Ukraine-Russia war – live: Wagner chief claims Putin was tricked into invading by defence ministry

The leader of the Wagner mercenary group appears to have blamed the outbreak of war on Russia’s defence ministry.

Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday accused the Russian military of destroying his fighters, without explaining his accusation, and vowed to stop the "evil" of the military leadership.

The defence ministry quickly issued a statement saying Mr Prigozhin's accusations "do not correspond to reality and are an informational provocation".

In a series of audio messages on his official Telegram channel, Mr Prigozhin said the "evil" of the Russian military leadership "must be stopped".

Mr Prigozhin said: “There was nothing out of the ordinary on February 24 [the day of the invasion].

“The defence ministry is trying to deceive the president and society by saying Ukraine was going mad with aggression and was planning to attack us together with the whole Nato bloc.”

Also on Friday, Ukraine said it has retaken eight villages already but the main push in its counteroffensive was still to come.

Earlier on , drone footage showed a Russian troop being wiped out by a bomb.

Key Points

• Putin troop position wiped out in huge explosion

• Russian president accused of committing war crimes ‘on steroids’

• UN adds Russia to global list of offenders for killing children in Ukraine

Drone footage shows Russian forces wiped out in explosion

15:48 , Jane Dalton

Top photos: June 23

20:30 , William Mata

Wagner mercenary chief says Russia's war in Ukraine based on lies

20:00 , Reuters

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday that the Kremlin's rationale for invading Ukraine was based on lies concocted by his perennial adversary - the army's top brass.

Mr Prigozhin, whose frequent tirades on social media belie his limited role in the war as head of the Wagner private military company, has for months been openly accusing defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, of rank incompetence.

But on Friday he for the first time dismissed Russia's core justifications for invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year in what it calls a "special military operation", in a video clip released on Telegram by his press service.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary happening [the day Russia invaded]... the defence ministry is trying to deceive society and the president and tell us a story about how there was crazy aggression from Ukraine and that they were planning to attack us with the whole of NATO," Mr Prigozhin said, calling the official version "a beautiful story".

"The war was needed ... so that Shoigu could become a marshal ... so that he could get a second 'Hero' [of Russia] medal. The war wasn't needed to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine."

Sitting on a chair with a giant black Wagner flag behind him, Mr Prigozhin said the war had also been needed to enrich the ruling elite who, he said, were not satisfied with the commercial potential of part of Ukraine's Donbas region that Moscow seized control of in 2014 via a proxy separatist force.

"The task was to divide material assets (in Ukraine)," he said. "There was massive theft in the Donbas, but they wanted more."

‘The results are bad'

19:30 , William Mata

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted his concern following a meeting with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).

He said there were three items on the agenda: shelters in the regions, the second issue is courts, and joining the European Union.

The president tweeted: “We reviewed the situation with shelters in the regions, districts and cities that the enemy is terrorising most intensively.

“The results are bad. Almost all over the country. The situation is especially cynical and shameful in those cities that have significant financial resources, but unfortunately, other priorities. Personnel decisions will be made.”

Ukraine's Zelensky orders audit of heads of military draft offices in regions

19:00 , William Mata

President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the creation of a special commission on Friday to carry out an audit of heads of military draft offices in regions across Ukraine.

After meeting his top military commanders, Mr Zelensky said the commission would be headed by general Oleksandr Pavliuk, who is first deputy defence minister.

The decision follows Ukrainian media reports of corruption allegations against the head of a draft office.

Mr Zelensky said he had ordered the urgent dismissal of the head of a draft office whose family was reported by the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet to own property and cars worth millions of dollars in Spain.

"I gave an urgent order to create a commission... and together with law enforcement units and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention to check all the heads of military draft offices in all regions of Ukraine so that they do not disgrace our state and the memory of heroes who die at the front," Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

In his statement, he also said he discussed the situation on the front lines, weapons supplies and the pace of production of Ukrainian defence companies.

Top Biden aide to Denmark for international talks on Ukraine

18:30 , William Mata

Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is traveling to Denmark this weekend to participate in a meeting about Ukraine which may include some countries that have refused to condemn the invasion.

The talks in Copenhagen are being organised by Ukraine "to discuss basic principles of peace," a US official said on Friday.

India, South Africa and Brazil were among the countries invited but it was unclear yet whether they were attending, a source familiar with the matter said.

India and South Africa have not condemned the invasion. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in April condemned the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity by Russia and again called for mediation to end the war.

Western countries that back the war have also been invited.

The US official said Ukraine invited a variety of countries and Denmark agreed to host the meeting in Copenhagen. It will include national security advisers and political directors from various countries invited.

The session is considered an informal gathering and not a formal summit. No specific outcomes or joint communiques are expected to come out of it.

Ukraine signals main push in counteroffensive is yet to come

18:00 , Reuters

Ukraine signalled on Friday that the main push in its counteroffensive against Russian forces was still to come, with some troops not yet deployed and the operation so far intended to "set up the battlefield”.

Ukraine says it has retaken eight villages in the early stages of its most ambitious assault since Russia's full-scale invasion 16 months ago, but president Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that gains had been "slower than desired."

Addressing the pace of the Ukrainian advances, three senior officials on Friday sent the clearest signal so far that the main part of the counteroffensive has not yet begun.

"Offensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue in a number of areas. Formation operations are underway to set up the battlefield," presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

"The counteroffensive is not a new season of a Netflix show. There is no need to expect action and buy popcorn."

Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said the "main events" of the counteroffensive were "ahead of us."

"And the main blow is still to come. Indeed, some of the reserves - these are staged things - will be activated later," Maliar told Ukrainian television.

Sanctions may force Russia to cancel Moscow air show

17:30 , Jane Dalton

Russia is likely to cancel this year’s Moscow air show, which for decades has been a major venue for showing off new warplanes and negotiating aerospace contracts, a top official of its organising agency says:

Russia is likely to cancel July's Moscow air show as sanctions affect attendees and import of parts

Russian mercenary boss says invasion based on lies

16:50 , Jane Dalton

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said the official Kremlin-backed version of why Moscow invaded Ukraine was based on lies concocted by his perennial adversary - the army’s top brass.

Prigozhin has for months been accusing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, of rank incompetence, but now for the first time he has rejected Russia’s core justifications.

“... the Defence Ministry is trying to deceive society and the president and tell us a story about how there was crazy aggression from Ukraine and that they were planning to attack us with the whole of Nato,” Mr Prigozhin said in a video clip released on Telegram by his press service, calling the official version “a beautiful story”.

“The special operation was started for different reasons,” he said.

“The war was needed ... so that Shoigu could become a marshal ... so that he could get a second ‘Hero’ [of Russia] medal. The war wasn’t needed to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine.”

He also said the war had been needed to acquire “material assets” to divide among the ruling elite.

ICYMI: Ukraine’s president tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant

15:09 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine wants other countries to heed its warning that Russia may be planning to attack an occupied nuclear power plant to cause a radiation disaster, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Members of his government briefed international representatives on Thursday on the possible threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he expected other nations to “give appropriate signals and exert pressure” on Moscow.

