WORLD War III has effectively already begun with Russia and the West now locked in a battle for existence, experts have warned.
Although the world’s forces are not yet engaged in all out war on the battlefield, economic, cyber and political warfare is already raging, with only the tiniest escalation threatening to tip us all into physical conflict.
Sky News Security and Defence Editor Deborah Haynes said Ukraine is already “a proxy battlefield in a much wider contest between Western, liberal democracies and the world’s authoritarian regimes”.
She said Putin was right to consider unprecedented Western sanctions upon him as “akin to declaring war”, adding “The key question is whether the two sides have the restraint and/or desire to keep this wider conflict beneath the threshold of a full-blown military one.
Meanwhile Ukrainian MP Alexey Goncharenko told Fox News that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked the beginning of World War III as it represents an unprovoked attack on a free world.
“The World War III already started. If somebody doesn’t see it, it’s their problem… It’s war, not against Ukraine, but against the whole free world,” he said.
And last week Ukrainian journalist Daria Kaleniuk made an impassioned plea for Boris Johnson to do more to help her country, saying “Nato is not willing to defend because Nato is afraid of World War Three but it’s already started and it’s Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit.”
Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up to the minute updates…
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Putin no longer guaranteed victory in Ukraine thanks to brave resistance
A PUTIN victory in Ukraine is no longer inevitable thanks to heroic Ukrainians, the head of Britain’s Armed Forces has said.
But he warned the Russian President will “ratchet up the violence” any day.
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said power is draining from the Kremlin as the botched invasion drags on — but it will only get bloodier.
He said: “We’re going to see more indiscriminate shelling….We’re going to see more ridiculous violence.”
Russia has “got itself into a mess” with the invasion and it “cannot continue” after the Kremlin had lost more troops in a week than the UK did in 20 years in Afghanistan, he said.
And he continued: “We do know that some of the lead elements of Russian forces have been decimated… This invasion is not going well for Russia.
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Good morning
This is John Hall taking on The Sun’s live coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.
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‘I drove 600 miles with no food or sleep to escape Ukraine’
A UKRAINIAN woman who drove almost 600 miles while air raid sirens blasted and Putin dropped bombs near her family home in Kyiv has made it to London.
Nastya Zagoruychik is staying with friends in the city after fleeing the Russian invasion last week and is organising supplies to send back home to support the troops.
The young journalist, who was born in Kyiv, first went with her family to their country house near the outskirts of the capital before she decided to get in her car that day and drive west.
“I picked up my friend, who has a young child, as we started driving,” she said.
“It was incredibly hard to leave my parents and brother behind but it was what I had to do to be safe.
“My parents didn’t have the opportunity to leave. The men aren’t allowed to cross the border now so that’s why they didn’t come with me.
“My mother would not leave without her husband, so that’s why she has stayed.
“It was the longest I have ever driven by car on my own. I was without food, without sleep and without food.”
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Vitali & Wladimir Klitschko head to frontline
THE Klitschko brothers have headed to the frontline in Kyiv ahead of a Russian siege and declared they were “ready to die for Ukraine”.
Vitali and his ex-heavyweight boxing world champ brother Wladimir visited a military checkpoint on the outskirts of the capital on Sunday.
Images from the frontline show Vitali, who is the mayor of Kyiv, and his brother being escorted around the checkpoint in bullet-proof vests by Ukrianian defenders.
At one point, Vitali is a witness to an improv wedding between territorial defense fighter Lesya and her new hubby Valeriy and is later captured standing in front of a sign that read “Iron Kyiv”.
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‘Further defensive equipment’
Boris Johnson has agreed to provide more defensive equipment to Ukraine following a phone call with Zelensky the BBC reports.
“The leaders discussed the urgent needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Prime Minister undertook to work with partners to provide further defensive equipment,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
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364 civilians have been killed, UN confirms
The UN’s Human Rights office has said that 364 civilians have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion.
The UN also confirmed that 25 children had been killed with 759 others injured.
The real figures are likely to be “considerably higher” it was added.
“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” the office says.
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‘The British people stand fully behind the Ukrainian people’
Boris Johnson has told President Volodymyr Zelensky that “the British people stand fully behind the Ukrainian people” when the pair spoke on Sunday afternoon.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister told his counterpart that “international support and admiration for President Zelensky and the whole of Ukraine grows every day”.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The leaders discussed the increasing threat Russia’s barbaric attacks pose to Ukrainian civilians and the Prime Minister underlined the UK’s determination to ensure Putin fails.”
