Ukraine Russia news – live: Kremlin confirms Putin meeting with Wagner commanders including Prigozhin

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his most commanders just five days after the aborted mutiny and they pledged loyalty to his regime, the Kremlin has said.

The three-hour meeting took place on 29 June, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said yesterday, in a likely attempt to portray a return to normalcy in the ties between two men who faced off in the biggest military mutiny Russia has seen in decades.

No comments have been issued by Mr Prigozhin himself on the meeting, which was first reported earlier yesterday.

During the meeting Mr Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the mercenaries have fought alongside regular Russian troops, and of the revolt itself.

Elsewhere, Joe Biden will meet Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in Lithuania tomorrow, US officials confirmed to The Independent.

The meeting comes as Mr Biden expressed doubts in recent days about Ukraine’s long-sought goal of joining the trans-Atlantic alliance. The two leaders last met in Japan in May for the G7 summit.

Key Points

• Wagner chief’s commanders met Putin after short-lived mutiny, pledged loyalty

• Russia launches overnight air attack on Kyiv as Nato summit starts

• Biden to see Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania tomorrow

• Nato agrees regional plans on how to respond to Russian attack

• Zelensky says Ukraine holds ‘initiative’ on battlefield

Wagner chief’s commanders met Putin after short-lived mutiny, pledged loyalty

04:24 , Arpan Rai

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders met with Russian president Vladimir Putin just five days after the aborted mutiny and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior government spokesperson from the Kremlin has said.

The three-hour meeting took place 29 June and involved not only Mr Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed yesterday, in a likely attempt to portray normalcy in the ties between two men who faced off in the biggest military mutiny Russia has seen in decades.

He added that Mr Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the mercenaries have fought alongside regular Russian troops, and of the revolt itself.

“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Mr Peskov said.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary.

Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.

No comments have been issued by Mr Prigozhin himself on the meeting. He could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges, as threatened by his boss.

This came on the same day the Russian defence ministry published a video featuring military chief General Valery Gerasimov – who was one of the main targets of Mr Prigozhin’s rebellion. Monday was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt last month.

Russia launches overnight air attack on Kyiv

03:52 , Arpan Rai

Parts of Ukraine are under air raid alerts as Russia is firing overnight airstrikes on the besieged country.

The head of the Ukrainian military administration, Serhiy Popko, said Russia had fired airstrikes towards Kyiv and that air defence systems were engaged in repelling the attack.

The air attacks have resumed after five days, after a missile strike on Lviv that killed four civilians.

Biden to see Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania tomorrow

03:43 , Arpan Rai

Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in Lithuania tomorrow, US officials confirmed to The Independent.

The meeting comes as Mr Biden expressed doubts in recent days about Ukraine’s long-sought goal of joining the trans-Atlantic alliance. The two leaders last met in Japan in May for G7 summit.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in Nato about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the Nato family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” he told CNN last week.

“If the war is going on, then we’re all in war,” he added. “We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.”

The president also said that Ukraine would need to make reforms in terms of “democratisation” before joining the alliance.

Biden will meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania as war with Russia rages on

How the Wagner Group’s armed uprising almost toppled Vladimir Putin

Tuesday 11 July 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake

Three weeks on from the extraordinary mutiny staged by the Russian paramilitary organisation the Wagner Group, which threatened to bring down Vladimir Putin, details are continuing to emerge about precisely how it was averted.

The armed uprising saw the group’s mercenaries leave their posts in eastern Ukraine on Friday 23 June to cross into Russia and occupy the western city of Rostov-on-Don before engaging in what their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, called a “march for justice” on Moscow to demand the removal of Russia’s top military officials Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov in protest at their botched handling of the Ukraine invasion.

Mr Prigozhin, 62, had complained for months that his men had been left without sufficient resources as they fought to secure the town of Bakhmut over the hard winter months, frequently taking to Telegram to record messages denouncing the insufficient supplies of ammunition his forces had received from the Defence Ministry.

With things looking black for Mr Putin by the Saturday evening as a Wagner column approached the Russian capital, the standoff was abruptly ended after Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko, a long-time ally of Mr Putin, stepped in to help broker a deal between the two sides, wherein Mr Prigozhin agreed to relocate to Belarus and for his forces to stand down.

