Putin warns nuclear war should 'never be unleashed'

No one can win from a nuclear war and it should "never be unleashed", Vladimir Putin has warned.

The Russian president warned on Monday that there could be "no winners" if such a conflict was to break out. He made the statement as a review of a keystone nuclear treaty opened at the United Nations.

Mr Putin insisted that Moscow had "consistently" remained faithful to the Non Proliferation Treaty's (NPT) "letter and spirit" in his address to the Tenth NPT Review Conference.

It marked a change of tone from the start of his invasion of Ukraine, when the strongman leader made thinly veiled threats hinting at a willingness to deploy Russia's tactical nuclear weapons, which according to Russian military doctrine can be used to force an adversary to retreat.

The US, Britain and France had rebuked Russia for "irresponsible and dangerous" talk about possibly deploying nuclear weapons. Ties between Russia and the West have been unravelling over the course of the conflict, now five months in.

Opening the conference in New York, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres warned that the world now faces a "nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War".

“Humanity is just one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation," he said. Citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the Middle East, he called the conference "a chance to strengthen" the treaty and "make it fit for the worrying world around us”.

The conference, which has been postponed several times since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will run until August 26.

In January, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France - had pledged to prevent the further dissemination of nuclear weapons.

At the last review conference in 2015, the parties were unable to reach agreement on substantive issues.

The NPT came into force in 1970 to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

06:59 PM

That's all for tonight

Today's top stories included:

• The Razoni departed the port of Odesa for Lebanon carrying 26,000 tons of corn in the first shipment since Ukraine's Black Sea ports were unblocked by Russia

• Vladimir Putin warned there can be 'no winners' in a nuclear war in an address to a keynote UN conference

• Moscow blacklists 39 Brits including Keir Starmer and David Cameron from entering Russia

• UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says the risk of nuclear war is at its highest since the Cold War

06:46 PM

Ukrainian farmers reluctant to start sowing rapeseed

Ukrainian farmers are holding back orders for rapeseed to sow for next year's harvest, French seed group Vilmorin has said.

Rapeseed is one of the first major arable crops to be sown in Europe after summer harvesting and demand from Ukrainian growers so far was "relatively sluggish", Vilmorin's Chief Executive Franck Berger said.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned this year's harvest could be half its usual size after Russia's invasion wreaked havoc on Ukraine's agricultural industry.

Some farmers and observers fear next year's production could be even more affected as the impact of the war accumulates.

06:34 PM

Ukraine earning £16.3m selling electricity to the EU

Ukraine earns almost £16.3m selling electricity to the EU, with the number set to rise in the coming months, said Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, head of the state electricity grid operator Ukrenergo.

Ukraine began exporting electricity to the EU via Romania last month as the bloc attempted to move away from Russian fuel in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Mr Kudrytskyi said: "Today, the income from exports that we had with a capacity of 100 MW, in the first month brought us more than 700 million hryvnias, as an energy system operator, for access to interstate power grids.

"It is clear that with an increase in the volume of permitted exports, this figure may increase significantly."

06:29 PM

Russian Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov hits out at Himars policy

Former World chess champion Garry Kasparov says Ukraine is fighting a war "with a hand tied behind your back" by not being allowed to use US-made Himars to launch rockets into Russian territory.

The Russian grandmaster is an outspoken Putin critic and chair of the Human Rights Foundation.

The US started providing the key precision rocket weapon system to Ukraine in June after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russian territory.

05:31 PM

Telegraph's Europe Editor 'surprised' to make Moscow's new blacklist

Moscow today named 39 Brits including Sir Keir Starmer, former PM David Cameron and the BBC's Huw Edwards it has blacklisted from entering Russia.

05:13 PM

Macron says France is determined Russian war criminals are punished

President Emmanuel Macron said France was determined to make sure war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine do not go unpunished, and will donate a mobile DNA lab to Kyiv authorities.

After a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Macron also welcomed the departure of the first ship transporting grains from Odesa and said Europe will continue to help facilitating Ukrainian grain exports by sea and land.

