LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts, with Russian forces suffering heavy losses and making minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days, British military intelligence said on Thursday.
"Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated," The Ministry of Defence said. "The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands."
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Guy Faulconbridge
Boris Johnson has vowed a further crackdown on oligarchs and the super-rich by promising to curb their abuse of the UK legal system to stifle public criticism.
The prime minister has called for an end to the "chilling effect" of elites using the threat of legal action to silence critics.
Ministers will take aim at so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are initiated by powerful individuals or businesses as a means of quietening dissenting voices.
A fresh focus has been thrown on the issue as the government seeks to take on Russian oligarchs with links to Vladimir Putin's regime, in the wake of his barbaric assault on Ukraine.
Image:Deputy PM Dominic Raab will set out proposals to clamp down on the use of SLAPPs
What are SLAPPs?
Although SLAPPs have not solely been used by Russians, a group of MPs this week heard how a string of Kremlin-linked billionaires made an "unprecedented" number of legal claims following the publication of a book titled Putin's People.
The author, Catherine Belton, a former Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times, described how a series of oligarchs and businesses filed claims in quick succession nearly a year after publication of her work.
These were Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea FC, Mikhail Fridman, the owner of one of Russia's largest private banks, Petr Aven, the former head of Alfa-Bank, Alisher Usmanov, a former investor in Arsenal FC, Rosneft, the Russian state-controlled oil and gas giant, and an unnamed Russian billionaire.
Mr Abramovich, Mr Fridman, Mr Aven and Mr Usmanov have all recently been sanctioned by the UK following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In a House of Commons debate earlier this year, former Cabinet minister David Davis described how SLAPPs were aimed at "shutting down scrutiny through fear".
He told MPs how those with "exceptionally deep pockets and exceptionally questionable ethics" were using such "lawfare" to "threaten, intimidate and put the fear of God into British journalists, citizens, officials and media organisations".
Ministers fear the purpose of SLAPPs is often to suppress publications without a case ever coming to court and being reported.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:11
Mariupol theatre 'sheltering hundreds' bombed
What action is being suggested?
Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, who is also justice secretary, will on Thursday set out proposals to clamp down on their use.
The Ministry of Justice will seek views on measures such as amending UK defamation law to strengthen the "public interest defence", which protects people who publish private information against being sued if it was done for the public good.
The department said other action could include capping the costs that claimants can recover - with the aim of stopping the super-rich from "weaponising" the high cost of litigation; or the introduction of a specific requirement for claimants to prove "actual malice" by a defendant in libel cases, in order to deter spurious claims.
Courts could also be enabled to throw out claims using SLAPPs tactics earlier in proceedings, or to impose civil restraint orders to prevent people from bringing repeated legal challenges.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:16
Abramovich at Tel Aviv airport
PM 'determined' to defend free press
The PM said: "The ability of a free press to hold the powerful to account is fundamental to our democracy and as a former journalist I am determined we must never allow criticism to be silenced.
"For the oligarchs and super-rich who can afford these sky-high costs the threat of legal action has become a new kind of lawfare. We must put a stop to its chilling effect."
A government consultation on possible measures will run until 19 May, after which ministers will announce what reforms it will push ahead with.
Mr Raab said: "The government will not tolerate Russian oligarchs and other corrupt elites abusing British courts to muzzle those who shine a light on their wrongdoing.
"We're taking action to put an end to this bullying and protect our free press."
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Dominic Cummings has said he was present when Boris Johnson was told of security concerns about his plan to award a peerage to Evgeny Lebedev.
The ex-adviser said he was "in the room" when the PM was told intelligence officials had "serious reservations" about giving the honour to the Russian-born businessman.
It follows reports the security services changed their advice after Mr Johnson intervened.
The PM has previously denied this.
Lord Lebedev, who owns the Evening Standard newspaper, has denied posing a "security risk" to the UK.
Last week, the Sunday Times reported that in March 2020, the House of Lords Appointments Commission - which vets peerage appointments - advised Mr Johnson against granting Mr Lebedev a seat in the House of Lords on security grounds.
The newspaper said the assessment was withdrawn after Mr Johnson - a long-time friend of Lord Lebedev - personally intervened.
Another source has confirmed to the BBC that concerns were raised by security services.
Earlier, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner asked for guarantees that Mr Johnson had never asked anyone to urge the security services to "revise, reconsider or withdraw" their advice.
Standing in for Mr Johnson at PMQs whilst he visits Saudi Arabia, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the "suggestion" she was making was "sheer nonsense".
