The Russian Ministry of Defence has said its forces have destroyed a munitions store in Ukraine's Lviv region where weapons transferred from Western allies have been stored.

In its daily briefing posted on Telegram, Moscow's military said "precision long-range missiles" were used to strike the facility in the west of the country where "foreign types of weapons, including 155-mm M777 howitzers" were stored.

The Russian MoD also said it had hit a Ukrainian air base in the Mykolaiv region and destroyed Western military equipment in the east of the country which it said Kyiv planned to use in the Donbas.

Moscow also says 300 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in air strikes.

The BBC is unable to independently verify these reports.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Poland’s agriculture minister says a US plan to build temporary silos on the border with Ukraine to store Ukrainian grain and facilitate its export through Polish ports will take three to four months.

Henryk Kowalczyk tells Polish TV that Ukraine would normally expect to export around five million tonnes of grain per month but the Russian blockade of its ports was preventing supplies from leaving by sea.

Yesterday, US President Joe Biden said Washington plans to construct temporary silos in countries bordering Ukraine, including Poland. They are needed for storage on the border because Ukraine’s railway gauge is wider than EU rail networks and the grain must be offloaded at the border before it can be reloaded on wagons en route to Polish seaports.

Kowalczyk says import capacity at the Polish border is currently limited to about 1.5 million tonnes per month but the construction of the silos would make the process smoother.

However, he says there is also a lack of grain containers and handling equipment.

“If we do not deliver grain to North Africa, to Middle Eastern countries, there will be hunger and a wave of migrants will flow to western Europe,” Kowalczyk says.

Joe Inwood
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, Reuters

The horrors that have been unleashed by this war have been well documented. Bucha, Irpin, Kharkiv, all names that have become synonymous with terrible suffering.

But, do the events constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights violations or were they within the laws of war?

Those are the questions a panel of three respected international investigators set out to answer on 7 June, as they travelled around Ukraine speaking to people affected by the conflict.

Talking to its chairman, Erik Møse, it was clear that what he had seen and heard had been deeply disturbing, even to a vastly experienced judge who sat through the tribunal on the Rwandan genocide.

“You are never unmoved, you are always influenced by that kind of testimony and, for instance, some of the accounts by witnesses concerning shooting of individuals, civilians, make an impact,” he told me.

Image source, Reuters

The panel said their remit was not limited to allegations against the Russians, although those are clearly their focus. While this whole process is about providing answers, there are some questions it cannot answer.

Foremost amongst those is whether any of the real decision makers behind this invasion would ever stand in the dock, or if any trial would have to happen in absentia.

Today’s press conference in the capital, Kyiv, was not about providing answers, but setting out what will happen next.

There will be an interim report in September, before the full findings are published in March next year. All the while, as the invasion continues, the allegations of abuses continue.

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Thousands of civilians - including women, elderly people and children - are trapped in Severodonetsk with a diminishing supply of clean water, sanitation and electricity, according to the UN.

An urgent situation is developing in the bunkers beneath the Azot chemical plant in the city - where hundreds of civilians are taking shelter - as people run out of basic services, spokesperson for UN Humanitarian Affairs office, Saviano Abreu tells the BBC.

The UN's humanitarian branch is making preparations to provide aid to those trapped in the city, but with intense fighting ongoing, it does not currently have access or assurances to safely get to civilians.

"The lack of water and sanitation is a big worry. It's a huge concern for us because people cannot survive for long without water," Abreu says.

He adds that food and health services are also at risk of running out.

Image source, Reuters

"If they have to rely on unsafe sources, it brings complications with health. We have to make sure, as soon as possible, the people who are still there, have access to water."

Russia has promised to open a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from the Azot plant today but so far, there has been no confirmation that the planned safe route has gone ahead.

"Both parts of the conflict have an obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, so it is not an option - they have to assure the people who want to leave the city that they can do it safely," Abreu says.

More now on the impact of the Ukraine war on global food prices - following the Nato chief's comments this morning that it is Russia's actions not Western sanctions that have inflated the cost of grain.

Ukraine is a major exporter of corn, wheat and sunflower seeds, with about 20 million tonnes of harvested grain waiting to be sent out of the country.

But Russia has mounted a naval blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports that's effectively halted grain exports by sea.

Image source, .