04:32 PM

Nuclear war risk highest since the Cold War, UN head says

The world faces a "nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War", UN head Antonio Guterres has warned.

He told a conference that we were just "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation".

"We have been extraordinarily lucky so far," he said at the opening 10th review conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an international treaty that came into force in 1970 to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

"But luck is not a strategy. Nor is it a shield from geopolitical tensions boiling over into nuclear conflict."

"Today, humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."

The UN the secretary-general carried on to call on nations to "put humanity on a new path towards a world free of nuclear weapons".

Guterres said the conference held at the UN's headquarters in New York was "a chance to strengthen" the treaty and "make it fit for the worrying world around us," citing Russia's war in Ukraine and tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the Middle East.

"Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee they will never be used,"

The meeting, which has been postponed several times since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will run until August 26.

In January, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France - had pledged to prevent the further dissemination of nuclear weapons.

At the last review conference in 2015, the parties were unable to reach agreement on substantive issues.

04:19 PM

Nuclear war 'should never be unleashed', says Putin

Vladimir Putin has said nuclear war "should never be unleashed" in a letter to participants in a conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York.

"As a state party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and one of its depositaries, Russia is consistently complying with the letter and the spirit of the Treaty," said Putin according to a Kremlin statement.

"We proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community.”

The Foreign Office's website states the NPT is an international treaty which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology; promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; and pursue negotiations in good faith on disarmament measures.

03:09 PM

Russian source asks if US is 'serious' after Biden plea for nuclear arms treaty

A Russian foreign ministry source reacted with bewilderment after US President Joe Biden asked Moscow to negotiate a new nuclear arms control treaty.

"Is this a serious statement or has the White House website been hacked?" the source told Reuters, adding: "If this is still a serious intention, with whom exactly do they intend to discuss it?"

The current nuclear arms control framework New START Treaty expires in 2026.

Biden said in a statement on Monday that his administration was ready to "expeditiously" negotiate a new one but that Russia should demonstrate that it is ready to resume work on nuclear arms control with the US.

03:05 PM

Keir Starmer and David Cameron among 39 Brits banned from Russia

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former PM David Cameron are among 39 British officials, business people and journalists who have been banned from Russia for supporting its "demonisation" and international isolation, its foreign ministry has announced.

"Given London's destructive drive to spin the sanctions flywheel on far-fetched and absurd pretexts, work on expanding the Russian stop-list will continue," the ministry said in a statement.

02:52 PM

Ukraine asks for 'judicial cooperation' from Lebanon after ship seized over grain theft claims

Ukraine has asked for "judicial cooperation" from Lebanon where a ship has been seized amid claims it contains grains Russia had stolen from Ukraine.

Ukrainian prosecutor Ghassan Ouediat today requested the intelligence division of Lebanon's internal security forces to carry out a probe, a security source told Reuters.

The Ukrainian embassy said its request was backed up with evidence supporting its accusations.

Lebanon's top prosecutor on Friday ordered the Syrian-flagged ship be seized pending an investigation into the source of its cargo.

The Laodicea, which docked in the port of Tripoli on Wednesday, was carrying 5,000 tonnes of barley and 5,000 tonnes of flour taken from Ukrainian stores, it was claimed.

Ukraine says it is loaded with flour and barley taken by Russia from its stores. Both the ship, the Laodicea, and its cargo, were ordered seized by a Ukrainian judge on Friday.

Moscow has denied the claims it had stolen grain from Ukraine. The Russian embassy in Lebanon has said it had no information regarding the cargo.

An official from the Turkey-based company that owns the cargo, Loyal Agro Co LTD, told Reuters last week it was carrying 8,000 tonnes of flour and 1,700 tonnes of barley and denied the cargo was stolen from Ukraine.

02:33 PM

Biden asks Russia and China to enter nuclear arms controls

Joe Biden has urged Russia and China to enter nuclear arms control talks in light of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The US President reiterated that his administration is ready to "expeditiously negotiate" a replacement to New START, the treaty capping intercontinental nuclear forces in the United States and Russia, which is set to expire in 2026.

