Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin claims nuclear-capable Satan 2 missiles ready for combat in ‘near future’

Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles – capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads – will soon be ready for combat duty, as his defence minister insisted the West was waging “real war” against Moscow.

The rollout of the missiles, nicknamed Satan 2, has already been delayed, and the Russian president’s new comments to military academy graduates at the Kremlin come days after he claimed Ukraine had “no chance” in their current counteroffensive, and Moscow had no need to resort to nuclear weapons.

While Kyiv officials claimed “partial success” in operations this week, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky admitted progress in its nascent counteroffensive was “slower than desired”, as he blamed dangerous minefields laid by Russian troops.

Despite his dismissive remarks, Mr Putin’s generals appear to be concerned about Kyiv’s ability to directly strike Crimea, having constructed “elaborate” defences near the occupied peninsula, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

Meanwhile, international leaders descended upon a London conference aimed at drumming up funds to rebuild Ukraine, where foreign secretary James Cleverly claimed the UK would be “very supportive” if Kyiv was permitted to bypass a key requirement of joining Nato.

Key Points

• Vladimir Putin claims Satan 2 nuclear missiles ready for combat in ‘near future'

• Ukraine ‘holding back large’ attacks near Bakhmut and Lyman

• Putin’s troops building ‘elaborate’ defences near Crimea, says UK

• RAF scrambles to intercept Russian aircraft near Nato airspace

• Ukraine says eight villages liberated in counteroffensive over past fortnight

• Four of Putin’s attack helicopters downed in last week, Kyiv says

Sweden's prosecutor reserves right to classify Nord Stream investigation materials -RIA

09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sweden’s prosecutor’s office reserves the right to classify material from its investigation into last year’s sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia‘s RIA news agency cited it as saying on Thursday.

If the investigation is dropped and no conclusions are made, materials will not be made public, RIA reported.

Russia has unsuccessfully demanded access to investigations by Sweden and other countries into the blasts that severely damaged the pipelines connecting Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea.

Watch live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London

09:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Ukraine Recovery Conference goes underway in the second day of meetings in London.

Live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London

Scholz pledges security assurances to Kyiv but no swift NATO membership

08:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday pledged long-term security assurances to Ukraine but dashed Kyiv’s hopes for a swift accession to NATO.

“We have to take a sober look at the current situation,” Scholz told German lawmakers in a speech in parliament, adding the government in Kyiv had itself acknowledged the country would not be able to join NATO as long as the war was still going on.

“Therefore, I suggest we focus on the top priority (at the NATO summit) in Vilnius (in mid-July), namely strengthening the combat power of Ukraine,” Scholz said.

Berlin and its partners in the G7 and the European Union were working on long-term security assurances to Kyiv, he said.

“Our goal is ... a sustainable military support of Ukraine, including with modern Western weapons, and the strengthening of Ukraine‘s economic resilience as it defends itself against the Russian aggression,” he said.

NATO countries are squabbling over what to offer Kyiv when the alliance’s leaders meet in Vilnius on July 11-12.

While Kyiv and its closest allies in Eastern Europe call for concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership, Western governments such as the United States and Germany are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia.

Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials

08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday.

The so-called “gate to Crimea”, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine.

It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control.

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties.

One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridge’s surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike.

“The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future,” he said.

“We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic.”

Sergey Aksyonov, Crimea’s Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.

Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials

08:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday.

The so-called “gate to Crimea”, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine.

It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control.

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties.

One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridge’s surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike.

“The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future,” he said.

“We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic.”

Sergey Aksyonov, Crimea’s Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.

U.N. nuclear watchdog head Grossi to visit Russia on Friday

07:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Russia on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.

Grossi is likely to hold talks about the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Russia considering U.S. request to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich

07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that Moscow was considering a request from the United States to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich who is being held on spying charges he denies, the Interfax news agency reported.

A hearing in Gershkovich’s case is due later on Thursday.

Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges after Russia‘s FSB security service accused him of collecting military secrets in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Gershkovich and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, strongly deny the charges.

