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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin says Wagner boss refused his offer during Kremlin meeting after mutiny
Comments by Vladimir Putin during an interview with a Russian newspaper add another layer to the intrigue surrounding the power dynamic between him and Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Friday 14 July 2023 10:56, UK
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Key points
Putin says Wagner boss refused his offer during Kremlin meeting after mutiny View post
Russia launches drone strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown View post
In prison or dead? Expert weighs in on Wagner boss’ whereabouts View post
Russia’s nuclear submarine decision ‘may be due to internal security concerns’ View post
Ukraine ‘takes back nearly six months of Russian gains in counteroffensive’ View post
Ungrateful? Perhaps West should consider Zelenskyy’s view that he’s defending us all | Sean Bell analysis View post
Wallace’s ‘we are not Amazon’ jibe at Ukraine is a real warning about the risk of war fatigue | Deborah Haynes analysis View post
Your questions answered: How much has the UK spent supporting Ukraine? View post
Live reporting by Jess Sharp
6m ago
05:56
Bodies of more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers returned from Russian forces
The bodies of 62 Ukrainian soldiers have been handed over by Russian forces, the Ministry of Reintegration has said.
The “fallen defenders” were repatriated from Russian occupied territories, the Ukrainian authority said on Telegram.
Four of them died “in enemy captivity as a result of injury, illness and inadequate medical care”, it stated.
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38m ago
05:24
Dramatic video claims to show Ukrainian soldiers conducting operation on Dnipro island
Ukraine has shared a video claiming to show a special operation on a Dnipro River island.
Using speed boats and drones, Ukrainian special forces are said to have headed towards the Russian-held island, firing weapons as they drew closer.
The drone’s camera zooms in on soldiers, presumably Russians, jogging away from an observation post.
Three Russian soldiers were killed in the attack, and five others were wounded, the Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
They said an “enemy boat” was also destroyed.
Ukrainian media has reported the unnamed island is in the Kherson region.
“After conducting an aerial reconnaissance of one of the islands on the Dnipro River, enemy positions and an unknown object were discovered, which significantly impaired the operation of the air reconnaissance of the defence forces,” the Command said on Facebook.
“A decision was made to advance into the district and destroy the personnel and subsequently take control of the specified district.”
We’re aiming to bring you a translation of the clip shortly…
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1h ago
04:42
Ukraine is ‘setting a trend’ in the information war, says spy chief
Ukraine is “setting a trend” in the information war and now Russia is “losing”, the country’s spy chief has said.
Kyrylo Budanov has an unusually public profile giving his role, appearing in front of journalists wearing a pistol as he discusses wartime intelligence.
The 37-year-old has claimed to have “sources” close to Vladimir Putin and believes a spy boss can no longer stay in the shadows.
“All the next wars are going to look like this. In any country in the world. We can say we’re setting a trend,” he told Reuters.
“We started here in a completely different way. And now the Russians are losing the information battle.”
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1h ago
04:26
Poland will ‘respond in kind’ to Russia closing consulate
Poland will respond “in kind” to Russia closing its consulate, the country’s prime minister has said.
Moscow said earlier this morning it was going to close the office in Smolensk due to Poland’s “anti-Russian actions”.
“We regularly receive information about aggressive diplomatic actions from Russia”, Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference.
“If in the end it comes to it that Russia starts to liquidate our offices we will respond in kind.”
Mateusz Morawiecki
Mateusz Morawiecki
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1h ago
04:16
Russian governors accuse Ukraine of cross-border attacks
Two Russian governors have accused Ukraine of conducting drone attacks on cross border regions.
An unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in the city of Kurchatov, Roman Starovoit said on Telegram.
“Fortunately, none of the residents were hurt. Partial damage was received by an apartment building – its facade and glazing were cut,” he wrote.
In neighbouring Voronezh, Alexander Gusev said three drones were intercepted.
The accusations are the latest in a long list of claims by Russia.
Ukraine has continuously denied being responsible for the attacks.
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2h ago
03:45
Moscow closes Poland’s consulate over ‘anti-Russian’ actions
Moscow has closed Poland’s consulate in the western Russian city of Smolensk.
The country’s government took the decision due to, what it called, Poland’s “anti-Russian actions”, Interfax reported.
“Unfriendly actions of Poland’s government that are anti-Russian by nature, have led to steps towards the illegal seizure of Russian diplomatic estate in the Polish territory,” the government said in a statement.
“The Russian diplomatic presence in Poland has been considerably cut.”
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2h ago
03:32
Listen: The Ukraine foreign fighters come home
Earlier this week, an Irish volunteer fighter in Ukraine, whose codename is “Rambo”, described how he and his unit screamed in terror as a Russian tank chased after them.
Rhys Byrne, who is 28 and from Dublin, spoke to Sky’s international correspondent John Sparks about fighting in the Ukrainian army for the past 17 months.
In a new format on the Sky News Daily podcast, our team looks at stories across the news agenda.
Kimberley Leonard speaks to John about meeting “Rambo” at a respite centre in eastern Ukraine where army volunteers have been granted leave from the frontline.
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2h ago
03:14
Russia launches drone strike on Ukrainian president’s hometown
A 56-year-old man has been injured and hospitals have been damaged in a drone strike on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, a regional Ukrainian governor has said.
Falling debris damaged a number of buildings in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, including a “municipal enterprise”, two residential buildings and a transport company, Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.
Serhiy Lysak/Telegram
Serhiy Lysak/Telegram
Windows had also been blown out in apartment blocks, private houses, hospitals and schools, the city’s mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said.
The attacks were the latest in a series of strikes, after capital Kyiv came under fire on three successive nights this week.
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3h ago
03:00
‘I’d be keeping my eye on the menu’: Biden quips about potential Prigozhin poisoning
The name Yevgeny Prigozhin will by now be familiar to anyone who has been following coverage of the war in Ukraine and the vagaries of Russia’s military effort there.
The leader of the mercenary Wagner Group has been been the subject of increasing focus since he launched a rebellion in Russia, calling for senior Russian military commanders to be removed from their posts.
But after aborting his short-lived armed mutiny, and being reportedly exiled to Belarus, he has not been seen.
Joe Biden has said the US is unsure where he is – and quipped that he could be poisoned.
“If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d be keeping my eye on my menu,” the US president said, according to a White House transcript.
“But all kidding aside, who knows? I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know for sure what the future of Prigozhin is in Russia.”
Prigozhin
Prigozhin
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3h ago
02:44
More than 20 drones shot down overnight, says Ukraine
At least 23 drones were shot down by Ukrainian forces overnight, the country’s air force has said.
Around 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones were destroyed out of the 17 sent by Russia, it said in a Telegram post.
One reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle was also hit by air defences, along with six “operational-tactical level” drones.
“Let’s keep the sky. Ukraine together – to victory,” it added.
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3h ago
02:32
Watch: Putin warns Ukraine in NATO will make world ‘vulnerable’
Ukraine joining NATO will make the world more “vulnerable”, Russia’s president has warned.
Speaking to reporters, Vladimir Putin said the country’s military alliance membership would be a “threat to Russia’s security”.
He also said it was one of the reasons for Russia’s invasion, which he calls a “special military operation”.
“This will not increase the security of Ukraine itself, and in general it will make the world much more vulnerable,” he added.
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3h ago
02:20
UK accuses Russia of ‘cynical brinkmanship’ over grain deal threat
The UK has accused Russia of “cynical brinkmanship” over threats to collapse a deal that allows Ukraine grain to be exported safely.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative was first negotiated with Kyiv and Moscow by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 to ease a global food crisis, allowing agricultural produce to be shipped out without fear of attack.
It has been extended every three months, but Moscow has signalled that it does not intend to continue the accord when it comes up for renewal for a fourth time next week.
Dame Barbara Woodward, the UK’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, told reporters: “This is a particularly tough moment because we have seen at every renewal point, including this one, that the Russian approach is simply cynical brinkmanship.”
The ambassador said that, should the deal collapse, cargo ships carrying grain out of Ukraine could be under threat of attack by the Russians.
Russia insists the agreement has not worked for its own exports, blaming Western sanctions for hindering financing and insurance.
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3h ago
02:06
Russia’s nuclear submarine decision ‘may be due to internal security concerns’
The latest intelligence update from the UK’s ministry of defence says Russian media is reporting nuclear-powered submarines of the country’s Northern Fleet will not be taking part in the main Navy Day fleet review in St Petersburg on 30 July.
It would be first time the vessels were absent from the event since it was established in 2017, with the change likely primarily “due to allow for maintenance and to retain availability for operations and training”.
But, the ministry adds, “there is also a realistic possibility that internal security concerns since Wagner Group’s attempted mutiny have contributed to the decision”.
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4h ago
01:42
Putin says Wagner boss refused his offer during Kremlin meeting after mutiny
It was revealed just this week that Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after he led an abortive revolt against Russia’s military hierarchy.
And in comments that add another layer to the intrigue surrounding the power dynamic between the pair, the Russian president has reportedly disclosed further details about the content of his discussion with the mercenary group leader and around 35 of his troops.
Mr Putin, interviewed by the Russian daily Kommersant, said he made several offers during the meeting – including giving the fighters the opportunity to remain serving together.
Under the offer, the fighters would stay under their current commander, who the newspaper identified only by his call sign of “Grey Hair”, but understood to be Andrei “Sedoy” Trochev.