Some countries depend heavily on Ukraine for food supplies, with Lebanon getting 80% of its wheat from Ukrainian suppliers, while India imports 76% of its sunflower oil.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP), which feeds people on the brink of starvation in countries such as Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan, sources 40% of its wheat from the country.

Image source, Getty Images

It's not unsurprising then that efforts are under way to get more grain out of Ukraine. But it's a big task, with Romania's President Klaus Iohannis telling his French counterpart Emanuel Macron just today that getting Ukrainian exports out through his country is a "logistical challenge of epic proportions".

Ukraine says grains it has sent by barge, train and road to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta amount to roughly 3% of the 20 million tonnes it needs to move.

Turkey is also involved in attempting to unblock Ukraine's ports - and is waiting on Russia's response to its plan to create "safe corridors" for shipping - which would entail clearing sea mines from the Black Sea.

You can read more about Ukraine's efforts to export its harvest to the world here.

Image source, REU

Russia has walked away from the Nato-Russia Founding Act with its invasion of Ukraine, says Nato's Jens Stoltenberg.

Under the terms of the founding act, signed in Paris in May 1997, was the agreement "to build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area".

On Wednesday, Nato Secretary-General said the 1997 agreement does not limit Nato's ability to increase its presence in Eastern Europe.

The military alliance has vowed to defend the territory of all of its members, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into a fourth month.

Image source, EPA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the EU to strengthen its sanctions package against Russia, saying Moscow could attack other countries.

In an address to both houses of the Czech parliament, Zelensky said: "As in the past, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first step that the Russian leadership needs to open the way to other countries, to the conquest of other peoples."

He also urged Brussels to give a boost to Ukraine's bid for EU membership by according it candidate country status.

On a visit to Kyiv last Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated that a decision on granting such status to Ukraine would be made in the coming days.

Image source, EPA

The spike in global food prices is "a direct consequence" of the war in Ukraine - and not, as Moscow has asserted, the consequence of sanctions on Russia - says Nato's chief.

"Export of food and grain from Ukraine is extremely critical," Jens Stoltenberg tells reporters in Brussels. "The spike in food and grain prices shows global ramifications of this war."

"Russia tries to create narrative that spike in grain prices is caused by our sanctions - that's not correct."

The secretary-general says international efforts are ongoing to try and lift the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports to allow the export of Ukrainian grain - with Turkey a key player in the negotiations

He adds: "There are some efforts to get some grain out over land - Nato countries are involved in that".

Earlier this week UN Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned of a sharp increase in global food insecurity as the war in Ukraine continues.

Why sending advanced Western missiles seems so hardpublished at 10:56 British Summer Time 15 June 2022

10:56 BST 15 June 2022

Chris Partridge
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

As Nato countries meet again today to discuss military assistance to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his appeal for advanced missiles.

Ukraine does have older Soviet-era systems such as the long-range S-300 and shorter range Buk-M1 surface to air missiles, but these are no longer cutting-edge.

As Russia bombards Ukrainian forces with artillery, it is also firing sea, ground and air-launched missiles at locations across the country.

Only this morning, Moscow announced its missiles struck an ammunition warehouse in the Lviv region, way out to the west.

Such missiles can be relatively small, making them difficult to intercept. Some are being destroyed, but Ukraine’s defences are clearly struggling to cope.

Hence the call for advanced western systems, with Zelensky even saying there can be "no justification" for any delays.

Image source, Reuters

So why is sending them proving difficult?

One factor is the advanced nature of the missiles, designed to defeat the most sophisticated attempts to throw them off target.

The equipment in Western missiles is a highly-prized, highly-guarded asset. It would be a huge security fail if they were ever to fall into the wrong hands on the battlefield.

The fact these systems are vital to western nations' own defences too, means you’d need to "backfill" them somehow.

Then there is all the training to migrate Ukrainian forces from Soviet-designed air defences to the western replacements.

All that takes time, something Ukraine feels is in very short supply.

Image source, EPA

"Ukraine is in a critical situation so there is an urgent need for support," Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tells reporters ahead of a Nato summit in Brussels.

Stoltenberg says members of the alliance will continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons and long-range systems and he expects a new package of assistance to Kyiv to be agreed at the summit.

"We are extremely focused on stepping up support,"Stoltenberg tells a news conference.

Wyre Davies
Reporting from Kharkiv

Image source, EPA

There appears to have been a steady increase in daytime shelling on the outskirts of Kharkiv in recent days.

