Russia Ukraine war live: Kyiv downs 31 missiles from Putin’s forces as ten injured

Russia will take retaliatory measures in accordance with its own interests and use every legal mechanism at its disposal if the European Union uses profits from frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments ahead of a meeting of EU leaders at which the matter is due to be discussed.

Russian forces make minor gains in their continued offensive in eastern Ukraine, the UK defence intelligence has said.

In today’s update, the UK ministry of defence said that despite these minor gains, Russian advanced have slowed in recent weeks.

Vice-Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov has been appointed as acting commander of Russia‘s Northern Fleet, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.

Kabantsov, 55, replaces Admiral Alexander Moiseev, who was formally presented in his new role as overall head of Russia‘s Navy in a pomp-filled ceremony on Tuesday.

To mark ten years of conflict in Ukraine, The Independent is hosting a Virtual Event that will explore the grim underbelly of the war – getting a first-hand perspective from a former British Army soldier captured by Russian forces.

Shaun Pinner will be joining journalist Tim White, to detail how he was detained in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic after the siege of Mariupol and later freed in a prisoner swap.

He will be sharing the true story of his six months spent imprisoned in Russian-occupied Ukraine in this exclusive event.

The event will be hosted on Zoom and will last one hour. It will take place today (21 March) and will start at 1pm GMT.

Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a man in the Belgorod region who was preparing “terrorist” attacks against the Russian army, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, condemned the Russian missile attack on Kyiv “while people were sleeping” this morning.

“I urge the US Congress to unblock aid to Ukraine to save lives, protect freedom, and defeat Russian terror,” he posted on X.

Ukraine‘s capital was attacked by Russia for the first time in 44 days Thursday as Kyiv residents woke early to loud explosions.

Ukraine‘s Emergency Service said 13 people were wounded, including one child, and that dozens of people were evacuated from their homes.

Around 30 cruise and ballistic missiles were shot down over the city, said Serhii Popko, the head of Kyiv City Administration.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district in western Kyiv, an apartment in a multistory building and cars were set on fire as a result of the Russian attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The attack comes after Ukraine has continuously attacked Russia‘s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine for several days.

Russia’s Belgorod region has come under increasing Ukrainian attacks this month as the invasion by Moscow grinds into its third year.

A look at the region and its role in the war:

The region of forests, farmland and rolling hills has a 540-kilometer (335-mile) border along Ukraine’s northeastern edge. It has an area of over 27,000 square kilometers (about 10,500 square miles), and has a population of about 1.5 million.

It holds about 40% of Russia‘s iron ore and other minerals, and is home to several major industrial companies and farms.

Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, early on Thursday, injuring at least 10 people and damaging residential buildings and industrial facilities, city officials said.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 10 people were injured across the city. An 11-year-old girl was among the two people taken to hospital, city officials said.

Ukraine‘s air defences shot down all 31 Russian missiles targeting the capital, the air force commander said.

The first large attack in recent weeks targeted the city with both ballistic and cruise missiles, said Serhiy Popko, the head of its military administration.

“After a pause of 44 days, the enemy launched another missile attack on Kyiv,” he said. “All emergency services are working on sites. Clearing the consequences of the missile attack is underway.”

Popko said the Russian military used strategic bombers and also launched some missiles from its territory, while following complicated manoeuvres in neighbouring regions, the missiles targeted the city from different directions.

Russia’s Belgorod region has come under increasing Ukrainian attacks this month as the invasion by Moscow grinds into its third year.

A look at the region and its role in the war: