Russia defends death sentences for captured Britons

PA MediaCopyright: PA Media

In case you missed it, here's a recap of the main headlines today:

• Boris Johnson has urged ministers to do "everything in their power" to secure the release of two Britons condemned to death for fighting Russian forces. Three men - Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, and Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim - were sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court in eastern of Ukraine on Thursday.
• UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke to her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about the case of the three men earlier. After the call, Kuleba said the UK and Ukraine were co-ordinating efforts to step up pressure on Russia
• Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has defended the decision to sentence the three men to death, saying they had committed crimes. The court that handed out the sentences in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic is not recognised internationally
• We've been reporting on Mariupol again, amid warnings about the conditions inside the city which is under Russian control. The UK's defence ministry says Mariupol is at risk of a major cholera outbreak, while the city's Ukrainian mayor, Vadym Boychenko - who has since left Mariupol - says there's already evidence of a cholera outbreak.The claims cannot be verified by the BBC, and the Russian-appointed mayor says regular testing takes place and no cases of cholera have been recorded
• And Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to university students from across the UK over Zoom. He covered a lot of ground, but said Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia, and spoke about the plans to rebuild Ukraine in the future.

As we reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify Moscow's invasion of Ukraine by saying his country is trying to regain its "original territories" - just as previous Russian ruler, Peter the Great did in the 18th century.

In response, Estonia's foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn Putin's "completely unacceptable" praise for the 18th century ruler.

Speaking on Thursday, Putin specifically mentioned Narva, which belongs to Estonia, one of the three Baltic States and a member of Nato, Reuters reports.

In a statement, Estonia's foreign minister, who summoned ambassador Vladimir Lipayev, said: "At a time when Russia is... trying to destroy the statehood and people of Ukraine, it is also completely unacceptable."

Estonia was part of the Russian Empire for more than two centuries, only regaining independence in 1918 - before losing it to the Soviet Union until 1991.

Oxford UnionCopyright: Oxford Union

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to hundreds of university students across the UK earlier as part of an event organised by the Ukrainian Students Union.

The president gave a 15-minute opening speech over Zoom and then took questions, mostly focused on rebuilding Ukraine after the war.

Here's what we learned:

• On giving up land to Russia: When asked by Channel 4 News, Zelensky said he would not give up or "concede" any territory to Russia. "I'd like to say that there's this independence of our country and there's not anything that we can concede"
• On Nato membership: Zelensky said he was "very happy for Finland and Sweden" after they applied to join Nato. He added that if Ukraine had been able to join Nato, "that would be able to save a lot of lives". "There would be a fight for the independence of Ukraine but there would be not so many losses. I truly believe we would be able to save a lot of lives so that makes me sort of frustrated or angry"
• On negotiating with Russia: The president said he understands that every war has to finish at the negotiating table, and that diplomacy can save lives. But Putin "doesn't understand this, and that's it," he added. "You need both parties willing to stop the war between their countries otherwise it's not going to work"
• On the sentenced soldiers: Zelensky also spoke about the two Britons and the Moroccan man who were sentenced to death in a court in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region this week. We "cannot have any kind of excuses for such actions," he said
• On history: Zelensky referenced moments from the UK's past in his speech, such as comparing the first regatta between Cambridge and Oxford nearly 200 years ago today as with Ukraine "swimming against the current and our country trying to fight the Russian warships". He also referenced the Christmas World War Two blitz of Manchester more than 80 years ago, saying "this year, Ukraine had Easter bombing"

More from the event here.

EPACopyright: EPA

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he's asked Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic to join the European Union's sanctions on Russia.

Serbia is not in the EU, though it has applied to join and is in talks.

Scholz was in Belgrade, Serbia's capital, today to meet the country's President Aleksandar Vucic. Speaking at a news conference, Scholz said joining the sanctions made sense given Serbia aspired to join the 27-member bloc.

But Vucic said the EU should consider the fact that Serbia and Russia had special relations that dated a long way back.

• Read: Serbia country profile

AFPCopyright: AFP

We've been reporting on the situation in Severodonetsk in recent days - the city in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine which is currently seeing the worst of the fighting.

According to the Ukrainian military, the Russians have continued assault operations in the area of Severodonetsk today to try and get full control of the city and create the conditions to surround Ukrainian units.

In a Facebook update, Ukraine's General Staff said: "The fighting continues. The enemy fired artillery in the area of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Ustynivka, Toshkivka, Zolote and Hirske."

And the Russian military is preparing to resume its offensive on the city of Slovyansk, also in the Donetsk region, the report said.

Read more on the battle for Severodonetsk

BBCCopyright: BBC

We've got some more reaction to the death sentences given to three men who were fighting for the Ukrainian military against Russian forces.

The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK said the "harsh" sentence of capital punishment did not exist in his country.

