Russia-Ukraine war live: 20 members of Russian airfield personnel killed or injured in drone attack, Kyiv says – as it happened

It has just turned 6pm in Ukraine and Russia. Here are the key events you might have missed from the day:

• A Ukrainian drone attack targeting the Morozovsk airbase in Russia has killed or injured 20 members of airfield personnel and destroyed six Russian warplanes, as well as badly damaging eight others, according to officials in Kyiv. Russian defence officials, however, have claimed they intercepted more than 40 Ukrainian drones and only a power substation was damaged in the barrage. The Guardian could not independently verify either side’s claims.

• A Russian airstrike on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia has killed two people and injured six others, according to local governor. A series of blasts had been reported in the city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday. Reuters reported earlier in the day that Ukraine’s air force shot down all 13 drones used in Russia’s overnight attack on the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk, though nothing had been said about the missiles.

• Russian investigators claimed to have found pro-Ukraine data on the phone of one of the Moscow terror attack suspects, despite evidence that an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) was responsible. Russia’s investigative committee said that data from one of the suspects’ phones showed that on the morning of 24 February this year – the second anniversary of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine – he had trawled for photographs of the Crocus City Hall and sent it to others. It said the suspect “had confirmed all this in his statements” and also said they had found photos showing men in camouflage holding the Ukrainian flag in front of destroyed buildings.
  
  Human rights experts however have warned that any statements or confessions from the suspects should be met with scepticism given that the men appeared to have been repeatedly tortured, according to gruesome videos and photographs circulating of their interrogations.

• A Russian governor was hospitalised after being stabbed, a spokesperson has said. Andrey Chibis, governor of far northern Murmansk was stabbed in the stomach on Thursday evening outside a cultural centre in the town of Apatity, where he had been holding a meeting. Chibis said in a video posted on Telegram from his hospital bed early on Friday that he had “come around” after surgery and that doctors had saved his life. Chibis is a member of the United Russia ruling party and has governed Murmansk region since 2019. He was sanctioned by the EU in 2022 over his support for the Kremlin’s Ukraine offensive.

• Russian forces have taken control of a settlement named Vodyane in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to a Russia’s defence ministry statement. The ministry provided no further ddetails of the settlement.

• Authorities in Russia’s eastern city of Khabarovsk declared a state of emergency in an area where a “radiation source” was found, according to Russian news agency TASS reports. It said elevated radiation levels were detected near a power pylon, approximately 2.5km (1.5 miles) from residential buildings. It also said radiation levels would be monitored for the next two days and the source of the radiation would be investigated, but nobody has been injured or exposed to radiation so far.

• The Kremlin called French President Emmanuel Macron’s assertions that Russia plans to disrupt the Olympics “absolutely unfounded.” Macron said on Thursday that he had “no doubt” that Russia would target the Paris Olympics this summer. When asked about Russia’s threat to the games by a reporter, Macron said, “I have no doubt whatsoever, including in terms of information.”

• The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) humanitarian organisation said that a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian-held town of Pokrovsk had “completely destroyed” its office in the town. In a post on X, MSF said it “condemns this attack on the office, which supports its emergency medical humanitarian assistance”.

• Ukrainian military drones attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, but no serious damage was detected, Russian state media has reported, citing the plant’s press service. The Guardian could not independently verify the alleged incident. In the past, both sides have accused one other of shelling the plant, none of whose six reactors are operating.

• Japan announced new sanctions against Russia. Japan’s trade ministry announced the decision to ban exports of 164 goods to Russia, including automobile engine oil and optical equipment. They are also expected to ban imports of Russian nonindustrial diamonds.

• The Ukrainian military denied that Russian forces had entered the suburbs of Chasiv Yar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, but said there was fighting ongoing in the area. “The situation there is very difficult, the fighting continues, but they are not there,” Andriy Zadubinnyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command told Reuters. Russia’s RIA news agency cited an adviser to the Russian-appointed regional head earlier as saying that Russian forces were in the suburb of Chasiv Yar.

A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s southern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured six more, the regional governor said on Friday afternoon.

A nine-year-old boy and his mother were among the injured, Ivan Fedorov added on Telegram. An image posted by the governor showed a cafe with shattered windows.

A series of blasts was reported in the city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday.

The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) humanitarian organisation said on Friday that a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian-held town of Pokrovsk had “completely destroyed” its office in the town.