"Russia should demonstrate that it is ready to resume work on nuclear arms control," Biden said.

"But negotiation requires a willing partner operating in good faith. And Russia's brutal and unprovoked aggression in Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe and constitutes an attack on fundamental tenets of international order."

Turning to China, which has been bolstering its much smaller nuclear arsenal, Biden said the communist state has a duty as a permanent member of the UN Security Council "to engage in talks that will reduce the risk of miscalculation and address destabilizing military dynamics."

"There is no benefit to any of our nations, or for the world, to resist substantive engagement on arms control and nuclear non-proliferation," Biden said.

02:07 PM

Moscow set to ban adoption of Russian children by citizens of 'unfriendly countries'

The adoption of Russian children by citizens of "unfriendly countries" will be banned under a bill introduced to the lower house of the country's parliament.

Russia's list of unfriendly countries was expanded after many nations imposed sanctions in response to Russia's deployment of troops to Ukraine in February.

It currently includes the United States, United Kingdom, all European Union member states, as well as Japan and South Korea.

02:04 PM

'Best feeling' all year - joyful crewmate on first grains shipment out of Ukraine

A crew member on the first ship carrying grains out of Ukraine since the lifting of a Russian blockade of its ports has hailed it as the "best feeling" of the year.

Recalling hearing the news that a landmark deal had been reached to unblock Ukraine's Black Sea delivery routes, junior engineer Abdullah Jendi, from Syria, said:  "It was a great feeling.

"Everyone on the ship was very happy. I can say that it was the best feeling we have had in 2022."

The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni left Odesa bound for Lebanon on Monday with 27,000 tonnes of grain.

"To be honest, I am scared from the fact that there are naval mines," Jendi said. "This is the only thing that I fear during this trip, as for the other things, we are used to them as sailors."

Jendi said alarms would go off in Odesa every day and the crew feared they would never get to go home.

"We did not know when we would be released, so we lived every day on the hope of being released," he said.

01:57 PM

Ukraine recaptures more than 40 settlements in key Kherson battlegrounds

Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 40 settlements in the key southern region of Kherson, the local governor said.

Kyiv is looking to drive back Russian troops in a counter-offensive after Moscow seized almost all the territory of the economically and strategically important region bordering the annexed Crimea peninsula early in the invasion.

Recent weeks have seen the Ukrainian army, bolstered by deliveries of Western-supplied long-range artillery, have sought to stage a counter-offensive in the area.

"Today, 46 settlements have already been de-occupied in the Kherson region," Dmytro Butriy, the head of the Ukrainian regional administration, told national TV.

01:41 PM

Pope could discuss war with Russian Orthodox Church leader

The Pope could meet the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church for the first time since warning against becoming "Putin's altar boy".

The Vatican on Monday confirmed that Pope Francis, 85, will attend an interfaith conference in Kazakstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, from September 13-15.

Patriach Kirill, who has justified Moscow's war in Ukraine as a "metaphysical" battle with the West,  has been invited and the Moscow Patriarchate has said he would attend the "Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions".

Pope Francis publicly criticised Kirill's support for the war, telling an Italian newspaper that the patriarch shouldn't become "Putin's altar boy" in May.

The Russian Patriarchate said it was regrettable" that Francis "chose the wrong tone" to relay the contents of their March video call.

Francis and Kirill, who had a first historic encounter in Havana in 2016, have spoken by video call at least once since the war began. A planned encounter in Jerusalem in June was called off by Francis for diplomatic reasons.

01:24 PM

Ukraine receives four more US-made Himars rocket launchers

Ukraine has received a batch of four more US-made high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), Ukraine's defence minister said.

Oleksii Reznikov, the minister, wrote on Twitter: "I’m grateful to the President of the United States and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin III and the US people for strengthening of Ukrainian Army."

The state-of-the-art weapons systems have a longer range and are more precise than Ukraine's Soviet-era artillery. They have been credited for stemming the advance of Moscow's forces in Ukraine.

01:07 PM

'Very moving' - Ukrainian anthem sounds at the Royal Albert Hall

12:59 PM

EU sends Ukraine €1bn in financial aid

The EU has sent Ukraine €1bn in financial aid to support its budget and help it tackle the financial consequences of the Russian invasion.

