The US and its allies are planning to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, the White House has said.
The timing for when Kyiv will receive the aircraft, how many will be delivered, and which countries will provide them remains unclear, but an official stressed they will not be used for an upcoming counteroffensive against Russia.
It came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Japan for talks with G7 leaders.
On meeting at the summit with Rishi Sunak, the prime minister slapped him on the back after they greeted each other with an embrace.
Mr Sunak said: "Good to see you. You made it."
Asked if it was a good day for Ukraine, Mr Zelenskyy smiled, nodded and said: "I think so."
Mr Sunak updated the Ukrainian leader on the "very positive progress" on providing the fighter jets to Ukraine, Downing Street said.
Earlier US President Joe Biden authorised western allies to give advanced F-16 fighter jets to the embattled nation.
Mr Biden also endorsed the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly the warplanes, according to officials.
Until now, he had refused Mr Zelenskyy's requests for the jets.
But speaking on the fringes of the G7 summit in Japan, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Western assistance to Ukraine needed to change as the conflict itself changed.
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White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on F-16 timeline
"As the training unfolds in the coming months, we will work with our allies to determine when planes will be delivered, who will be delivering them, and how many," he added.
Image:Leaders pose at the G7 summit, at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan. Pic: AP
Welcoming the decision, having pressed allies to provide the Ukrainian president with the jets he has been calling for, Mr Sunak tweeted: "Ukraine, we're not going anywhere."
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Biden are now set to hold face-to-face talks over the weekend at the G7 summit.
On arrival, Mr Zelensky tweeted: "Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today."
Image:Sir Lindsay Hoyle was presented with the helmet of one of the most successful Ukrainian pilots
Long-awaited win
The provision of F-16s is a long-awaited win for Mr Zelenskyy.
On a visit to London earlier this year, he even presented Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with a Ukrainian air force helmet to reinforce his point.
Western leaders have argued that training on the aircraft would take too long.
It would also be some of the most sophisticated hardware provided for Ukraine, raising the stakes between Russia and the west.
What is the F-16 and what arms does it carry?
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force.
It has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other equipment.
Its payload typically consists of two 2,000lb (907kg) bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, two AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles and two 2,400lb (1088kg) external fuel tanks.
The jet can travel at speeds up to 1,500mph and has a range of more than 2,002 miles.
It has a wingspan of 32ft 8in (9.9m) and a length of 49ft 5in (13.8m). It weighs 19,700lb (8935kg) without fuel and has a maximum takeoff weight of 37,500lb (17010kg).
There is both a single-seat and two-seat model of the aircraft.
During the Gulf War in 1991, F-16s were used to attack airfields, military production facilities, Scud missile sites and other targets.
They were also used in the NATO bombing of military infrastructure in former Yugoslavia in 1999, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They are operated by several countries other than the US, including Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
It is understood the F-16s may not necessarily come from the US, but the move is part of a long-term effort to strengthen Ukraine's security, a White House official said.
"Discussions about improving the Ukrainian Air Force reflect our long-term commitment to Ukraine's self-defence," the senior Biden administration official added.
Mr Biden had said - in an interview with ABC News in February - that US military advice showed Ukraine did not need F-16s at the time.
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Biden styles out stumble in Japan
Efforts to train Ukrainian pilots on the jets could start at sites in Europe in the coming weeks, and will take months.
Colin Kahl, the Pentagon's top policy official, previously told Congress that training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s could take "about 18 months".
Other US defence officials have said the training could be shortened to only six to nine months, based on pilots' previous training and knowledge of fighter aircraft.
Mr Kahl has previously said that it could cost up to $11bn (£9bn) to revitalise Ukraine's military with F-16 jets.
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Zelenskyy lands in Saudi Arabia
G7 leaders have not announced who would pay to provide Ukraine with the planes.
In March, NBC News reported that two Ukrainian pilots were in the US undergoing an assessment to determine how long it could take to train them to fly attack aircraft, including F-16s.
Washington had also approved bringing up to 10 more Ukrainian pilots to the US for further assessment.
Replay : Ukraine's Zelensky gives a speech at Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia
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Russia has “high likely” redeployed troops to the key battle town of Bakhmut after Ukraine forces made tactical gains there, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.