How the Wagner Group’s armed uprising almost toppled Vladimir Putin

NATO agrees regional plans on how to respond to Russian attack

Monday 10 July 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

The NATO alliance has reached an agreement on regional plans about how to deal with a possible Russian attack.

NATO had no need for a large-scale defence plan for decades as it fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years.

Also, the USSR collapsed in 1991 which no longer posed an existential threat.

But now Russia has invaded Ukraine, the bloc has agreed that all planning must be in place before a conflict erupts.

The plans will also give nations guidance on how to upgrade their forces and logistics.

NATO officials believe it will take a few years for the plans to be fully implemented but the alliance can head into battle immediately if required, Sky News reported.

At least 13 civilians have been killed by Russia in the last month

Monday 10 July 2023 22:00 , Matt Drake

The Ministry of Defence said Russia has killed 13 civilians over the last month.

Posting on Twitter, the MoD said: "Russia continues to claim they don’t target civilians as their illegal invasion passes the 500 days mark.

"Last month Russian forces targeted and bombed a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, killing at least 13 civilians, including children."

Joe Biden arrives in Vilnius for NATO summit

Monday 10 July 2023 21:00 , Matt Drake

Joe Biden arrived at the Lithuanian capital ahead of a two-day NATO meeting.

It comes after a brief stint in the UK where he met Rishi Sunak and King Charles.

The US president was greeted by Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda at the airport.

Boris Johnson says NATO summit must 'atone for decades of fatal ambiguity'

Monday 10 July 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake

The former Prime Minister tweeted that it is "ridiculous" to say Ukraine's NATO membership could provoke Putin.

He also said it was absurd to talk about the risk of escalation and the alliance should offer a clear path for Ukraine's NATO membership.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "Putin didn’t launch the bloodiest war in Europe for 80 years because he feared that Ukraine was about to join Nato. Everybody could see that was nonsense.

"He attacked precisely because Ukraine was NOT a member, and unlikely to become one for the foreseeable future – and therefore had no valid western security guarantees.

"Putin attacked Ukraine because for 30 years we in Nato have dithered and refused to be clear about Ukraine’s future.

"The time for ambiguity is over. Our doublespeak has brought us nothing – and it has brought disaster for Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians are fighting for freedom everywhere, and when they have won they will need the same protection as the east Europeans and the Baltic states.

"The Ukrainians need the clarity and simplicity of Nato membership – and with that clarity will come peace and stability, for Russia as well as for Ukraine."

Death toll at Zaporizhzhia aid distribution rises to five

Monday 10 July 2023 19:22 , Matt Drake

The body of a fifth victim has been recovered from the rubble.

According to the General Prosecutor’s office, the attack is being treated as a war crime.

Yuriy Malashko, governor of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, said a guided aviation bomb was used in Sunday’s attack on a school building in Orikhiv.

Turkey's EU membership bid should not stop Sweden joining NATO, US says

Monday 10 July 2023 19:13 , Matt Drake

The US state department said it does not think Turkey's wish to be admitted into the European Union should affect Sweden's NATO bid.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller said: "The United States has for a number of years supported Turkey's EU aspirations, and we continue to do so.

"However, we do not believe that it should be an impediment to Sweden's accession to NATO.

"We continue to press the case that Sweden has taken a number of steps to address the concerns that Turkey raised, and we believe that it is time for Turkey to support Sweden's NATO accession."

Russia struggling with combat medical provision

Monday 10 July 2023 17:19 , Matt Drake

According to the British Defence Ministry, Russia suffered an average of 400 casualties a day for 17 months.

Russian medical services have likely been affected and are said to be battling a healthcare crisis which is also impacting civilian care in border regions.

In a statement, the ministry said: "It is likely that up to 50 per cent of Russian combat fatalities could have been prevented with proper first aid.

"Very slow casualty evacuation, combined with the inappropriate use of the crude in-service Russian combat tourniquet, is reportedly a leading cause of preventable fatalities and amputations.”