Several, distinctive loud thuds could be heard today.

That's in addition to the sporadic night-time shelling that has become a feature of being in this city, which saw heavy fighting in the first few weeks of the war.

After recent successes by Ukrainian forces in pushing Russian troops beyond the city limits, casualties are once again being reported as a result of shelling in villages between the city ring road and Russian positions.

With the Russian border just 20 miles (30 km) away, and the front line even closer, Kharkiv remains well within range of heavy Russian weaponry.

In his nightly address yesterday, President Zelensky alluded to the situation around Kharkiv, saying Ukrainian troops are suffering "painful losses" in the Kharkiv region, where the Russian army is trying to strengthen its position.

"Fighting for this direction continues, and we still have to fight hard to fight for complete security for Kharkiv and the region," the president said.

Image source, Getty Images

For the first time Russia has said it is opening a humanitarian corridor in the bombarded city of Severodonetsk – for civilians sheltering with Ukrainian defenders in the Azot chemical plant.

However, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have held a number of ceasefire talks over the course of the war to agree on humanitarian corridors for civilians - but not all have been successful.

Successes

• On 14 March, a humanitarian corridor was agreed with Russia and a convoy of at least 160 private cars managed to leave the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was encircled by Russian forces at the start of March. Two days later, 2,000 cars had left
• On 2 May, the long-awaited evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steel plant began. More than 100 evacuees from Mariupol made it to relative safety in Zaporizhzhia, after a journey which took several days. Three days later it was reported another 300 civilians had been evacuated
• By 7 May it was announced all remaining women, children and elderly people had left the plant
• Fighting continued until 17 May, when it was announced more than 260 fighters - some of whom were badly wounded - had been evacuated, marking the end of the Ukrainian military operation to defend the site

Failures

• Weeks of relentless Russian shelling had reduced Mariupol to ruins by late March and attempts to establish a ceasefire in the city to allow evacuations had collapsed amid accusations of bad faith on both sides. Ukraine claimed Russian troops had carried on shelling the evacuation routes and accused Russia of blocking a bus convoy on its way to evacuate Mariupol
• Volunteers helping locals evacuate Kherson said they had seen increased demand from people wanting to leave the city at the end of May as Russia tightened its grip on occupied territory. Evacuating the city has been difficult and the UN and the Red Cross said they had not run any evacuation routes as they'd been unable to get safety guarantees from both sides

Image source, Reuters

As we await news of activity around the humanitarian corridor out of Severodonetsk, reports in the Russian media are squarely - and unsurprisingly - placing the blame for trapped civilians in Severodonetsk on Ukrainian forces.

The Defence Ministry has yet to confirm, either on TV or social media, that the promised humanitarian corridor has been opened - despite claims it would function from 0800 Moscow time (05:00 GMT).

State Rossiya 1 and state-controlled Channel One have accused Ukrainian troops of bringing civilians to the Azot chemical plant in the city to use them as human shields.

Gazprom-owned NTV claim there may be as many as 1,200 people, including children, at the plant.

Any evacuated civilians have been told they will be taken north to Russian-occupied territories - rather than Ukrainian territory, Russia has stated.

Channel One quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying it was impossible to take civilians to the Kyiv-controlled city of Lysychansk, as Ukrainian forces had destroyed the bridge that connected it to Severodonetsk.

Bulletins in Russia continue to report the imminent fall of Severodonetsk, which has been effectively cut off from the rest of Ukraine since Russian troops blew up a number of other key bridges.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting this morning, Russia has pledged to spend the day evacuating hundreds of civilians who are in a chemical plant in Severodonetsk.

But it has also told Ukrainian troops holed up in the Azot plant in key eastern city to put down their weapons.

Russia announced yesterday it would give the fighters a chance to surrender from 08:00 Moscow time this morning (05:00 GMT).

That was the same time the Russians said the humanitarian corridor offering a route out of the city was due to open.

The fighters should "stop their senseless resistance and lay down their arms", Interfax news agency quoted ​Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia's National Defence Management Centre, as saying.

Ukraine claims that some 250 Russian servicemen have been killed in the past 24 hours, on day 111 of its invasion of the country.

Around 32,750 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since the war began on 24 February, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces says in an update.

