Kyiv destroys key Russian bridge as Moscow redeploys troops in defence – live

Ukraine’s troops invading Russian border villages have destroyed a key bridge over the Syem river used by the Kremlin to send its troops critical supplies.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s incursion and capture of land in Russia’s Kursk region could eventually lead to a swap deal for Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow.

The latest attack on the bridge near the Russian town of Glushkovo has cut off part of the local district, according to reports.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a key Zelensky adviser, said the counter incursion’s main aim was to get Moscow back on the negotiation table.

“In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process,” he posted on X.

Russia is increasing the number of its secret fleet of oil ships to evade Western sanctions, according to a Ukrainian think tank.

Moscow has added 74 new oil ships to its existing fleet since the beginning of this year from about 300 under-the-radar ships operating since the beginning of 2023, according to The KSE Institute, a think tank within the Kyiv School of Economics.

Scientists are using artificial intelligence to detect such dark ships from satellite imagery.

“To put additional pressure on Russia’s ability to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine, we urge coalition governments to designate additional shadow fleet vessels,” the think tank said.

“Their removal would represent significant sunk costs while forcing Russia to rely more heavily on mainstream fleet ankers, which fall under the price cap,” it added.

A video circulated on social media from official and unofficial accounts shows about 100 Russian soldiers being taken prisoner in Kursk as Ukraine’s forces push deeper into Russia with surprise and secret attacks.

Footage shows Ukrainian troops raising flags over border villages and their military vehicles rolling down Russian streets.

Videos reveal that the buildup of troops and equipment in Russia caught the Kremlin off guard as tight-lipped Russian officials attempted to conceal the extent of their failure.

Russia’s defence ministry said about 300 Ukrainian soldiers along with nearly a dozen tanks and armoured vehicles were attacking two villages close to Kursk.