Putin met Wagner chief Prigozhin days after mutiny, Kremlin says

Monday 10 July 2023 16:16 , Matt Drake

Vladimir Putin met the Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after his fighters marched on Moscow in an aborted mutiny, the Kremlin has said.

Mr Putin declared the armed mutiny to be treasonous as it happening, appearing in an emergency television address to denounce what was the most serious challenge to his two-decade rule of Russia. Yet, according to the Kremlin, the president invited the Wagner chief – and a number of his commanders – to a meeting in Moscow so that Mr Putin could give his “assessment” of both the armed uprising and the mercenary group’s war effort during the invasion of Ukraine.

“The president gave an assessment of the company’s actions on the front,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said of the three-hour meeting on 29 June, to which 35 people were invited. “Putin listened to the commanders’ explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat,” Mr Peskov added.

Putin met Wagner chief Prigozhin

Nato agrees to accelerate Ukraine membership plan, says Kyiv

Monday 10 July 2023 16:10 , Matt Drake

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said Nato has agreed to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) which is normally required of prospective allies.

“Following intensive talks, Nato allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine’s path to membership,” he tweeted.

He added: “I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to Nato. It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ukrainian officials have urged Nato to offer a “meaningful” move towards membership at this week’s summit in Lithuania.

Turkey wants to join EU in return for Sweden NATO membership

Monday 10 July 2023 16:07 , Matt Drake

Sweden has also been seeking to join NATO but joining would require consent from all existing members.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has so far frustrated progress.

Mr Erdogan said the EU must open the door for Turkey before it will approve Sweden's NATO application.

Turkey first asked to join the EU in 2005 but talks have been frozen for years.

Ahead of his departure for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Mr Erdogan said: "I am calling from here on these countries that are making Turkey wait at the door of the European Union for more than 50 years.

“First, come and open the way for Turkey at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland."

Kremlin warns of ‘firm and clear’ response if Ukraine joins NATO

Monday 10 July 2023 15:45 , Matt Drake

The Kremlin issued a statement warning of allowing Ukraine into the alliance.

It comes after NATO dropped a bureaucratic requirement for membership.

This is to allow Ukraine to join faster when the war ends.

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "You know the absolutely clear and consistent position of the Russian Federation that Ukraine's membership in NATO will have very, very negative consequences for the security architecture, the already half-destroyed security architecture in Europe.

"And it will be an absolute danger, a threat to our country, which will require from us a sufficiently clear and firm reaction."

Russia accused of war crimes as school handing out food parcels hit in bomb attack

Monday 10 July 2023 15:15 , Matt Drake

At least four are dead and 11 are injured following a bomb strike which hit a humanitarian station.

The attack happened on Sunday in Orikhiv, southeastern Zaporizhzhia.

Zaporizhzhia Regional Governor Yuriy Malashko said: "Russians have committed another war crime.

"They launched a guided aerial bomb at a residential neighborhood as people were getting aid.

"Three women and a man died immediately, and 11 were hospitalised."

Ukrainian attack helicopter fires rockets at Russian military

Monday 10 July 2023 14:25 , Matt Drake

Images reportedly show a Ukrainian attack helicopter firing rockets at a Russian military target.

The images were obtained from the 18th Separate Brigade of Army Aviation named after Igor Sikorsky of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday, July 10, along with a statement saying: “The unceasing work of the crews of the 18th separate army aviation brigades to destroy the enemy.”

The images and statement were also relayed by the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 502nd day of the full-scale war.

Ukraine troops take back 3.9 square miles of territory in counterattack, Kyiv claims

Monday 10 July 2023 13:46 , Matt Drake

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s troops had taken back 3.9 sq miles (10.2 square km) of territory in the south and four sq km in the east in the past week of a counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Ukraine’s forces had also taken control of the main commanding heights around Bakhmut and established fire control over entrances and exits to the shattered city, she said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia says it hit Ukrainian positions with T-80BV Tank

Monday 10 July 2023 13:37 , Matt Drake

Footage apparently shows a Russian tank manoeuvring into position before repeatedly firing its main gun.