Susie Blann reports:

Ukraine's president tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant

Ukraine to bring officials to justice over bomb shelter deaths - Zelensky

14:49 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s top security body decided on Friday to bring officials to justice over the deaths of three people who were locked out of a bomb shelter during a Russian missile strike, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.

Zelensky said the National Security and Defence Council had met and discussed the security of the Ukrainian people, judicial reforms and Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

"A quarter of bomb shelters in Ukraine and a third in Kyiv are unfit for use," Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app, citing an audit of air raid shelters that he ordered following the three deaths on 1 June.

"The decision of the National Security Council is to bring the guilty to justice, and to get all protective structures in the proper condition."

Russia won't tell US number of nuclear warheads in Belarus

14:18 , Matt Mathers

Russia will not inform the US about the number of nuclear warheads it is stationing in Belarus or tests of its nuclear-capable Poseidon torpedo, the Interfax news agency quoted deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Friday.

Moscow and Minsk say Belarus has already begun receiving the Russian tactical, or short-range, nuclear weapons that president Vladimir Putin had publicly promised to station there, as tensions with the West soar over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"I deeply doubt that this topic will become the subject of any public discussion or disclosure on our part," Ryabkov was quoted as telling reporters in the southern town of Sochi.

"For decades the United States has kept its tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of a number of European countries, and it never gives exact numbers."

ICYMI: Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital

11:33 , Matt Mathers

A suspected lone Russian diplomat is apparently squatting on the site of Moscow‘s proposed embassy after the Australian government vetoed the plan on security grounds. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the Russian act of defiance, saying a “bloke standing in the cold on a bit of grass in Canberra is not a threat to our national security.”

Parliament passed emergency legislation last week blocking on security grounds Russia’s lease on the largely empty block because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House.

Rod McGuirk reports:

Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital

Ukraine defence ministry releases footage of drone attack

10:59 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s defence ministry has published footage of a drone attack carried out on a Russian target.

It is unclear where the drone attack place but was carried out by the country’s 72nd Mechanized Bridge, officials said.

“There are no small things in a war. Even a small drone can cause a big bang,” the defence ministry wrote in a tweet.

Two people killed in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kherson - governor

10:15 , Matt Mathers

At least two people were killed in a Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Friday, the regional governor said.

Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said in an initial post on the Telegram messaging app that a municipal transport company had been hit in the attack. A 55-year-old man was killed on the spot and five others were taken to hospital, he said.

In a later post, he had said a 43-year-old man had also died of his wounds in hospital.

Our counter-offensive is a ‘success’ - Ukraine deputy PM

09:33 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal has described his country’s counter-offensive against Russia’s invading troops as a "success".

Mr Shmyhal, who was in the UK this week for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "The counter-offensive is not only offensive.

"It can take time. It is not an easy walk. In the past two weeks, we have liberated more than 113 square kilometres of our territory.

"And we go ... seven kilometres into the deep of the front line of the occupied territory. So it is a success and we continue this counter-offensive operation."

Speaking about the post-war rebuild, the Kyiv politician said that, should the country’s armed forces expel Moscow’s forces, then the reconstruction could cost "double" the current World Bank estimation of 411 billion US dollars (£323 billion), which applies "only to damages" on land currently under Ukraine control.

It comes after the London recovery summit saw £50 billion promised to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy.

Russia accused of ‘war crimes on steroids'

09:00 , Matt Mathers

Russia has been accused of committing war crimes “on steroids”.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham made the comment in a joint press conference with Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal.

“Senator Blumenthal and I want to put everybody in this congress on notice that the threat of a use of a nuclear device by Russia is real and the best way to deter it is to give them clarity as to what happens if they do that - they will be in a war with NATO,” he said.

He also accused Russia of “committing war crimes on steroids”.

Russia says it detained Caesium smugglers working for a Ukrainian citizen

08:37 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s FSB security service said on Friday it had detained five people who were trying to buy 1 kg of radioactive Caesium-137 for $3.5 million on behalf of a citizen of Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.

The FSB was cited as saying that the Caesium-137 was meant to be taken out of Russia to be used to stage an incident with purported weapons of mass destruction aimed at discrediting Russia.

The report could not be independently verified.

Russia using trained bottle-nosed dolphins to snuff out enemy divers - MoD

08:10 , Matt Mathers

Russia has nearly doubled the number of floating mammals pens - highly likely to contain trained bottlenose dolphins - in Sevastopol Port, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

The MoD said the dolphins are likely being used to snuff out enemy divers.

“Imagery shows a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbour which highly likely contain bottle-nosed dolphins,” it said in a statement.

“In Arctic waters, the navy also uses Beluga whales and seals. Russia has trained animals for a range of missions, but the ones housed in Sevastopol harbour are highly likely intended to counter enemy divers.”

Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting ‘radiation leak’ attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

07:55 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has new evidence Russia is plotting a “terrorist” attack on the Zaporizhzhia power plant that will result in a radiation leak, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.

The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as “another lie”, and said a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly.

In a video statement, Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv had received intelligence about an attack on the facility – the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – which is currently occupied by Russia.

Bel Trew reports:

Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting ‘radiation leak’ attack at nuclear plant

EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks

07:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The European Union said Thursday that Ukraine, even amid war and relentless attacks from Russia, was staying the course towards opening membership talks with the bloc and lauded it for reforms in several sectors.

Ukraine sees EU membership as an essential part of its Western-oriented future. For over a year it has worked on paving the way to opening talks and the 27-nation bloc issued some badly needed words of encouragement, although it said work remains to be done.

EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks

Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital

06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A suspected lone Russian diplomat is apparently squatting on the site of Moscow‘s proposed embassy after the Australian government vetoed the plan on security grounds. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the Russian act of defiance, saying a “bloke standing in the cold on a bit of grass in Canberra is not a threat to our national security.”

Parliament passed emergency legislation last week blocking on security grounds Russia’s lease on the largely empty block because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House.

Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital

Kakhovka dam disaster caused more than $1.5bn worth of damage to Ukraine

06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The collapse of the Kakhovka dam has already caused more than $1.5bn worth of damage to Ukraine, authorities said.

Minister of environmental protection and natural resources Ruslan Strilets said that this number will continue to grow.

“According to preliminary forecasts, the losses could reach hundreds of billions of [Ukrainian] hryvnias.”

“Some ecosystems have been lost forever. They will never recover. We have lost endemic species of animals. These are species that existed only in one place on earth — in the south of Ukraine. We have lost half of the forest in this area,” Mr Strilets said.

Explosions heard in Russian city of Kursk

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Officials said explosions were heard in the Russian city of Kursk late yesterday.

The Ukrainska Pravda news outlet reported citing Russian Telegram channels that the governor of Kursk Oblast, Roman Starovoyt, claimed air defence shot down a drone.

He, however, did not provide further information.

Russian authorities have consistently blamed Ukraine for the attacks on its border regions.

Nine communities shelled in Sumy oblast, authorities say

06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russian forces shelled nine communities in Sumy Oblast yesterday and over 147 explosions were reported, the local authorities said on Facebook.

Authorities said that the Russian forces carried out 21 shellings, injuring one person and damaging a water tower, residential buildings, and private homes.

