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Summary
It’s 2am in Kyiv. Here’s where things stand:
- Belgium will reopen its embassy in Kyiv and send a new ambassador, its prime minister confirmed. The embassy will open next week and Ambassador Peter Van De Velde, whom Alexander De Croo met before he was sent to Ukraine, will represent Belgium.
- Luhansk’s governor said Russian forces were indiscriminately shelling populated areas on Friday, Reuters reports. “They are not stopped even by the fact that civilians remain there, dying in houses and yards,” Serhiy Gaidai said.
- Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has asked all residents in the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to “evacuate by all possible means”. There will be “harsh battle” as the Ukrainian army will be “de-occupying these territories”, he said.
- Ukraine’s military says that it has destroyed two Russian command posts near Kherson, according to Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the joint southern command of Ukraine’s armed forces.
- The Ukrainian foreign minister criticized Russia at the G20 summit in Bali, saying that it prefers to follow its own rules instead of cooperating multilaterally with the international community. “I am strong supporter of multilateralism. But it lacks tools to protect itself from those who disrespect other nations. Who prefer to play with common rules instead of playing by the rules. We have such a country at this table today – Russia,” said Dmytro Kuleba.
- The Ukrainian parliament adopted a set of new laws on Friday during its plenary session. The new laws include safety guarantees for journalists working in battle areas, improved social protection for rescuers, and postponed transitioning to keep records of the gas volumes in units of energy.
- The US is sending four more Himars, or high mobility artillery rocket systems, to Ukraine, a US senior defense official told reporters at a press briefing on Friday. The four additional Himars will bring the total number given to Ukraine to 12. According to the official, the first eight were especially useful as the fighting in Donbas against Russian forces evolved into an artillery fight.
Updated
Belgium is set to reopen its embassy in Kyiv and send a new ambassador, its prime minister confirmed.
The embassy will open next week and Ambassador Peter Van De Velde, whom Alexander De Croo met before he was sent to Ukraine, will represent Belgium.
“The reopening of our embassy should allow closer ties with the Ukrainian authorities, particularly in the context of the security situation and Ukraine’s application for EU membership,” De Croo said.
“This is an important sign of resilience and support [sent] to Ukrainians. This return of our diplomatic teams to Kyiv is also important for the reconstruction [of the country], in which Belgian companies have an important role to play,” he added.
Updated
Luhansk’s governor said Russian forces were indiscriminately shelling populated areas on Friday, Reuters reports.
“They are not stopped even by the fact that civilians remain there, dying in houses and yards,” Serhiy Gaidai said.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts.
In Sievierodonetsk, which was fully occupied by Russian forces last month, most of the infrastructure has been destroyed and major repairs are needed, said Oleksandr Striuk, the mayor.
“This is impossible until the city is de-occupied and Ukrainian control is restored and a planning project is put in place. And in the meantime the situation with sanitation will be catastrophic,” Striuk said.
Updated
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has asked all residents in the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to “evacuate by all possible means” because there will be “harsh battle” as the Ukrainian army will be “de-occupying these territories”.
Ukraine's Deputy PM called on residents of the occupied districts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts "to evacuate by all possible means" because there will be "harsh battles" as "Ukraine's Armed Forces will be deocuppying these territories" https://t.co/Qea3Go2tmB
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 8, 2022
Updated
Ukraine’s military says that it has destroyed two Russian command posts near Kherson, according to Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the joint southern command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
⚡️ Ukraine's military says it destroyed 2 Russian command posts near Kherson.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) July 8, 2022
According to Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the joint southern command of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukraine's military hit the command posts with rocket artilleries.
Updated
The Ukrainian foreign minister criticized Russia at the G20 summit in Bali, saying that it prefers to follow its own rules instead of cooperating multilaterally with the international community.
“I am strong supporter of multilateralism. But it lacks tools to protect itself from those who disrespect other nations. Who prefer to play with common rules instead of playing by the rules. We have such a country at this table today – Russia,” said Dmytro Kuleba.
"I am strong supporter of multilateralism. But it lacks tools to protect itself from those who disrespect other nations. Who prefer to play with common rules instead of playing by the rules. We have such a country at this table today—Russia," 🇺🇦FM at G20 https://t.co/KtO9Ml3kJa pic.twitter.com/hN7HCq5YYp
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 8, 2022
He added that the Russian invasion deprives Russia of its right to participate in international forums, saying that the only place for it is the UN international court of justice.
Updated
The Ukrainian parliament adopted a set of new laws on Friday during its plenary session.
