Russia-Ukraine war updates LIVE – Putin’s forces ‘ready to provide humanitarian corridors’ TODAY as UN urge safe passage

Priti Patel slams ‘gangster’ Putin as MPs rush through new laws

Vladimir Putin was branded a “gangster” by the Home Secretary as MPs sought to rush through new laws designed to tackle “dirty money” hidden in the UK.

Priti Patel took aim at the Russian president and his “cronies” during consideration of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill, which was expected to clear all stages in the House of Commons on Monday.

The reforms have faced months of delays and only moved up the Government’s list of priorities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Patel said the Bill will give the UK Government “greater power and information to identify and investigate the illicit wealth of Russian criminals, their allies and their proxies”, amid concerns that money is often buried in property with the true owners hidden behind shell companies that only exist on paper.

The legislation is set to establish a new register of overseas entities requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity.

The register would need to be updated each year and punishments for failing to declare details, or submitting false information, would result in the asset being frozen and it cannot be sold or rented out.

Daring Sun man saves five deaf Ukraine students

A daring Sun dash to the Russian front line turned into a rescue yesterday as five stranded students from a school for the deaf piled into our cars to flee.

The pupils — aged 11 to 19 — and their teacher crammed into the convoy as artillery roared overhead.

Their school in war-torn Kamenskoye had been battered by two direct hits.

One smashed a hole in a dormitory wall, the other crashed into an office.

Most of their mates had fled on the first day of Putin’s onslaught — but five of the students had nowhere to go as their parents live in occupied territories.

They said shelling had spiked in the previous 24 hours, while Ukrainian troops feared an assault.

Zelenskyy will give ‘historic’ address to MPs today

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a “historic address” to British MPs virtually today at 5pm.

The statement, which will be given by video link, was confirmed by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle this evening.

He said: “Every parliamentarian wants to hear directly from the president, who will be speaking to us live from Ukraine, so this is an important opportunity for the House.”

Formal parliamentary business will be suspended while MPs hear from President Zelenskyy. There will be no questions taken afterwards.

PM calls for ‘step-by-step’ approach to banning Russian oil and gas

European countries need to secure substitute sources of energy supply if they are to ban Russian oil and gas imports in a further tightening of the economic squeeze on Moscow, Boris Johnson has warned.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said over the weekend that Washington was in “very active discussions” with European allies over energy sanctions amid calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for tougher action.

His comments saw gas prices surge by more than 70% to a new all-time high, while the cost of oil reached its highest level for 14 years.

But following talks in Downing Street with the prime ministers of Canada and the Netherlands, Mr Johnson called for a “step-by-step” approach as European countries weaned themselves off Russian hydrocarbons.

In the UK, he said ministers were looking at the possibility of using more oil and gas from British sources – although he insisted this did not mean abandoning its commitment reducing carbon emissions.

“It is completely the right thing to do to move away from dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, but we have to do it step by step,” he told a joint news conference.

“We have got to make sure we have substitute supply. One of the things we are looking at is the possibility of using more of our own hydrocarbons

“That doesn’t mean we are in any way abandoning our commitment to reducing CO2, but we have got to reflect the reality that there is a crunch on at the moment. We need to increase our self-reliance.”

Sainsbury’s and Co-op pull Russian goods from shelves

The Sun understands no UK supermarket has yet banned any of Coca-Cola’s brands – which include Monster, Oasis, Smart Water, Innocent and Powerade – but other products have been.

Sainsbury’s last week revoked all products that are fully sourced from Russia.

The move means Brits can no longer buy Russian Standard vodka and Karpayskiye black sunflower seeds from any store or online.

The chain joined the Co-op which was the first UK supermarket group to remove Russian-made vodka from sale in response to the crisis.

‘Boycott Coca Cola’

SHOPPERS are calling on UK supermarkets to “do the right thing” and pull Coca Cola products from their shelves.

The drinks giant, which also owns Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes and Dr Pepper, is continuing to operate in Russia despite President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine.

Three Ukrainian supermarket chains have already halted sales of all drinks made by the “shameless” company.

But customers want British stores to follow suit in solidarity and strip them from the aisles here.

Addressing Sainsbury’s directly, one woman wrote on Twitter: “Pathetic. If you want to make a difference, stop selling Coca-Cola.

“They are still selling to Russia. Russia has cut off water supply to over a million people.

“Do the right thing. #BoycottCocaCola.”

Aid worker shot dead by Russian ‘death squad’ after refusing to abandon dogs

AN AID worker has been shot dead by a Russian ‘death squad’ after valiantly refusing to evacuate so she could save Ukrainian dogs, it has been reported.