The communities of Krasnopillia, Khotin, Yunakivka, Vorozhba, Shalyhyne, Bilopillia, Myropillia, Nova Sloboda, and Esman were targeted by mortars, artillery, mines, and even airstrikes, the administration said.

No threat from Russian diplomat squatting on site of proposed embassy, Australia's PM says

05:48 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese said today that the contested site of a proposed Russian embassy was secure, after it emerged that a Russian diplomat was squatting on the land following the government’s decision to cancel the lease.

Earlier this month, Australia passed a law to prevent Russia from moving its embassy from a Canberra suburb to a prime site close to parliament and the Chinese embassy, citing national security concerns, Reuters reported.

Earlier it was reported that a Russian diplomat was squatting on the land under the watch of a police force unable to arrest him as he has diplomatic immunity.

“Australia will stand up for our values and we will stand up for our national security, and a bloke standing in the cold on a bit of grass in Canberra is not a threat to our national security,” Mr Albanese told a news conference today.

“The site is secure and we are comfortable with our position.”

Reuters said Moscow on Wednesday barred 48 Australians from entering Russia, in what it said was retaliation for Australia’s own long-running sanctions regime against the country.

EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks

04:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The European Union said yesterday that Ukraine, even amid war and relentless attacks from Russia, was staying the course towards opening membership talks with the bloc and lauded it for reforms in several sectors.

Ukraine sees EU membership as an essential part of its Western-oriented future. For over a year it has worked on paving the way to opening talks and the 27-nation bloc issued some badly needed words of encouragement, although it said work remains to be done.

In an interim report addressing only part of the changes the nation needs to make to start talks, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said Kyiv had “completed” two of seven steps, on judicial governance and media freedom and that “good progress had been made on constitutional court reform.

EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks

- AP

UN adds Russia to global list of offenders for killing children in Ukraine

04:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The United Nations has added Russia to a global list of offenders for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, it was reported.

According to a report to the UN Security Council, Russian forces and affiliated groups “maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on Ukrainian schools and hospitals”.

The report seen by Reuters said that Russia’s military used 91 children as human shields as well.

The UN also accused the Ukrainian military of killing 80 children, injuring 175, and carrying out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals. Ukraine wasn’t added to the global list of offenders, it was reported.

Robert F Kennedy Jr wildly claims Russia ‘acted in good faith’ in Ukraine invasion

04:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Presidential primary candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr said that he believes Russia acted in “good faith” when it invaded Ukraine, and claimed the US was largely responsible for the war.

Mr Kennedy is running as a Democrat in the 2024 presidential primaries.

He made the comments during an interview on SiriusXM’s “The Briefing with Steve Scully,” according to the HuffPost.

Scully asked Mr Kennedy about Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s invasion, which prompted Mr Kennedy to say that “baby steps” towards negotiations were the appropriate path forward.

The interviewer then pointed out that Mr Putin has largely dismissed calls for negotiations unless they allow Russia to keep the land it has already occupied in Ukraine.

Robert F Kennedy Jr wildly claims Russia ‘acted in good faith’ in Ukraine invasion

Zelensky warns of Russian attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

04:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is considering a terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“Our intelligence obtained information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this,” Mr Zelensky said, according to Kyiv Independent.

Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed that Russian forces have planted additional mines in and around Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including the cooling pond.

“The worst thing is that Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was additionally mined during this time. The cooler (pond) was mined. If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems,” he said.

Air raid alerts in effect throughout Ukraine

03:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukraine has warned people that Russian missile and drone attacks might take place as air raid alerts were in effect throughout the country early this morning.

Telegram channels reported explosions in several regions, from Lviv in the west, far from the front lines, to Kherson in the south.

However, there were no reports of strikes or casualties so far.

In pictures” Bridge linking Ukraine to Crimea ‘damaged in explosion'

02:00 , Martha Mchardy

Today in pictures

Thursday 22 June 2023 23:30 , Martha Mchardy

UK could support dropping a stage in Ukraine’s Nato membership bid – Cleverly

Thursday 22 June 2023 22:30 , Martha Mchardy

The UK could be in favour of offering Ukraine a shorter route to Nato accession, the Foreign Secretary indicated.

James Cleverly said during a conference on Ukrainian reconstruction the UK would be “very supportive” if it was decided Kyiv did not need to go through the membership action plan stage of the process to join Nato.

“We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly,” he told a press conference during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

Dominic McGrath reports:

UK could support dropping a stage in Ukraine’s Nato membership bid – Cleverly

What to know about India's ties with Russia

Thursday 22 June 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to Washington in June was expected to reduce India‘s dependence on Moscow for arms, economic ties and technology as New Delhi and Washington try to strengthen the Quad partnership, which also includes Japan and Australia, to contain growing aggression from China.

India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration. But that partnership has become fraught since Moscow started developing closer ties with India’s main rival, China, because of the war against Ukraine.

Here’s where things stand with India-Russia ties.

Ashok Sharma reports:

What to know about India's ties with Russia

ICYMI: Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine’s mainland to Crimea

Thursday 22 June 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy

An explosion damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine’s mainland, Russia-backed officials said Thursday, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counteroffensive unfold.

Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraine’s Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country’s nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during last year’s full-scale invasion.

Read the full story:

Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine's mainland to Crimea

Voices: Russian brutality has boosted Nato and led countries to abandon neutrality – and that’s a very bad move

Thursday 22 June 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy

If, as might appear, most of Europe and Russia are now speeding towards a two-bloc division, far more risks being lost than gained, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Why more countries should stay neutral | Mary Dejevsky

Ukrainian forces contain Russian forces in east -deputy defence minister

Thursday 22 June 2023 19:30 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian forces are containing Russian forces on the eastern front and have not allowed “a single metre” of Russian advances, Deputy prime minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday. “Our defence forces continue to contain effectively advances by Russian troops,” Maliar wrote on the Telegram app, referring to four key sectors in the east, including the Lyman further north, where officials say Russian forces have been active.

Maliar said Ukrainian forces on the southern front, where several villages were captured last week, were “gradually moving forward. We have had partial success. We are pushing back the enemy and levelling the front line.”

Today in pictures

Thursday 22 June 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy

Voices: Putin won’t stop using spectre of nuclear disaster to terrorise Ukraine

Thursday 22 June 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s president Zelensky has warned of a possible attack on Europe’s largest nuclear plant, while Russia’s president has once again talked up his nuclear arsenal, writes Borzou Daragahi.

Putin won’t stop using spectre of nuclear disaster to terrorise Ukraine

Ukraine progresses on reforms to unlock membership talks, EU says

Thursday 22 June 2023 17:56 , Martha Mchardy

Senior EU officials said on Thursday that Ukraine is making progress on political reforms to open the way for European Union membership talks but still needs to progress in five important areas.

The assessment, by the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, offered Kyiv hope that it could achieve its aim of getting the green light for membership talks in December even it fights to repel Russia’s invasion.

But it also made clear that Ukraine has a way to go just to complete the seven steps that the EU outlined last year when it granted Kyiv the status of a candidate for membership.

“They are on track, they are working hard. After all, the country is under attack,” said Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for relations with the EU’s neighbours. “Compared to that, I think that they are delivering.”

