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What’s the state of Russia’s missile arsenal?

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As Russia bombards Ukraine , military observers are left wondering how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage?

Some analysts believe Russia could be running down its stockpiles of long-range precision weapons as the nearly 8-month-old war drags on and sanctions hit its economy, forcing it to resort to less-accurate missiles.

It remains unclear whether Russia has enough weapons to continue the strikes against Ukraine with the same intensity that began after the Oct. 8 attack on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea.

A look at what is known — and not known — about Russia’s arsenal:

What does Russia say?

Russian officials say the military has sufficient stockpiles of long-range missiles and that factories are churning out more, rejecting Western claims its supplies are shrinking.

The Russian military hasn’t said how many missiles it has fired and how many are left, and there is no information available to independently assess the state of Moscow’s arsenal.

President Vladimir Putin recently chaired a meeting to discuss plans for boosting weapons production, but he steered clear of specifics in the introductory remarks that were televised.

What has Russia relied on recently?

When the Russian military unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine starting Monday, it used the entire range of its long-range precision weapons: the Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles fired by strategic bombers, the sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles and the ground-launched Iskander missiles.

Russian forces have also repeatedly used S-300 surface-to-air defense missile systems for striking ground targets, a move seen by some observers as a sign of Russian weapons shortages.

Russia’s repurposing of air defense systems and anti-ship missiles suggests it is running low on more advanced missiles that are intended to hit ground targets, said Ian Williams, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Strikes from a Russian S-300 air defense system “don’t have the ‘oomph’ to really hit hardened military targets, and they don’t have the accuracy in a land attack role to even strike the building you want to hit,” Williams said. “This really is just firing them into the ether and seeing where they land.”

Their use, however, could be explained by an abundant stock of older subtypes of such missiles, which were superseded by more advanced air defense weapons, as well as the military’s desire to keep more expensive, advanced long-range missiles for priority targets.

Though numbers are hard to obtain, how Russia is using its weapons is telling. In a recent strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, a surface-to-air missile was used to hit a target on the ground.

Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, called that “a sure sign that missile stocks are running low.”

What is Washington saying?

While the Biden administration believes there is evidence that Russia has depleted stocks of its most efficient weapons, U.S. officials say there is no sign Moscow is ready or willing to relent in its barrages against civilian areas in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

It was not immediately clear what the U.S. thinks Russia might have left. But two officials said U.S. government analysts had noted with interest that Russia had used cruise missiles, and not less-expensive, shorter-range artillery or rockets, in the aftermath of the Kerch Bridge blast.

That choice, the officials said, could indicate that Russia is running low on cheaper, reliable midrange weapons and is having trouble replenishing its stockpiles due to sanctions and supply chain disruptions.

The relative calm that Ukraine enjoyed before the Kerch Bridge explosion may have been a sign that Russia was trying to conserve its limited resources, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments of Russia’s military strength.

What’s behind the choice of targets?

Firing large numbers of inaccurate missiles could be intended to clutter air defenses while Russia uses its best missiles for high-value targets and key infrastructure.

But Williams suggested that Moscow could also be acting strategically, knowing its barrage will hit civilian targets in hopes of driving up panic in Ukraine and pushing Kyiv to accept a cease-fire favorable to Russia.

“It’s becoming more and more clear that, as they say, the cruelty is the point,” he said.

Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.

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What to know about the long-range cruise missile Russia says it fired

Russian naval forces launched long-range cruise missiles on Tuesday evening from the waters off Sevastopol, a port city in Russia-held Crimea, according to expert analysis of video verified by The Washington Post.

Russia said the 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missile attack destroyed a major Ukrainian arsenal.

Understanding the weapons that have drawn the world’s attention since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A v ideo filmed by a witness from the Sevastopol waterfront on Tuesday shows at least four projectiles being fired from the water. Geolocation of the video by The Post shows the missiles appear to be traveling northwest, away from the city. As the narrator recites the date and location, the camera pans to show his surroundings.

