[Korrespondent] 22:28 Putin made an appeal to the Russian people, in which he stated that "any blackmail and turmoil" are doomed to failure, and an armed rebellion would have been suppressed in any case. He stated that the organizers of the rebellion "betrayed those who were with them", and the vast majority of Wagner's fighters are "patriots of the Motherland, they were used in the dark." Putin claims that decisions were taken on his direct instructions aimed at "avoiding bloodshed."
Putin suggested that Wagner PMC mercenaries sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense, return home or go to Belarus. He also thanked Lukashenka for his contribution to resolving the situation with PMC Wagner.
22:04 The United States would like the PMC Wagner to be disbanded and stop its activities around the world, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. He also said that Washington would seek the extradition of Prigozhin if he ends up in a country with which there is an extradition agreement. Belarus does not belong to them.
21:26 In the Melitopol direction, Ukrainian troops have already advanced 1.5 km, said Valery Shershen, spokesman for the Defense Forces in the Tauride direction. According to him, now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fixing themselves on the achieved lines, conducting aerial reconnaissance, demining the territories, artillery is working on the enemy.
21:20 Zelensky said that he had visited the forward positions of Ukrainian troops in the Berdyansk direction.
21:02 Hungary is determined to block the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU due to disputes over the rights of minorities, and as a condition for lifting its veto calls the granting of the status of a candidate for membership for Georgia, reports Brussels correspondent of Radio Liberty Rikard Jozwiak. Ukraine could get the green light to start accession talks before the end of the year, his sources say, but Hungary is still planning to veto it.
Jozwiak notes that the Georgian government has developed a much closer relationship with Budapest in recent years, and reaching a consensus on Georgia's candidacy "will be a difficult task, to put it mildly," especially given its failure to implement nine of the 12 European Commission recommendations.
20:39 Biden said the US "has nothing to do" with the Russian rebellion. He said he had instructed the national security team to closely monitor Saturday's events in Russia, report to him and prepare for a range of scenarios. Also, the US president spoke to key US allies over the weekend: “It is very important that we coordinate our actions and our expectations ... We must make sure that we do not give Putin a reason to blame the West for this or blame NATO for this. We made it clear that they were not involved. We had nothing to do with it. It was part of the struggle within the Russian system."
20:16 British long-range Storm Shadow missiles had a significant impact on the course of hostilities in Ukraine, so the provision of such weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was "virtually infallible" for attacks on enemy logistics, said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
19:51 The United States plans to announce a new package of military assistance to Ukraine worth up to $500 million, Reuters reports. The package will likely include equipment for the ground forces - 30 Bradley combat vehicles and 25 Stryker armored personnel carriers.
19:10 Latvia has suspended the issuance of visas to Russians since June 26 "due to the unpredictable development of internal political events in Russia," the country's Foreign Ministry said.
19:07 Prigozhin published the first comment after the failed rebellion. According to him, his goal was not to overthrow the authorities in the country, but to protect the PMC Wagner from destruction, as well as to bring to justice those who made mistakes during the "SVO". He also once again stressed that the militants "did not want to shed Russian blood," but went to protest. Lukashenka, according to Prigozhin, "stretched out his hand" and offered to find solutions to continue the work of PMC Wagner.
19:03 In the West, they are sure that the armed rebellion of the leader of the PMC militants Wagner showed the weakness and fragility of the Putin regime. Read more in the material Consequences of Prigozhin's rebellion .
18:52 The monitoring group of Belarus Gayun reports that there is no data yet confirming the information about the construction of a camp for PMC Wagner in the Osipovichi district. Also, the group does not confirm the information about the alleged presence of Prigozhin in Belarus. To date, there are no columns of PMCs moving to Belarus or already in Belarus, Gayun notes.
18:21 The Government of Ukraine and grain market participants have developed a number of alternative strategies to continue the export of agricultural products in the event of the termination of the grain corridor, said First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky. He clarified that we are talking about expanding the throughput capacity of the Danube region and increasing the capacity for transshipment of grain there. The commissioning of additional crossing points and dry ports on the western border with Poland and Romania also continues.
Vysotsky recalled that the state budget for 2023 provides for 20 billion hryvnias for potential insurance of ships with grain, which will be ready to continue working in the absence of a grain corridor.
18:05 Borrell said that the latest events in the Russian Federation indicate that the Russian state and Putin personally are weakened, and the country may enter an era of political instability: "The political system is showing cracks. If we previously viewed Russia as a danger, as a threat, because that she has the power, the ability to invade peaceful neighbors, as she did, now there is a risk due to internal political instability and the fragility of a large nuclear force.
"But the conclusion of our debate is clear: continue to support Ukraine more than ever. Continue to increase support, all kinds of support, including military, because the war continues," the head of EU diplomacy stressed.
17:47 Sweden announced a new package of assistance to Ukraine for humanitarian needs and reconstruction worth 32.5 million euros.
17:20 Zelensky is on a working visit to Donetsk region today , visited units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the operational-strategic group of troops Khortytsya.
17:01 The British government is thinking about preparing for the scenario of the sudden collapse of Russia, writes The Times. According to the newspaper, London, at the beginning of a full-scale war, provided for instability for Moscow in case it dragged on, but Prigozhin's rebellion forced diplomats to quickly prepare a plan of action for various scenarios.
16:44 Camps have already started to be built for Wagner PMCs in Belarus, Nestka reports. The first such camp is planned to open in Osipovichi, Mogilev region (200 km from the border with Ukraine). Complex of 24 sq. km is designed for 8000 people.
16:28 The Russians fired heavy artillery at Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, hit a private enterprise. Two employees were killed, another person was injured, the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak, said.
