Russia-Ukraine war – live: Moscow restricts movement of British diplomats over support for Kyiv

Russia is imposing restrictions on British diplomats, demanding they give five days’ notice before travelling further than 75 miles in retaliation against ‘hostile actions’. Moscow summoned senior diplomat Tom Dodd to its foreign ministry to tell him of the move on Thursday. He was also given a dressing down for Britain’s support of what the Kremlin deems Ukraine ‘s ‘terrorist actions’ and for allegedly obstructing Russian diplomacy in the UK. British diplomats, apart from the ambassador and three other top officials, will have to give at least five days’ notice of travel outside the 75-mile ‘free movement zone’. The move came after MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore urged Russians angry at president Vladimir Putin ‘s war in Ukraine to spy for Britain. He told them ‘our door is always open’ and ‘we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end’ Elsewhere, China ‘s consulate building in Odesa has been damaged in a Russian missile and drone attack, a Ukrainian official said. Regional governor Oleh Kiper posted a photograph showing the building with broken windows. Key Points Russia restricts movements of British diplomats in response to ‘hostile actions’ China’s consular building damaged in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Odesa Russia preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea, White House claims Wheat prices soar as Russia attacks grain storage Why the expiry of the Black Sea grain deal matters Tinkoff investigating impact of US and Canadian sanctions 18:30 , William Mata Tinkoff has said it is investigating the impact of US and Canadian sanctions, imposed on Thursday. The statement comes after Britain removed sanctions on serial entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov on Thursday, days after an appeal by British billionaire Richard Branson and nine months after Tinkov, critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, renounced his Russian citizenship. Britain sanctioned Tinkov, the founder of digital bank Tinkoff, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, naming him as “a prominent Russian businessman” who had been involved in an area of strategic significance to the Russian government. The United States targeted 18 individuals and dozens of organisations, including Tinkoff Bank, in its latest Russia-related sanctions on Thursday. Russia steps up assault on Ukraine’s ports and threatens attack on ships 18:00 , William Mata / Chris Stevenson Russia has stepped up its assault on Ukraine’s ports with a third night of air strikes and a threat it is now treating all ships heading for those ports as potential military targets. Saying that Moscow was deliberately turning the Black Sea into a “danger zone”, Kyiv responded in kind by saying that from Friday they would treat ships heading for Russian ports – or Russian-occupied ports in Ukraine – would be treated the same way, as if they are carrying weapons or other military cargo. Read Chris Stevenson’s story here . Labour call for Wagner group to be ‘terror’ organisation 17:30 , PA Senior Labour figures, including shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, have called on the Government to proscribe the Wagner group as a terror organisation for its role in the Ukraine conflict. Wagner forces played a major part, albeit with reports of heavy casualties during fierce fighting, in capturing the salt mining city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region for Moscow earlier this year. Ministers have so far refused to proscribe the organisation, pointing instead to the extensive sanctions applied by Britain on the group’s leadership. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (PA Wire) Downing Street says it is ‘too early’ to say what impact Black Sea grain deal with have on UK 17:00 , William Mata Downing Street said it was “too early” to say what impact the Russia decision to end the Black Sea grain deal would have on the UK and inflation rates. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Russia pulling out of the grain deal is going to affect vulnerable countries the most.” He added that the UK was “speaking to other partners to seek to find a way forward for this”. Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street (PA Wire) Confirmation that three died in attack on southern cities 16:47 , William Mata / Reuters Three people have been confirmed to have died in an attack on Thursday night in southern Ukrainian port cities which damaged a Chinese consular building. Regional governor Oleh Kiper posted a photograph showing at least one broken window at the Chinese consulate in the Black Sea city of Odesa, but there was no sign of any other damage. Beijing, a Russian ally, did not immediately comment on the incident, one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 60,000 tons of agricultural products destined for China had been destroyed in an attack on another Ukrainian port city. Belarus defence ministry release video said to show joint Wagner drills – video 16:23 , William Mata The Belarus defence ministry has released a video said to show joint Wagner drills. Ryanair eyes Ukraine tourism after Russia’s war ends 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ryanair ‘s boss has pledged to ‘charge back into Ukraine ‘ once commercial flying reopens and