“We thought it was a plane flying,” the narrator says. “It’s normal that planes fly here. But shooting is something serious.”

Additional video filmed around the same time shows eight flares with long tails that appear to be airborne missiles flying over the Black Sea. Both videos were verified by The Post.

Footage shared by the Russian defense ministry on social media shows large fireballs emanating from a warship where the ministry said Russian forces had fired Kalibr cruise missiles toward military assets in Orzhev, a village outside of the city of Rivne. Rivne is located more than 200 miles west of Kyiv and would be within the range a 3M-14 Kalibr missile could travel if it was fired from Sevastopol.

The tightly cropped video first shows multiple large explosions in succession above a ship, while someone off camera counts, “First, second, third, fourth.” The video then cuts to a wider view of a sunset where the long tails of the eight missiles are visible. The Post was not able to verify the location of this launch.

What you need to know about hypersonic missiles, which Biden says Russia used against Ukraine

Video reportedly of a Russian Project 21631 Buyan-M small missile ship launching 8 Kalibr-NK cruise missiles from near Sevastopol. https://t.co/GcWqUpoXLh pic.twitter.com/VvU3l5yYCK — Rob Lee (@RALee85) March 22, 2022

“As a result of the strike, a large depot of weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian troops, including those received from Western countries, was destroyed,” a statement on the ministry’s Telegram channel said.

U.S. officials said they could not confirm that the weapons had been used. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the deployment of the missiles or the destruction of an arsenal near Rivne.

The Post could not independently verify Russia’s claim that a weapons depot had been destroyed.

Ian Williams, deputy director of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he was nearly positive the videos showed the launch of 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles.

“These are Russia’s long-range naval sea-based cruise missiles, similar to the U.S. Tomahawk,” he told The Post in an email. “They use satellite navigation along with some onboard inertial guidance.”

“This was almost certainly launched by the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” Mark Cancian, senior adviser for the international security program at CSIS, said in an email. Kalibr missiles are “at the high end of Russian capabilities,” he added. “Russia uses them to attack the highest priority targets. They seem to be doing more of that in western Ukraine. It may be part of an effort to attack strategic targets, that is, targets that matter in the long war.”

The 3M-14 or SS-N-30A cruise missile , commonly referred to as the Kalibr missile, can be fired from ships or submarines toward land targets. It can travel a maximum range of about 1,550 miles, according to the CSIS Missile Defense Project.

3M14 Kalibr

Stabilizers

20 feet, 4 inches

6 foot person for scale

Pop-out wings

Control fins

The missiles, designed to penetrate the air defenses of stationary ground targets, fly autonomously and largely horizontally at low altitude, along preprogrammed waypoints. Their route can be updated midcourse via satellite communication. Cruise missiles can be highly accurate compared to ballistic missiles.

Low altitude

flight path,

by satellite

Approximate 1,550 mile range

Not to scale

3M14T Kalibr

flight path, parallel to

Low altitude flight path, parallel to ground

Tracks terrain

during flight

Route can be updated through satellites

The standard 3M14T land-attack missile reportedly contains a nearly 1,000-pound high explosive warhead. It is often used to attack storage facilities, command posts, seaports and airports.

Russia stuck barracks in the southern port city of Mykolaiv with a Kalibr missile earlier this month, the New York Times reported , killing at least eight Ukrainian soldiers who had been sleeping there. The region’s governor said at least 19 others were wounded.

A Pentagon official said at a background briefing Wednesday that the United States still assessed that Russia has “the vast majority” of its inventory of surface-to-air missiles and cruise missiles.

Russia first used the SS-N-30A Kalibr missile in Syria in October 2015, when it launched 26 missiles from Russian naval vessels in the Caspian Sea, at forces fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.

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EXPLAINER: What’s the state of Russia’s missile arsenal?

