Ukraine war latest: Vladimir Putin orders stronger security around Russia's border as ambassador issues warning to UK (2023)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Ukraine's parliament to impose sanctions against Iran for 50 years, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Citing a draft resolution, the Ukrainian news outlet said the request includes a complete ban on Iranian trade, investments, and the transferring technologies, as well as the withdrawal of Iranian assets from Ukraine.

Ukraine's parliament must approve the bill for it to become law, but the parliament has not scheduled the vote yet.

Iran has been providing Russia with military equipment, and has already been sanctioned by the US and the European Union for supplying drones to the country.

A security source previously told Sky News Iran has secretly supplied large quantities of bullets, rockets and mortar shells to Russia.

You can read our full investigation below...

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk has been booed off the French Open tennis court after refusing to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent following her first round defeat.

Ms Kostyuk, who has been one of the most outspoken Ukrainian players about the sport's response to Russia's invasion, avoided so much as any eye contact with Aryna Sabalenka after the match.

She walked directly over to acknowledge the chair umpire as Sabalenka walked toward the net as if expecting some sort of exchange.

The Roland Garros crowd booed and whistled at her as she headed to the changing rooms.

Kostyuk hasn't shaken the hands of any opponent from Russia or Belarus since her country was invaded by Russia, with the help of Belarus, last year.

One person has been killed after Russia launched 19 strikes on the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine's National Police has said.

A total of 30 houses were damaged in the attacks, along with a factory, several cars and the city's electricity network.

The authority said people had been injured, but did not detail how many.

Russia used Iskander operational tactical missile systems, mortars, tanks and artillery as part of the attack, it added.

In the last 24 hours, Moscow has claimed to have shot down two British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

Storm Shadows are long-range, air-launched cruise missiles developed by British Aerospace and a French company, which carry a 450kg conventional warhead to a range of up to 200 miles (300km).

They are designed to hit static targets that are very deeply fortified, and of high value.

We understand they were first used in Ukraine on 8 May

But does Russia actually have the capability to shoot them down, and what impact could that have?

Our military analyst Sean Bell says: "When Russia claims these things, we're never sure what what the truth of the matter is.

"They've claimed that they've shot down two of these Storm Shadow missiles. They're very difficult to track, but you know, who knows?

"The Russians have claimed they've shot down two HIMARS missile systems as well, which again, very difficult to track.

"Part of this may part of the information operation though."

He explains that Ukraine appears to have worked out how to shoot down Russia's Khinzal hypersonic missile, which Vladimir Putin claimed was undefeatable, and Moscow would have been "very sensitive to that".

"The reality is we don't actually know the truth of this, but the one key we do know is that the West provision of smart weapons to Ukraine is providing an asymmetric advantage," he adds.

At least 206,600 Russian soldiers have been killed since the war began - with 400 "eliminated" yesterday, Ukraine has claimed.

In its daily update of Russian losses, the Ukrainian defence ministry said it has also destroyed 3,797 tanks, and 2,993 drones.

Sky News has not been able to independently verify these figures, and Russia does not release updates on its combat losses.

Ukraine's counteroffensive has been teased for months now.

Originally pinned as an operation that was going to take place in the spring, the much-expected assault is still yet to begin.

In recent days, we have seen some signs that it could be underway imminently.

The Ukrainian commander in chief of the Armed Forces released a slick propaganda video, talking about the resolve and readiness of Kyiv's troops, hinting that it could start soon.

Meanwhile, one of the country's most senior security officials told BBC News that Ukraine is ready to begin the operation.

In the video below Sky's military analyst retired RAF Air Marshal Ed Stringer takes a look at whether Ukraine could launch its counteroffensive...

Russia's most powerful mercenary boss has said he is convinced that senior Kremlin officials have banned reporting about him on state media.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, is the most striking member of Vladimir Putin's circle to gain widespread notoriety during the war.

He declared victory in Bakhmut earlier this month, but in a sign of just how far he is perceived to have breached the taboos of Putin's Russia, state television ignored the fall of the eastern city for 20 hours and did not air Prigozhin's victory speech.

Prigozhin used a series of Russian proverbs to poke fun at those responsible for his apparent ban.

"What is forbidden is always sweeter. Wagner is not a piece of slippery soap which the bureaucrats have got used to shoving all over the place; Wagner is an awl, a stiletto that you cannot hide," he said.

"I am absolutely convinced they have forbidden (coverage). That high-level bureaucrats, those very towers of the Kremlin, are trying to shut the mouths of everyone so that they don't speak about Wagner will only give another shove to the people."

Such an approach, he said, would provoke a backlash from the Russian people.

"In the long term - long term is two or three months - they will receive a finger-slap from the people for trying to shut everyone's mouths and ears," Prigozhin said.

South Africa's president has appointed a panel to investigate US allegations that a Russian ship collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town last year.

The claims sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries earlier this month, with the US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety saying he was confident the ship took weapons aboard, and the country's government denying it completely.

The South African government has stated numerous times it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine, but the claims opened the country to accusations that it has effectively taken Moscow's side.

"The president decided to establish the enquiry because of the seriousness of the allegations, the extent of public interest and the impact of this matter on South Africa's international relations," the presidency said in a statement.

The panel will work to establish who was aware of the cargo ship's arrival, the contents that were loaded and off-loaded and "whether constitutional, legal or other obligations were complied with in relation to the cargo ship's arrival."

The president is expected to receive a final report within two weeks of the investigation concluding.

A video purportedly showing Ukrainian border guards shooting down a Russian drone has been shared by the country's internal affairs ministry.

In the clip, small arms fire can be heard as shots are sent into the sky.

As an explosion goes off in the distance, at least one person can be heard cheering.

"At night, border guards 'landed' an enemy UAV in Chernihiv Oblast," the ministry said alongside the clip.

"The drone exploded and fell in a field without reaching the target," it added.

It also shared two images claiming to be of the destroyed drone, and what appears to be a small crater where it crashed to the ground.