It comes amid doubts about the commitment of fighters in Bakhmut belonging to the Russian mercenary group Wagner, whose leader has become increasingly critical of the Kremlin.
Elsewhere, Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Japan for the G7 summit, marking his first high-level visit to Asia since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.
His visit comes after a massive boost for Ukraine’s war effort, with US President Joe Biden telling G7 leaders that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
The Kremlin responded by saying any move by Western countries to supply Ukraine with the fighter jets would carry “colossal risks”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed Saturday in Hiroshima for diplomatic talks with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies who have tightened sanctions meant to punish Moscow and change the course of its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Japan says Zelenskyy’s decision to visit Hiroshima stems from his "strong wish" to participate in talks that will influence his nation’s defense against Russia.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelenskyy will take part in two separate sessions Sunday. The first session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 as well as the other nations invited to take part in the summit, and will focus on "peace and stability."
G7 flags China’s ‘accelerating nuclear arsenal’ growth as Zelensky arrives in Hiroshima
The Group of Seven nations took to the world stage to warn against China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal” but added that the rich nations cohort is not turning inwards, as the biggest global leaders met in Hiroshima on Saturday with the war in Ukraine playing in the backdrop.
China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency (or) meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability”, the G7 leaders said in a joint statement, taking aim at Beijing and Moscow separately.
“We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying,” the statement said.
Sunak meets Zelensky at G7 summit as hopes rise of Ukraine getting fighter jets
Rishi Sunak has met Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit in Hiroshima after the Ukrainian president closed in on obtaining the F-16 fighter jets he wants to fight off Russia.
“Good to see you,” the Prime Minister said, slapping him on the back after they greeted each other with an embrace. “You made it.”
Asked by reporters if it was a good day for Ukraine, Mr Zelensky smiled, nodded and said “thank you so much”.
Russia says supplying F-16 jets to Ukraine would carry 'colossal' risks for West - TASS
Western countries will be running "colossal risks" if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, TASS news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Saturday.
Grushko was responding to a question about the implications of providing the jets, which Ukraine has been requesting from NATO countries.
It has not yet won commitments to deliver the planes, but US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, senior US officials said.
"We see that Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves," Grushko was quoted as saying.
"In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set."
An F-16 Fighting Falcon from Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing takes off from Buckley Air Force Base
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
A year after Mariupol’s fall, Azovstal survivor recalls surrender with pain and a sense of purpose
Mikhailo Vershinin was a shadow of the burly Mariupol policeman he was when he emerged after four months in Russian captivity.
The head of Mariupol’s Police Patrol, he was among hundreds to surrender from the Russian siege of the Azovstal steel mill on the orders of the Ukrainian president a year ago and was close to death on the day he was exchanged for Russian prisoners of war.
He experienced first-hand the day the final square of the besieged city fell and now recalls it with both deep sadness, but a sense of purpose for Ukraine’s future.
Independent editorial: As Zelensky flies in to the G7, oily Russia is once again slipping the net
The Russian economy has suffered from its isolation, and from the sudden withdrawal of Western trade and investment, but it has certainly not been ‘strangled’
Sanctions against Russia and what the G7 may do to fortify them
The Group of Seven advanced economies are expected to announce a new set of sanctions against Russia to try to further hinder its war effort in Ukraine during their summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
In traveling to Japan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will help to drive home the need to better enforce measures meant to stifle Moscow’s war machine.
Russia is now the most-sanctioned country in the world, but there are questions about their effectiveness. EU Council President Charles Michel said the plan was to close loopholes and ensure the sanctions are painful for Russia, not for the countries enforcing them.
The G7 has condemned Russia’s “brutal” war on its neighbour Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms”, calling it a “serious violation of international law”, in its final communique from this week’s summit.
As part of the statement, the world leaders called for “just and lasting peace” and recommitted their intention to provide Ukraine with military, financial and humanitarian support.
Here is the section on the war in Ukraine:
We once again condemn in the strongest possible terms the war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, including the UN Charter.
Russia’s brutal war of aggression represents a threat to the whole world in breach of fundamental norms, rules and principles of the international community. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
We issued the G7 leaders’ statement on Ukraine, and with the clear intention and concrete actions set forth in it, we commit to intensifying our diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to increasing the costs to Russia and those supporting its war efforts, and to continuing to counter the negative impacts of the war on the rest of the world, particularly on the most vulnerable people.
