A Russian military plane has breached Finnish airspace for the first time since the country joined Nato, flying at least 2.5km inside the country’s territory, officials in Finland said.
Russia confirmed that it had multiple bombers and missile carriers operating in the Baltic region but did not specifically comment on the alleged airspace breach.
Finland’s defence ministry said one of the aircraft entered Finland’s airspace for approximately two minutes on Monday morning. Finnish officials said they are taking the “suspected territorial violation seriously” and an investigation has been started.
The Kremlin uses such operations to deliberately undermine Finland’s territorial and sovereign integrity, the US-based think-tank The Institute for the Study of War said.
It comes after Kyiv said it had struck a Russian Su-57 stealth fighter worth up to £28m around 370 miles from the frontline using long-range drones.
On Tuesday, Germany is hosting a two-day conference to gather support for Ukraine’s recovery in a signal of solidarity witth Kyiv.
Key Points
Russian warplane violates Finnish airspace
Start of two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin
Ukraine damages three Russian air defence systems
Ukraine hit one of Putin’s most advanced Su-57 warplanes
Putin not going to stop with Ukraine: Biden in France
What’s happening today
08:39 , Alex Ross
Germany is hosting a two-day conference to gather support for Ukraine’s recovery in a signal of solidarity witth Kyiv from today.
The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin comes before the Group of Seven summit of Ukraine‘s leading Western allies in Italy and a global peace summit in Switzerland this coming weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who last week attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France, is expected at the gathering, which the German hosts say will bring together 2,000 people from politics, business and other areas.
Russia drops 500kg guided bomb on Ukrainian civilians overnight
08:10 , Arpan Rai
At least five people were severely injured after Russian forces dropped a 500-kilogram guided bomb on a residential area of the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk oblast yesterday, Ukrainian officials said.
The guided bomb hit the area around 11.20pm last night, officials said.
The bomb hit a residential area where five local residents sustained physical injuries due to shattered glass and a powerful blast wave, reported Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda. The injured civilians include a 65-year-old man and two women aged 63 and 88.
They were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and multiple lacerations, the report added. The bombing also hollowed out 13 multi-storey buildings and shattered its windows and glass panes.
Russia does not acknowledge its missile and bombing attacks on Ukraine, especially civilian areas, although it claims it is targeting military hotspots. However, in its 27-month-old war, Russia has attacked schools, maternity wards, hospitals, shelters, villages, residential settlements, museums, churches among several other places.
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
07:00 , Alexander Butler
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
Zelensky reaches Germany to meet Scholz
06:49 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he arrived in Germany for a conference on Ukraine’s post-war recovery and would also hold talks with chancellor Olaf Sholz.
The Ukrainian war-time leader said he would prioritise measures concerning Ukraine‘s energy sector, shattered by Russian air attacks at the conference, an annual event.
His talks with Sholz would focus on continued military support, including air defences and joint manufacture of munitions, and the coordination of positions ahead of the “peace summit” to be hosted by Switzerland later in the week.
Russian bomber crashes in Caucasus, killing crew
06:13 , Arpan Rai
A Russian SU-34 bomber crashed in the Caucasus mountains during a routine training flight likely due to a technical malfunction, killing the crew aboard, Russian news agencies reported today citing the defence ministry.
An unspecified number of crew members have been killed, officials said. It is not immediately known how many people were on board.
“The preliminary cause of the plane crash is a technical malfunction,” TASS state news agency cited the ministry’s representative as saying. The crash took place in the Ossetia region, the ministry said.
US does not expect EU’s rightward shift to bring big foreign policy changes, official says
06:00 , Alexander Butler
The United States does not expect any major foreign policy changes from the European Union, including on Ukraine, after a European Parliament election that saw far-right parties gain seats, a US official said on Monday.
The official said Washington expects Ursula von der Leyen will be able to stay on as EU president.