The images then cut to explosions, reportedly on Ukrainian positions.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, July 10 along with a statement claiming (in English): “Western MD’s tank crews launch attack on AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) stronghold.”

The statement also said: “At one of the directions of the special military operation, for the advance of Russian motorised rifle units, the crews of T-80BV tanks advanced to the front edge of the enemy defence and delivered a powerful fire attack. The enemy was about five kilometres away.

“According to Russian intelligence there were about 50 nationalists in the stronghold, including sabotage and reconnaissance groups. The AFU could not even launch a return fire attack from their positions.”

The footage has not been independently verified.

UK PM Sunak wants to discuss pathway for Ukraine to join NATO - spokesperson

Monday 10 July 2023 13:04 , Martha Mchardy

British prime minister Rishi Sunak wants to work with allies to discuss a pathway for Ukraine to join NATO, but the exact mechanism is up for discussion, his spokesperson said on Monday, following talks with U.S. president Joe Biden.

The spokesperson said it would not be appropriate for Ukraine to join NATO when the war with Russia was going on, but Sunak believes Ukraine’s “rightful place” is within alliance.

“We want to work with the U.S. and our allies on the pathway for Ukraine to join,” the spokesperson told reporters.

Downing Street downplays reports of UK and US split over Ukraine’s Nato bid

Monday 10 July 2023 12:51 , Martha Mchardy

Downing Street played down reports that the UK and US were split over the extent of commitments to offer Ukraine on Nato membership.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said it would be a topic for discussion at the Nato summit in Lithuania.

“Certainly, we do want to support Ukraine on the pathway to joining the alliance, the exact mechanisms for that are for discussion with Nato allies,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman rejected suggestions there was a difference between the US and UK positions on the issue: “I have seen that reporting but I don’t believe that’s accurate.”

Biden and Sunak discussed ‘support Ukraine needs to win war'

Monday 10 July 2023 12:49 , Martha Mchardy

Following the meeting between Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “Looking ahead to this week’s NATO Summit, the prime minister and president Biden agreed on the need to strengthen our alliance and maintain our support for Ukraine.

“They discussed the progress of the counter-offensive and emphasised the importance of the country’s international partners committing to its long-term defence, providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace.”

Sunak 'discourages' use of cluster bombs in Ukraine

Monday 10 July 2023 12:45 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak “discouraged” the use of cluster bombs in Ukraine during his meeting with Joe Biden this morning, Downing Street has said.

Downing Street said Sunak discussed the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine with Joe Biden.

The UK is signed up to an international convention to ban the weapons, placing Mr Sunak under a duty to speak out against their use, but the US is not signed up to that agreement.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said providing the weapons “was a difficult choice for the US” that had been “forced on them by Russia’s war of aggression”.

The two leaders “discussed the commitments that UK has under that convention, both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use”.

Asked if Mr Sunak complied with that commitment to discourage the use of the weapons in his talks with Mr Biden, the spokesman said: “Yes, they discussed the requirements the prime minister is under because of this convention, and the UK is upholding that.”

Western allies fine-tune security assurances for Ukraine as NATO meets

Monday 10 July 2023 12:34 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s largest Western allies are still finalising a joint framework that would pave the way for long-term security assurances for Kyiv, and may wait until the end of a NATO summit this week to announce them, European diplomats say.

The 31-member NATO alliance meets in Lithuania on Tuesday, aiming above all to give Ukraine some kind of path to membership, but still divided over how far to go.

Ukraine knows it will not get entry into the alliance while the war with Russia continues, given that NATO’s Article 5 - which says that an attack on one member is an attack on all -could push the alliance into war with Russia. But it wants a firm commitment at the summit that it will be invited to join after the war.

In the meantime, it has sought assurances of current and long-term security commitments to help it defend itself now and deter renewed aggression from Moscow once the war ends.

NATO has assiduously abstained from giving military assistance to Ukraine as an organisation, to avoid entering a direct conflict with Russia, and is keen to continue leaving that to member states and others.

Britain, France, Germany and the United States, known as the Quad, have been negotiating with Kyiv for weeks over a multilateral text that would create a broad framework for member states that want to provide, or keep providing, military aid including advanced weapons, as well as financial assistance.

