Russia has restricted the movement of British diplomats within the country in a response to “hostile actions” from London, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.
On Thursday, the ministry summoned the British interim charge d’affaires, Tom Dodd, where it announced that a “notification procedure” for the movement of employees beyond a 75-mile radius would be implemented.
In a statement it said details including the purpose of a trip, accommodation, accompanying persons and mode of transport would need to be submitted at least five working days before a trip is planned to go ahead.
The restrictions come as a consequence of what the Russian Foreign Ministry referred to as “inadmissible support [of] the terrorist actions of the Kyiv regime” and the obstruction of Russian diplomacy in Britain, although it failed to give any specific details.
In response, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) disputed the claim that Mr Dodd was summoned to the Russian ministry.
“This was a planned meeting, held at our request, as part of a standard diplomatic practice,” a spokesperson said. The FCDO said it was considering the implications of Russia’s statement on travel restrictions.
As the charge d’affaires, Mr Dodd is the deputy to the British ambassador in Russia, Dame Deborah Bronnert. The restrictions do not apply to the ambassador.
Other recent developments in regard to the Ukraine war include:
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• Russia’s Defence Ministry said it will deem all ships travelling to Ukraine as potentially carrying military cargo. • At least two dead after Russian airstrikes in the Ukrainian port town of Odesa. • Overnight incidents have been reported in Russian-occupied Crimea for the fourth day in a row. • Belarusian forces are holding military exercises with Wagner fighters near the Polish border.
Following the end of the Black Sea grain deal – which provided some protection to ships exporting goods from Ukraine’s blockaded ports – Russia said that it was declaring southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea’s international waters as unsafe for navigation.
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4:22
Analysis: Russia threatens ships
As a result, any vessel heading to Ukraine is now deemed a potential carrier of military equipment by the foreign ministry.
In retaliation, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said on Thursday that Kyiv will also consider all ships travelling to Russian ports and Ukrainian ports currently occupied by Russia as potential carriers of military cargo.
Image: Administrative building heavily damaged after Russia’s attack on Odesa
Following Moscow’s exit from the grain deal, some of Ukraine’s most critical grain export infrastructure has been the target of Russian airstrikes for the third consecutive night.
At least two people, including a 21-year-old security guard, were killed in the besieged port city of Odesa, which destroyed administrative and residential buildings near the port, according to Odesa governor Oleh Kiper.
He said Ukrainian air defences destroyed all of the 12 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two Kalibr missiles that targeted the area.
The attack came after Moscow vowed “retribution” for an attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula. Russian officials blamed that strike on Ukrainian drone boats.
Reports of incidents in the popular Russian holiday destination of Crimea have been reported for the past four nights.
Following the attack on the Kerch Bridge on Monday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces foiled a 28-drone Ukrainian attack on Tuesday.
Image: Section of the Kerch Bridge damaged by alleged Ukrainian attack
The following day, an explosion at a military base in Crimea’s Kirovske district caused a huge fire and led to mass evacuations. While on Thursday, Russia claimed a teenage girl was killed in a drone strike in northwestern Crimea.
Ukraine has claimed that it wants to take back Crimea – after it was annexed in 2014 – but has not explicitly claimed responsibility for attacks on the territory.
The West has also largely been hesitant to provide any support for Ukraine’s mission to take back Crimea, and has urged against Western weapons being used on Russian territory.
Meanwhile, Russia has increasingly flexed its influence and control over Belarus.
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Wagner boss ‘welcomes fighters’
Ties between the two countries deepened after Russia helped to curb huge anti-government demonstrations against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.
Image: Vehicles and tents at the base near Tsel, about 65 miles southeast from the capital Minsk.
Image: Pic:Planet Labs PBC/AP
New satellite imagery revealed that about 300 vehicles have arrived over three days at the base in Tsel, near Osipovichi in Belarus.
This comes after troop tents were first pitched at the base on 26 June, two days after an agreement was made to end Wagner’s attempted coup in Russia. Part of this agreement was for Wagner troops to move to Belarus.
At least 23 people have been arrested during a second night of violent disorder near an asylum hotel in Dublin.
Two police officers were taken to hospital with injuries sustained during clashes with protesters – including one who was struck on the head by a bottle.
A Sky News crew was caught in the confusion as police charged at crowds, who were throwing fireworks, stones and other debris.
Eyewitness: It got ugly – and fast
By Connor Gillies, news correspondent
The Telegram and WhatsApp group chats were alive with activity organising night two of unrest here on the edge of Dublin.
City chiefs halted trams and buses to this part of the Irish capital in a bid to reduce the number of mobs coming from other areas to fight police.
It got ugly, and fast.
I witnessed children as young as seven throwing bricks at riot officers, that were standing in rows 5ft deep.
Balaclava-clad thugs were spotted pulling and shaking bollards on the roadside in an effort to dislodge the tarmac to use as projectiles.
Pepper spray from fire extinguisher-size canisters pelted the eyes of those who dared to confront law enforcement.