Western countries will be running “colossal risks” if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, TASS news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Saturday.
US president Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters, senior US officials said.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on his way to attend the G7 nations’ meetings earlier today.
An aide to Polish president Andrzej Duda has said the object that entered Poland’s airspace last year and was found in April was a Russian-made rocket.
Associated Press reports that the aide, Pawel Szrot, said on Radio RMF FM on Friday that the nose of the rocket had been found and that it was “peculiar” because it was made of concrete. It was being examined by experts.
Szrot said it was “Russian technology” and most probably intended to give weight to the nose and allow the projectile to try to confuse Ukraine’s air defence systems in trying to repel Russian attacks.
The nose of the rocket contained no explosives, Szrot said.
The nose of the rocket contained no explosives, Szrot said.
Poland’s defence officials had been facing questions about an object that crash-landed on Polish territory in December and whose parts were found by a civilian in the woods near the city of Bydgoszcz in April.
The matter of air security while there is a war in neighbouring Ukraine became especially sensitive in Poland after two Polish men were killed when a missile landed in eastern Poland in November. Western officials said they believed a Ukrainian air defence missile went astray as Ukraine tried to repel a large-scale attack by Russia.
The G7 has condemned Russia’s “brutal” war on its neighbour Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms”, calling it a “serious violation of international law”, in its final communique from this week’s summit.
As part of the statement, the world leaders called for “just and lasting peace” and recommitted their intention to provide Ukraine with military, financial and humanitarian support.
Here is the section on the war in Ukraine:
We once again condemn in the strongest possible terms the war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, including the UN Charter.
Russia’s brutal war of aggression represents a threat to the whole world in breach of fundamental norms, rules and principles of the international community. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
We issued the G7 leaders’ statement on Ukraine, and with the clear intention and concrete actions set forth in it, we commit to intensifying our diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to increasing the costs to Russia and those supporting its war efforts, and to continuing to counter the negative impacts of the war on the rest of the world, particularly on the most vulnerable people.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has landed in Japan, where he is due to discuss greater military assistance from the US and other G7 countries as his forces prepare for a major counteroffensive in the war with Russia.
Zelenskiy arrived in Hiroshima, which is hosting G7 leaders this weekend. On Saturday afternoon he was seen exiting a French government plane, amid tight security, ahead of a full day of bilateral and group talks with G7 leaders designed to boost western support for Kyiv.
Moments after his arrival he tweeted:
Japan. G7. Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today.
Zelenskiy arrived in Hiroshima a day after the White House announced it would permit allied countries to supply Ukraine with US-built F-16 fighter planes. Before leaving for Japan, Zelenskiy described the decision as “historic”, adding that he looked forward to “discussing the practical implementation” with G7 countries.
The US president, Joe Biden, will announce a $375m military aid package for Ukraine while in Hiroshima, Japan, where he is attending G7 summit, a US official has said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that the package would include artillery, ammunition and Himars rocket launchers, Reuters reported.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, to attend the G7 leaders’ summit in the city.
Reuters reports that live footage broadcast by multiple media outlets showed Zelenskiy disembark from a French government aircraft.
Japan, this year’s G7 chair, earlier on Saturday announced Zelenskiy’s in-person attendance at the meeting in the world’s first city attacked by an atomic bomb, as nuclear threats from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, have unsettled the west.
Russia has very likely redeployed battalions to reinforce Bakhmut and sees capturing the city as key so it can “claim some degree of success” in the war, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said Russia’s redeployment of “up to several battalions” in the area over the past four days followed Ukrainian tactical gains on the flanks of the largely destroyed city and publicly aired doubts about the commitment of Wagner Group forces to continue fighting there.
The update, posted on Twitter, said:
With Russia likely maintaining relatively few uncommitted combat units in Ukraine, the redeployment represents a notable commitment by the Russian command.
Russia’s leadership likely continue to see capturing Bakhmut as the key immediate war aim which would allow them to claim some degree of success in the conflict.
The Russian branch of Greenpeace has announced it will close after the authorities declared Greenpeace International to be an undesirable organisation.
The national prosecutor general’s office said it had determined that the environmental group posed “a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation” and pointed in particular to the conflict in Ukraine, the Associated Press reports.
