Ukraine news – live: Putin claims ‘Satan 2’ nuclear missiles will be ready by year end

Russia’s newly-tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, nicknamed “Satan 2”, will be ready to deploy by the end of the year, Vladimir Putin has claimed.

Officials in Moscow have previously boasted the missiles – which are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys – could strike Britain in just “200 seconds”.

Mr Putin’s remarks came as his ally Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia’s security council, threatened that Lithuania’s population would face “serious negative” consequences if Vilnius continues to block Russian goods from travelling by rail to Kaliningrad, an enclave held by Moscow since 1945.

The EU has told Russia that Lithuania is not acting alone, with Markus Ederer, the bloc’s ambassador in Moscow, saying Vilnius was simply “implementing EU sanctions”.

In Ukraine, the governor of Luhansk said the situation in the eastern Donbas region is “extremely difficult”, warning that Russia is preparing for a large-scale offensive.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Moscow is likely to increase its attacks in the build-up to an EU summit on Thursday and Friday.

Key Points

• Putin claims ‘Satan 2’ nuclear missiles will be ready to deploy by year’s end

• Ukraine has stopped Russia controlling Black Sea, claims UK

• Second US citizen killed fighting Ukraine

• Ben Stiller visits Ukraine on World Refugee Day, calls Zelensky ‘my hero’

• Russian attacks to increase this week ahead of EU summit, says Zelensky

Dispatch from Siversk: Inside the town braced for the coming storm of Putin’s forces

16:55 , Andy Gregory

In his latest dispatch from Ukraine, our defence and security editor Kim Sengupta reports:

In the general store on the outskirts of Siversk, the shelves are mostly empty and the dwindling stock is sold by the owner at giveaway prices to customers in need. Locals gather from time to time on the porch outside to exchange news.

It is a nondescript building of no strategic significance, but it has repeatedly been targeted by the Russians. The reason for these attacks? Worker Igor Klimenko points at a Ukrainian flag flying on the roof.

Mortar rounds have whizzed past the shop ever since he put up the flag. “They have drones in the air and I’m sure they have seen it. Some people around here have asked me to take it down, but I’m not going to. Anyway, they are bad shots, they keep missing,” he says, gesturing towards holes in a field at the back.

Few of the buildings in Siversk have escaped the Russian attacks. This small town, away from the main urban centres, is on the front line in eastern Ukraine, and has been in the firing line ever since Vladimir Putin ordered his February invasion.

Siversk will be directly in the path of Russian troops if they manage to capture the twin cities of Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, thus seizing the whole of the Luhansk area to use as a launchpad for an assault on the rest of the Donbas.

You can read his full report here:

‘The Russians are not far away’: A town is braced for Putin’s advancing forces

Putin spokesman denies Russia is holding US basketball player hostage

16:33 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin’s top spokesman has disputed the US State Department’s assertion that WNBA star Brittney Griner is being held “hostage”, my colleague Bevan Hurley reports.

Dmitry Peskov told NBC News that Ms Griner was being prosecuted in accordance with Russian law after she was allegedly found with cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage, and gave no indication when the Olympic basketball star might be released.

“Why should we make an exemption for a foreign citizen?” Mr Peskov said. “She violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted. It’s not about being a hostage. There are lots of American citizens here. They’re enjoying their freedoms … but you have to obey the laws.”

In May, the US State Department designated Ms Griner as wrongfully detained and moved her case under the supervision of its Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Mr Peskov said he could not comment on why Ms Griner hadn’t instead been denied entry, or sent home, instead of being incarcerated.

Putin spokesman denies Russia is holding Brittney Griner hostage

Putin claims ‘Satan 2’ nuclear missiles will be ready to deploy by year’s end

15:59 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s newly-tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles – capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys – will be deployed for duty by the end of the year, Vladimir Putin has claimed.

Officials in Moscow have previously boasted the missiles, nicknamed “Satan 2”, could strike Britain in just “200 seconds”.

Pledging on Tuesday in televised comments that Russia will “continue to develop and strengthen our armed forces, taking into account potential military threats and risks”, the Russian president said that the newly tested missiles would be ready by the year’s end.

In April, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Roscosmos space agency, said that Russia planned to deploy the new missiles by this autumn.