In an update for the EU’s member countries, Varhelyi said Kyiv had completed two of the seven steps, as reported by Reuters on Monday - reform of two judicial bodies and the adoption of media legislation in line with EU standards.

He said Ukraine had made progress but had more work to do on constitutional court reform, on measures to fight corruption, money laundering and curb the influence of oligarchs, and on the treatment of minorities.

He also stressed the European Commission would look at a broader range of factors in a full report in October on Ukraine’s suitability for membership talks.

“We are just in the middle of the work so it’s too early to tell you where they are going to be,” he told reporters after presenting his assessment to European affairs ministers from the bloc’s 27 member countries in Stockholm.

Jessika Roswall, Sweden’s European affairs minister, said Ukraine’s reform efforts had been “impressive” in the face of “extraordinary circumstances”.

“Ukraine has taken substantial steps forward,” she said.

Ukrainian PM says he's sure Ukraine will get money needed to rebuild

Thursday 22 June 2023 17:50 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he was certain Ukraine would receive the $6.5 billion it needs this year for its rapid reconstruction programmes from pledges made at a conference in London.

Earlier, Britain, the United States, the European Union and others pledged billions of dollars in additional help for Ukraine, going some way to meeting Kyiv’s demand for more capital and commitments to specific projects, not only to rebuild but to further develop Ukraine into a strong member of the West.

Speaking on the final day of the Ukraine recovery conference, Shmyhal said his government had yet to assess all the pledges but “I’m sure that in the nearest time, after this conference ... we will collect all the needed money”.

On Wednesday, he said he expected to secure almost $7 billion in aid, money needed to spur his government’s rapid recovery programme - which is firstly focused on rebuilding the energy sector, especially before another winter.

A closing statement from conference co-chairs Britain and Ukraine said attendees had agreed to provide $60 billion to meet recovery and reconstruction needs over a multi-year period. This was mostly comprised of a 50-billion-euro commitment from the European Union announced on Tuesday and new pledges at the conference from Britain the United States.

Shmyhal also said there had been many expressions of interest from the business community in getting involved in projects in Ukraine, particularly after Britain announced the London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance, which could pave the way for derisking investment.

He said that as yet he could not put a figure on the amount of business investment.

Nearly 16 months of Russia’s war on Ukraine has destroyed homes, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Western nations are keen to maintain support for Kyiv, which faces years, possibly decades, of rebuilding.

The total bill will be huge, with Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimating in March that the cost was at $411 billion for the first year of the war.

Shmyhal said that figure only referred to the land currently under Ukrainian control.

“I think after the liberation of all the Ukrainian territories, this amount will be doubled,” he said. “And we understand that this a project for dozens of years.”

ICYMI: Bridge linking Ukraine to Crimea damaged in explosion

Thursday 22 June 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy

An explosion has damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine’s mainland, Russia-backed officials said, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counter-offensive unfold.

Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraine’s Kherson province.

Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country’s nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during the full-scale invasion that started last year.

The damage to the bridge was not severe and is likely to be repaired within several days, Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the parliament of Crimea, said.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of the occupied parts of Kherson province, said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a type of long-range cruise missile that both France and the UK have given to Ukraine’s military.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the bridge and typically do not confirm specific attacks.

UN adds Russia to list of shame for killing children in Ukraine

Thursday 22 June 2023 17:00 , Martha Mchardy

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres called out Russia on Thursday for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters.

The United Nations also verified that Russian armed forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. Russian armed forces also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report.

Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

The report also verified that Ukrainian armed forces killed 80 children, maimed 175 children and carried out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals. The Ukrainian armed forces are not on the global offenders list.

Guterres said in the report that he was “particularly shocked” by the high number of children killed and maimed and attacks on schools and hospitals by Russian armed forces.

He also said he was “particularly disturbed” by the high number of such offenses against children by Ukrainian armed forces.

Russia’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Russian Supreme Court rejects Navalny challenge to prison conditions

Thursday 22 June 2023 16:58 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge by the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to prison officials’ refusal to give him writing equipment, the Russian independent news site Mediazona reported.

In latest crackdown on critics, Russia declares World Wide Fund for Nature 'undesirable'

Thursday 22 June 2023 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian authorities on Wednesday declared the World Wide Fund for Nature to be an undesirable organization, effectively banning it from operating in the country, in the latest move to stifle dissent.

The global organization, which promotes wildlife preservation and works to reduce human impact on the environment, encourages activities that are “a cover for the implementation of projects that pose security threats in the economic sphere,” the Russian prosecutor-general’s office said, according to Russian news reports.

“Under the pretext of preserving the environment, WWF is carrying out activities aimed at preventing the implementation of the country’s political course for the industrial development of the Arctic, natural resources in the Arctic territories,” it said.

In latest crackdown on critics, Russia declares World Wide Fund for Nature 'undesirable'

Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting ‘radiation leak’ attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Thursday 22 June 2023 16:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine has new evidence Russia is plotting a “terrorist” attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant that will result in radiation leak, President Volodymr Zelensky has warned.

The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as “another lie”, and said a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly.

In a video statement, Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv had received intelligence about an attack on the facility – the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – that is currently occupied by Russia.

He added that they had shared the information with partners including the United States China, Europe, Brazil and India.

“Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with radiation leakage,” he said.

Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting ‘radiation leak’ attack at nuclear plant

MPs demand to ‘cut through Whitehall bureaucracy’ and get jailed British-Russian dissident home

Thursday 22 June 2023 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Senior MPs have backed calls for the Foreign Office to do more to help a British citizen jailed for 25 years in Russia for opposing the invasion of Ukraine.

British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April after he had been convicted of high treason by a Moscow court.

Mr Kara-Murza has already survived two poisoning attempts by Russian agents and has developed a medical condition that has deteriorated during his imprisonment to the point where he has lost feeling in his feet and one of his arms.

MPs demand to get jailed British-Russian dissident home

Russian mercenary boss accuses top brass of Ukraine battlefield cover-up

Thursday 22 June 2023 14:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin added fuel to his feud with the top brass on Thursday, accusing them of lying to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine.

Prigozhin, whose Wagner private militia spearheaded the Russian capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, is resisting an order for mercenary groups like his to sign contracts with the Defence Ministry before July 1.

Prigozhin portrays Wagner as Russia‘s most effective fighting force, and has enjoyed unusual freedom to publicly criticise Moscow - albeit not Putin, on whose support he and Wagner ultimately depend.

Yet the order to bring militias under Moscow’s direct control suggested to some that he may have outlived his usefulness to Putin in challenging a military hierarchy that has failed to deliver the rapid victory he had hoped for.

In a series of emotional audio messages over two days, Prigozhin escalated his repeated criticism of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a close Putin ally, and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff - by accusing them of hiding Russia‘s “very serious losses on the front” from Putin.

“Total trash is being put on the president’s desk. Shoigu and Gerasimov have a simple approach. The lie must be monstrous for people to believe it. That is what they are doing,” Prigozhin said in one message.

“It’s all being hidden from everyone. Russia will wake up one day and learn that (Russian-annexed) Crimea has been handed over to the Ukrainians ...

“They are misleading the Russian people and if it keeps on like this we’ll be left without the most important thing: Russia.”

