Summary
Thank you for joining us for today’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
We will be pausing our live reporting overnight and returning in the morning.
In the meantime, you can read our comprehensive summary of the day’s events below.
- Russian president, Vladimir Putin, warned Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and dared the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield. Putin said the prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on during a speech to parliamentary leaders. “Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest,” he said. “The further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.”
- Three people were killed and another five wounded after Russian forces fired rockets at Kharkiv, officials said. Regional governor, Oleh Synyehubov, said a district in the north-eastern Ukrainian city was shelled on Thursday.
- At least one person was been killed and six injured by a missile strike on Kramatorsk which hit a residential area, according to Ukraine’s regional governor of Donetsk. “This is a deliberate attack on civilians,” Pavlo Kyrylenko said, adding that this will not stop until the Russians are stopped.
- The mayor of Sloviansk said his city near Kramatorsk has come under Russian fire. Some residents were injured, said Vadym Lyakh, without providing further details. Ukraine’s military said pressure is intensifying with heavy shelling on Sloviansk and nearby populated areas.
- Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”. Ukraine has denied reports any of its servicemen were killed.
- Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine in an “operational pause” as its forces attempt to reassemble for a new assault. Russian forces made no claimed or assessed territorial gains in Ukraine on Wednesday “for the first time in 133 days of war,” according to the Institute for the Study of War.
- Ukraine has summoned the Turkish ambassador after it said Turkey had allowed a Russian-flagged ship carrying thousands of tonnes of allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain to leave the port of Karasu. Turkish customs officials had seized the vessel at Ukraine’s request on Tuesday, after Kyiv said the cargo was illegally transporting 7,000 tonnes of grain out of Russian-occupied Berdiansk, a port in the south-east of Ukraine.
- The UN warns of a “looming hunger catastrophe” due to Russia’s blockade on Ukrainian grain. Patrick Beasley, director of the UN World Food Programme, said a hunger catastrophe is set to explode over the next two years and called for an urgent lifting of the blockade on 25m tonnes of Ukrainian grain trapped by a Russian blockade.
- Investigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang who forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false adverts for legitimate employment. Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border.
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Russian prosecutors have called for prison sentences for a prominent opposition activist and for a Moscow city council member who opposes the invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Gorinov faces up to 15 years in prison for spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army. Gorinov criticised Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine at a city council meeting in March.
- US basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court, but said she had not deliberately broken the law. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “hype” around Griner’s case does not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate.
- Russia’s foreign minister has flown into the Indonesian island of Bali for a gathering of G20 foreign ministers. The gathering, which is likely to be overshadowed by Moscow’s war in Ukraine and deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the crisis, will mark the first time that Sergei Lavrov has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war.
- Boris Johnson spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskiy “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support” in light of his resignation, Downing Street said. In his resignation speech outside No 10, Johnson addressed the people of Ukraine directly and promised that “the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes”.
- Johnson’s resignation has been met with sadness in Kyiv, most notably by Volodymyr Zelenskiy who said the PM has been a “true friend of Ukraine”. Ukraine expects Britain’s support to continue despite Johnson’s resignation, Zelenskiy’s office said. Mikhail Podolyak, a key adviser to Zelenskiy, thanked Johnson for “always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”.
- Johnson’s downfall has been met with delight and ridicule in Moscow, with Kremlin spokesperson saying: “He doesn’t like us. We don’t like him either.” Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow would prefer someone “not so antagonistic” to lead the UK.
Russia taking 'operational pause', analysts say
Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for a new assault.
Russian forces made no claimed or assessed territorial gains in Ukraine on Wednesday “for the first time in 133 days of war,” according to the Institute for the Study of War.
The Washington-based think tank suggested Moscow may be taking an “operational pause,” but said that does not entail “the complete cessation of active hostilities.”
Russian forces will likely confine themselves to relatively small-scale offensive actions as they attempt to set conditions for more significant offensive operations” and rebuild the necessary combat power, the institute said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry seemed to confirm that assessment, saying in a statement Thursday that Russian soldiers had been given time to rest.
“The units that performed combat missions ... are taking measures to recover their combat capabilities. The servicemen are given the opportunity to rest, receive letters and parcels from home,” read the statement, quoted by Russian state news agency Tass.
UN warns of ‘looming hunger catastrophe’ due to Russian blockade
A looming hunger catastrophe is set to explode over the next two years, creating the risk of unprecedented global political pressure, the director of the UN World Food Programme has warned.
Calling for short- and long-term reforms – including an urgent lifting of the blockade on 25m tonnes of Ukrainian grain trapped by a Russian blockade – Patrick Beasley said the current food affordability crisis is likely to turn into an even more dangerous food availability crisis next year unless solutions are found.
The number of people classed as “acutely food insecure” by the UN before the Covid crisis was 130 million, but after Covid this number rose to 276 million.
Writing a preface to a new pamphlet from the Blair Institute on the looming hunger crisis, Beasley says: “This number has increased to 345 million due to the Ukraine crisis. And a staggering 50 million people in 45 countries are now just one step from famine.
“The international community must act to stop this looming hunger catastrophe in its tracks – or these numbers will explode.
“Global food markets have been plunged into turmoil, with soaring prices, export bans and shortages of basic foodstuffs spreading far from Ukraine’s borders. Nations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and even Latin America are feeling the heat from this conflict.”
Russian prosecutors have called for prison sentences for a prominent opposition activist and for a Moscow city council member who opposes the invasion of Ukraine.
Prosecutors asked that Andrei Pivovarov, former head of the Open Russia organisation, be given a five-year sentence for “directing an undesirable organisation,” according to his lawyer, Sergei Badamshin, as reported by the Associated Press.
Pivovarov was pulled off a Warsaw-bound plane at St. Petersburg’s airport just before takeoff in May 2021. He was taken to the southern city of Krasnodar, where he was accused of supporting a local candidate on behalf of an “undesirable” organisation. The criminal charge is based on a his social media posts supporting independent candidates in Krasnodar’s municipal elections, according to AP.
A Russian prosecutor has also asked for a seven-year sentence for a Moscow city council member who spoke up against Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Alexei Gorinov, who was detained in April, is the first Russian elected representative to face prison for spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Gorinov criticised Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine at a city council meeting in March, a recording of which is now available on YouTube. The video shows him voicing skepticism over a planned children’s art competition in his constituency while “every day children are dying” in Ukraine.
At a court hearing last month, Gorinov was photographed holding up a sign saying “I am against the war” as he sat in the defendant’s cage.
Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, has said the economic sanctions imposed by the west against Russia have not worked.
“The economic barriers that the United States and Europe imposed against Russia did not work,” Bolsonaro told supporters on Thursday, adding that his position towards Putin and the war “was one of balance.”
Bolsonaro said that stance had allowed him to acquire fertilisers, a key input for Brazil’s vast agricultural sector, from Russia. He also said Russia shared Brazil’s concerns over “sovereignty” of the Amazon.
Earlier on Thursday, Putin said it was obvious that western sanctions were creating difficulties, “but not at all what the initiators of the economic blitzkrieg against Russia were counting on.”
