• Updates from the race at Albert Park in Melbourne
• Lights go out at 3pm local time/6am BST
• Any thoughts? Feel free to get in touch on email

Toto Wolff, boss of Mercedes is on grid with a smile on his face and pep in his step. He has Russell and Hamilton in second and third but, with five minutes until lights out and an upset win suddenly and unexpectedly on the breeze, he’s also a bit stressed: “There’s no such thing as miracles,” he tells us.

With Verstappen in #1 and Sergio Pérez in #20 starting from the pits, Christian Horner says: “It’s a Red Bull sandwich with quite a lot of meat in the middle.”

President furiously criticises international system for letting Russia hold key role while it wages war on Ukraine, where top official calls it a ‘symbolic blow’

Follow our Ukraine coverage

Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine. We’ll be bringing you the latest developments as they happen.

Our top story this morning:

An intelligence update from the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) says the performance of the Russian chief of the general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, is “pushing the limits of how far Russia’s political leadership will tolerate failure”. It adds: “Gerasimov’s tenure has been characterised by an effort to launch a general winter offensive with the aim of extending Russian control over the whole of the Donbas region. Eighty days on, it is increasingly apparent that this project has failed.”

Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, has promised to increase the supply of munitions to Russian forces during a visit to the headquarters of Moscow’s troops fighting in Ukraine, according to footage published by the defence ministry.

The International Monetary Fund’s executive board has approved a four-year $15.6bn loan programme for Ukraine, part of a global $115bn package of economic support. The decision clears the way for an immediate disbursement of about $2.7bn to Kyiv, and requires Ukraine to carry out ambitious reforms, especially in the energy sector, the fund has said.

The top US general, Mark Milley, has said Ukraine is unlikely to expel all Russian troops from its territory this year, the Kyiv Independent reports, citing an interview with Defense One. Milley said: “I don’t think it’s likely to be done in the near-term for this year.”

At least five people, including a baby, have been killed in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Prosecutors have asked a court to put the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Metropolitan Pavel, under house arrest. He is accused of supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and inciting religious hatred. Pavel denies wrongdoing.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote online that he had talks with France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss “defence interaction” and “further steps to implement #PeaceFormula”.

Russia has lost at least six Zoopark-1M counter-battery radar and will struggle to regenerate them because of sanctions, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. The MoD added: “Regenerating counter-battery radar fleets is likely a key priority for both sides, but Russia will likely struggle because the systems rely on supplies of high-tech electronics which have been disrupted by sanctions.”

Vladimir Putin has signed off on a new Russian foreign policy strategy aimed at curtailing western “dominance” and identifying China and India as key partners for the future. The document cements the deep cold war-style rupture between Russia and the west over Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un, has accused Ukraine of having nuclear ambitions, state media KCNA has reported – basing her assertion on an online petition with fewer than 1,000 signatures.

Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president, said he had intensified talks with Russia about deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus, alleging there were plans for neighbouring Poland to invade. There is no evidence Poland is planning to invade.

Former Scottish first minister says she needed more privacy and accounts of her life on social media were ‘much more glamorous and exciting’ than reality

The former first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has said the need to seek more privacy in the wake of internet rumours was “part of the reason” for her resignation.

Sturgeon surprisingly resigned as leader of the Scottish National party in February, citing the funeral of independence activist Allan Angus as the moment that cemented her decision.

Smart thinking, across the board

Today’s puzzles are about pawns on a chessboard, but they require no expertise at chess. All you need to know is that the queen can move in any direction, for any number of squares.

The first puzzle was devised by Maurice Ashley, the US chess grandmaster, and taken from his app Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess. He describes it as a visualisation exercise to complete in less than two minutes.

Neil King Jr, once of the Wall Street Journal, walked from Washington to New York. His account of the journey is essential

In spring 2021, Neil King trekked 330 miles from his Washington DC home to New York City. He passed through countryside, highways, towns and churchyards. His 25-day walk was also a journey through time. He looked at the US as it was and is and how it wishes to be seen. His resultant book is a beautifully written travelog, memoir, chronicle and history text. His prose is mellifluous, yet measured.

In his college days, King drove a New York cab. At the Wall Street Journal, his remit included politics, terror and foreign affairs. He did a stint as global economics editor. One might expect him to be jaded. Fortunately, he is not. American Ramble helps make the past come alive.