Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin claims Moscow could use weapons with depleted uranium

Russian president Vladimir Putin said that if necessary Russia would use weapons with depleted uranium in response to reports that the United States would supply such weapons to Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that the US was set to approve depleted uranium tank rounds for Ukraine.

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product left over when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. The rounds retain some radioactive properties, but cannot generate a nuclear reaction as a nuclear weapon would.

In March 2023, the UK said it would supply armour piercing munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine to help destroy Russian tanks. Putin falsely claimed that these weapons had a “nuclear component.”

Meanwhile, Russia launched a “massive” attack overnight on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least ten people and wounding 28 others.

“As of 1300 (1000 GMT) 10 people have been killed,” city mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said in a Telegram post, adding that another person was under the rubble and a further 28 were injured.

Key Points

• ‘Massive’ missile strike leaves civilians dead and injured, says governor

• Top general in Putin’s forces ‘killed in missile strike’, pro-Russian military blogger says

• Russia says it repelled Ukrainian offensives in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia regions

• Kim Jong-un planning to deliver more weapons to Russia, warns US

• Ukraine claims first counteroffensive success, three villages liberated

• Russian military attempt to take direct control over Wagner

Russia's Wagner mercenary chief says he is unsure if his men will continue fighting in Ukraine

14:49 , Eleanor Noyce

Having taken the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after a months-long battle, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Tuesday that he was “not sure” if Wagner would stay in Ukraine.

Wagner mercenaries have previously been active in parts of Africa and the Middle East, with a few contracts remaining there.

Last month, Prigozhin launched a scathing attack on Vladimir Putin‘s invasion strategy, claiming that Russia could face a revolution similar to 1917 and lose the war in Ukraine unless changes are made by Kremlin leadership.

Putin backs defence ministry demand for mercenaries to sign contracts

16:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he backed a Defence Ministry order for Russian private military companies to sign contracts with it before 1 July, something the high-profile Wagner Group has refused to do.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has said his group will not sign a contract with the ministry.

Earlier on Tuesday, he said he was not sure if his men would continue to fight in Ukraine amid the bitter standoff with the Defence Ministry with which he has long been at loggerheads with.

Putin: we will use depleted uranium in response, if necessary

16:44 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that if necessary Russia would use weapons with depleted uranium in response to reports that the United States would supply such weapons to Ukraine.

Putin also declined to say whether Moscow would launch a new offensive in Ukraine in response to Kyiv’s own counteroffensive, saying that Russia’s plans would depend on its military potential.

NATO chief says Ukrainians making advances in the counteroffensive

16:36 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainians are making advances and gaining ground in their counteroffensive, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, although he added it was still early days in Kyiv’s renewed push against Russia’s invasion.

In brief remarks ahead of his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Stoltenberg said the NATO alliance was preparing for the leaders summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where it was expected to step up further support for Ukraine.

UK firms operating in Russia ‘complicit in war crimes’ against Ukraine, says MP

16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

UK businesses continuing to operate in Russia are “complicit in the war crimes” committed against the Ukrainian people, MPs have heard.

Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant told the Commons about the Russian government introducing a new law last year, requiring all businesses, including foreign ones, operating in the Russian Federation to “assist in the war in Ukraine”.

Sir Chris urged the Government to make it “absolutely clear” that all British businesses should “completely and utterly desist from business in Russia immediately”.

Martina Bet has the full story:

UK firms operating in Russia ‘complicit in war crimes’ against Ukraine, says MP

Putin: Russian weapon quality improving but drones, high-precision ammo lacking

16:20 , Eleanor Noyce

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the quality of Russian weaponry was improving, but that the country lacked high-precision ammunition and drones.

Putin said Russia had increased its production of key weapons by 2.7 times over the past year, and he also accused the West of pumping weapons into Ukraine.

Joint Expeditionary Force to strengthen sharing of tactical intelligence

16:16 , Eleanor Noyce

A British-led defence alliance of several European countries will strengthen its sharing of tactical intelligence, the group, known as the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), said on Tuesday.

The JEF, comprising Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, also said it would accelerate cooperation to detect possible threats to critical undersea and offshore infrastructure.

“We know since the attack on Nordstream that our critical infrastructure is vulnerable and needs to be protected”, Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollogren said following a meeting of JEF.

Reuters exclusive - Flag flies over newly liberated village, confirming Ukraine advancing

16:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Reuters journalists gained access to the newly liberated Ukrainian village of Neskuchne on Tuesday, confirming that Ukraine‘s forces have been advancing in the early phase of a counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion.

A Reuters team reached the ruined village in southeastern Ukraine days after Kyiv said its forces had pushed out Russian troops. Russia has not officially acknowledged the loss of Neskuchne and several other villages.

The yellow and blue Ukrainian flag was fluttering in the breeze over the ruins of a grocery store where it was placed.

Not a single building is unscathed in the village, which is little more than a long line of small houses along a tree-lined road.

No villagers could be seen in Neskuchne, which had a population of several hundred before Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

The hamlet was silent except for birdsong and the crump of artillery fire in the distance.

“Three days ago Russian forces were still here. We chased them out of Neskuchne. Glory to Ukraine,” said Artem, a member of a Ukrainian territorial defence unit who gave no surname. “These are Ukrainian lands.”

The Reuters crew saw the corpses of three Russian soldiers in the village. One lay in the road where his comrades had left him after he was wounded or killed.

“Three days ago we liberated Neskuchne. We saw from a drone how this guy was killed. His comrades were carrying him and then they left him here,” Artem said.

After seven months of a major Russian offensive that yielded scant gains, Ukraine began its counterassault last week.

So far the offensive is still in its early days, with tens of thousands of fresh Ukrainian troops and hundreds of Western armoured vehicles yet to be committed to the fight.

Dutch intelligence tipped CIA on alleged Ukraine plan to attack Nord Stream - NOS

16:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A Dutch intelligence agency tipped off the CIA about an alleged Ukrainian plan in June 2022 to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday.

The NOS report, which was compiled with help from leading German media outlets, did not identify its sources.

It said that the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD had warned the CIA of the existence of such a plan, leading to a warning from Washington to Kyiv not to attack the pipeline.

Unexplained explosions ruptured both Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines, carrying gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in September.

The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Both countries said the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible. Those countries and Germany are investigating.

Washington and NATO called the incident “an act of sabotage”. Moscow accused investigators of dragging their feet and trying to conceal who was behind the attack. Ukraine denies responsibility.

The MIVD could not immediately be reached for comment.

Putin says no need for martial law in Russia after surge of cross-border attacks

15:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that he saw no need to introduce martial law in Russia, amid a recent uptick in Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes and raids by ground forces on Russian territory.

In a televised meeting with military bloggers after weeks of bombardment of the border region of Belgorod and a wave of drone strikes on Moscow itself, Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory were a problem and that Russia needed to defend its own borders better.

Putin says Russia needs no new mobilisation for now

15:46 , Eleanor Noyce

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia does not currently need any additional call-up of reservists, having announced an initial mobilisation in September.

Putin also told military bloggers and war correspondents at a televised meeting that future mobilisations would depend on what goals Russia set for itself in Ukraine, suggesting that a renewed bid to take Kyiv could require extra manpower.

IAEA 'very concerned' over nuclear plant's safety as Ukraine counterattacks - Grossi

15:40 , Eleanor Noyce

U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said during a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday that he was “very concerned” Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could get caught up in Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces.

At a briefing in Kyiv, Mr Grossi said he would head to the nuclear plant to assess the situation and that he planned to spend a few hours there.