Russia undermining Finnish sovereignty with airspace violations, says think-tank
05:30 , Arpan Rai
The Kremlin is continuing its mission to undermine Finland’s territorial and sovereign integrity by sending military jets into its airspace, a US-based think-tank said, after Russia violated the Nato nation’s airspace yesterday.
Shortly after breaching Finnish airspace yesterday morning, the Russian defence ministry said it conducted flights using Tu-95MS missile carriers and Tu-22M3 bombers over the neutral waters of the Baltic, Barents and Norwegian seas.
Noting that the Russian ministry of defence has not responded to Finnish reports, The Institute for the Study of War said: “This reported incursion likely forwards the ongoing Kremlin effort to undermine Finnish sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
It noted that the Russian defence ministry had proposed last month that the Russian government should “reassess Russia’s maritime borders in the Gulf of Finland, which some Western officials have warned may be part of an effort to revise maritime zones in the Baltic Sea”.
“The Kremlin has also been running a number of information operations aimed at portraying Finland as an enemy to Russia and Russians, ultimately setting information conditions to justify potential future aggression against Finland,” the ISW said.
90 countries to attend Ukraine peace summit that Russia is ignoring
05:10 , Arpan Rai
Nearly 90 countries and organisations, half from Europe, have confirmed attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend despite Russia’s refusal to participate in the conference, Switzerland’s president has said.
Viola Amherd told reporters in the Swiss capital that the summit, on Saturday and Sunday, will aim to chart a path toward possible peace nearly 28 months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and the war grinding on.
Some, including French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, are expected to attend the summit at the Buergenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
Brazil and China said they wouldn’t take part unless both sides – including Russia – were at the table, according to Swiss officials. Beijing has been one of the top supporters of Vladimir Putin since the war started.
“This is not propaganda,” said Amherd. “This is about the basis of humanitarian aid provided by Switzerland… and to initiate a dialogue.”
The Swiss president added that most participants — about half of which will be represented at the level of head of state or government — are country leaders, but “a handful” are from organisations like the United Nations.
Read more here:
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
Putin claims Russia may supply long-range weapons to enemies of West
05:00 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia could retaliate in kind against those permitting Ukraine to target Russia with their long-range missiles – by providing such weapons to countries within striking distance of Western nations.
In wide-ranging remarks at his annual economic forum in St Petersburg, the Russian president sought to insist that Moscow “does not care” about the upcoming US election, claimed candidate Donald Trump’s hush money conviction was “political”, and dismissed fears that Russia wants to attack Nato as “nonsense”.
But he warned that the United States and Germany’s recent authorisation for Ukraine to use their weapons to hit specific Russian targets close to Kharkiv could lead to “very serious problems”, calling Berlin’s decision a “very dangerous step”.
Putin claims Russia could supply long-range weapons to West’s enemies
Russian warplane violates Finnish airspace
04:39 , Arpan Rai
A Russian military plane breached Finnish airspace yesterday, officials in Helsinki said. This was the first such violation by Russian forces since Finland joined Nato last year.
The warplane entered Finland’s airspace for approximately two minutes on Monday morning, officials from Finland’s defence ministry said, confirming the breach of its air territory in the eastern Gulf of Finland.
The aircraft flew at least 2.5km into Finnish territory.
Finnish defence minister Antti Hakkanen said the country takes the “suspected territorial violation seriously and the investigation has been started immediately”.
This is not the first time Russia has violated Finland’s airspace. In August 2022, it sent two fighter jets inside the European nation’s airspace, sparking international condemnation over its reckless air operations.
Ukraine appoints commander of drone systems
04:20 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian military has appointed a commander of drone forces in a newly created position, bolstering its most active air defence unit, as it continues to fight back against Russia’s 27-month-old war.
Ukraine has repeatedly underlined the importance of drone warfare in reconnaissance and combat operations it is carrying out against Russian forces. The drones have been used by Ukrainian forces in overwhelming numbers to strike positions on the frontline, bordering Russian villages and cities, and deep inside Russia.
A statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces said Vadym Sukharevskyi, deputy armed forces commander, had been named to the post by order of defence minister Rustem Umerov. Sukharevskyi was appointed deputy commander in February with responsibility for drones.
Mr Zelensky had issued a decree in February calling for the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces devoted to drones and the order was endorsed last week by the government.
Ukraine will be producing a million of its own drones in the course of 2024, Mr Zelensky said. Alongside the Ukrainian military has ramped up its use of drones. Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has also met in recent days with the country’s most successful drone units.
Pictured: Belgian prime minister and Zelensky next to an F-16 fighter jet
04:00 , Alexander Butler
Biden to lift ban on Ukrainian unit using US weapons – report
03:57 , Arpan Rai
The Biden administration will lift its ban on allowing a controversial Ukrainian military unit to use American weapons, the Washington Post reported citing State Department officials.
The State Department reversed a decade-old prohibition on the Azov Brigade from using American training and weapons after a new analysis found no evidence of human rights violations by the unit, the Washington Post reported.
“After thorough review, Ukraine’s 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade passed Leahy vetting as carried out by the US Department of State,” the State Department said in a statement obtained by the newspaper.
The Leahy Law bars US military assistance to foreign units found to have committed such violations.
The Azov Regiment, which has far-right and ultra-nationalist roots, is part of Ukraine’s National Guard and evolved out of a battalion that was formed in 2014 and fought against Russian-backed separatists who carved out breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
The regiment is lionised in Ukraine for defending the country against Russia’s invasion and in particular the southern city of Mariupol, but they are reviled by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.
Putin’s forces killed his brother. He takes revenge using hundreds of suicide drones to blow Russian troops up
03:00 , Alexander Butler
Many soldiers will insist that killing their enemies is not personal. But when Stepan Barna’s suicide drone unit takes Russian soldiers’ lives, he does not disguise his feeling that every killing is a very personal payback for the death of his brother last year.
Stepan and his older brother, Oleh, were both well-known Ukrainian politicians long before Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Stepan had been the governor of the Ternopil region in the country’s west.
Oleh had been a member of the Ukrainian parliament. He gained notoriety in 2015 when he grabbed the then prime minister, Arseniy Yatseniuk, whose politics he disagreed with, while Yatseniuk was addressing the parliament, and dragged him off the podium.
The Ukraine politician avenging his brother’s death with hi-tech ‘suicide drones’
Zelensky lays out plan to protect Ukraine, includes ‘America’s leadership’
02:00 , Alexander Butler
Volodymyr Zelensky said he is aiming to amp up support for the war-hit nation and hinted a new agreements of support for Kyiv in progress in a long-term plan for Ukraine’s recovery.
“One of our primary goals right now is to increase support for Ukraine in order to strengthen our society’s resilience in terms of energy, recovery after strikes, and all of the other foundations of normal life. We must protect life despite Russia’s attempts to bring more pressure and destruction,” he said last night.
Mr Zelensky added: “We are working with European partners on new agreements, particularly on additional support steps from Germany. These days, we are also working diligently to prepare a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the United States.”
Russian military bloggers criticise Moscow for not protecting Su-57
01:00 , Alexander Butler
Angry Russian military bloggers have slammed Moscow and the Russian military command after a drone strike by Ukraine damaged a top-tier warplane.
Mil-bloggers “seized on the 8 June strike to criticise the Russian military command for not constructing hangars to hide Russian aircraft from Ukrainian strikes and claimed that Russian forces could construct hangars at every military airfield in Russia for the cost of one Su-57 aircraft,” said the Washington-based think-tank The Institute for the Study of War.
An Su-57 costs an estimated $35m, it added.
Citing Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command, the ISW said that the Ukrainian forces struck one of Russia’s six operational Su-57 aircraft and that Russian forces are constructing another six aircraft.
