Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Wednesday contradicted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that that there was a “lull” in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, saying in an audio message that “huge chunks” of Ukrainian territory have been regained by its army. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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9:28pm: Wagner chief accuses Moscow of 'misleading Russians' over Ukraine offensive
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.
Early this month Kyiv's military launched its counteroffensive in the east and south of the Western-backed country in an effort to claw back territory lost since last year, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Ukraine's offensive is failing.
But Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose forces had for months led an assault for towns in eastern Ukraine including Bakhmut, accused the defence ministry of not telling the truth and losing territory to Ukrainian troops.
"They are misleading the Russian people," he said in an audio message released by his spokespeople.
A number of villages including Pyatykhatky has been lost, Prigozhin said, pointing to a lack of arms and ammunition.
"Huge chunks have been handed over to the enemy," he said, adding that Ukrainian troops have already sought to cross the Dnipro River, a natural border on the frontline. "All of this is being totally hidden from everyone ... One day Russia will wake up to discover that Crimea too has been handed over to Ukraine," he said.
7:48pm: Top Russian court rejects bid to strike down war protest law
Russia's constitutional court has rejected an attempt by rights groups to seek the repeal of a law that bans people from speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In a lengthy ruling, the court rejected the bid to strike down Article 20.3.3 of the code of administrative offences, which bans "public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces".
Campaigners including legal defence group OVD-Info and the banned human rights organisation Memorial had filed the case in April, saying it violated articles of Russia's constitution including on free speech and freedom of conscience.
Authorities have launched more than 6,500 cases under Article 20.3.3, OVD-Info said, including against people who staged solo anti-war demonstrations, posted their opinions online or wore anti-war symbols on their clothes.
Individuals face an initial fine of up to 50,000 roubles ($595). If they repeat the offence, they can face criminal charges of "discrediting the armed forces", which carries a prison term of up to five years, while spreading "false information" about the army is punishable by up to 15 years.
7:30pm: Zaporizhzhia plant plans to pump water from burst dam's reservoir
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine plans to resume pumping water from what remains of the massive reservoir behind the Nova Kakhovka dam that burst two weeks ago, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
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.
While the plant can fall back on other water sources, including a cooling pond with 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.
6:15pm: Ukraine expects NATO membership invitation at summit
Ukraine expects to be invited to join NATO with an open date at the alliance's summit in Vilnius next month, the Ukrainian president'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 thinktank.
NATO sources have previously played down expectations that Ukraine would be invited to join at the upcoming summit.
4:20pm: EU approves 11th sanctions package against Russia
European Union 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.
The package forbids the transit via Russia of goods and technology which might be used by the Russian military or help its defence and security sector.
It also makes it possible to impose restrictions on the sale of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to countries that might sell it on to Russia and expands the list of restricted goods that could serve Russia's military and its defence sector.
The package adds a further 71 persons and 33 entities to have assets kept in the EU frozen over their involvement, among other things, in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
To curb the practice of ships loading Russian crude oil or petroleum products at sea, the package also bans access to EU ports for ships which engage in ship-to-ship transfers if there is reasonable cause to suspect the cargo loaded was of Russian origin.
3:15pm: Russia seeing 'lull' in Ukraine's counteroffensive, Putin says
Moscow is seeing a "lull" in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, President Vladimir Putin has said in remarks shown on Russian state television.
Putin said Ukrainian forces had suffered heavy losses in attacks in the south but retained offensive potential.
He also claimed Kyiv had already understood its counteroffensive had "no chance" of success.
Earlier, the BBC quoted Putin's Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky as saying that the counteroffensive was "slower than desired", but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.
2:01pm: Russian defence minister: West is waging 'real war' against Russia
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told graduating military academy students on Wednesday that the "collective West" was waging a "real war" against Russia.
Speaking alongside President Vladimir Putin at an event in the Kremlin, Shoigu added that the Russian military would do everything to ensure the security of the country.
1:57pm: Japan to host Ukraine investment conference by early 2024, foreign minister says
Japan will host a conference to encourage companies to invest in Ukraine some time between the end of this year and early 2024, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday.
Private-sector actors will be able to "strongly support the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine", Hayashi told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Japan was planning to support Ukraine mainly through projects focused on mine clearance, basic infrastructure such as electricity, agriculture and strengthening democracy, Hayashi said.
That would come on top of the more than $7.6 billion in aid Japan had already given to Ukraine, he added. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the plan to host the reconstruction conference earlier this month.
1:56pm: Putin says Russia's new Sarmat nuclear missiles soon ready for deployment
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday 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.
12:50pm: Ukraine's Zelensky says progress in counteroffensive 'slower than desired'
President Volodymyr Zelensky said battlefield progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces had been "slower than desired", the BBC reported on Wednesday.
"Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," it quoted Zelensky as saying in an interview.
12:34pm: Ukraine needs more than $6 billion to aid its recovery over next 12 months, says Ukrainian PM
Ukraine needs just over $6 billion in the next 12 months to help recover from Russia's war in the country, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.
"We still need another $6.125 billion," he told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. "We have set an ambitious goal of securing pledges for this amount as a result of this conference."
11:59am: French foreign minister sets out new war insurance mechanism to support Ukraine
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna set out a new war insurance mechanism to support Ukraine's recovery while speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday.
"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," Colonna said.