IAEA's Grossi visits Kyiv ahead of trip to nuclear plant

15:30 , Eleanor Noyce

U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi visited Kyiv on Tuesday on a trip to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and visit Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after a huge river dam nearby was destroyed last week.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday it needed access to a site near the plant to check water levels after the reservoir lost a large portion of its water because of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam downstream.

Both sides have accused each other of sabotaging the dam, leading to catastrophic flooding. Western countries say they are still gathering evidence but believe Ukraine would have had no reason to inflict such a disaster on itself.

Russian forces captured the hydro-electric dam and the nuclear plant in southern Ukraine shortly after its February 2022 invasion.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant uses a cooling pond to keep its six reactors from potentially disastrous overheating. Ukraine‘s nuclear energy company said on Tuesday that the level of the pond was stable and that the water was high enough.

As of Tuesday morning, the water level stood at 16.67 metres (54.69 feet), which Energoatom said was “quite enough to meet the needs of the station”.

The Kakhovka reservoir was normally used to refill the pond, but cannot do so now because of its falling water level, Ukrainian nuclear authorities say.

Instead, the pond, which is separated from the reservoir, can be replenished using deep underground wells, they say.

The water in the pond is also expended very slowly, they add, because the reactors are not producing power and water does not evaporate quickly during the cooling process.

Putin estimates Ukraine has lost 25-30% of foreign-supplied military vehicles in counteroffensive

15:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he believed Ukraine had lost 25 to 30% of military vehicles supplied to Kyiv by western countries since the start of its counteroffensive and that Ukraine‘s human losses were 10 times higher than Russia’s.

Putin made the comments during a televised meeting with military bloggers.

He said Russia had lost 50 of its tanks in the fighting, some of which could be repaired, and that Ukraine had lost over 160.

He also said that Ukraine was responsible for the breach last week of the Kakhovka dam, which he said had been caused by Kyiv shelling the structure with U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify his assertions.

Putin says Ukraine's losses are vast in so far failed counteroffensive

15:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine‘s large-scale counter-offensive had not been successful in any area and that Ukrainian human losses were 10 times bigger than Russia’s.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive began on June 4, Putin told a televised meeting of Russian war correspondents and military bloggers.

Ukraine had lost over 160 of its tanks and 25%-30% of the vehicles supplied from abroad, Putin said, while Russia had lost 54 tanks.

Putin said Ukraine had deliberately hit the Kakhovka dam with HIMARS rockets, which the United States had supplied, a step he said hindered Ukraine‘s counteroffensive.

The goals of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” might evolve with the situation, but their fundamental character would not change, Putin said.

France says it thwarted attack on websites from Russian state-linked actors

15:09 , Eleanor Noyce

France’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that France had prevented a hybrid digital attack on her ministry’s website likely carried out by Russian state-linked actors, along with attacks on other government websites and French media sites.

Foreign minister Catherine Colonna also said France believed there was a broader campaign of spreading disinformation in France by Russian protagonists.

“This campaign is notably based upon creating fake internet pages to hack into the identity of national media and government websites, as well as by creating fake accounts on social media networks,” Colonna said in a statement.

Moscow has consistently denied that it carries out hacking operations.

Colonna said Russian embassies and Russian cultural institutes were also involved in this campaign, and reaffirmed France’s support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Many countries around the world that have expressed their support for Ukraine have disclosed similar hits on websites.

Earlier this week, Swiss authorities said several government websites had been targeted in a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that was claimed by pro-Russian hackers.

In May, U.S. authorities said that the FBI had sabotaged a suite of malicious software used by elite Russian spies.

Taiwan handbook teaches civilians how to spot ‘enemy’ Chinese soldiers

14:10 , Eleanor Noyce

A defence handbook was released by Taiwan’s military to distinguish between Chinese and Taiwanese soldiers based on their uniforms, camouflage, and insignia through colourful cartoons.

The updated defence handbook released on Tuesday with the latest changes detailed how civilians can find bomb shelters, water and food supplies using apps on their mobile phone.

A colourful graphic with a 14-point guide was added for civilians on how to prepare for war scenarios after Taiwan’s defence ministry received feedback that the book needed to reflect the conflict situation better in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the ministry said.

Read more:

Taiwan handbook teaches civilians how to spot ‘enemy’ Chinese soldiers

In pictures: Ukrainian servicemen fire a rocket towards Russian positions near Bakhmut

13:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian servicemen of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade "Edelweiss" have been pictured firing a rocket from a BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher towards Russian positions, near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

ICYMI: Eat Pray Love author delays publication of new book over backlash to Russia setting

13:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Elizabeth Gilbert has announced that she is cancelling the planned publication of her new book, amid complaints over its use of a Siberian setting.

Titled The Snow Forest, the novel had been announced by Bloomsbury last week, with a publication date scheduled for February 2024.

Gilbert, the 53-year-old writer best known for her 2006 memoir Eat, Pray, Love, shared a video on social media addressing concerns over The Snow Forest’s subject matter in light of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.

Louis Chilton reports:

Eat Pray Love author delays publication of new book over backlash to Russia setting

UK businesses continuing to operate in Russia are ‘complicit in war crimes’, MPs hear

12:45 , Eleanor Noyce

UK businesses continuing to operate in Russia are “complicit in the war crimes” committed against the Ukrainian people, MPs have heard.

Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The Russian government introduced a new law last year which requires all businesses, including foreign businesses that have any footprint in the Russian Federation, to assist in the war in Ukraine.

“That means any British businesses who are still doing business now in Russia are complicit in the war crimes that Russia is perpetrating against the Ukrainian people. Would the minister now make it absolutely clear that all British businesses should completely and utterly desist from business in Russia immediately?”

Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said there has been a “positive attitude” from British businesses and a “willingness to take financial pain immediately in order to step away” from Russian markets and activity.

She said the government will continue to work with businesses.

Putin confirms cancellation of agreement with Ukraine on Sea of Azov, Kerch Strait - RIA

12:36 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday that Moscow was annulling a cooperation agreement with Ukraine on the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

Ukraine reports gains, says Russians 'doing everything' to hold positions

12:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine reported more gains in the early stages of its counteroffensive on Tuesday, but said Russian forces were “doing everything” they can to defend the territory they have occupied.

Deputy Defence Minister said Ukrainian troops had advanced 250 metres (275 yards) near the small eastern city of Bakhmut, 200 metres on the Toretsk front in east Ukraine, and 500 metres to 1 km in the direction of the port city of Berdyansk.

Maliar said Ukrainian forces had gained control of an area of up to 3 square km (1.16 square miles) but did not say over what period.

She said late on Monday that Ukrainian forces had advanced 6.5 km and taken control of an area of 90 square km. That was still only a fraction of the 40,000 square miles that remains under Russia’s occupation.

“The enemy is doing everything to hold on to the positions it has seized,” Maliar wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday morning.

She said Russian forces had air support and were showering Ukrainian troops with intense artillery fire, and that Ukrainian troops were encountering “continuous minefields which are combined with anti-tank ditches.”

“All this is combined with constant counterattacks by enemy units on armoured vehicles and the massive use of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and kamikaze drones,” she said.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield situation. Russia had not officially acknowledged the Ukrainian gains and has said it has repulsed Ukrainian attacks, inflicting heavy casualties since the counteroffensive began.

Russian defence ministry says forces repelled Ukrainian attacks in south Donetsk

12:26 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks near the villages of Makarivka, Rivnopil and Prechystivka in the southern part of Donetsk region, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

In its daily briefing, the defence ministry also said Ukraine was continuing to mount attacks in the south Donetsk and Bakhmut areas.