Teenagers dragged a baby pram filled with fireworks lit their missiles as they chucked them at officers who were charging forward in a bid to get the hundreds of locals under control.
There is palpable, deep anger in this community after the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near a large hotel housing asylum seekers.
The recent incident has fuelled a “get them out” pitchfork mentality that authorities, so far, appear to be struggling to get a grip of.
Image: Pic: PA
It is the third night of demonstrations at the Citywest Hotel following an alleged sexual assault in the early hours of Monday morning.
A demonstration in the wake of the incident, which allegedly involved a 10-year-old girl, turned violent on Tuesday night. A police officer was injured and six arrests were made.
A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named due to rules that apply to all sexual assault cases in the Republic of Ireland, appeared in court on Tuesday charged over the alleged attack.
Image: Gardai officers block protesters near the Citywest Hotel in Dublin. Pic: PA
Police had earlier pledged a “robust response” if the violence continued.
Between 7pm and 8pm, hundreds of protesters faced off with around 40 uniformed officers.
The uniformed officers were replaced with the Public Order Unit, who were carrying plastic shields and additional body protection.
Image: A police van was set on fire on Tuesday night.
Protesters detained after stand-off
Hundreds of protesters had been facing off against the public order unit of the Irish police force along Citywest Drive.
While large parts of the crowd dispersed throughout the night, an additional public order unit was deployed to tackle those remaining at the protest shortly after 10pm.
Image: A number of protesters have been detained after fireworks and rocks were thrown at police. Pic: PA
Several of those caught between the two units were tackled and detained as they tried to flee.
Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said “many have been arrested” and “more will follow” – and went on to praise officers who had responded professionally to “thuggish violence” in the area.
Mr O’Callaghan vowed that those arrested would be “charged, named and dealt with relentlessly” by the criminal justice system.
Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies – and spoke of his frustration with Vladimir Putin.
In a major policy shift, new restrictions have been unveiled against Rosneft and Lukoil – as well as dozens of subsidiaries – due to “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine”.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. We encourage our allies to join us in, and adhere to, these sanctions.”
The move marked a significant change for the Trump administration, which has veered between pressuring Moscow and taking a more conciliatory approach aimed at securing peace in Ukraine.
Image: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House. Pic: Reuters
Trump frustrated with Putin
The US president has resisted pressure to impose energy sanctions on Russia, hoping that Putin would agree to end the fighting. But with no end in sight, he said he felt it was time.
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Mr Trump explained he has a “very good relationship” with his Russian counterpart, but felt he had to cancel their planned meeting as “it didn’t feel right to me”.
In a sign of growing frustration, he told reporters: “It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I cancelled it. But we’ll do it in the future.
“I have good conversations. And then, they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere.”
He also hinted that the sanctions could be lifted if the Russian president was prepared to cooperate in peace talks.
“We hope that they [the sanctions] won’t be on for long,” he said in the Oval Office. “We hope that the war will be settled.”
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1:56
Putin-Trump talks: The view from Moscow
Trump wants Xi to help with Ukraine
Ahead of a meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Mr Trump said he would like Beijing to help put pressure on Moscow to halt the fighting.
“I think he [Xi] can have a big influence on Putin. I think he can have a big influence … he’s a respected man. He’s a very strong leader of a very big country. And we will certainly be talking about Russia-Ukraine,” he said.
Xi and Putin have formed a strategic alliance between their countries.
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3:42
Why Tomahawks are off the table
Ukraine denied Tomahawk missiles
However, Mr Trump warned he is not prepared to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which Kyiv has requested.
He explained it would take the Ukrainians up to a year to learn how to use the “highly complex” weapons.
“The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot … is if we shot it. And we’re not going to do that.
“It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people.”
Last year, Ukraine’s allies lifted restrictions on Storm Shadows and other long-range missiles, meaning Kyiv’s military can use them against targets across the border.
Image: A Storm Shadow missile system. Pic: Gary Dawson/Shutterstock
What are Storm Shadow missiles?
Storm Shadows are cruise missiles developed by the UK and France in the 1990s.
Launched from aircraft, they have a range more than 155 miles, manufacturer MBDA says, and can travel at speeds exceeding 600mph.
The missiles can be used with high precision for deep strikes while evading detection, the manufacturer says.
They have been used by the RAF and French air force and in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya, and more recently have been used by Ukrainian forces.
What sets them apart from some other projectiles is they use terrain mapping to navigate to their target, rather than relying just on GPS, military analyst Sean Bell says.
Image: A Tornado GR4 with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Pic: Crown copyright
How have they been used in Ukraine?
Back in May 2023, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles – the first country to do so.
Since then they have been used by Kyiv’s defenders to strike Russian targets inside Ukraine and also inside Russia.
While operational details of their use do not always emerge, it has been reported Storm Shadows have been used against targets including military headquarters and ships.
Storm Shadows can likely be operated entirely from within Ukraine, though probably with the assistance of intelligence gathered by Western surveillance planes over international waters.