Russian gasoline pipeline explodes in large fireball blast amid collection of ‘Ukrainian moves’At no cost actual time breaking information indicators despatched instantly in your inbox signal as much as our breaking information emailsSign as much as our unfastened breaking information emailsUkraine has summoned the Vatican’s envoy over Pope Francis’s recommendation that Kyiv must “display the braveness of the white flag”, remarks that experience drawn a well-liked backlash.The Apostolic Nuncio Visvaldas Kulbokas used to be instructed that Kyiv used to be “disenchanted” as Ukraine suggested the Pope to chorus from statements that “legalise the correct of would possibly and inspire additional overlook for the norms of global legislation”, the overseas ministry stated.The Pope sparked anger after a transcript of an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI used to be launched forward of its broadcast subsequent week.Russian lawmakers, in the meantime, are looking for to nullify the Soviet determination in 1954 to switch Crimea from Russia to Ukraine. The transfer seems to be an effort by way of Vladimir Putin to rewrite historical past and justify his unlawful 2014 annexation of the peninsula.It comes as Russia stated Ukraine had introduced 25 drones in a single day, together with person who used to be downed simply outdoor Moscow.Operations had been halted at an oil refinery in western Russia after a drone strike brought about a fireplace within the the town of Kstovo.Key PointsShow newest replace 1710223629Huge hearth engulfs oil processing unit in western Russia after drone strikeA large hearth has erupted in an oil processing unit within the the town of Kstovo in western Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod after a drone assault, the regional governor stated.Gleb Nikitin stated a gas and effort advanced facility used to be attacked by way of unmanned aerial automobiles. Russia’s Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery is situated within the the town and is assumed to have stuck hearth.Paintings on the refinery used to be briefly suspended because of an “incident,” Russia’s RIA state information company stated, mentioning the oil corporate.“Within the morning, the Kstovo business zone, a gas and effort advanced facility, used to be attacked by way of unmanned aerial automobiles,” Mr Nikitin stated at the Telegram messaging app.Shweta Sharma12 March 2024 06:071710223080Kremlin claims to have lengthy had reviews of Nato advisers in UkraineRussian safety services and products have lengthy had knowledge that Nato advisers are in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on Monday.The Kremlin spokesperson used to be commenting on Polish media reviews suggesting that Nato infantrymen are in Ukraine.Andy Gregory12 March 2024 05:581710219120Russian politicians post draft invoice looking for to nullify 1954 switch of CrimeaRussian politicians have submitted a draft invoice which might search to rewrite historical past by way of nullifying the Soviet determination in 1954 to switch Crimea from Russia to Ukraine.The transfer seems geared toward setting up a felony foundation for Russia to argue that Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which it claims to have annexed from Ukraine in 2014, used to be by no means in point of fact a part of Ukraine first of all.The draft, submitted by way of a political candidate from every of Russia’s two homes of parliament, describes the 1954 handover as arbitrary and unlawful as a result of no referendum used to be held and Soviet government had no proper to switch territory from one constituent republic to every other with out consent.There used to be no announcement of when it could be debated.Vladimir Putin has up to now denounced the 1954 handover of Crimea beneath then Soviet chief Nikita Khrushchev as a contravention of felony norms in position on the time.Crimea citizens voted in favour of independence at the side of the remainder of Ukraine in a referendum when the Soviet Union broke up, and Russia and Ukraine due to this fact recognised every different’s borders. However Moscow seized army keep watch over of Crimea in 2014 and annexed it after a referendum that Ukraine and Western governments declared unlawful.Reuters12 March 2024 04:521710216544Russia arrests South Korean guy for spying, Tass saysA South Korean guy has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, Russian state information company Tass reported.Regulation enforcement companies stated the person, known as Baek Gained-soon, have been detained within the some distance jap town of Vladivostok ahead of being transferred to Moscow for “investigative movements”.The state information outlet stated it used to be the primary such case in opposition to a South Korean nationwide. It didn’t supply any element at the nature of the alleged spying.An respectable reached at South Korea’s Overseas Ministry had no fast remark.Russia regards South Korea as an “unfriendly” nation as a result of Seoul’s make stronger for Western sanctions in opposition to Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine whilst it has solid nearer family members with North Korea.Shweta Sharma12 March 2024 04:091710215340Tory MP accuses executive of reducing defence spendingThe executive must be “ashamed” for making “deeply dishonourable” cuts to defence spending, a Conservative former defence minister has stated.Mark Francois, a member of the cross-party defence committee, instructed the Commons: “The crimson e-book, the Price range bible, presentations very obviously in tables 2.1 and a pair of.2 that the core defence funds subsequent yr has been lower by way of £2.5bn, this is true.