Denys Shmygal, the Ukrainian prime minister, said on the Telegram app: "The €1bn is a part of a large package of support for Ukraine... totaling nine billion euros. The funds will help finance priority budgetary needs."

He said that the first tranche, amounting to 500 million euros, is already on the account of the Ukrainian central bank, while the remainder is expected to be there tomorrow.

12:26 PM

Plans to reopen Mykolaiv port as first grains ship heads to Kremlin-controlled Bosphorus

Ukraine has expressed hopes to reopen the major port in the southern frontier-city of Mykolaiv after the first grains shipment left Odesa since Russia agreed to unblock its Black Sea delivery routes.

Ukraine's infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said it will start consultations to resume its exports if the exports deal struck with Russia, UN and Turkey holds in full.

"I hope that if this initiative works, we will soon move on to consultations... to do this with the port of Mykolaiv," he said.

"When the initiative starts working in full, we would want to go to three million tonnes of exports of our agricultural produce."

He added the first ship is due to pass through the Bosphorus, a strait dominated by the Russian Navy that links the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, tomorrow.

"This ship will pass through the Bosphorus tomorrow, and later we hope it will successfully reach Lebanon," he said.

12:11 PM

NATO 'supports full implementation' of grains deal as first unblocked shipment leaves

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said western allies "strongly support the full implementation of the deal to ease the global food crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine".

His comments came after Razoni, a Sierra Leone-registered cargo ship, left the Ukrainian port of Odessa bound for Lebanon with a vital shipment of 26,000 tonnes of grain.

It was the first vessel to leave a Ukrainian port since Moscow and Kyiv signed an agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN to free up food shipments despite their conflict.

12:06 PM

Latest MoD map showing Russia's invasion

12:05 PM

Boris Johnson calls first Ukraine grains shipment a 'first step'

PM Boris Johnson has joined EU and Liz Truss in welcoming today's landmark first Ukraine grains shipment as a "first step".

11:57 AM

UK manufacturing grinding to a halt as Ukraine war takes its toll

UK manufacturing is grinding to a halt as the Ukraine war compounds rocketing inflation, supply issues and global market uncertainty.

An industry index rated last month's manufacturing at 52.1 - the lowest in 25 months and down from 52.8 in June.

Any number on S&P Global/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI above 50 is seen as growth, so it means the sector is only just growing.

Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: "Rising market uncertainty, the cost of living crisis, war in Ukraine, ongoing supply issues and inflationary pressures are all hitting demand for goods at the same time, while lingering post-Brexit issues and the darkening global economic backdrop are hampering exports.

"With the Bank of England implementing further interest rate hikes to combat inflation, the outlook is beset with downside risks.

"With this in mind, the continued low degree of optimism among manufacturers is of little surprise."

11:50 AM

Ukrainian soldier reunited with his grandmother

A Ukrainian soldier's moving reunion with his grandmother has been shared by the media outlet Nexta.

11:37 AM

EU echoes Liz Truss calling first Ukraine grains shipment 'first step'

The EU has welcomed the departure of a grain shipment from Ukraine as a "first step" towards mitigating the food crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of its neighbour.

But EU spokesman Peter Stano said Brussels still expects the "implementation of the whole deal and resumption of Ukrainian exports to the customers around the world."

UK Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss earlier said: "This is an important first step. The UK and our allies have pushed hard for this outcome. We are grateful to the UN and Turkey for helping to secure this agreement."

11:31 AM

Hospital emergency room hit by overnight Russian shelling

A hospital A&E has been partially destroyed by overnight Russian shelling in the southern city of Mykolaiv.

Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych earlier described more than 12 Russian missile strikes as "probably the most powerful on the city".

11:25 AM

Ukraine grains exports rise by a fifth but still fraction of pre-war levels

Ukraine agricultural products exports rose by 12 per cent to three million tonnes in July despite the Russian blockade of its ports, the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business Associations (UCAB) said.