There was no immediate response from the Defence Ministry.

Ukraine’s Zelensky signs law banning import of books from Russia

Thursday 22 June 2023 14:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a ban on the commercial import of books from Russia on Thursday, the latest move to reduce cultural ties between the two countries following Moscow’s invasion.

“I believe the law is right,” Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app, announcing he had signed a bill which also bans the commercial import of books printed in Belarus or in occupied Ukrainian territory.

The bill, adopted by parliament a year ago, also makes its a requirement to obtain special permission to import books in the Russian language from third countries.

Zelensky’s office said on Twitter that the law would “strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian cultural and information space from anti-Ukrainian Russian propaganda”.

Ukraine has been carrying out what it describes as “derussification” process, saying it is necessary to undo centuries of policies it considered aimed at crushing the Ukrainian identity.

Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko thanked the president for signing the bill.

“The adoption of this draft law will protect the Ukrainian book publishing and distribution sector from the destructive influence of the ‘russian world’,” he said on Telegram.

Ukraine racing to make prepares as it braces for winter of air strikes, minister says

Thursday 22 June 2023 14:20 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is carrying out the largest campaign of repairs in modern history to its power system to prepare for another winter of possible Russian air strikes, its energy minister said.

“The most extensive repair campaign in the history of energy facilities is currently under way in Ukraine,” German Galushchenko said.

“Power generation and distribution facilities are being restored, and work is under way to strengthen the power system’s resilience to military challenges.”

Ukraine has nearly doubled electricity tariffs for consumers since 1 June to find funds to prepare for winter. About 43 per cent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged in air strikes, with around seven in 10 substations attacked at least twice, state-owned power distributor Ukrenergo estimates.

Ben Wallace rules himself out of running to become new Nato chief

Thursday 22 June 2023 13:55 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s defence secretary has ruled himself out of contention to succeed Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Following speculation linking him to the general-secretary position ahead of next month’s Nato summit in Vilnius, Ben Wallace told The Economist: “It’s not going to happen”, adding that there are “a lot of unresolved issues in Nato”.

Washington wants Mr Stoltenberg to stay in the role, Mr Wallace added, despite remarks by US president Joe Biden that he would support a Nato leader from the UK when he met with Rishi Sunak at the White House earlier this month.

Downing Street refused to say on Thursday whether Mr Sunak was disappointed to see Mr Wallace exit the running to take over at Nato. A spokesperson for Mr Sunak said the defence secretary’s focus would “continue to be on protecting our national security and supporting Ukraine”.

Western defence firms wary on Ukraine's weapons production pitch

Thursday 22 June 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Western defence companies are interested in making weapons in Ukraine - but not until after the war, according to half a dozen executives contacted by Reuters at the Paris Airshow.

Ukraine is desperate to boost its weapons arsenal, from drones and munitions to tanks, as it battles to repel Russia‘s invasion. It’s also looking to boost job opportunities and stabilise an economy ravaged by war.

On Monday, a Ukrainian deputy minister told Reuters that Kyiv was in talks with defence companies in Germany, France, Italy and eastern Europe to potentially make weapons in Ukraine.

But company executives at the world’s biggest aerospace industry gathering said there was currently too much risk.

“You just have to think about more broadly, the state of the situation ... and the risk associated with that co-production,” said Greg Ulmer, who leads U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin’s aeronautic business and was not aware of any direct discussions with Ukraine on co-production activities.

Representatives from two major defence companies confirmed they had heard about the Ukrainian initiative, with one adding his company was prepared to sign a letter of intent to discuss an industrial partnership in Ukraine once hostilities end.

But none of those interviewed expressed an interest in investing directly while the war rages, with security the top concern.

What we know about India’s ties with Russia

Thursday 22 June 2023 13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to Washington in June was expected to reduce India‘s dependence on Moscow for arms, economic ties and technology as New Delhi and Washington try to strengthen the Quad partnership, which also includes Japan and Australia, to contain growing aggression from China.

India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration. But that partnership has become fraught since Moscow started developing closer ties with India’s main rival, China, because of the war against Ukraine.

Here’s where things stand with India-Russia ties.

What to know about India's ties with Russia

Russia warns US not to send NATO troops to Ukraine - RIA cites deputy foreign minister

Thursday 22 June 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday called on the United States not to make “mistakes with dangerous consequences” and send NATO troops to Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported.

Ukraine says Russia fired 'Kinzhal' missiles in overnight air strike

Thursday 22 June 2023 12:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and strike drones at targets in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, causing damage in the cities of Odesa and Kryvy Rih, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukrainian air defences downed three of the four drones fired in the overnight attack involving three Kinzhal hypersonic and three cruise missiles, the Air Force said in a statement.

“...The enemy rockets did not reach their targets in the Dnipropetrovsk region... the occupiers are continuing their terror against the Ukrainian people, attacking Ukraine‘s critical infrastructure facilities,” the air force said.

The drones were shot down over the Black Sea region of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine, but one of them struck a warehouse, regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said.

In the Kryvy Rih area, a Russian missile strike damaged at least 10 homes, the regional administration said.

Russia has regularly carried out long-distance missile and drone attacks since October, and increased strikes in May as Ukraine prepared for a counteroffensive.

Watch live: Ukrainian PM addresses final day of Ukraine Recovery Conference in London

Thursday 22 June 2023 11:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, addresses the second day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

This year’s summit will focus on mobilising international support for Ukraine’s economic and social stabilisation and recovery from the effects of war.

Other sessions on Thursday 22 June include speeches on “restoring livelihoods”, “tech for transformation” and “role of the regions in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction”.

Opening the conference yesterday, Rishi Sunak pledged to stand with Kyiv “as long as it takes” as he announced three billion US dollars (£2.35 billion) in bank loan guarantees to bolster rebuild.

Watch live: Ukrainian PM addresses final day of Ukraine Recovery Conference in London

Chonhar Bridge could take several weeks to fix after Ukrainian missile strike

Thursday 22 June 2023 11:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Repairing the Chonhar road bridge after a missile strike Russia has blamed on Ukraine could take up to several weeks, a Russian-installed transport ministry official in Crimea was cited as saying on Thursday.

Russian-appointed officials said earlier on Thursday that Ukrainian missiles had struck the bridge connecting Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region.

US reporter Gershkovich loses new appeal against pre-trial detention in Russia

Thursday 22 June 2023 11:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

US reporter Evan Gershkovich had a new appeal rejected by a Moscow court on Thursday against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage, a Reuters reporter at the court said.

The Wall Street Journal reporter denies the spying charge, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is convicted.

His parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was not allowed inside the room.

Gershkovich, wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, stood in a glass box and smiled at journalists who were briefly allowed to film him before the start of the proceedings.

The 31-year-old was arrested in March and accused by Russia‘s FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

His newspaper vehemently denies the accusation against Gershkovich, who was accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The United States says he was wrongfully detained and is demanding his release.

Gershkovich was appealing against his continued detention in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison ahead of his trial, for which no date has been set.

Emma Tucker, the Wall Street Journal’s editor in chief, told the BBC before the hearing that she had low expectations from the appeal but it was important to go through the legal process.