FILE - Russian’s Air Force Mikoyan MiG-31K jets carrying Kh-47M2 Kinzhal nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missiles fly over Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 7, 2021. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE Russian the S-300 air defense missile systems drive during the Victory Day military parade marking 71 years after the victory in WWII in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 9, 2016. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE In this image taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, May 28, 2022, a new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is launched by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov of the Russian navy from the Barents Sea. The ministry said the recently developed Zircon hypersonic cruise missile had struck its target about 1,000 kilometers away. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Putin recently chaired a meeting to discuss plans for boosting weapons production, but he steered clear of specifics in televised introductory remarks. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo taken from a footage released on Sept. 22, 2020 by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a rocket launches from a missile system at the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - A Russian military officer walks past the 9M729 land-based cruise missile on display with its launcher, right, in Kubinka outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Russian Buk-M2 air defense missile systems drive down Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 7, 2019 . As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, Pool, File)

FILE - Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system rolls along Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 7, 2021. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Russian surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system Pantsir-S1 roll along Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 7, 2021.As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Russian RS-24 Yars ballistic missiles roll during a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 7, 2021. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - In this file photo taken on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, a Russian Air Force MiG-31K jet carries a high-precision hypersonic aero-ballistic missile Kh-47M2 Kinzhal during the Victory Day military parade to celebrate 73 years since the end of WWII and the defeat of Nazi Germany, in Moscow, Russia. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, multiple rocket launchers fire during the Belarusian and Russian joint military drills at Brestsky firing range, Belarus. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - In this file photo taken from a video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, on Dec. 9, 2020, a ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - Crows fly over an anti-aircraft missile installed on a warship at a Navy base in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, April 4, 2022. As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from Plesetsk in Russia’s northwest. After Russian unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has. That is, how long will the Kremlin be able to keep hitting Ukrainian cities? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system launchers roll during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade which will take place at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square on May 9 to celebrate 77 years after the victory in World War II in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, May 5, 2022. After Russian unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has. That is, how long will the Kremlin be able to keep hitting Ukrainian cities? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Russian Iskander-K missile launched during a military exercise at a training ground in Russia. The Russian military on Friday announced massive drills of its strategic nuclear forces. After Russian unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has. That is, how long will the Kremlin be able to keep hitting Ukrainian cities? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - Russian RS-24 Yars ballistic missiles roll during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 9, 2022, marking the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II. After Russian unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has. That is, how long will the Kremlin be able to keep hitting Ukrainian cities? (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this photo taken from a video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, on Dec. 9, 2020, a Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber fires a cruise missile at test targets, during a military drills, Russia. After Russian unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has. That is, how long will the Kremlin be able to keep hitting Ukrainian cities? (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — As Russia bombarded Ukraine this week, military observers were left wondering about how many and what types of missiles Russia still has in its arsenal. In other words, how long can the Kremlin keep up the barrage?

Some analysts believe Russia could be running down its stockpiles of long-range precision weapons as the nearly 8-month-old war drags on and sanctions hit its economy, forcing it to resort to less-accurate missiles.

It remains unclear if Russia has enough weapons to continue the strikes against Ukraine with the same intensity that began following the Oct. 8 explosion on the Kerch Bridge to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

A look at what is known — and not known — about Russia’s arsenal:

WHAT DOES RUSSIA SAY?

Russian officials say the military has sufficient stockpiles of long-range missiles and that factories are churning out more, rejecting Western claims its supplies are shrinking.

The Russian military hasn’t said how many missiles it has fired and how many are left, and there is no data to independently assess the state of the Russian arsenal.

President Vladimir Putin recently chaired a meeting to discuss plans for boosting weapons production, but he steered clear of specifics in the introductory remarks that were televised.

WHAT HAS RUSSIA RELIED ON RECENTLY?

When the Russian military unleashed missile attacks across Ukraine starting Monday, it used the entire range of its long-range precision weapons: the Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles fired by strategic bombers, the sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles and the ground-launched Iskander missiles.

Russian forces have also repeatedly used the S-300 surface-to-air defense missile systems for striking ground targets, which was seen by some observers as a sign of a Russian weapons shortages.