Ukraine has said its forces have recaptured a number of villages from Russian forces in the southeast since starting its long-anticipated counteroffensive last week.

Lukashenko says ‘everything is ready’ as Belarus to get Russian tactical nuclear weapons ‘in several days’

12:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be physically deployed on the territory of Belarus “in several days”, earlier than previously announced, the Belta state news agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would start deploying such weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities were made ready on 7-8 July, Moscow’s first move of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Lukashenko was cited as saying that Belarus was now ready to host the weapons.

“Everything is ready. I think we will have what we asked for in a few days, And even a little bit more,” Lukashenko was cited as saying.

Putin announced in March he had agreed to deploy such weapons in Belarus, pointing to U.S deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.

Putin’s nuclear move is being watched closely by both the United States and its NATO allies in Europe and by China, which has repeatedly cautioned against the use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.

The United States has criticised Putin’s nuclear deployment but has said it has no intention of altering its position on strategic nuclear weapons and also that it has not seen any signs Russia was preparing to use a nuclear weapon.

It is still unclear where the Russian nuclear warheads - which will remain under Russian control - will be kept in Belarus.

Leader of Belarus says he wouldn't hesitate to use Russian nuclear weapons to repel aggression

British assistance to Ukraine has ‘helped to speed up the pathway’ to Nato membership, Cleverly says

12:10 , Eleanor Noyce

British training, equipment and advice assistance to Ukraine has “helped to speed up the pathway” to the point where Ukraine becomes a full member of Nato, foreign secretary James Cleverly has told MPs.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy called on Britain to “play a leading role in securing Ukraine‘s path to join Nato”.

He said: “As the Nato secretary general said last month, Ukraine‘s rightful place is in Nato, and over time our support will help make this possible.

“Does the foreign secretary agree with me that once - with our support - Ukraine has prevailed in its war against Russia’s invasion, there can be no Minsk 3.0 and that Britain should play a leading role in securing Ukraine‘s path to join Nato.”

Mr Cleverly replied: “I’ve very glad that (he) agrees with the government’s position on this that Ukraine‘s rightful place is within Nato.

“We have worked towards that aim and our support, the training that we provided, the equipment that we provided, the advice that we provide will all have helped to speed up the pathway from now to the point where Ukraine becomes a full member of Nato.”

Using high-tech laser gear, UN-backed team scans Ukraine historical sites to preserve them amid war

12:05 , Eleanor Noyce

Under the plaintive painted eyes of the holy, a volunteer team of two United Nations-backed engineers watched as a whirling laser took a million measurements a second inside Kyiv‘s All Saints Church.

The laser swept quickly across the church, part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, while taking a series of incredibly high-resolution photographs.

Those images will be stitched together with navigational data to create a perfect three-dimensional rendering of the holy site, part of a project to protect and preserve historic places across Ukraine now in as much in danger as its people amid Russia’s war on the country.

Jon Gambrell has the full story:

Using high-tech laser gear, UN-backed team scans Ukraine historical sites to preserve them amid war

Russia's Wagner mercenary chief says he is unsure if his men will continue fighting in Ukraine

11:58 , Eleanor Noyce

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, said on Tuesday that he was “not sure” if Wagner would stay in Ukraine after having taken the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after a months-long battle.

Wagner mercenaries have in the past been active in Africa and the Middle East too and still have some contracts there.

Russian-installed official puts toll in two flooded towns at 17, one week after Ukraine dam breach

11:50 , Eleanor Noyce

The death toll from flooding in two Russian-controlled towns in southern Ukraine has risen to 17 one week after a massive dam holding back a reservoir was breached, a Russian-installed official said on Tuesday.

Andrei Alekseyenko, chairman of the Russian-installed administration in the Kherson region, said 12 people were confirmed dead in Hola Prystan and five in Oleshky, two small towns downstream from the breached Kakhovka dam.

Reuters could not independently verify the figures.

Hundreds of people were rescued by boat from the roofs of flooded houses in the wake of the disaster, but volunteers told Russian independent media outlet iStories last week that they estimated the death toll in the hundreds.

Russia controls the south bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region, while Ukraine holds Kherson city on the opposite bank, as well as Mykolaiv region further north.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Monday that 10 people had been killed in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions and that 42 were missing. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of destroying the dam, which is located in Russian-controlled territory.

Russian shelling kills priest in Ukraine's Bilozerka - official

11:47 , Eleanor Noyce

A 72-year-old priest was killed in Russian shelling of the Ukrainian settlement of Bilozerka in southern Kherson region, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office said on Tuesday.

Artillery fire struck the courtyard of a church and also injured a 76-year-old woman, Andriy Yermak said on Telegram messenger.

The shelling damaged four residential buildings, the post office, administrative buildings, the central square as well as critical infrastructure, he added.

Russia says it arrested ex-defence industry workers suspected of spying for Ukraine

11:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s FSB security service said on Tuesday it had arrested a group of former defence industry workers it suspects of supplying Ukraine with sensitive military information and of planning sabotage attacks.

The FSB accused the unnamed ex-workers of spying for Ukrainian military intelligence and of handing over technical documents and models used in the manufacture of weapons systems and equipment for Russia’s Air Force.

It said in a statement that the same group was also involved in plans to blow up railway lines in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions which are used to supply Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

The FSB said it had opened criminal cases into the ex-workers on charges of committing state treason and preparing acts of sabotage.

“The suspects have been detained and are making confessions,” the FSB said.

“Plastic explosives with a total mass of more than 4 kg, four detonators, military design documentation and goods used for military purposes, as well as $150,000, have been seized,” it said.

Belarus to get Russian tactical nuclear weapons 'in several days' - TASS cites president

11:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be physically deployed on the territory of Belarus “in several days”, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities were made ready for 7-8 July.

At least 10 killed in Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih - mayor

11:21 , Eleanor Noyce

At least 10 people were killed in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday, the city mayor said.

“As of 1300 (1000 GMT) 10 people have been killed,” Oleksandr Vilkul said in a Telegram post, adding that another person was under the rubble and a further 28 were injured.

How significant is the reported recapture of the first Ukrainian villages from Russia?

11:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine has celebrated the first territorial gains of its long-trailed counteroffensive against the invading Russian forces.

Unverified photographs and video appearing on Sunday and on Monday morning showed Ukrainian soldiers holding their country’s blue and yellow flag aloft in triumph in the eastern villages of Storozheve, Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka in Donetsk, suggesting they had been recaptured from occupying enemy troops.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar posted one of the photos from Storozheve and thanked the 35th Separate Brigade of Marines for liberating it.

Kyiv has imposed a strict silence on its armed forces to avoid compromising an operation it hopes will retake swathes of land in the east and south of the country and eventually threaten the land bridge Russia has established for use in supplying the occupied Crimean peninsula.

My colleague Joe Sommerlad reports:

How significant is the reported recapture of the first Ukrainian villages?

How Putin-loving Berlusconi’s final stance drove Italy towards Ukraine

11:06 , Eleanor Noyce

Silvio Berlusconi used to declare that he had established Italy’s position on the world stage by protecting national interests while solidifying support from Western allies.

Such was his expertise on international relations – or so he believed – that he made himself foreign minister as well as prime minister, and sought to build personal relations with foreign leaders.

However, Berlusconi’s last major attempt to shape his country’s foreign policy – supporting Vladimir Putin and blaming Volodymyr Zelensky in the war in Ukraine – would have left Italy isolated in Nato and the European Union.