In April, a court denied a request from Gershkovich’s lawyers that he be transferred to house arrest, agree to restrictions on his movements, or be granted bail.

Gershkovich is being held at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are at the lowest point since the Cold War after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine last year in what it called “a special military operation.”

Putin 'plans radiation leak terrorist attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’

Thursday 22 June 2023 10:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Volodymr Zelensky has claimed Russia is planning a “terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”.

In a tweet, the president said: “Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this.”

Pictures show extent of Chonhar bridge damage

Thursday 22 June 2023 10:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula, following what Russian-appointed officials say was a Ukrainian missile attack.

Britain backs fast-track Nato membership for Ukraine

Thursday 22 June 2023 09:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain will back fast-tracking Ukraine’s Nato membership as momentum builds among Western allies to significantly change their stance over Kyiv’s attempts to join the alliance.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s government may have a quick route to accession, as has been granted recently to Sweden and Finland, rather than continuing with the slower Membership Action Plan (MAP) that has preconditions for entry.

Russia is adamantly opposed to Ukraine joining Nato, and even after Vladimir Putin’s invasion there has been reticence among member states over the speed of Kyiv’s accession.

But as the war enters its 16th month, the position of Western allies appears to be changing.

Britain backs fast-track Nato membership for Ukraine

Sweden's prosecutor reserves right to classify Nord Stream investigation materials -RIA

Thursday 22 June 2023 09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sweden’s prosecutor’s office reserves the right to classify material from its investigation into last year’s sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia‘s RIA news agency cited it as saying on Thursday.

If the investigation is dropped and no conclusions are made, materials will not be made public, RIA reported.

Russia has unsuccessfully demanded access to investigations by Sweden and other countries into the blasts that severely damaged the pipelines connecting Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea.

Watch live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London

Thursday 22 June 2023 09:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Ukraine Recovery Conference goes underway in the second day of meetings in London.

Live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London

Scholz pledges security assurances to Kyiv but no swift NATO membership

Thursday 22 June 2023 08:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday pledged long-term security assurances to Ukraine but dashed Kyiv’s hopes for a swift accession to NATO.

“We have to take a sober look at the current situation,” Scholz told German lawmakers in a speech in parliament, adding the government in Kyiv had itself acknowledged the country would not be able to join NATO as long as the war was still going on.

“Therefore, I suggest we focus on the top priority (at the NATO summit) in Vilnius (in mid-July), namely strengthening the combat power of Ukraine,” Scholz said.

Berlin and its partners in the G7 and the European Union were working on long-term security assurances to Kyiv, he said.

“Our goal is ... a sustainable military support of Ukraine, including with modern Western weapons, and the strengthening of Ukraine‘s economic resilience as it defends itself against the Russian aggression,” he said.

NATO countries are squabbling over what to offer Kyiv when the alliance’s leaders meet in Vilnius on July 11-12.

While Kyiv and its closest allies in Eastern Europe call for concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership, Western governments such as the United States and Germany are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia.

Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials

Thursday 22 June 2023 08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday.

The so-called “gate to Crimea”, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine.

It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control.

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties.

One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridge’s surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike.

“The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future,” he said.

“We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic.”

Sergey Aksyonov, Crimea’s Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.

Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials

Thursday 22 June 2023 08:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday.

The so-called “gate to Crimea”, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine.

It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control.

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties.

One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridge’s surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike.

“The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future,” he said.

“We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic.”

Sergey Aksyonov, Crimea’s Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.

U.N. nuclear watchdog head Grossi to visit Russia on Friday

Thursday 22 June 2023 07:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Russia on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.

Grossi is likely to hold talks about the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Russia considering U.S. request to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich

Thursday 22 June 2023 07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that Moscow was considering a request from the United States to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich who is being held on spying charges he denies, the Interfax news agency reported.

A hearing in Gershkovich’s case is due later on Thursday.

Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges after Russia‘s FSB security service accused him of collecting military secrets in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Gershkovich and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, strongly deny the charges.

He was initially remanded in custody until May 29, but a court last month extended his detention until Aug. 30.

The United States says he has been wrongfully detained and has called for his immediate release. The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling on Russia to release him.

Shooting down ‘each Russian helicopter is important', says Zelensky

Thursday 22 June 2023 06:50 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukrainian troops are advancing in all the continuing fights along the battlefield front lines, calling on his forces to shoot down each Russian helicopter.

“Front. Fierce battles. South – we’re destroying the enemy. Donetsk direction – we’re destroying the enemy. The Kupiansk direction – whatever the Russian terrorists are planning there, we will destroy the enemy,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “In the South, we are advancing. Thank you, warriors! In the East, our defenses are firming. And I am especially grateful, guys, for every shot down Russian helicopter... Each shooting down is important.”

Ukraine attacks key bridge between mainland and Crimea, says Russia-backed official

Thursday 22 June 2023 06:07 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces have launched a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraine‘s Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said today.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the bridge was likely to have been attacked by Storm Shadow missiles that damaged the road, but traffic has been diverted to a different route.

No casualty has been reported.

Putin sees ‘lull’ in Ukraine’s counteroffensive

Thursday 22 June 2023 03:58 , Arpan Rai

Russian president Vladimir Putin, said Moscow had observed a “lull” in Ukraine‘s counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had “no chance”, Putin said in televised remarks.

This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces was “slower than desired”, but Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” Britain’s BBC quoted him as saying in an interview. “What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

Zaporizhzhia plant plans to pump water from burst dam's reservoir

Thursday 22 June 2023 01:00 , Katy Clifton

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine plans to resume pumping water from what remains of the massive reservoir behind a nearby dam that burst two weeks ago, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week it was unclear whether it would be possible to pump water from the reservoir to cool reactors and spent fuel at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant given how much the reservoir’s level has fallen.

While the plant can fall back on other water sources, including a cooling pond with what the IAEA says is months’ worth of water in it, whatever can be pumped from the reservoir should buy more time before stocks have to be replenished.

“Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is planning to resume pumping water that still remains accessible despite a major loss of water in the Kakhovka reservoir caused by the destruction of the downstream dam earlier this month,” the IAEA said in a statement.

Russia-aligned hackers ‘pose threat to Canada energy sector'

Wednesday 21 June 2023 20:57 , Katy Clifton

Russia-aligned hackers could seek to disrupt Canada’s powerful oil and natural gas sector, especially since Ottawa is a strong backer of Ukraine, a Canadian spy agency has said.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) signals intelligence agency said Russia had repeatedly deployed destructive cyber attacks against its adversaries as geopolitical crises escalate.

“We assess there is an even chance of a disruptive incident in the oil and gas sector in Canada caused by Russia-aligned actors, due to their higher tolerance for risk, the increase in their numbers and activity, as well as the number of vulnerable targets in the sector overall,” it said in a threat assessment.

Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer. CSE said the oil and gas sector employed about 600,000 people and accounted for 5% of gross domestic product.

CSE said the most likely target for cyber attacks by pro-Russian hackers was operational technology networks that monitor and control large industrial assets.

UK offers new training for Ukrainian seafarers

Wednesday 21 June 2023 19:01 , Andy Gregory

The UK has pledged to offer new virtual-reality (VR) training for at-sea Ukrainian cadets, as part of a new package of support.