Russia’s repurposing of air defense systems and anti-ship missiles suggests it is running low on more advanced missiles that are intended to hit ground targets, said Ian Williams, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Strikes from a Russian S-300 air defense system “don’t have the ‘oomph’ to really hit hardened military targets and they don’t have the accuracy in a land attack role to even strike the building you want to hit,” Williams said. “This really is just firing them into the ether and seeing where they land.”

Their use, however, could be explained by an abundant stock of older subtypes of such missiles, which were superseded by more advanced air defense weapons, as well as the military’s desire to keep more expensive, advanced long-range missiles for priority targets.

While numbers are hard to obtain, how Russia is using its weapons is telling. In a recent strike in Mykolaiv, a surface-to-air missile was used to hit a target on the ground.

Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, called that “a sure sign that missile stocks are running low.”

WHAT IS WASHINGTON SAYING?

While the Biden administration believes there is evidence that Russia has depleted stocks of its most efficient weapons, U.S. officials say there is no sign Moscow is ready or willing to relent in its recent barrages against civilian areas in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

It was not immediately clear what the U.S. thinks Russia might have left. But two officials said U.S. government analysts had noted with interest that Russia had used cruise missiles, and not less expensive, shorter-range artillery or rockets, in the aftermath of the Kerch Bridge blast.

That choice, the officials said, could indicate that Russia is running low on cheaper, reliable mid-range weapons and is having trouble replenishing its stockpiles due to sanctions and supply chain disruptions.

The relative calm that Kyiv enjoyed prior to the Kerch Bridge incident may have been a sign that Russia was trying to conserve its limited resources, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments of Russia’s military strength.

WHAT’S BEHIND THE CHOICE OF TARGETS?

Firing large numbers of inaccurate missiles could be intended to clutter air defenses while Russia uses its best missiles for high-value targets and key infrastructure.

But Williams suggested that Moscow could also be acting strategically, knowing its barrage will hit civilian targets in hopes of driving up panic in Ukraine and pushing Kyiv to accept a cease-fire favorable to Russia.

“It’s becoming more and more clear that, as they say, the cruelty is the point,” he said.

Tara Copp in Washington contributed.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Country: Russia

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As the heir to the substantial Soviet missile arsenal, Russia boasts the widest inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles in the world. Russia remains a major power in the development of missiles of all kinds, and Russian strategic rocket forces constitute a significant element of Moscow’s military strategy. Russian missiles perform a wide variety of...

9M729 (SSC-8)

The SSC-8 is a Russian ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) with a range of 2,500 km. Its development prompted the 2019 U.S. withdrawal from the 1987 INF Treaty. SSC-8 Development Russia reportedly began covert development of the SSC-8 in the mid-2000s, and started flight testing in 2008. It was first test fired in July 2014. It...

The Avangard is a nuclear-capable, hypersonic boost-glide vehicle developed by the Russian Federation. It was one of six “next generation” weapons described by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a speech in March 2018. Avangard Development The origins of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) reach back to the mid-1980s, at which time the USSR first started...

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Russia produces several dozen cruise missiles per month — Defense Intelligence

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) provided an estimate of Russia’s stockpile and output of cruise missiles , including types such as Zircon, Oniks, Kalibr, and Kh-69. The figures were published by defense-focused media outlet ArmyInform on May 1.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia retains approximately 40 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, with production rates of up to 10 monthly.

Around 400 Oniks cruise missiles remain at Moscow’s disposal, with a similar output of up to 10 units per month.

The Russian Navy has approximately 270 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, with a production rate of 30 to 40 units per month.

Only 45 Kh-69 air-launched missiles remain in stock, with only three being manufactured monthly.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials warned of potential Russian missile attacks on Ukraine during the Orthodox Easter festivities.

Read also: How do Russia's Kh-69 missiles measure up against the West's best?

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron !

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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Russia produces several dozen cruise missiles per month — Defense Intelligence

A ccording to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia retains approximately 40 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, with production rates of up to 10 monthly.