But, shortly after the exchange, Mr Cummings said it was false to call the claim nonsense, and Mr Raab had been "given duff lines for the Commons by No 10".
On his personal blog, the PM's former senior adviser wrote: "I was in the room when the PM was told by Cabinet Office officials that the intelligence services and other parts of the deep state had, let's say serious reservations, about the PM's plan".
"I supported these concerns and said to the PM in his study explicitly that he should not go ahead," he added.
Mr Cummings says Mr Johnson reacted by becoming "very cross", and said: "This is just … You're just … ANTI-RUSSIAN".
Asked to respond to Mr Cummings's comments, a government spokesperson said: "All individuals nominated for a peerage are done so in recognition of their contribution to society and all peerages are vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission."
'Central duty'
Lord Lebedev, who also owns the Independent newspaper, was given a peerage in July 2020, for philanthropy and services to the media, after being nominated by Mr Johnson.
Writing in the Evening Standard last week, he denied posing a "security risk" to the UK, saying: "I am not some agent of Russia" and that he was "proud to be a British citizen and consider Britain my home".
The son of billionaire Russian banker and former KGB officer Alexander Lebedev, he moved to the UK as a child, and has condemned President's Putin's actions in Ukraine in his newspaper, writing: "I plead with you to stop Russians killing their Ukrainian brothers and sisters."
Ms Rayner, who was standing in for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, pointed to newspaper reports that claimed British intelligence warned against granting a peerage to Lord Lebedev on 17 March 2020.
She then claimed that despite the concerns, the prime minister visited Mr Lebedev at his home in London 48 hours later, before the appointment was made in July.
"The central duty of any government is to keep the British people safe," she said.
"There are now widespread reports that the prime minister did not accept warnings from our own intelligence services, granting a Russian oligarch - the son and business partner of a KGB spy - a seat here in this Parliament.
"It shouldn't matter if such a warning was about a close personal friend of the prime minister, it shouldn't matter if he gave the prime minister thousands of pounds of gifts, and it shouldn't matter how much champagne and caviar he serves."
Mr Raab said it was down to the House of Lords' Appointment Commission to vet any prospective peers after they are nominated by the PM.
But he said peerages were given out "in recognition of what [someone's] contribution is to society", adding: "I should say that includes those of Russian origin who contribute brilliantly to our nation, many of whom in this country are critics of the Putin regime."
Why all the fuss about Lord Lebedev?
Evgeny Lebedev is very well connected. He owns the Evening Standard and Independent newspapers, is friends with the prime minister and made George Osborne editor of the Evening Standard after he left government.
Lord Lebedev was in the room when Boris Johnson and Michael Gove decided to back Brexit. Mr Johnson attended his party the day after winning a majority in the general election - and there are various reports of him attending other parties hosted by the Lebedev family.
Mr Lebedev has urged an end to the war in Ukraine. Those who know him say he is more likely to chat about his favourite authors, Leo Tolstoy or Fyodor Dostoevsky, than Russian politics. He has British citizenship, owns companies here and has a keen interest in the arts.
His father Alexander, however, is a former KGB spy. He made vast amounts of money after the fall of the Soviet Union. For some time, that has raised concerns among politicians in Westminster.
The decision to grant Lord Lebedev a peerage was hugely controversial. The prime minister has faced questions about whether he intervened to ensure it happened after concerns were reportedly raised by security services. There have been calls for the Intelligence and Security committee - which has access to classified material - to investigate. Labour has also urged the House of Lords Appointments Committee to publish details of the vetting process.
But Lord Lebedev himself used his Evening Standard newspaper to hit back last week. He said he was a proud British citizen, adding: "I am not a security risk to this country, which I love. My father a long time ago was a foreign intelligence agent of the KGB, but I am not some agent of Russia."
Negotiations with Iran to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe are "going right up to the wire", Boris Johnson has said.
The prime minister said talks with Tehran on the release of the British-Iranian national are "moving forward", but that "negotiations continue to be under way".
Asked whether a negotiating team was in Tehran trying to secure her release, he said: "It is true and it has been for a long time that we're negotiating for the release of our dual nationals in Tehran.
Image:Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detained charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, has been campaigning for her release
"There are some very sad cases, including Nazanin.
"I really don't think I should say much more, I'm sorry, although things are moving forward.
Advertisement
"I shouldn't really say much more right now just because those negotiations continue to be under way and we're going right up to the wire."
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is one of three British citizens currently being held in Iran. Negotiations are also under way to secure the release of Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz.
According to her family, she was told by local authorities that she was being detained because of the UK's failure to pay an outstanding £400m debt to Iran.