Monthly grains exports rose by 21 per cent to 1.7 million tonnes  although they remains a fraction of the six million Ukraine distributed before the start of the war.

As the first shipment of grains left Ukraine's newly unblocked ports today, the UCAB warned: "Only in the case of the full functioning of these three sea ports and full loading of alternative routes can we hope for the volume of exports that was before the beginning of the... Russian invasion."

Over the weekend Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine's harvest could be up to 50 per cent smaller than usual this year because of Russia's war.

He said that in spite of the depleted harvest, Ukraine's "main goal" was to prevent a global food crisis, andthat the country's authorities would find alternative ways to export grain, amid fears that millions could go hungry because large parts of the world rely on Ukraine for their food supply.

10:37 AM

Kremlin welcomes departure of grain ship

The Kremlin on Monday welcomed the departure of the first shipment of grain from Ukraine's southern port of Odessa under a plan to resume grain exports that were halted following the start of Moscow's military campaign.

"As for the departure of the first ship, this is very positive. A good opportunity to test the effectiveness of the mechanisms that were agreed during talks in Istanbul," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

10:23 AM

Russia outlines plans to rebuild Mariupol

A senior Russian official has outlined plans to rebuild Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol that suffered a devastating siege and heavy shelling before being captured by Russian troops.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said in an interview with Russia's RBC TV channel that the first buildings currently under construction will be ready by the autumn.

"The first residential buildings will be standing by September. We will already have the first hospitals, will build a centre of the emergencies ministry," he said.

Khusnullin also said there were plans to rebuild the historic centre of Mariupol, renovating all buildings that were not completely destroyed by Russian shelling.

10:20 AM

Himars systems destroyed in Ukraine, claims Russia

Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that its forces had destroyed two U.S.-made Himars in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, and a launch system for Harpoon anti-ship missiles in Odesa region, Interfax reported.

The Reuters news agency said it was unable to independently verify the reports.

10:18 AM

Liz Truss says grain shipment 'an important first step'

Liz Truss, the UK's Foreign Secretary, said in a statement: "This is an important first step. The UK and our allies have pushed hard for this outcome. We are grateful to the UN and Turkey for helping to secure this agreement.

"Russia has felt the full weight of global pressure and the eyes of the whole world will now be watching to see if they continue to weaponise global food supplies as they have been until now.

"These ships must receive safe passage. There must be no repeat of Russia's shelling of the port of Odesa. The only way Putin can truly alleviate the global food security crisis he has created is by ending his brutal invasion of Ukraine."

09:14 AM

Ukraine grain shipment 'relief for the world' - Kyiv

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, has hailed the departure of the first shipment of grain from the port of Odesa since the start of Russia's invasion as a "relief for the world".

"The day of relief for the world, especially for our friends in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as the first Ukrainian grain leaves Odesa after months of Russian blockade. Ukraine has always been a reliable partner and will remain one should Russia respect its part of the deal," Mr Kuleba tweeted.

09:02 AM

UN chief welcomes grain update

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nation, "warmly welcomes" the departure of a first ship carrying Ukrainian grain under a plan to lift Russia's naval blockade, a spokesman said on Monday.

"The Secretary-General hopes that this will be the first of many commercial ships moving in accordance with the initiative signed, and that this will bring much-needed stability and relief to global food security, especially in the most fragile humanitarian contexts," the UN said in a statement.

08:11 AM

Ukraine making step to prevent world hunger, minister says

Following the departure of the first ship carrying grain from Odesa, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's infrastructure minister, said in a statement: "Unlocking the ports will provide at least $1 billion in foreign exchange revenue for the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan next year's sowing season.

"In the ports of Greater Odessa another 16 vessels are already waiting their turn. These are the vessels that have been blocked since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

"Today Ukraine, together with its partners, makes another step to prevent world hunger."

07:46 AM

Turkey's defence ministry confirms grain shipment has left Odesa

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship, Razoni, left the port of Odesa for Lebanon, Turkey's defence ministry said. A statement from the United Nations said the Razoni is carrying over 26,000 tons of corn.

