An international conference on the funding of Ukraine’s reconstruction drew to a close in London, with foreign donors pledging €60 billion in new financial support, UK Foreign Minister James Cleverley said at its closing session. Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian forces carried out a missile strike on the Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of the Kherson region and Crimea, Russian-appointed governors in both regions said. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
This live blog is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage on the war in Ukraine, please click here.
02:15am: Drone downed in Russia's Kursk region, governor says
Anti-aircraft fire downed a drone late on Thursday over the southern Russian city of Kursk, near the Ukrainian border, the regional governor said.
Roman Starovoit, writing on Telegram, said anti-aircraft systems had been in action twice. He made no mention of damage or casualties and asked residents to avoid any fallen debris.
A series of attacks from the air have been launched across the Ukrainian border into southern Russia. There have also been armed incursions for which groups saying they oppose the Kremlin have claimed responsibility.
Ukraine routinely declines to comment on such attacks or incursions.
11:40pm: Council of Europe demands Olympic ban for Russia and Belarus
Europe's leading human rights watchdog on Thursday demanded a total ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics "as long as Russia's war of aggression" in Ukraine continues.
The Council of Europe urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its constituent sports federations to uphold "its position expressed in 2022 and to ban the participation" of these athletes from the next Olympics, as well as "all other major sporting events."
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
11:35pm: Russia is hiding bodies of victims of dam breach, says Zelensky
Russia has formed special groups to collect and hide bodies of people killed in the aftermath of the breach this month of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"The Russian evil has formed special groups there to remove and, obviously, hide the victims' bodies," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
Zelensky described the situation in Russian-occupied parts of the region as "catastrophic to put it mildly".
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of being behind the breach.
10:15pm: Kyiv says Ukrainian forces fend off Russian assaults in east
Ukrainian forces are containing Russian forces on the eastern front and have not allowed "a single metre" of Russian advances, Deputy Prime Minister Hanna Maliar has said.
"Our defence forces continue to contain effectively advances by Russian troops," Maliar wrote on the Telegram app, referring to four key sectors in the east, including the Lyman further north, where officials say Russian forces have been active.
Maliar said Ukrainian forces on the southern front, where several villages were captured last week, were "gradually moving forward. We have had partial success. We are pushing back the enemy and leveling the front line."
7:45pm: Ukraine progresses on reforms to unlock EU membership talks
Ukraine is making progress on political reforms to open the way for European Union membership talks but still needs to progress in five important areas, senior EU officials have said.
The assessment, by the EU's executive body, the European Commission, offered Kyiv hope that it could achieve its aim of getting the green light for membership talks in December even it fights to repel Russia's invasion.
But it also made clear that Ukraine has a way to go just to complete the seven steps that the EU outlined last year when it granted Kyiv the status of a candidate for membership.
"They are on track, they are working hard. After all, the country is under attack," said Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for relations with the EU's neighbours. "Compared to that, I think that they are delivering."
In an update for the EU's member countries, Varhelyi said Kyiv had completed two of the seven steps – reform of two judicial bodies and the adoption of media legislation in line with EU standards.
He said Ukraine had made progress but had more work to do on constitutional court reform, on measures to fight corruption, money laundering and curb the influence of oligarchs, and on the treatment of minorities.
6:55pm: Wounded Ukrainian soldiers treated at Berlin hospital
Thousands of wounded Ukrainian soldiers are being treated at hospitals across the EU thanks to a programme set up by the European Commission.
Germany has taken in 800 injured soldiers since the start of the war. They include Vitaliy, a native of Kharkiv who was wounded during combat operations in the Izyum region in March 2022.
Vitaliy was shot several times in the limbs. His right arm had to be amputated and ten operations followed to save his leg.
The Ukrainian soldier has been receiving treatment at the Charité hospital in Berlin, where he met fellow Ukrainian Olga Pidgaiska, an orthopaedic surgeon who fled the war with her mother and son.
Click on the player below to find out more about their story.
5:35pm: UN adds Russia to 'list of shame' for killing children in Ukraine
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called out Russia for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the UN Security Council seen by Reuters.
The United Nations also verified that Russian armed forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. Russian armed forces also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report.
Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Ukrainian armed forces killed 80 children, maimed 175 children and carried out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals, the report verified. The Ukrainian armed forces are not on the global offenders list.
Read moreMother Russia: Maria Lvova-Belova, the Putin ally deporting Ukrainian children
4:08pm: €60 billion pledged for Ukraine recovery as donor conference ends
Foreign donors have pledged 60 billion euros ($66 billion) of new financial support for Ukraine, the UK said Thursday, as an international conference aimed at funding the war-ravaged country's reconstruction closed.