Around 400 Oniks cruise missiles remain at Moscow’s disposal, with a similar output of up to 10 units per month.

The Russian Navy has approximately 270 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, with a production rate of 30 to 40 units per month.

Only 45 Kh-69 air-launched missiles remain in stock, with only three being manufactured monthly.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials warned of potential Russian missile attacks on Ukraine during the Orthodox Easter festivities.

Read also: How do Russia's Kh-69 missiles measure up against the West's best?

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron !

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

Section: Nation

Author: Eric Malinowski

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Ukraine war briefing: Ukrainians ‘have the right to strike inside Russia’, says David Cameron

France’s Macron stands firm on potentially sending troops; sanctions on Russian gas leave Gazprom with record annual loss. What we know on day 800

• See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage

Weapons supplied by Britain to Ukraine can be used to strike inside Russia, David Cameron has said , as the UK foreign secretary promised £3bn a year “for as long as it is necessary” to help Kyiv. Patrick Wintour writes that it is the UK’s biggest spending pledge since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In January, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, pledged £2.5bn in military aid to Ukraine for 2024-25.

Cameron said: “ Ukraine has the right to strike inside Russia because Russia is striking inside Ukraine … You can understand why Ukraine feels the need to defend itself.” The foreign secretary announced that the UK’s donation of military equipment would include precision-guided bombs, air defence missiles and equipment for 100 mobile air defence teams to shoot down Russia’s drones and missiles.

The UK also committed to doubling its domestic munitions production by investing a further £10bn over the next 10 years. “We’ve just emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment,” said Cameron. “Some of the equipment is actually arriving in Ukraine today while I am here.”

Emmanuel Macron has said the question of sending western troops to Ukraine would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian frontlines and Kyiv made such a request. In an interview with the Economist, the French president maintained his stance of strategic ambiguity, saying: “I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out .”

At least eight children were injured in the town of Derhachi in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region on Thursday when Russian guided bombs struck a site close to a sports complex where they had been training, local officials said. An elderly man was also wounded.

Russia said on Thursday it had captured the village of Berdychi which lies about 12km (7 miles) north-west of Avdiivka – a week after Ukrainian forces pulled out . Over the weekend, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, said troops had retreated from Berdychi and two other nearby villages to protect “the lives and health of our defenders”.

Russian energy company Gazprom said on Thursday it suffered a record annual loss in 2023 as the European market was practically shut to its gas exports due to war sanctions . The state-owned firm suffered a net loss of 629bn rubles ($6.9 bn/£5.5bn) in 2023 compared with a net profit of 1.23tn rubles in 2022.

The governors of three Russian regions reported that energy facilities were damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes . Oryol region governor Andrei Klychkov said energy infrastructure was hit in two communities. The Smolensk and Kursk governors reported one facility damaged in each region.

The Kremlin has rejected allegations by the US that Russian forces used the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian. Moscow also criticised a fresh round of US sanctions – including on entities in China and other countries that western investigators have linked with Russia’s war effort . Several Chinese banks have stopped servicing Russian clients after being warned they could be hit with western sanctions, Russian and western media have reported in recent months.

The Chinese government said it would take “necessary measures” in response to what it called the “illegal and unilateral sanctions” against “normal” trading relations. The US package targets nearly 300 entities in Russia, China and other countries. China has never condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and stands accused of indirectly supporting the war .

Nato has condemned an intensifying campaign of Russian “malign activities” on member states’ territory including disinformation, sabotage, violence and cyber interference. Authorities in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Britain have recently investigated and charged people in connection with “hostile state activity”. In London, a 20-year-old British man has been charged with masterminding an arson plot against a Ukrainian-linked target, while Czech authorities announced in March they had busted a Moscow-financed network that spread Russian propaganda and influence, including in the European parliament.

