Russia said Wednesday it had collected more than 2,000 pieces of military hardware from the Wagner mercenary group following the latter’s armed rebellion last month. Ukraine said Wednesday it had shot down 11 Russian drones overnight in a second consecutive night of attacks on the capital Kyiv, as NATO leaders meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius. Read our live blog to see how all the day’s events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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The latest NATO summit showed that the Western alliance is returning to “Cold War schemes”, the Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, saying that the Kremlin is ready to respond to threats by using all necessary means.
“The results of the Vilnius Summit will be carefully analysed. Taking into account the challenges and threats to Russia‘s security and interests that have been identified, we will respond in a timely and appropriate manner, using all means and methods at our disposal,” the ministry said in a statement.
“In addition to the decisions already taken, we will continue to strengthen the country’s military organisation and defence system.”
US President Joe Biden and Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed during a meeting on Wednesday “US readiness to begin negotiations with Ukraine on bilateral security commitments,” according to a White House readout.
The pair also discussed continued US assistance to help Ukraine’s “ongoing counteroffensive” against Russia during the meeting held as NATO concluded a summit in Lithuania, the statement said.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Wednesday Britain is not an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine, suggesting Kyiv could express more “gratitude” to its allies in the face of Russia‘s invasion.
“There is a slight word of caution which is, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude,” Wallace told British media on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.
“Sometimes you’re persuading countries to give up their own stocks. And yes, the war is a noble war and yes, we see it as you doing a war not just for yourselves but also our freedoms.
“But sometimes you’ve got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America,” Wallace said referring to the US Congress.
“You have got to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that it is worth it, it’s worthwhile and they are getting something for it,” he added.
Wallace also recalled that after receiving a list of weapons requests from Ukraine last year, he told officials in Kyiv “I am not Amazon”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter on Tuesday proposing a way forward to further facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports and ensure the continued Black Sea shipments of Ukrainian grain.
“The objective is to remove hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian Agricultural Bank, a major concern expressed by the Russian Federation, and simultaneously allow for the continued flow of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Wednesday.
A deal allowing the safe Black Sea exports of grain and fertilizers from Ukraine is due to expire on Monday.
The Russian military announced Wednesday it had received more than 2,000 pieces of military hardware, including tanks, from the Wagner mercenary group, following the private force’s short-lived insurrection last month.
“More than 2,000 pieces of equipment and weapons have been transferred,” the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the army had also taken in some 2,500 tonnes of ammunition and around 20,000 small arms.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said Russia was “politically and militarily fragile”, while Ukraine had the lasting commitments of support from its allies.
“Russia has shown its first signs of division,” Macron said at a press conference after the NATO summit in Vilnius, referring to the recent failed mutiny by the mercenary Wagner Group.
The G7‘s declaration on a security framework for Ukraine shows its long-term support for Ukraine, said French President Emmanuel Macron at a NATO summit on Wednesday.
Macron added that he hoped Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan would quickly ratify Sweden‘s entry to NATO.
Russia plans to display NATO equipment it has destroyed in Ukraine outside the embassies of Western countries that supplied it, parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Wednesday.
“The proposal to install burned equipment next to the embassies of those countries that send it to Ukraine is especially interesting,” said Volodin, who issued orders for such a display to be organised.
Russian officials have repeatedly criticised Western countries for supplying weapons to Ukraine, arguing they risk prolonging the conflict and causing further escalation.
G7 nations on Wednesday pledged to offer “enduring” military support to Ukraine to help it fight Russia‘s invading forces and stop any repeat of the war once it ends.
“We will each work with Ukraine on specific, bilateral, long-term security commitments and arrangements towards ensuring a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future,” the G7 said in a statement obtained by AFP.
Ukraine’s international backers are looking to reassure Kyiv on their support after military alliance NATO refused to offer the war-torn country an invitation to become a member.
The group of seven leading democracies – the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan – said they would look to agree on providing Ukraine’s forces with “modern military equipment, across land, air, and sea domains”.
That would mean “prioritising air defence, artillery and long-range fires, armoured vehicles, and other key capabilities, such as combat air”, the statement said.
The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday urged Russia to respect humanitarian law after outlining evidence published in a report two weeks ago of arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence against civilians in Ukraine.
The UN rights monitoring mission in Ukraine documented the arbitrary detention of more than 900 civilians between the launch of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, and May 23 of this year, and the summary executions of 77 of them.
“Over 90 percent of detainees held by the Russian Federation whom we were able to interview said they had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment – including sexual violence, in some cases – by Russian security personnel,” Volker Turk told the Council, the only body in which governments meet to protect human rights worldwide.