Giorgia Meloni’s condemnation of her predecessor has brought Italy closer into the European fold, says world affairs editor Kim Sengupta:

How Putin-loving Berlusconi’s final stance drove Italy towards Ukraine

Belarus leader says Russian nuclear weapons a deterrent against potential aggressor - Belta

10:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus would serve as a deterrent against a potential aggressor and that there should be no hesitation in using them if required.

His comments were carried by the Belta news agency.

Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities are made ready on 7-8 July, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Top general in Putin’s forces ‘killed in missile strike’, pro-Russian military blogger says

10:38 , Eleanor Noyce

A Russian general leading troops in southern Ukraine has been killed in a missile strike, a pro-Russian military blogger has claimed.

One of the most prominent Russian bloggers, Voenkor Kotenok, said that the senior Russian officer was killed as troops of Russia’s Fifth Army were forced to leave Makarivka in southern Donetsk, where Ukraine has liberated a number of villages in their counteroffensive.

With 423,000 subscribers, the blogger said in a Telegram post that “as a result of an enemy missile attack, the Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, Major General Sergei Goryachev, was killed.”

NATO pushes for common standards to tackle shortfalls in artillery munitions

10:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The heads of leading arms-making companies meet NATO defence ministers this week to discuss increasing production and standardising artillery shells as the war in Ukraine depletes stocks.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned in February that Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than Western countries could produce them. The start of a Ukrainian counteroffensive is certain to lead to even greater use.

But the lack of common standards among the various manufacturers has hampered the flow of munitions supplies.

“It is about supercharging the NATO standardization process in order to enable smoother supplies, which will help preventing delays and shortfalls in the future,” a NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters ahead of the meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

Those invited include BAE Systems, Turkish drone maker Baykar, General Dynamics, the KNDS holding representing Leopard 2 producer KMW and French Nexter, Kongsberg, Leonardo, Lockheed, MBDA, Mesko, Nammo and Northrop Grumman, according to a defence source.

NATO has been talking with industry representatives about boosting defence production since last year, but this is the first time the alliance holds such a high-level gathering. It will take place on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

Discussions on Thursday will focus on ways how to ramp up supplies of artillery shells, air defences and precision guided deep-strike ammunitions, missiles with a range of hundreds of kilometres such as the British Storm Shadow.

Russia releases video of captured German tanks, U.S. fighting vehicles in Ukraine

10:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s Defence Ministry released video footage on Tuesday of what it said were German-made Leopard tanks and U.S.-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles captured by Russian forces in a battle with Ukrainian troops.

Reuters could not immediately verify the location and timing of the footage, which the Defence Ministry said was filmed on the Zaporizhzhia front in southern Ukraine, one of the areas where Ukrainian forces have been trying to counter-attack.

What appeared to be two German-made Leopard tanks were shown in the footage, which was released on the ministry’s official channel on the Telegram messaging application, along with two damaged U.S.-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

In a short statement accompanying the footage, the ministry called the captured military hardware “our trophies” and said the video showed soldiers from its Vostok (East) military grouping inspecting the equipment.

It noted that the engines of some of the vehicles were still running, evidence it said of how quickly their Ukrainian crews had fled.

Reuters cannot verify such battlefield accounts. Ukraine said on Monday its troops had recaptured a string of villages from Russian forces along an approximately 100-km (60-mile) front in the southeast since starting its long-anticipated counteroffensive last week.

Unconfirmed reports from Russian military bloggers suggest Russian forces may have recaptured some territory which they ceded in recent days.

Residential building in Zelensky’s hometown engulfed by flames after deadly strike

09:15 , Tara Cobham

Watch live: Ukraine dam collapse consequences debated in EU parliament

08:43 , Tara Cobham

Watch live as EU lawmakers debate the humanitarian consequences of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine.

EU representatives will discuss the country's reconstruction after the war and the integration of the country into the Euro-Atlantic community.

The Nova Kakhova dam, was under Russian control, was breached on the morning of 6 June, with water surging through it and causing extensive flooding in Kherson - prompting the evacuation of thousands of people.

Damage to the area can be seen from space, with huge areas of land submerged in water.

Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry has estimated that 24,000 acres of farmland under Ukrainian control have been plunged underwater in the aftermath and “many times more than that” in Russian-occupied territory.

It is not clear how the dam was breached.

Ukrainian forces have accused Russia of deliberately destroying the dam; Russia says the destruction was an act of "sabotage" by Ukraine to deprive the annexed Crimean peninsula of water.

Watch live: Ukraine dam collapse consequences debated in EU parliament

At least six killed in Russian missile strike on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih - mayor

08:20 , Tara Cobham

At least six people were killed in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday, the city mayor said.

"Unfortunately, there are already six dead. The rescue operation continues," Oleksandr Vilkul said on the Telegram messaging app. Ukrainian officials had said earlier on Tuesday that three people had been killed and many more were trapped under the rubble of a five-storey apartment building.

Ukraine shells villages in Russia's Kursk region - governor

07:33 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine’s early morning shelling damaged several houses and disrupted gas and electricity supply to two villages in Russia’s Kursk region near the border with Ukraine, the region’s governor said on Tuesday.

Nine houses were damaged and gas and power supplies disrupted in the village of Tyorkino, governor Roman Starovoyt said on the Telegram messaging app. Two houses caught fire.

In the village of Glushkovo several houses were damaged, he added.

There was no immediate information on any casualties.

The report could not be independently verified.

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

Russia receiving larger consignments of drones from Iran via Caspian Sea, says UK MoD

07:18 , Arpan Rai

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said that Russia has likely moved from receiving small deliveries of Iranian OWA-UAVs by air transport, to larger consignments by ship from Iran via the Caspian Sea as it bolsters its stockpiling and manufacturing of the cheaper aerial attack vehicles.

“In recent months, Russia has highly likely worked to ensure its long-term, high-volume supply of one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs). By supplying these weapons, Iran continues to breach UN Security Council Resolution 2231,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that this ‘International North-South Transit Corridor’ has assumed much more importance since the invasion. “It allows Russia to access Asian markets - including arms transfers - in ways it hopes are less vulnerable to international sanctions,” the MoD said.

“Russia is also working to start domestic production of OWA-UAVs, almost certainly with Iranian assistance. Russia is highly likely investing in OWA-UAVs because it provides Russia with a relatively cheap long-range strike capability at a time when it has expended a large proportion of its cruise missile stocks in Ukraine,” the ministry claimed.

At least 3 killed, dozens wounded in Russian missile attack – official

06:28 , Arpan Rai

At least three people were killed and 25 wounded after Russian missiles struck civilian buildings in an overnight attack in the central city of Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine, regional officials said.

Officials said at least one Russian missile struck a five-storey building, engulfing the building and the surrounding area in fire and smoke.

A video shared by president Volodymyr Zelensky this morning showed a civilian residential compound in flames from the top floor to the ground, as well as cars on fire that had been parked in the vicinity.

Dozens of houses in the building, which was covered in black soot, were seen ablaze as firefighters tried to bring the fire under control in the early hours.

Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional administration, said in a Telegram post that rescue operations were ongoing.

Russia continues war against ordinary cities and people, says Zelensky

06:18 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Russian missile attack on central Ukraine this morning and confirmed that the strike has left dead and injured.

“More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. The rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih continues,” he said on Twitter this morning.

“My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones! Russian terrorists will never be forgiven, and they will be held accountable for every missile they launch,” he added.