The prosecutor’s office said:
Since the beginning of the special military operation of the Russian Federation to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, Greenpeace activists have been engaged in anti-Russian propaganda, calling for further economic isolation of our country and tougher sanctions.
But Greenpeace’s Russian office said:
We are sure that the declaration of Greenpeace International as an undesirable organisation is due precisely to the fact that we tried to prevent the implementation of plans that are destructive to nature and in many cases did it successfully.
This decision makes it illegal for any Greenpeace activity to continue in Russia. Therefore, the Russian branch of Greenpeace is forced to close.
Amsterdam-based Greenpeace International said it had no immediate comment. Since launching the Ukraine invasion in February 2022, the Russian government has intensified its crackdown on dissent and toughened legislation against critics.
The United Nations envoy charged with trying to protect children caught in conflicts is in Moscow, where she is reported to be meeting Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, who is charged with war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine.
The Associated Press reports that Human Rights Watch strongly criticised Virginia Gamba’s reported meeting with Maria Lvova-Belova, saying the Russian commissioner should be behind bars and not meeting with senior UN representatives.
Balkees Jarrah, associate director of the group’s International Justice Program, said:
It’s hard to imagine any circumstance that would justify Gamba meeting with a suspected war criminal, when there are clearly other officials she could meet with instead.
UN associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay did not confirm that Gamba was meeting with Lvova-Belova while in Moscow. Pressed on whether there was anyone else Gamba could meet with, Tremblay replied:
Her role is really to do everything she can to improve the protection of children impacted by armed conflict and preventing violations that could be committed against them.
The spokesperson also would not say whether Gamba was discussing the return of Ukrainian children, telling reporters that details would be included in her report to the UN security council, which is expected in early July. Gamba was in Ukraine last week to meet with officials there before traveling to Moscow.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused some Arab leaders of ignoring the horrors of Russia’s invasion of his country during a speech at an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia.
“Unfortunately, there are some in the world and here, among you, who turn a blind eye to those cages and illegal annexations,” Zelenskiy told Arab heads of state on Friday, urging them to “take an honest look” at the war.
Agence France-Presse also reports that Zelensky’s surprise trip to the summit in Jeddah was his first to the Middle East since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. It gave him an opportunity to address leaders of a region that has been far less united in its support of Ukraine than his staunch western allies.
Host Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as relatively neutral during the war, highlighting what it describes as the benefits of maintaining ties with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, attending his first Arab League summit in more than a decade, leads one of just five countries to vote against UN security council resolutions demanding that Russia cease hostilities in Ukraine.
After Zelenskiy spoke on Friday, Syria’s pro-government daily Al-Watan reported that the Syrian delegation did not use headphones provided for simultaneous translation of his speech, delivered in English.
G7 leaders have warned China and North Korea against expanding their nuclear arsenals, as they prepare for the arrival of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The war in Ukraine has dominated discussions in Hiroshima, with Zelenskiy set to arrive in the city late on Saturday, a day after the White House announced it would permit allied countries to supply Ukraine with US-built F-16 fighter planes.
Zelenskiy described the decision as “historic”, adding that he looked forward to “discussing the practical implementation” in Hiroshima.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised fears that China, which has been increasing its nuclear arsenal, could be emboldened to invade Taiwan.
During Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Japan to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima he will also have a bilateral meeting with the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, Japan’s foreign ministry has announced.
Reuters reports that at the G7 Zelenskiy will take part in a session regarding peace and security alongside other western leaders and invited outreach countries, according to the foreign ministry.
The White House has said “it’s a safe bet” President Joe Biden will meet Zelenskiy at the summit.
The Ukrainian president is set to arrive in Hiroshima on Saturday and is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other summit attendees.
Joe Biden “looks forward” to meeting Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Hiroshima, the White House has said, confirming the US and Ukrainian presidents would meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
“It’s a safe bet that President Biden will meet him,” the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Saturday, without offering details on when the talks would happen, Agence France-Presse reports.
Sullivan said:
The president looks forward to the opportunity to be able to sit down face-to-face.
The Ukrainian president was expected to arrive in Japan on Saturday after an earlier stop in Saudi Arabia, according to local media.
Kyiv’s air defences successfully repelled a new Russian drone attack overnight but falling debris caused some damage in the Ukrainian capital, the military said on Saturday.