Anastasiia Yalanskaya, 26, was slaughtered alongside two other volunteers as they delivered food to a local dog shelter in Bucha, 18 miles outside of Kyiv.

Her devastated family revealed the trio were making the treacherous journey when their car was deliberately targeted at close range by Putin’s henchmen toting “heavy weaponry”.

They believe troops are now killing civilians at random to weaken the resistance to the Russian regime and terrify innocent people.

Attacking while removing their dead

Around a dozen soldiers were helping people carry bags across a bridge over the River Irpin when they were forced to scatter by incoming missiles.

A soldier was telling one journalist how heartbroken families had been trying to bring their dead children out of the town when the missile slammed into the road just yards away.

Medics dashed across the road to tend to the family but the mother and her two children were killed instantly.

Only the father and the family dog – barking in terror in a small carrier – survived.

Russians are being lied to

In a stunning condemnation of Putin‘s regime, Captured Russian commander Mikhailovich said he felt “sorry” for people back home in Russia who are “misinformed” about the war.

“Some do not even have internet,” he said. “They have no alternative (to state media). They are constantly brainwashed.”

He went on: “Maybe I really deserved to learn this lesson, so I could finally see and try to tell it to those who are in Russia. They do not realise what is happening here.”

And he admitted that he would “do the same” as the Ukrainians in resisting an invasion if the equivalent had happened in Russia.

How is Putin brainwashing his troops?

Captured Russian commander  Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich  described what he was told before the start of the invasion on February 22

He said he and his comrades were told Ukraine was “dominated by a fascist regime”, that “nationalists and Nazis had seized power,” and that they were there to help the people of Ukraine get rid of them.

“Obviously, this information was unilateral information,” he said.

“Of course, we have internet, sometimes we get something from other sources. We had some doubts. We did not know the situation for sure.”

He said he had further doubts on learning that his favourite boxers, Ukrainians Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, were both planning to fight against the invasion.

“I feel shame that we came to this country… I don’t know why we were doing it. We knew very little. We brought sorrow to this land.”

He added that he and his fellow captives were prepared to “go to jail or whatever we deserve,” for their actions in Ukraine.

Captured Russian commander urges comrades to defect

Mikhailovich, who denied he was being pressured by his captors into speaking, addressed his fellow Russian soldiers directly.

“Guys, be brave,” he said. “It’s easier for me, I’m in this situation already.

“You are in a tense situation, going against your own commander. But this is genocide.”

He went on: “Russia cannot win here anyway. Even if we go until the very end. We can invade the territory, but we cannot invade the people.”

The commander said that “a Russian would be ashamed to confess that he is Russian” following the invasion.

Thanks for reading

Joe Gamp signing out for the evening.

That’s it for today’s rolling coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Louis Allwood back with you from 6am.

US dismisses Russia’s claims of major progress in northern Ukraine

 The United States does not believe Russian forces have made major progress in the north and northeast of Ukraine in the last few days, the Pentagon said on Monday.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that Russian troops had taken the city of Kherson and were attempting to encircle Mariupol, but were not in control of it. 

Three of Putin’s commanders killed in recaptured Ukrainian city 

THREE Russian commanders have been killed in a Ukrainian city while Z-marked tanks were abandoned during a stalled invasion.

It comes as Ukrainian forces have recaptured Chuhuiv with defence officials claiming they have inflicted heavy losses on the Russian army.

Lieutenant General Serhiy Shaptala said his troops had seized Chuhuiv from Russian control, killing large numbers of Putin’s men.

Two high-ranking Russian commanders were reportedly killed in the battle.

“In the course of hostilities, the city of Chuhuiv was liberated,” the General Staff said on Facebook.

“The occupiers suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment.

“Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Safronov, Commander of the 61st Seperate Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, and Lieutenant Colonel Denis Glebov, Deputy Commander of the 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, were killed,” it went on.

Footage from the scene shows a “Z” marked military vehicle with the Ukrainian flag while chanting can be heard.

Russia demands Ukraine give up 3 key regions to end war 

RUSSIA has issued a list of three key demands on Ukraine to end the war, despite Ukrainian forces recapturing a city after driving Putin’s forces out.

A Kremlin spokesman called for Ukraine to cease military action, change its constitution to become a neutral country, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory and recognise the separatist republics of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Dmitry Peskov told Reuters that Russia had told Ukraine it was ready to halt its military action “in a moment” if Kyiv met its conditions.

And he insisted Russia wasn’t seeking any further territorial claims in Ukraine.

“We really are finishing the demilitarisation of Ukraine,” he said. “We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action.

“They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot. They should make amendments to their constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc.

“We have also spoken about how they should recognise that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognise that Donetsk and Lugansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment.”