Future EU sanctions ‘could target gold'

15:39 , Andy Gregory

Gold could be a possible target of new European Union sanctions against Russia, officials have said.

A draft conclusion of the EU summit this week, seen by Reuters and dated 20 June, reportedly states that “work will continue on sactions, including to strengthen implementation and prevent circumvention”.

The text represents a compromise between Nordic and eastern countries which pushed for a clear reference to a seventh package of sanctions in the summit statement, and nations such as Germany and Belgium which want to focus on applying existing measures rather than immediately adding more.

In a previous version of the text there was no mention of more work on sanctions, with the tweak representing a win for hawks – but, in line with Germany’s wishes, the new text does not explicitly refer to a seventh package, Reuters reported.

Although no new package is currently being prepared, work is ongoing to identify sectors that could be hit, officials told the news agency, with gold – a crucial asset for the Russian Central Bank – being considered as one of the next potential targets, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

And a spokesperson for the Danish ambassador to the EU told the agency that, at a closed-door meeting of EU envoys last week, Denmark suggested further sanctions could include gold.

Europe ‘cannot defend itself’ without the US, Polish minister says

15:14 , Andy Gregory

Europe “cannot defend itself” without the United States, Poland’s foreign minister has said, describing Washington’s engagement in European security as “a fundamental condition of peace in Europe”.

At a gathering of Polish ambassadors, Zbigniew Rau credited US leadership in Nato as being key to a decision for a “rapid and effective adaptation to the Russian threat in 2016”, in comments carried by the state news agency PAP.

It was then that Nato increased its presence on the eastern flank of Nato following Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its support for pro-Moscow insurgents in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US this year deployed more soldiers to Poland and is using the country as a hub for weapons going to help the Ukrainians.

“The current crisis clearly shows that without the United States, Europe cannot defend itself,” Mr Rau said. He expressed gratitude to Washington but said it should not have to take “all the responsibility”, which also “rests on the shoulders” of European allies.

US attorney general to visit Ukraine to discuss war crimes

14:49 , Andy Gregory

US attorney general Merrick Garland will visit Ukraine today to discuss efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved in war crimes and other atrocities committed during Russia's invasion, a Justice Department official has said.

Mr Garland will meet with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, the official said.

UK will seek to ‘drain the grain from Ukraine’, Boris Johnson tells Cabinet

14:25 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson has promised the UK will be “steadfast” in supporting Ukrainians as he warned of “growing fatigue” around the conflict and said any concessions to Vladimir Putin would be a “disaster”.

The UK prime minister vowed to ensure “fresh political, military and financial support from the international community” to the war-torn country, his official spokesman said today.

“The prime minister’s concern is that it may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, because of ... some of those wider global challenges we’re facing, not least on inflation around the world,” according to the official.

Mr Johnson has told his Cabinet that “we must not allow anyone to believe that making concessions to Putin would lead to anything but disaster”, as this could be “perceived to be a reward for their unwarranted aggression” and “would embolden not just Russia but their allies and have an impact on UK security and on our economy,” the spokesperson said.

At the Cabinet meeting, Mr Johnson also said Britain would work to “drain the grain from Ukraine” as “the bombardment of cities and infrastructure and the blockade of ports is crippling Ukraine’s ability to export its produce”.

Much of east Ukraine ‘on fire’, says Luhansk governor

13:55 , Rory Sullivan

Russian assaults have left much of eastern Ukraine “on fire”, the governor of Luhansk region has said. “Today everything that can burn is on fire,” Serhiy Haidai told AP.

Speaking about the situation at a besieged chemical plant on the outskirts of the heavily-destroyed city Sievierodonetsk, Mr Haidai said: “It is a sheer catastrophe.

“Our positions are being fired at from howitzers, multiple rocket launchers, large-caliber artillery, missile strikes.”

Russia denies knowing where two US captives are being held

13:30 , Rory Sullivan

Moscow has said it does not know the location of two Americans captured by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

This follows unconfirmed reports that Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, were being held in Donetsk province.

Earlier this month, three men - two Britons and one Moroccan - were sentenced to death by a court in self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for fighting for Ukraine.