The new laws include safety guarantees for journalists working in battle areas, improved social protection for rescuers, and postponed transitioning to keep records of the gas volumes in units of energy.
❗️New Laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of #Ukraine today during the plenary session.#StandWithUkraine #StopPutin #StopRussia pic.twitter.com/pMDQPQD0yx
— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Ukrainian Parliament (@ua_parliament) July 8, 2022
The US is sending four more Himars, or High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Ukraine, a US senior defense official told reporters at a press briefing on Friday.
The four additional Himars will bring the total number given to Ukraine to 12. According to the official, the first eight were especially useful as the fighting in Donbas against Russian forces evolved into an artillery fight.
In addition to the four Himars, the US is sending up to $400m in additional military equipment and supplies. Equipment includes three tactical vehicles, demolition munitions, counter-battery systems and other spare parts, according to Defense News.
The new shipment will also include 1,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, the defense official said.
“We don’t see this at all as Russia winning this battle,” the official said. “Certainly they’re not winning it relative to their initial objectives. They’ve been very much thwarted, but the fighting is hard.”
He went on to add, “If the Russians think they can outlast the Ukrainians, they need to rethink that...We are already pivoting towards thinking about what the Ukrainians will need in the months and years ahead.”
Updated
Summary of the day so far
It is almost 9pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
- Five people were killed as a result of Russian strikes on the frontline Donetsk towns of Bakhmut and Siversk, Ukraine’s prosecutor general said. Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, were injured after Russian forces opened “heavy fire” on Bakhmut and Siversk, the prosecutor general’s office said on Telegram. It has not been possible to independently verify these claims.
- Russia is continuing its offensive into Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region after capturing almost the entire neighbouring Luhansk region, according to officials. Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai, said he did not agree with recent western assessments that Russia had paused its offensive and was resting to regroup.
- The situation in occupied Sievierodonetsk “is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster” and the city is being widely looted by Russian troops, according to Haidai. He said the city was becoming unsanitary, and that some residents were returning to find their homes emptied. It is thought that around 15,000 civilians may still be in the city, which has been a key strategic point for the Russian occupation of the Luhansk region.
- Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed two British-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile systems in Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight. The missile systems are one of several weapons supplied to Ukraine by Nato countries since Russia’s invasion. The Russian ministry’s claim has not been independently verified.
- Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, the Russian president dared the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield. On Friday, the Kremlin reiterated the bullish stance and said Russia has used “only a small portion” of its potential in Ukraine.
- Putin also warned that the continued use of sanctions against Russia could lead to “catastrophic consequences” on the global energy market. At a televised meeting with senior officials on Friday, he said sanctions on Russia “cause much more damage to those countries that impose them”.
- Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow will have to take “serious measures” if western weaponry in Ukraine “endangers our strategic situation”. In an interview with Reuters, Kelin said Russia will defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the Donbas region, and that Russian forces would be unlikely to withdraw from a vast swathe of land across Ukraine’s southern coast.
- Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said the raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea is a sign his country will not be broken. In a national address on Thursday night, Zelenskiy said that the two-month operation to retake Snake Island was a warning to all Russian forces.
- A court in Moscow has sentenced an opposition councillor to seven years in jail for criticising Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The sentencing of Alexei Gorinov, a deputy at Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district council, marks the first long-term prison sentence handed out under new laws that restrict criticism of the war.
- Moscow’s chief rabbi, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has confirmed that he has left Russia and stepped down from the role. To continue would endanger Moscow’s Jewish community, Goldschmidt said in a statement, adding: “I could not remain silent, viewing so much human suffering” in Ukraine.
- Russia has warned Lithuania and the EU it could adopt “harsh measures” against them if the transit of some goods to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad did not resume. The issue has taken “too long to resolve”, said the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova.
- The Russian foreign minister left the G20 meeting of leading economies early after telling his counterparts that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not responsible for a global hunger crisis. The gathering on Friday was Sergei Lavrov’s first direct confrontation with leaders from the west since Russia mounted its attack on Ukraine, and he accused the west of frenzied criticism of what he claimed were Moscow’s justified actions. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, described Lavrov’s behaviour as “not very respectful”.
- Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has accused Russia of playing “hunger games” with the world in an address to a G20 meeting in Bali. The Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian ports has “already shredded global chains of food supply and has a detrimental effect on global food security”, he said, adding that the international community had no right to allow Russia to blackmail the world with high energy prices, hunger and security threats.
-
China and Russia have maintained normal exchanges and promoted cooperation, showing the “strong resilience” and “strategic resolve” of their relations, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, said. China will also support all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Wang told Sergei Lavrov in a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.