The government has accepted it should pay the "legitimate debt" for an order of 1,500 Chieftain tanks that were not fulfilled after the shah was deposed and replaced by a revolutionary regime.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News this morning the UK is working "very hard" to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release.
"We've also made it a priority to pay the debt that we owe to Iran," Ms Truss said. "But I can't say anything more than that. I'm afraid."
She added: "We have been clear this is a legitimate debt that we do owe Iran and we have been seeking ways to pay it."
She did not say whether the debt had been paid, and added: "What I can tell you is that we are working extremely hard to secure the release of the detainees. We have been working very hard to do that over the past few months. We are in discussions as the prime minister has made clear, but I can't say anything else at this stage."
Detained since 2016
A British-Iranian dual national, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in 2016 after taking her daughter to visit family. She was detained at Tehran airport and accused of being a spy and sentenced to five years in jail, spending four in Evin Prison and one under house arrest.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard Ratcliffe has been outspoken in calling for her release, including camping outside the Foreign Office in London on a three-week hunger strike in November 2021.
Her local MP has been among those calling for her immediate release.
Thank you all ever so much for such kind messages about my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. It’s so heartwarming to see the affection for her.
On Tuesday, Ms Siddiq tweeted: "Thank you all ever so much for such kind messages about my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. It's so heartwarming to see the affection for her.
"Her husband Richard and I met earlier today for yet another strategy meeting… hopefully not many more!!"
The government has launched its Homes for Ukraine site for those wanting to register to host a refugee, with 25,000 signing up in the first three hours.
Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the UK had a history of "supporting the most vulnerable during their darkest hours".
He said there would be no limit to how many Ukrainians could enter the UK under the visa sponsorship scheme.
Each household housing a refugee will be offered £350 a month, tax free.
They will not be expected to provide food and living expenses but can choose to offer this.
People who wish to offer a rent-free space in their home or a separate residence, for at least six months, can register their interest from now.
They will be able to individually sponsor a Ukrainian national's visa from Friday. Those initial applications will rely on the applicant knowing a named individual from Ukraine they want to help.
But Ukrainian refugees with no family or other links to the UK can and will be hosted as part of the scheme, Mr Gove said.
He said the sponsorship scheme was initially only between people who are already known to each other so it gets "up and running as soon as possible".
The scheme will be expanded with the support of charities, community groups and churches who can help with matching refugees to hosts.
No time scale has been announced for when this will happen but Mr Gove said it would expand "rapidly".
Within the first hours of Homes for Ukraine launching, 25,000 had signed up, Mr Gove said in a tweet.
That is despite there being some technical issues with the site soon after it went up, with some people and organisations trying to register reporting being timed out.
Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion nearly three weeks ago.
Mr Gove had said the scheme was open to nationals and residents of Ukraine, but his department later clarified that those eligible were Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who had been resident prior to 1 January.
As part of the scheme, refugees will have access to the NHS and other public services. Their children will be able to attend local schools.
Local authorities will also receive £10,500 in extra funding per refugee for support services - with more for children of school age.
Mr Gove said everyone in the UK was "in awe of the bravery of the people of Ukraine".
"The victims of savage, indiscriminate, unprovoked aggression, their courage under fire and their determination to resist inspires our total admiration," he said.
"The United Kingdom stands with Ukrainian people."
Both hosts and refugees taking part in Homes for Ukraine will be vetted.
In addition, local councils will check that the accommodation offered is suitable, the government said.
This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Shadow housing and communities secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was concerned about "the lack of urgency" and added that the visa application process could be simplified.
She said: "We could keep essential checks but drop the excessive bureaucracy."
Refugees at Home, which finds host families for refugees and asylum seekers, said it wanted to see "as many refugees housed as soon as possible".
Its executive director Lauren Scott stressed that home visits should take place before a placement is made and called for follow-up support to be offered to hosts and guests alike.
There should also be plans for what happens "for the rare situations in which a placement does not work out", she added.
All that should be done quickly and also "in a thoughtful, sensitive and thought-through way".
She said Refugees at Home would be working with the government to firm up the details of the scheme.
This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Homes for Ukraine is the second visa scheme the government has set up since the war broke out.
The first has allowed Ukrainians with an immediate or extended family member in the UK to apply for a family visa to join them.
Some 4,000 visas have so far been granted through that route, the latest Home Office figures show.
The Home Office has defended requiring security checks on Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion. It says it must ensure the UK helps those in genuine need as it has seen people falsely claim to be Ukrainian.
Meanwhile, in a visit to the Hague on Monday, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK would give financial and technical support to the International Criminal Court to help it investigate the situation in Ukraine.