UK will impose more sanctions against Russia, says Truss

13:05 , Rory Sullivan

Britain will continue to impose new sanctions against Russia until it permanently withdraws from Ukraine, foreign secretary Liz Truss has said.

“We are determined to provide more weapons, impose more sanctions and back Ukraine in pushing Russia out of their territory,” she told MPs on Tuesday.

“We will continue to impose sanctions, we will continue to stop importing goods from Russia until we see Russia fully withdraw from Ukraine,” she added.

Ms Truss will travel to Turkey on Wednesday to discuss ways to get grain out of Odesa, which is being blockaded by Moscow.

Independent Russian TV to relaunch in exile

12:44 , Rory Sullivan

The independent Russian TV channel Dozhd plans to start broadcasting from abroad, its editor has said.

Tikhon Dzyadko was among the employees who fled the country in March as the Kremlin cracked down on independent media in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking from Georgia, Mr Dzyadko told Reuters: “The page of Russian modern history called independent journalism has been turned.”

He expressed his hopes that the channel becomes “a real problem for Russian propaganda”, suggesting there is a way “through this media Iron Curtain in Russia”.

“We want to be a huge headache for them,” said Ekaterina Kotrikadze, the channel’s news director, added.

The channel will broadcast from Tbilisi, Riga and Amsterdam in the coming weeks.

Russia targets airfield near Odesa

12:12 , Rory Sullivan

Russia claims to have struck an airfield near Odesa in response to Ukrainian attacks against Kremlin-linked drilling operations in the Black Sea.

Moscow’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that its missiles hit their target near the port city.

The Independent was unable to verify the report.

Ukraine arrests two senior figures on suspicion of spying for Russia

11:51 , Rory Sullivan

A senior Ukrainian government official and a business leader have been detained on suspicion of spying for Russia, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) has said.

The SBU did not name the individuals, but said they worked in the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers and at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“These officials passed on various intelligence information to the enemy: from the state of our defence capability to arrangements at the state border and personal data of Ukrainian law enforcement officers,” the SBU claimed.

Russia has not commented on the development.

Moscow threatens ‘serious negative impact’ against Lithuanian population

11:25 , Rory Sullivan

Lithuania will suffer “a serious negative impact” if it continues to block Russian goods bound to the enclave of Kaliningrad, one of Vladimir Putin’s top allies has warned.

The warning comes after Lithuania halted the transit of sanctioned products to the Russian-held territory, which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

Speaking in response on Tuesday, Nikolai Patrushev, who heads Russia‘s Security Council, said: “Russia will certainly respond to such hostile actions.

“Appropriate measures are being worked out in an interdepartmental format and will be taken in the near future,” he was quoted as saying. “Their consequences will have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania.”

Markus Ederer, the EU’s ambassador in Moscow, said Lithuania was not taking the action alone. “Lithuania is not taking unilateral measures - it is implementing EU sanctions,” he said.

Ben Stiller meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

11:14 , Rory Sullivan

Africa ‘taken hostage’ by Russian invasion as food prices soar, Zelensky says

10:55 , Rory Sullivan

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Africa has been “taken hostage” by Russia, which he accused of stoking global food insecurity by driving up prices.

Cara Anna has more on the story:

Africa ‘taken hostage’ by Russian invasion as food prices soar, Zelensky says

Two captured Americans in Donetsk, reports suggest

10:31 , Rory Sullivan

Two Americans are being held prisoner by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk, the Interfax news agency has reported.

Andy Huynh and Alexander Drueke, both from Alabama, were captured earlier in the war.

The report about their whereabouts comes several weeks after three men were sentenced to death by a Donetsk separatist court for fighting for Ukraine.

Britain has accused the separatists of conducting a “sham trial” against Britons Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin and Morroccan citizen Brahim Saadoun.

EU united in support of Ukraine’s candidacy status

10:04 , Rory Sullivan

The EU is united in giving Ukraine candidacy status, following Kyiv’s decision to apply for membership of the bloc, Luxembourg’s foreign affairs minister has said.

“We are working towards the point where we tell Putin that Ukraine belongs to Europe, that we will also defend the values that Ukraine defends,” Jean Asselborn told reporters on Tuesday.