promised investment worth $3 billion in the war-torn country. Michael O’Leary visited Kyiv on Thursday and said that he soon hoped to reconnect Ukraine’s Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa airports with more than 20 European Union capital cities within eight weeks of the reopening of air space with around 600 weekly flights. ‘The fastest way to rebuild and restore the Ukrainian economy will be with low fare air travel,’ the chief executive said. ‘Ryanair intends to invest heavily in Ukraine and lead this aviation recovery by investing up to $3 billion and basing up to 30 Boeing MAX aircraft at Ukraine’s three main airports in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. Ryanair eyes Ukraine tourism after Russia’s war ends UK sanctions ‘despicable’ Wagner leaders linked to African killings and torture 15:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain UK sanctions have been announced against ‘despicable’ individuals linked to massacre, rape and torture carried out by the Wagner Group across Africa. Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said the Russian mercenary unit, as well as assisting the Kremlin with its invasion of Ukraine, was ‘acting with impunity’ in countries such as Mali , Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan. Mr Mitchell on Thursday announced 13 sanctions in a package aimed at individuals and businesses. Officials said Wagner has operated in Mali, CAR and Sudan for several years where it is ‘aggressively pursuing Russian foreign policy interests’ and providing military support to counter-terrorism operations which have seen hundreds of civilians killed. UK sanctions ‘despicable’ Wagner leaders linked to African killings and torture UK removes sanctions on businessman Tinkov after Branson plea 15:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Britain removed sanctions on serial entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov on Thursday, days after an appeal by British billionaire Richard Branson and around nine months after Tinkov, critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, had renounced his Russian citizenship. The United Kingdom sanctioned Tinkov, the founder of digital bank Tinkoff, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, naming him as ‘a prominent Russian businessman’ who had been involved in an area of strategic significance to the Russian government. Tinkov contested that designation, routinely criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine, offloading his stake in Tinkoff Bank and ultimately renouncing his Russian citizenship last October, saying he did not want to be associated with ‘fascism’ or people who collaborate with ‘killers’. ‘I decided to renounce my Russian citizenship after Russia invasion of independent Ukraine,’ he wrote on Instagram in November. ‘I am against this war, and the killing of peaceful people.’ The UK Treasury on Thursday said: ‘The following entry has been removed from the consolidated list and is no longer subject to an asset freeze or trust services sanctions.’ Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Virgin-founder Branson are among the high-profile figures to have come out in support of Tinkov. The Times on Monday quoted Branson as writing: ‘I feel strongly that Mr Tinkov has been wrongly included on the list of sanctioned Russians. ‘Whilst he was a wealthy Russian businessman he has never been an oligarch. I have always known him as a self-made dynamic entrepreneur. That is why I have liked and supported him and continue to do so.’ The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office did not immediately comment on further questions about the decision to remove sanctions and whether Branson’s plea had played a role. Law firm Corker Binning, which represented Tinkov, said it welcomed the FCDO’s decision. Tinkov’s lawyers said his opposition to the invasion had led Russia’s government to force him into selling his 35% stake in Tinkoff-owner TCS Group to Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin. Russia restricts movements of British diplomats in response to ‘hostile actions’ 14:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russia said on Thursday it was imposing restrictions on British diplomats, requiring them to give five days’ notice of any plans to travel beyond a 120-km (75-mile) radius, due to what it called London’s ‘hostile actions’. Britain’s charge d’affaires in Russia was summoned to the foreign ministry in Moscow to be scolded for what Moscow said was support for the ‘terrorist actions’ of Ukraine and for obstruction of Russian diplomacy in Britain. ‘The British side was also informed of the decision to introduce a notification procedure for the movement of employees of British diplomatic missions on the territory of our country as a response to London’s hostile actions,’ the ministry said. Britain is one of the loudest cheerleaders for concerted international opposition to what Moscow calls its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, and one of the leading Western suppliers of weaponry to help Ukraine defend itself. British diplomats, with the exception of the ambassador and three other senior diplomats, will be required to send notification of any plans to travel beyond the 120-km (75-mile) ‘free movement zone’ at least five working days ahead. ‘Such a document should contain information about the timing, purpose, type