He said it was vital to ensure anyone who committed war crimes was held to account and that commanders on the ground, as well as the Kremlin, "need to know that right now".
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
Up to 25 coaches and buses have been destroyed in a "catastrophic" fire at a coach hire company.
The blaze spread through vehicles at Kev's Cars and Coaches in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on Friday evening.
The buses were outside but parked close together and the fire spread rapidly, Amy Bailey, from Hereford and Worcester Fire Service, said.
The firm, which is used by schools, said some bus services will be affected as all but one bus has been lost.
Nobody was injured by the fire but company owners Wendy and Kevin Nind described the fire as "catastrophic".
"Thanks to the generosity of other local operators the company hopes to have full bus services restored mid next week," they said.
"Coach services used mainly to transport schoolchildren in the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas on behalf of Worcestershire County Council will operate as normal from Monday."
Affected services include 147 Halesowen to Bromsgrove, 355 Droitwich to Worcester, 318 Bromsgrove to Stourbridge, 19 Maypole to Rubery, 39/39A Woodgate/Quinton to Longbridge, 38 Northfield to Selly Oak, 42 Hollymoor to West Heath.
Up to 70 firefighters were called to the scene in Birmingham Road when the fire started at 22:00 GMT, with crews remaining at the depot on Saturday.
They were met with an "intensive" blaze which they managed to bring under control very quickly, Ms Bailey said.
"It's interesting to see it in the daylight today compared to when we saw it last night fully ablaze," she said.
"There's a lot more vehicles than we were able to look at [last night], a lot of vehicles that have been 100% damaged by fire.
"It's quite a dramatic scene."
She said the business owners were upset by what had happened.
"It's terrible to see and we'll be trying to help them and support them as much as we can," she added.
"It's quite complex because of the extent of the damage here and we'll be there throughout the day and it will be an ongoing investigation."
Crews from West Midlands Fire Service assisted the local crews.
The UK has sent six more plane-loads of medical aid and equipment to Ukraine as Health Secretary Sajid Javid accused Russia of war crimes in attacking medical facilities.
Mr Javid said there had been more than 25 attacks on health centres and hospitals since the invasion began.
"This is a war crime and Russia will pay for the crimes it's carrying out," he said.
One attack on a maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol on Thursday which killed three people, including a child, was condemned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "depraved".
Speaking on a visit to Birmingham Children's Hospital, Mr Javid said that "Russia needs to stop its aggression".
"This is a war started by Russia, completely unprovoked, completely unjustified," he said.
He said the World Health Organization had counted more than 25 health facilities which had been targeted or hit by Russian forces, describing it as "completely unacceptable".
"This is a war crime, and Russia will pay for the crimes that it is carrying out in Ukraine today," he said.
More medical aid, on top of the six plane-loads already sent, will got out in coming days, he added.
Under the Geneva Conventions and other international agreements which attempt to regulate wars, civilians cannot be deliberately attacked, and neither can the infrastructure they depend on to survive.
Fighting north-west of Kyiv continues with most Russian ground forces now 15 miles (25km) from the centre of the capital city, the MoD said.
It said that part of the large column of Russian forces north of Kyiv have dispersed, which is likely an attempt to support an attempt to surround the city.
Getty Images
The UK has promised more than £400m of aid to Ukraine, including humanitarian aid and economic support.
It was also among the first to send weapons and other military aid, starting in January.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said this week that the UK had delivered 3,615 light anti-tank missiles and promised to continue to deliver more.
He said the UK would also start delivering a "small consignment" of Javelin anti-tank missiles, which can target tanks up to 1.5 miles (2.5km) away, and is considering donating Starstreak portable anti-aircraft missiles.
Aid to Ukraine's military has also included body armour, helmets, boots, ear defenders, ration packs, rangefinders and communications equipment, the defence secretary said.
But the UK has faced criticism over its response to the displacement of over 2.5 million Ukrainians, with only 1,000 refugees given visas via the Ukraine Family Scheme as of Friday.
A new visa scheme allowing individuals and organisations to sponsor Ukrainians to come to the UK if they do not have family connections is expected to be announced on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK's moves towards making its system more generous were "going in the right direction" and "maybe at some point they will totally match" the European Union approach of allowing refugees from the war a three-year residency without a visa.
Mr Macron said a letter from his interior minister accusing the UK of a "lack of humanity" had been "useful" and France would assess over the next few days whether enough was being done. He said France had offered to host visa application centres in Lille or other cities.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/IN5HS5YMLFPTPFF6S72ZGHGQOE.jpg)
