Richard Branson Tours Bombed-out Ukrainian Airport Meets Zelensky

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KYIV, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The suspected mastermind behind the removal of a Banksy mural in a Ukrainian town could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, Ukraine's interior ministry said on Monday.



The plans were outlined as part of a defence review last year and were criticised in April by the then chief of the Army, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith - who has since been replaced by General Sir Patrick Sanders.

Mr Albanese travelled to Ukraine in a party including three members of the media amid very tight security. At least a dozen armed Australian Special Forces soldiers were on the ground to assist.

But 30 minutes north of the city, signs of war are obvious - blown out buildings, missile craters, broken windows, piled-up wrecks of burned out cars and sandbagged foxholes under the cover of trees.

'Severodonetsk remains the epicentre of fighting in the Donbas,' Zelensky said, referring to the region in eastern Ukraine that includes the provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk.

The prime minister, who is expected to arrive in Australia late on Tuesday, will hold a one-on-one with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern in Sydney later this week for the annual meeting between the two nations' leaders.

Chechen special forces - known colloquially as Kadyrovites after their leader - have increasingly been dragged into combat in Ukraine after Russia's military was mauled failing to take Kyiv.



Reuters reported that Governor Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram that Mr Albanese visited the towns of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, where Ukraine says Russia committed atrocities against civilians.

Russia denies the allegations.

But in the previous 24 hours alone, Ukrainian forces said they had killed more than 100 Russian soldiers in the south and east and destroyed 17 vehicles, some of them armoured.

Another showed two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw.

A separate piece in nearby Irpin showed a rhythmic gymnast waving a ribbon while wearing a neck brace.

But to my surprise — and delight — an invitation came as usual. Since Russia's annexation of the Crimea in 2014, the conference has been held in Kyiv.

This year, I never expected for it to go ahead.

He added: "A war intended to crush and fragment a people, has instead made you stronger, more united, more convinced of your identity and place in the world, your language, your culture, your European vocation.







It contrasts with other figures which suggest Putin has lost in excess of 30,000 troops" class="blkBorder img-share" />
Funeral for an 18-year-old Russian soldier in the Urals, Russia. If correct, the figures would mean overall military losses of 48,837.

It contrasts with other figures which suggest Putin has lost in excess of 30,000 troops






Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russian forces were making 'incremental advances' in their offensive to capture Lysychansk, the last city in the Luhansk province under Ukrainian control following the retreat of Ukraine's forces from the neighbouring city of Severodonetsk.

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London, the Queen's funeral.

Lines of people at The Albert Memorial waiting for the hearse as it leaves for Windsor

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