Russia’s war on Ukraine latest: Russia admits retreat north of Bakhmut

(Reuters) -Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine’s battlefield city of Bakhmut after a new offensive, in a retreat that the head of Russia’s Wagner private army called a rout.

CONFLICT

* As anticipation grows of a Ukrainian counteroffensive aiming to drive Moscow’s forces out of the land they have seized in the last 15 months, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Friday that Ukrainian forces advanced by about 2 km around the eastern city of Bakhmut this week and have not given up any positions there in that time.

* Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday its forces had repelled a surge of attempted Ukrainian attacks against its positions in eastern Ukraine but indicated its troops had fallen back in one area for what it said were tactical reasons.

* Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner forces that have led the campaign in Bakhmut, said in an audio message: “What Konashenkov described, unfortunately, is called ‘a rout’ and not a regrouping”.

* In a separate video message, Prigozhin said the Ukrainians seized high ground overlooking Bakhmut and opened the main highway leading into the city from the West, saying 5 sq km had been lost on Friday alone.

* A Ukrainian brigade commander fighting in the ruins of Bakhmut on Thursday said Russian mercenary forces have stepped up shelling and artillery attacks in recent days and were not facing a munitions shortage, despite its chief’s claims to the contrary.

* Two Russian pilots were killed on Friday when a Russian Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in the annexed peninsula of Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry.

* The commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet said its defences are being tightened amid a flurry of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting its home base, the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL

* The Kremlin said on Friday that there was nothing new to report after talks on possible renewal of the Black Sea grain deal in Istanbul and that a potential conversation between the leaders of Turkey and Russia would not help clinch an agreement.

ARMS

* South African officials on Friday hit back at U.S. accusations that a sanctioned Russian ship had picked up weapons from a naval base near Cape Town late last year, a move investors feared could lead Washington to impose sanctions.

DIPLOMACY

* The EU is discussing its 11th package of sanctions sinceRussia invaded Ukraine, meant to focus on those circumventingexisting trade restrictions.

* Lawmakers accused the Pentagon of effectively undermining war crimes prosecution of Russia by blocking the sharing of U.S. military intelligence with the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

* U.S. President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will discuss Ukraine, defense cooperation, and migration on Friday during a meeting at the White House in which the war between Moscow and Kyiv is likely to loom large.

ECONOMY

* Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are considering speeding up a plan to disconnect the Baltic region’s electricity supply from Russia’s grid.

INSIDE RUSSIA

* Police in the Russian city of St. Petersburg have created a new anti-drone unit to detect unmanned aerial vehicles following a purported drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month, they announced on Friday.

* Pro-war Russian nationalists led by Igor Girkin said on Friday that a new group they had set up was entering politics to save Russia which they warned was in danger of turmoil due to military failures in the Ukraine war.

IN-DEPTH STORIES

* INSIGHT-Communities torn as Ukraine turns its back on Moscow-linked church.

* INSIGHT-How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine.

* EXCLUSIVE-Turkey defers $600 mln Russian energy payment -sources

* EXCLUSIVE-Oilfield firm SLB retrenches as Russia sanctions squeeze

* FOCUS-Why eastern Europe’s grain producers face a perfect storm

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