Ukraine War: Russia investigates reports of SAS ‘sabotage’ in western Lviv region

Russia’s top investigative body is looking into whether the SAS is “organizing sabotage” in Ukraine.

The Investigative Committee, Moscow’s top federal investigative authority, said it would follow up on a report by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.

RIA quoted a Russian security source as saying that some 20 SAS members had been deployed in the western region of Lviv, near the Polish border.

The Investigative Committee said it would look into whether, according to the report, the SAS had been sent to “assist the Ukrainian special services in organizing sabotage on the territory of Ukraine.”

The possible presence of British special forces – from a NATO country – is significant, given that Moscow has warned the West not to stand in the way of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Other key developments:

• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in kyiv on Sunday.
• Boris Johnson talks to Mr. Zelenskyy about the “new phase” of military aid, including heavy weapons
• British intelligence suggests that Russia has not made any significant progress in the last 24 hours
• Attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol fails
• Satellite images appear to reveal a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol

Information about the SAS, the Special Air Service, is often highly classified. Its operations include direct action and covert reconnaissance.

A Defense Ministry spokesman said: “We do not comment on special forces.”

A defense source said: “We don’t comment on stories about special forces, especially the ones being published by Russian news agencies, because inaccurate speculation can put people’s lives at risk, which is why we don’t confirm or deny the stories. reports”. “

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A week before the Russian invasion began, the British government said it had withdrawn all its troops from Ukraine except those needed to protect its ambassador.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the kyiv embassy is temporarily closed will reopen next week.

He also confirmed for the first time during his trade trip to India earlier this week that Ukrainian forces were in Britain.

More than 20 Ukrainian soldiers arrived last week for training in the 120 armored vehicles being supplied to the resistance against Moscow, the government said.

Zelenskyy is not afraid to meet Putin

During a news conference in kyiv, President Zelenskyy said he “has no right to be afraid” of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, “because our people have shown that they are not afraid.”

He spoke at a subway station and had to stop in one section to allow a train to pass.

The war can only be stopped by those who started it, he told reporters, adding that any “sane person would choose the diplomatic track” rather than the military track to end the conflict.

He went on to say that foreign countries will sponsor different regions of Ukraine as part of a post-war reconstruction plan.

Meanwhile, President Putin attended an Orthodox Easter service on Saturday night.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, officiated at the service at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Missile attack in Odessa

The battle for Donbas in eastern Ukraine continues, but fresh attacks also took place in the south on Saturday, with a missile attack on the port city of Odessa.

At least five people were killed, including a three-month-old baby, and 18 others were injured, Ukrainian officials said.

The missiles are said to have hit a military installation and two residential buildings in the city.

Russian forces fired at least six cruise missiles, but most were shot down by Ukrainian forces, the officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it used high-precision missiles to destroy a logistics terminal where a large number of weapons supplied by the United States and European nations were stored.