Vladimir Putin sees domestic and international developments trending in his favour and the war is unlikely to end soon , the US director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, has told the senate armed services committee. “Putin’s increasingly aggressive tactics against Ukraine, such as strikes on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure , were intended to impress Ukraine that continuing to fight will only increase the damage to Ukraine and offer no plausible path to victory.”

• Russia-Ukraine war at a glance

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow rages over Cameron strike remarks, warns of 'direct escalation' and threatens Denmark

During a visit to Kyiv, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has a "right" to strike inside Russia, just as Moscow's forces are doing. Meanwhile, the fall of the eastern town of Chasiv Yar looms closer. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.

Friday 3 May 2024 18:15, UK

• Cameron: Ukraine has 'right' to strike Russia using British-supplied weapons
• Fall of Ukrainian city a 'matter of time', Ukrainian intelligence officer says
• Russia's 'three-point plan' to victory
• Moscow rages over Cameron remarks
• Exclusive: UK plans to ramp up weapons production for Ukraine
• Analysis: Will US aid help turn tide on Russia?
• Your questions answered: Why can't Ukraine destroy key Crimean bridge?
• Listen to the Sky News Daily above and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell

That's it from our live coverage for today - thanks for following along. 

Before we go, here is a quick reminder of today's updates: 

• Lord Cameron has been in Ukraine where he told Sky News that the UK will appoint a new envoy to oversee a plan to ramp up the production of weapons and ammunition, which is now a "national priority";
• Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said;
• The Kremlin branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying";
• Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has praised the "new regions" troops have taken control of in Ukraine since the start of the year.

Now to Georgia, which is not directly involved in the war in Ukraine, but whose future is seen as highly significant in the context of Vladimir Putin's ambitions for Russia.

Draft legislation, known as the "foreign agents" law, is winding its way through the Georgian parliament and would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.

The proposed law has been attacked by opponents attack as authoritarian and Kremlin-inspired.

Protesters have taken to the streets of capital Tbilisi for weeks to show their opposition, while the European Union and the United States have urged Georgiato drop the legislation or risk harming its chances of EU membership and a broader Euro-Atlantic future.

The stand-off is seen as part of a wider struggle that could determine whether Georgia, a country of 3.7 million people that has experienced war and revolution since the fall of the Soviet Union, moves closer to Europe or back under Moscow's influence.

Video below shows protesters in Tbilisi blocking traffic as part of their efforts to prevent the bill being passed.

A regular feature of news coverage surrounding the war in Ukraine has been the frequently bellicose statements that have emanated from one of Vladimir Putin's most prominent allies, Dmitry Medvedev.

The deputy chairman of the security council of the Russian Federation is notorious for his inflammatory language and repeated invocation of Cold War-style nuclear threats, which tend to be widely dismissed by most Western commentators.

Indeed, some analysts have suggested the former president's penchant for such wild outbursts are specifically designed to frame himself as an erratic character who could not be considered a viable rival to Mr Putin - thus avoiding the fate of other figures considered a threat to the leader's authority.

It is through that lens that many will view his latest comments, which ostensibly cover his thoughts on the Ukraine peace conference due to take place in Switzerland in June - to which Russia has not been invited.

His assessment is perhaps unsurprisingly dismissive, even going as far as to imply the summit represents positive news for Moscow.

"What is Russia's gain of the Swiss 'peace conference'?" he asks in his post on social media.

 "It's actually threefold. First, it will come as yet another proof of failure of the so-called peace plan by the halfwit zelensky (sic)."

He follows that by referring to Ukraine's leader as "the bandera b******", seeking to associate him with a Ukrainian far-right leader of the mid 20th century.

The Kremlin has long sought to depict Ukraine's leadership as far-right neonazis, efforts that have been widely dismissed by commentators on the region.

"Second, it will be visible evidence of the full impotence of the present-day western elites, who have performed painful self-castration of their own potential to stop the military conflict," Mr Medvedev continues.

"What's more, it has been done on direct orders given by a group of senile doctors from Washington.

"Third, it will allow our Armed Forces to further cleanse Malorossia's [little Russia's] territories from neonazis without any hindrance and regard for some c***'s 'peace initiatives'."