The European Union, which would pursue its financing of weapons support through its Peace Facility, and Group of Seven (G7) powers including Japan, have also been privy to the discussions.

A French presidency official told reporters on Friday that the discussions were “very advanced”. Two other diplomats said the hope was to complete them by the end of the summit.

A senior German official told reporters that there would be an agreement at the level of the G7, which comprises the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy and Britain, as well as the European Union.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is en route to Lithuania, told CNN on Sunday that Washington was ready to provide security to Ukraine in the mould of what it provides to Israel: “the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves”.

Moscow can count on China’s ‘friendly shoulder’, says Russian lawmaker

Monday 10 July 2023 12:27 , Martha Mchardy

Russia will continue to co-operate with Beijing and can count on China’s “friendly shoulder”, the speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament said on Monday after meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing.

“We can count on a firm and reliable friendly shoulder in China,” Valentina Matvienko said.

Japanese PM Kishida eyes meeting with Ukraine’s Zelensky at NATO Summit - Kyodo

Monday 10 July 2023 11:48 , Martha Mchardy

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida is arranging a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Kyodo news agency reported on Monday, citing a government source.

Zelensky is expected to attend the U.S.-led security pact’s leaders summit in Lithuania this week to press for Ukraine to be admitted into NATO soon after the war triggered by Russia’s invasion comes to an end.

Kishida last met Zelensky at the Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima in May, where the Ukrainian leader made a surprise trip on a French plane to the Japanese city known for suffering from the world’s first atomic bombing.

Kremlin: there is ‘nothing new’ to say on Black Sea grain deal

Monday 10 July 2023 11:33 , Martha Mchardy

The Kremlin said on Monday that there was nothing new to say about the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire next week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that there were currently no plans for President Vladimir Putin to meet Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to discuss renewing the deal, and that it was not known when Putin might visit Turkey.

Moscow has repeatedly said it sees no grounds to extend the grain deal beyond July 17.

The deal allows Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports, but Russia says not enough has been done to remove barriers to its own exports of grain and fertilisers.

Kremlin says Ukraine joining NATO would have negative consequences for Europe

Monday 10 July 2023 11:24 , Martha Mchardy

The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukrainian membership of the NATO military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europe’s security architecture and that Russia would consider such a step a threat which demanded a harsh response.

NATO is holding a summit on July 11-12 in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.

Kremlin says mercenary chief Prigozhin met Putin after rebellion

Monday 10 July 2023 11:21 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 29, five days after the group marched towards Moscow in a short-lived rebellion, the Kremlin said on Monday,

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin invited 35 people to the meeting, including unit commanders, and that it lasted three hours. The Wagner commanders told Putin they were his soldiers and would continue to fight for him, Peskov said.

The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov, confronted Putin with the gravest challenge to his hold on power since taking over as Russia’s paramount leader on the last day of 1999.

It was defused in a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin has since thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war.

Prigozhin has said the mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing the government but at “bringing to justice” the army and defence chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal but Lukashenko said last week he was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up an offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.

Turkey's Erdogan says he will discuss grain deal extension with Putin

Monday 10 July 2023 11:18 , Martha Mchardy

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he will discuss with Russian president Vladimir Putin the extension of a deal that allows the export of Ukrainian grain from its Black Sea ports beyond the current July 17 deadline.

Speaking ahead of his departure for a NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdogan said he expects Putin to visit Turkey in August.

Joe Biden arrives at Downing Street

Monday 10 July 2023 11:10 , Martha Mchardy

US president Joe Biden has arrived at Downing Street, where he is set to discuss the war in Ukraine with prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Biden’s visit to the UK is part of a three-nation trip that will feature a Nato summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the defence alliance.

Russia doubles production of Su-34 and Su-35 warplanes - RIA

Monday 10 July 2023 10:56 , Martha Mchardy

Russia has doubled production of its Su-34 and Su-35 fighter aircraft to meet its military needs in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported on Monday, citing a top manager from state conglomerate Rostec.

