Ukraine war live updates: Secret Pentagon and NATO files leaked; Russians have reached center of Bakhmut, UK says

Moscow is prepared to work outside of the Black Sea grain deal, if Western “obstacles” persist, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday, according to comments reported by Reuters and Russian state news agency Tass.

Speaking at a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Lavrov accused the United Nations of a “failure” to implement the terms of the grain agreement, adding that Russian grain and fertilizer exports were encumbered by a lack of access to insurance and to the SWIFT financial messaging system, according to Reuters.

The key wartime deal, which allows Ukraine to export grains from critical Black Sea ports, was renewed last month, in an effort to stave off a global food crisis. Uncertainty surrounds the duration of the agreement’s extension.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Kremlin followed conversations between French president Emmanuel Macron and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but is confident Beijing will not be swayed to change its position by external influences, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to a Google translation of comments reported by Russian state news agency Tass.

Macron began his state visit to China earlier this week. In a meeting with Xi, the French leader called on the Beijing administration — which retains close ties with Russia — to mediate in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

China previously put forward a 12-point peace plan on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but its proposal has yet to gain traction and has been criticized for being overly accommodating of Russia.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Russian forces have “highly likely” advanced into the center of the war-ravaged city of Bakhmut after weeks of bloody fighting and little progress, the UK’s Ministry of Defence wrote in its daily intelligence update.

“Russia has made further gains and has now highly likely advanced into the town centre, and has seized the west bank of the Bakhmutka River. Ukraine’s key 0506 supply route to the west of the town is likely severely threatened,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.

“Russian regular forces, likely including airborne troops, have probably reinforced the area, and Russia is again using artillery more effectively in the sector.”

For several weeks, a rift has been evident between Russia’s state army and the Wagner Group, a private military contractor that plays a large role in Moscow’s combat operations. That schism may have been repaired to some extent, the ministry suggested.

“There is realistic possibility that, locally, Wagner and Russian MoD commanders have paused their ongoing feud and improved co-operation.”

— Natasha Turak

Classified documents detailing Pentagon and NATO plans to help Ukraine prepare for a Russian spring offensive have been leaked to social media.

The Pentagon is currently investigating the leak, which is a major security breach, after the documents appeared on Twitter and Telegram.

“Military analysts said the documents appear to have been modified in certain parts from their original format, overstating American estimates of Ukrainian war dead and understating estimates of Russian troops killed,” the New York Times reported. This, it said, could potentially point to Russian disinformation efforts.

“We are aware of the reports of social media posts, and the Department is reviewing the matter,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said.

— Natasha Turak

The damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure due to Russia’s invasion exceeds more than $10 billion, the United Nations and World Bank said in a joint assessment.

The international organizations wrote that the damage to Ukraine’s power, gas and heating infrastructure has left over 12 million people with no or limited electricity. Additionally, there are disruptions to water supply and heating systems.

Russia has previously denied that its forces target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

— Amanda Macias

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there have been at least 912 attacks on vital health services in the country, the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care estimates.

The organization reports that health-care facilities were damaged 814 times, ambulances were targeted in 110 cases and at least 240 attacks affected crucial medical supplies. The group also estimated that attacks on health services led to at least 101 deaths and 136 injuries.

The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.

— Amanda Macias