- Germany has ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato, three days after the 30 members signed off on the expansion. The documents need to be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 member states before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the Nato mutual defence clause which states that an attack on one member is an attack on them all.
The Russian parliament’s upper house has barred British diplomats, including the ambassador, from entering its building in response to a British decision to exclude Russian diplomats from its parliament.
Senator Grigory Karasin said in a livestreamed session of the upper chamber’s rules committee, reported by Reuters:
The decision is quite simple, although unpleasant, but it is required for this situation. Our country must be firm in upholding its own positions and in upholding its honour.
Updated
Five civilians were killed as a result of Russian strikes on the frontline Donetsk towns of Bakhmut and Siversk, Ukraine’s prosecutor general said.
Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, were injured after Russian forces opened “heavy fire” on Bakhmut and Siversk, the prosecutor general’s office said on Telegram.
Five civilians died in the intensive care unit of a hospital after the strikes, it said.
It has not been possible to independently verify these claims.
Updated
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainians feel “personal gratitude” towards Boris Johnson for his support during the war with Russia.
The British prime minister’s resignation had been “the main topic in our country”, Ukraine’s president said.
Johnson had a close personal relationship with Ukraine’s president, often speaking to him on the phone and twice visiting Kyiv. Zelenskiy also expressed delight when Johnson won a confidence vote in his party.
Updated
A Ukrainian official has accused Russian forces of setting fire to grain fields in the occupied south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region of the country.
Oleg Nikolenko, Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson, tweeted a photo of a vast grain field on fire with the caption:
Remember this picture every time Russians say they care about global food security. Millions of people across the world will face hunger because Russia launched a brutal war against Ukraine.
Russia’s troops set fire to grain fields in Ukraine’s fertile Zaporizhzhia region. Remember this picture every time Russians say they care about global food security. Millions of people across the world will face hunger - because Russia launched a brutal war against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/8BktmNCM79
— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) July 8, 2022
Updated
Canada has announced new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, targeting the leader of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, and other individuals accused of spreading disinformation.
Canadian foreign minister, Mélanie Joly, unveiled the sanctions while attending a meeting of G20 counterparts in Bali, where Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, stormed out of talks over western powers’ criticisms of the Kremlin.
The new package targets 29 individuals accused of being “state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda agents” and 15 Russian government-controlled entities “involved in disinformation efforts”, according to a statement by Joly.
Sumbatovich Gasparyan, head of the international department of the Russian state-owned media outlet RT, is among those newly sanctioned.
Joly said:
The Russian propaganda machine must answer for its lies ... Today, we make it clear to those who peddle deception: you will be held accountable.
The latest announcement brings the total number of individuals and entities in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus that Canada has sanctioned since the beginning of the war to more than 1,150 .
Updated
Russia threatens 'harsh measures' over Kaliningrad transit
Russia has warned Lithuania and the EU it could adopt “harsh measures” against them if the transit of some goods to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad did not resume.
A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said in a statement:
If the situation does not stabilise in the coming days, then Russia will take harsh measures against Lithuania and the European Union.
The issue has taken “too long to resolve”, she added.
Lithuania has banned the transit of goods subject to EU sanctions across its territory to Kaliningrad, on the Baltic sea.
Updated
Updated
Summary of the day so far
It is almost 6.30pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
- Russia is continuing its offensive into Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region after capturing almost the entire neighbouring Luhansk region, according to officials. Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Haidai, said he did not agree with recent western assessments that Russia had paused its offensive and was resting to regroup.
- The situation in occupied Sievierodonetsk “is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster” and the city is being widely looted by Russian troops, according to Haidai. He said the city was becoming unsanitary, and that some residents were returning to find their homes emptied. It is thought that around 15,000 civilians may still be in the city, which has been a key strategic point for the Russian occupation of the Luhansk region.
- Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed two British-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile systems in Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight. The missile systems are one of several weapons supplied to Ukraine by Nato countries since Russia’s invasion. The Russian ministry’s claim has not been independently verified.
- Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, the Russian president dared the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield. On Friday, the Kremlin reiterated the bullish stance and said Russia has used “only a small portion” of its potential in Ukraine.
- Putin also warned that the continued use of sanctions against Russia could lead to “catastrophic consequences” on the global energy market. At a televised meeting with senior officials on Friday, he said sanctions on Russia “cause much more damage to those countries that impose them”.
- Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow will have to take “serious measures” if western weaponry in Ukraine “endangers our strategic situation”. In an interview with Reuters, Kelin said Russia will defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the Donbas region, and that Russian forces would be unlikely to withdraw from a vast swathe of land across Ukraine’s southern coast.
- Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said the raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea is a sign his country will not be broken. In a national address on Thursday night, Zelenskiy said that the two-month operation to retake Snake Island was a warning to all Russian forces.
- A court in Moscow has sentenced an opposition councillor to seven years in jail for criticising Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The sentencing of Alexei Gorinov, a deputy at Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district council, marks the first long-term prison sentence handed out under new laws that restrict criticism of the war.
-
Moscow’s chief rabbi, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has confirmed that he has left Russia and stepped down from the role. To continue would endanger Moscow’s Jewish community, Goldschmidt said in a statement, adding: “I could not remain silent, viewing so much human suffering” in Ukraine.
- The Russian foreign minister left the G20 meeting of leading economies early after telling his counterparts that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not responsible for a global hunger crisis. The gathering on Friday was Sergei Lavrov’s first direct confrontation with leaders from the west since Russia mounted its attack on Ukraine, and he accused the west of frenzied criticism of what he claimed were Moscow’s justified actions. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, described Lavrov’s behaviour as “not very respectful”.
- Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has accused Russia of playing “hunger games” with the world in an address to a G20 meeting in Bali. The Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian ports has “already shredded global chains of food supply and has a detrimental effect on global food security”, he said, adding that the international community had no right to allow Russia to blackmail the world with high energy prices, hunger and security threats.
-
China and Russia have maintained normal exchanges and promoted cooperation, showing the “strong resilience” and “strategic resolve” of their relations, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, said. China will also support all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Wang told Sergei Lavrov in a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.
- Germany has ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato, three days after the 30 members signed off on the expansion. The documents need to be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 member states before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the Nato mutual defence clause which states that an attack on one member is an attack on them all.
Hello everyone, it’s Léonie Chao-Fong with all the latest developments 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.
Updated
A meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali showed consensus behind the demand that Russia lift a blockade on Ukrainian grain exports, according to a western official present at the meeting.
According to Reuters, the official said:
We hope a result of this meeting is that Russia sees how widespread the consensus is on the need to make progress on [the] grain issue.
It remained to be seen if the meeting would produce real change, the official said.
Updated
Germany ratifies Finland and Sweden's accession to Nato
Germany has ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato, three days after the 30 members signed off on the expansion.
Reuters reports that the parliament in Berlin, as well as the Bundesrat group of the federal states, endorsed the accession protocols for both Nordic countries.
“This creates more security for all Nato members and for Europe,” the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on Twitter.
The accession documents need to be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 member states before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the Nato mutual defence clause, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on them all.
Ratification could take up to a year but Helsinki and Stockholm can participate in Nato meetings and have greater access to intelligence in the meantime.
Updated
Putin warns Europe of 'catastrophic consequences' in energy market if sanctions persist
Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has said that the continued use of sanctions against Russia could lead to catastrophic price rises in energy markets, hitting households across Europe with much higher prices.
“Yes, we know that the Europeans are trying to replace Russian energy resources,” Putin said at a televised meeting with senior officials, according to Reuters reports.
“However, we expect the result of such actions to be an increase in gas prices on the stock market and an increase in the cost of energy resources for end consumers.
“All this once again shows that sanctions restrictions on Russia cause much more damage to those countries that impose them. Further use of sanctions may lead to even more severe, without exaggeration, even catastrophic consequences on the global energy market.”
Updated
Here are some of the latest images on the newswires from Ukraine.
Updated
Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has said his administration would maintain its neutral stance on the war in Ukraine.
Asked how his visit to Washington next week could affect Mexico’s position on the conflict, López Obrador replied that the country would stay neutral and that he hoped there would be a ceasefire, Reuters reports.
Updated
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was not present for much of the afternoon session of a G20 meeting in Bali and left the room after giving his remarks, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said.
Borrell described Lavrov’s behaviour as “not very respectful” after the Russian minister left the G20 meeting early after telling his counterparts that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not responsible for a global hunger crisis, and that sanctions designed to isolate Russia amounted to a declaration of war.
In a stern if brief lecture, Lavrov said:
If the west doesn’t want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield – because both views have been expressed – then perhaps there is nothing to talk about with the west.
Updated
Russia has used ‘only a small portion’ of its potential in Ukraine, says Kremlin
The Kremlin has said Russia has used only a small portion of its potential in its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine, and daring the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield.
Putin accused Ukraine’s western allies of fuelling hostilities, saying that “the west wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian” and that they were welcome to try, but it would only bring tragedy for Ukraine.
The Russian leader 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.