Agence France-Presse reports that the head of Kyiv’s civil and military administration, Serhiy Popko, said in an update on Telegram:
This night, the aggressor again carried out a massive drone attack. All detected air targets were destroyed by the forces and means of our air defence. No strikes on Kyiv were performed!
Falling debris caused a fire in a residential building in Darnytskyi district but it was extinguished without casualties, he said.
Debris also caused some damage in three other districts, he said, but there was no immediate report of casualties.
Popko said it was the 11th air attack on Kyiv since the start of May.
At 12.45am on Saturday local time, the Ukrainian army said drones were heading towards the Kyiv region.
Explosions were reported there by authorities and also in the city of Chernihiv, north-east of Kyiv. The exiled council of Russian-occupied Mariupol also reported explosions in the city on the Sea of Azov.
Air defence systems were active in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, according to the Ukrainian military.
Welcome back to our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. I’m Adam Fulton and here’s a run through the latest developments.
Russia renewed air attacks on the Ukrainian capital overnight, with authorities reporting falling debris in three districts of Kyiv and a fire on the roof of a residential building.
Explosions were also reported in Chernihiv, north-east of Kyiv, and in Mariupol in the country’s south-east.
Meanwhile, the White House has said President Joe Biden “looks forward” to meeting Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Tokyo.
More on those stories shortly. In other news:
The US has said it will back a joint international effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 and other modern fighter jets, marking a significant boost to western support for Kyiv as it prepares a major counteroffensive. The news was welcomed by Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, whose RAF will be involved in the initiative.
Zelenskiy has addressed Arab League leaders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and asked them not to turn a blind eye to what is happening in Ukraine. After the visit, the Saudi foreign minister declared the country to be neutral in the conflict.
The US has halted exports of a slew of consumer goods to Russia including clothes dryers, snow plows and milking machines out of concern the goods may be repurposed to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The list of banned consumer goods came as the Biden administration also added 71 companies to a trade blacklist.
Ukraine said on Friday it had repelled attacks by Russian forces trying to recapture land they had lost around Bakhmut, where Kyiv says it has inflicted heavy Russian casualties. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group leading the assault on the devastated eastern Ukrainian city, said in a Telegram message that “heavy, bloody battles” were continuing and claimed his men were close to completing the capture of Bakhmut itself.
Russia has sanctioned former US president Barack Obama in response to the US sanctioning 300 individuals, companies and institutions. The US measures are largely targeted at energy production.
Western leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Japan have urged Russia to stop its objection to the renewal of the Black Sea grain deal and told it to halt “threatening global food supplies”.
The UK unveiled a swathe of new sanctions ahead of the G7 meeting in Hiroshima. Sunak announced a UK ban on imports of Russian diamonds and Russian-origin copper, nickel and aluminium. Sunak also has a self-declared mission to push India into showing greater support for Ukraine.
Australia has imposed a new set of sanctions and an export ban on Russia. The sanctions will target 21 entities and three individuals, with entities including the major Russian oil company Rosneft, gold company Polyus PJSC, steel company Severstal PJSC and five banks.
The Russian government has put the British prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan, on a wanted list in an act of retribution after the Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for allegedly overseeing the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Ukrainian air defence claimed it destroyed 19 drones and missiles out of 28 launched on Friday morning. “Three Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea and 16 drones were shot down. Shelling continues on an almost daily basis,” a Ukrainian air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, told Ukrainian television. Lviv’s governor, Maksym Kozytskyi, posted to Telegram to say five drones had been shot down overnight above his western Ukrainian region.
Vladimir Putin has said the west is trying to break up Russia into different states based on ethnic and national lines. In a speech on Friday the Russian president said the sanctions were helping unite the Russian people rather than divide them. “There are attempts to drive a wedge between peoples of our country. They say Russia should be divided up into tens of different states.”
The Russian security council secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, has claimed the US was involved in the killing of a pro-war military blogger in a bomb blast in St Petersburg in April, and the car bombing of a nationalist writer and politician earlier in May.
Five members of a Belarusian regiment fighting with Ukrainian forces have been killed in Bakhmut, a Belarusian opposition leader living in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has said on Twitter.
Russia had refused the latest US request for consular access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying. With Reuters
By Jonathan Beale, defence correspondent, and James Gregory
BBC News
The US says it will allow its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including American-made F-16s, in a major boost for Kyiv.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden "informed his G7 counterparts" of the decision at the bloc's summit in Japan on Friday.