“GUR Spokesperson Andriy Yusov stated that there may have been two Su-57 aircraft at the airfield during the 8 June strike and that the GUR is assessing battle damage,” the ISW said in its latest analysis.
‘There is more to do’ to avoid repeat of Second World War, warns army chief
Monday 10 June 2024 23:30 , Alexander Butler
There is “every possibility” that a conflict on the scale of the Second World War could embroil Europe in the coming years, the outgoing head of the British army has claimed.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, 58, who will step down in the coming days after two years in post, issued the comments in Portsmouth at an event to commemorate the D-Day operation of 6 June 1944.
Having recently returned from a visit to British troops in Poland, Gen Sanders heralded the progression of the British army but added that there was “more to do” and urged the military to ramp up its readiness for war.
‘There is more to do’ to avoid repeat of WWII, warns army chief
Ukraine’s air force may keep some F-16 jets abroad to protect them from Russian strikes, military officer says
Monday 10 June 2024 22:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine may keep some of the F-16 fighter jets it is set to receive from its western allies at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes, a senior Ukrainian military officer said.Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with over 60 US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it fend off Russian attacks.
Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training to fly the warplanes ahead of the deliveries expected to start later this year.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Monday 10 June 2024 21:30 , Alexander Butler
Speaking in Normandy at the commemoration event held for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Joe Biden declared that the US and the West are committed to unwavering support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, and robust resistance to Vladimir Putin – “a tyrant bent on domination”.
The US president went on to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris to assure him that $225m (£176m) worth of weapons supplies is on its way.
It was their first meeting since December, when the Ukrainian leader visited Washington during a congressional impasse over a $60bn arms package for Kyiv.
The bill, held up at the time by Republican opposition, has now been passed by Congress, easing trepidation that Ukraine would face defeat this year without that lifeline.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
While many in the EU worry about far-right gains at the ballot box – those close to Russia crave security
Monday 10 June 2024 19:30 , Alexander Butler
Between now and Sunday evening, several hundred million people will vote in elections for the next EU parliament, in what is billed as the second-largest exercise in representative democracy in the world after elections in India.
But the numbers actually voting have habitually been far fewer than in national elections, with turnout overall barely registering above 50 per cent, and a lot less in some countries, especially those further east.
There are hopes that this year could see that pattern change. The reason is that these are the first EU-wide elections to be held since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
And while the election agenda as seen from the western and southern parts of Europe has been dominated by hostility to migration and cost of living issues, with forecasts of gains for the far right, electoral concerns as seen from the northeast of the EU are different.
EU voters close to Russia crave one thing above all – security
Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea in the coming weeks
Monday 10 June 2024 18:30 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks, Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper reported on Monday, with an official telling Reuters the Vietnam visit was planned for June 19-20 but has not yet confirmed.
Putin’s visit to Pyongyang is being “actively prepared”, Russian ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora confirmed to the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that Putin could visit Vietnam as early as June and most likely immediately after his visit to North Korea.
An official in Vietnam told Reuters the dates of the Hanoi visit had been agreed, but the agenda was still under discussion.
Energy, military cooperation, settlement of payments and an agreement in the education field are among the main issues expected to be discussed, the official said.
Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers maintain a tank in Donetsk
Monday 10 June 2024 17:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes
Monday 10 June 2024 16:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes
Ukraine wartime reconstruction chief quits over ‘systemic obstacles’
Monday 10 June 2024 15:33 , Alexander Butler
A top Ukrainian reconstruction official known for his reform efforts resigned on Monday, citing budget cuts and bureaucratic delays, at a time when Kyiv seeks crucial international investment to rebuild after Russia’s invasion.
The resignation of Mustafa Nayyem, head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, comes a day before a major international conference in Berlin dedicated to mobilising international support for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
“I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to continue to effectively exercise my powers,” Nayyem said on messaging app Telegram.
“Starting from November last year, the Agency’s team began to face constant opposition, resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles,” he said, which included delays in payment for defence fortifications.
