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Ukraine’s top general has reportedly refused a request from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down amid an apparent long-running dispute between the two men.

The Ukrainian president sought to have Valerii Zaluzhnyi moved into a new role, according to media reports.

However the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces refused.

Mr Zelenskyy’s office has denied reports the military chief has stepped down or been dismissed – but rumours that he could be removed in the coming days have persisted.

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The Financial Times has reported the Ukrainian president is indeed preparing to make a change, in what would be the most significant shake-up of military command since Russia’s invasion nearly two years ago.

It follows the poorer-than-expected results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive last year, rumours of an upcoming Russian spring offensive and issues obtaining aid from Kyiv’s allies in Europe and America.

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The Kremlin said it is monitoring the situation around Mr Zaluzhnyi. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There are still a lot of questions.

“[But] one thing remains obvious – the Kyiv regime has a lot of problems, things are not going well there.”

The two men were at odds towards the end of last year, when Mr Zaluzhnyi said the war was moving towards a new stage of static and attritional fighting and, drawing comparisons with the First World War, said a level of technology had been reached that “puts us into a stalemate”.

President Zelenskyy denied the conflict had reached a stalemate.

“Today time has passed and people are tired. But this is not a stalemate,” he said.

Mr Zaluzhnyi subsequently commented that the war was not in a stalemate.

Cyber hackers working for the Chinese government are preparing to “wreak havoc” on the US, FBI director Christopher Wray is warning.

Critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants, the electrical grid, and transportation systems are being targeted to cause “real-world harm” to American citizens, he will tell US politicians on Wednesday.

Mr Wray will speak to the House Select Committee On The Chinese Communist Party – and is also expected to say there has been “far too little public focus” on a cyber threat which affects “every American”.

According to a copy of prepared remarks, he will say: “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike.

“Today, and literally every day, they’re actively attacking our economic security, engaging in wholesale theft of our innovation, and our personal and corporate data.”

The comments follow previous assessments from private cybersecurity firms, which have warned of the ongoing threat posed by China.

Last year, Microsoft said state-backed Chinese hackers had been targeting American infrastructure and could be laying the technical groundwork for the potential disruption of critical communications between the US and Asia during future crises.

American firm Mandiant accused Chinese hackers of using a security hole in a popular email appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organisations globally.

Mr Wray is among a number of senior US officials to continue warning of the Chinese government’s hacking prowess alongside Beijing’s determination to steal scientific and industrial research from American businesses.

China has called the accusations groundless, despite multiple criminal indictments detailing evidence.

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The committee was established with a mandate of countering China, including a focus on security and economic implications.

Last year, a report accused a Chinese spy of using LinkedIn to target thousands of British officials as part of an attempt to mine secrets.

In 2022, Mr Wray joined the head of MI5 in an unprecedented joint speech to warn China was their biggest “game-changing challenge”.

“The tempo at which the Chinese intelligence services and other proxies acting on their behalf have been going has been blistering for quite some time now,” the FBI chief warned.

A Spanish footballer is to go on trial over accusations he groped a woman dressed as a rival team’s mascot before a match.

Hugo Mallo, a 32-year-old defender, is alleged to have touched the breasts of the woman, who was wearing a parakeet costume to represent La Liga side Espanyol, minutes before kick-off.

The incident allegedly happened on the pitch as Mallo and his Celta Vigo teammates shook hands with their Espanyol opponents before a 2019 league game.

The case against Mallo, who denies wrongdoing, a former Celta Vigo captain, was initially dismissed, but the decision was later overturned on appeal.

Spanish sports outlet As reported that the player told the court that television footage of the incident showed he did nothing wrong.

However, the court ruled the images were sufficient for him to face trial, which is expected to take place in July.

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Local radio network COPE said Mallo had told its journalists he had been fully focused on the fixture at the time, because his side was facing relegation from La Liga.

The right-back now plays for Brazilian club Internacional.

Prosecutors will be seeking a fine if the Spanish player is found guilty, court officials in Madrid revealed on Wednesday.