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The Ukrainian soldiers fired an American round from a French mortar at a common enemy.

They said the target was a storage site for Russian munitions close to the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, where one of the fiercest battles of the war is intensifying.

“Fire!” yelled one of the troops.

Ukraine war latest: Putin says West ‘released genie from bottle’

A soldier, kneeling down, pulled a metal cord that triggered the MO-120 rifled towed mortar – a Cold War-era weapon with a new purpose.

It blasted the round into the cloudy sky and over snow-covered fields.

A third soldier stepped forward holding a second M1101 mortar round – shaped like a mini green rocket.

He dropped it down the barrel so the weapon could be fired again.

They launched three rounds in total before quickly moving to a more sheltered position – all too aware of the risk of Russian forces firing back.

An officer from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, said his troops would win despite being pitched against much larger numbers of mercenaries as well as Russian soldiers along this frontline.

Artillery and mortar positions
Artillery and mortar positions near Bakhmut
Image:
Artillery and mortar positions near Bakhmut

Situation ‘looks like the First or the Second World War’

Senior Lieutenant Yaroslav described how waves of Wagner mercenaries would be ordered to advance despite running directly into Ukrainian fire.

“When our fighters saw this, they were super surprised,” he said. “What is happening near Bakhmut looks like the First or the Second World War, with people [mercenaries] running forward, straight upright [rather than ducking low]… They have nothing to lose.”

At an artillery position a 15-minute drive from the mortar site, Sky News met troops keeping warm from the freezing temperatures in a makeshift bunker accessed via a short trench.

The men, seated on a line of wooden planks that framed the cramped, underground chamber, wore white-coloured waterproof tops and trousers over their combat gear to make them harder for the Russians to spot when they were outside in the snow.

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Biden talks ‘very fruitful’ – Zelenskyy

‘I’m feeling fury and I want to win in this war’

Two of them described how they only joined the military after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion almost exactly a year ago.

“I’m feeling fury and I want to win in this war,” said one of the servicemen, called Bohdan, who spoke in broken English.

Asked if he felt scared, he said: “No, I’m in my country. I save my country.”

A second soldier, Artem, said: “I joined this war in March. Then, I had energy and motivation, and the same now. Nothing’s changed.”

As for what the toughest part was about living in trenches, he joked: “Digging. It’s the hardest thing. You have to dig constantly. Dig and dig.”

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Artillery and mortar positions near Bakhmut

Russian forces inching slowly forwards

Despite Ukraine focusing significant firepower on fending off attempts to seize Bakhmut, Russian forces do seem to be inching slowly forward after months of bloody clashes.

One sign of this advance can be felt in the nearby town of Chasiv Yar – which would be next in Moscow’s path should Bakhmut fall.

It has started to come under Russian shelling, prompting many residents to flee.

More than 10 people have been killed, according to the local mayor, Serhiy Chaus, who described the situation as “hard but stable”.

Asked if he was worried the Russians might capture the town, he said: “Who isn’t worried? Of course, we are worried, but as they say, ‘We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine’.”

Evacuations in the town of Chasiv Yar
Evacuations in the town of Chasiv Yar
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Evacuations in the town of Chasiv Yar

Teams working to evacuate civilians from risk areas

The growing risk means evacuation teams are driving in and out every day to rescue those unable to leave by themselves because of age, poor health or a lack of transport.

We met one group of civilian volunteers – four young men who said they wanted to be useful despite the danger – about 10 miles further back in the city of Kostiantynivka, which has become a staging post for those seeking to push forward.

Donning body armour, helmets and tourniquets, they climbed into two minibuses – one purple, the other yellow – and set off with aid parcels and the names of prospective evacuees.

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‘We must ensure victory this year’

‘I am trying to be brave’

One of the men, 31-year-old Oleksiy Zabrodin, who used to run a small business selling briquettes before the war, said he felt a little bit scared “but I am trying to be brave”.

Speaking in English, he added: “I understand it is important for our people. It’s our country.”

The volunteers pulled up outside a culture centre in Chasiv Yar, which had been turned into a distribution point for aid.
A small line of residents stood outside the front door, waiting to pick up basic supplies, such as pasta and bags of oats.

The team unloaded cardboard boxes of food and medicine before heading to the first evacuation address, taking just one of the minibuses.

Chasiv Yar
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Nina, 73, said her home had been shelled four times and she was scared for her life

‘We abandoned everything’

Wrapped in a bright red coat and orange headscarf, Nina, 73, was waiting at her bungalow on a narrow residential lane covered in snow.

She said her home had been shelled four times and she was scared for her life.

One of the volunteers took her by the hand and gently guided her into the vehicle, while others collected up some items she wanted to bring in a few bags.

Her daughter, Svitlana, sat with her mother to offer support as the minibus drove off.

Both women were crying.

“Don’t you know how people feel when they abandon everything that they worked hard towards for years?” the daughter sobbed.

Nina said: “We abandoned everything… The house is smashed.”

The volunteers worked as quickly as possible because of the risk of more shells landing.

Chasiv Yar

A simple act of affection

They stopped at a second, tiny, single-storey house, where 83-year-old Maria and her husband lived.

She could not walk and seemed very confused.

The volunteers carefully carried her out on a stretcher, while her husband followed on foot – a few of their belongings also packaged up in bags.

Once in the minibus, the elderly man offered his wife a hand to clasp as she lay on the backseat – a simple act of affection to ease the disorientation.

Chasiv Yar
Image:
Svitlana and her seven-year-old daughter Maria

Forced to leave

The final stop, before heading out of Chasiv Yar to relative safety, was back at the culture centre to pick up a few more residents wanting to flee.

Among those climbing on board the minibus was another woman called Svitlana, with her seven-year-old daughter, Maria, wearing a large, silver puffer jacket to fend off the cold.

“Life and the situation forced us to leave,” the mother said.

Asked how she was feeling, the young girl said: “Bad.”

As for what she wished for, she just said: “Peace.”

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs – in worst day for indexes since COVID

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs - in worst day for indexes since COVID

Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.

While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As it happened: Worst week’s trading in five years

All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.

The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.

Read more: What’s a bear market?

Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.

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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.

The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.

And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.

Pic: Reuters
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US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters

Trump holds trade deal talks – reports

It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indian and Israeli representatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.

The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.

Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.

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Do Trump’s tariffs add up?

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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.

Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.

Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.

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Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump

He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’

“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

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These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
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Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

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More on South Korea

The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
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The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

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