Ukraine war latest: Kyiv targets Russia with largest ever drone attack overnight

A close ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin warned the US risked triggering a global war if it continued to “provoke” the conflict in Ukraine.

Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the Rostec corporation which supplies many of Russia’s arms for the war, said the world could be drawn into a mass conflict and Moscow was ready for confrontation.

“In a situation where the West, led by the United States, provokes war, we must be ready. The third year of the special operation is under way. Russia feels confident,” Mr Chemezov said.

“The further it goes, the greater the risk that the world will be drawn into a global conflict. It looks strange, but Western countries do not seem to understand just how fraught this is for them.”

Ukrainian forces have damaged or destroyed three bridges in Russia’s Kursk region – aiming to cut crucial Russian supply lines in the latest chapter in Kyiv’s daring assault across the border, which the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says is achieving its military aims.

Ukraine’s troops know Russia will respond but want to take as much revenge against Vladimir Putin’s forces as they can. Soldiers from one of the brigades that spearheaded the offensive into Kursk have told The Independent how they laughed in disbelief and joy as they dug trenches inside Russia.

“It was an incredible feeling to realise that this time we were invading them and we laughed like madmen as we dug trenches on enemy land, Russian soil,” said a soldier with the codename Lyasha.

Ukrainian forces destroyed 50 out of 69 attack drones launched by Russia during an overnight strike, Kyiv’s military said on Wednesday.

The air force said another 16 drones were likely downed by electronic warfare during the attack, which also included two ballistic and one cruise missiles. It said it shot down only the latter.

The military added that one drone had entered Ukraine from Belarus and another had returned to Russia.

Ukraine’s parliament voted to ratify the Rome Statute in a move set to pave the way for Kyiv to join the International Criminal Court.

In a Telegram post, Yaroslav Zhelezniak said 281 deputies had voted for the measure, a key requirement for Ukraine to eventually join the European Union.

​The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and tries individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

A video published online has shown the devastation wrought up on the eastern Ukrainian town of Myrnohrad as Russian forces advance towards it.

The town, which sits next door to the city of Pokrovsk, has come under siege from Russian forces in recent months.

Moscow’s troops are around four miles from Myrnohrad and six from Pokrovsk, which is seen as a linchpin of Ukraine’s defence of the wider Donetsk region.

The juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have written to the United Nations Security Council to denounce Ukraine‘s alleged support of rebel groups in West Africa’s Sahel region, a copy of their letter showed.

Mali cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine at the start of the month over comments by a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s military intelligence agency about fighting in Mali’s north that killed Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries in late July.

The military government of Niger followed suit days later in solidarity with its neighbour.

The dispute broke out after the Ukrainian military intelligence agency spokesperson said Malian rebels had received “necessary” information to conduct the July attack.

Tuareg rebels said they killed at least 84 Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers over days of fierce fighting, potentially Wagner’s heaviest defeat since it stepped in two years ago to help Mali’s junta fight insurgent groups.

Mali and Niger accused Ukraine of supporting “international terrorism”.

Ukraine has repeatedly called the allegations groundless and untrue. A Tuareg rebel alliance has also said it did not receive any Ukrainian support.