Ukraine foreign minister: NATO removes hurdle to Ukraine's NATO membership

Monday 10 July 2023 10:43 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Monday NATO had decided to drop a requirement for Kyiv to follow a Membership Action Plan (MAP) as part of its pathway to joining the military alliance.

“Following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine’s path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania.

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Monday 10 July 2023 10:20 , Martha Mchardy

Establishing accurate data on the number of military casualties sustained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 is difficult for two reasons. The severity of the fighting on the ground and the fact that both sides are inclined to keep their cards close to their chests to avoid damaging morale – especially at a time when the war is entering a pivotal new stage.

The Kremlin, in particular, is unlikely to admit to high fatality rates among its troops because to do so would amount to a confession that Vladimir Putin’s spurious war to “de-Nazify” Russia’s neighbour state is not going according to plan and, in fact, represents a monumental miscalculation on the part of its leader, who is already under pressure at home over the attempted uprising by Wagner Group mercenaries.

Moscow is more likely to downplay its own (rarely offered) numbers – putting the official number at around 6,000 – and accuse its enemies of dishonestly briefing against it whenever outside estimates are offered that imply significant Russian losses.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

How many Russians have died in Ukraine? Data shows what Moscow hides

Monday 10 July 2023 09:43 , Martha Mchardy

Nearly 50,000 Russian men have died in the war in Ukraine, according to the first independent statistical analysis of Russia’s war dead.

Two independent Russian media outlets, Mediazona and Meduza, working with a data scientist from Germany’s Tübingen University, used Russian government data to shed light on one of Moscow’s closest-held secrets — the true human cost of its invasion of Ukraine.

To do so, they relied on a statistical concept popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic called excess mortality. Drawing on inheritance records and official mortality data, they estimated how many more men under age 50 died between February 2022 and May 2023 than normal.

Read the full story:

How many Russians have died in Ukraine? Data shows what Moscow hides

Announcement expected on German defence delivery to Ukraine - govt official

Monday 10 July 2023 08:57 , Martha Mchardy

A substantial announcement on a German delivery of military hardware to Ukraine is expected over the course of this week’s NATO summit, a senior government official said in Berlin on Monday.

Germany is also working on bilateral security guarantees for Ukraine, the official said, adding that it was not the right time for an invitation for Kyiv to join the defence alliance.

Western leaders are meeting in Vilnius from Tuesday for a two-day NATO summit.

Russian air strike on Ukraine aid distribution at school branded a war crime

Monday 10 July 2023 08:56 , Martha Mchardy

Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the incident “a war crime.”

Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in Sunday’s attack in the town of Orikhiv, governor Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Broad investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those investigations.

Russian strike on Ukrainian aid distribution point killed four, Kyiv says

Monday 10 July 2023 08:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Four people were killed in a Russian attack on a humanitarian aid distribution point in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The General Prosecutor’s office said it had opened a criminal case into war crimes after the attack on the town of Orikhiv, which it said was carried out on Sunday afternoon.

Regional Governor Yuriy Malashko said a guided aviation bomb was used in the attack on a school building being used as an aid distribution point.

Malashko said on the Telegram messaging app that three women and a man, all in their 40s, had been killed. The General Prosecutor’s office said 13 had also been wounded.

Images from the scene posted by the interior ministry online showed rubble and debris scattered across a courtyard and street.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, denies deliberately targeting civilians.

Ukraine‘s military is conducting a counteroffensive to try to retake Russian-occupied territory in the Zaporizhzhia region.

What are cluster bombs and what is controversial about Biden sending them to Ukraine?

Monday 10 July 2023 08:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States has announced that it is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the front lines.

The administration of Joe Biden said that it will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth $800m (£630m).

The move will likely trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.

What are cluster bombs and what is controversial about Biden sending them to Ukraine?

Poland detains Russian spy, says interior minister

Monday 10 July 2023 07:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Poland has detained another member of a Russian spy network, bringing the total number of people rounded up in an investigation to 15, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Monday.

A hub for Western military supplies to Ukraine, Poland says it has become a major target of Russian spies and it accuses Moscow of trying to destabilise it.