Indonesian president to meet Putin in Moscow later this month

09:37 , Rory Sullivan

Indonesia’s president will travel to Moscow later this month for talks with Vladimir Putin.

Joko Widodo, who currently chairs the G20, is scheduled to travel to Russia for a meeting on 30 June.

“Yes, that is the president’s agenda,” a security minister told reporters at the presidential palace on Monday. This comes after the visit was confirmed by Russia’s Tass news agency last week.

Russia holds security talks in Kaliningrad after Lithuania blocks rail goods

09:03 , Rory Sullivan

The head of the Russian Security Council has travelled to the Kaliningrad enclave after Lithuania blocked goods being sent there from Russia.

Nikolai Patrushev will chair a meeting about the security situation in the region, according to the RIA news agency.

This comes after the Kremlin warned that it could take actions against Lithuania over what it called an “openly hostile” move.

“If cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of the Russian Federation via Lithuania is not fully restored in the near future, then Russia reserves the right to take actions to protect its national interests,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

ISW: Russia to increase attacks on Sievierodonetsk

08:42 , Rory Sullivan

As Russia prepares to scale up its operations in Sievierodonetsk, here’s the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW):

Georgia wants to join Nato, says PM

08:20 , Rory Sullivan

Georgia wants to join Nato but must solve its territorial disputes with the Kremlin first, its prime minister has said.

Irakli Garibashvili made the comment at an economic conference in Qatar on Tuesday.

Russia Nobel Peace Prize winner sells medal for £84m to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees

08:03 , Rory Sullivan

A Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner has auctioned off his medal for a record $103.5 million (£84m), with the proceeds to be donated to aid programmes for Ukrainian refugees.

Dmitry Muratov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s remaining independent newspapers, was the co-recipient of the awards in 2021.

His prize was auctioned off in the US by Heritage Auctions, who said: “This award is unlike any other auction offering to present.

“Mr Muratov, with the full support of his staff at Novaya Gazeta, is allowing us to auction his medal not as a collectible but as an event that he hopes will positively impact the lives of millions of Ukrainian refugees.”

Ukraine prepares for Russia ‘storm’ in Donbas

07:25 , Rory Sullivan

Russia gained some territory in Luhansk on Monday and is preparing for a large-scale assault, the governor of the region has said.

“It’s a calm before the storm,” Serhiy Gaidai said.

His comments came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was likely to increase its attacks in the run-up to an EU summit later this week.

“We are defending Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk, this whole area, the most difficult one. We have the most difficult fighting there,” he said. “But we have our strong guys and girls there.”

Meanwhile, Rodion Miroshnik, a pro-Russian separatist in Luhansk, said the Kremlin’s forces were advancing towards Lysychansk, near the embattled city of Sievierodonetsk.

“The hours to come should bring considerable changes to the balance of forces in the area,” he said on Telegram.

Ukraine has stopped Russia controlling Black Sea, claims UK

07:02 , Arpan Rai

Britain’s MoD has claimed that Ukraine’s coastal defence capability has largely rendered Russian attempts to control the sea during its invasion ineffective.

“Ukrainian coastal defence capability has largely neutralised Russia’s ability to establish sea control and project maritime force in the north-western Black Sea,” the defence ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that this edge displayed by Ukraine has “undermined the viability of Russia’s original operational design for the invasion, which involved holding the Odesa region at risk from the sea”.

This comes just days after the Ukrainian forces claimed their first successful use of western-donated Harpoon anti-ship missiles to engage Russian maritime forces.

“The target of the attack was almost certainly the Russian naval tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh, which was delivering weapons and personnel to Snake Island in the north-western Black Sea,” the British defence ministry claimed.

It added: “The destruction of the Russian vessel on a resupply mission demonstrates the difficulty Russia faces when attempting to support their forces occupying Snake Island.”

This is the latest in a series of Russian vessels, including the cruiser Moskva, to be damaged or destroyed by Ukraine during the conflict, the ministry said.

Ben Stiller visits Ukraine on World Refugee Day and calls Zelensky ‘my hero’

06:27 , Arpan Rai

American actor Ben Stiller made a surprise visit to Poland and Ukraine and said that the war-hit country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is his “hero”.