Russian major general killed in Ukrainian missile attack, military bloggers claim

06:09 , Arpan Rai

A Russian major general was killed in an airstrike by Ukrainian forces yesterday during heavy fighting along the frontline, according to Russian military bloggers on Telegram.

“As a result of an enemy missile attack, Major General Sergei Goryachev, Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed,” said one military blogger Voenkor Kitten Z.

The Independent has not verified the claims.

Russia has lost several army generals in the continuing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including some of its most decorated generals who have previously led military operations in other parts of the world.

‘Massive’ missile strike leaves civilians dead and injured, says governor

04:58 , Arpan Rai

A “massive” attack launched by Russia overnight on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has seen many casualties, officials said today.

“There are dead and wounded,” Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said on Telegram.

“A massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih.”

The attack had targeted several civilian buildings in the city, including a five-storey building, the mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, said earlier, adding that there are likely still people trapped under the rubble.

A photograph of the five-story apartment building that was targeted showed all windows blown out and smoke coming out of some of them.

North Korea planning to deliver more weapons to Russia, warns US

04:13 , Arpan Rai

The United States is concerned that North Korea is planning to deliver more weapons to Russia, a US State Department spokesperson said after Kim Jong-un pledged to “hold hands” with Vladimir Putin on strategic cooperation.

“We are concerned that the DPRK (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is planning to deliver more military equipment to Russia,” the spokesperson added, using the initials of the Korean nation’s official name.

Despite Pyongyang’s denials that it has sold weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, the US confirmed North Korea had completed an arms delivery, including infantry rockets and missiles, to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group in November 2022, the state department spokesperson said.

Congratulating Mr Putin on Russia’s National Day, the North Korean leader called for “closer strategic cooperation” with Moscow, “holding hands firmly with the Russian president, in conformity with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to fulfil the grand goal of building a powerful country,” KCNA said.

In March, the US said Russia was actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid.

Russia striking civilian buildings in central Ukraine, says mayor

03:54 , Arpan Rai

Russian air strikes overnight hit several civilian buildings in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, including a five-storey building, the mayor of the city said this morning.

“There are people wounded in extremely serious condition,” mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram app.

“Likely, there are people under the rubble.”

New Zealand public broadcaster ‘gutted’ after Ukraine stories edited to include ‘pro-Kremlin garbage’

02:00 , Joe Middleton

Radio New Zealand, the country’s public service radio station, issued an apology after it was found that one of its journalists edited reports on the Russia-Ukraine war to add “pro-Kremlin garbage”.

The taxpayer-funded RNZ said it has so far found 16 stories that were found altered to include Russian propaganda and were published during more than a period of one year.

Paul Thompson, the chief executive of RNZ, said he was “gutted” and shocked with the discovery of edited stories, pledging to get to the bottom of it.

New Zealand public broadcaster ‘gutted’ after pro-Russia editing of Ukraine reports

Russia is using ‘scorched earth tactics’ to destroy Ukraine

Monday 12 June 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam has unleashed an ‘environmental and humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions’, the Kherson governor tells Bel Trew

Ukraine dam: Russia using ‘scorched earth tactics’ to destroy the country

How significant is the reported recapture of the first Ukrainian villages from Russia?

Monday 12 June 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine has celebrated the first territorial gains of its long-trailed counteroffensive against the invading Russian forces.

Unverified photographs and video appearing on Sunday and on Monday morning showed Ukrainian soldiers holding their country’s blue and yellow flag aloft in triumph in the eastern villages of Storozheve, Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka in Donetsk, suggesting they had been recaptured from occupying enemy troops.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar posted one of the photos from Storozheve and thanked the 35th Separate Brigade of Marines for liberating it.

How significant is the reported recapture of the first Ukrainian villages?

France, Germany and Poland back Ukraine's counteroffensive in a show of unity

Monday 12 June 2023 22:11 , Joe Middleton

The leaders of France, Germany and Poland met in Paris Monday for talks focusing on military support for Ukraine’s counteroffensive and future security guarantees to be given to the country, ahead of a NATO summit in July.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “the Ukrainian counteroffensive began several days ago,” in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda at the Elysee presidential palace.

In a show of unity, the three leaders insisted they would continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary.

France, Germany and Poland back Ukraine's counteroffensive in a show of unity

Kyiv accuses Russia of targeting second dam

Monday 12 June 2023 19:51 , Joe Middleton

A Ukrainian defence spokesman said Russia had blown up a dam on the Mokri Yaly, near the village of Novodarivka in Luhansk, to make it harder for Kyiv’s forces to push farther south as part of its ongoing counterofffensive.

It comes less than a week after the huge Kakhovka dam was destroyed on the much larger Dnipro River, in the Kherson region, causing a humanitarian catastrophe in a swathe of the south.

Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the breach.

The Ukrainian-appointed governor of Kherson region on Sunday said Russian forces had shelled three boats evacuating mainly elderly evacuees to safety, killing three and injuring 10.

Too soon to say where Ukraine‘s counteroffensive was going, says US Secretary of State Blinken

Monday 12 June 2023 18:36 , Joe Middleton

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was too soon to say exactly where Ukraine‘s counteroffensive was going, but said Washington was confident that Kyiv will continue to have success in trying to take back its land seized by Russia.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington on Monday, Blinken said the United States was determined to maximize its support for Ukraine so it can succeed on the battlefield.

A “robust” package of political and practical support for Ukraine, Blinken added, can also be expected at the upcoming Nato summit in Vilnius.

Meeting between Biden and Nato chief rescheduled due to root canal

Monday 12 June 2023 18:01 , Joe Middleton

A White House meeting between Joe Biden and Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that had been set to take place on Monday has been rescheduled to Tuesday, the White House said.

It comes after an announcement that the US president would undergo an unscheduled root canal.

ICYMI: Ukrainian soldiers claim success in recapture of Donetsk village

Monday 12 June 2023 17:50 , Joe Middleton

UN chief concerned Russia will quit Black Sea grain deal in July

Monday 12 June 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he is concerned that Russia will on 17 July quit a deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilisers from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Moscow has been threatening to walk away from the deal known as the Black Sea grain initiative - brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July last year - if obstacles to its own grain and fertiliser shipments are not removed.

“I am concerned and we are working hard in order to make sure that it will be possible to maintain the Black Sea initiative and at the same time that we are able to go on in our work to facilitate Russian exports,” Guterres told reporters.

To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea grain deal, a three-year memorandum of understanding was struck at the same time under which U.N. officials agreed to help Russia with its own food and fertiliser exports.

While Russian exports of food and fertiliser are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin said on Saturday that Russia “cannot be satisfied with how this memorandum is being implemented”, the TASS news agency reported. He was speaking after meeting with top U.N. trade official Rebeca Grynspan in Geneva on Friday.

Cash-strapped Pakistan welcomes arrival of first shipment of discounted crude from Russia

Monday 12 June 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Pakistani government on Monday welcomed the arrival of the first shipment of discounted crude from Russia under a key deal between Islamabad and Moscow.

Prime minister Shahbaz Sharif hailed it as a “fulfillment of promises” to the nation while information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that it marked a “true service” for the people.

The cargo was being unloaded in the port city of Karachi, the country’s main hub for imports. Cash-strapped Pakistan had been in talks with Russia to import discounted crude since February 2022, when former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin.