of trip, planned business contacts, accompanying persons, type of transport, places of visit and accommodation, as well as the route of the trip,’ the ministry said. Kyiv condemns ‘unfriendly’ Polish decision to extend Ukrainian grain ban 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday condemned a decision by Poland to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain exports to the European Union as an ‘unfriendly and populist move’. ‘During this critical time, Poland intends to continue blocking the export of UA (Ukrainian) grain to the EU. This is an unfriendly and populist move that will severely impact global food security and Ukraine’s economy,’ he wrote on Twitter. Five central European countries want a European Union ban on grain imports from Ukraine to be extended at least until the end of the year. The ban is set to expire on Sept. 15. Poland will not lift the ban on Sept. 15 even if the EU does not agree on its extension, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. Shmyhal urged Ukraine’s partners and the executive European Commission to ensure the unimpeded export of all Ukrainian agriculture products to the EU. ‘This is an act of solidarity not only with Ukraine but with the world, which relies on our grain,’ he said. Maintaining the exports is important for Ukraine, especially after Russia quit a deal allowing safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. Agricultural exports are crucial for Ukraine’s economy, making up about 12% of gross domestic product before Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and about 60% of all exports. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (EPA) EU ministers discuss 20 bln euro plan for Ukraine military aid 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain European Union foreign ministers met on Thursday to discuss their support for Ukraine, including a proposal to spend up to 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) on weapons, ammunition and other military aid over four years. The proposal, by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, is part of an effort to put European support for Kyiv on a longer-term footing, after more than a year of scrambling to respond to Ukraine’s immediate needs following Russia’s invasion. The move would also be part of an international drive to give Ukraine long-term security assurances, as announced by members of the G7 bloc of wealthy nations on the sidelines of last week’s NATO military alliance summit in Vilnius. ‘We’ll discuss how to continue supporting Ukraine in the long run,’ Borrell said on arrival at the meeting in Brussels. ‘I presented a plan in order to ensure financial support for Ukraine in the next years, which will amount to quite an important amount of money. I hope the ministers will support it,’ he told reporters. Borrell declined to provide figures before the meeting. But diplomats and officials said his proposal – first reported by Politico – is to add up to 5 billion euros a year for Ukraine into an EU-run fund named the European Peace Facility (EPF). The Peace Facility has already allocated more than 5 billion euros in support for Ukraine since February last year. The proposed extra funding would cover 2024 to 2027. The Peace Facility is used to reimburse EU countries for at least part of the cost of weapons, ammunition and other military aid that they give to nations outside the bloc. Borrell raised the prospect of a new cash pot for Kyiv last month and said it could be called the Ukraine Defence Fund. 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Days after Russia suspended participation in a wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries around the world, the White House on Wednesday warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. Since leaving the Black Sea Grain Deal this week, Russia has already struck Ukraine’s grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks. Some 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in the attacks. ‘Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports,’ White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. ‘We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks.’ 13:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The Foreign Office has announced sanctions against 13 individuals and businesses linked to the actions of the Wagner Group in Mali, Sudan and the Central African Republic. Three designations are targeted at the mercenary group’s top officials in Mali and Central African Republic, including Konstantin Aleksandrovitch Pikalov, the so-called ‘right-hand man’ of Yevgeny Prigozhin. The UK Government said Mr Pikalov had been responsible for the torture and targeted killings of civilians. Wagner leader Mr Prigozhin, who led a mutiny against Moscow last month, has already been sanctioned by Britain, along with several of his key commanders, for their part in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Andrew Mitchell, minister for development and Africa, said: ‘The Wagner Group is committing atrocities in Ukraine, as well as acting with impunity in countries like Mali, Central African Republic and Sudan. Wherever Wagner operates, it has a catastrophic effect on communities, worsens existing conflicts and damages the reputations of countries that host them. ‘These sanctions expose despicable individuals who have commissioned violations of international humanitar