Ukraine damages three Russian air defence systems, Kyiv claims
Monday 10 June 2024 14:47 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine has claimed it damaged three Russian surface-to-air defence systems overnight in missile attacks on occupied Crimea.
One S-400 anti-aircraft missile unit was hit near Dzhankoi, and two more S-300 anti-aircraft missile units were attacked near occupied Chornomorske and Yevpatoria, Ukraine’s military said.
“None of our missiles fired were intercepted by the enemy’s ‘highly effective’ air defence. In addition, further detonations of ammunition were observed in all three areas of the launching positions of the Russian anti-aircraft missile divisions,” Kyiv said.
Four people injured by landmine in Russia’s Belgorod, governor says
Monday 10 June 2024 13:51 , Alexander Butler
Four people were injured by a landmine in Russia’s Belgorod, the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Monday on the Telegram messaging app.
Among the injured was a cameraman for Russian state TV channel Rossiya 24, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen Gladkov said.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Monday 10 June 2024 13:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Russia takes control of Staromaiorske in eastern Ukraine, defence ministry says
Monday 10 June 2024 11:57 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin’s troops have taken control of Staromaiorske, Donetsk, a small village in eastern Ukraine, according to the Russian military.
F-16 jets and bases outside Ukraine will be targets for Russia if they do combat missions
Monday 10 June 2024 10:59 , Alexander Butler
F-16 jets and military airfields outside Ukraine will become legitimate targets for Moscow if they take part in combat missions against Russian forces, a Russian official said.
Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma lower house of parliament’s defence committee, made the remarks after Western countries gave the go ahead for Ukraine to use their weapons to strike Russian territory.
Ukrainian official denies Russian troops take border village
Monday 10 June 2024 09:38 , Alexander Butler
A local Ukrainian official on Monday denied a claim by the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region that Russian forces led by a Chechen-based special forces unit had seized control of a border village in northeast Ukraine.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Sunday the Akhmat-Chechnya unit spearheaded Russian troops in taking control of Ryzhivka in Sumy region.
The “large-scale planned advance” inflicted “significant losses on the Ukrainian side, which was forced to retreat,” Kadyrov said.
However, Yuriy Zarko, a local official in Sumy, denied the presence of Russian troops in Ryzhivka on Monday in a comment to Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.
While many in the EU worry about far-right gains at the ballot box – those close to Russia crave security
Monday 10 June 2024 09:14 , Alexander Butler
Between now and Sunday evening, several hundred million people will vote in elections for the next EU parliament, in what is billed as the second-largest exercise in representative democracy in the world after elections in India.
But the numbers actually voting have habitually been far fewer than in national elections, with turnout overall barely registering above 50 per cent, and a lot less in some countries, especially those further east.
There are hopes that this year could see that pattern change. The reason is that these are the first EU-wide elections to be held since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
EU voters close to Russia crave one thing above all – security
Switzerland says 90 states, organizations signed up for Ukraine summit
Monday 10 June 2024 08:26 , Alexander Butler
Ninety states and organisations have so far registered to take part in a summit aiming to pave the way for peace in Ukraine that Switzerland will host from June 15-16, the Swiss government said on Monday.
Russia has not been invited to the summit due to be held in central Switzerland, but the government said in a statement that the gathering will aim to “jointly define a roadmap” on how to involve both it and Ukraine in a future peace process.
Switzerland in January agreed to host the summit at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and has tried to drum up support for it among countries that have better relations with Moscow than leading Western powers.
Russia has dismissed the summit as a waste of time. It was not invited to participate, Switzerland says, because it signalled it had no interest in attending. Switzerland also stresses though, that Russia must be part of the peace process.
Putin could visit North Korea in coming weeks, reports Russian media
Monday 10 June 2024 07:47 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks, the Vedomosti newspaper reported today, citing a diplomatic source.