US troops will also train Kyiv's pilots to use the jets, Mr Sullivan said.
Russia said countries would run "colossal risks" if they supplied F-16s to Ukraine, state media reported.
Countries can only resell or re-export American military hardware if the US approves it, so this decision clears the way for other nations to send their existing stocks of F-16s to Ukraine.
Although it seems increasingly likely that Ukraine will eventually receive the advanced jets it so desperately wants, no government has so far confirmed it will send them to Kyiv.
The US and allies had so far "focussed on providing Ukraine with the systems weapon and training it needs to conduct offensive operations this spring and summer", Mr Sullivan told reporters in Hiroshima, saying the moves were part of Washington's "long-term commitment to Ukraine's self-defence".
"As the training unfolds in the coming months, we will work with our allies to determine when planes will be delivered, who will be delivering them, and how many."
Ukraine has repeatedly lobbied its Western allies to provide jets to help in its fight against Russia.
Ahead of Saturday's official announcement, President Zelensky said the jets would "greatly enhance our army in the sky".
He said he looked forward to "discussing the practical implementation" of the plan at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, where he arrived on Saturday.
The US had been sceptical about providing Ukraine with modern fighter jets - at least in the near term. Its focus has instead been on providing military support on land.
Some Nato member countries have expressed worries that handing jets to Ukraine would be viewed as escalating the war, risking a direct confrontation with Russia.
Senior US military officials were previously sceptical about the ability of Western-supplied fighter jets to dramatically alter the conflict - there are lots of air defence systems on the ground, and Russia's large air force has struggled to gain air superiority.
In February, President Biden told reporters that he was "ruling out for now" sending advanced fighters to Ukraine.
But Mr Sullivan told reporters that the US had provided weapons to Kyiv as they were needed on the battlefield, and the decision to pave the way for fighter jets indicated the conflict had entered a new phase.
"Now we have delivered everything we said we were going to deliver, so we put the Ukrainians in a position to make progress on the battlefield through the counteroffensive. We've reached a moment where it is time to look down the road, and say what is Ukraine going to need as part of a future force to defend against Russian aggression," he said.
Mr Sullivan also indicated any jets Ukraine received would only be used for defence purposes, and that the US would neither enable nor support attacks on Russian territory.
"The Ukrainians have consistently indicated that they are prepared to follow through on that," he said.
While the change in US policy is significant, training pilots to fly F-16 jets will take time.
Ukraine has more trained fighter pilots than aircraft at present, but even training experienced fighter pilots on a new plane could take up to four months.
Nations will also need to agree to supply the jets.
The F-16 is widely used by a number of European and Middle East nations as well as the US, which still manufactures the aircraft.
The UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark also welcomed the US move.
EPA
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: "The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs."
The UK does not have any F-16s in its air force itself.
Denmark has announced it too will now be able to support the training of pilots, but did not confirm whether it would send any jets to Ukraine. Denmark's air force has 40 F-16s, around 30 of which are operational.
Earlier this week, Mr Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said they would build an "international coalition" to provide fighter jet support for Ukraine.
Mr Sunak said the UK would set up a flight school to train Ukrainian pilots. French leader Emmanuel Macron said his country was willing to do the same but would not provide jets.
Some of the opposition to sending the jets has centred around maintenance issues, with former Nato official Dr Jamie Shea saying they require extensive maintenance after almost every fight.
At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was believed to have around 120 combat capable aircraft - mainly consisting of aging Soviet-era MiG-29s and Su-27s.
But officials say they need up to 200 jets to match Moscow's air-power - which is thought to be five or six times greater than Kyiv's.
Mr Zelensky has primarily been asking its allies for F-16s. First built in the 1970s, the jet can travel at twice the speed of sound and can engage targets in the air or on the ground.
While now eclipsed by the more modern F-35, it remains widely in use. Experts say modern fighters like the F-16 would help Ukraine strike behind Russian lines.
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A magnitude-7.7 earthquake has hit the South Pacific east of Australia, leading to tsunami warnings for Vanuatu, Fiji, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Kiribati.