Stiller said that seeking safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person.

The 56-year-old actor shared a video on his Instagram account and said: “Hey, I’m Ben Stiller, and I’m here in Ukraine. I’m meeting people who’ve been impacted by the war and hearing how it’s changed their lives.”

Stiller, is a long-term Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – the UN refugee agency – and visited Ukraine on World Refugee Day.

Read the full story here:

Ben Stiller visits Ukraine on World Refugee Day and calls Zelensky ‘my hero’

More than 1,500 Ukrainians held in Russian prisons - officials

06:18 , Arpan Rai

More than 1,500 Ukrainian civilians are currently lodged in prisons in Russia, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

“They are in Rostov, Kursk, they are in jail, they are being held as prisoners of war, although they should not be,” Ms Vereshchuk said in a news briefing.

She added that these civilians include Ukrainian priests, volunteers, activists, journalists, and heads of local government agencies.

Ukraine war close to marking four months: Images from frontline

05:52 , Arpan Rai

The war in Ukraine will surpass four months this week, with Russia still intensifying its efforts to capture swathes of territory in the eastern part of the country.

Officials have called the situation in Luhansk “extremely difficult” along the entire front line, as Russia has gathered the required reserves to start a large scale offensive.

As of Monday, officials said that the Russian forces have intensified their attacks on two key cities in Donbas ahead of an upcoming EU summit.

Russia calls its action in Ukraine a “special military occupation”.

Here are some visuals of the battle in Ukraine from Monday.

Ukraine defending country’s battered east, says Zelensky

05:25 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said his forces are defending the country’s east, which has been witnessing the heaviest Russian onslaught for weeks now, even as the shelling continues.

“Again shelling of Kharkiv, Odesa, again attempts of brutal offensive actions in Donbas. This is an evil that can only be appeased on the battlefield. We are defending Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added: “This whole region is the most difficult, there are the hardest battles. But our strong boys and girls are there. The occupiers receive responses to their actions against us. I am grateful to the army and intelligence that provide it.”

Mr Zelensky added that as per his predictions, “Russia is very nervous about our activity”.

Second US citizen killed fighting Ukraine

04:33 , Arpan Rai

A second American citizen was killed in Ukraine last month, the state department confirmed after an obituary was published in a New York daily.

The 52-year-old Stephen Zabielski was killed on 15 May in combat, the obituary published in The Recorder said.

His death was first reported in the news on Monday.

Zabielski was among thousands of foreign fighters who had joined Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion which began on 24 February.

A native of New York, Zabielski is survived by his wife, five stepchildren and a grandchild among other family.

The state department has been in touch with the US citizen’s family and has provided “all possible consular assistance”, a spokesperson for the agency said.

Second American killed fighting in Ukraine

'It's just hell there': Russia still pounds eastern Ukraine

03:00 , Emily Atkinson

The Russians keep deploying additional troops and equipment in the area, he said.

“It’s just hell there. Everything is engulfed in fire, the shelling doesn’t stop even for an hour,” Haidai said in written comments.

Only a fraction of 100,000 people who used to live in Sievierodonetsk before the war remain in the city, with no electricity, communications, food or medicine.

'It's just hell there': Russia still pounds eastern Ukraine

American basketball player Griner faces prosecution, Moscow says

02:00 , Emily Atkinson

US basketball player Brittney Griner who has been detained in Russia is facing criminal prosecution, according to reports.

RIA news agency cited the Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as telling American MSNBC television: “Why should we call her a hostage? She broke the Russian law, now she faces criminal prosecution.

“It’s not about being taken hostage.”

Watch: Zelensky speaks about 'historic' week for Ukraine as it awaits EU decision

01:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine to ban Russian books and music to ‘derussify’ country

Tuesday 21 June 2022 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine’s parliament has voted through two laws to ban the import and promotion of Russian-language books and music in a bid to break cultural ties with the invading country.

The laws need to be signed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to take effect, but he has made no indication that he would oppose the bans.

One of the laws will forbid the printing of books by Russian nationals, unless they renounce their Russian passport and take Ukrainian citizenship. This will only apply to those who held Russian citizenship after the 1991 collapse of Soviet rule.