Summary of the day so far
It’s 1am in Kyiv. Here’s where things stand:
- A Reuters exclusive report has revealed that Ukraine opposes Canada’s handing over a turbine to Russia’s Gazprom that Moscow says is critical for supplying natural gas to Germany. According to a Ukrainian energy ministry source, Ukraine believes that doing so would defy sanctions against Russia.
- Images have emerged of fields of grain in Ukraine set on fire allegedly by Russian forces. According to Ukrainian serviceman Ihor Lutsenko, the “flame sometimes reaches a height of 5 metres, a strip of hundreds of metres in width. Black smoke flies up and spreads across the sky for many kilometers.” The dry stalks of grain are set ablaze “like matches” from incendiary munitions, he added.
- Canada will send 39 General Dynamics-made armored vehicles to Ukraine later this summer in attempts to assist the war-torn country in its fight against Russian forces. On Thursday, Canadian defense minister Anita Anand said that the armored vehicles deal is on top of a separate multi-billion dollar contract for 260 vehicles for the Canadian armed forces which was negotiated with General Dynamics Land Systems in 2019.
- A Russian prosecutor on Thursday requested a seven-year prison term for a Moscow city councillor accused of criticising Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. Alexei Gorinov, a 60-year-old lawyer by training, was arrested in late April for spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army and is now on trial. Gorinov is the first elected member of the opposition to face jail for criticising Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
- Andriy Zagorodnyuk - Ukraine’s former defence minister - says Russian claims that Ukrainian servicemen were killed on Snake Island are untrue. Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday it had eliminated Ukrainian troops who installed a huge national flag on the island after regaining control.
- The European parliament has endorsed a proposal that allows Ukrainian refugees to continue using their driver’s license without needing to switch it out for a European driver’s license. The European Union council will now formally adopt the draft rules.
Updated
A Reuters exclusive report has revealed that Ukraine opposes Canada’s handing over a turbine to Russia’s Gazprom that Moscow says is critical for supplying natural gas to Germany.
According to a Ukrainian energy ministry source, Ukraine believes that doing so would defy sanctions against Russia.
A senior Ukrainian energy ministry source told Reuters that Ukraine opposed the move and that its energy minister had lobbied Canada in June not to hand over the turbine being serviced by Germany’s Siemens Energy in Canada.
“The sanctions forbid the transfer of any equipment related to gas,” the energy ministry source said.
“If, God forbid, this decision is approved, we will undoubtedly appeal to our European colleagues that their approach must be reassesed. Because if countries do not follow decisions they have agreed about sanctions, how can we talk about solidarity?”
Images have emerged of fields of grain in Ukraine set on fire allegedly by Russian forces, Euromaidan Press reports.
According to Ukrainian serviceman Ihor Lutsenko, the “flame sometimes reaches a height of 5 meters, a strip of hundreds of meters in width. Black smoke flies up and spreads across the sky for many kilometers.”
The dry stalks of grain are set ablaze “like matches” from incendiary munitions, he added.
Russians purposefully burn Ukrainian grain
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 7, 2022
The dry stalks go up in fire "like matches" from incendiary munitions
The fire advances like a wall, as a single front; sometimes it reaches 5 m in height, 100's of meters in length.
📷 Serviceman Ihor Lutsenko https://t.co/o4XQNLpCd2 pic.twitter.com/oxuqhPi697
Canada will send 39 General Dynamics-made armored vehicles to Ukraine later this summer in attempts to assist the war-torn country in its fight against Russian forces.
On Thursday, Canadian defense minister Anita Anand said that the armored vehicles deal is on top of a separate multi-billion dollar contract for 260 vehicles for the Canadian armed forces which was negotiated with General Dynamics Land Systems in 2019.
“Those 39 vehicles will begin to ship this summer, and the remaining 360 will continue to be delivered over the next number of months as well,” she said.
The vehicles can be used as ambulances, maintenance and recovery vehicles, in addition to carrying troops.
A Russian prosecutor on Thursday requested a seven-year prison term for a Moscow city councillor accused of criticising Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
Agence France-Presse reports:
Alexei Gorinov, a 60-year-old lawyer by training, was arrested in late April for spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army and is now on trial. Gorinov is the first elected member of the opposition to face jail for criticising Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The charges come under new legislation that allows prison time for discrediting the Russian military and is part of Moscow’s increasing efforts to snuff out the last vestiges of dissent.
Speaking in Moscow’s Meshchansky District Court, the prosecutor accused Gorinov of undermining the “authority of the armed forces” and being guided by “political hatred,” an AFP journalist said.
Gorinov spoke up against Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine during a work meeting in March that was recorded on video and is available on YouTube. During his speech, he questioned plans for an art competition for children in his constituency while “every day children are dying” in Ukraine.
On Thursday, he once again spoke out against what the Kremlin has termed a “special military operation”.
“No matter what you call it, war is the dirtiest, vilest thing there is,” he said. “Why are many of my compatriots feeling ashamed and guilty? Why did so many leave?” he added, referring to an exodus of liberal-minded Russians from the country.
Several dozen people came out to support Gorinov, including his wife and sister. Dmitry Fyodorov, a 50-year-old programmer, said that the charges against Gorinov were “unlawful” and described him as a “kind man and a good lawyer”.
Russian society is reeling from a historic crackdown on dissent which has intensified since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.
Criticism of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine has essentially been banned in the country. In March, Russia passed into law prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading false information aimed at discrediting its military forces.
On Wednesday, parliament introduced harsh prison terms for calls to act against national security and criminal liability for maintaining “confidential” cooperation with foreigners.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk – Ukraine’s former defence minister – says Russian claims that Ukrainian servicemen were killed on Snake Island are untrue. Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday it had eliminated Ukrainian troops who installed a huge national flag on the island after regaining control.
“I spoke to these guys. They say they all came back intact,” Zagorodnyuk told the Guardian. According to a report by Ukrainskaya Pravda, combat swimmers from the 73rd marine centre of Ukraine’s special forces took part in the operation.
They set off for the island during the night using underwater vehicles. An advance team surveyed the coastal zone for mines and gave a signal for boats from the main group to approach, the newspaper said.
Engineers clambered on the island, also known as Zmiiny, and swept for mine barriers and other traps. They logged abandoned Russian equipment and weapons, and raised Ukrainian flags in several areas.
The report added: “While our soldiers were performing their tasks, Russian ships began maneuvering in the direction of Zmiiny. Having completed the task, the combined group left the island.
“After that, the Russians launched a missile attack on Snake Island, hitting the pier. The group of Ukrainian soldiers returned unscathed in its entirety to the base.”
Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken island. Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”. Ukrainian military released footage showing troops installing a huge national flag on Snake Island after regaining control.
Updated
The European parliament has endorsed a proposal that allows Ukrainian refugees to continue using their driver’s license without needing to switch it out for a European driver’s license, the Kyiv Independent reports.
The European Union council will now formally adopt the draft rules.
Wir haben heute im @Europarl_DE eine Übergangsregelung für 🇺🇦 ukrainische Führerscheine verabschiedet. Damit können Ukrainer, die vorübergehenden Schutz in der EU 🇪🇺 suchen, ihren ukrainischen Führerschein unbürokratisch weiter benutzen.#StandWithUkraine#WeStandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/oGeLdfgrl6
— CDU/CSU in Europa (@CDU_CSU_EP) July 7, 2022
Updated
Summary of the day so far
It’s 9pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
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The Russian president has warned Russia has not started its campaign in Ukraine “in earnest”. In a hawkish speech to parliamentary leaders, Vladimir Putin said the prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on.