The PM spoke about the support offered by the UK and his six-point plan outlined over the weekend, and the spokesperson said: “The leaders discussed the urgent needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Prime Minister undertook to work with partners to provide further defensive equipment.
“The Prime Minister and President Zelensky also discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine, precipitated by Russia’s indiscriminate attacks and ceasefire breaches.”
Mr Johnson also promised to continue to press other countries to take further action to remove Russia from the Swift payment system.
“The leaders agreed to continue speaking to ensure the wishes of the Ukrainian people are at the forefront of the international response going forward,” the spokesperson said.
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Ukraine & Russia Latest updates
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Forces ‘preparing to bombard Odessa’
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has warned that Russian forces are preparing to bombard the southern city of Odesa.
There are reports of multiple military checkpoints in the city, but the streets reportedly ‘remain calm and largely empty’.
Almost one million people live in the historic port city on the Black Sea coast.
Russian forces have made progress in southern Ukraine since their invasion.
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Russian forces ‘fire rockets at nuclear reactor’ in Kharkiv
RUSSIAN forces have been accused of firing rockets at a facility with a nuclear reactor amid fears of a radiation catastrophe in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin’s army are said to have fired unguided rockets at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology.
Ukraine’s national security service warned the attack on the facility could lead to a “large scale ecological disaster”.
The service announced that the Russians were firing at the facility from Grad missile launchers.
And the attack comes just days after idiotic Russian forces shelled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – setting it on fire.
Kharkiv’s institute is home to a facility called Neutron Source which contains a nuclear reactor used for research.
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PM unveils plan as ‘Putin must fail’
Boris Johnson has launched a six point plan as he demands ‘Putin must fail’ in his invasion of Ukraine.
He has drawn up a package of aid and sanctions and urges partners to match words with action.
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Putin & Macron’s phone call lasts over an hour
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Russian state television is reporting.
According to reports, the phone call lasted one hour and 45 minutes.
Last time the pair spoke was earlier this week, with the French saying there was nothing encouraging in their conversation.
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Thanks for reading
Louis Allwood here, signing off for the evening.
Thanks for following our live coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Pictured: Civilians arrive at Ukrainian-Polish border
Images below show civilians from Ukraine arrive at the crossing Ukrainian-Polish border in Medyka, Poland.
As they were greeted at the border, volunteers were on hand with food and clothes.
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Red Cross on Mariupol evacuation being halted
The Red Cross said the evacuation of residents from Mariupol was halted for a second day as fighting continued.
Mariupol city council also backed this, saying the evacuation was not possible due to Russian shelling.
In a statement, the Red Cross said: “Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt. The failed attempts yesterday and today underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict.
“Today, our teams began opening up the evacuation route from Mariupol before hostilities resumed. Our teams remain in Mariupol and are ready to help facilitate further attempts if the parties reach a detailed agreement, which is for the parties alone to implement and respect.”
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American Express suspends operations in Russia
American Express has decided to suspend operations in Russia and Belarus over the ‘unjustified’ attack on Ukraine.
They have joined both Visa and Mastercard who have already decided to halt all operations in the countries.
The US company said American Express cards will no longer work at businesses or ATMs.
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Fears Vladimir Putin will use WNBA player Brittney Griner as ‘high profile hostage’
FEARS are growing that Vladimir Putin will use WNBA star Brittney Griner as a “high profile hostage” after her arrest in Moscow.
Griner, 31, was detained last month after the Russian Federal Customs Service allegedly found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport.
The seven-time WNBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury and twice Olympic gold medallist with the US had flown in to play for her Russian basketball team during the WNBA off-season.
There are fears Russia will use Griner as leverage with US-Russian relations deteriorating rapidly due to the Ukraine invasion by Putin’s troops.
Griner faces up to 10 years in prison, if found guilty of the drug smuggling charges.
“If we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms,” Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine Evelyn Farkas told Yahoo Sports. “It could be a prisoner swap. They also could use it as an implicit threat or blackmail to get us to do something or not do something. Either way, they find it useful.”
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Russian gymnast wears ‘Z’ war symbol on medal podium
A RUSSIAN gymnast caused outrage after wearing a pro-war ‘Z’ symbol while sharing a podium with a Ukrainian athlete at an event in Doha.
Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun claimed victory in the parallel bars at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Qatar yesterday.
Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi secured the silver medal, with Russia’s Ivan Kuliak taking bronze.
But when Kuliak stepped onto the podium it became apparent he was sporting the ‘Z’ symbol on his kit.
Vladimir Putin’s supporters have been seen wearing clothes and badges with the letter ‘Z’ on – referencing their support for the invasion of Ukraine.
The symbol – which represents the Russian phrase for victory – has been visible on Putin’s tanks and killing machines entering Ukraine.
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TikTok livestreaming suspended in Russia
TikTok has said that it is suspending livestreaming new content to its video service in Russia.
It is reviewing the safety implication of a new law which threatens to jail anyone the authorities deem to have spread “fake” news on the armed forces.
The platform says its in-app messaging service will not be affected.
“We will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority,” the company says.
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‘I got married and then immediately went to defend my country’
A UKRAINIAN woman married her Chicago fiancé and just days later will leave him behind as she goes off to defend her country after Russia invaded.
Maria and her fiancé, David, married Saturday before about 20 people in the backyard of an Oak Park home – the venue offered last minute after Maria asked for advice in a neighborhood Facebook group.
The couple met last year and got engaged in October.
On Monday, she plans to fly to Poland, then make her way to the Ukrainian border, ultimately aiming to volunteer to fight for her home country.
“People are running out of there and she is running in,” said a friend at the wedding, Pamela Chinchilla of Lombard.
Seven guests at the wedding brought medical supplies, masks and other items for Maria to take to Ukraine.
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Vitali Klitschko ‘ready to die’ for capital
The visit comes as Vitaly says he’s ready to die to defend the capital.
The 50-year-old has taken up arms alongside younger brother and will only leave his capital city victorious or dead.
“I am very proud to see how patriotic people are,” he told CNN . “We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is, we’re ready to fight.
“And we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families, because it’s our home.
“It’s our future and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.”
When asked how long he thinks his makeshift army can hold off Vladimir Putin’s marauding brutes, he admitted his own mortality is part of the equation.
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Horror pics show civilians running for lives
HORROR pictures show the moment a column of refugees came under attack by a Russian artillery barrage in Ukraine.
At least eight people were killed when the mortar fire came raining down while men, women and children attempted to flee from Irpin near Kyiv.
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Nuclear plant update
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, is understood to be under Russian orders after it was seized on Friday.
The BBC have reported that The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Ukraine has informed it that regular staff are still operating the plant.
However the staff are now under orders from the commander of the Russian forces there.
The regulator confirmed that radiation levels there remain normal.
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Premier League clubs agree to welcome Ukrainian youngsters to academies
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs will allow Ukrainian kids to train with their academies amid Russia’s invasion of their country, claims Andriy Shevchenko.
Vladimir Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine has seen more than 1.3million people flee the nation in order to try and escape the war zone.
These refugees have primarily headed into Romania and Poland, and footy legend Shevchenko is desperate for the kids among those ranks to be able to play the beautiful game.
He told TV channel 1+1: “In the UK, all football clubs have responded to the situation in Ukraine.
“They are ready to accept Ukrainian children to train in the academies of Premier League clubs.
“Now a series of negotiations will be held to formalise the documents. We need to get permission.
“We’ll try to get this done very quickly. I’m in touch with the football federation. Sports camps will open.
“Everything must be done so that children who leave the cities of Ukraine can train either on the territory of Western Ukraine, or it will already be on the territory of other countries.”
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‘I drove 600 miles with no food or sleep to escape Ukraine’
A UKRAINIAN woman who drove almost 600 miles while air raid sirens blasted and Putin dropped bombs near her family home in Kyiv has made it to London.
Nastya Zagoruychik is staying with friends in the city after fleeing the Russian invasion last week and is organising supplies to send back home to support the troops.
The young journalist, who was born in Kyiv, first went with her family to their country house near the outskirts of the capital before she decided to get in her car that day and drive west.
“I picked up my friend, who has a young child, as we started driving,” she said.
“It was incredibly hard to leave my parents and brother behind but it was what I had to do to be safe.
“My parents didn’t have the opportunity to leave. The men aren’t allowed to cross the border now so that’s why they didn’t come with me.
“My mother would not leave without her husband, so that’s why she has stayed.
“It was the longest I have ever driven by car on my own. I was without food, without sleep and without food.”