Since February, Ukraine claims that Russia has also lost:

• 1,440 tanks, 3,528 armoured vehicles, 722 artillery systems and 230 multiple launch rocket systems
• 97 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 213 warplanes, 179 helicopters, 591 UAVs and 129 cruise missiles
• 13 warships/boats, 2,485 vehicles and fuel tanks and 55 pieces of special equipment

Russia suffered the greatest losses of the past day in the areas of Bakhmut and Severodonetsk, the ministry adds.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.

Image source, .

There is scepticism over whether Russia will provide a safe route for citizens to leave the Azot chemical plant in the bombarded city of Severodonetsk today, after it pledged to open a humanitarian corridor.

Ukrainian civil liberties campaigner, Oleksandra Matviichuk, says: "I don't know who believes Russia in this announcement."

For months after its invasion, Russia failed to provide opportunities for the International Committee of the Red Cross to open humanitarian corridors and "constantly shelled any attempt of evacuation of civilians", says Matviichuk, who is head of the Centre for Civil Liberties in Ukraine.

She says that the humanitarian operation created for civilians in the Azovstal plant in Mariupol in May - which involved the UN and the Red Cross - provides no guarantees that safe evacuations will work this time around.

She claimed that Victoria Obidina, a doctor who was arrested during the Mariupol evacuations, is still in captivity and neither the UN, or the International Committee of the Red Cross, have been able to release her.

Jonathan Beale
Reporting from Brussels

Image source, Reuters

Russia’s military advances in the Donbas have been accompanied by louder pleas from senior Ukrainian officials for more Western weapons.

The US and UK have already pledged to supply Ukraine with a small number of multiple rocket launchers to counter Russia’s overwhelming firepower.

But Ukraine says it needs more and is still vastly outgunned. The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will chair a meeting in Brussels of the larger contact group of almost fifty nations committed to supporting Ukraine to explore what more can be done.

Ukraine's defence minister will also attend in a show of solidarity. Nato ministers will also discuss Sweden and Finland’s application for Nato membership.

Turkey though has said its willing to delay their applications for more than a year unless it's given assurances that they'll address its concerns about support for Kurdish separatists.

Ankara has accused both Nordic countries of harbouring members of the PKK. While most Nato members support their application it may not happen as quickly as they’d first hoped.

Nick Beake
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, Getty Images

Russia has pledged to spend the day evacuating hundreds of civilians who are holed up in a chemical plant in the key eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk.

The suffering of Severodonetsk has clear parallels with that of other cities Russia has first bombarded, then encircled and finally tried to strangle into submission.

Now, Russian troops claim they will allow a 12-hour window for some besieged residents to leave.

But after the experience of places including Mariupol where occupiers were accused of targeting the families who'd been offered safe page – there is fear and scepticism.

Hundreds of civilians are said to be trapped in a huge chemical plant in Severodonetsk, sheltering with the remaining Ukrainian soldiers still resisting the Russian assault.

With all three bridges connecting the city now destroyed, some may feel they have little to lose in joining any attempt to escape.

Image source, EPA

The Ukrainian army is suffering "painful losses" in the eastern Donbas region and other frontline areas in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late night video address.

He stressed that Ukraine needed modern anti-missile weapons to defend its territory.

Zelensky also said he expected inspections of logistics in the army amid reports that some Ukrainian servicemen did not have enough personal protective equipment.

He said it is vital to defend that Donbas, as this will be "key to determining who will dominate in the coming weeks".

"The more losses the enemy suffers there, the less power they will have to continue the aggression," Zelensky said.

He said that while fiercest fighting is in Severodonetsk and in all cities and communities nearby, "the losses, unfortunately, are painful - but we have to hold on, this is our state".

Image source, .

Ukraine's army says its fighters have successfully defended attempts by Russian troops to storm their positions in the eastern cities of Severodonetsk and Toshivka.

The Russian army used mortars, artillery and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) to shell several population centres in the Severodonetsk area, including Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Toshkivka, Ustynivka, Borivske and Metyolkine.

"Ukrainian warriors successfully repel the enemy's attempts to storm their positions in Severodonetsk and Toshkivka, fighting continues," the Ukrainian army's General Staff said in its latest update.

It comes as the first humanitarian corridor is being attempted in Severodonetsk today after Russia said it would allow civilians to leave, adding that it will give Ukrainian troops holed up in the Azot chemical plant a chance to surrender.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.