“The Internal Security Agency has detained another member of the spy network working for Russian intelligence,” Mariusz Kaminski said in a post on Twitter

“The suspect kept surveillance of military facilities and seaports. He was systematically paid by the Russians.”

The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

In June, Poland detained a Russian professional ice-hockey player on spying charges.

In March, Poland said it had broken up a Russian espionage network and detained nine people it said were preparing acts of sabotage and monitoring rail routes to Ukraine.

The following month Poland said it was introducing a 200-metre exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, citing concerns about Russian espionage.

Sunak warns alliances more important than ever as PM to host Joe Biden today

Monday 10 July 2023 07:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak has warned that international alliances are more important than ever ahead of his meeting with Joe Biden this week, after challenging the US president’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The prime minister is set to attend a Nato summit in Lithuania on Tuesday, where he will urge allies to increase their defence spending and warn that they face “unprecedented” security challenges.

He will first host Mr Biden in the UK today, after he refused to back the US president on the question of providing Ukraine with cluster munitions.

Sunak warns alliances more important than ever ahead of Nato summit

Russia's Gerasimov shown in a video, first time since failed June 24 mutiny

Monday 10 July 2023 07:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia‘s armed forces, was shown by the defence ministry listening to a report about Ukrainian missile attacks, his first appearance in public since the June 24 mutiny.

The defence ministry said the footage showed Gerasimov at a meeting on Sunday. It used his current title, chief of the general staff of Russia‘s armed forces.

It said Russia had thwarted a Ukrainian missile attack on Crimea and the Rostov and Kaluga regions on Sunday. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Four civilians killed, 11 wounded in Russia strikes on Zaporizhzhia town - Ukraine

Monday 10 July 2023 07:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Four people died and 11 were injured in Russia‘s bombing of a residential area of the frontline town of Orikhiv in Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region when distribution of humanitarian aid was taking place, the governor of the region said on Monday.

Governor Yuriy Malashko said those killed included three woman and a man, all in their 40s. He added that Russia carried out 36 targeted strikes on 10 settlements of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 500-day war that Russia has been waging against its neighbour.

Russia sees 400 casualties per day in Ukraine war, facing medical aid crisis – UK MoD

Monday 10 July 2023 07:01 , Arpan Rai

Russia is almost certainly struggling with a crisis of combat medical provision, after suffering an average of around 400 casualties a day for 17 months, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

“The influx of military casualties has likely undermined the normal provision of some Russian civilian medical services, especially in border regions near Ukraine. It is likely that many dedicated military hospitals are being reserved for officer casualties,” the ministry claimed in its latest intelligence update.

It added that as claimed by the head of the Kalashnikov company’s combat medicine training division, it is “likely that up to 50 per cent of Russian combat fatalities could have been prevented with proper first aid”.

“Very slow casualty evacuation, combined with the inappropriate use of the crude in-service Russian combat tourniquet, is reportedly a leading cause of preventable fatalities and amputations,” the ministry said.

Chechen leader says unit fighting in Bakhmut as Kyiv confirms fierce battle

Monday 10 July 2023 06:30 , Arpan Rai

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said his “Akhmat” special forces unit is active “in the difficult Bakhmut sector”, previously held by regular Russian troops after being handed over from Wagner.

He posted a video of a commander atop an armoured vehicle near Klishchiivka.

This comes as Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, confirmed heavy fighting raged in two areas of the southeast.

“We are consolidating our gains in those areas,” she wrote.

She said Russian troops were defending Bakhmut, while Ukrainian forces had registered “a certain advance” on the city’s southern flank.

There were no changes in position to the north of Bakhmut, and Ukrainian forces remained engaged in heavy fighting west of Bakhmut and near Lyman, further north in the Donetsk region.

Cluster bombs: What are the controversial explosives and why is Biden sending them to Ukraine?

Monday 10 July 2023 06:08 , Arpan Rai

The US is dispatching controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine as it helps its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the frontlines.

The administration of Joe Biden said that it will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth $800m (£630m).

The move is expected to trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.

A cluster munition is a bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller “bomblets” across a wide area. The bomblets are designed to take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.

Read the full story here:

What are cluster bombs and what is controversial about Biden sending them to Ukraine?