“These findings are shocking. They call for concrete measures by the Russian Federation to instruct and ensure their Russian personnel comply with international human rights and humanitarian law.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country needs long-range weapons to fight Russian forces in Ukraine, and that he would raise the issue at talks with US President Joe Biden.
Zelensky also thanked Biden for a decision to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions, saying they were needed for Ukraine’s defence and to help take back Russian-occupied territory.
NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday said that despite ongoing talks on Ukraine’s future membership status in the alliance, the most urgent task for Western allies at the moment remained to support the country’s war effort against Russia.
“Of course guarantees, documents, council meetings are important but the most urgent task now is to ensure enough weapons for Ukrainian President Zelensky and his armed forces,” Stoltenberg said.
NATO leaders have so far avoided handing Ukraine a timeline for when the country may be eligible for an invitation to join the military alliance, vowing instead to provide it a package of long-term security commitments.
In Kyiv, “there is a lot of frustration” over the lack of a time frame, Emmanuelle Chaze, FRANCE 24’s correspondent in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv reports.
“They feel that they’re already a part of it. They are the ones defending European values and democracy on the front line. They are the ones paying the heaviest price. They’re paying for this war with their lives, while others are talking about the possibility of, maybe, in the future, of seeing Ukraine joining NATO.”
Watch the full report in the video below.
Hackers suspected of working for Russia’s foreign intelligence agency targeted dozens of diplomats at embassies in Ukraine with a fake used car advert in a bid to break into their computers, according to a cybersecurity firm report published on Wednesday.
The wide-reaching espionage activity targeted diplomats working in at least 22 of the roughly 80 foreign missions in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, analysts at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 research division said in the report.
“The campaign began with an innocuous and legitimate event,” said the report, which was first reported by Reuters.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a visit by President Vladimir Putin to China was on the agenda, adding that now was a good time to build on the already strong relationship between the two countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing that the date of Putin’s trip would be announced when it had been finalised.
“Now is an absolutely opportune moment to maintain high dynamics in the development of bilateral Russian-Chinese relations … The exact dates will be agreed and you will be informed. Dialogue continues at various levels,” he said.
Russia has further strengthened its economic, trade, political and military ties with China after its decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine drove relations with the West to post-Cold War lows.
Norway said Wednesday it would supply ultra-light drones and components for air defence missile systems to Ukraine, specifying details for a military aid package announced this week.
On Tuesday Norway announced it was increasing the size of its military aid to Ukraine this year, adding an additional 2.5 billion kroner ($240 million).
This means Oslo will allocate 10 billion kroner to military aid and 7.5 billion to civilian support this year, rather than the 7.5 billion initially planned for each.
Following up on Wednesday, Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram specified that the aid would consist of 1,000 Black Hornet nanodrones – tiny drones designed to help soldiers scout out their surroundings – and components for NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, to complement the systems of his type that Lithuania plans to deliver to Ukraine.
In addition, the Scandinavian country would donate tens of thousands of food rations.
Britain has awarded defence firm Babcock International a contract worth 50 million pounds ($64.6 million) to provide operational support for armoured vehicles given to Ukraine, such as Challenger 2 tanks.
The British company said on Wednesday the initial 12-month contract could be extended.
“This contract delivers essential support for Ukraine on the battlefield, sustaining their military equipment by providing the expertise and skills to keep Ukraine’s armoured vehicles moving, along with the provision of vital spares,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed an assertion by Ukrainian military intelligence that members of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group had intended to acquire nuclear devices during a failed mutiny in June.
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said Wagner fighters reached a nuclear base – known as Voronezh-45 – in an attempt to obtain small Soviet-era nuclear devices, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The Kremlin has no such information, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that it the assertion looked like misinformation.
The German government has dropped out of an agreement to set up a maintenance hub for Ukrainian Leopard tanks on Polish soil, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The reason for the decision, which is to be made public in the coming days, is that the German side considered Poland’s cost estimates for the project to be disproportionate, the paper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it was misguided and “potentially very dangerous” for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees, and said they would infringe on Russia’s own security.
G7 countries are expected on Wednesday to announce an international framework that would pave the way for long-term security assurances for Ukraine to boost its defences against Russia and deter Moscow from future aggression, officials said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Australia had agreed to give Ukraine a new defence package including 30 Bushmaster armoured vehicles.
“Thank you! A powerful new defence package, including 30 Bushmasters,” Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app after a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius.
Germany has agreed to provide Ukraine with additional launchers and missiles for Patriot air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Vilnius on Wednesday.
