Latest evacuation flights carrying Britons from Sudan expected to land in Cyprus – as UK troops prepare to run Khartoum airfield
The latest flights carrying British nationals from Sudan are expected to arrive in Cyprus on Wednesday morning, as UK troops prepare to take over the running of the airfield near Khartoum.
Three planes were due to have left conflict-torn Khartoum for Cyprus by Wednesday morning, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledging “many more” would follow as he warned of a “critical” 24 hours.
The first flight landed at Larnaca airport on Tuesday evening with around 40 people on board and two more flights carrying around 220 people were expected overnight.
The UK will take over from German forces running the Wadi Saeedna airstrip near Khartoum today, according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
He said 120 British troops have already been supporting the operation there.
A 72-hour ceasefire is currently under way between the two rival military groups battling for power in Sudan.
Clashes between the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in the capital began 11 days ago and has left Sudanese citizens trapped, as foreign governments scramble to evacuate their citizens.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sudan: First civilian evacuation
The prime minister has defended the UK’s approach against criticism that it is failing those stuck in Khartoum, saying it was “right” that diplomats were prioritised “because they were being targeted”.
Around 4,000 UK nationals have been stranded in the east African country after heavy fighting broke out.
Read more:
Britons face perilous escape from Sudan
Irish mother who escaped with children ‘heartbroken’ as husband left behind
British passport holders are being urged to make their way to the airfield where priority will be given to the most vulnerable, with more than 2,000 citizens having registered in Sudan with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Tracking the Sudan evacuation effort
Mr Sunak said he could not “guarantee” the long-term safety of the air route being used given the volatility of the ceasefire, but other options were being considered.
The defence secretary earlier said Royal Marines were scoping out a possible seaborne evacuation from the more “benign environment” of Port Sudan, some 500 miles from the capital.
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
Germany, Italy, Spain and France are among those that have already rescued hundreds of people from dozens of countries on their own flights.
At least 459 people have died and over 4,000 have been wounded since the fighting erupted. Food and fuel prices have soared and hospitals destroyed, amid warnings of a humanitarian crisis in the country.
According to the British Red Cross, hospitals in Khartoum are “quickly running out” of food, water, first aid and beds while staff are facing electricity cuts and lack enough stretchers.
Sam Turner, head of the east and southern African regions for the charity, said the humanitarian situation in the country was “desperate” even before the conflict and the situation “will become catastrophic”.
Donald Trump has threatened Russia with more sanctions after a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine, as he said of Vladimir Putin: “What the hell happened to him?”
The US president appeared aghast at the conduct of his counterpart in the Kremlin after drone and missile attacks in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities left 12 people dead and dozens more injured.
Trump criticises Putin – latest updates
Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey ahead of a flight back to Washington, Mr Trump said: “I’m not happy with Putin. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“He’s killing a lot of people,” he added. “I’m not happy about that.”
Mr Trump – who said he’s “always gotten along with” Mr Putin – told reporters he would consider more sanctions against Moscow.
“He’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” he said.
Ukraine said the barrage of strikes overnight into Sunday was the biggest aerial attack of the war so far, with 367 drones and missiles fired by Russian forces.
It came despite Mr Trump repeatedly talking up the chances of a peace agreement. He even spoke to Mr Putin on the phone for two hours last week.
Read more from Sky News:
Trump says will postpone 50% tariffs on EU until July
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Hundreds of drones fired at Ukraine
‘Shameful’ attacks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to sign a ceasefire deal, and suggested Russia isn’t serious about signing one.
In a statement after the latest attacks on his country, he urged the US and other national leaders to increase the pressure on Mr Putin, saying silence “only encourages” him.
Mr Trump’s envoy for the country, Keith Kellogg, later demanded a ceasefire, describing the Russian attacks as “shameful”.
Three children were among those killed in the attacks, explosions shaking the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian siblings Tamara, 12, Stanislav, eight, and Roman, 17, were killed in Russian airstrikes. Pic: X/@Mariana_Betsa
Before the onslaught, Russia said it had faced a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday. It said around 100 were intercepted and destroyed near Moscow and in central and southern regions.
The violence has escalated despite Russia and Ukraine completing the exchange of 1,000 prisoners each over the past three days.
Donald Trump says he will delay the imposition of 50% tariffs on goods entering the United States from the European Union until July, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a trade deal.
It comes after the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a post on social media site X that she had spoken to Mr Trump and expressed that they needed until 9 July to “reach a good deal”.
The US president had last Friday threatened to bring in the 50% tariffs from 1 June, as European leaders said they were ready to respond with their own measures.
But Mr Trump has now said that date has been put back to 9 July to allow more time for negotiations with the 27-member bloc, with the phone call appearing to smooth over tensions for now at least.
Speaking on Sunday before boarding Air Force One for Washington DC, Mr Trump told reporters that he had spoken to Ms Von der Leyen and she “wants to get down to serious negotiations” and she vowed to “rapidly get together and see if we can work something out”.
The US president, in comments on his Truth Social platform, had reignited fears last Friday of a trade war between the two powers when he said talks were “going nowhere” and the bloc was “very difficult to deal with”.
Mr Trump told the media in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday that Ms Von der Leyen “just called me… and she asked for an extension in the June 1st date. And she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation”.
“We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it. I believe July 9th would be the date. That was the date she requested. She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” the US president added.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Shortly after, he wrote on Truth Social: “I agreed to the extension – July 9, 2025 – It was my privilege to do so.”
On his so-called “liberation day” last month, Mr Trump unleashed tariffs on many of America’s trade partners. But since then he’s backed down in a spiralling tit-for-tat tariff face-off with China, and struck a deal with the UK.
Read more from Sky News:
Gail’s backer plots rare move with bid for steak chain Flat Iron
AA owners line up banks to steer path towards £4.5bn exit
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
12 May: US and China reach agreement on tariffs
Much of his most incendiary rhetoric on trade has been directed at Brussels, though, even going as far as to claim the EU was created to rip the US off.
Responding to his 50% tariff threat, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said: “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.
“We stand ready to defend our interests.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway