Key events
A flash in the sky over the Ukrainian capital prompted confusion and alarm as city authorities said it was caused by a Nasa satellite reentering the atmosphere, AFP reports, while the US space agency denied involvement.
A “bright glow” was observed over Kyiv around 10pm local time, the head of Kyiv’s military administration Sergiy Popko wrote on Telegram.
An air raid alert was activated, Popko said, but “air defence was not in operation”.
Shortly after, the Ukrainian air force said the flash was “related to the fall of a satellite/meteorite”.
But a Nasa spokesperson denied this assessment, telling the AFP news agency that the satellite in question was “still in orbit”.
The US space agency had announced earlier this week that a retired 300kg satellite would reenter the atmosphere some time on Wednesday.
“However, that reentry has not yet occurred … No other Nasa satellite reentered the atmosphere earlier today,” a Nasa spokesperson told AFP.
The ISW reports that the overhaul may be a way for the Kremlin to “conduct an overhaul of the domestic security apparatus to oust officials who have fallen out of Kremlin favour and consolidate further control internal security organs.”
Moscow reportedly carrying out ‘overhaul’ of security service over data leaks to Ukraine, says US thinktank
Russia’s federal security service, the FSB, seems to be conducting “a large-scale overahaul of domestic security organs,” the Institute for the Study of War, a US thinktank, reports in its update today.
The overhaul appears to be related to leaks of data to Ukraine, the ISW reports:
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) appears to be conducting a large-scale overhaul of domestic security organs. Russian state-controlled outlet TASS reported on 19 April that the FSB and the Main Directorate of the Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) have been conducting mass checks at the Moscow Central District Internal Affairs Directorate and several Moscow district police offices for the past several weeks due to “the leakage of data from Russian security forces at the request of Ukrainian citizens.”
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Russian outlets reported that the suspected police officers leaked personal data on Russian security forces to external individuals, some of whom are Ukrainian citizens.
The reported FSB and MVD raids on the Moscow police departments are occurring against the backdrop of a series of arrests and dismissals of prominent members of Rosgvardia (Russian National Guard) leadership.
Opening summary
Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Helen Sullivan with the latest.
Our top story this morning: Russia’s federal security service, the FSB, appears to be conducting “a large-scale overahaul of domestic security organs,” the Institute for the Study of War, a US thinktank, reports in its update today.
The overhaul appears to be related to leaks of data to Ukraine, the ISW reports.
More on this shortly. Here are the other key recent developments in the war:
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Ukraine has received two types of air defence system ahead of the Rammstein military group meeting on Thursday, where it will ask for more supplies. A Patriot air defence system delivery was confirmed by the defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, on Wednesday. The second of four promised German Iris-T system were also delivered, according to a German newspaper which had spoken to government officials. No official announcements have been made.
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The United States announced $325m in new military aid for Ukraine, including additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, advanced missiles and anti-tank mines. It is the 36th security package since the war began in February 2022.
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The European Commission is proposing €100m (£88m) in compensation for EU farmers affected by the recent influx of Ukrainian grain as well as restrictions on selling wheat and maize in affected countries, in a move to calm tensions with central and eastern Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the commission, has written to the leaders of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, setting out support measures after four of those countries banned the import or sale of grain and other food products inside their borders earlier this week. Bulgaria had confirmed its temporary halt on Wednesday.
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Inspections of ships are resuming after a two-day hiatus under a UN-brokered agreement on the safe export of grain from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said on Wednesday.
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A Ukrainian military spokesperson accused Moscow of a “provocation” after Russian proxy forces said Ukrainian forces had blown up four buildings in the eastern city of Bakhmut, killing 20 civilians. The spokesperson said Ukrainian forces never target civilians. Russia also denies targeting civilians.
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The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said on Wednesday during a visit to Sweden that the US looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a Nato member before the alliance’s summit in July, and will encourage Turkey and Hungary to ratify accession. Along with Finland, Sweden applied to join Nato in May last year. Finland’s application was processed in record time and it became the 31st member of the alliance earlier this month.
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A joint investigation by the public broadcasters of several Nordic countries alleges that Russia has established a programme using spy ships disguised as fishing vessels aimed at giving it the capability to attack windfarms and communications cables in the North Sea.
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The Kremlin critic Ilya Yashin has lost an appeal against what his supporters say was a politically motivated decision to jail him for eight and a half years – in a case that has echoes of Monday’s jailing of Vladimir Kara-Murza. The former Moscow councillor’s appeal was rejected as authorities continue to repress freedoms in Russia, with independent media shut down and leading opposition figures behind bars or in exile.
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Russia has said it summoned the UK ambassador Deborah Bronnert on Tuesday after she criticised the 25-year jail term given to Kara-Murza. She spoke to reporters outside Moscow city court alongside the US and Canadian ambassadors, describing the sentence as “shocking” and called for Kara-Murza, who holds joint UK and Russian citizenship, to be released immediately.
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited the Volyn region of Ukraine, which borders with Belarus and Poland, where he praised the work of border guards.
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Russian drones struck Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight and caused a fire at an infrastructure facility, the head of the military command of the Odesa region, Yuri Kruk, said on Wednesday. No casualties have been reported and firefighters were working at the scene, he said.