"We had not envisaged this to be a pledging conference. Nevertheless, today at this conference, we can announce a combined 60 billion euros in support to Ukraine," said James Cleverly, foreign minister of the UK, which hosted the meeting.
The commitments from governments and international organisations target supporting Ukraine in the short- and medium-term, Cleverly said at the closing session of the London conference. "This provides us with the medium-term predictable support that will unlock the macro-economic stability that Ukraine needs," he said, adding that efforts were now focused on unlocking "the enormous potential of the private sector".
Nearly 500 companies from 42 countries have pledged to play their part, Cleverly said.
The bulk of the 60 billion euros comes from a 50-billion-euro aid package that the European Union plans to roll out until 2027, which was announced on the eve of the conference.
The United States also announced $1.3 billion in aid, targeting the energy and infrastructure sectors in particular.
3:35pm: Ukraine's Zelensky signs law banning import of books from Russia
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed into law a ban on the commercial import of books from Russia, in the latest move to reduce cultural ties between the two countries.
"I believe the law is right," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app, announcing he had signed a bill which also bans the commercial import of books printed in Belarus or in occupied Ukrainian territory.
The bill, adopted by parliament a year ago, also makes its a requirement to obtain special permission to import books in the Russian language from third countries.
Zelensky's office said on Twitter that the law would "strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian cultural and information space from anti-Ukrainian Russian propaganda".
Ukraine has been carrying out what it describes as "derussification" process, saying it is necessary to undo centuries of policies it considered aimed at crushing the Ukrainian identity.
3:15pm: Ukraine races to fix power grid, fearing Russian winter attacks
Ukraine is carrying out the largest campaign of repairs in modern history to its power system to prepare for another winter of possible Russian air strikes, its energy minister has said.
Missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure last year caused sweeping blackouts and water outages for millions of Ukrainians during the winter, damaging about 43% of the country's energy infrastructure, according to the state-owned power distributor Ukrenergo.
"The most extensive repair campaign in the history of energy facilities is currently under way in Ukraine," Energy Minister German Galushchenko was quoted as saying by his ministry on the Telegram messenger.
"Power generation and distribution facilities are being restored, and work is under way to strengthen the power system's resilience to military challenges," he added.
Ukraine has nearly doubled electricity tariffs for consumers since June 1 to find funds to prepare for winter, when energy consumption is typically at its highest.
1:37pm: Ukraine PM says counteroffensive 'will take time'
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday warned that Kyiv's counteroffensive against invading Russian forces "will take time" but said he was "optimistic" about its success.
"We will do very smart, offensive operations. And because of this, it (the counteroffensive) will take time," Shmyhal said on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. "But we have the intention to move and go ahead. We are going to go ahead ... and I'm absolutely optimistic for the liberation of all our lands occupied by Russians," he added.
He said the counteroffensive "is a number of military operations. Sometimes it's offensive. Sometimes it's defensive".
"Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counteroffensive Russians were preparing too, so there are so many minefields, which really makes it slower to move," he said.
12:20pm: PM Shmyhal says he is 'sure' Ukraine will receive needed funds for reconstruction effort
Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he was certain Ukraine will have received the $6.5 billion it needs this year for its rapid reconstruction from pledges made at a London conference.
Speaking on the final day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Shmyhal said his government had yet to assess all the pledges for a final total but that "I'm sure that in the nearest time, after this conference ... we will collect all the needed money".
12:10pm: Chonhar bridge could take several weeks to fix after missile strike, Russia says
Repairing the Chonhar bridge after a missile strike Russia has blamed on Ukraine could take up to several weeks, a Russian-installed transport ministry official in Crimea was quoted as saying Thursday.
Russian-appointed officials said earlier today that Ukrainian missiles had struck the bridge connecting Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, with Russian-held parts of the Kherson region.
12:01pm: Russian court rejects US journalist Gershkovich’s appeal against pre-trial detention
A court in Moscow on Thursday upheld an earlier ruling to keep US journalist Evan Gershkovich in detention until late August, rejecting his appeal.
Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in March and accused by the FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until August 30.
The United States says he was wrongfully detained and is demanding his release.
11:23am: Kremlin says Ukraine is lying about planned 'terrorist' attack at Zaporizhzhia plant
A Ukrainian allegation that Russia is preparing to carry out a "terrorist" attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is "another lie", the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received information showing Russia is considering an attack at the plant involving a release of radiation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had just visited the plant and rated everything highly.
11:08am: Russia says no need to recruit more volunteers for Ukraine war
Russia sees no need to recruit more volunteers for what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on Thursday.
Shoigu also said that an average of 1,336 soldiers were signing contracts to join the army every day.