Announced on Wednesday to coincide with a major conference in London on how Ukraine recovers from the Russian invasion, the Government said the training would be provided through VR headsets to help participants practise for real-life scenarios.

Ukrainians will also be sponsored to take part in three-year cadetships to UK container ships and other large vessels, with the new package confirmed as Transport Secretary Mark Harper appeared at the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

“Our support for Ukraine and its people is unwavering, and we’re not going to let Russia’s abhorrent actions sink Ukraine’s great reputation in areas like seafaring,” he said.

“By sharing the UK’s world-renowned expertise in aviation and seafaring, we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring Ukraine’s transport system recovers from Putin’s illegal invasion.”

The Department for Transport will also support secondments for Ukraine’s air traffic controllers to train in the UK, with the latest funding following on from £10 million previously announced to help repair Ukraine’s rail infrastructure.

Belarus court hands long sentences to 2020 protesters

Wednesday 21 June 2023 18:27 , Andy Gregory

A court in Belarus has handed lengthy prison sentences 18 participants of mass anti-government protests which challenged the grip of president Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime in 2020 – in part of Minsk’s continued attempts to crack down on any and all dissent.

Multiple charges against the activists, three of whom had left the country and were tried in absentia, included assault on law enforcement officers, conspiracy to overthrow the government, committing a terrorist act and others.

According to the authorities, the protesters formed a resistance movement, attacked law enforcement officers, carried out acts of sabotage and set police stations in Minsk on fire. Some of them were also accused of attempting to set fire to the house of a pro-government politician by throwing Molotov cocktails at it.

Sentences handed to the demonstrators ranged from two to 25 years in prison.

Sunak pledges $3bn backing to unlock World Bank loan for Ukraine

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:55 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has used today’s London conference to unveil measures including $3bn of additional UK guarantees to unlock a World Bank loan for Ukraine.

This includes pledge of £20m to boost access to the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantees Agency, which provides political risk insurance for projects.

Additionally, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would provide Ukraine with €50bn for 2024-27, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered $1.3bn in additional aid.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was offering an additional €381m in humanitarian assistance in 2023.

Ukraine expects Nato invite at Nato summit in July, says Zelensky aide

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:28 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine expects to be invited to join Nato at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius next month, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff has said.

“We expect that Ukraine will be invited to Nato with an open date,” Andre Yermak told a webinar held by the Atlantic Council think-tank.

Putin says nuclear-capable Satan 2 missiles soon ready to be deployed

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory

Here are more of Vladimir Putin’s remarks on Russia’s new generation of Sarmat nuclear-capable ballistic missiles being ready for combat duy in the “near future”.

In a speech to new graduates of military academies, the president said the “most important task” was the development of Russia’s “triad” of nuclear forces – those launched from land, sea or air – which he described as “a key guarantee of Russia’s military security and global stability”.

“Already about half of the units and formations of the Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with the latest Yars systems, and the troops are being re-equipped with modern missile systems with the Avangard hypersonic warhead,” Mr Putin said. The first Sarmat launchers will be put on combat duty “in the near future”, he added.

Despite Russian nuclear doctrine stating that Moscow should not strike first unless the state’s “very existence” is threatened, Mr Putin has frequently issued nuclear threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February. As recently as last week, however, Mr Putin said Ukrainian forces had “no chance” in their current counteroffensive, and Russia had no need to resort to nuclear weapons.

The new Sarmat missile is designed to carry out nuclear strikes on targets thousands of missiles away in the United States or Europe. But its deployment has proceeded slower than planned, with Russia having said last April that it would be in place by autumn 2022.

Dmitry Rogozin, then head of Russia’s space agency, said at that time that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 1,860 miles east of Moscow.

Mr Rogozin said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, hailing the new “super-weapon” as a historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years.

Blinken urges Turkey to stop blocking Sweden’s Nato bid

Wednesday 21 June 2023 16:35 , Andy Gregory

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has urged Turkey to stop blocking Sweden in its bid to join Nato, a spokesperson has said. in a meeting with on Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson said.

In a meeting with new Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Summit in London, Blinken stressed the importance of Nato unity at a critical time, the spokesperson said.

Mr Blinken also “encouraged Turkey’s support for Sweden to join the Nato Alliance now” and welcomed Ankara’s support for Kyiv and its work on the Black Sea grain export deal, the spokesperson said.

Boris Johnson attends Ukraine conference in London

Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:57 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson was spotted at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday.

The former prime minister is a vocal supporter of Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion and repeated his call earlier for the West to focus on “ensuring a Ukrainian victory” and equip Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

Kakhovka dam breach death toll at 41, Russian minister says

Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:29 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s emergency situations minister has said that 41 people have been killed and 121 hospitalised as a result of the breach of the Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine earlier this month.

Speaking during a televised government meeting chaired by Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kurenkov said that more than 8,000 people were evacuated from the flood zone.

UK could be ‘very supportive’ of Ukraine skipping key step to joining Nato, says Cleverly

Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:56 , Andy Gregory

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has suggested that the UK would be “very supportive” if Ukraine was not required to go through the membership action plan stage of joining Nato.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, he said: “We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly.

Jens Stoltenberg at the Nato informal foreign ministers [summit] said that, actually, many of the requirements of membership action plan are actually being delivered. The reform of their armed forces is happening whilst engaged in conflict.

“I think the UK’s position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan recognising that the offer to both Sweden and Finland didn’t require that and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for requirement of Nato membership through their actions on the battlefield.

“And I think all Nato allies recognise that.”

Putin claims ‘lull’ in Ukraine counteroffensive

Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:38 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin claims that Moscow has observed a "lull" in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began early this month.

Although Ukraine still has some offensive potential, Kyiv understands it has "no chance", the Russian president claimed in televised remarks.

Minefields mean counteroffensive progress ‘slower than desired’, says Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:34 , Andy Gregory

Progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces is “slower than desired” but Kyiv will not be pressured into speeding it up as its troops advance through dangerous minefields, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” he told the BBC, after speaking remotely at an event in London. “What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

The BBC cited Mr Zelensky as saying the military push was not going easily because 77,220 square miles of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces.

“Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” he added.

West is waging ‘real war’ against Russia, says Shoigu

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:18 , Andy Gregory

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has told graduating military academy students today that the “collective West” is waging a “real war” against Russia.

Speaking alongside Vladimir Putin at an event in the Kremlin, Mr Shoigu added that the Russia military would do everything to ensure the security of the country.

Putin claims new Sarmat missiles will soon be deployed for combat duty

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:02 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia's new generation of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads, would soon be deployed for combat duty.

My colleague Joe Sommerland has more details on the weapons here:

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ intercontinental nuclear missile?

Mines dislodged by destroyed dam could wash up on Black Sea beaches, warns UN

Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:48 , Andy Gregory

A United Nations official has warned that the mines dislodged by the flood waters from Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could float downstream and reach as far as beaches on the Black Sea.

Paul Heslop, head of UN Mine Action at the UN Development Programme in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva that PMF-1 mines, also known as “butterfly” mines, were light enough to float downstream for a large distance.