Speaking on BBC World News, Vadym Prystaiko said there were continuing discussions about prisoner swaps and the release of soldiers.

Mr Prystaiko said he was in "constant contact" with the families of the two Britons captured by Russian forces and urged them to "trust" in Ukraine's ability to negotiate.

The men were sentenced to death by a court in the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic which is not recognised internationally.

Discussing the reported suffering in Mariupol, he explained his fears that the "situation is not going to get easier" as temperatures increase.

Ukraine needs a combination of political, military and financial support to rebuild the country, he added.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Ukraine has sown 13.4 million hectares with key agricultural crops this spring, which is 93% of its target for the season, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reports, citing the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.

As we've been reporting regularly in recent days, Ukraine is one of the world's key food producers and there have been fears disruption to its industry could affect people around the world, with the UN among those warning of the danger of widespread hunger.

But Interfax reports that farmers have been able to sow more than 90% of the planned spring target for several main crops, including sunflowers, corn, barley, oats and potatoes, while it has met its target for spring wheat.

Harvesting of winter crops in some regions is expected to begin next week, it says.

Earlier, Rostyslav Shurma, a deputy head of the President's Office, said Ukraine's goal in 2022 was to harvest at least 70% of last year's volumes.

The Russian government is spending $17 million (£13 million) on national flags and coats of arms to feature in a weekly patriotic ceremony in rural schools across the nation.

This is part of a patriotic push coinciding with the invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times reports.

From September, every Monday morning, schools will raise the flag and perform the national anthem aimed at boosting "civic consciousness", Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said.

The education ministry is already planning to introduce compulsory history lessons from age seven, but only where Russians are shown as the good guys.

Some journalists have noted that the money is being spent despite the fact that more than 5,000 Russian schools lack indoor plumbing.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Earlier we brought you the news that the UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had spoken with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about the death sentences given to three men - two Britons and one Moroccan - by a court in Donetsk.

The three men had been members of Ukraine's military and were captured in April while defending the besieged city of Mariupol.

Kuleba has now tweeted about the call, saying he and Truss "coordinated efforts to step up pressure on Russia".

"I look forward to the next round of UK sanctions," he said. "We both agreed that no one in the world has a right to get weary of this war until Ukraine prevails."

And he added that both he and Truss "strongly condemned the sham trial against prisoners of war in the Russian-occupied Donetsk. As combatants, they are protected by international humanitarian law and must be treated accordingly. We keep working together to ensure their release."

Earlier, Truss called the sentences "an egregious breach of the Geneva Convention".

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko says President Volodymyr Zelensky is "unbelievable" and he is very proud of how his country and its people have been dealing with the war.

Shevchecnko, who played for teams including Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea, is Ukraine's record goalscorer and also managed the national team at last year's European Championship.

He said on a recent visit to Kyiv he had a "very nice meeting with the president", and they were positive they could defend their country and bring peace to Ukraine.

"At the most difficult time in our the history of Ukraine he has brought people together and sent a great message across the world," he tells BBC Radio 5 Live. "Ukraine's people must not give up, we want our democracy we fight for our freedom and that's a massive message to everyone.

"I'm so proud how my country and the people united to stay strong and defend the country."

This weekend Shevchenko will play in Soccer Aid - an annual football match involving former players and celebrities. It raises money for Unicef and this year the charity says some of the money raised will go towards helping those impacted by the war.

"This event is going to help a lot of people in Ukraine," he says, "especially kids, we're going to create a lot of great programmes to improve a lot of things for kids."

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

EPACopyright: EPA

Amnesty International says that three foreign soldiers sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court is a situation that "has no precedent".

Two Britons, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, and Moroccan national Brahim Saaudun were captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine.

All three were convicted by a court which is not internationally recognised in the pro-Russian, so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

"The party which holds full responsibility over these individuals’ circumstances and fate at present, is Russia," Denis Krivosheev, from Amnesty International's Eastern Europe and Central Asia office, told Reuters.

"This situation has no precedent. This so-called Donetsk People’s Republic has a so-called criminal code in which it has a so-called death penalty, which this time, and this hasn’t happened before, they are applying to prisoners of war," he said.

Krivosheev said he was concerned this could lead to similar cases.

"Could this happen again? Absolutely."

Ukraine is an extreme hostile environment for fighter pilots, whether they be Russian or Ukrainian.

Surface-to-air missile systems cover the skies, ranging from shoulder-launched "Stinger" MANPADS to advanced S-300 and S-400 long-range SAMs.

Aircraft carrying out ground attack roles include the Su-25 "Frogfoot", a plane that’s being used by both sides in this war.

Because of the SAM threat, pilots often fly low and fast to avoid the threat posed by those missile systems.

And one example that’s appeared on social media shows the lengths - or rather low heights - Ukrainian pilots are going to avoid being shot down.