11:40am: Kremlin says Biden calling Xi a 'dictator' shows US unpredictability
Russia said on Wednesday that US President Joe Biden's reference to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a dictator showed US foreign policy was inconsistent and erratic.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was a contradiction between Biden's comment and the efforts of his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to lower tensions with Beijing at a meeting with Xi earlier this week.
"These are very contradictory manifestations of US foreign policy, which speak of a large element of unpredictability," Peskov told reporters. He said Biden's comment was an "incomprehensible" follow-up to what he described as "various conciliatory statements" during Blinken's visit.
"However, that's their business," Peskov said. "We have our own bad relations with the United States of America and our very good relations with the People's Republic of China". Beijing hit back at the United States on Wednesday, saying Biden's remarks were absurd and a provocation.
11:22am: Kremlin says 'no grounds' to extend Black Sea grain deal
The Kremlin on Wednesday restated its position that there are "no grounds" to extend the Black Sea grain deal, saying that the accord brokered by the UN and Turkey was not being properly implemented.
On a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the UN had been forced to acknowledge that "unfortunately, they are not managing to exert the necessary influence on the countries of the collective West in order to fulfil this Russian part of the agreement".
He was referring to a list of Russian demands, including for the removal of what Moscow says are obstacles to the export of its own grain and fertilisers.
11:07am: US to provide $1.3 billion of additional aid to Ukraine, says Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would provide more than $1.3 billion in additional aid to Ukraine to help the country recover and rebuild its energy grid.
"We will provide more than $1.3 billion in additional aid to help Ukraine," Blinken told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. "We're going to invest $520 million to help Ukraine overhaul its energy grid."
10:56am: EU has 'special responsibility' towards Ukraine, von der Leyen says
The European Union has a "special responsibility" towards Ukraine in the long term, the European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, as she outlined investment plans for the country at 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," von der Leyen said.
"Ukrainians tell us that when they imagine their future, they see Europe's flag flying over their cities. And I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our union."
10:34am: Zelensky says 'real projects' for Ukraine's reconstruction are needed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday it was necessary to move towards "real projects" for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
"We must move from agreement to real projects," he said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. "There is a Ukrainian delegation that will present concrete things and we propose to do them together during my tour," he said.
8:25am: Russian defence ministry says Ukraine drone attack in Moscow region thwarted
Russian air defences downed three drones in the Moscow region on Wednesday, the defence ministry said, in what it called an attempted Ukrainian attack.
The ministry said Russian defences had used electronic jamming to cause the drones to lose control and crash, without causing any casualties or damage.
Ukraine almost never comments on military operations outside its own borders, but drone attacks on Russian territory – including in Moscow itself, where two reached the Kremlin complex and others struck parts of the city in May – have become an increasingly frequent occurrence.
Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said two of the drones in Wednesday's incident were intercepted as they approached military warehouses.
7:44am: Ukrainian forces 'gaining ground' near Melitopol and Berdiansk, military says
Ukrainian forces are gaining some ground towards Melitopol and Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said early on Wednesday.
"They had partial success, they are gaining ground," Kovalev was quoted as saying in a post on the Ukraine Military Media Center's Telegram channel, adding that the gains were near the settlements of Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne, among others.
Ukraine continues to hold back the advance of Russian troops in the east of the country, with "especially heavy fighting" taking place near Lyman in the Donetsk region, he added.
7:03am: Allies seek private investment to rebuild Ukraine at London conference
Diplomats from dozens of countries are meeting Wednesday in London to drum up funds to rebuild Ukraine, a mammoth task whose cost is estimated by the World Bank at more than $400 billion – a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of the 16-month war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to announce a new package of US assistance at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is both a fundraising forum and a message to Russia that Ukraine’s allies are in it for the long haul.
Blinken, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among international representatives at the gathering, which hopes to get big businesses to back Ukraine.
“(It’s) very much about encouraging the private sector to invest in Ukraine’s rebuilding and recovery,” UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday. To do that, he said, “we need to demonstrate that those investments will be effective and that they will be safe” by underwriting Ukraine’s long-term security.
6:46am: Two drones intercepted on way to military warehouses in Moscow region, governor says
Two drones were intercepted on their approach to military warehouses in the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the area, said on Wednesday. "Debris was found, no damage or casualties," Vorobyov said, adding that the drones fell near the village of Kalininets.
Russia's channels on the Telegram messaging app, including one with links to the security services, said at least one more drone was intercepted near the village of Lukino.
2:02am: Russian navy to receive two new nuclear submarines by end of year
The Russian navy will receive two new nuclear submarines by the end of this year, Russia's TASS state news agency reported on Wednesday.
Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, told TASS in an interview that the strategic nuclear-powered submarine missile cruiser Emperor Alexander III and the multipurpose nuclear-powered submarine Krasnoyarsk will be operational by the end of 2023.
Key developments from Tuesday, June 20:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine's forces were destroying Russian forces in the two main theatres of the conflict, the east and south of the country, and working hard on pushing Moscow's troops back.
Kyiv repatriated three Ukrainian prisoners of war from Hungary after a group of POWs was transferred there from Russia without coordination with Kyiv, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Additionally, the destruction of the vast Kakhovka hydro-electric dam has caused €1.2 billion of damage, Ukraine's environment minister said on Tuesday, warning that mines unearthed by flooding could wash onto other European countries' shores.
Finally, France and Italy said they are united in supporting Ukraine's war effort, according to French President Emmanuel Macron who met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday.
Read yesterday's liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
