be considered parties to the Ukrainian conflict”.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said: “The intention to consider foreign ships as military targets grossly violates Russia’s obligations under international law not only to Ukraine but also to all countries engaged in peaceful shipping in the Black Sea.”
It added that Russia’s statement had no legitimate military purpose, but was aimed at intimidating Ukraine and neutral states.
