Russian President Vladimir Putin praised mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin as a talented businessman on Thursday and said he wished to express sincere condolences to the families of those who died in a plane crash a day earlier. Putin's words came as Zelensky marked his country's independence day with an address congratulating Ukrainians and praising the military personnel pushing back against Russian forces. Read our live blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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