Russia’s ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora confirmed to Vedomosti that the president’s visit to Pyongyang will happen and is being “actively prepared”.
The newspaper said Putin could visit Vietnam as early as June and most likely immediately after his visit to North Korea. Putin’s only previous trip to North Korea was in 2000, the first year of his presidency.
The Kremlin has said Russia wants to build a partnership with North Korea “in all areas” but has yet to confirm the date of the visit.Russia has stepped up ties with North Korea and other countries hostile to the United States such as Iran since the start of the war with Ukraine – relations that are a source of concern to the West.
Russian military bloggers criticise Moscow for not protecting Su-57
Monday 10 June 2024 06:45 , Arpan Rai
Angry Russian military bloggers have slammed Moscow and the Russian military command after a drone strike by Ukraine damaged a top-tier warplane.
Mil-bloggers “seized on the 8 June strike to criticise the Russian military command for not constructing hangars to hide Russian aircraft from Ukrainian strikes and claimed that Russian forces could construct hangars at every military airfield in Russia for the cost of one Su-57 aircraft,” said the Washington-based think-tank The Institute for the Study of War.
An Su-57 costs an estimated $35m, it added.
Citing Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command, the ISW said that the Ukrainian forces struck one of Russia’s six operational Su-57 aircraft and that Russian forces are constructing another six aircraft.
“GUR Spokesperson Andriy Yusov stated that there may have been two Su-57 aircraft at the airfield during the 8 June strike and that the GUR is assessing battle damage,” the ISW said in its latest analysis.
Watch: Zelensky inspects French military equipment after Macron promises warplanes to Ukraine
Monday 10 June 2024 06:36 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky inspected French-manufactured military equipment in Paris on Friday after Emmanuel Macron promised warplanes to Ukraine.
France plans to provide Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine and train Ukrainian pilots this summer, the French president said.
It was not confirmed how many single-engine jet fighters would be provided, by when or under what financial terms.
Mr Macron added that France had proposed to train 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers but did not say where the soldiers would be trained.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate against Western countries that are allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with their long-range missiles.
Watch: Zelensky inspects French military equipment after Macron promises warplanes
Photos: Ukrainian troops fight back in Kharkiv
Monday 10 June 2024 06:12 , Arpan Rai
Heavy battles continued around Kharkiv as Ukrainian troops are trying to beat back Russia’s invading forces after a weekslong push by Moscow that sparked fears for Kharkiv.
The second largest Ukrainian city is located just 20km (12 miles) from the Russian border, and has seen a wave of civilian evacuations.
Russia’s coordinated new offensive has centred on the Kharkiv region, but seems to include testing Ukrainian defences in Donetsk further south, while also launching incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
G7 plans to warn small Chinese banks over Russia ties
Monday 10 June 2024 06:00 , Joe Middleton
US officials expect the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies to send a tough new warning next week to smaller Chinese banks to stop assisting Russia in evading Western sanctions, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Leaders gathering at the 13-15 June summit in Italy hosted by prime minister Giorgia Meloni are expected to focus heavily during their private meetings on the threat posed by burgeoning Chinese-Russian trade to the fight in Ukraine, and what to do about it.
Those conversations are likely to result in public statements on the issue involving Chinese banks, according to a US official involved in planning the event and another person briefed on the issue.
The United States and its G7 partners – Britain, Canada France, Germany, Italy and Japan – are not expected to take any immediate punitive action against any banks during the summit, such as restricting their access to the Swift messaging system or cutting off access to the dollar.
Ukraine shares images of destroyed Russian Su-57 stealth fighter
Monday 10 June 2024 05:33 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s main intelligence agency has shared satellite images that it says show the impact of its latest strike deep inside Russian territory, targeting one of Moscow’s most advanced warplanes.
The photos show the aftermath of what was likely a drone strike on the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia, hitting an Su-57 aircraft.