At one point - at the start of the video - we see that the instrument used to detect radar-guided attacks is activated. This equipment - radar warning receiver - is located on the front panel on the right.

It shows, for a brief moment, a missile being launched at the aircraft itself, as shown by the illuminated red area in this image.

It’s likely the speed and low height of the Su-25 allowed it to quickly escape the missile threat, as the RWR alert soon disappears.

Similar very low-level runs have been carried out by Russian pilots, such is the strength – and threat - of air defences on both sides in this conflict.

@UAWeaponsCopyright: @UAWeapons

Ukraine has conducted its 11th prisoner swap with Russia since the invasion began in February, according to a regional governor.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of Mykolaiv, wrote on the messaging service Telegram that four Russian captives were exchanged for five Ukrainians today.

Oxford UnionCopyright: Oxford Union

Back to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - who is now taking questions from UK university students. The first comes from the University of Birmingham where the president is asked about the plan to rebuild Ukraine.

Zelensky says it will be a "big project" that will become "unstoppable" once it starts.

"It's all about rebuilding our country, it's all about restarting Ukraine," he says.

"I want the people to return to their native streets, their native cities, but that would be a different Ukraine, a Ukraine that has defended its independence, its future and I want this future to be mentally different."

He adds: "Of course I want to say that we would be able to reconstruct all our buildings but that would depend not only on our wishes but on the financial support."

A question comes in from the University of Glasgow. The president is asked what the government's approach is to the Ukrainian universities in the areas now occupied by Russia.

Zelensky says the situation is a "real tragedy" and he says they are proposing relocating some universities to the existing universities in the territories that are not occupied.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Thanks for joining us this afternoon - here's the latest on what's been happening in Ukraine:

Russia defends death sentences for captured Britons

• Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has defended the decision of an unrecognised court in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic to sentence two Britons and a Moroccan to death after fighting in Ukraine
• Lavrov said the men had committed crimes on DPR territory

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to do "everything in their power" to secure the men's release, his spokesman said

UK's defence secretary visits Ukraine

• The UK's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has been in Ukraine for two days on an unannounced visit to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, as well as President Volodymyr Zelensky
• Zelensky thanked "true friends" Britain for supporting Ukraine, supplying weapons and financial support, as well as imposing sanctions on Russia

Cholera in Mariupol

• Mariupol's mayor Vadym Boychenko has said dozens are sick with cholera, a highly infectious disease, because of dead bodies poisoning the water supply and a lack of functioning sewerage systems
• Ukrainian officials have warned humanitarian conditions in the port city, which was previously under weeks of Russian bombardment, are getting worse

How long will the war last?

• Russia is running out of precision missiles and will only be able to continue the war at its current pace for one year, according to Ukraine's Defence Ministry
• The UK's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has described the Russian military as "on the verge of collapse"

Stay with us for the latest developments as they unfold.

Oxford UnionCopyright: Oxford Union

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been speaking to students across the UK in a live broadcast to several universities.

The event has been organised by the Ukrainian Students Union and universities taking part include Birmingham, Cambridge, Coventry, Glasgow, LSE, Manchester, Oxford, UCL and City, University of London.

Zelensky tells them it's now 107 days since the war began, adding: "107 days we have been tested for survival".

"This war is visible and monstrous," he says, adding that the Russians "talk about peaceful goals but... they're killing children and women."

Zelensky speaks about history, and picks out some historical events from the UK cities where the universities are based.

"The [Russian] mission is to delete our history, our state, our identity, and to deny our existence. And as such to tell the world that we never existed that we are an artificially created people like a variety of some kind of plants or animals."

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State-owned Russian news channel RT France has gone to a European court to challenge a broadcast ban imposed as part of EU sanctions imposed on Moscow for waging war on Ukraine.

Russian media outlets Sputnik and RT have been banned in the EU since 2 March. Both were accused of spreading disinformation.

But lawyers for RT France went to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Friday to argue that the ban infringed on freedom of information laws.

Lawyer Emmanuel Piwnica said the European Council, the body that represents EU member state governments, had "no right to silence a European medium".

A council representative said that the ban was necessary to protect public order from RT's "undeniably propagandistic discourse".

A decision will be made later this year.

RT had its licence to broadcast in the UK revoked in March.

The venue where Volodymyr Zelensky will be speaking to students at Coventry University usually hosts cinema nights - but this evening it will be the Ukrainian president's face on the big screen.

Only 75 tickets were made available for the event, and they were snapped up within hours.

The first few students have started arriving and there are a few Ukrainian flags draped on the front row.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The president of the university’s Ukraine Society is Pavel Pimkin, 20, whose male relatives are still in his home country.

He says he’s feeling “honoured and nervous” about asking his nation’s president a question later.

The address will also be shown at other British universities that have Ukrainian societies.