He was initially remanded in custody until May 29, but a court last month extended his detention until Aug. 30.

The United States says he has been wrongfully detained and has called for his immediate release. The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling on Russia to release him.

Shooting down ‘each Russian helicopter is important', says Zelensky

06:50 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukrainian troops are advancing in all the continuing fights along the battlefield front lines, calling on his forces to shoot down each Russian helicopter.

“Front. Fierce battles. South – we’re destroying the enemy. Donetsk direction – we’re destroying the enemy. The Kupiansk direction – whatever the Russian terrorists are planning there, we will destroy the enemy,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “In the South, we are advancing. Thank you, warriors! In the East, our defenses are firming. And I am especially grateful, guys, for every shot down Russian helicopter... Each shooting down is important.”

Ukraine attacks key bridge between mainland and Crimea, says Russia-backed official

06:07 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces have launched a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraine‘s Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said today.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the bridge was likely to have been attacked by Storm Shadow missiles that damaged the road, but traffic has been diverted to a different route.

No casualty has been reported.

Putin sees ‘lull’ in Ukraine’s counteroffensive

03:58 , Arpan Rai

Russian president Vladimir Putin, said Moscow had observed a “lull” in Ukraine‘s counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had “no chance”, Putin said in televised remarks.

This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces was “slower than desired”, but Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” Britain’s BBC quoted him as saying in an interview. “What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

Zaporizhzhia plant plans to pump water from burst dam's reservoir

01:00 , Katy Clifton

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine plans to resume pumping water from what remains of the massive reservoir behind a nearby dam that burst two weeks ago, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week it was unclear whether it would be possible to pump water from the reservoir to cool reactors and spent fuel at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant given how much the reservoir’s level has fallen.

While the plant can fall back on other water sources, including a cooling pond with what the IAEA says is months’ worth of water in it, whatever can be pumped from the reservoir should buy more time before stocks have to be replenished.

“Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is planning to resume pumping water that still remains accessible despite a major loss of water in the Kakhovka reservoir caused by the destruction of the downstream dam earlier this month,” the IAEA said in a statement.

Russia-aligned hackers ‘pose threat to Canada energy sector'

Wednesday 21 June 2023 20:57 , Katy Clifton

Russia-aligned hackers could seek to disrupt Canada’s powerful oil and natural gas sector, especially since Ottawa is a strong backer of Ukraine, a Canadian spy agency has said.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) signals intelligence agency said Russia had repeatedly deployed destructive cyber attacks against its adversaries as geopolitical crises escalate.

“We assess there is an even chance of a disruptive incident in the oil and gas sector in Canada caused by Russia-aligned actors, due to their higher tolerance for risk, the increase in their numbers and activity, as well as the number of vulnerable targets in the sector overall,” it said in a threat assessment.

Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer. CSE said the oil and gas sector employed about 600,000 people and accounted for 5% of gross domestic product.

CSE said the most likely target for cyber attacks by pro-Russian hackers was operational technology networks that monitor and control large industrial assets.

UK offers new training for Ukrainian seafarers

Wednesday 21 June 2023 19:01 , Andy Gregory

The UK has pledged to offer new virtual-reality (VR) training for at-sea Ukrainian cadets, as part of a new package of support.

Announced on Wednesday to coincide with a major conference in London on how Ukraine recovers from the Russian invasion, the Government said the training would be provided through VR headsets to help participants practise for real-life scenarios.

Ukrainians will also be sponsored to take part in three-year cadetships to UK container ships and other large vessels, with the new package confirmed as Transport Secretary Mark Harper appeared at the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

“Our support for Ukraine and its people is unwavering, and we’re not going to let Russia’s abhorrent actions sink Ukraine’s great reputation in areas like seafaring,” he said.

“By sharing the UK’s world-renowned expertise in aviation and seafaring, we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring Ukraine’s transport system recovers from Putin’s illegal invasion.”