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Three people were killed and another five were wounded after Russian forces fired rockets at a district in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the regional governor, Oleh Synyehubov ,said. It has not been possible to independently verify this claim.
- At least one person has been killed and six injured by a missile strike on Kramatorsk which hit a residential area, according to Ukraine’s regional governor of Donetsk. “This is a deliberate attack on civilians,” Pavlo Kyrylenko said, adding that this will not stop until the Russians are stopped. The claims have not been independently verified.
- The mayor of Sloviansk said his city near Kramatorsk has come under Russian fire. Some residents were injured, said Vadym Lyakh, without providing further details. Ukraine’s military said pressure is intensifying with heavy shelling on Sloviansk and nearby populated areas.
- Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”. Ukrainian military released footage showing troops installing a huge national flag on Snake Island after regaining control.
- Ukrainian forces are finally seeing the impact of western weapons on the frontlines of the war with Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said. During his nightly TV address, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were advancing in two directions in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions on Ukraine’s southern front and dealing blows to Russia by hitting some of its logistics warehouses.
- The capture of the city of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine has given Russia’s forces “genuine headway”, while its forces in the south have shown signs of “better cooperation”, analysts say. Western officials said the sustainability of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine was “challenging”, but described the impact on their munitions and morale as “remarkable”.
- Resistance remains ongoing in villages around Lysychansk, where 15,000 civilians remain, according to Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai. On Telegram, Haidai said: “Today’s videos from Lysychansk are painful to watch.” He accused Putin’s troops of engaging in a scorched earth policy, “burning down and destroying everything on their way”.
- The evacuation of civilians from Sloviansk continued on Wednesday as Russian troops pressed towards the eastern Ukrainian city in their campaign to control the Donbas region. Mayor Vadym Lyakh said that about 23,000 people out of 110,000 were still in Sloviansk. The governor of Donetsk has also urged the region’s 350,000 people to flee.
- A Russian missile has hit a tanker carrying 500 tonnes of diesel drifting in the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian military. Two KH-31 missiles were fired and one hit the Moldovan-flagged Millennial Spirit, Ukraine’s operational command south said. It is the second time the ship has now been struck since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Ukraine has summoned the Turkish ambassador after it said Turkey had allowed a Russian-flagged ship carrying what it has claimed was thousands of tonnes of stolen Ukrainian grain to leave the port of Karasu. Turkish customs officials had seized the vessel at Ukraine’s request on Tuesday, after Kyiv said the cargo was illegally transporting 7,000 tonnes of grain out of Russian-occupied Berdiansk, a port in the south-east of Ukraine.
- Investigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang who forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false adverts for legitimate employment. Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border.
- US basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court, but said she had not deliberately broken the law. The next court hearing is scheduled for 14 July. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “hype” around Griner’s case does not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate.
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Russian foreign minister has flown into the Indonesian island of Bali for a gathering of G20 foreign ministers. The gathering, which is likely to be overshadowed by Moscow’s war in Ukraine and deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the crisis, will mark the first time that Sergei Lavrov has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war.
- Boris Johnson, who earlier resigned as the leader of Britain’s Conservative party, has spoken with Volodymyr Zelenskiy “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support”, Downing Street said. In his resignation speech outside No 10, Johnson addressed the people of Ukraine directly and promised that “the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes”.
- Johnson’s resignation has been met with sadness in Kyiv, most notably by Volodymyr Zelenskiy who said the PM has been a “true friend of Ukraine”. Ukraine expects Britain’s support to continue despite Johnson’s resignation, Zelenskiy’s office said. Mikhail Podolyak, a key adviser to Zelenskiy, thanked Johnson for “always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”.
- Johnson’s downfall has been met with delight and ridicule in Moscow, with Kremlin spoksperson saying: “He doesn’t like us. We don’t like him either.” Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow would prefer someone “not so antagonistic” to lead the UK.
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The Irish taoiseach has described his visit to Ukraine as “very emotional” and said it was “difficult to comprehend” the level of cruelty that the country has suffered. Micheál Martin returned to Dublin today after spending a day witnessing the devastation inflicted by invading Russian forces in the conflict-scarred suburbs of Bucha, Borodanka and Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Updated
Britain’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has used an urgent question in the Commons to ask if Alexander Lebedev sought to arrange a private phone call between Boris Johnson and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, during a weekend party in April 2018.
A day after Johnson admitted for the first time that when foreign secretary he had met former KGB agent Lebedev without officials present, Cooper told the Commons there were further questions raised by the trip to the party at an Italian palazzo owned by Lebedev’s son.
“There are also rumours that Alexander Lebedev was trying to arrange a phone call from the meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, is that true? Did that phone call happen?” Cooper asked from the dispatch box.
In reply, Vicky Ford, a junior Foreign Office minister, said: “I take national security issues seriously” but failed to address the question substantively. She said ministers had introduced “world-leading sanctions packages” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last month the Tortoise website reported that Lebedev had sought to set up an unmonitored line between Johnson, the then foreign secretary, and Lavrov to discuss the Salisbury poisonings that had happened nearly two months earlier. But the call never took place because Johnson overslept.
Later on Thursday, Lebedev denied he had sought to set up a call between the two politicians. “Both were utterly capable of calling each other at those time, and they surely did. Why would they need a phone operator?”
But he confirmed that met Johnson at the party, saying they had shaken hands. “Maybe we uttered a few words to each other at the table with the other guests, but who cares about truth in those times, especially as regards someone who is Russian,” Lebedev added.
Three people were killed and another five were wounded after Russian forces fired rockets at a district in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the regional governor said.
Writing on Telegram, Oleh Synyehubov said:
Three civilians were killed and five were wounded as a result of shelling of the Nemyshlyan district.
It has not been possible to independently verify this claim.
Updated
Putin warns Russia is just getting started in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has said “everyone should know that” Russia was just getting started in Ukraine and has not “started anything yet in earnest”.
Any prospects for peace negotiations will grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on, the Russian leader said in a hawkish speech to parliamentary leaders.
He said if the west wanted to defeat Russia on the battlefield, it was welcome to try.
Putin said:
Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try. We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian.
This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this.
He added:
Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest. At the same time, we don’t reject peace talks. But those who reject them should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.
Updated
Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Boris Johnson’s resignation was a just reward for a “belligerent” anti-Russian policy of support for Ukraine and said Moscow would prefer someone “not so antagonistic” to lead the UK.
Johnson “concentrated too much” on the situation in Ukraine while ignoring the economic needs of the British people, Kelin said in an interview with Reuters.
Kelin said:
He left behind very much the country, people, state of the economy, and this is what has brought this outcome.
Johnson had changed during his tenure as prime minister, Kelin said. Johnson as foreign minister under Theresa May and Johnson as prime minister were, he said, “two different people”.
He said Johnson had backtracked on an initial willingness to work with Russia, adding that he had blundered into a “strategic mistake” by going so hard in his support for Ukraine.
Kelin added:
I can’t say that he was a friend of Russia.
