Russia’s war on Ukraine latest: UK promises Zelenskiy long-range drones

(Reuters) – Britain promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy long-range attack drones when he visited the country on Monday as part of European tour aimed at securing new weapons for a counteroffensive against Russia.

DIPLOMACY AND ECONOMY

* A top Chinese envoy, Li Hui, was due to begin a tour of Ukraine, Russia and other European countries on Monday in a trip Beijing says is aimed at discussing a “political settlement” to the crisis.

* The Kremlin said it did not believe the added British hardware would change the course of the conflict.

* Britain said it would begin basic training of Ukrainian pilots “hand in hand with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F-16 jets”. But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said Britain had no plans to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

* NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expected allies to agree on a multi-year programme to help Ukraine advance towards NATO military standards at a July summit.

* Leaders of the Group of Seven nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow’s war effort, officials with direct knowledge of the discussions said.

* Ukraine cannot rule out that a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain will end on May 18, when it is due to expire, and no additional talks are planned this week, a foreign ministry official said on Monday.

FIGHTING

* Ukraine’s military on Monday hailed advances around Bakhmut as its first successful counterattack in the battle against Russian forces fighting for control of the eastern city.

* Russia’s Defence Ministry said for the first time on Monday that it had downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by Britain. Reuters was unable to verify the report.

* The head of Russia’s Wagner private army, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Monday dismissed a Washington Post report that he had offered to betray Russian positions, and the Kremlin called it a “hoax”. A White House spokesman declined to comment on the report, which cited a U.S. intelligence leak.

* Four people were killed in a Russian missile attack that hit a hospital in the eastern city of Avdiivka on Monday, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

* Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

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(Compiled by Reuters editors)