The Department for Transport will also support secondments for Ukraine’s air traffic controllers to train in the UK, with the latest funding following on from £10 million previously announced to help repair Ukraine’s rail infrastructure.

Belarus court hands long sentences to 2020 protesters

Wednesday 21 June 2023 18:27 , Andy Gregory

A court in Belarus has handed lengthy prison sentences 18 participants of mass anti-government protests which challenged the grip of president Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime in 2020 – in part of Minsk’s continued attempts to crack down on any and all dissent.

Multiple charges against the activists, three of whom had left the country and were tried in absentia, included assault on law enforcement officers, conspiracy to overthrow the government, committing a terrorist act and others.

According to the authorities, the protesters formed a resistance movement, attacked law enforcement officers, carried out acts of sabotage and set police stations in Minsk on fire. Some of them were also accused of attempting to set fire to the house of a pro-government politician by throwing Molotov cocktails at it.

Sentences handed to the demonstrators ranged from two to 25 years in prison.

Sunak pledges $3bn backing to unlock World Bank loan for Ukraine

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:55 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has used today’s London conference to unveil measures including $3bn of additional UK guarantees to unlock a World Bank loan for Ukraine.

This includes pledge of £20m to boost access to the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantees Agency, which provides political risk insurance for projects.

Additionally, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would provide Ukraine with €50bn for 2024-27, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered $1.3bn in additional aid.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was offering an additional €381m in humanitarian assistance in 2023.

Ukraine expects Nato invite at Nato summit in July, says Zelensky aide

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:28 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine expects to be invited to join Nato at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius next month, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff has said.

“We expect that Ukraine will be invited to Nato with an open date,” Andre Yermak told a webinar held by the Atlantic Council think-tank.

Putin says nuclear-capable Satan 2 missiles soon ready to be deployed

Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory

Here are more of Vladimir Putin’s remarks on Russia’s new generation of Sarmat nuclear-capable ballistic missiles being ready for combat duy in the “near future”.

In a speech to new graduates of military academies, the president said the “most important task” was the development of Russia’s “triad” of nuclear forces – those launched from land, sea or air – which he described as “a key guarantee of Russia’s military security and global stability”.

“Already about half of the units and formations of the Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with the latest Yars systems, and the troops are being re-equipped with modern missile systems with the Avangard hypersonic warhead,” Mr Putin said. The first Sarmat launchers will be put on combat duty “in the near future”, he added.

Despite Russian nuclear doctrine stating that Moscow should not strike first unless the state’s “very existence” is threatened, Mr Putin has frequently issued nuclear threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February. As recently as last week, however, Mr Putin said Ukrainian forces had “no chance” in their current counteroffensive, and Russia had no need to resort to nuclear weapons.

The new Sarmat missile is designed to carry out nuclear strikes on targets thousands of missiles away in the United States or Europe. But its deployment has proceeded slower than planned, with Russia having said last April that it would be in place by autumn 2022.

Dmitry Rogozin, then head of Russia’s space agency, said at that time that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 1,860 miles east of Moscow.

Mr Rogozin said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, hailing the new “super-weapon” as a historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years.

Blinken urges Turkey to stop blocking Sweden’s Nato bid

Wednesday 21 June 2023 16:35 , Andy Gregory

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has urged Turkey to stop blocking Sweden in its bid to join Nato, a spokesperson has said. in a meeting with on Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson said.

In a meeting with new Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Summit in London, Blinken stressed the importance of Nato unity at a critical time, the spokesperson said.

Mr Blinken also “encouraged Turkey’s support for Sweden to join the Nato Alliance now” and welcomed Ankara’s support for Kyiv and its work on the Black Sea grain export deal, the spokesperson said.

Boris Johnson attends Ukraine conference in London

Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:57 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson was spotted at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday.

The former prime minister is a vocal supporter of Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion and repeated his call earlier for the West to focus on “ensuring a Ukrainian victory” and equip Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

Kakhovka dam breach death toll at 41, Russian minister says

Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:29 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s emergency situations minister has said that 41 people have been killed and 121 hospitalised as a result of the breach of the Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine earlier this month.