He said he was not hopeful that a change of leadership would have any impact on Britain’s policy towards Russia or Ukraine, and criticised defence secretary, Ben Wallace, and foreign secretary, Lizz Truss. He said:
They are not very much acquainted with Russian politics and do not really realise the reasons for what is happening.
Updated
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin has described his visit to Ukraine as “very emotional” and said it was “difficult to comprehend” the level of cruelty that the country has suffered.
Martin returned to Dublin today after spending a day witnessing the devastation inflicted by invading Russian forces in the conflict-scarred suburbs of Bucha, Borodanka and Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv.
The tour included a sombre visit to the site of a mass grave on the grounds of a church in Bucha, followed by bilateral meetings with Ukraine’s president, Volodymr Zelenskiy.
Martin said he met many communities who have been “very traumatised at the level of atrocities that were carried out on their peoples” by Russian soldiers in Bucha and Borodyanka.
He went on to say:
It was very difficult to comprehend the level of cruelty and inhumanity that happened and that continues to happen in Ukraine.
Asked what were the lasting impressions of his visit, he replied that it was the “extraordinary resilience” of the Ukrainian people, adding:
When you’re in a place like Bucha and you have to visualise the Russian troops were there, which was on the outskirts of Kyiv and that the Ukrainian military and people managed to push them back out again. That to me demonstrated extraordinary resilience on behalf of the people of Ukraine.
The “needless atrocities and deaths, particularly the deaths of children” also struck him, he said.
It’s very hard to comprehend how any man can start a war which results in the deaths and the murder of so many children.
Martin said it was “very heartening” to see the EU and the UK working well in its response to the war in Ukraine. He said:
It’s very clear that they value the range of support that they have had from the European Union and the United Kingdom.
It brought home to me the importance of our humanitarian response, in terms of our decision very early on, which is very much appreciated by the Ukrainian government, to accept refugees fleeing war, and people who were displaced, fleeing war. And also our very strong advocacy for Ukraine to be members of the European Union.
Updated
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Bali to discuss Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine ahead of a G20 meeting, the Russian foreign ministry said.
Lavrov informed Wang “about the implementation of the main missions of the special military operation” in Ukraine and reiterated Moscow’s rhetoric that its aim is to “denazify” the country, the ministry said in a statement.
Both sides “underlined the unacceptable nature of unilateral sanctions adopted by circumventing the UN”, it added.
The Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov and Wang stressed “the need for the maintenance and development of the G20” in their meeting.
The pair were pictured holding a bilateral meeting in Bali as the world’s top economies gather to discuss the most pressing global issues on Friday, with the Ukraine war at the top of the agenda.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is due to hold bilateral talks with Wang on Saturday but will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov.
Updated
Zelenskiy: All Ukrainians 'saddened' by Boris Johnson's resignation
Ukraine expects Britain’s support to continue despite the resignation of Boris Johnson, the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
In a statement released after the two leaders spoke by phone, Zelenskiy’s office thanked Johnson for defending Ukraine’s interests after Russia’s invasion.
The statement said:
We all heard this news [of Johnson’s resignation] with sadness. Not only me, but also the entire Ukrainian society, which is very sympathetic to you.
We have no doubt that Great Britain’s support will be preserved, but your personal leadership and charisma made it special.
Updated
Footage released by the Ukrainian military shows troops installing a huge national flag on Snake Island after regaining control.
Russian military withdrew from the island on 30 June. The island is strategically important because of its proximity to sea lanes close to Ukraine’s port of Odesa. Since withdrawing, Russia’s defence ministry has said its forces fired missiles at the island on Thursday, killing Ukrainian soldiers.
Summary of the day so far
It’s 6pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
- At least one person has been killed and six injured by a missile strike on Kramatorsk which hit a residential area, according to Ukraine’s regional governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko. “This is a deliberate attack on civilians,” Kyrylenko said, adding that this will not stop until the Russians are stopped. The claims have not been independently verified.
- The mayor of Sloviansk, Vadym Lyakh, said his city near Kramatorsk has come under Russian fire. Some residents were injured, he said, without providing further details. Ukraine’s military said pressure is intensifying with heavy shelling on Sloviansk and nearby populated areas.
- Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”.
- Ukrainian forces are finally seeing the impact of western weapons on the frontlines of the war with Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said. During his nightly TV address, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were advancing in two directions in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions on Ukraine’s southern front and dealing blows to Russia by hitting some of its logistics warehouses.
- The capture of the city of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine has given Russia’s forces “genuine headway”, while its forces in the south have shown signs of “better cooperation”, analysts say. Western officials said the sustainability of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine was “challenging”, but described the impact on their munitions and morale as “remarkable”.
- Resistance remains ongoing in villages around Lysychansk, where 15,000 civilians remain, according to Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai. On Telegram, Haidai said: “Today’s videos from Lysychansk are painful to watch.” He accused Putin’s troops of engaging in a scorched earth policy, “burning down and destroying everything on their way”.
- The evacuation of civilians from Sloviansk continued on Wednesday as Russian troops pressed towards the eastern Ukrainian city in their campaign to control the Donbas region. Mayor Vadym Lyakh said that about 23,000 people out of 110,000 were still in Sloviansk. The governor of Donetsk has also urged the region’s 350,000 people to flee.
- A Russian missile has hit a tanker carrying 500 tonnes of diesel drifting in the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian military. Two KH-31 missiles were fired and one hit the Moldovan-flagged Millennial Spirit, Ukraine’s operational command south said. It is the second time the ship has now been struck since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Ukraine has summoned the Turkish ambassador after it said Turkey had allowed a Russian-flagged ship carrying what it has claimed was thousands of tonnes of stolen Ukrainian grain to leave the port of Karasu. Turkish customs officials had seized the vessel at Ukraine’s request on Tuesday, after Kyiv said the cargo was illegally transporting 7,000 tonnes of grain out of Russian-occupied Berdiansk, a port in the south-east of Ukraine.
- Investigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang who forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false adverts for legitimate employment. Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border.
- US basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court, but said she had not deliberately broken the law. The next court hearing is scheduled for 14 July. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “hype” around Griner’s case does not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate.
- Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has flown into the Indonesian island of Bali for a gathering of G20 foreign ministers. The gathering, which is likely to be overshadowed by Moscow’s war in Ukraine and deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the crisis, will mark the first time that Lavrov has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war.
- Boris Johnson, who earlier resigned as the leader of Britain’s Conservative party, has spoken with Volodymyr Zelenskiy “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support”, Downing Street said. In his resignation speech outside No 10, Johnson addressed the people of Ukraine directly and promised that “the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes”.
- Johnson’s resignation has been met with sadness in Kyiv, most notably by Volodymyr Zelenskiy who said the PM has been a “true friend of Ukraine”. Ukraine has gained a lot from its relationship with Johnson including first and foremost military support, Zelenskiy said. Mikhail Podolyak, a key adviser to Zelenskiy, thanked Johnson for “always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”.
- Johnson’s downfall has been met with delight and ridicule in Moscow, with Kremlin spoksperson saying: “He doesn’t like us. We don’t like him either.” Other senior Russian officials and Kremlin-linked businesspeople used stronger words, saying he had finally got his reward for arming Ukraine against Russia.