The Su-57, which is capable of carrying stealth missiles across hundreds of kilometres (miles), was among “a countable few” of its type in Moscow’s arsenal, Kyiv’s intelligence agency said. Russia has not issued any comment over the weekend addressing the Ukrainian claims of the attack on its airbase.
In a before photo taken on 7 June, Friday – a day before the attack – the airbase has an aircraft on its tarmac but the after photo taken on Saturday showed black soot spots on the same spot and craters around the parked Sukhoi.
According to reports by Russian agencies, Moscow’s armed forces obtained “more than 10” new Su-57s last year, while 76 are set to be produced by 2028.
Zelensky lays out plan to protect Ukraine, includes ‘America’s leadership’
Monday 10 June 2024 05:06 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he is aiming to amp up support for the war-hit nation and hinted a new agreements of support for Kyiv in progress in a long-term plan for Ukraine’s recovery.
“One of our primary goals right now is to increase support for Ukraine in order to strengthen our society’s resilience in terms of energy, recovery after strikes, and all of the other foundations of normal life. We must protect life despite Russia’s attempts to bring more pressure and destruction,” he said last night.
Mr Zelensky added: “We are working with European partners on new agreements, particularly on additional support steps from Germany. These days, we are also working diligently to prepare a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the United States.”
“We are making every effort to ensure that America’s leadership is felt. I am grateful to everyone who helps,” he said.
The war in Ukraine has entered 837th day today.
Ukraine hit one of Putin’s most advanced warplanes, it says
Monday 10 June 2024 04:39 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have hit an ultra-modern Russian warplane stationed on an air base nearly 600km (370 miles) from the frontline, after its Western allies allowed Kyiv to use their weapons for limited strikes inside Russia.
If confirmed, it would mark Ukraine’s first known successful strike on a Su-57 fighter plane, a twin-engine stealth fighter lauded as Moscow’s most advanced military aircraft.
Satellite photos shared by Kyiv’s main intelligence agency showed the aftermath of the attack. In one photo, black soot marks and small craters can be seen dotting a concrete strip around the parked aircraft.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, the strike took place on Saturday at the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia, some 589km (366 miles) from the frontline. It wasn’t immediately clear what weapons were used, but the airfield’s distance from Ukraine suggests that it was likely hit by drones.
Read more here:
Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes
Russian forces close to capturing Ukrainian town near Bakhmut
Monday 10 June 2024 04:27 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces are likely making headway towards their longstanding goal of capturing the strategic Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, military sources from both sides of the war said.
A Ukrainian military source and a blogger said the Russian forces had started occupying a district of the town alongside a canal, reported Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
“Over the past week, there have been more than 1,500 instances of shelling of the outskirts of Chasiv Yar from the north to the south,” it quoted its source as saying.
They added that Russian troops were using guided aerial bombs to clear areas along a major road “and with the support of multiple long-range missiles and drones they have begun to move forward and build up their forces”.
From the Russian side, its 98th Paratrooper Division said Ukrainian forces were “doing everything possible to ensure our units do not move across the canal and take up positions in the ‘New’ district on the other side”. Russian assault units were continuing to clear the canal district, it said.
Chasiv Yar stands on high ground about 20km (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces seized a year ago after months of battles that flattened nearly all its buildings.
If captured, the town will serve as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault. Western help needs to speed up
Monday 10 June 2024 04:00 , Joe Middleton
Leaders such as Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron used D-Day celebrations to underline their support for Kyiv, writes Kim Sengupta, but the West is struggling to find the production capacity for the shells and missiles the country desperately needs
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Country-wide power cuts to hit Ukraine today
Monday 10 June 2024 03:56 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo said it would impose hour-long power cuts throughout the country this evening as demand exceeds agreed limits.
The rolling cuts would apply to domestic and industrial customers and be in effect from 4pm to 10pm (1300 GMT to 1900 GMT), Ukrenergo said on its Telegram channel.
The restrictions will not apply to “critical infrastructure” sites providing vital services.
