Ukraine war round-up: Torture claims and MH17 convictions

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Watch: Dashcam footage shows near-miss blast for Ukrainian driver

By James FitzGeraldBBC News

Ukraine has once again come under heavy bombardment from Russia – just two days after Moscow unleashed some of its largest strikes since the war began.

Seven deaths were reported in the Zaporizhzhia region, as other blasts caused damage in locations from Odesa to Kharkiv. Authorities said Kyiv's air defences shot down missiles and drones.

A gas-production site in the east of the country was also said to have been struck as Russia continued to target energy infrastructure following a number of battlefield setbacks.

The attacks come as the first snow of the season fell in some areas – a concern, as many Ukrainians remain unable to heat their homes due to power outages.

The Kremlin has sought to justify its recent strikes by accusing Kyiv of "unwillingness" to negotiate.

Trio guilty of downing MH17 passenger jet

Eight years after a passenger plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine, a court in the Netherlands has found a Russian-backed group guilty of the murder of all 298 people on board.

Many relatives of the victims of the MH17 downing believe if the world had reacted differently, and taken a tougher stance against Russia at the time, the invasion of Ukraine and the geopolitical instability that has followed could have been avoided.

The men – two Russians and one Ukrainian – were found guilty in absentia and sentenced to life in jail. A third Russian was acquitted. The judgment is unlikely to result in anyone serving time in prison.

Moscow has always denied involvement in the downing of the jet. However, the court found that the jet was brought down by a missile made and supplied by Russia, which was fired by an armed group under Russian control.

Judges ruled that there was a deliberate action to bring down a plane, even though the guilty men had intended to shoot down a military aircraft, rather than a civilian one.

'Men were screaming in pain'

Image source, Dave BullImage caption, Anzhela Slobodian was held for 31 days in Kherson

Two Ukrainians have told the BBC they were held for a month in what have been described as "torture chambers" in the recently-liberated city of Kherson.

The southern city had been controlled by Russian troops since the early days of the war, until they withdrew earlier this month following pressuring from advancing Ukrainian forces.

Anzhela said she was held with four other women in a police cell after being captured.

In particular, she recalled the "peculiar sound" of people being electrocuted. "Men were screaming in pain," she said.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr said he was forced into confessing supposed crimes, and described another man being beaten so badly that "he was almost fully blue from his head to his legs".

Ukrainian officials say they have found the bodies of 63 civilians bearing signs of torture in the region of the recently reclaimed city.

Russia continues to deny committing atrocities during its invasion, despite evidence to the contrary.

You can read the full report here.

Australian billionaire launches fund to rebuild a greener Ukraine

A mining magnate has unveiled a new fund which he hopes will one day be worth at least $25bn (£21bn), allowing Ukraine to "completely replace old coal-fired [and] nuclear power stations with brand new green energy".

Andrew Forrest – who made his fortune in Australia's mining boom – told the BBC the capital "would be available the instant that the Russian forces have been removed from the homelands of Ukraine".

And he has put his money where his mouth is, committing $500m of his own cash to the fund.

Crucial grain exports continue as deal extended

Image source, Getty Images

The Ukrainian government said a deal that allows it to export grain by ships on the Black Sea has been extended until mid-March.

The agreement has allowed millions of tonnes of produce to be shipped out of Ukraine in recent months – easing worries about global food security. Ukraine is one of the world's top grain exporters.

Before the arrangement was implemented in July, Russia had been blocking Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that the deal would be continued for another 120 days "without changes".

The United Nations and Turkey – who both helped to broker the accord – both welcomed the news.