After forecasting "the final collapse of the former Ukraine’s political regime", he concludes: "Thank you, the land of cheese and watches!"

Russian officers has been welcoming foreign military attaches in Moscow today during their visit to an exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine.

The event organised by the Russian Defence Ministry features more than 30 pieces of Western-made heavy equipment, including a US-made M1 Abrams tank and a Bradley armoured fighting vehicle.

More now from Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who has been speaking to journalists this afternoon.

She has said any move by Denmark to restrict the freedom of navigation of Russian ships in the Baltic straits will be seen as a hostile act and draw retaliation.

It is unclear exactly what prompted the threat, but we'll bring you any more detail as we get it.

Denmark has played down suggestions it will begin checking Russian tankers moving through its waters to establish whether they have the correct documentation.

The country allows ships calling at Russia to use its waters due to a longstanding freedom of navigation treaty, although the country's armed forces have said it is standard procedure to track them.

The Baltic straits - the only natural exits from the Baltic sea to the North Atlantic - are notoriously difficult to navigate and international maritime authorities strongly recommend the use of pilots with specialist local knowledge.

However, it is believed more than 20 tankers - so-called shadow vessels - transporting Russian oil but with unknown ownership, have declined offers to use Danish pilots since the start of 2024. 

And the Danish Maritime Authority said in a statement in March that a tanker from Russia's shadow fleet was involved in a collision near Denmark.

The incident involving the 15-year-old Andromeda Star oil tanker took place on 2 March.

A Russian activist has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to set fire to a military conscription office in protest against the war in Ukraine. 

Angel Nikolayev, 39, was convicted on charges of terrorism for placing two bottles of a flammable substance in the windows of a conscription office in the eastern city of Khabarovsk and setting them alight. 

He was also convicted of damaging Russian flags that were put on the graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine at a local cemetery and removing symbols of Russian military action from a bus stop and several vehicles.

Since 2022, hundreds of people have faced criminal charges in Russia over protests and remarks condemning the war in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed.

Russia is ready to consider "serious" peace talk proposals to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Speaking at a press briefing this afternoon, Ms Zakharova said the talks must be based on existing "realities" and Moscow's security concerns. 

She said part of the proposal would include Ukraine pledging to remain militarily neutral in future.

Russia proposing the possibility of peace talks is nothing new. 

Despite suggesting it is open for discussion, it always seems to blame Ukraine or the West for the breakdown of negotiations.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said troops have taken control of 211 square miles (547 square kilometres) of Ukrainian territory this year.

He referred to the territory as Russia's "new regions".

Mr Shoigu told a group of senior military commanders that Ukrainian forces were retreating along the frontline and that Russian troops were breaking a network of "Ukrainian strongholds".

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian armed forces have liberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on to individual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced to abandon their positions and retreat."

Ukraine's top commander said last week that a number of troops had fallen back to new positions in villages on the eastern front.

The advances mean Russia now controls around 18% of Ukraine.

As reported here earlier, Moscow has had a predictably indignant reaction to Lord Cameron's statement's yesterday during his trip to Ukraine (see 10.34am post).

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has offered a further reflection of displeasure within Vladimir Putin's regime, claiming the British foreign secretary's comments amounted to an acknowledgement that the West was waging a war against Russia using "Ukrainian hands".

Lord Cameron said yesterday that Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Cameron's words are further evidence of the hybrid war the West is waging against our country," Ms Zakharova said.

"Russia is responding to that and will continue to respond."

Russian's Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China later this month to meet President Xi Jinping, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

The visit is scheduled for 15-16 May, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the Kremlin's plans.

It comes after the White House said it remained "deeply concerned" that it was not seeing China make any changes amid accusations it is helping Russia's military with its war in Ukraine. 

Next week, Mr Xi will visit Europe for the first time in five years.

Beginning in Paris, France, he will visit Hungary and Serbia, the latter of which is a close ally to Mr Putin.

