Ukraine war: Russia will capture Mariupol on Thursday, says top Putin ally

Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

A top ally of President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces will seize the Azovstal steel plant, the last major stronghold of resistance in Mariupol, on Thursday.

It comes after Ukraine proposed talks on freeing troops and civilians in the besieged city.

Mariupol would be the biggest city to be seized since Russia invaded Ukraine eight weeks ago as more than five million people have fled the country.

"Before lunchtime, or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation," said Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia's republic of Chechnya, whose forces have been fighting in Ukraine.

It comes after a Ukrainian fighter who was trapped in the steel plant issued a video plea, saying: "We may only have days left".

Serhiy Volyna, commander of Ukraine's 36th marine brigade, which is still fighting in Mariupol, urged the international community to help evacuate wounded Ukrainian fighters and their families.

In a video posted online, the Ukrainian marine commander said his troops may be able to hold out for only a few hours longer as Ukraine tried to evacuate 6,000 women, children and elderly people on Wednesday.

"This is our appeal to the world. It may be our last. We may have only a few days or hours left," said the fighter, who wore a camouflage jacket. "The enemy units are dozens of times larger than ours, they have dominance in the air, in artillery, in ground troops, in equipment and in tanks."

Reuters could not independently verify the video shared on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry did not immediately comment on Mr Kadyrov's statement. Its general staff said early on Thursday that missile and bomb strikes continued across the country.

Mariupol hit by war's fiercest fighting

Mariupol has endured the fiercest fighting of the war as Russian forces try to take full control. Its capture would be a big strategic prize and would link territory held by pro-Russian separatists in the east with the Crimea region that Moscow annexed in 2014.

A few dozen civilians managed to leave the city on Wednesday in a small bus convoy, according to Reuters witnesses.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering at the steel plant.

Ukraine was ready for a "special round of negotiations" with no conditions "to save our guys … military, civilians, children, the living and the wounded", Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Kyiv has proposed swapping Russian prisoners of war for safe passage for trapped civilians and soldiers. It was not known if Russia had responded to the offer of special negotiations.

Fighters remain holed up in the plant and have ignored an ultimatum by Russia to surrender.

Tales of Yusuf Tadros

Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)

Hoopoe

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The%20Crown%20season%205

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImelda%20Staunton%2C%20Jonathan%20Pryce%2C%20Lesley%20Manville%2C%20Jonny%20Lee%20Miller%2C%20Dominic%20West%2C%20Elizabeth%20Debicki%2C%20Salim%20Daw%20and%20Khalid%20Abdalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWritten%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeter%20Morgan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%20stars%3C%2Fp%3E%0A