Hello, it’s Léonie Chao-Fong still with you today with all the latest news from the war in Ukraine. Feel free to drop me a message if you have anything to flag, you can reach me on Twitter or via email.
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Johnson tells Zelenskiy 'you're a hero' and reiterates Britain's 'unwavering' support for Ukraine
Boris Johnson, who earlier today resigned as the leader of Britain’s Conservative party, spoke with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy this afternoon “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support”, Downing Street said.
Johnson “highlighted the UK’s unwavering cross-party support for President Zelensky’s people, and said the UK would continue to supply vital defensive aid for as long as needed”, a spokesperson for No 10 said.
Johnson said he would continue to “work at pace with partners to try and end the grain blockade in the coming weeks”, they said.
The spokesperson continued:
He thanked President Zelenskiy for everything he’s doing to stick up for freedom, for his friendship and for the kindness of the Ukrainian people.
President Zelenskiy thanked the prime minister for his decisive action on Ukraine, and said the Ukrainian people were grateful for the UK’s efforts.
Johnson finished the call by “praising” Zelenskiy and told him: “You’re a hero, everybody loves you,” the spokesperson added.
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US basketball player Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drugs charges in Russian court
US basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court, but said she had not deliberately broken the law.
Addressing the court in the Khimki court of the Moscow region in English, which was then translated into Russian, Griner said:
I’d like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.
She added:
I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare
Griner left the courtroom without giving any comment to the press.
The WNBA star was detained by the Russian Federal Customs Service in February after it said it discovered vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
In a handwritten letter delivered to the White House on Monday, Griner made a direct appeal to the US president, Joe Biden, for her freedom, writing that she was “terrified I might be here forever”.
Last month, her wife, Cherelle Griner, told CNN that she feels not enough is being done by US diplomats, despite their best intentions.
The next court hearing is scheduled for 14 July. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge.
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Here are some more images that have been sent to us from Kramatorsk, which appear to show the aftermath of a missile or rocket attack on a civilian area. The regional governor says at least one person has been killed and six injured.
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One killed and six injured by missile strike on Kramatorsk – governor
At least one person has been killed and six injured by a missile strike on Kramatorsk which hit a residential area, according to Ukraine’s regional governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
He has posted a status update to Telegram saying:
A Russian missile hit the centre of Kramatorsk. It is known for sure about one dead and six wounded, but these figures may still change. Six buildings were damaged by the impact, including a hotel and a residential high-rise building. This is a deliberate attack on civilians.
Kyrylenko went on to say Russia continues to fight against unarmed people, saying this will not stop until the Russians are stopped. The claims have not been independently verified. Moscow has repeatedly denied that its forces target civilian areas.
This image of firefighters trying to put out a burning car after a strike was taken in Kramatorsk earlier today.
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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has posted to Telegram pictures of him meeting two US senators – the Republican Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal of the Democratic party. Zelenskiy writes:
Pleased to meet US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. Bicameral and bipartisan support is very important to us. We feel and appreciate this unity.
Now the primary task is that by 1 September, women and children can return home, and children and students can go to schools and universities. We count on the support of Congress in the issue of supplying modern air defence systems. We must ensure such a level of security of the sky that our people are not afraid to live in Ukraine.
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Another Ukrainian lawmaker has expressed their gratitude to the outgoing British prime minister, Boris Johnson, with Oleksiy Goncharenko tweeting:
Dear Boris Johnson Ukraine is infinitely grateful to you for everything you have done for us. You will forever remain in our history and will be involved in the future victory. Thank you.
He went on to add:
When I met Boris Johnson in person, he assured me that Ukraine must win and the UK will help us to do so. Ukrainians believe that the next British prime minister will adhere to this opinion!
When I met @BorisJohnson in person, he assured me that #Ukraine must win and the #UK will help us to do so. Ukrainians believe that the next British Prime Minister will adhere to this opinion!#BorisJohnsonResign pic.twitter.com/ugv4lkXr0E
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) July 7, 2022
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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said he is confident that Britain’s policy toward Ukraine will not change any time soon despite the resignation of Boris Johnson.
Johnson has been a “true friend of Ukraine”, Zelenskiy said in an interview with CNN, adding that Ukraine has gained a lot from its relationship with Johnson, including first and foremost military support.
Zelenskiy was looking forward to speaking with Johnson directly to learn more about the details of his resignation, he added.
Boris Johnson’s downfall has been met with delight and ridicule in Moscow, while officials in Kyiv expressed sadness at the resignation of Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s key ally, which is likely to lead to fears for what it will mean for Ukraine’s war effort.
Johnson, who championed weapons transfers to Ukraine in the early stages of the war and was the first world leader to visit Kyiv in April, has emerged as a much-loved figure in Ukraine, but his position made him a frequent target for Russian state media. The Kremlin described him as the “most active anti-Russian leader”.
“He doesn’t like us. We don’t like him either,” Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Thursday morning.
As news of Johnson’s looming resignation reached Moscow, other senior Russian officials and Kremlin-linked businesspeople used stronger words, saying he had finally got his reward for arming Ukraine against Russia.
“The moral of the story – do not seek to destroy Russia. Russia cannot be destroyed. You can break your teeth on it, and then choke on them,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, wrote on Telegram.
The deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, gloated that Johnson’s resignation was “the logical result of British arrogance and mediocre policy”.
“Ukraine’s best friends are departing. We are waiting for news from Germany, Poland and the Baltic states,” the former Russian president wrote on Telegram.
Russia’s leading businessman, Oleg Deripaska, said it was an “inglorious end” for a “stupid clown” whose conscience would be plagued by “tens of thousands of lives in this senseless conflict in Ukraine”.
Read the full article by Pjotr Sauer: Glee in Russia and sadness in Ukraine as Boris Johnson quits
Updated
A Russian missile has hit a tanker carrying 500 tonnes of diesel drifting in the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian military.
Two KH-31 missiles were fired and one hit the Moldovan-flagged Millennial Spirit, Ukraine’s operational command south said.
The ship has now been struck twice since Russian troops entered Ukraine, the first time with a missile fired from warship days after the invasion. At the time, Moldova said the ship had a Russian crew and two were seriously wounded.
Since then, the ship has been drifting without a crew and with the remnants of diesel fuel on board, the Ukrainian military said.
Calling the ship an “environmental time bomb”, Ukraine’s military said “probably the remainder of the cargo” on board the Millennial Spirit is “burning”.
It has not been possible to independently verify the details of the attack.
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Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk under Russian fire, say officials
Russian forces fired missiles at the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in an airstrike, the city’s mayor, Oleksandr Goncharenko, said.
The attack, which took place earlier today, has resulted in casualties, Goncharenko said in a post on Facebook, without providing further details.
Residents of Kramatorsk are urged to stay in shelters, he said, adding that “the danger is not over”.
Local authorities are “clarifying the consequences” of the airstrike while rescue work is under way, the Kramatorsk city council wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Sloviansk, Vadym Lyakh, said his city near Kramatorsk had also come under fire. Some residents were injured, he said, urging people not to go outside unless absolutely necessary.
Ukraine said on Monday it had retreated from Lysychansk, prompting speculation that Russia would now focus on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk to the south, the two main cities in Donetsk province held by Kyiv.