China has always maintained that it remains an objective and just party over the war, adding that its trade relations are "above-board".

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Ukraine’s balloon-borne bomber blitz: Designed to waste Russian shells and missiles

The latest Ukrainian deep-strike weapon isn’t a drone, a cruise missile or a ballistic missile. It’s a balloon.

In a recent speech, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Russian air defences had shot down 37 Ukrainian balloons since Russia widened its war on Ukraine starting in February 2022.

Many of the balloons arrived recently. The Kremlin reported five balloon shoot-downs on April 18 and two more on April 20 – one of the latter got as far as Moscow, 275 miles from the border with Ukraine. Another balloon crashed just inside Russian territory in March.

The balloon designs are all pretty similar: an inexpensive envelope, a simple satellite-communications relay, a bit of ballast – and a few pounds of explosives. It’s possible each balloon costs just a few hundred dollars, likely making the lighter-than-air vehicles the cheapest of Kyiv’s deep-strike weapons, which also include long-range strike drones, British- and French-made cruise missiles and ballistic missiles from the United States.

The recent barrage of balloons is part of a wider campaign of Ukrainian raids targeting strategic targets hundreds of miles inside Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine: air bases, weapons factories and oil refineries are among the top targets.

The Ukrainians lately have been especially busy with their American-supplied Army Tactical Missile System rockets. The United States reportedly shipped more than a hundred of the precision-guided ATACMS starting in March. Ukraine wasted no time bombarding Russian air bases and air-defence batteries in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian air bases have escalated to the point that, in recent days, the Kremlin pulled back dozens of its best warplanes, redeploying them from bases near the front line to bases hundreds of miles away – beyond the reach of Ukraine’s cruise and ballistic missiles, although not beyond the reach of the farthest-flying strike drones.

Don’t expect the balloons to have such a serious impact on Russian operations, however. Explosive war balloons aren’t new. They’ve floated across borders in at least three wars in just the last century – and never had any meaningful impact.

This is for one major reason: they’re unguided. They just float on the wind until they can’t anymore. Japan floated nearly 300 bomb-laden balloons across the Pacific Ocean in 1944 and ’45. The only casualties were a pastor’s wife and five Sunday School students on a fishing trip in Oregon who accidentally triggered the explosive payload of a crashed balloon .

The Japanese balloon bombs were more effective than the crude bombs terror group Islamic State deployed in Syria in 2015 . The tiny unguided craft – apparently just condoms full of some lighter-than-air gas and carrying miniscule explosive charges – apparently inflicted exactly zero damage on Syrian forces.

Balloons can work as wide-area surveillance systems, which is why Russia has drifted a few over Ukraine since 2022 – and why China routinely deploys them over the western Pacific Ocean and even sent a few floating over the United States last year.

But surveillance doesn’t necessarily require precision. High-resolution cameras and sensitive electronic receivers can collect useful intelligence over thousands of square miles.

An air raid does require precision: missing by just a few yards can make the difference between a successful raid and a failed one. An unguided strike balloon is, at best, a way for one country to compel another country to waste precious air-defence resources trying to shoot them down.

Smart air-defence commanders would simply ignore them. Ukrainian planners might be hoping they don’t. It’s apparent that one aim of Ukraine’s widening strike campaign – more and more drones, missiles and rockets hitting more and more bases and industrial sites – is to force Russia to spread out, and thin out, its radars and surface-to-air missile batteries.

“Ukrainian drone strikes against targets within Russia are ... likely increasing pressure on available Russian air-defence assets,” the Institute for the Study of War in Washington DC explained .

And for the Ukrainians, that pressure represents an opportunity. Thinner Russian air-defences along the front line means less risk to Ukrainian warplanes operating directly over the battlefield. “You can’t defend everywhere,” retired US Army general Mark Hertling noted.

As long as the Russians are wasting resources shooting down balloons, they’re not devoting those same resources to shooting down Ukrainian assets that actually matter. Ones with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

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