Stoltenberg calls for ‘ramping up’ production as Ukraine drains NATO ammunition stockpiles

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10:40pm: Bakhmut closed to aid workers as Ukraine says city ‘too dangerous’ for civilians

Ukraine closed the city of Bakhmut to humanitarian volunteers on Monday as authorities said it is now “too dangerous” for any civilians to be there. Fighting near the major Ukrainian-held town in Donetsk region has been ongoing for seven months.

“It looks as though the Russians are coming closer to encircling it, though they’re still quite a long way from fully encircling it,” says FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reporting from Kyiv. Ukraine has closed the city to humanitarian workers and journalists due to increased risk of street fighting.

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4:58pm: Moldovan leader outlines Russian 'plan' to topple government

Moldova’s president outlined Monday what she described as a plot by Moscow to overthrow her country's government using external saboteurs, put the nation "at the disposal of Russia” and derail its aspirations to one day join the European Union.

President Maia Sandu's briefing comes a week after neighboring Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country had intercepted plans by Russian secret services to destroy Moldova, claims that were later confirmed by Moldovan intelligence officials.

Sandu said Russia's strategy included plans to attack state buildings in Moldova in order to "overthrow the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from (Moldova's capital) Chisinau to an illegitimate one".

Since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago, Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2.6 million people, has sought to forge closer ties with its Western partners. Last June, it was granted EU candidate status, the same day as Ukraine.

There was no immediate reaction from Russian officials to Sandu’s claims.

2:45pm: Russian gas exports sank 25% in 2022, says deputy PM

Russia said Monday its gas exports plummeted by 25 percent in 2022 after the Ukraine conflict brought turmoil to Moscow's ties with key buyers in Europe.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak attributed the fall in gas exports to "the refusal of European countries to buy Russian gas, as well as sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines."

Writing in the specialised journal "Energy Policy," Novak also said Russian oil exports had increased 7.6 percent over the same period.

2:43pm: Ukraine using more munitions than NATO producing, says Stoltenberg

NATO needs "to ramp up production" of ammunition as Ukraine's rate of usage is far outstripping current capacities and draining stockpiles, the defence alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.

"The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of munitions, and depleting allied stockpiles," Stoltenberg told journalists. 

"The current rate of Ukraine's ammunition expenditure is many times higher than our current rate of production. This puts our defence industries under strain."

Stoltenberg admitted that NATO was facing a "problem" as current waiting times for large-calibre ammunition have grown from 12 to 28 months.

But he insisted he was confident steps taken so far meant NATO members were "on the path that will enable us both to continue to support Ukraine, but also to replenish our own stocks".

1:56pm: Russia is a threat for all of Europe, says Norway intelligence

Russia is the main security threat for all of Europe and will remain so for a long time, Norway's Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said Monday after receiving the annual threat assessments from the country's three security services: the domestic and the foreign intelligence agencies and the Norwegian National Security Authority, or NSM.

“Russia today poses the biggest threat to Norwegian and European security, and the confrontation with the West will be long-lasting,” he added.

The deputy head of the foreign Norwegian Intelligence Service Lars Nordrum said that Norway’s oil and gas installations could be targeted by Russian sabotage. NSM head Sofie Nystrøm warned that “all of Europe will suffer” if Norwegian gas and oil installations were hit.

“Norway is now Europe’s most important energy supplier after Russia ended its gas exports to the West," said Nordrum. But PST assessed that it's unlikely Russia would carry out any sabotage operation on Norwegian soil this year.

1:50pm: NATO's Stoltenberg says potential aircrafts supply to Ukraine will be discussed Tuesday

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday he expected issue of aircrafts to be discussed at the upcoming two-day meeting of NATO ministers of defence starting Tuesday.

"There is now a discussion going on also on the question of aircrafts and I expect that also to be addressed tomorrow at the meeting in Brussels," he said, adding that supplying aircrafts to Ukraine whereas the country under attack by Russia needs urgent support on the ground.

Stoltenberg also stressed that NATO countries supplying fighter jets to Ukraine would not make NATO part of the conflict.

12:55pm: Ukraine says situation 'difficult' in village near Bakhmut

Ukraine said Monday the situation was "difficult" in the village of Paraskoviivka, just north of Bakhmut, a day after the Russian paramilitary group Wagner claimed control of another settlement near the embattled eastern Ukrainian city.

"The situation is difficult near Soledar: the village of Paraskoviivka is under intense shelling and assaults," the presidency said in its daily report.

Soledar, captured by Russian troops in January, is just north of Bakhmut, which Russians have been trying to seize for over six months. Paraskoviivka is further down the road, just at the gates of Bakhmut.

The Ukrainian general staff said that Russian troops had shelled 16 settlements near Bakhmut with tanks, mortars and artillery the previous day.

12:45pm: Ukraine accuses Italy's Berlusconi of 'spreading Russian propaganda' 

Ukraine accused former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Monday of spreading Russian propaganda after he said he would not seek a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he were still head of government.

In comments on Sunday, Berlusconi said all Zelensk y had to do to prevent the war in Ukraine was to "stop attacking" territory held by Russia-backed separatists in the east and that he judged the president's behaviour "very, very negatively".

"Berlusconi's ridiculous accusations against the Ukrainian president are an attempt to kiss Putin's hands, which are covered in blood up to the elbows," Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, wrote on Facebook.

"At the same time, the Italian politician should understand that by spreading Russian propaganda he encourages Russia to continue its crimes against Ukraine, and therefore bears political and moral responsibility," he said.

Berlusconi, 86, often boasted of his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin before Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

10:06am: Ukraine says energy needs are being met, three days after air strikes

Ukraine was meeting consumers' energy needs on Monday after carrying out repairs to the national power network following the latest wave of Russian air strikes, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

Galushchenko said emergency repairs had been completed rapidly after Russian attacks on Friday that struck energy facilities across the country.

"And today, on the first business day of the week, despite a significant increase in consumption, Ukraine's power system continues to meet the electricity needs of consumers," Galushchenko said in a statement.

President Volodymyr Zelensky also hailed the repair efforts in an evening video address on Sunday, but said it was too soon to declare victory on the energy front.

8:20am: US tells citizens to depart Russia 'immediately'

The United States has told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.

"US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately," the US embassy in Moscow said. "Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions."

"Do not travel to Russia," the embassy said.

The United States has repeatedly warned its citizens to leave Russia. The last such public warning was in September after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilisation.

"Russian security services have arrested US citizens on spurious charges, singled out US citizens in Russia for detention and harassment, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and convicted them in secret trials or without presenting credible evidence," the embassy said.

4:15am: Russia says its troops on frontline in Ukraine advanced 2 km to west in four days

Russian troops have managed to advance 2 km (1.24 miles) to the west in four days along the frontline in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday, citing a statement by the Russian Defence Ministry.

"The Russian servicemen broke the enemy's resistance and advanced several kilometres deeper into its echeloned defence," the agency cited the report.

"In four days the front moved 2 kilometres to the west."

There were no details which part of the large frontline, encompassing several Ukrainian regions in the country's south and east, has moved.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the battlefield reports.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)