Lamiat Sabin has the details:

Ukraine to ban Russian books and music to ‘derussify’ country

Moscow calls Americans captured in Ukraine ‘mercenaries’

Monday 20 June 2022 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Americans captured in Ukraine have been described by Moscow as “mercenaries” engaged in illegal activities and should take responsibility for their “crimes”, reports say.

According to RIA news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the detained men were not covered by the Geneva convention as they were not regular troops. They had shot at at Russian servicemen and put their lives in danger

Russia threatens Lithuania over ‘more than serious’ Kaliningrad rail goods ban

Monday 20 June 2022 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has warned Lithuania – a Nato member – that it will “take action” unless the movement of goods by rail to the Kaliningrad exclave is restored.

Moscow summoned Lithuania’s top diplomat to deliver a protest after the Baltic nation banned the transit of sanctioned goods through its territory.

“The situation is more than serious,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “This decision is really unprecedented. It’s a violation of everything.”

Russia’s foreign ministry called Lithuania’s move “openly hostile”.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

Russia threatens Lithuania over ‘more than serious’ Kaliningrad rail goods ban

Scholz warns soaring energy prices to stay

Monday 20 June 2022 21:00 , Emily Atkinson

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned that soaring energy prices will likely be around for a long time in an interview with the Muenchner Merkur newspaper.

He also rejected Russia‘s assertion that it had cut gas flows because necessary spare parts were missing due to sanctions.

“This explanation is not plausible,” he said.

Watch: Ukrainian forces destroy Russian tank and two infantry vehicles with British howitzers

Monday 20 June 2022 20:10 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine president says Africa 'hostage’ in war with Russia

Monday 20 June 2022 19:02 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Africa was a “hostage” in the war with Russia, which had contributed to rising food prices on the continent.

African countries are acutely affected by the growing crisis, which has sent prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser soaring.

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key global fertiliser exporter and Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.

In a speech to African Union leaders, Zelenskiy said the continent had been caught up in a situation not of its making.

Reuters

Watch: At least 10 houses destroyed by Russian shelling in Sumy

Monday 20 June 2022 18:30 , Emily Atkinson

Turkey to continue talks over Nordic Nato bids

Monday 20 June 2022 18:10 , Emily Atkinson

Talks between Turkey, Finland and Sweden over the Nordic countries’ Nato membership bid will continue, but next week’s alliance summit in Madrid is not a deadline, Ankara said.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said told reporters after discussions in Brussels that Turkey was expecting Sweden, especially, to take immediate steps regarding actions by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group in its country, and that any progress on the Nordic membership bids “now depends on the direction and speed at which these countries will take steps”.

Putin ‘afraid spark of democracy will fly to Russia'

Monday 20 June 2022 17:50 , Emily Atkinson

Vladimir Putin is “afraid that the spark of democracy could fly to Russia,” Germany’s chancellor has said.

Posting on Twitter, Olaf Scholz continued: “That’s why for years he’s been pursuing a policy aimed at dissolving Nato and the EU. He wants to go back to a zone of influence policy.

“But he won’t be able to do that.”

Scholz was responding to a question in an interview with the Muenchner Merkur newspaper, published on the government website on Monday, on whether Putin would accept Ukraine moving closer to the bloc.

“The Russian president must accept that there is a community of law-based democracies in his neighbourhood that is growing ever closer together,” he said.

“He clearly fears the spark of democracy spreading to his country.”

Watch: Actor Ben Stiller seen in Lviv whilst working with UNHCR to support Ukrainian refugees

Monday 20 June 2022 17:35 , Emily Atkinson

Food warehouse ‘destroyed’ in Odesa

Monday 20 June 2022 17:03 , Emily Atkinson

A food warehouse in Odesa has been destroyed in missile attack launched on the Black Sea port city on Monday, according to the Ukrainian military.

Moscow’s forces reportedly fired 14 missiles during a three hour barrage “in impotent anger at the successes of our troops,” the Operational Command “South” said, but no civilians were killed.

Russia‘s military did not immediately comment on the reports.

Meta found guilty of ‘extremist activity’ by Russian court - reports

Monday 20 June 2022 16:46 , Emily Atkinson

A appeal brought by Meta Platforms Inc after it was found guilty of “extremist activity” in Russia has been rejected by a Moscow court, reports say.