“It sick beholds any executive, let on my own one that purports to name itself Conservative, to then attempt to use one-off bills to Ukraine or for overspends within the nuclear funds from the consolidated fund and faux they’re a part of the defence funds, when everybody on this Space is aware of they’re no longer.“So I say to the federal government, if to not the minister who I’ve nice regard for, because the son of a D-Day veteran, extra in anger than in sorrow, what the federal government have performed is deeply dishonourable they usually must be embarrassed about themselves.”Defence minister James Cartlidge spoke back: “Once we discuss spending at the nuclear deterrent, or spending to make stronger Ukraine which is buying guns, offering ordnance to them to lend a hand in the long run protect ourselves, I do suppose they’re legitimately described as defence expenditure.“Finally, how else are we to pay for them, which funds are we intended to pay from?”Andy Gregory12 March 2024 03:491710214628Russian lawmakers suggest draft invoice to nullify Soviet switch of Crimea to UkraineRussian lawmakers have submitted a draft invoice to the State Duma that will rewrite a bankruptcy of historical past by way of nullifying the Soviet determination in 1954 to switch Crimea from Russia to Ukraine.The transfer seems geared toward setting up a felony foundation for Russia to argue that Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which it claims to have annexed from Ukraine in 2014, used to be by no means in point of fact a part of Ukraine first of all.The draft, submitted by way of a lawmaker from every of Russia’s two homes of parliament, describes the 1954 handover as “arbitrary” and “unlawful” as a result of no referendum used to be held and Soviet government had no proper to switch territory from one constituent republic to every other with out consent.There used to be no announcement of when it could be debated by way of lawmakers.Russian president Vladimir Putin has up to now denounced the 1954 handover of Crimea beneath then Soviet chief Nikita Khrushchev as a contravention of felony norms in position on the time.Shweta Sharma12 March 2024 03:371710213527Ukraine summons Vatican envoy after Pope’s white flag remarksUkraine has summoned the envoy to the Vatican to precise “sadness” over the Pope’s commentary that Kyiv must have “the braveness of the white flag” and negotiate an finish to the struggle with Russia.The papal ambassador to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, used to be summoned on Monday, the overseas ministry stated.“Visvaldas Kulbokas used to be knowledgeable that Ukraine is disenchanted by way of the Pontiff’s phrases,” it stated in a observation.He used to be instructed the Pope must chorus from statements that “legalise the correct of would possibly and inspire additional overlook for the norms of global legislation,” a observation at the ministry’s web site stated.The observation stated the Pope “can be anticipated to ship indicators to the sector group concerning the wish to straight away sign up for forces to verify the victory of excellent over evil.”Shweta Sharma12 March 2024 03:181710212221Drone downed outdoor Moscow – officialsRussia says its air defence methods destroyed a drone introduced from Ukraine that used to be flying against Moscow.Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated at the Telegram messaging app there have been no casualties and no injury on the website online within the Ramensky district the place the drone particles fell.Shweta Sharma12 March 2024 02:571710211500Watch: Russian gasoline pipeline explodes in large fireball blast amid collection of ‘Ukrainian moves’Russian gasoline pipeline explodes in large fireball blast amid collection of ‘Ukrainian moves’Andy Gregory12 March 2024 02:451710207720Russian scholar jailed for pro-Ukraine WiFi community nameA Russian scholar has been jailed for 10 days for naming his WiFi after a pro-Ukrainian slogan, the newest case of an odd citizen being swept up in Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on freedom of speech across the conflict, reviews my colleague Shweta Sharma.A court docket in Moscow discovered Oleg Tarasov responsible of spreading propaganda and the “public show of Nazi symbols” on Thursday because it despatched him to jail, reported state-run Ria. The Kremlin accuses the Ukrainian executive of being composed of neo-Nazis, regardless of the reality it has a democratically elected Jewish chief in Volodymyr Zelensky.Tarasov, a scholar at Moscow State College, had named his WiFi community “Slava Ukraini!”, a well-liked anti-war slogan that interprets to “Glory to Ukraine” in English, in step with the impartial Russian Telegram information channel Ostorozhno Novosti.The scholar used to be arrested on Wednesday morning after a police officer reported the WiFi community to the government.Andy Gregory12 March 2024 01:42