The earthquake struck near the Loyalty Islands at a depth of about 38 km (24 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
A warning of tsunami waves of up to 1m (3ft) was issued for Vanuatu. This was revised down much lower than an initial forecast, from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had said 3m waves could hit the island nation.
It said “hazardous tsunami waves” were possible on all coasts within 1,000km of the epicentre.
Smaller waves could hit Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand.
The tsunami warning prompted authorities in New Caledonia to order the evacuation of coastal areas on Friday, a government official said, according to AFP, with at least one beach evacuated.
The seismic activity triggered warning sirens and people were ordered to immediately leave areas near the island’s coastline, Colonel Marchi Leccia, a security official, told a local radio station.
A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.7-magnitude earthquake
Small tsunami waves were observed in Vanuatu shortly after the warnings were issued, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Tsunami waves less than 0.5m (1.5ft) were measured off Lenakel, a port town in the island nation, while smaller waves were measured elsewhere off Vanuatu and off New Caledonia.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it was still assessing the potential for a tsunami.
Its civil defence agency issued an advisory stating that New Zealand’s coastal communities could experience “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable” surges at the shore.
The NEMA said the first tsunami activity could reach New Zealand’s shores by 5pm local time in the areas around North Cape. It warned people against wandering in the water, off beaches and shores.
“People on boats, liveboards and at marinas should leave their boats/vessels and move onto shore. Do not return to boats unless instructed by officials,’ NEMA said.
The epicentre of the powerful earthquake was southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand and east of Australia where the Coral Sea meets the Pacific.
Australia’s Bureau of Metrology has issued a marine tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island, which lies between New Zealand and Australia and is part of the Australian state of New South Wales.
“For the marine environment of Lord Howe Island, there is the possibility of dangerous rips, waves, and strong ocean currents, as well as some localised overflow onto the immediate foreshore,” the Bureau of Metrology said.
“These conditions are expected to commence after 4.15 pm (local time) on Friday and persist for several hours. It is important to exercise caution and be aware of these potential hazards if you plan to engage in any activities in the marine environment during that time.”
Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said no tsunami threat to Hawaii is expected from the quake yet.
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A magnitude-7.7 earthquake has hit the South Pacific east of Australia, leading to tsunami warnings for Vanuatu, Fiji, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Kiribati.
The earthquake struck near the Loyalty Islands at a depth of about 38 km (24 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
A warning of tsunami waves of up to 1m (3ft) was issued for Vanuatu. This was revised down much lower than an initial forecast, from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had said 3m waves could hit the island nation.
It said “hazardous tsunami waves” were possible on all coasts within 1,000km of the epicentre.
Smaller waves could hit Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand.
The tsunami warning prompted authorities in New Caledonia to order the evacuation of coastal areas on Friday, a government official said, according to AFP, with at least one beach evacuated.
The seismic activity triggered warning sirens and people were ordered to immediately leave areas near the island’s coastline, Colonel Marchi Leccia, a security official, told a local radio station.
Small tsunami waves were observed in Vanuatu shortly after the warnings were issued, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Tsunami waves less than 0.5m (1.5ft) were measured off Lenakel, a port town in the island nation, while smaller waves were measured elsewhere off Vanuatu and off New Caledonia.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it was still assessing the potential for a tsunami.
Its civil defence agency issued an advisory stating that New Zealand’s coastal communities could experience “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable” surges at the shore.
The NEMA said the first tsunami activity could reach New Zealand’s shores by 5pm local time in the areas around North Cape. It warned people against wandering in the water, off beaches and shores.
“People on boats, liveboards and at marinas should leave their boats/vessels and move onto shore. Do not return to boats unless instructed by officials,’ NEMA said.
The epicentre of the powerful earthquake was southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand and east of Australia where the Coral Sea meets the Pacific.
Australia’s Bureau of Metrology has issued a marine tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island, which lies between New Zealand and Australia and is part of the Australian state of New South Wales.
“For the marine environment of Lord Howe Island, there is the possibility of dangerous rips, waves, and strong ocean currents, as well as some localised overflow onto the immediate foreshore,” the Bureau of Metrology said.
“These conditions are expected to commence after 4.15 pm (local time) on Friday and persist for several hours. It is important to exercise caution and be aware of these potential hazards if you plan to engage in any activities in the marine environment during that time.”
Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said no tsunami threat to Hawaii is expected from the quake yet.