Meta was found guilty by Russia in March, but said the ruling would not affect its WhatsApp messenger service, focusing instead on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kyiv court bans party led by Putin ally Medvedchuk

Monday 20 June 2022 16:32 , Emily Atkinson

A pro-Kremlin party led by a close ally of president Vladimir Putin has been banned by a Kyiv court, Ukraine’s justice ministry has said.

The court in Lviv has ruled that all property, funds and other assets held by the “Opposition Platform - For Life” party led by Viktor Medvedchuk - a wealthy businessman accused of treason - must be transfered to the state.

“The court banned the activities of the Opposition Platform - For Life political party. The corresponding claim of the ministry of justice was satisfied by the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal,” the ministry said on Facebook.

Putin should not negotiate on disarming nuclear weapons yet, says former Russian president

Monday 20 June 2022 16:17 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow should not engage in negotiations with Washington on nuclear disarmament until the United States has “crawled” back to have talks, a former Russian president has said.

Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, suggested that US-Russia relations are so frosty they have been plunged into extreme sub-zero temperatures.

Since 1981, starting under the US presidency of Ronald Regan, Russia and the US have negotiated a series of nuclear arms reduction treaties.

Lamiat Sabin reports:

Putin should not negotiate on nuclear disarmament yet, says former Russian president

Battle for Luhansk ‘ongoing at maximum intensity’, says Ukraine

Monday 20 June 2022 16:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Russian forces have been ordered to soon seize control of the whole Luhansk region where “decisive battles are ongoing at the maximum intensity,” according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.

The region – one of two that Vladimir Putin had declared “independent” before launching his invasion of Ukraine – in recent weeks has become the focal point of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Currently, Moscow’s forces control about 95 per cent of the area.

Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said the Kremlin had ordered the Russian military to overrun Luhansk by next Sunday.

Ms Maliar said in televised remarks that “without exaggeration, decisive battles are taking place” in the area, where Ukrainian forces are desperately trying to avoid being encircled.

“We must understand that the enemy has an advantage both in terms of personnel and weapons, so the situation is extremely difficult. And at this very minute these decisive battles are ongoing at the maximum intensity,” she added.

Swiss government to host conference on rebuilding Ukraine

Monday 20 June 2022 15:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Switzerland will host a conference of delegates from around the world to discuss the restoration of Ukraine.

The conference will be held by the Swiss government, with Ukrainian representatives, in Lugano on the 4 and 5 July.

It’s expected that the social, economic, environmental and infrastructural restoration of Ukraine will be discussed by delegates from European countries, the US, and Canada.

Representatives of international organisations, including the World Bank, are expected to attend the event that will also have a cultural programme to showcase Ukrainian musicians and artists.

Lithuania explains ban on transit of goods to Kaliningrad

Monday 20 June 2022 15:13 , Lamiat Sabin

Lithuania said that its ban on the transit of goods to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad is only affecting goods sanctioned by the European Union.

The foreign ministry of Lithuania said – in a statement to the head of Russia’s diplomatic mission in Vilnius – that the country has not imposed “unilateral, individual or additional” restrictions.

Hungary offers Ukraine possible route for grains exports

Monday 20 June 2022 14:36 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukraine has been offered a possible route through Hungary to export its grains to other countries, while its usual routes via the Black Sea are being blockaded by Russian invaders.

Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto made the proposal at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

He also said he expected no disruption in Russian gas supplies to Hungary.

Explosions heard in Odesa, say regional authorities

Monday 20 June 2022 14:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Explosions have been heard in the city of Odesa in southern Ukraine, a spokesperson for the regional administration said.

The spokesperson said he could provide no details of the explosions, which were heard after air raid sirens had sounded.

Odesa is a port city on the coast of the Black Sea, and is Ukraine’s third-most populous city.

Russia tells Lithuania to lift goods transit ban for Kaliningrad

Monday 20 June 2022 13:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia is demanding that Lithuania immediately lifts a ban on the transit of some goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The Russian foreign ministry told the Lithuanian envoy in Moscow that if cargo transit between the Kaliningrad region and the rest of Russia through Lithuania was not restored, Moscow would respond to protect its interests.