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Johnson: UK will continue to back Ukraine 'for as long as it takes'
In his resignation speech outside Downing Street just earlier, Boris Johnson said he was “immensely proud” of the achievements of his government, including “leading the west in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine”.
Johnson said:
And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.
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Mikhail Podolyak, a key adviser to the Ukrainian president, has thanked Boris Johnson for his support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion.
As Johnson announced he was stepping down as Conservative party leader, but that he planned to stay on as prime minister while his party picks his successor, Podolyak paid tribute to Johnson for “realising the threat of [the Russian) monster and always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”.
To be a leader – to call 🇷🇺 evil a evil and to take responsibility in the hardest times. To be a leader – to be the first to arrive in Kyiv, despite missile attacks. Thanks @BorisJohnson for realizing the threat of RF monster and always being at the forefront of supporting 🇺🇦. pic.twitter.com/vIuXVjUbzG
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) July 7, 2022
Johnson was a “leader”, Podolyak said, acknowledging that the PM’s visit to Kyiv in April marked the most high-profile visit to the Ukrainian capital by a national leader since the war began.
In a video posted to Twitter, Podolyak said:
Mr Johnson – a man who began to call a spade a spade from the beginning, who immediately suggested global politics to change its principles and become more responsible – much more responsible – and not to pretend that this is some small conflict situation.
Today we have everything we need for the effective defence of the country: weapons, partnership and coalition. And thanks to Mr Johnson, we understand that victory is a real symbol of the future of Ukraine.
Ukrainians were “extremely grateful” to Johnson, he said.
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Ukraine prosecutors uncover sex trafficking ring preying on women fleeing country
Investigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang who forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false adverts for legitimate employment.
Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border. They were then able to confirm the suspect’s involvement.
The 21-year-old, who has a son to support, had lost her job because of the war and was about to cross into Hungary, travel on to Vienna and, from there, board a flight for Istanbul, where she believed a legitimate job offer waited for her.
After assisting her, prosecutors were then able to arrest a 31-year-old male suspected of being the leader of a trafficking ring. Based in the Kyiv region, the gang allegedly recruited a number of vulnerable Ukrainian women after the Russian invasion with the false prospect of a legal job, sent them to Turkey and forced them into sex work.
In the suspect’s home, prosecutors found thousands of dollars in cash, credit cards, some registered in China, and a diary, seen by the Guardian, in which the suspect kept a record of the women and their activity in Turkey.
“Since the beginning of the war a lot of women in Ukraine bear financial hardship,” said Oleh Tkalenko, a senior prosecutor for the Kyiv region who led the investigation.
A lot of them lost their jobs. It was very hard, especially for single mothers. In one of the towns in the Kyiv region, a group of men organised a series of Telegram channels, called ‘Meetings’, ‘Meet your future husband’ or ‘Escort service’ where they recruited these women. Preying on their vulnerable situation, they were offering them jobs in Turkey.
Prosecutors said that women were offered work accompanying wealthy men to prestigious events. “When the women got there, they were involved in prostitution,” said Tkalenko. “They were scammed.”
At least seven civilians have been killed and two others injured in Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to the regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Writing on Telegram, Kyrylenko provided the region’s toll for the past 24-hour period. He said:
The Russians killed seven civilians: three in the city of Toretsk, two in Avdiivka, one in Kodema and one in Siversk. Two more people were injured.
It is “currently impossible” to determine the exact casualty figures for Mariupol and Volnovakha, he added.
In a separate statement, the Ukrainian presidency said several localities in the Donetsk region had come under multiple artillery and rocket launcher fire.
Updated
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “hype” around the case of US basketball star Brittney Griner, who is being detained in Russia on drug charges, does not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate.
Referring to a letter the US president, Joe Biden, reportedly plans to send to Griner, Ryabkov said “this kind of correspondence does not help”.
Griner, one of the US’s most decorated women’s basketball players, was detained by the Russian Federal Customs Service in February after it said it discovered vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
In a handwritten letter delivered to the White House on Monday, Griner directly appealed to Biden and said she was “terrified” she would be detained in Russia for ever.
It has been widely speculated that Moscow could use Griner to negotiate the release of a high-profile Russian in US custody.
But speaking today, Ryabkov said it would be difficult to exchange prisoners with the US.
Updated
Kremlin says it 'really does not like' Boris Johnson
The Kremlin has given its response to the news that Boris Johnson will resign as Britain’s Conservative party leader, but will push to stay on as prime minister until autumn.
In his regular briefing with reporters, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said reports that Johnson would shortly resign were of little concern to the Kremlin.
Peskov said:
We would like to hope that some day in Great Britain more professional people who can make decisions through dialogue will come to power. But at the moment there is little hope for that.
Johnson “really does not like us” and the feeling was mutual, he added.
Hello everyone. It’s Léonie Chao-Fong here again, taking over the live blog from Martin Belam to bring you all the latest from the war in Ukraine. I’m on Twitter or you can email me.
Updated
Summary of the day so far
- Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. The daily operational briefing from Russia’s military states: “Around 5am several Ukrainian servicemen landed on the island from a motorboat and took pictures with the flag. The aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces immediately launched a strike with high-precision missiles on Zmiinyi Island, as a result of which part of the Ukrainian military personnel was destroyed.”
- Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”.
- The capture of the city of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine has given Russia’s forces “genuine headway”, while its forces in the south have shown signs of “better cooperation”, analysts say. Western officials said the sustainability of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine was “challenging”, but described the impact on their munitions and morale as “remarkable”.
- Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said heavy weapons from western allies have finally begun working at “full capacity” on frontlines. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian military has been able to target Russian warehouses and locations that are “important for logistics”.
- Resistance remains ongoing in villages around Lysychansk, where 15,000 civilians remain, according to Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai. On Telegram, Haidai said: “Today’s videos from Lysychansk are painful to watch.” He accused Putin’s troops of engaging in a scorched earth policy, “burning down and destroying everything on their way”.
- The evacuation of civilians from Sloviansk continued on Wednesday as Russian troops pressed towards the eastern Ukrainian city in their campaign to control the Donbas region. Mayor Vadym Lyakh said about 23,000 people out of 110,000 were still in Sloviansk but claimed Russia had been unable to surround the city. The governor of Donetsk has also urged the region’s 350,000 people to flee.
- The battle for Sloviansk is likely to be the next key contest in the struggle for Donbas as Russian forces approach to within 16km of the Donetsk town, British intelligence said. Russian forces from the eastern and western groups of forces are likely now around 16km north of Sloviansk as central and southern groups of forces also pose a threat to the town, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
- Ukraine has rejected the claim that Russian forces destroyed two advanced US-made Himars rocket systems and their ammunition depots in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s general staff said the claims by Russia’s defence ministry were fake and that it was using the US-supplied Himars to inflict “devastating blows” on Russian forces.
- Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Thursday a Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain had been allowed to leave the Turkish port of Karasu, calling it an “unacceptable situation and summoning Turkey’s ambassador. “We regret that Russia’s ship Zhibek Zholy, which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities,” said the foreign ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko.
- The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to resign on Thursday, with implications for the level of UK support for Ukraine. The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, had already said he would not be stepping down from office, due to national security issues, which include the UK’s contributions to Ukraine’s war effort. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said reports that Johnson would shortly resign as prime minister were of little concern for the Kremlin, saying “He doesn’t like us, we don’t like him either.”
- Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reports that the British embassy in Moscow has said it will not be using its new address of Lugansk People’s Republic. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, signed a decree on 5 July to give an unnamed stretch of territory located along the Smolenskaya embankment the new name. The US embassy in Moscow now similarly finds itself located in Donetsk People’s Republic Square.
- Finland’s parliament has voted in favour of legislation that would allow barriers on the country’s border with Russia. The bill on preparedness was passed by a supermajority that allows parliament to fast-track laws, amid fears Russia could retaliate over Finland’s plans to join the Nato military alliance. The law also has implications for asylum seekers to Finland as it will allow the government to build fences or other barriers near Finnish borders and direct all asylum applications to one or several border crossings, such as an airport.
That is it from me, Martin Belam, for now. Léonie Chao-Fong will be with you for the next few hours.
Updated
British PM Johnson expected to resign with implications for UK support of Ukraine
The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to resign later today, with implications for the level of UK support for Ukraine. The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, had already said he would not be stepping down from office, due to national security issues, which include the UK’s contributions to Ukraine’s war effort.
The office of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been full of praise for Johnson, who was one of the first western leaders to visit Kyiv after Russia staged its latest invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has a very different view. This morning in his regular call with reporters, Dmitry Peskov said reports that Johnson would shortly resign as prime minister were of little concern for the Kremlin. Reuters reports him saying “he doesn’t like us, we don’t like him either.”
The British foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is reported to be cutting short her trip to Indonesia for the G20 foreign ministers meeting to return to London, where she is among several leading Conservative party members expected to challenge to be the next prime minister.
It is anticipated that Johnson would stay in post as PM until a new leader is voted in, possibly as late as the autumn. Andrew Sparrow is covering the latest UK developments for us live.
Updated
Ukraine to summon Turkey's ambassador after Russian ship carrying grain allowed to depart
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said a Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain had been allowed to leave the Turkish port of Karasu, calling it an “unacceptable situation” and summoning Turkey’s ambassador.
“We regret that Russia’s ship Zhibek Zholy, which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities,” the foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter, Reuters reports.
“Turkey’s ambassador in Kyiv will be invited to Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs to clarify this unacceptable situation.”
The Russians had denied the ship was being detained, saying it was “undergoing standard procedures”.
Updated
Russia claims to have killed Ukrainian troops attempting to raise flag on Snake Island
Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. The daily operational briefing from Russia’s military states:
Against the backdrop of military failures and a massive retreat of Ukrainian troops in the Donbas, on the night of 7 July, the Kyiv regime attempted to symbolically deliver the flag to Snake Island.
Around 5am several Ukrainian servicemen landed on the island from a motorboat and took pictures with the flag. The aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces immediately launched a strike with high-precision missiles on Zmiinyi Island, as a result of which part of the Ukrainian military personnel was destroyed. The survivors fled in the direction of the village of Primorskoye, Odesa region.
The claims have not been independently verified, although earlier authorities in Odesa said the island had been struck.
Updated
The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has issued casualty figures for the last 24 hours, claiming seven people were killed and 30 civilians injured in strikes by Ukrainian armed forces on 13 settlements that the Donetsk People’s Republic occupies. The claims have not been independently verified. Russia and Syria are the only UN member states that recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic as a legitimate authority.
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Finland’s parliament has voted in favour of legislation that would allow barriers on the country’s border with Russia.
Reuters reports the bill on preparedness was passed by a supermajority that allows parliament to fast-track laws, amid fears Russia could retaliate over Finland’s plans to join the Nato military alliance.
The law also has implications for asylum seekers to Finland as it will allow the government to build fences or other barriers near Finnish borders and direct all asylum applications to one or several border crossings, such as an airport.
Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reports that the British embassy in Moscow has said it will not be using its new address of Lugansk People’s Republic.
Moscow has changed the name of the address after the declaration that pro-Russian forces now fully occupy the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.
RIA reports that the Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, signed a decree on 5 July to give an unnamed stretch of territory located along the Smolenskaya embankment the new name.
It quotes the British embassy, saying: “The current address of the British embassy in Moscow is listed on the official website of the embassy”, where it remains Smolenskaya embankment.
The US embassy in Moscow now similarly finds itself located in Donetsk People’s Republic Square.
Updated
Authorities in Odesa are reporting that grain silos in the region and Snake Island have been hit by rockets or missiles overnight.
An official channel for Odesa posted:
Two rockets hit two agricultural hangars at night, which were destroyed. About 35 tonnes of grain were stored in one of them.
According to preliminary data, there are no victims.
And at dawn, during the aerial overflight and reconnaissance of Zmiinyi [Snake Island], the island was attacked by 2 air-launched missiles. The berth was significantly damaged.
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Here are some images that have been sent to us from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, showing civilians yesterday inspecting the rubble left behind after a strike.
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Reuters reports that a senior US state department official has said this week’s meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali is important, but it cannot be business as usual due to the situation with Russia.
The United States wants to make sure that nothing from the G20 lends legitimacy to what Russia is doing in Ukraine, the official said, adding the meeting would be a good opportunity to drive the food security agenda forward.
The UK’s ministry of defence has issued its daily intelligence briefing about the situation in Ukraine. It says:
Heavy shelling continued along the Donetsk frontline, but with few advances being made by Russia. Russian units involved in last week’s gains are now likely re-constituting.
Earlier this week the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, congratulated those who had taken Lysychansk “should rest, increase their combat capabilities”.
The MoD also passes comment on recent legislative moves in Russia’s state Duma to free up resources without declaring a full mobilisation of the economy, commenting that it “allows Russia to avoid acknowledging it is engaged in a war or its failure to overcome Ukraine’s military that was outnumbered and outgunned”.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 7 July 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 7, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/FtMdCLSydg
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/mYgmeiFQEX
- This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
Updated
Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, says he has called on China “to play more constructive role in addressing Russia’s war against Ukraine” and stop any disinformation surrounding Russian attacks.
Borrell said he discussed the matter with Chinese state councillor and foreign minister, Wang Yi.
Called on China to play more constructive role in addressing Russia’s war against Ukraine and stopping disinformation on what are the causes and the disastrous global economic consequences of Russia’s attack.”
Discussed w/ Chinese State Councillor/FM Wang Yi EU-China relations.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 7, 2022
Called on China to play more constructive role in addressing Russia’s war against Ukraine and stopping disinformation on what are the causes and the disastrous global economic consequences of Russia's attack. pic.twitter.com/ORAQ1F5zx0
Snake Island and Odesa hit by two Russian rockets - reports
The strategically and symbolically important southern outpost of Snake Island has reportedly been struck by two rockets early this morning.
Spokesman of the Odesa military administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, said two rockets “significantly damaged” a wharf on the island in an update posted to Telegram just after 8am.
Bratchuk added that Odesa was also attacked around dawn.
“Two agricultural harvesters were hit, 35 tons of grain were destroyed,” he said.
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NZ PM says UN morally bankrupt, failed to respond to war
New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said the world is “bloody messy” as she decried Russia’s “morally bankrupt” war in Ukraine and pointed rowards the failure of the UN to appropriately respond.