Munir Ahmed has the full story:

Cash-strapped Pakistan welcomes arrival of first shipment of discounted crude from Russia

Putin uses public holiday to laud patriotic feelings as support for troops in Ukraine

Monday 12 June 2023 16:10 , Eleanor Noyce

President Vladimir Putin on Monday marked the Day of Russia national holiday by lauding the country’s patriotic tradition as a support for soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

“This public holiday marks the inseparability of centuries-old history, the greatness and glory of the Fatherland, affirms the unity of the multinational people, devotion to their country, a warm, sincere attitude towards their beloved Motherland,” he said at a ceremony presenting state awards.

“Such keen feelings ... in a difficult time for Russia, they unite our society even more strongly, serve as a reliable support for our heroes, the participants in the special military operation,” Putin said, using the Russian official terminology for the Ukraine conflict.

The holiday comes amid intensifying counteroffensive operations by Ukraine against Russian forces that occupy about 20% of the country. Ukrainian officials in recent days claimed to have regained control of some villages and to have made advances at some points along the front line.

Read more:

Putin uses public holiday to laud patriotic feelings as support for troops in Ukraine

UN chief concerned Russia will quit Black Sea grain deal in July

Monday 12 June 2023 15:59 , Eleanor Noyce

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he is concerned that Russia will next month quit a deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilisers from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

More follows...

Russia is using ‘scorched earth tactics’ to destroy Ukraine

Monday 12 June 2023 15:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia is using “scorched earth tactics” to devastate Ukraine and deal a “blow” to global food security, Kherson’s governor has said, after a key dam blew up in the southern region, causing the worst ecological disaster in Europe’s recent history.

Speaking to The Independent, Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces were also heavily shelling Kherson and its evacuation routes resulting in the hospitalisation of rescue workers, police officers and medics who had raced to help those worst impacted by the destruction.

Kyiv accused Moscow of deliberately blowing up the Kakhovka dam last week to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing in the southern Kherson region. The dam, located in the Kherson region, has been under Russian occupation control since the early days of the war launched last February. Moscow has blamed the destruction of the dam on Ukraine.

The destruction of Kakhovka dam has unleashed an “environmental and humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions”, the Kherson governor tells Bel Trew:

Ukraine dam: Russia using ‘scorched earth tactics’ to destroy the country

In pictures: Kherson and Mykolaiv residents wade through water following Kakhovka hydroelectric dam destruction

Monday 12 June 2023 15:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Residents in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions have been pictured wading through the water following the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.

The incident has caused massive flooding in the Kherson region and neighbouring Mykolaiv region.

Ukrainian refugee wins 500,000 euros in Belgian lottery

Monday 12 June 2023 15:25 , Eleanor Noyce

A Ukrainian war refugee has won 500,000 euros ($540,000) using a scratchcard, the Belgian national lottery said on Monday.

The man bought the scratchcard for 5 euros last month in a gas station, meaning his bet has been increased a hundred thousandfold.

The winner, whose identity will remain unknown as is the case for all Belgian lottery winners, is between 18 and 24 years old and has been living in Brussels for the last 12 months.

“He has mixed feelings (about winning). It is a difficult period to be happy with everything happening in his home country,” said Joke Vermoere, spokesperson for the National Lottery, alluding to Russia’s devastating invasion of Ukraine.

Vermoere added that the winner first wants to throw a party with the money to thank everyone who has helped him integrate in Belgium, and then he would like to do something for his compatriots and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

She also said that while the man is happy in Belgium and has found work, he would like to return to Ukraine as soon as the war finishes.

Winning the lottery in Belgium comes tax-free.

Last year, 165 people from a small Belgian village won 142,897,164 euros.

Russian attack kills one in southeastern Ukraine - governor

Monday 12 June 2023 15:17 , Eleanor Noyce

One man was killed and another was wounded in a Russian attack on the small town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine, regional governor Yuri Malashko said on Monday.

Malashko said three bombs had damaged private houses and communications in the small town, about eight km (five miles) from front lines. He said the man who was killed had been 48 and the one who was wounded was 32.

Officials have said several hundred residents remain in the town although infrastructure there has been largely destroyed by Russian forces, which seized most of the Zaporizhzhia region in the early months of its full-scale invasion last year.

Ukraine says its troops have taken back four villages from Russian forces in the southeast after hitting back to try to recapture occupied territory.

G7 working on scheme to combat theft of Ukraine grain - UK

Monday 12 June 2023 15:10 , Eleanor Noyce

The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations are working on a scheme to combat the suspected theft of Ukraine‘s grain by using chemical identification of grain origin, Britain’s food and farming minister Mark Spencer said on Monday.

Mr Spencer told an International Grains Council (IGC) conference in London that Britain was leading on the scheme, and that G7 countries were also working closely with Ukraine, the world’s fourth-largest grains exporter.

“We believe (chemical identification) will be an effective means for deterring further theft of Ukraine‘s grain,” said Mr Spencer.

Britain announced a new wave of sanctions last month on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting “shady individuals and entities” connected to the suspected theft of Ukrainian grain.

Targeting entities involved in grain trading is unusual as such activity typically comes under humanitarian exemptions from sanctions. Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters to developing countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Putin appeals to Russians' patriotism on national day

Monday 12 June 2023 14:33 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin marked the country’s national day on Monday by appealing to patriotic pride at what he said was a “difficult time” for the country.

However, speaking at a lavish award-giving ceremony in the Kremlin, Putin made no direct comment on the latest developments in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces have launched a long-awaited counteroffensive and have retaken several villages in the eastern Donetsk region over the past few days.

“This public holiday marks the inseparability of our centuries-old history, the greatness and glory of the fatherland,” Putin told the assembled dignitaries.

“Today, at a difficult time for Russia, (feelings of patriotism and pride) unite our society even more strongly... (and) serve as a reliable support for our heroes taking part in the special military operation (in Ukraine),” Putin said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry released a video for Monday’s national day featuring scenes of Russian lakes, forests and Orthodox churches and icons, along with clips of soldiers expressing love for their country.

Major air defense exercise starts in Germany, effect on civilian flights unclear

Monday 12 June 2023 13:55 , Eleanor Noyce

An air deployment exercise billed as the biggest in NATO’s history and hosted by Germany got underway on Monday.

The Air Defender 2023 exercise that is set to run through June 23 was long-planned but serves to showcase the alliance’s capabilities amid high tensions with Russia.

The first planes took off on Monday morning from airfields in northern Germany. Some 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations will respond to a simulated attack on a NATO member. The United States alone is sending 2,000 U.S. Air National Guard personnel and about 100 aircraft.

“The exercise is a signal — a signal above all to us, a signal to us, the NATO countries, but also to our population that we are in a position to react very quickly ... that we would be able to defend the alliance in case of attack,” German air force chief Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz told ZDF television.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has jolted NATO into preparing in earnest for the possibility of an attack on its territory. Sweden, which is hoping to join the alliance, and Japan are also taking part in the exercise.

Read more:

ICYMI: Ukraine claims recapture of 4th village in eastern Donetsk as counteroffensive operations roll on

Monday 12 June 2023 13:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian military officials said Monday their troops have retaken another southeastern village from Russian forces, among the first — small — successes in stepped-up counteroffensive operations against Moscow‘s more than 15-month invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram that Ukraine’s flag was again flying over the village of Storozhov, and she predicted the liberation of “all Ukrainian land” would be the final outcome. A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said three other small villages clustered together south of the town of Velika Novosilke in the eastern Donetsk region had been liberated.

The villages are located in the so-called “Vremivka ledge,” a section of the front line where the Russian-controlled area protrudes into territory held by Ukraine. The area has become one of several epicentres of intense fighting.