Speaking during a televised government meeting chaired by Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kurenkov said that more than 8,000 people were evacuated from the flood zone.

UK could be ‘very supportive’ of Ukraine skipping key step to joining Nato, says Cleverly

Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:56 , Andy Gregory

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has suggested that the UK would be “very supportive” if Ukraine was not required to go through the membership action plan stage of joining Nato.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, he said: “We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly.

Jens Stoltenberg at the Nato informal foreign ministers [summit] said that, actually, many of the requirements of membership action plan are actually being delivered. The reform of their armed forces is happening whilst engaged in conflict.

“I think the UK’s position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan recognising that the offer to both Sweden and Finland didn’t require that and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for requirement of Nato membership through their actions on the battlefield.

“And I think all Nato allies recognise that.”

Putin claims ‘lull’ in Ukraine counteroffensive

Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:38 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin claims that Moscow has observed a "lull" in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began early this month.

Although Ukraine still has some offensive potential, Kyiv understands it has "no chance", the Russian president claimed in televised remarks.

Minefields mean counteroffensive progress ‘slower than desired’, says Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:34 , Andy Gregory

Progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces is “slower than desired” but Kyiv will not be pressured into speeding it up as its troops advance through dangerous minefields, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” he told the BBC, after speaking remotely at an event in London. “What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

The BBC cited Mr Zelensky as saying the military push was not going easily because 77,220 square miles of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces.

“Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” he added.

West is waging ‘real war’ against Russia, says Shoigu

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:18 , Andy Gregory

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has told graduating military academy students today that the “collective West” is waging a “real war” against Russia.

Speaking alongside Vladimir Putin at an event in the Kremlin, Mr Shoigu added that the Russia military would do everything to ensure the security of the country.

Putin claims new Sarmat missiles will soon be deployed for combat duty

Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:02 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia's new generation of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads, would soon be deployed for combat duty.

My colleague Joe Sommerland has more details on the weapons here:

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ intercontinental nuclear missile?

Mines dislodged by destroyed dam could wash up on Black Sea beaches, warns UN

Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:48 , Andy Gregory

A United Nations official has warned that the mines dislodged by the flood waters from Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could float downstream and reach as far as beaches on the Black Sea.

Paul Heslop, head of UN Mine Action at the UN Development Programme in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva that PMF-1 mines, also known as “butterfly” mines, were light enough to float downstream for a large distance.

“I would not be surprised to see that those mines have either got down as far as the sea or over the coming months, as the water is continuing to flow, will be transported down there,” he said. “Unfortunately, we could see anti-personnel pressure mines washing up on beaches around the Black Sea.”

Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Soviet-era dam earlier this month, which has been under Russian control since the early days of its invasion. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the hydroelectric facility.

France announces new insurance mechanism for Ukraine

Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:14 , Andy Gregory

Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna set out a new war insurance mechanism to support Kyiv.

“I’m announcing today the establishment of an insurance mechanism to cover investments in Ukraine against war-related risks via the French public investment bank,” Ms Colonna said.

The French government’s plan was consistent with the insurance mechanism proposed by Britain and Ukraine, Ms Colonna added.

‘Eyes of the world’ on Ukraine, says Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:59 , Andy Gregory

The “eyes of the world” are on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference in London this morning.

“The eyes of the world are looking at us and whether we will defeat Russian aggression exactly as freedom deserves to win, that is without compromising our values,” said the Ukrainian president.

“Also, the world is watching to see if we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor. We protect Ukraine, and thus we protect freedom. And when we build Ukraine, we’ll build freedom.”

Ukraine ‘holding back large’ attacks near Bakhmut and Lyman, claims Kyiv minister

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:39 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is “holding back a large-scale assault” by Russian forces near Bakhmut and Lyman, Kyiv’s deputy defence minister has claimed.

Kyiv, meanwhile, has reported recapturing eight villages in the south in the last two weeks, representing the largest gains by the Ukrainian military since November, as they push into heavily fortified and mined Russian-held areas.

“They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line,” deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar claimed on Wednesday.

