Ukraine-Russia war latest: Fall of key city a 'matter of time', Ukraine admits; Kyiv has 'right' to strike inside Russia, Cameron says

We're hearing from the Kremlin, which has branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying".

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine can use British-supplied weapons to target areas in the country if it wants, but the decision would be a "direct escalation". 

On a visit to Kyiv yesterday, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has the right to strike targets inside Russia "just as [Moscow] is striking inside Ukraine".

He said he could understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it is defending itself and that it was its decision how it would use British-supplied weapons.

Hitting back, Mr Peskov said Lord Cameron's comments could "imperil the entire system of European security architecture".

A man has been killed after planning to attack a Russian fuel storage facility, the Federal Security Service has said.

According to the Interfax news agency, the man planned to attack the terminal in the Leningrad region with explosives.

It said the man was a Russian national working for Ukraine's military intelligence.

He was reportedly shot dead by security agents on the scene. 

Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said.

According to Major General Vadym Skibitsky, the plan will begin this month. 

1. Military operations

Moscow will launch military operations that take advantage of Ukraine's ongoing material and manpower shortages, the Institute for the Study of War quoted Gen Skibitsky as saying. 

As Ukraine waits for fresh US military assistance to filter to the frontline, Gen Skibitskyi said Russian forces are likely to continue pursuing their long-time goal of seizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

2. Disinformation campaign

The second part of the plan, according to Gen Skibitskyi, involves spreading false information about Ukraine's mobilisation and the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The Kremlin has taken advantage of Mr Zelenskyy's presidential term ending on 20 May, claiming after that he will not be a legitimate leader, the ISW, a leading US-based thinktank, said.

But Ukraine's decision not to hold a presidential election is in line with the country's constitution, which allows a sitting president to continue to serve during times of war.

3. Isolate Ukraine internationally

Gen Skibitskyi said Russia aims to stop, or at least limit, critical provisions of security and military assistance to Ukraine as its third factor of destabilisation. 

Moscow also wants to block Ukraine's ability to form a network of partners that support a potential peace agreement.

"They will shake the situation as much as they can," Gen Skibitskyi said.

He added wars like the one in Ukraine only end with treaties and that both Russia and Ukraine are competing for the most favourable position ahead of potential peace talks that could begin as early as the second half of 2025.

At least five people have been killed and 17 injured in Russian strikes in the past day, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Kharkiv

Nearly 15 settlements have been attacked in the Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

One man died and 10 people were injured. 

In the city of Kupiansk, a man aged 66 was killed after his house was struck and another 66-year-old man was injured.

Eight children and a 75-year-old man were also injured in an attack on the town of Derhachi.

Donetsk

Two people were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, and two were injured in a strike on the village of Memryk, governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

A strike on the city of Kurakhove killed two others and injured two people, the head of the Kurakhove military administration wrote on Facebook.

Two more people were reportedly injured in two other villages in the region.

Kherson

One person was injured after Russia struck 14 settlements, Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, said.

As we have been reporting, Lord Cameron was in Kyiv yesterday where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". 

He met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials and visited a display of destroyed Russian military vehicles in Saint Michael's Square in the centre of the city.

He was also seen paying respects to fallen Ukrainian troops at a memorial wall.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for its continued support as Lord Cameron visited Kyiv. 

The Ukrainian president said it is important that weapons included in the UK support package announced last week arrive as soon as possible.

Russian attacks have ramped up in the last few weeks as Ukraine waits for promised supplies not only from the UK but US and Germany - both of which have agreed to send in-demand Patriot systems. 

"I am grateful to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their unflagging support for Ukraine," he said.

The fall of the embattled eastern city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region is probably only a matter of time, a Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said. 

"Not today or tomorrow, of course, but all depending on our reserves and supplies," Major General Vadym Skibitsky said in an interview with The Economist.

He compared the situation in the city to Avdiivka, from which Ukrainians withdrew in February after becoming outnumbered. 

Ukrainian officials believe that Moscow wants to seize Chasiv Yar by 9 May, when the Russians celebrate Victory Day.

If they succeed, it would place some of the largest Ukrainian-held cities in the Donetsk region within artillery range, military analysts from Black Bird Group - a group of volunteers in Finland - said yesterday.

Troops have described Russian attacks in the region as steady but often unpredictable.

Lord Cameron was in Kyiv yesterday, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

He added Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Lord Cameron said.

The foreign secretary said continued support from Britain will have to come in the form of financial aid because it has "emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment" after the latest £500m military aid package - which included vehicles, boats, strike and air defence missiles.

"Some of that [equipment] is actually arriving in Ukraine today, while I'm here," Lord Cameron said.

In Kyiv - his second trip as foreign secretary - he met Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Read the full story here...

Welcome back to our coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Lord Cameron was in Kyiv yesterday, where he promised a further £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".

The foreign secretary also said Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

Before we start bringing you live updates today, here's a brief rundown of the other key events of the past 24 hours:

• Russia claimed that its air defence forces destroyed six drones that Ukraine launched overnight - five over the Belgorod border region and one over the Crimean Peninsula;
  
• Ukrainian workers picked through the ruins of a postal depot destroyed in a Russian attack yesterday, which set off a large fire;
• Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said he would consider sending troops to Ukraine if Russian troops broke through the frontline;
• At least six children and an adult were injured in a Russian guided bomb attack in Kharkiv;
• Sweden had a surge in cyberattacks as it moved towards NATO membership, analysis found;
• Russia said it had seized control of the village of Berdychi in eastern Ukraine.

The map below shows the territorial picture in Ukraine...

That's it from our live coverage for today - thanks for following along. 

Before we go, here is a quick reminder of today's updates: 

• French President Emmanuel Macron said he would consider sending troops to Ukraine if Russian troops broke through the frontline
• Ukrainian workers picked through the ruins of a postal depot destroyed in a Russian attack yesterday, which set off a large fire
• At least six children and an adult were injured in a Russian guided bomb attack in Kharkiv 
• Sweden saw a surge in cyber attacks as it moved towards NATO membership, analysis found
• Russia said it had seized control of the village of Berdychi in eastern Ukraine.