In a speech to foreign policy thinktank the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Ardern decried Russia’s “morally bankrupt” war in Ukraine – but also argued against the hardening of alliances, saying that the war should not be presented as a conflict of “democracy v autocracy” or be seen as an inevitable direction for other tensions between competing nations.
“In taking every possible action to respond to Russia’s aggression and to hold it to account, we must remember that fundamentally this is Russia’s war,” she said.
As she charted New Zealand’s approach to trying to pursue “independent foreign policy” as a small player in an intensely pressured environment, Ardern re-articulated the country’s commitment to multilateral institutions – but also reflected on their recent failures.
There was “no better example of that than the failure of the UN to appropriately respond to the war in Ukraine because of the position taken by Russia in the security council”, she said, describing it as “a morally bankrupt position on their part, in the wake of a morally bankrupt and illegal war”.
Russia to attend G20 meeting
Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has flown into Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, which is set to be overshadowed by tensions in Ukraine.
The G20 gathering runs until Friday in in Bali’s Nusa Dua area, as foreign diplomats descended on the tropical island for the meeting.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia must not be allowed to use the G20 meeting as a platform given its war in Ukraine.
“It is in the interest of us all to ensure that international law is respected and adhered to. That is the common denominator,” Baerbock said in a statement.
The summit will see the first face-to-face meeting between President Vladimir Putin’s long-serving foreign minister Lavrov and some of Russia’s biggest critics since the invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov had arrived in Bali and planned to meet some G20 counterparts on the sidelines of the summit, Russian news agency Tass reported, but ministers including Baerbock and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have ruled out meeting Lavrov.
The Group of 20 includes western countries that have accused Moscow of war crimes in Ukraine and rolled out sanctions, but also countries like China, Indonesia, India and South Africa that have been more muted in their response.
Some officials from Europe and the United States have stressed the Bali summit would not be “business as a usual”, with a spokesperson for the German foreign minister saying G7 countries would coordinate their response to Lavrov in Bali.
Discussion of energy and food security are on the agenda in the two-day meeting, with Russia accused of stoking a global food crisis and worsening inflation by blockading shipments of Ukrainian grain. Russia has said it ready to facilitate unhindered exports of grain.
Russian troops push towards Sloviansk
The Ukrainian military says it has so far staved off any major Russian advance into the north of Donetsk, but pressure is intensifying with heavy shelling on the city of Sloviansk and nearby populated areas.
It said Russian forces were bombarding several Ukrainian towns with heavy weaponry to enable ground forces to advance southward into the region and close in on Sloviansk.
In its latest operational update, the Ukrainian military said:
The enemy is trying to improve its tactical position...[They] advanced ... before being repulsed by our soldiers and retreating with losses.”
Other Russian forces, it said, aimed to seize two towns en route to the city of Kramatorsk, south of Sloviansk, and were also trying to take control of the main highway linking Luhansk and Donetsk provinces.
“We are holding back the enemy on the (Luhansk/Donetsk) border,” Luhansk governor, Serhiy Gaidai, told Ukrainian TV. Later, he said Luhansk was still not entirely occupied by Russian forces and that Russia had sustained “colossal losses.”
“They will continue to try to advance on Sloviansk and Bakhmut. There is no doubt about that,” he said.
Sloviansk mayor, Vadym Lyakh, told a video briefing the city had been shelled for the last two weeks.
Summary and welcome
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you as we unpack all the latest news from Ukraine this morning.
Russia’s near five-month conflict in Ukraine has left cities in ruins and thousands homeless.
Here are all the latest lines as of 8am in Kyiv.
- The capture of the city of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine has given Russia’s forces “genuine headway”, while its forces in the south have shown signs of “better cooperation”, analysts say. Western officials said the sustainability of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine was “challenging”, but described the impact on their munitions and morale as “remarkable”.
- Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said heavy weapons from western allies have finally begun working at “full capacity” on frontlines. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian military has been able to target Russian warehouses and locations that are “important for logistics”.
- Resistance remains ongoing in villages around Lysychansk, where 15,000 civilians remain, according to Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai. On Telegram, Haidai said: “Today’s videos from Lysychansk are painful to watch.” He accused Putin’s troops of engaging in a scorched earth policy, “burning down and destroying everything on their way”.
- The evacuation of civilians from Sloviansk continued on Wednesday as Russian troops pressed towards the eastern Ukrainian city in their campaign to control the Donbas region. Mayor Vadym Lyakh said that about 23,000 people out of 110,000 were still in Sloviansk but claimed Russia had been unable to surround the city. The governor of Donetsk has also urged the region’s 350,000 people to flee.
- The battle for Sloviansk is likely to be the next key contest in the struggle for Donbas as Russian forces approach to within 16km of the Donetsk town, British intelligence said. Russian forces from the eastern and western groups of forces are likely now around 16km north of Sloviansk as central and southern groups of forces also pose a threat to the town, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.
- Ukraine has rejected the claim that Russian forces destroyed two advanced US-made Himars rocket systems and their ammunition depots in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s general staff said the claims by Russia’s defence ministry were fake and that it was using the US-supplied Himars to inflict “devastating blows” on Russian forces.
- Ireland’s taoiseach, Micheál Martin, visited the war-scarred suburbs of Borodianka, Bucha and Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv on Wednesday. Martin said he and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, discussed a joint response to the threat to food security, the energy crisis and the preparation of the seventh sanction package against Russia. Martin reiterated his country’s solidarity with Ukraine.
- The head of the Russian-imposed administration of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Yevgeny Balitsky, has said the region plans to sell Ukraine’s grain to the Middle East. The main countries involved in the deal were Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of stealing grain, a charge that Moscow has denied.
- Russian forces have occupied about 22% of Ukraine’s arable land, according to Nasa’s Harvest mission. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nasa has been focusing on the impact of the war on the global food system. Its findings have revealed that Ukrainian fields where 28% of winter and 18% of spring crops are sown are under Russian occupation.
- Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said he asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin to help import fuel to his country as it faces its worst economic crisis in seven decades. Rajapaksa tweeted that he had a “productive” telephone call with Putin, while thanking him for “all the support extended by his [government] to overcome the challenges of the past”.
- Zelenskiy called on the world’s largest independent oil trader to stop shipping Russian oil, accusing it of “brazen profiteering from blood oil”.
- Ukraine’s military announced plans to introduce a system of permits that would prohibit men eligible for conscription from leaving the region where they are registered. The move, based on legislation from 1992, was intended to enable the country’s armed forces to locate potential conscripts more easily, but it prompted an immediate backlash.
- Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, has admitted that he met the former KGB agent, Alexander Lebedev, without officials present while foreign secretary. Johnson told MPs he accepted he met the former KGB agent on a trip to Italy. Asked whether he reported the meeting to officials, Johnson said: “I think I did.”
- Russia’s parliament has rushed through two bills imposing strict controls on the economy, requiring businesses to supply goods to the armed forces and obliging employees at some firms to work overtime. The bills will allow the government to introduce “special economic measures” once signed into law by Putin.
- Nearly 9 million people have left Ukraine since Russia invaded, the UN refugee agency has said. With Russia stepping up its offensive in the east of the country, there are increasingly loud calls from Ukrainian authorities for people to escape while they can from frontline areas.