During his regular briefing today, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that bullish stance, telling reporters:
Russia’s potential is so great that only a small portion of it is being used in the special operation.
Updated
Mykhailo Podolyak, a key adviser to Ukraine’s president, has responded to Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russia has barely started its campaign in Ukraine.
Speaking at a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, the Russian president said prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on.
Putin said:
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.
Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation team, tweeted in response:
37,000 dead Russian soldiers. Total sanitary losses [injured] of 98-117 thousand people. 10 generals were eliminated. 1605 tanks, 405 planes/helicopters were turned into scrap.
Has Russia not started fighting yet? Is [the] Kremlin considering war only by Stalin’s mathematics - 20 million losses?
37000 dead Russian soldiers. Total sanitary losses of 98-117 thousand people. 10 generals were eliminated. 1605 tanks, 405 planes/helicopters were turned into scrap. Has Russia not started fighting yet? Is Kremlin considering war only by Stalin's mathematics - 20 million losses?
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) July 8, 2022
It is not possible to independently verify Ukraine’s claims of Russian losses.
Updated
The Russian foreign minister left the G20 meeting of leading economies early after telling his counterparts that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not responsible for a global hunger crisis and sanctions designed to isolate Russia amounted to a declaration of war.
The gathering on Friday was Sergei Lavrov’s first direct confrontation with leaders from the west since Russia mounted its attack on Ukraine, and he accused the west of frenzied criticism of what he claimed were Moscow’s justified actions.
In a stern if brief lecture at the meeting in Bali hosted by Indonesia, this year’s chair of the G20, Lavrov said: “If the west doesn’t want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield – because both views have been expressed – then, perhaps, there is nothing to talk about with the west.”
Lavrov, sitting at the meeting between Saudi Arabia and Mexico, also accused the west of pressuring Ukraine to “use its weapons” in the fighting. He walked out at the point the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, was starting to speak.
Afterwards he said he had come to Bali to get an impression “of how the west breathes”. It had been obvious that the west didn’t use the G20 for the purposes for which it was created, Lavrov said. Participants from developing countries did not support this approach, he claimed.
“Aggressors, invaders, occupants. We’ve heard quite a few such things today,” he said while describing the speeches made by his western counterparts. He said some of the speeches were made for theatrical effect, citing Boris Johnson as a prime example. “Well, he resigned, and so be it,” Lavrov said. “Everyone said Russia must be isolated. But so far his own party has isolated Boris Johnson.”
Moscow councillor jailed for seven years after criticising Ukraine war
A court in Moscow has sentenced an opposition councillor to seven years in jail for criticising Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, the first long-term prison sentence handed out under the new laws that restrict criticism of the war.
Alexei Gorinov, a deputy at Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district council and trained lawyer, was arrested in April on charges of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army.
According to the authorities, Gorinov committed the offence when he and a fellow opposition deputy, Elena Kotenochkina, spoke out against the council’s proposal to hold a children’s drawing contest and a dancing festival despite the war in Ukraine, where Gorinov said “children were dying”.
“I believe all efforts of [Russian] civil society should be aimed only at stopping the war and withdrawing Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine,” Gorinov said during the work meeting, which was recorded on video and is available on YouTube.
“I believe all efforts of [Russian] civil society should be aimed only at stopping the war and withdrawing Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine,” Gorinov said during the work meeting which was recorded on video and is available on YouTube https://t.co/lefyQfdAah
— Pjotr Sauer (@PjotrSauer) July 8, 2022
The charges against Gorinov fall under a series of new laws that have been introduced since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Gorinov’s long sentence will be perceived as harsh even in the current political climate in Russia, where authorities have embarked on an unprecedented crackdown on civil society and opposition since the invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February.
Human rights groups will worry that Gorinov’s case will be the first in a string of rulings against anti-war figures who are awaiting trial.
At least 50 people face long-term prison sentences or steep fines for “knowingly spreading false information” about the military, while about 2,000 people have received smaller fines for criticising the war, according to a human rights group that tracks cases nationwide.
Russia to take ‘serious measures’ if western weapons threaten us, says ambassador
Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow will have to take “serious measures” if western weapons in Ukraine “endangers our strategic situation”.
In an interview with Reuters, Kelin said Ukraine will have to decide, sooner or later, whether to strike a peace deal with Russia or “continue slipping down this hill” to ruin.
Asked how the conflict might end, Kelin said Russia will defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the eastern Donbas region.
Russian and Russian-backed forces would be unlikely to withdraw from a vast swathe of land across Ukraine’s southern coast, he added.
