Russia-Ukraine war: Russian authorities in Crimea ordering hospitals to refuse civilian patients, says Ukraine – live

Best-selling Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov has written for the Sunday Times in the UK today, talking about the uncertainty that many in the country are facing.

Kurkov, who wrote the acclaimed Death and the Penguin, penned his piece as there was a call at Davos this week by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger for Ukraine to give up some territory in exchange for peace.

Some interesting extracts here

I understand that those on whom the outcome of the war hinges may not be as interested in Ukraine’s victory as I am. They may not see a way to return occupied territories to Ukraine and protect our independence while also ensuring their own safety and prosperity.

Kurkov wrote that there were delays in supplying old fighter planes to help Ukraine’s air force, and the Swiss and Israeli governments have blocked sales of shells and missiles.

I tried hard to find a person in Ukraine who would approve of a deal with Putin for the sake of an end to the war. But I failed.

Nina Yanchuk, a retired lady who lives with her husband, Tolik, next door to our summer house in the rural Zhytomyr region, was typically defiant when I asked her if it wouldn’t be better to come to some agreement with Putin.

“No, there can be no negotiations with Putin — only war to the bitter end. How can you talk about anything with him after such atrocities? What’s more, he’s a cheat. How many times has he deceived everyone?”

Away from the morning TV broadcast round in the UK, Reuters is reporting that the Russian defence ministry said it has destroyed a large Ukrainian army arsenal in Kryvyi Rih.

The defence ministry said that Russian anti-aircraft defence systems shot down a SU-25 jet in Dnipro according to Russian news agency, Tass.

Myrie asks if Kelin believes Russia could use nuclear weapons against the UK, as indicated by Russia Channel One journalist Dmitry Kiselyov, or against Ukraine in the conflict.

Kelin says: “No, no, I don’t believe that. He is a journalist, he is like you, he is trying to find something juicy to put on the television and make it loud,a loud statement, he has done it, like you, trying to instigate me. He has instigated a discussion.

“Tactical nuclear weapon according to Russian military doctrine is not used in conflicts like this at all. I do not think so. We have strict provisions on use of tactical nuclear weapons. It has nothing to do with the current operation.”

And that’s it.

Myrie asks Kelin if he’s scared to speak out like Bondarev did against the war this week.

He said he doesn’t agree with Bondarev in any way at all.

Kelin becomes increasingly tetchy. “I have been shown, what you would like to ask me, it was totally different issues. If you are only interested to provoke me … then it will be our last … we can finish on this point.”

Myrie repeats foreign secretary Liz Truss’ words that the conflict can’t end until Russian forces leave.

Kelin calls Truss “belligerent”, saying she will prolong the war. “It will be no good for Ukraine, it will be no good for European peace and stability.”

Kelin says that 75% of people in Russia support the invasion and that Russia’s representative at the UN, Boris Bondarev, who spoke out against the war this week was not respected by Russia.

Bondarev said the invasion had involved “warmongering, lies and hatred.”

“He is very unprofessional … he does not have our respect,” Kelin says.

Kelin then tries to deny that the devastation in Mariupol is the fault of Russian forces, indicating that the Ukrainian army could be to blame.

Myrie then turns the question around and says that it is possible in Kelin’s eyes that Russia is responsible.

“Russians are targeting military infrastructure, collateral damage is possible,” Kelin says.

Claims of war crimes in Bucha a ‘fabrication’, says Russian ambassador to UK

Myrie shows Kelin CCTV footage showing two Russian soldiers at a building in Ukraine shooting at two civilians walking away from them.

Kelin says he would like to show Russian videos of Ukraine shelling Russian civilians. He then denies that they are Russian soldiers, saying it could be a “piece of a film, or a piece of a game”.

The Russian ambassador asks if they are having an interview or if Myrie is just expressing his point of view, as he becomes increasingly unhappy.

Russia given up on Kyiv but diplomat insists it was never a target

Myrie says there is no evidence of Ukraine looking to start a war or operation against Russia, so asks again why Russia took this action of invading, saying it is not a “limited operation”.

More civilians have been killed in the conflict since February than in the last eight years, Myrie says, so he repeats his question asking where the threat to Russia was.

Kelin disputes this. He says that they are not targeting civilians, only “military infrastructure”.

“We would like to diminish Ukrainian capabilities of striking, first of all and we need to help these now independent republics to survive.”

Now Myrie is interviewing Andrey Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK.

Myrie starts by reading out the death toll and the number of people displaced in the war to Kelin, asking why Russia started the war.

Kelin denies it’s a war, repeating the Russian line that it’s a “limited operation”. He says he knows it is unpopular in Britain, but says it is because the media is only presenting one side of the story.

“Right now, events are going on in the east, south-east of Ukraine. During 8 years of nationalistic government have come to power in Kyiv, they have built a fortress, which is where the majority of Ukrainian forces are concentrated. This is a highly fortified area, from which we are certain events could be started, whether it will be used by Ukrainian army as defensive, or we have evidence that they are planning an offensive against Donbas region, against Russians living over there.

“As President Putin said, we have had no other way to do this.”

Across to BBC One, where Clive Myrie is presenting today’s episode of Sunday Morning.

He hears from veteran war reporter Jeremy Bowen that the Russians are making small gains, using heavy artillery to bombard Ukrainians, who don’t have equal or superior firepower themselves.

Speaking from the Donbas, Bowen says that there is “very very strong” evidence of war crimes committed by Russians.

In a moving section, Rudik starts to cry as she tells Ridge stories of how children have been affected by the conflict.

She recalls how one mother was teaching her toddler his blood type in a bomb shelter in case he was injured. In another, a girl asked her mother if they were now refugees, and in Mariupol were being evacuated without their parents.

“They were saying [to their children] whatever happened, hold onto your backpacks, hold onto your backpacks. At these refugee centres you are hugging this child, and telling them ‘give it to me and find out what’s in there’. They are saying no, and asking if they will see their mummy again.

“When you open up they have written down small things saying ‘Mummy loves you’, their paperwork, and ‘please, please make him safe.’

“This is what I want for Ukrainian children, to make them safe.”

In meetings this week, Rudyk says she’s asking the UK defence select committee in the UK for long-range missiles to help stop the Russian advance in the east, for visa papers for Ukrainians, the 36-year-old saying it is making it more difficult for refugees to reach the UK.

Ukrainians are having to travel through Europe without visas, she says, and that the process has been eased up for the US and Canada, but not the UK. Rudyk said it would only affect 20,000 people.

Rudyk adds that exports including sunflower oil, grain, tomatoes and corn are being held up in Ukraine.

“Right now it is all blocked in Ukraine and we cannot deliver it anywhere because of the blocked ports.

“We need a humanitarian mission to extract this produce. I know you guys are having higher food prices, sunflower oil is missing from the stores, you know why, because it is all in Ukraine right now. The world only has 10 weeks supplies of grains, 10 weeks for all the politicians and leaders of the world to figure how they will get it out of Ukraine,” she said.