Kyiv's forces were continuing offensive operations towards the city of Melitopol, a Russian stronghold deep in occupied territory, and towards Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, Ms Maliar said.

Russia building ‘elaborate’ defences near Crimea, says UK

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:24 , Andy Gregory

Russia has been building “elaborate” defences near Crimea, highlighting the strength of concerns in Moscow that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting the occupied peninsula, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

“Intense fighting continues in sectors of southern Ukraine,” the ministry said. “However, over recent weeks, Russia has continued to expend significant effort building defensive lines deep in rear areas, especially on the approaches to occupied Crimea.

This includes an extensive zone of defences 9km in length, 3.5km north of the town Armyansk, on the narrow bridge of land connecting Crimea to the Kherson region.

These elaborate defences highlight the Russian command’s assessment that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting Crimea. Russia continues to see maintaining control of the peninsula as a top political priority.

Germany confirms new ambassador to Russia after downgrading diplomatic ties

Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:03 , Reuters

Germany has confirmed the appointment of Alexander Graf Lambsdorff as its new ambassador to Russia, weeks after the two countries announced a downgrading of diplomatic ties after relations collapsed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Graf Lambsdorff, a 56-year-old diplomat and member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the ruling coalition, will take up his post in the summer after Russia gave the green light for the move.

He replaces Geza Andreas von Geyr, who has represented Germany in Russia since September 2019 and is now set to become Germany’s ambassador to Nato in Brussels.

Germany last month said it would shut down four out of five Russian consulates by revoking their licences, a tit-for-tat move after Moscow’s decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia.

Mr Graf Lambsdorff has sharply criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and backed Germany shoring up Ukraine’s armed forces with military aid. He is a descendent of a political and aristocratic family that traces its roots to Baltic Germans living in the Russian tsarist empire.

US pledges £1bn to help Ukraine rebuild

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:35 , Andy Gregory

The United States will provide more than $1.3bn (£1bn) in additional aid to Ukraine to help the country recover and rebuild its energy grid, secretary of state Antony Blinken has told the conference in London.

Of that amount, $520m will go towards helping Kyiv overhaul its battered energy grid, while $657m will be used to help modernise its border crossings, ports, rail lines and other critical infrastructure, Mr Blinken said.

Some $100m will be used to help digitise Ukraine’s customs and other systems “to boost speed and to cut corruption”, and another $35m to help Ukrainian businesses through financing and insurance.

“Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully intergrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world,” Mr Blinken told delegates.

EU has ‘special responsibility’ to Ukraine, says Ursula von der Leyen

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:16 , Andy Gregory

The European Union has a “special responsibility” towards Ukraine in the long term, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

“This is for Ukraine’s immediate needs. But let’s talk about the future. I believe the European Union has a special responsibility,” Ms von der Leyen said.

Von der Leyen has ‘no doubt’ that Ukraine will join EU

Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:14 , Andy Gregory

Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she had “no doubt” that Ukraine would join the EU, adding: “We can never match their sacrifice, but we can and we do stand united.”

Praising the progress and speed of reform in the country, Ms von der Leyen said she hoped Ukraine would become a “country that attracts foreign investment, a country that is master of its future, a country that is a member of the European Union”.

“Together we gather here to tell Ukrainians that their dream is also our dream,” she told the conference. “Ukrainians tell us, when they imagine their future, they see Europe’s flag flying over their cities. I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our union.”

“Ukraine has accelerated its reform agenda with impressive speed and resolve,” she said.

Ukraine could be ‘largest source of economic growth in Europe for decades’, claims Zelensky

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:49 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky, who is pushing for Ukraine to join Nato and the European Union, urged Western leaders to have the “courage” to acknowledge that his country is already a key part of their economic and defence alliances.

He told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London: “We are only waiting for the courage of the alliance leaders to recognise this reality, politically.”

Mr Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s importance in global food supply and its potential to become a major green energy power.

He said the country could be “the largest source of economic, industrial and technological growth in Europe for decades and decades”.