Kelin said:
We are going to liberate all of the Donbas.
He said it was “difficult to predict” the withdrawal of Russian forces from the southern part of Ukraine, adding:
We have already experienced that after withdrawal, provocations start and all the people are being shot and all that.
Kelin also criticised Britain over what he said was a lack of effort to secure the release of two British citizens sentenced to death for fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Kelin said:
We had a formal request here in London and in Moscow about these two guys - that they exist - and a phrase like ‘we put all responsibility on Russia for them.
Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were sentenced on charges of “terrorism” by a Russian proxy court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
Kelin added:
There was no demand for mediation, no demand for their release or anything like that. ‘Let’s talk about their fate and what can be done in this situation’.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has accused Russia of playing “hunger games” with the world in an address to a G20 meeting in Bali.
The international community had no right to allow Russia to blackmail the world with high energy prices, hunger and security threats, Kuleba told his counterparts via video link.
The Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian ports has “already shredded global chains of food supply and has a detrimental effect on global food security”, he said.
Kuleba said:
Russia is essentially playing hunger games with the world by keeping the naval blockade of Ukrainian ports with one hand and shifting the blame for it on Ukraine with the other hand. Russia sees dependence of other countries on any type of resources as weakness and an invitation to use this dependence as a leverage to Russia’s gain.
He said Ukraine has been essential to worldwide food security for decades, but is now being “attacked, bombed, and looted by Russian criminals”.
Addressed the G20 ministerial today upon invitation by @Menlu_RI and called for a resolute global response to Russian aggression which threatens the world with food and energy crises. Putting Russia in its place is the global challenge number one and the meeting today proved it. pic.twitter.com/SBzlQFtBTA
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) July 8, 2022
Updated
Summary of the day so far
- The situation in occupied Sievierodonetsk “is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster” and the city is being widely looted by Russian troops, according to Ukraine’s governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai. He said the city was becoming unsanitary, and that some residents were going back to find their homes emptied.
- Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed two British-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile systems in Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight. The claim has not been independently verified.
- Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has been sharply critical of the approach of western countries to the G20 meeting in Indonesia, accusing them of derailing talks on the global economy and instead concentrating on calling Russia “aggressors”, “invaders” and “occupiers”.
- The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, warned Moscow had 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.”
- Moscow’s chief rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt has confirmed that he has left Russia and has stepped down from the role, saying that to continue in it would endanger Moscow’s Jewish community. He said “I could not remain silent, viewing so much human suffering” in Ukraine. He will continue his role as president of the Conference of European Rabbis.
- Russia is likely concentrating equipment on the frontline in the direction of Siversk, about 8km (4.9 miles) west of the current Russian frontline, Britain’s defence ministry has said. Russian forces are likely pausing to replenish before undertaking new offensive operations in the the Donetsk region, the MoD said in its latest intelligence report.
- Four people died and nine were injured by attacks on the Kharkiv region yesterday, but the night passed without any further shelling, according to Ukraine’s governor of the region, Oleh Synyehubov.
- Ukraine’s interior ministry has issued a statement to say that forensic work continues at the site of the shopping mall attacked in Kremenchuk on 27 June. One person is still considered missing.
- Boris Johnson spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskiy Thursday “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support” in light of his resignation as British prime minister, 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 expected 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 a 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.
That is it from me, Martin Belam, for the moment. Léonie Chao-Fong will be here next to continue our coverage.
Updated
Russia says it destroyed two British-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile systems in Odesa
Russia’s defence ministry said in a briefing that its forces had destroyed two British-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missile systems in Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight.
The claim has not been independently verified by Reuters who reported it.
Ukraine’s interior ministry has issued a statement to say that forensic work continues at the site of the shopping mall attacked in Kremenchuk on 27 June.
They quote Ihor Malysh, head of the forensic support department of the main investigation department of the national police saying:
At the moment, search and rescue operations are ongoing at the site of the shopping centre destroyed by Russian troops, one person is still considered missing.
Moscow's chief rabbi steps down from role over Ukraine war
Moscow’s chief rabbi has confirmed that he has left Russia and has stepped down from the role, saying that to continue in it would endanger Moscow’s Jewish community.
Pinchas Goldschmidt, who also heads the Conference of European Rabbis, has issued a statement:
As the terrible war against Ukraine unfolded over the last few months, I could not remain silent, viewing so much human suffering, I went to assist the refugees in Eastern Europe and spoke out against the war. As time progressed, despite re-electing me to the position of Chief Rabbi last month, it became clear that the Jewish community of Moscow would be endangered by me remaining in my position.