Lithuanian authorities banned the transit of goods which are sanctioned by the European Union across its territory, which includes the only rail route between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea.

Banned goods include coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology.

Germany says its working on freeing stuck Ukrainian grain

Monday 20 June 2022 13:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Germany is “very confident” Nato will reach an agreement with Sweden and Finland over bid for membership of the alliance but it would not be a “catastrophe” if this did not happen by the summit in Madrid next week, a German government source said.

“As nice as it would be to announce concrete steps .. it would not be a catastrophe if it needed a few more weeks,” the source said.

“What is decisive from our point of view is there are no insurmountable problems”.

Sweden and Finland applied to join the Western defence alliance last month, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But they have faced opposition from Turkey, which has accused them of supporting and harbouring Kurdish militants and other groups it deems terrorists.

Reuters

‘Dozens of Russian spies could be in Britain’ – report

Monday 20 June 2022 12:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Up to 50 Russian sleeper agents could now be in Britain, according to the Mirror.

MI5 believes Vladimir Putin has ordered the deep cover spies to embed themselves into top public schools, civil service staff, and the House of Commons – the newspaper reported.

A senior intelligence insider reportedly said: "We have to assume Russia is now active at all levels of British society. They scoop up all forms of intelligence and pass it back to the Kremlin through handlers.

“This could be anything from what sort of weaponry is being sent to the Ukraine – and how much of it – to the sexual antics of the country's political and military leaders.”

‘No need’ for nuclear talks until US ‘crawls back,’ official says

Monday 20 June 2022 12:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Moscow should not negotiate with Washington on nuclear disarmament until the US “crawled” back to talks, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said.

“We don’t have any relations with the United States now,” the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

“They are at zero on the Kelvin scale... There is no need to negotiate with them yet. This is bad for Russia. Let them run or crawl back themselves and ask for it.”

Separatist forces ‘seize control of village outside Severodonetsk'

Monday 20 June 2022 11:40 , Lamiat Sabin

Russian-backed separatist forces in Ukraine said they had taken the village Toshkivka, 25km south of the city of Severodonetsk.

Severodonetsk, in the separatist-controlled region of Donetsk, has seen increased conflict for weeks in a battle for its control.

Vitaly Kiselev, an assistant to the self-styled interior minister of the Russian-backed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), was quoted by TASS news agency as saying that Toshkivka had been taken.

The governor of the Ukrainian region of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai, told Ukrainian television that pro-Russian forces were trying to break through the lines of Toshkivka.

Reuters news agency said it was unable to independently verify the battlefield claims of either side.

Germany vows to help move blocked Ukrainian grain exports

Monday 20 June 2022 11:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Germany said it will support Poland and Romania in adapting their railways to enable the export of millions of tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine due to a Russian sea blockade.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said at a meeting with EU leaders in Luxembourg: “The railway tracks need to be modernised, we need the right cargo wagons – the German government is working on this with many other actors.

“It is clear that, in the end, we will certainly not be able to get out all grain but if we even just manage to free part of it, on various routes, then this will help as we are facing this global challenge.”

It comes after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia’s blockade of the export of millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain is a war crime.

Ukraine to ban Russian books and music to ‘derussify’ country

Monday 20 June 2022 10:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukraine’s parliament has voted through two laws to ban the import and promotion of Russian-language books and music in a bid to break cultural ties with the invading country.

One of the laws will forbid the printing of books by Russian nationals, unless they renounce their Russian passport and take Ukrainian citizenship. This will only apply to those who held Russian citizenship after the 1991 collapse of Soviet rule.

It will also ban the commercial import of books printed in Russia, Belarus, and occupied Ukrainian territory, and it will also require special permission for importing Russian-language books from any other country.

Read the full story here

Ukraine to ban Russian books and music to ‘derussify’ country

Ukraine says 200 Russian soldiers killed in one day

Monday 20 June 2022 10:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Two hundred more Russian troops have reportedly been killed since yesterday during their invasion of Ukraine.

A total of 33,800 of Vladimir Putin’s troops have died since the beginning of the invasion, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is 200 more than the 33,600 deaths that were reported from 24 February to 19 June.