We must move towards real reconstruction projects, Zelensky says

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:48 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London that it was necessary to move towards real projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

“We must move from agreement to real projects,” the Ukrainian president said. “There is a Ukrainian delegation that will present concrete things and we propose to do them together during my tour,” he said.

Sunak praises Ukraine’s ‘spirit of ingenuity and innovation'

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:45 , Andy Gregory

Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Rishi Sunak highlighted Ukraine’s technological expertise, saying IT experts and the military have developed a mobile app to track the Shahed drones being used by Russia.

The prime minister said that, when he visited Kyiv in November, he saw the people’s spirit of “ingenuity and innovation”, adding: “In a converted office block I met tech experts – civilian and military – who were working together to find new ways to bolster the country’s defences.

“They were networking mobile phones so that people across Ukraine could download an app which would allow their phone to pick up the sound of the Shahed drones and feed back the location so that Ukrainian air defence could track them and shoot them down.”

Ukraine represents investment opportunity, says Sunak

Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:28 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine represents an investment opportunity, with its resistance to the Russian invasion demonstrating its people’s capacity for innovation, Rishi Sunak said as he opened the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

“Before this terrible war, Ukraine’s economy was becoming a huge investment opportunity,” the prime minister told delegates.

“It was the breadbasket of Europe, exporting millions of tonnes of food and grain each month, a top-five exporter of iron ore and steel, a leader in energy – pushing forward renewables, hydrogen and electric vehicles – and a start-up nation which helped spark names like PayPal, WhatsApp and Revolut, with a thriving tech sector which actually had a record year in 2022.

“The truth is, that opportunity is still there today – in fact the war has only proved how much Ukraine has to offer.”

Watch live: Rishi Sunak opens Ukraine Recovery Conference in London

Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:56 , Andy Gregory

FSB claims to detain Russian resident for sending money to Ukraine’s military

Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:47 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have detained a resident of Russia’s eastern Khabarovsk region for treason for attempting to send money to the Ukrainian military.

State news agency Tass quoted the FSB as saying that the detainee had attempted to send money to Ukraine for drones, thermal imaging cameras, munitions and medical supplies “by way of cryptocurrency instruments”.

Another state news agency published FSB footage purporting to show a man being detained by two officers on a country road, and a subsequent search of his house.

Tass separately claimed the FSB had arrested a group of “saboteurs” in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol who were preparing an assassination attempt against officials. It did not say how many people had been detained, or who their alleged targets were.

Russia claims to bring down three drones near Moscow

Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:19 , Andy Gregory

Russian air defences downed three drones in the Moscow region on Wednesday, its defence ministry has claimed, in what it called an attempted Ukrainian attack.

The ministry claimed that Russian defences had used electronic jamming to cause the drones to lose control and crash, without causing any casualties or damage.

Regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said two of the drones were intercepted as they approached military warehouses. The state-owned Tass news agency said they were aimed at the Taman Division of Russia’s Ground Forces which is based in Kalininets, some 37 miles from the Kremlin.

Separately, the governor of Russian-annexed Crimea reported unspecified damage to the railway network in the eastern town of Feodosia, without stating the cause. He said train traffic had been suspended but would be restored within two hours.

“I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only verified sources of information,” Sergei Aksyonov, the governor, said.

RAF scrambles jets to respond to Russian aircraft flying 'close to Nato airspace'

Wednesday 21 June 2023 07:21 , Arpan Rai

The Royal Air Force (RAF) scrambled its fighter jets in Estonia after a Russian Navy airplane was seen flying near Nato airspace, officials said today.

“This evening [Tuesday], RAF Typhoons from 140 EAW in Estonia were scrambled to intercept a Russian Navy Tu-134 and 2x Su-27 ‘FLANKER’ Bs flying close to @NATO airspace,” the air force said on Twitter, sharing photos of the two planes flying alongside in the Estonian skies.

The RAF warplane is seen alongside the intercepted Russian navy airplane.

“The Russian aircraft failed to comply with international norms by not liaising with regional airspace control agencies,” the RAF added.