Goldschmidt took up the role 33 years ago, and in his statement he and his wife say they are grateful to have played a part in “the historic renaissance of Russian Jewry” after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He said: “We did our best to navigate and build the community through the tumultuous 1990s and in the increasingly authoritarian Russia under the current president.”
He confirmed that he would continue his role as president of the Conference of European Rabbis, saying “I shall continue to serve the rabbis and communities of Europe, including the community of Moscow, to the very best of my abilities.”
Updated
Here are some of the latest images we have been sent showing the impact of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine and beyond.
Updated
The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has claimed that one person was killed and 13 civilians were injured in the last 24 hours in shelling by Ukrainian armed forces on territory the pro-Russian proxies occupy. The claims have not been independently verified. Russia and Syria are the only UN member states to recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic as a legitimate authority.
Reuters reports a US official has told them that US secretary of state Antony Blinken told Russia directly at the G20 meeting that it must let Ukraine’s grain be exported.
Blinken spoke at a plenary session of the meeting, which was focused on food and energy insecurity, said the official.
“He addressed Russia directly, saying: ‘To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,’ the official said.
Photographer Fabian Ritter spent three weeks with young people in Kyiv getting to know their outlook and documenting their new everyday lives. This photo essay we have today is the result.
Find it here: Young Ukrainians in Kyiv – a photo essay
Ukrainian official: Sievierodonetsk 'on the verge of humanitarian disaster'
The situation in occupied Sievierodonetsk “is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster” and the city is being widely looted by Russian troops, according to Ukraine’s governor of Luhansk, Serhai Haidai.
He posted to Telegram this morning, claiming:
In Sievierodonetsk, 80% of housing was destroyed or damaged. Some people try to return for things, but more and more often … they find an empty apartment, even if it survived. Having entered the city, the Russians first deported part of the local population, took away the keys, and then began to rob everything. They drive up to high-rise buildings in trucks. If the furniture is good, they take it away. It is no longer just about household appliances.
The city is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster – there is no centralised water supply, gas supply, or electricity supply.
Since the end of February, the occupiers have been shelling critical infrastructure facilities, destroying them almost completely. They will not be able to repair anything. Because even in peacetime, such a volume of restoration can be done in six months to a year. If materials and skilled workers are available. Russians have neither that nor the other.
Big problem with sewage. Treatment plants are not working, as well as pumping stations. Sewage accumulates. Add to that the air temperature. And the stench from the dead – those who were buried in yards, and many remain in apartments and entrances. Sievierodonetsk is witnessing a humanitarian disaster.
It is thought that around as many as 15,000 civilians may still be in the city, which has been a key strategic point for the Russian occupation of the Luhansk region. The claims have not been independently verified.
Updated
Four people died and nine were injured by attacks on the Kharkiv region yesterday, but the night passed without any further shelling, according to Ukraine’s governor of the region, Oleh Synyehubov.
He posted to Telegram:
Last night, for the first time in several weeks, there was no night shelling of Kharkiv. But we have no right to lose our vigilance. After all, just yesterday evening, the enemy massively shelled the Nemyshlyan district of the city. Damaged houses, garages, containers, outbuildings. In total, four people died and nine were injured in Kharkiv oblast during the day.
Active hostilities continue on the contact line. In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is shelling the positions of our defenders and the civilian population with artillery and rocket systems.
The occupiers tried to advance in the direction of Dementiivka, but our defenders stopped this attempt and forced the enemy to retreat.
The claims have not been independently verified. Kharkiv borders both Luhansk and Donetsk in the east of the country.
Russia’s foreign minister has been sharply critical of the approach of western countries to the G20 meeting in Indonesia, accusing them of derailing talks on the global economy and instead concentrating on calling Russia “aggressors”, “invaders” and “occupiers”.
Reuters reports that Sergei Lavrov said: “During the discussion, western partners avoided following the mandate of the G20, from dealing with issues of the world economy.”
He went on to say talk at the meeting “strayed almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Ukraine”.
Lavrov, representing a country that started its latest invasion of Ukraine on 24 February this year and whose forces remain on the ground in Ukraine, said “‘Aggressors’, ‘invaders’, ‘occupiers’ – we heard a lot of things today.”
- This is Martin Belam in London taking on the blog for the next few hours. You can reach me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
Updated
Russia has 'nothing to talk about with the west' Lavrov says
Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has spoken to reporters following his meeting with G20 foreign ministers today.
Lavrov said Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine and Turkey about grain but it is unclear when such talks might take place.
