Russia-Ukraine live news: Kyiv rules out concession to Moscow

We always knew that Gazprom was not a reliable partner,” Anna Moskwa tweeted.4 hours ago (07:00 GMT)Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its forces destroyed a Ukrainian unit of US-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery weapon, according to a report by the RIA Novosti news agency.Ukraine has deployed many of the M-777 howitzers supplied by Washington at the front lines, with the US claiming to have delivered all but one of the 90 artillery pieces they were due to send to Kyiv.The M-777 howitzer consignment is part of a huge outlay of weapons from the White House to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion and is seen as particularly significant because of its long range and accuracy.Al Jazeera could not independently verify the Russian defence ministry’s report.4 hours ago (06:37 GMT)President Joe Biden said that Russia “has to pay a long-term price” for its “barbarism in Ukraine” in terms of sanctions imposed on Moscow by the United States and its allies.He said that if, after any future rapprochement between Russia and Ukraine, “the sanctions are not continued to be sustained in many ways, then what signal does that send to China about the cost of attempting to take Taiwan by force?”5 hours ago (05:38 GMT)Russian shells hit more than 70 residential buildings in the Luhansk region on Sunday and killed one person in Lysychansk, the region’s governor has said.Serhiy Haidai said the person died when their apartment was hit by a shell in the evening.He added that a child injured in the town of Pryvillya, when it came under fire on May 7, died in intensive care.6 hours ago (05:21 GMT)Russian forces now control 95 percent Luhansk, Russian media has said.Ukraine’s forces are still holding Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, the Zvezda TV channel, run by the Russian defence ministry, said on Sunday.6 hours ago (05:05 GMT)In three months of the war in Ukraine, Russia has suffered a similar death toll as the Soviet Union did in nine years of war in Afghanistan, the UK’s defence ministry has said.“A combination of poor low-level tactics, limited air cover, a lack of flexibility, and a command approach which is prepared to reinforce failure and repeat mistakes has led to this high casualty rate, which continues to rise in the Donbas offensive,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence briefing.The ministry suggested that because the Russian public has been sensitive to casualties suffered in “wars of choice” in the past, the rising death toll in Ukraine may “fuel public dissatisfaction with the war” and a willingness to speak out against it.Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 23 May 2022Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/mpZMMMUOI9🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/wTIofOVxC0— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) May 23, 20226 hours ago (04:42 GMT)The governor of Luhansk says Russia is trying to destroy Severodonetsk, as the city came under heavy bombardment from Moscow’s forces trying to take the industrial area of Donbas.Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday that the Russians were “engaging in a scorched-earth approach” in Severodonetsk and the sole working hospital has only three doctors and supplies for 10 days.He said the Russians had occupied several towns and cities in Luhansk after indiscriminate, 24-hour, shelling and that Moscow was concentrating forces and weaponry there, bringing in forces from Kharkiv to the northwest, Mariupol to the south and from inside Russia.7 hours ago (04:21 GMT)Russian forces have shelled the northern town of Malyn, about an hour northwest of Kyiv, killing a railroad employee and damaging some 150 residential buildings, the mayor said.Oleksandr Sytaylo also said another four people had been injured and were in hospital.7 hours ago (04:11 GMT)Ukraine’s army says Russia is strengthening its position in the Black Sea with a new addition to its fleet, the Admiral Makarov frigate.