The Russian Defense Ministry hasn’t confirmed the Russian retreat from the villages, but some military bloggers have acknowledged the loss of Russian control over them.

Read more:

Ukraine claims recapture of 4th village in eastern Donetsk as counteroffensive operations roll on

Watchdog: Nuclear states modernise their weapons, Chinese arsenal is growing

Monday 12 June 2023 12:56 , Eleanor Noyce

The nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernise their arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2022, a Swedish think tank said Monday.

“We are drifting into one of the most dangerous periods in human history,” said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI.

“It is imperative that the world’s governments find ways to cooperate in order to calm geopolitical tensions, slow arms races and deal with the worsening consequences of environmental breakdown and rising world hunger,” he said in a statement.

SIPRI estimated that of the total global inventory of 12,512 warheads in January 2023, some 9,576 were in military stockpiles for potential use which was 86 more than in January 2022.

Read more:

Watchdog: Nuclear states modernize their weapons, Chinese arsenal is growing

Ukraine accounts for over half of all documented incidents of violence against health care in conflict zones - report

Monday 12 June 2023 12:29 , Eleanor Noyce

A new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) documents nearly 2,000 incidents of violence against health care in conflict zones throughout 2022 - marking the most severe year of attacks against health care in the last decade globally.

The just released SHCC report identifies a 45% increase in reported incidents of violence against health care in conflict zones as compared to 2021, with 232 health workers killed, 298 kidnapped and 294 arrested.

Myanmar and Ukraine account for over half of all documented attacks, more than 750 of which were perpetrated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine alone–the most committed in a single year in one country.

Russia says it repelled Ukrainian offensives in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia regions

Monday 12 June 2023 12:05 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday it had repelled attempted offensives by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and had hit targets with sea-launched high-precision missile strikes.

Ukraine said on Monday its troops had recaptured a fourth village from Russian forces in a cluster of settlements in the southeast, a day after reporting the first small gains of its long-anticipated counteroffensive.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the battlefield reports.

Russia said its forces had launched a strike on Ukrainian army reserve locations using long-range precision weaponry, launched from the sea.

Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia to its southwest are among five regions, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, that Moscow claims to have annexed from Ukraine.

US decides to rejoin UNESCO and pay back dues, to counter Chinese influence

Monday 12 June 2023 12:00 , Eleanor Noyce

U.N. cultural and scientific agency UNESCO announced Monday that the United States plans to rejoin — and pay more than $600 million in back dues — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organisation’s move to include Palestine as a member.

U.S. officials say the decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the U.S. in UNESCO policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma submitted a letter last week to UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay formalising the plan to rejoin.

Under the plan, the U.S. government would pay its 2023 dues plus $10 million in bonus contributions this year earmarked for Holocaust education, preserving cultural heritage in Ukraine, journalist safety, and science and technology education in Africa, Verma’s letter says.

Read more:

US decides to rejoin UNESCO and pay back dues, to counter Chinese influence

Russia says Ukrainian offensives continued in south Donetsk region

Monday 12 June 2023 11:47 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s defence ministry on Monday said Ukrainian forces had attempted to press their offensives in the south of the Donetsk region in the last 24 hours, Russian news agencies reported.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the battlefield reports.

In pictures: Deminers find wreckage of retrieved S-300 rocket following Kakhovka dam destruction

Monday 12 June 2023 11:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Deminers have been pictured touching the wreckage of a retrieved S-300 rocket, which fell a few months ago in the Dnipro river and became visible after water level sharply dropped following the Kakhovka dam destruction.

The critical Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam, which lies along the Dnipro river in Russia-held Kherson, was blown up on Tuesday and collapsed soon after, sending water gushing into nearby villages and towns in the region with a 42,000-strong population.

Swiss websites hit by DDoS attack ahead of Zelensky video address

Monday 12 June 2023 11:23 , Eleanor Noyce

Swiss authorities said that several government websites were targeted in a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Monday that was claimed by pro-Russian hackers.

The attack comes as the Swiss parliament prepares for a video address by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky scheduled for Thursday and coincides with a national holiday in Russia.

Switzerland’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that “various websites of the Federal Administration and enterprises affiliated with the Confederation were unavailable” in the wake of the attack, claimed by the NoName hacking group.

“The NCSC is analysing the attack together with the administrative units concerned and defining appropriate measures,” it said in a statement.

The NCSC, which did not link Zelensky’s upcoming address to the attack, said the NoName group had also been behind a separate attack against the Swiss parliament’s website last week.

In a post on the Telegram messenger service, the group said the attack against the parliament’s website last week had been carried out to “thank Swiss Russophobes” for adopting another EU sanctions package against Moscow.

The group, which pledged to continue defending Russian interests “on the information front,” added it had taken down the websites of Switzerland’s justice ministry and police.

From GPS-guided bombs to electronic warfare, Russia improves its weaponry in Ukraine

Monday 12 June 2023 11:12 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian troops are probing Russian defenses as spring gives way to a second summer of fighting, and Kyiv‘s forces are facing an enemy that has made mistakes and suffered setbacks in the 15-month-old war. But analysts say Moscow also has learned from those blunders and improved its weapons and skills.

Russia has built heavily fortified defenses along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, honed its electronic weapons to reduce Ukraine’s edge in combat drones, and turned heavy bombs from its massive Cold-War-era arsenal into precision-guided gliding munitions capable of striking targets without putting its warplanes at risk.

Read more:

From GPS-guided bombs to electronic warfare, Russia improves its weaponry in Ukraine

In pictures: Local residents are evacuated following Nova Kakhovka dam breach

Monday 12 June 2023 10:29 , Eleanor Noyce

Local residents have been pictured boarding evacuation trains after following last week’s breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

The critical Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam, which lies along the Dnipro river in Russia-held Kherson, was blown up on Tuesday and collapsed soon after, sending water gushing into nearby villages and towns in the region with a 42,000-strong population.

The UN said the collapse will have “catastrophic” and “far-reaching consequences” for thousands of people with the loss of homes, food, safe water and livelihoods even as Russia and Ukraine traded accusations over the incident.

Pakistan welcomes first shipment of discounted crude from Russia

Monday 12 June 2023 10:21 , Eleanor Noyce

The Pakistani government on Monday welcomed the arrival of the first shipment of discounted crude from Russia under a key deal between Islamabad and Moscow.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif hailed it as a “fulfilment of promises” to the nation while Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that it marked a “true service” for the people.

The cargo was being unloaded in the port city of Karachi, the country’s main hub for imports.

Cash-strapped Pakistan had been in talks with Russia to import discounted crude since February 2022, when former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan visited Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Khan’s visit coincided with the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - a visit that at the time strained relations between Pakistan and the United States.

Moscow has since grappled with Western sanctions over the war, rerouting much of its supply to India, China and other Asian countries at discounted prices after Western customers shunned it in response to the invasion.

Pakistan’s deputy oil minister, Musadiq Malik, told the Geo news TV that Islamabad had initially signed an agreement with Russia for the purchase of 100,000 tonnes of oil, which is supposed to arrive in two ships. The first vessel with the crude arrived in Karachi on Sunday.

The size of its cargo load was not immediately known.

He did not share any details about the price of Russian oil, saying only that Pakistan will try to ensure a steady import with the expectations that prices at the pump will decrease.

“If we start getting one-third of our crude oil from Russia, then there will be a big difference in prices and its effect will reach people’s pockets,” Mr Malik said.