Data from the Razoni's Automatic Identification System, a safety tracker for ships at sea, showed the vessel slowly coming out from its berth at Odesa port Monday morning alongside a tug boat.

06:53 AM

In pictures: 'Brutal' shelling of Mykolaiv

06:46 AM

First shipment of Ukraine grain set to to leave Odessa

The first shipment of Ukrainian grain is set to leave the port of Odessa on Monday morning, the Turkish defence ministry said.

"The departure of the cargo ship Razoni flying the flag of Sierra Leone and loaded with maize will leave the port of Odessa bound for Lebanon at 08:30 (0530 GMT)," the ministry said in a statement.

However at 5am GMT, the ship was yet to depart.

06:37 AM

Russia possibly adjusting 'design of Donbas offensive'

Russia is likely reallocating a significant number of its forces from the northern Donbas sector to southern Ukraine, the UK's Ministry of Defence said.

It comes as Russia's relentless assaults on the Bakhmut axis, northeast of Donetsk, have made slow progress.

"Russia is probably adjusting the operational design of its Donbas offensive after failing to make a decisive operational breakthrough under the plan it had been following since April," the ministry said on Twitter on Monday.

"It has likely identified its Zaporizhzhia front as a vulnerable area in need of reinforcement."

05:54 AM

'Our main goal – to prevent global food crisis'

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine may harvest only half its usual amount of grain this year due to the Russian invasion.

"Ukrainian harvest this year is under the threat to be twice less," the Ukrainian President said – suggesting half as much as usual.

"Our main goal — to prevent global food crisis caused by Russian invasion. Still grains find a way to be delivered alternatively."

Ukraine has struggled to get its product to buyers via its Black Sea ports because of the war.

But an agreement signed under the stewardship of the United Nations and Turkey on July 22 provides for safe passage for ships carrying grain out of three southern Ukrainian ports.

There is a high possibility that the first grain-exporting ship will leave Ukraine's ports on Monday, a spokesperson for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

04:38 AM

Putin: Navy to receive 'formidable' hypersonic missiles

The Sevastopol attack coincided with Russia's Navy Day, which President Vladimir Putin marked by announcing that the navy would receive what he called "formidable" hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles in coming months.

The missiles can travel at nine times the speed of sound, outrunning air defences.

Putin did not mention the conflict in Ukraine during a speech after signing a new naval doctrine, which cast the United States as Russia's main rival and set out Russia's global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and in the Black Sea.

READ MORE: US and Nato are Russia’s main naval threats, says Vladimir Putin

04:34 AM

Russian navy staff injured in drone strike

A drone strike on Russia's Black Sea naval base in Sevastopol was launched from within the city in a "terrorist attack", a Russian lawmaker claims.

In Russian-occupied Sevastopol, five Russian navy staff members were injured by an explosion after a presumed drone flew into the courtyard of Russia's Black Sea fleet, the Crimean port city's governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, told Russian media.

He blamed the attack on Ukraine, saying it had decided to "spoil Navy Day for us".

Olga Kovitidi, a member of Russia's upper house of parliament, told the Russian RIA news agency that the attack was "undoubtedly carried out not from outside, but from the territory of Sevastopol".

"Urgent search operations are being conducted in the city to track down the organisers of this terrorist act. They will be found by the evening," Kovitidi said.

04:06 AM

Today's top stories

• Witnesses saw torches lighting up the home of Ukraine’s biggest grain trader hours before he was killed by a Russian missile, in what may have been a targeted strike called in by Russian spies

• Vladimir Putin has cast the US and Nato as its biggest naval enemies and called for an expanded presence in the disputed Arctic region as he outlined a new doctrine for the country’s navy

• Mykolaiv's Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych described more than 12 Russian missile strikes as "probably the most powerful on the city in five months of war, hitting homes and schools, with at least three others wounded

• On Sunday evening Mr Senkevych reported that strikes had resumed, but no information on casualties or damage was available

• In Russian-occupied Sevastopol, five Russian navy staff members were injured by an explosion after a presumed drone flew into the courtyard of Russia's Black Sea fleet, the Crimean port city's governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, told Russian media