Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow rages over Cameron strike remarks, warns of 'direct escalation' and threatens Denmark (2024)

That's it from our live coverage for today - thanks for following along.

Before we go, here is a quick reminder of today's updates:

• Lord Cameron has been in Ukraine where he told Sky News that the UK will appoint a new envoy to oversee a plan to ramp up the production of weapons and ammunition, which is now a "national priority";
• Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said;
  
• The Kremlin branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying";
• Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has praised the "new regions" troops have taken control of in Ukraine since the start of the year.

Now to Georgia, which is not directly involved in the war in Ukraine, but whose future is seen as highly significant in the context of Vladimir Putin's ambitions for Russia.

Draft legislation, known as the "foreign agents" law, is winding its way through the Georgian parliament and would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.

The proposed law has been attacked by opponents as authoritarian and Kremlin-inspired.

Protesters have taken to the streets of capital Tbilisifor weeks to show their opposition, while the European Union and the United States have urged Georgiato drop the legislation or risk harming its chances of EU membership and a broader Euro-Atlantic future.

The stand-off is seen as part of a wider struggle that could determine whether Georgia, a country of 3.7 million people that has experienced war and revolution since the fall of the Soviet Union, moves closer to Europe or back under Moscow's influence.

Video below shows protesters in Tbilisi blocking traffic as part of their efforts to prevent the bill being passed.

A regular feature of news coverage surrounding the war in Ukraine has been the frequently bellicose statements that have emanated from one of Vladimir Putin's most prominent allies, Dmitry Medvedev.

The deputy chairman of the security council of the Russian Federation is notorious for his inflammatory language and repeated invocation of Cold War-style nuclear threats, which tend to be widely dismissed by most Western commentators.

Indeed, some analysts have suggested the former president's penchant for such wild outbursts are specifically designed to frame himself as an erratic character who could not be considered a viable rival to Mr Putin - thus avoiding the fate of other figures considered a threat to the leader's authority.

It is through that lens that many will view his latest comments, which ostensibly cover his thoughts on the Ukraine peace conference due to take place in Switzerland in June - to which Russia has not been invited.

His assessment is perhaps unsurprisingly dismissive, even going as far as to imply the summit represents positive news for Moscow.

"What is Russia's gain of the Swiss 'peace conference'?" he asks in his post on social media.

"It's actually threefold. First, it will come as yet another proof of failure of the so-called peace plan by the halfwit zelensky (sic)."

He follows that by referring to Ukraine's leader as "the bandera b******", seeking to associate him with a Ukrainian far-right leader of the mid 20th century.

The Kremlin has long sought to depict Ukraine's leadership as far-right neonazis, efforts that have been widely dismissed by commentators on the region.

"Second, it will be visible evidence of the full impotence of the present-day western elites, who have performed painful self-castration of their own potential to stop the military conflict," Mr Medvedev continues.

"What's more, it has been done on direct orders given by a group of senile doctors from Washington.

"Third, it will allow our Armed Forces to further cleanse Malorossia's [little Russia's] territories from neonazis without any hindrance and regard for some c***'s 'peace initiatives'."

After forecasting "the final collapse of the former Ukraine’s political regime", he concludes: "Thank you, the land of cheese and watches!"

Russian officers has been welcoming foreign military attaches in Moscow today during their visit to an exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine.

The event organised by the Russian Defence Ministry features more than 30 pieces of Western-made heavy equipment, including a US-made M1 Abrams tank and a Bradley armoured fighting vehicle.

More now fromRussian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who has been speaking to journalists this afternoon.

She has said any move by Denmark to restrict the freedom of navigation ofRussian ships in the Baltic straits will be seen as a hostile act and draw retaliation.

It is unclear exactly what prompted the threat, but we'll bring you any more detail as we get it.

Denmark has played down suggestions it will begin checking Russian tankers moving through its waters to establish whether they have the correct documentation.

The country allows ships calling at Russia to use its waters due to a longstanding freedom of navigation treaty, although the country's armed forces have said it is standard procedure to track them.

The Baltic straits - the only natural exits from the Baltic sea to the North Atlantic - are notoriously difficult to navigate and international maritime authorities strongly recommend the use of pilots with specialist local knowledge.

However, it is believed more than 20 tankers - so-called shadow vessels - transporting Russian oil but with unknown ownership, have declined offers to use Danish pilots since the start of 2024.

And the Danish Maritime Authority said in a statement in March that a tanker from Russia's shadow fleet was involved in a collision near Denmark.

The incident involving the 15-year-old Andromeda Star oil tanker took place on 2 March.

A Russian activist has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to set fire to a military conscription office in protest against the war in Ukraine.

Angel Nikolayev, 39, was convicted on charges of terrorism for placing two bottles of a flammable substance in the windows of a conscription office in the eastern city of Khabarovsk and setting them alight.

He was also convicted of damaging Russian flags that were put on the graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine at a local cemetery and removing symbols of Russian military action from a bus stop and several vehicles.

Since 2022, hundreds of people have faced criminal charges in Russia over protests and remarks condemning the war in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed.

Russia is ready to consider "serious" peace talk proposals to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Speaking at a press briefing this afternoon, Ms Zakharova said the talks must be based on existing "realities" and Moscow's security concerns.

She said part of the proposal would include Ukraine pledging to remain militarily neutral in future.

Russia proposing the possibility of peace talks is nothing new.

Despite suggesting it is open for discussion, it always seems to blame Ukraine or the West for the breakdown of negotiations.

Russian Defence MinisterSergei Shoigu said troops have taken control of 211 square miles (547 square kilometres) of Ukrainian territory this year.

He referred to the territory as Russia's "new regions".

Mr Shoigu told a group of senior military commanders that Ukrainian forces were retreating along the frontlineand that Russian troops were breaking a networkof "Ukrainian strongholds".

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian armed forces haveliberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, sem*nivka andBerdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on toindividual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced toabandon their positions and retreat."

Ukraine's top commander said last week that a number of troops had fallen back to new positions in villages on the eastern front.

The advances mean Russia now controls around 18% of Ukraine.

As reported here earlier, Moscow has had a predictably indignant reaction to Lord Cameron's statement's yesterday during his trip to Ukraine (see 10.34am post).

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has offered a further reflection of displeasure within Vladimir Putin's regime, claiming the British foreign secretary's comments amounted to an acknowledgement that the West was waging a war againstRussiausing "Ukrainian hands".

Lord Cameron said yesterday that Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets insideRussia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Cameron's words are further evidence of the hybrid war the West is waging against our country," Ms Zakharova said.

"Russiais responding to that and will continue to respond."

Russian's Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China later this month to meet President Xi Jinping, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

The visit is scheduled for 15-16 May, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the Kremlin's plans.

It comes after the White House said it remained "deeply concerned" that it was not seeing China make any changes amid accusations it is helping Russia's military with its war in Ukraine.

Next week, Mr Xi will visit Europe for the first time in five years.

Beginning in Paris, France, he will visit Hungary and Serbia, the latter of which is a close ally to Mr Putin.

China has always maintained that it remains an objective and just party over the war, adding that its trade relations are "above-board".