Satellite image reveals Russian 'fortifications' in invaded region - as Putin 'concerned about rapid Ukrainian advances'

Navalny's wife rejects finding he died from multiple diseases

The wife of late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny has rejected the findings of the investigation into his death that said he died of a combination of diseases.

Yulia Navalnaya says she will demand a criminal investigation into her husband's death, and that her team will continue to conduct its own enquiries.

Navalny died suddenly in February whilst being held in a maximum security prison in the rural settlement of Kharp, 2,046 kilometres (1,271 miles) east of Moscow.

A medical death certificate shown to Navalny's mother claimed that the causes of her son's death were "natural".

Russia’s Investigative Committee issued an official conclusion regarding his death, saying it was the result of a "combined disease" and occurred as a result of "arrhythmia" — an irregular heartbeat.

"I know that's not true," said Mrs Navalnaya. "I know that ruling is a lie and they are covering up what really happened on that day."

The ruling means the Investigative Committee has formally refused to initiative a criminal investigation into the politician's death.

Ballerina jailed for 12 years in Russia after donating £40 to charity

A woman has been jailed in Russia for 12 years after she gave £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine.

US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina was accused of treason when she was arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, in February.

Investigators searched her mobile phone and found that she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that provides aid to Ukraine, on the first day of Russia's invasion.

The 33-year-old admitted the charge at a closed trial in the city earlier this month, according to Russian news agencies.

On Thursday, Karelina appeared in court in a white sweatshirt and blue jeans, sitting calmly in a glass courtroom cage, before she received her sentence.

Away from Ukraine's invasion into the Russian region of Kursk, there are still fierce battles being fought along the frontline.

In the east of the country, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting near the town of Chasiv Yar, which has faced a rapid Russian advance in recent weeks.

The heavily-fortified town sits west of the ruined Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut.

The images below show a Ukrainian soldier firing a 120mm mortar towards the Russian frontline.

Ukraine denies involvement in Nord Stream damage

An advisor to Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied Ukraine's involvement in explosions which damaged the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of explosions in September 2022.

The blasts drastically reduced Russia's ability to use its energy exports as leverage over Europe, with the damaged pipeline previously carrying 40% of Moscow's gas exports to the continent.

"Such an act can only be carried out with extensive technical and financial resources ... and who possessed all this at the time of the bombing? Only Russia," Mykhailo Podolyak said.

Polish prosecutors said on Wednesday that Poland had received a European arrest warrant issued by Berlin in connection with the attack, but the suspect, a Ukrainian man named as Volodymyr Z, had already left Poland. 

Where is Ukraine's attack into Russia taking place?

It's been 10 days since Ukraine launched its surprise attack on Russia, with troops crossing the border into the Kursk region.

It represents the first major offensive on Russian soil since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Thousands of Russian civilians have been evacuated since then, while Ukraine has captured Russian troops, who have told Sky News that the attack on 6 August took them by complete surprise.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's top military commander said his troops were in control of 1,000 square kilometres (386 sq miles) of territory. 

Ukrainian troops are thought to have used British Challenger 2 tanks in their offensive inside Russia, Sky News understands.

If confirmed, it would be the first time British tanks - operated by Ukrainian soldiers - have been used in combat on Russian territory.

The Ministry of Defence in London declined to comment on operational detail. Ukraine's armed forces did not offer a comment.

However, the UK has confirmed that Ukraine is free to use British weapons on Russian territory, according to government policy.

A source said this included Challenger 2 tanks and signalled that they had been used during the Ukrainian incursion, which began on 6 August.

Details on how and when Ukrainian forces potentially deployed Challenger 2 tanks within the Russian region of Kursk were not immediately clear. Neither was the number of tanks that may have been involved.

But Ukraine's powerful 82nd Air Assault Brigade is the unit of the Ukrainian armed forces that has been operating the British main battle tanks since last year.

Elements of the brigade are confirmed to be taking part in the Kursk offensive.

The UK agreed to give Ukraine 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks in January 2023 in a move that prompted Germany and the United States to follow suit with their versions.

One of the British tanks was destroyed on operations inside Ukraine last September – the first time the Challenger 2 had been taken out in active combat.

In service since 1994, the Challenger 2 tank weighs 62.5 tonnes and is armed with a 120mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm chain gun.

Under UK government policy, the use of any weapons given to Ukraine by the UK must be in line with international law. The military assistance is aimed at helping the Ukrainian military defend itself from Russian attack.

The Times reported on Wednesday that Sir Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, had disclosed how during his tenure he gave permission for Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia using "whatever weapons [were] supplied to it", with the exception of long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

He suggested the same rules applied to Ukraine's Kursk operation in Russia.

Sir Ben was quoted as saying that if the attack was designed to go after logistics and infrastructure supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine it was "perfectly legitimate" for Ukraine to use British weapons.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "There has been no change in UK government policy, under Article 51 of the UN Charter Ukraine has a clear right of self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks, that does not preclude operations inside Russia.

"We make clear during the gifting process that equipment is to be used in line with international law."

-SKY NEWS