Russia accuses US of ‘war crimes’ over cluster munitions sent to Ukraine

Monday 10 July 2023 05:47 , Arpan Rai

The Russian embassy in the US has accused its host nation of “committing war crimes” over agreeing to send cluster munitions to Ukraine in the continuing war.

“We paid attention to (White House national security spokesperson John) Kirby’s statements about the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine. The official admitted de facto to committing war crimes by the United States in the Ukrainian conflict,” the Russian embassy in the US said on the Telegram messaging app today.

The US has announced that it is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the frontline.

Despite concerns from human rights group over the use of cluster munitions in a war, both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of already using cluster munitions as the war rages on for more than 500 days.

Cluster munitions cover a larger target area than regular artillery shells, and their use in a military context is not inherently a war crime.

Their use in civilian areas or against civilian targets, however, is considered a war crime, and more than 100 countries have signed an international treaty banning them altogether due to their indiscriminate nature.

Neither Russia, the US nor Ukraine are not parties to this treaty.

Last week, Ukraine promised that the munitions shipped by the US will not be used in Russia, hinting that they will likely be used in the areas of Ukraine where Russian forces are still active and fighting.

Putin’s aide Medvedev threatens attack on nuclear plants in Kyiv and Europe

Monday 10 July 2023 05:21 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin’s close aide Dmitry Medvedev has threatened to attack Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities in eastern Europe in retaliation over unconfirmed allegations on Telegram that Ukrainian forces tried to strike a nuclear power plant in Russia’s Smolensk with British missiles.

“If the attempted Nato missile attack on Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is confirmed, then it is necessary to consider the scenario of a Russian strike on the south Ukraine nuclear power plant, Rivne nuclear power plant, and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear facilities in eastern Europe,” he said in a post on Telegram messaging app.

The former Russian president and now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia was referring to online claims about an attempted attack – not reported by any authorities – on Russia’s Smolensk nuclear facility by Ukraine’s armed forces.

The same report claimed there had been an attempted strike on a military air base in the Kaluga region using either 5В28 or British Storm Shadow missiles.

The claims were made by the popular Telegram channel Mash, which said Russian air defence systems shot down the missiles.

No Russian state media reports of the attack have been broadcast so far, and officials in the Smolensk and Kaluga regions did not report any incidents on Sunday.

The Russian nuclear facility said its two power units are operating routinely, while the third unit is under scheduled repairs.

‘Important’ call between US and Ukraine’s top diplomats before Nato summit

Monday 10 July 2023 05:11 , Arpan Rai

An ‘important’ call between US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba took place late last night ahead of the critical Nato Summit in Vilnius.

“I had an important discussion with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba today ahead of this week’s Nato Summit,” Mr Blinken said on Twitter last night.

The two leaders also spoke about “progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive”, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

In Kyiv, Mr Kuleba said details of the Nato summit were discussed on the call, hinting towards a “win” for Ukraine.

“I had a productive call with Secretary Blinken ahead of Vilnius,” Mr Kuleba said on Twitter. “With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, Nato and global security.”

The summit starts tomorrow in Lithuania’s Vilnius.

Ukraine is hoping for positive steps towards Nato membership, which it has aggressively sought after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and expects a clear signal in Vilnius tomorrow.

The White House said that Joe Biden and his counterparts in the alliance will discuss the steps that still need to be completed by Ukraine.

Zelensky says Ukraine holds ‘initiative’ on battlefield

Monday 10 July 2023 04:58 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces have taken the “initiative” after making gains outside the eastern city of Bakhmut as part of a wider counteroffensive.

Stating that Ukraine is “advancing, albeit not as fast [as we would like]”, Mr Zelensky said: “We would all love to see the counteroffensive accomplished in a shorter period of time. But there is reality. Today, the initiative is on our side.”

“All of us, we want to do it faster because every day means new losses of Ukrainians. We are advancing. We are not stuck,” he said in an interview with US news network ABC, noting that the military had overcome a “kind of stagnation” in previous months.

Monday 10 July 2023 04:30 , Arpan Rai

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Monday, 10 July.