11:04am: Zelensky says Russia considering 'terrorist' attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received information showing that Russia is considering carrying out a "terrorist" attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant involving a release of radiation.
In a video statement on the Telegram messenger app, Zelensky said Ukraine was sharing the intelligence with all its international partners.
"Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – a terrorist act with the release of radiation," he said. "They have prepared everything for this."
Zelensky did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. The six-reactor complex, Europe's biggest nuclear plant, has been under occupation since shortly after Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine in February last year.
11:02am: Russian defence minister says Ukraine decreasing activity on front line, regrouping
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Thursday said Ukrainian forces were decreasing their activity on the front line and regrouping, but still have potential for offensive actions.
Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quoted as saying that progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive was "slower than desired", but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.
10:46am: Ukraine says ‘heavy fighting’ continues in Donetsk region
Ukraine's military on Thursday reported "partial success" in fighting in the southeast and east, where it said its troops were continuing to conduct offensive operations.
Kyiv's forces, which began a military push against Russian forces this month, were reinforcing the positions they reached after attacking towards the southeastern villages of Rivnopil and Staromayorske, said General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovaliov.
The two villages in the Donetsk region lie near a string of small settlements recaptured by Ukraine earlier this month.
Kovaliov, in remarks reported by Ukraine's Military Media Center, also said Kyiv's troops were attacking towards the small settlements of Bilohorivka and Dibrova in the east.
"Particularly heavy fighting continues in the (eastern) Lyman direction in the areas northwest of Dibrova, near Serebryansk forestry and north of Hryhorivka in the Donetsk region," he was quoted as saying.
Ukrainian troops were also resisting Russian attacks in the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka, he said.
10:38am: Russian investigators say Ukraine fired four missiles at bridge to Crimea
Russia's Investigative Committee said four missiles had been fired by Ukrainian forces at the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region overnight, the RIA news agency reported on Thursday.
The so-called "gate to Crimea" is one of a handful of links between Crimea – which Moscow seized and unilaterally claimed to have annexed from Ukraine in 2014 – and mainland Ukraine. Russian-appointed officials earlier said missiles had struck the bridge, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route.
8:26am: US national security adviser to attend Ukraine-organised meeting in Denmark
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will attend a Ukraine-organised meeting this weekend in Denmark, alongside representatives of multiple countries, including some that have remained neutral on Russia's invasion, a Western official told AFP on Wednesday.
The meeting in Copenhagen aims to discuss ways of achieving a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, the source said. The invitees include top security officials from the United States, the European Union, and other countries that have backed Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those that have not condemned the invasion, the source said, without specifying which states.
The as-yet-unannounced meeting was first reported by the Financial Times, which cited sources familiar with the plans, saying that the meeting could include officials from India, Brazil and South Africa, though the attendees were not finalised.
Those three states, along with China, are part of the BRICS bloc with Russia, and have not joined the West in sanctioning Moscow. The FT cited a source saying that Kyiv had asked Washington to encourage India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as China and Turkey – a NATO member that has kept good ties with Russia – to attend.
8:23am: Russia considering US request to visit journalist Evan Gershkovivch
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.
US citizen Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until August 30. Defence lawyers challenged the decision, and the Moscow City Court is scheduled to hear the appeal today.
8:21am: UN nuclear watchdog chief Grossi to visit Russia on Friday
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Russia on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported today.
Grossi is likely to hold talks about the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
8:19am: Russia says 'hostile' states attending BRICS summit would be inappropriate
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday said it would be inappropriate for leaders who pursue a "hostile" policy towards Russia to attend a summit of BRICS nations, the RIA news agency reported.
6:52am: Ukraine strikes key bridge between mainland and Crimea
A Ukrainian missile attack struck the Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of the Kherson region with the Crimean peninsula, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said on Thursday.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the road was damaged but no casualities were reported. He said Storm Shadow missiles were likely to have been used for the attack.
Crimea's governor, Sergey Aksyonov, said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.
Known as "the gate to Crimea", the Chongar bridge is one of a handful of bridges linking Crimea – which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 – with the mainland. The bridges provide an alternative to the narrow isthmus connecting the peninsula and the continent.
Key developments from Wednesday, June 21:
Moscow is seeing a "lull" in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, President Vladimir Putin has said, in remarks shown on Russian state television.
EU governments have agreed on another package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, aimed mainly at stopping third countries and companies from circumventing the existing EU measures.
Ukraine expects to be invited to join NATO with an open date at the alliance's summit in Vilnius next month, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff has said.
Finally, the chief of mercenary group Wagner on Wednesday accused Moscow's top brass of deceiving Russians about the course of Ukraine's offensive and pointed to Kyiv's progress on the battlefield.
Read yesterday's liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