Russia’s RIA news agency quotes Lavrov as saying:
If [the west] wants not negotiations, but the victory of Ukraine over Russia on the battlefield, then, probably, there is simply nothing to talk about with the west, because with these approaches, in fact, it does not allow Ukraine to move on to the peace process.”
UK says Russia concentrating for attack on Siversk
Russia is likely concentrating equipment on the frontline in the direction of Siversk, about 8km (4.9 miles) west of the current Russian frontline, Britain’s defence ministry has said.
Russian forces are likely pausing to replenish before undertaking new offensive operations in the the Donetsk region, the Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence report.
The ministry added that there is a realistic possibility that Russia’s “immediate tactical objective” will be Siversk, as its forces attempt to advance towards its most likely operational goal of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area.
Ukrainian forces continue to make gradual advances in the south-western Kherson sector, the report said.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 8 July 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 8, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/YEHaB5kPAg
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/u2asPHxXhf
Updated
China and Russia have maintained normal exchanges and promoted cooperation, showing the “strong resilience” and “strategic resolve” of their relations, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, said on Thursday.
China will also support all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Wang told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.
Earlier in the week, China attacked the US and Nato, stating that Washington “observes international rules only as it sees fit”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the “so-called rules-based international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the US self-interest”.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken will hold separate talks with Wang “to discuss having guardrails” on US-China relations so that competition “does not spill over into miscalculation or confrontation”, said US assistant secretary of state Daniel Kritenbrink.
“This will be another opportunity ... to convey our expectations about what we would expect China to do and not to do in the context of Ukraine,” he said.
Wang spoke to Lavrov on Thursday ahead of the G20 meeting as the pair were pictured in a bilateral meeting on the Indonesian resort island. A Russian foreign ministry statement 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.
“Both parties underlined the unacceptable nature of unilateral sanctions adopted by circumventing the UN,” the statement said. Beijing has upheld friendly ties with Russia as Western nations have sought to isolate Vladimir Putin’s government.
Putin dares west to defeat Russia on battlefield
Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and daring the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield.
Speaking at a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, the Russian president said the prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on.
“Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest,” he said. “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.”
Putin also accused Ukraine’s western allies of fuelling hostilities, charging that “the west wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian” and that they were welcome to try, but it would only bring tragedy for Ukraine.
“Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try,” he said.
“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.”
Updated
Indonesia urges end to war at G20 meeting with Russia
Indonesia has called for an end to the war in Ukraine as it leads the G20 meeting of foreign ministers in Bali today.
At the opening of the meeting, Indonesian foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said:
It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield.”
She said that the world was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic when it was “already confronted with another crisis - the war in Ukraine.”
The ripple effects are being felt globally - on food, energy and fiscal space.
As always, developing and low-income countries are affected the most.”
The Group of 20 foreign ministers met with the top envoys from the United States and Russia attending, their first gathering since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
The gathering will mark the first time that Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war.
🇷🇺🇮🇳 On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister of External Affairs of India @DrSJaishankar.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) July 8, 2022
📸 Photo by Maria Zakharova pic.twitter.com/o7yugqRIs6
US officials say that Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will refuse to speak separately with Lavrov after Blinken warned Russia of massive consequences if it went ahead with the invasion of Ukraine during their last meeting in Geneva in January.
“It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia’s involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20,” a senior US official said ahead of the meeting.
Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stayed away from a G20 reception in Indonesia in view of the international community’s opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a government spokesperson said.
Russia’s top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.
Updated
Ukraine ‘will not be broken’, Zelenskiy says
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said the raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea is a sign his country will not be broken.
In a national address on Thursday night, Zelenskiy said that the two-month operation to retake Snake Island was a warning to all Russian forces.
Let every Russian captain, aboard a ship or a plane, see the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island and let him know that our country will not be broken.”
Summary and welcome
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you as we unpack all the latest news from Ukraine this morning.
Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and daring the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield.
Here are all the latest lines as of 8am in Kyiv.
- The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, warned Moscow had 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. The 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 would not stop until the Russians were stopped.
- The mayor of Sloviansk said his city near Kramatorsk had come under Russian fire. Some residents were injured, said Vadym Lyakh, without providing further details. Ukraine’s military said pressure was 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 Ukraine’s south-east.
- The UN has warned of a “looming hunger catastrophe” due to Russia’s blockade on Ukrainian grain. Patrick Beasley, director of the UN World Food Program, said a hunger catastrophe was 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 that forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false advertisements 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.
- 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 did not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate.
- Russia’s foreign minister has flown to 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 as British prime minister, 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 expected 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 a 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.