Russia over the past two months has intensified attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, knocking out the bulk of thermal and hydropower generation capacity.
As a result, Ukraine has likely lost about 9GW of its energy-generating capacity since March, according to prime minister Denys Shmyhal.
On Friday, Kyiv ordered all ministries and regional authorities to stop using air conditioning and switch off external lighting.
ICYMI: Putin not going to stop with Ukraine: Biden in France
Monday 10 June 2024 03:00 , Joe Middleton
Joe Biden has said in France that Russian president Vladimir Putin is not going to stop with the war in Ukraine and all of Europe was threatened.
French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed his American counterpart, Mr Biden, in Paris yesterday for a state visit that included talks about the Middle East, Ukraine, and trade.
“The United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We’re standing with our allies,” Mr Biden said.
“We are standing with France,” he added.
“Putin is not going to stop with Ukraine…. All of Europe will be threatened. We’re not going to let that happen.”
The two countries will work harder to prevent a regional escalation from Israel’s war with militant group Hamas in Gaza and focus on calming tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Mr Macron told reporters at the Elysee presidential palace, with the US president at his side.
Inside the escape from a Ukraine border village as Putin’s forces closed in
Monday 10 June 2024 01:00 , Joe Middleton
As Russia continues pressing on with its all out war in Ukrainian territories, many families have made desperate attempts to flee their war-ravaged towns.
A family of refugees now living in the city of Kharkiv recounted the horrifying story of their last-minute evacuation as Russian soldiers approached.
A mother and her five children were living in the village of Zakharivka, just a few miles from the Russian forces advancing across the border into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. The region has been the scene of intense fighting for weeks.
“Mummy, when will this war end?” nine-year-old Sasha asked his mother.
Read Tom Watling’s full report recounting the family’s escape.
Inside the escape from a Ukraine border village as Putin’s forces closed in
Russia fails to fulfill its Kharkiv operation, Zelensky says
Sunday 9 June 2024 23:59 , Joe Middleton
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian army has failed in its Kharkiv offensive.
“A very significant result is that the Russian army failed. The direction is strengthened. And it will be strengthened more,” Mr Zelensky said.
Russia launched its offence in Kharkiv Oblast on 10 May where it managed to advance as far as 10kms. However, the Ukrainian push halted the Russian military’s advance near the first line of defence.
“We are now restraining them as much as possible and destroying the Russian units that enter our land and terrorize the Kharkiv region,” he said.
Russia detains French citizen for collecting military information
Sunday 9 June 2024 22:52 , Joe Middleton
A Moscow court has ordered a French citizen accused of collecting information on military issues in Russia be held in jail pending investigation and trial.
Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital on Thursday as tensions have flared between Moscow and Paris following French president Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the possibility of deploying the country’s troops in Ukraine.
The authorities accused Mr Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information about Russia’s “military and military-technical activities”, which could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.
They did not provide details of the accusations beyond alleging that Mr Vinatier repeatedly travelled to Russia to collect this information. Under Russian law, it is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.
Mr Vinatier appeared in court on Friday. Russia’s state news agency Tass cited his lawyer as saying in the courtroom that he admitted his guilt and maintained that he simply did not know about the requirement.
While many in the EU worry about far-right gains at the ballot box – those close to Russia crave security
Sunday 9 June 2024 21:00 , Joe Middleton
Mary Dejevsky travels to Finland, the Baltic states and Poland, where one issue stands above all others
EU voters close to Russia crave one thing above all – security
Russia puts former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on its wanted list
Sunday 9 June 2024 20:00 , Joe Middleton
Russia has put former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on its wanted list, Russian state media reported, citing the Interior Ministry’s database.
Russian state news agency Tass said Tymoshenko was listed as wanted on unspecified criminal charges.
She reportedly joins Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, on the same list, which also includes scores of officials and lawmakers from Ukraine and NATO countries.
Russia puts former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on its wanted list
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