“All of them could have gathered in one place and continued their service,” Kommersant quoted the president as saying.
“And nothing would have changed. They would have been led by the same person who had been their real commander all that time.”
As Mr Putin is the army’s commander-in-chief, he seemed to be implying that they would remain within the Russian military, although he did not say that explicitly.
“Many of them nodded when I said this,” Kommersant quoted Mr Putin as saying.
However, Prigozhin disagreed, it reported.
“Prigozhin… said after listening: ‘No, the boys won’t agree with such a decision,” Kommersant quoted Mr Putin as saying.
“Wagner does not exist,” the Russian president told Kommersant. “There is no law on private military organisations. It just doesn’t exist.”
It comes after a Pentagon spokesperson said they believed Wagner forces were no longer “participating in any significant capacity” to the war in Ukraine.
Analysts have said such a development would harm Russia’s efforts in the conflict, given the mercenary fighters’ effectiveness compared to that of the country’s conventional armed forces.
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4h ago
01:22
Good morning
Welcome to today’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Yesterday, we learned that the controversial cluster bombs Washington promised Kyiv had arrived in Ukraine.
Both the Americans and the Ukrainians confirmed the munitions had reached the country.
However, Vladimir Putin said that sending more military hardware would only further escalate international tensions.
The Pentagon also said that Wagner mercenaries were no longer “participating significantly” in the fighting following last month’s aborted coup.
Here’s what else happened yesterday:
Ukraine takes back nearly six months of Russian gains in counteroffensive;
Ursula von der Leyen urged Vladimir Putin to approve an extension to the Black Sea grain deal before it expires this month;
Major General Ivan Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army fighting in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, was dismissed by the Kremlin.
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12h ago
17:40
Cluster munitions will ‘only be used for clearing occupied territory’
The US supplied cluster munitions will be used strictly for clearing territory against concentrated Russian defensive positions, spokesperson of the Tavria operational-strategic group Valerii Shershen told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The controversial projectiles will not be used in cities, densely populated areas, or on Russian territory, he added.
According to Shershen, the newly-provided weaponry will “decisively change the situation” at the front.
“(Cluster munitions) will further demotivate the Russian occupying army and will radically change the situation in the favour of Ukraine’s defence forces,” he commented.
Both Washington and Kyiv have confirmed that the Ukrainian military has already received cluster munitions, but has not yet deployed them in combat.
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13h ago
16:47
Zelenskyy ‘grateful’ for support from West
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tweeted that he is “grateful” for the support Ukraine has received from the G7 nations.
Quote tweeting a post from Joe Biden, the Ukrainian president described the aid as “vitally important” for his country’s freedom.
His tweet comes a day after UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he thought the Ukrainians should show some “gratitude” for the help Western nations have been sending since the war began.
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13h ago
16:25
Hungary likely to approve Sweden’s NATO bid in the autumn
Hungary has signalled that it could ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO in the autumn, with a ruling party member saying Turkey’s decision to back Sweden’s bid opened the door to strengthening the alliance at a time of need.
Zsolt Nemeth said there was no need to convene an extraordinary session of parliament sooner to approve the decision, as Turkish approval would come later.
Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban has delayed ratification but his foreign minister earlier this month said that Budapest would not delay the process if Turkey dropped its opposition, which it did on Monday.
“We will take up work in mid-September,” Mr Nemeth, the head of the Hungarian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told private broadcaster InfoRadio.
“There is no need to move sooner as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will not forward the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership to the Turkish parliament until it reopens in the autumn,” he said.
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14h ago
15:50
Wagner Group ‘not participating significantly’ – Pentagon
The Wagner Group is not participating in military operations in Ukraine in any significant way, the Pentagon has said, more than two weeks after the mercenaries staged a mutiny in Russia.
“At this stage, we do not see Wagner forces participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said.
Wagner mercenaries had waged some of the bloodiest battles of the war but in the wake of last month’s revolt, fighters were given the option of going into exile, joining Russia’s regular forces or going home.
On Wednesday, Russia’s defence ministry said Wagner was completing its handover of weapons to Russia’s regular armed forces.
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14h ago
15:30
Ukrainian official claims up to 200 Russian soldiers were killed in recent strike
As many as 200 soldiers and the commandant of the Russian occupied town of Tokmak have been killed in a recent strike on a Russian base, a Ukrainian official has claimed.
“Our defence forces have successfully worked on the occupiers’ positions in Tokmak,” Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, said on Telegram.
Mr Fedorov claims that intelligence reports that a Russian base at a forging plant in the town had been hit. There is no way to verify the claims.
However, a Russian-appointed official in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, also spoke of a series of explosions in the town on the same day.
Ukrainian forces target Tokmak regularly as it is an important hub for Russian defences.