“This is extremely important for defending lives in Ukraine against Russian terror,” Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine on Wednesday reported some success in fighting near the Russian-occupied eastern city of Bakhmut as its troops press on with a counteroffensive against Moscow’s forces.
Heavy fighting and Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian cities have continued while President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Vilnius for meetings with NATO leaders who are holding a summit in the Lithuanian capital.
“The (Ukrainian) Defence Forces continue to conduct offensive operations north and south of the city of Bakhmut,” Andriy Kovaliov, a spokesperson for the armed forces general staff, said.
“In the directions of Bila Hora-Andriivka and Bila Hora-Kurdyumivka, they have had success in some places,” he said, referring to sectors of the frontline south of Bakhmut.
He said Russian forces were putting up strong resistance, moving units and troops, and deploying reserves as Ukraine presses on with the counteroffensive launched in May. He did not say how much ground Ukraine had gained in the latest combat.
A plan to secure long-term military aid for Ukraine from the G7 countries Wednesday will show Russia that “time is not on its side,” a top US official said.
“It signals a joint long-term commitment to building a powerful defensive insurance force for Ukraine,” lead White House advisor for European affairs Amanda Sloat told reporters.
“This multilateral declaration will send a significant signal to Russia that time is not on its side.”
President Joe Biden and other leaders from the G7 – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Wednesday at the end of the NATO summit in Vilnius to announce the plan.
Concerns are growing that Russia will not extend a United Nations-brokered deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to parts of the world struggling with hunger, with ships no longer heading to the war-torn country’s Black Sea ports and food exports dwindling.
Turkey and the UN negotiated the breakthrough accord last summer to ease a global food crisis, along with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertilizer. Moscow insists it is still facing hurdles, though data shows it has been exporting record amounts of wheat.
Russian officials repeatedly say there are no grounds for extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is up for its fourth renewal next week. Moscow has issues such threats before, but have then gone on to extend the deal for two months instead of the four months outlined in the agreement.
Ukraine said Wednesday it had shot down 11 Russian attack drones in a second night of strikes on the capital Kyiv.
“A total of 15 kamikaze drones were involved in the strike. Eleven of them were destroyed in the areas of responsibility of the Centre and East air commands,” Ukraine’s air force said on social media.
Ukraine’s military on Tuesday reported heavy fighting in the east and southeast, the main theatres of its drive to recapture land seized by Russian invaders, saying its forces had repelled dozens of enemy attacks.
Russian accounts from the front line outlined clashes, including a successful defence of areas near the devastated city of Bakhmut, where Ukraine says its forces are recovering ground.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s General Staff, Andriy Kovaliov, said Ukrainian troops had beaten back a Russian advance backed by artillery strikes near two towns north of Bakhmut – captured by Russian mercenary forces in late May.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had repelled nine attempted Ukrainian advances in eastern Donetsk region, including one drive near Kliishchivka.
Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on Kyiv and its region a second night in row, with air defence systems engaged in repelling the strike, a Ukraine military official said.
“The air raid alert is on! Air defence systems engaged in the region on approach to Kyiv,” Serhiy Popko, head of the military administration for the Ukrainian capital said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Kyiv military administration urged on its Telegram channel that people stay in shelters until the raids are over.
Reuters witnesses in Kyiv heard blasts resembling the sound of air defence systems intercepting air objects.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said late on Tuesday that the increase in military assistance to Ukraine by the NATO alliance brings World War III closer.
Commenting on the first day of the summit of the US-led alliance in Lithuania, where a number of countries pledged more weaponry and financial support, Medvedev said the aid would not deter Russia from achieving its goals in Ukraine.
“The completely crazy West could not come up with anything else … In fact, it’s a dead end. World War III is getting closer,” Medvedev wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
“What does all this mean for us? Everything is obvious. The special military operation will continue with the same goals.”
US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed defence and economic priorities during a meeting on Tuesday, the White House said, a day after Ankara backed Sweden joining the NATO military alliance.
The Biden administration will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier.
“They also discussed regional issues of shared interest, including their enduring support for Ukraine and the importance of preserving stability in the Aegean,” the White House said in a statement after their meeting.
NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius agreed that Ukraine’s future lies within the alliance but stopped short of handing Kyiv the invitation or timetable for accession that the country has been seeking.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky described the lack of a time frame as “absurd”.
Russia, meanwhile, again warned against an expansion of the alliance, and said that moving NATO infrastructure towards Russia’s borders would be a “mistake”.
France on Tuesday also began delivering long-range SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine which will be integrated into non-Western warplanes. The Kremlin warned the move will have “consequences for the Ukrainian side”.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how all the day’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Originally published on France24
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