“I would not be surprised to see that those mines have either got down as far as the sea or over the coming months, as the water is continuing to flow, will be transported down there,” he said. “Unfortunately, we could see anti-personnel pressure mines washing up on beaches around the Black Sea.”

Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Soviet-era dam earlier this month, which has been under Russian control since the early days of its invasion. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the hydroelectric facility.

France announces new insurance mechanism for Ukraine

Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:14 , Andy Gregory

Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna set out a new war insurance mechanism to support Kyiv.

“I’m announcing today the establishment of an insurance mechanism to cover investments in Ukraine against war-related risks via the French public investment bank,” Ms Colonna said.

The French government’s plan was consistent with the insurance mechanism proposed by Britain and Ukraine, Ms Colonna added.

‘Eyes of the world’ on Ukraine, says Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:59 , Andy Gregory

The “eyes of the world” are on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference in London this morning.

“The eyes of the world are looking at us and whether we will defeat Russian aggression exactly as freedom deserves to win, that is without compromising our values,” said the Ukrainian president.

“Also, the world is watching to see if we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor. We protect Ukraine, and thus we protect freedom. And when we build Ukraine, we’ll build freedom.”

Ukraine ‘holding back large’ attacks near Bakhmut and Lyman, claims Kyiv minister

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:39 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is “holding back a large-scale assault” by Russian forces near Bakhmut and Lyman, Kyiv’s deputy defence minister has claimed.

Kyiv, meanwhile, has reported recapturing eight villages in the south in the last two weeks, representing the largest gains by the Ukrainian military since November, as they push into heavily fortified and mined Russian-held areas.

“They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line,” deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar claimed on Wednesday.

Kyiv's forces were continuing offensive operations towards the city of Melitopol, a Russian stronghold deep in occupied territory, and towards Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, Ms Maliar said.

Russia building ‘elaborate’ defences near Crimea, says UK

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:24 , Andy Gregory

Russia has been building “elaborate” defences near Crimea, highlighting the strength of concerns in Moscow that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting the occupied peninsula, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

“Intense fighting continues in sectors of southern Ukraine,” the ministry said. “However, over recent weeks, Russia has continued to expend significant effort building defensive lines deep in rear areas, especially on the approaches to occupied Crimea.

This includes an extensive zone of defences 9km in length, 3.5km north of the town Armyansk, on the narrow bridge of land connecting Crimea to the Kherson region.

These elaborate defences highlight the Russian command’s assessment that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting Crimea. Russia continues to see maintaining control of the peninsula as a top political priority.

Germany confirms new ambassador to Russia after downgrading diplomatic ties

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:03 , Reuters

Germany has confirmed the appointment of Alexander Graf Lambsdorff as its new ambassador to Russia, weeks after the two countries announced a downgrading of diplomatic ties after relations collapsed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Graf Lambsdorff, a 56-year-old diplomat and member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the ruling coalition, will take up his post in the summer after Russia gave the green light for the move.

He replaces Geza Andreas von Geyr, who has represented Germany in Russia since September 2019 and is now set to become Germany’s ambassador to Nato in Brussels.

Germany last month said it would shut down four out of five Russian consulates by revoking their licences, a tit-for-tat move after Moscow’s decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia.

Mr Graf Lambsdorff has sharply criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and backed Germany shoring up Ukraine’s armed forces with military aid. He is a descendent of a political and aristocratic family that traces its roots to Baltic Germans living in the Russian tsarist empire.

US pledges £1bn to help Ukraine rebuild

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:35 , Andy Gregory

The United States will provide more than $1.3bn (£1bn) in additional aid to Ukraine to help the country recover and rebuild its energy grid, secretary of state Antony Blinken has told the conference in London.

Of that amount, $520m will go towards helping Kyiv overhaul its battered energy grid, while $657m will be used to help modernise its border crossings, ports, rail lines and other critical infrastructure, Mr Blinken said.

Some $100m will be used to help digitise Ukraine’s customs and other systems “to boost speed and to cut corruption”, and another $35m to help Ukrainian businesses through financing and insurance.

“Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully intergrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world,” Mr Blinken told delegates.

EU has ‘special responsibility’ to Ukraine, says Ursula von der Leyen

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:16 , Andy Gregory

The European Union has a “special responsibility” towards Ukraine in the long term, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

“This is for Ukraine’s immediate needs. But let’s talk about the future. I believe the European Union has a special responsibility,” Ms von der Leyen said.

Von der Leyen has ‘no doubt’ that Ukraine will join EU

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:14 , Andy Gregory

Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she had “no doubt” that Ukraine would join the EU, adding: “We can never match their sacrifice, but we can and we do stand united.”

Praising the progress and speed of reform in the country, Ms von der Leyen said she hoped Ukraine would become a “country that attracts foreign investment, a country that is master of its future, a country that is a member of the European Union”.

“Together we gather here to tell Ukrainians that their dream is also our dream,” she told the conference. “Ukrainians tell us, when they imagine their future, they see Europe’s flag flying over their cities. I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our union.”

“Ukraine has accelerated its reform agenda with impressive speed and resolve,” she said.

Ukraine could be ‘largest source of economic growth in Europe for decades’, claims Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:49 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky, who is pushing for Ukraine to join Nato and the European Union, urged Western leaders to have the “courage” to acknowledge that his country is already a key part of their economic and defence alliances.

He told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London: “We are only waiting for the courage of the alliance leaders to recognise this reality, politically.”

Mr Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s importance in global food supply and its potential to become a major green energy power.

He said the country could be “the largest source of economic, industrial and technological growth in Europe for decades and decades”.

We must move towards real reconstruction projects, Zelensky says

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:48 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London that it was necessary to move towards real projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

“We must move from agreement to real projects,” the Ukrainian president said. “There is a Ukrainian delegation that will present concrete things and we propose to do them together during my tour,” he said.

Sunak praises Ukraine’s ‘spirit of ingenuity and innovation'

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:45 , Andy Gregory

Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Rishi Sunak highlighted Ukraine’s technological expertise, saying IT experts and the military have developed a mobile app to track the Shahed drones being used by Russia.

The prime minister said that, when he visited Kyiv in November, he saw the people’s spirit of “ingenuity and innovation”, adding: “In a converted office block I met tech experts – civilian and military – who were working together to find new ways to bolster the country’s defences.

“They were networking mobile phones so that people across Ukraine could download an app which would allow their phone to pick up the sound of the Shahed drones and feed back the location so that Ukrainian air defence could track them and shoot them down.”

Ukraine represents investment opportunity, says Sunak

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:28 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine represents an investment opportunity, with its resistance to the Russian invasion demonstrating its people’s capacity for innovation, Rishi Sunak said as he opened the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

“Before this terrible war, Ukraine’s economy was becoming a huge investment opportunity,” the prime minister told delegates.

“It was the breadbasket of Europe, exporting millions of tonnes of food and grain each month, a top-five exporter of iron ore and steel, a leader in energy – pushing forward renewables, hydrogen and electric vehicles – and a start-up nation which helped spark names like PayPal, WhatsApp and Revolut, with a thriving tech sector which actually had a record year in 2022.

“The truth is, that opportunity is still there today – in fact the war has only proved how much Ukraine has to offer.”

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website