In a post on X, MSF said it “condemns this attack on the office, which supports its emergency medical humanitarian assistance”.

“This attack on our office is far from being an isolated incident. The destruction of civilian infrastructure has been a hallmark of this war for a long time,” says Vincenzo Porpiglia, emergency coordinator for MSF in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian police said five civilians were wounded in the strike.

Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zichenko says he would leave the Premier League to fight in Ukraine if he were called up by his country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week signed into law a measure lowering the country’s army mobilisation age from 27 to 25, the country’s parliament said on its website.

Professional footballer Zinchenko, who has won 60 caps for Ukraine, told BBC’s Newsnight programme he would answer a call-up.

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“I think it’s a clear answer. I would go (to fight)“, he said.

He added that former school friends were involved in the conflict.

“It’s tough to understand that just recently we’ve been in the same school, we were playing in the playground or on the football pitch, and now they have to defend our country,” he said.

The 27-year-old former Manchester City player told the BBC he had donated about £1m ($1.25m) to help people in his country since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“I know maybe some people might think that it’s much easier … for me being here (in London) rather than being there (in Ukraine),” he said. “I really hope that this war will end soon.”

Ukrainian military drones have attacked Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, but no serious damage has been detected, Russian state media reports, citing plant’s press service.

The Guardian could not independently verify the alleged incident.

In the past, both sides have accused one other of shelling the plant, none of whose six reactors are operating.

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Russian forces have taken control of a settlement named Vodyane in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The ministry provided no further details.

More updates to come …

Russia has summoned the South Korean ambassador to protest over sanctions by Seoul against Russian individuals and legal entities, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

South Korea has imposed sanctions against two Russian vessels which it says were carrying military cargo to North Korea. Seoul said on Tuesday that it had also sanctioned two Russian organisations and two Russian citizens linked to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Russia considers South Korea’s decision as an unfriendly move and will respond in due course.

Russia is very likely to have been behind disturbances affecting GPS navigation in the Baltic region, Germany’s defence ministry said today.

“The persistent disruptions to the global navigation satellite system are very likely of Russian origin and are based on disruptions in the electromagnetic spectrum, including those originating in the Kaliningrad Oblast,” a spokesperson for the ministry told Reuters.

Three civilians have been injured in Kherson, Ukrinform reported.

“The Russian troops attacked Beryslav again using a drone. Three people sustained injuries from the explosives that were dropped,” Kherson’s regional military administration said.

5 Apr 202406.55 EDT

Pjotr Sauer

A former city councillor and member of the Massachusetts national guard who is wanted in the US on child sexual abuse image charges has fled the country and joined the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

Wilmer Puello-Mota, 28, former city councillor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, went missing on 7 January, two days before he was scheduled to appear in court in Rhode Island in possession of child sexual abuse images and obstruction of justice charges.

This week, Puello-Mota resurfaced at an enlistment centre in the Russian region of Khanty-Mansiysk in western Siberia, where he was captured on film signing a military contract.

Read the rest of the story here:

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The governor of Russia’s far northern Murmansk region was in hospital on Friday after being stabbed by a man, his spokesperson said.

Andrey Chibis, 45, was stabbed in the stomach on Thursday evening outside a cultural centre in the town of Apatity, where he had been holding a meeting.

“Now he is in post-operative condition. It is too early to make predictions on his recovery and how long it will take,” Liliya Sechkina told Russian state TV.

Chibis said in a video posted on Telegram from his hospital bed early on Friday that he had “come around” after surgery and that doctors had saved his life.

The attacker was detained and is expected to undergo “psychiatric examinations”, investigators said. They added, “During interrogation, the man explained that he had committed the attack because he felt dislike for the governor, although he did not know him personally,.”

Chibis is a member of the United Russia ruling party and has governed Murmansk region since 2019. He was sanctioned by the EU in 2022 over his support for the Kremlin’s Ukraine offensive.

Ukrainian officials claimed on Friday that the drone strike targeting the Morozovsk airbase in Russia had killed or injured 20 members of personnel.

The officials, speaking on anonymity to the AP because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the operation, had also said the attack destroyed at least six military aircrafts and badly damaged eight others.

However, Russian defence officials claimed they intercepted more than 40 Ukrainian drones and only a power substation was damaged.

The Guardian could not independently verify either side’s claims.