Mapped: Ukraine claims four villages captured in first gains of counteroffensive

Monday 12 June 2023 09:26 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine claims to have recaptured four villages from Russia in what would be the first territorial gains of its long-awaited counteroffensive.

About a week after Ukrainian forces began advancing at various points along the frontline, Kyiv said it liberated three villages on Sunday in the southeast of the country. Unverified footage showed Kyiv’s forces hoisting the Ukrainian flag at a building in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk region and posing with their unit’s flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne.

Then on Monday a photo shared by Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar showed soldiers hoisting the country’s yellow and blue flag at what she claimed was the village of Storozheve in Donetsk, as she thanked the 35th Separate Brigades of Marines for liberating the settlement.

My colleagues Joe Middleton and Arpan Rai report:

Mapped: Ukraine claims four villages captured in first gains of counteroffensive

Chechen force signs contract with Russia's defence ministry that Wagner's Prigozhin refused

Monday 12 June 2023 09:17 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Monday it has signed a contract with the Akhmat group of Chechen special forces, a day after Russia’s powerful mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin refused to do so.

The signing followed an order that all “volunteer units” should sign contracts by 1 July, bringing them under the control of defence minister Sergei Shoigu as Moscow tries to assert its control over private armies fighting on its behalf in Ukraine.

In return, volunteer fighters would get the same benefits and protections as regular troops, including support for them and their families if they are wounded or killed.

Prigozhin, who has waged a running feud with the defence ministry and accused it of failing to provide adequate ammunition supplies to his Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine, said on Sunday he would refuse to sign any such contract.

He said that Shoigu “cannot properly manage military formations”.

The contract the defence ministry signed on Monday was with the Akhmat paramilitary group that has often been called the private army of Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia’s Chechnya region.

Unlike Prigozhin, Kadyrov has recently refrained from criticising the defence ministry. Members of the two groups have openly sparred, with one of Kadyrov’s close allies on Thursday casting Prigozhin as a blogger who yells all the time about problems.

Akhmat commander Apty Alaudinov, who took part in the signing of the contract, said the unit has “prepared and sent tens of thousands of volunteers” to Ukraine in the past 15 months.

Moscow said on Friday that the Akhmat forces were waging an offensive near the town of Maryinka, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

“I think this is a very good thing,” Alaudinov was quoted as saying by the defence ministry’s website after signing the deal.

Russia’s deputy chief of the general staff, Colonel General Alexei Kim, said after signing the agreement with the Chechens that he hoped other volunteer units would follow suit.

Ukraine says nuclear plant's cooling ponds stable despite depleted reservoir

Monday 12 June 2023 09:05 , Eleanor Noyce

The water level at the ponds used to cool the reactors at Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain stable and sufficient despite the falling water level of the Kakhovka reservoir nearby, Ukraine‘s environment minister said on Monday.

The water level at the reservoir has fallen dramatically since the destruction of the Kakhovka dam last week.

New Zealand public radio apologises for publishing ‘pro-Kremlin garbage’ after wire stories altered

Monday 12 June 2023 09:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The head of New Zealand’s public radio station apologised Monday for publishing “pro-Kremlin garbage” on its website after more than a dozen wire stories on the Ukraine war were found to have been altered.

Most of the stories, which date back more than a year, were written by the Reuters news agency and were changed at Radio New Zealand to include Russian propaganda. A digital journalist from RNZ has been placed on leave pending the result of an employment investigation.

Paul Thompson, the chief executive of taxpayer-funded RNZ, said it had found issues in 16 stories and was republishing them on its website with corrections and editor’s notes. He said he was commissioning an external review of the organization’s editing processes.

“It is so disappointing. I’m gutted. It’s painful. It’s shocking,” Thompson said on RNZ’s Nine to Noon show. “We have to get to the bottom of how it happened.”

Nick Perry reports:

New Zealand public radio apologizes for publishing 'pro-Kremlin garbage' after wire stories altered

The global nuclear arsenal grew last year, SIPRI says

Monday 12 June 2023 08:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The number of operational nuclear weapons rose slightly in 2022 as countries implemented long-term force modernisation and expansion plans, a leading conflict think-tank said on Monday, warning that the world was entering a dangerous phase.

The estimated number of warheads in military stockpiles for potential use rose by 86 to 9,576, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a statement, continuing a trend seen in the last couple of years.

“We are drifting into one of the most dangerous periods in human history,” SIPRO Directo Dan Smith, SIPRI Director.

“It is imperative that the world’s governments find ways to cooperate in order to calm geopolitical tensions, slow arms races and deal with the worsening consequences of environmental breakdown and rising world hunger.”

The nine nuclear-armed states continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2022, SIPRI said.

Russia and the United States together possess almost 90% of all nuclear weapons but the think tank said the sizes of their respective arsenals appeared to have remained relatively stable in 2022.

Overall, the number of nuclear warheads in the world continued to decline, primarily due to the USA and Russia dismantling retired warheads.

Major air defence exercise begins in Germany

Monday 12 June 2023 08:27 , Eleanor Noyce

An air deployment exercise billed as the biggest in Nato’s history is getting under way in Germany.

The Air Defender 23 drill, set to run until June 23, has long been planned and serves to showcase the alliance’s capabilities amid high tensions with Russia.

Some 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations will respond to a simulated attack on a Nato member.

The United States alone is sending 2,000 US Air National Guard personnel and about 100 aircraft.

German air force chief Lt Gen Ingo Gerhartz told ZDF television: “The exercise is a signal - a signal above all to us, a signal to us, the Nato countries, but also to our population that we are in a position to react very quickly ... that we would be able to defend the alliance in case of attack.”

Lt Gen Gerhartz said he proposed the exercise in 2018, reasoning that Russia’s annexation of Crimea underlined the need to be able to defend Nato.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has jolted Nato into preparing in earnest for the possibility of an attack on its territory.

Sweden - which is hoping to join the alliance - and Japan are also taking part in the exercise.

Assessments of the extent to which the exercise will disrupt civilian flights have varied widely.

Ukraine reclaims village in Donetsk, says deputy defence minister

Monday 12 June 2023 08:12 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar posted on Monday a photo showing soldiers hoisting the Ukrainian flag at what she said was the village of Storozheve in Donetsk, and thanked the 35th Separate Brigade of Marines for liberating it.

Reuters could not verify the report and it was not immediately clear when the village was reclaimed.

On Sunday, Ukraine said its troops had made advances on three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka. Storozheve is located between Blahodatne and Neskuchne.

Russia suffers significant losses in Bakhmut, says Ukraine’s general staff

Monday 12 June 2023 06:56 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s top military command has said its forces were engaged in heavy battles across a wide arc of frontline hot spots, and some significant losses have been served to the Russian forces, in a battlefield report this morning.

The country’s armed forces general staff said that some 25 battles had taken place over the past day near the eastern town of Bakhmut, and further south near Avdiivka and Maryinka, all in the Donetsk region, but also near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region.

This comes a day after Kyiv said it had made the first modest gains in reclaiming territory from Russia as part of its counteroffensive.

“Over the last week in the Bakhmut direction, the Russian invaders suffered significant losses,” the general staff said today.

Over the weekend, prominent Russian military bloggers suggested that while Ukrainian forces took Blahodatne and Neskuchne, fighting for Makarivka was going on.

On Sunday, Ukraine said its troops had made advances on three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka.

Even though Kyiv has largely remained silent over the past week about the counteroffensive military assault on the Russian forces, Ukraine’s military has reported success with sizeable pushback in daily battlefield reports.