15:49 The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland will give thousands of machine guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to their Ukrainian colleagues. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland, Mariusz Kaminski, we are talking about the National Guard of Ukraine, the assault brigades of the Ukrainian police and the Border Guard Service. In addition, according to him, Poland will provide assistance to the wounded Ukrainians. In particular, the Polish side has already prepared an ambulance train, which is ready to pick up wounded Ukrainians from Lviv and transport them to the hospitals of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs. Special assistance will be sent to hospitals located near the front - in Kharkov and Kherson.
15:18 Hungary has once again blocked a tranche of EU military assistance to Ukraine for 500 million euros. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto again complained that in Ukraine the Hungarian OTP Bank was included in the list of international sponsors of the war. Budapest is "ready to change its mind" if the bank is removed from the list, he said.
Szijjarto also stressed that Hungary will not support Ukraine's European integration until the problem with the rights of national minorities in Transcarpathia is resolved.
15:04 The Russians hit the building of the local music school in Belozerka, Kherson region, the OVA reported. Private houses, a gas pipeline and power lines were also damaged, one person was injured.
14:57 In Denmark, the F-16 fighters will be decommissioned in 2025, which is two years earlier than planned. The head of the country's Ministry of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, said that the transfer of the F-16 to Ukraine is also approaching. According to him, Ukrainian pilots will need 6-8 months of training before they receive Danish fighters.
14:22 In the Melitopol direction, the Ukrainian military advanced 1.5 km, the Joint Press Center of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction reported.
14:15 Ukraine expects to receive a clear invitation to join NATO under a simplified procedure, Yermak said: "We understand that in the conditions of a large-scale war it is impossible to give an exact date. But it will become possible when the security situation resolves ... The expected result is to receive an invitation to simplified accession at the summit in July, but, importantly, we would like to receive an absolutely clear signal that would fix Ukraine's path to NATO membership.If we continue the open door policy now, we will send a bad signal to Russia that it can continue do all the things that he does in Ukraine every day."
13:28 The defense forces liberated Rivnopol, Volnovakhsky district, Donetsk region , Malyar said.
13:21 The German government is preparing long-term support for Ukraine with artillery shells, writes Spiegel. According to the publication, the German government last week submitted a corresponding framework agreement with Rheinmetall for approval by the Bundestag budget committee.
13:10 The attempted rebellion in Russia demonstrates how big a strategic mistake Putin made when he started the war against Ukraine, Stoltenberg said: "We monitor the situation in Russia. The events of the past weekend are an internal affair of Russia and another demonstration of a big strategic mistake that he made President Putin with his illegal annexation of Crimea and war against Ukraine."
The NATO Secretary General added that as Russia continues its attack, it is even more important to continue to support Ukraine, which is why the July 11-12 summit in Vilnius will approve an aid package for Kyiv. "Ukraine's place is in NATO. The allies agree with this. The decision on membership will be made by Ukraine and the members of the Alliance. Russia has no veto power," Stoltenberg stressed.
12:56 Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko denied the information of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service that Ukraine allegedly intends to take the shrines from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to Europe. According to him, not a single sacred value will leave the territory of Ukraine, "and everything stolen by Russia will have to be returned."
12:49 The Foreign Ministers of the EU countries approved an increase in the European Peace Fund, through which, among other things, military assistance is allocated to Ukraine. The size of the fund was increased from 7.9 to more than 12 billion euros.
12:27 This year, the SBU has already thwarted two attempts by Russian special services to reconnoiter the defenses of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant. The service announced the arrest of another Russian informant who collected intelligence about the defense of the station. According to the investigation, the enemy agent turned out to be a resident of Yuzhnoukrainsk, whom the Russian special service attracted to cooperation in May this year.
12:01 The events in the Bakhmut direction became a trigger for Prigozhin’s rebellion, Sergei Cherevaty, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told Radio Liberty: “The defeated Wagner was returning to Russia. The fact that he was defeated caused friction between him and the military-political leadership, in particular Gerasimov and Shoigu. These feuds continued on the territory of Russia and led to those events."
Cherevaty added that the Russian army is demoralized, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are using this for their own purposes: "What is being done there now, what we hear from intercepts, it demotivates the enemy."
11:48 The criminal case against Prigozhin has not been closed, Russian media write, citing a source in the Prosecutor General's Office.
11:30 The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation claims that an agreement has allegedly been reached between Kiev and UNESCO on the removal of Christian valuables, including holy relics, from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. They are allegedly planned to be transferred to the museums of Italy, France, Germany and the Vatican to save them from Russian missile attacks. The SVR said that for Russia "the defense of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra has a deep spiritual dimension, which means that the determination to complete the special operation is only getting stronger."
11:02 During the night attack, one Kalibr missile hit a warehouse in the Odesa region, the IVA said. In addition, fragments of downed drones fell into open areas, and windows in coastal apartment buildings were damaged by blast waves. There were no reports of casualties.
10:56 After the unsuccessful rebellion by Prigozhin, the Wagner PMC mercenaries who participated in the rebellion are again being transferred to the east of Ukraine, Anna Malyar reported.
10:39 Germany opposes the EU plan to transfer the frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for the restoration of Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. According to the publication, Berlin is afraid of legal and financial risks. It could also set a precedent for others, in particular for Poland, which would be able to demand reparation from Germany for damages caused during World War II.
10:35 In June, Ukraine lost one of its planes, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: “In its reports, Russia “destroys” 20 of our planes a month, or even more. I want to note that in June we had a plane loss , it was earlier this month. Unfortunately, this happens, this is war. But this is one. And they claim about 20, or even more."
Ignat also said that over the past two weeks, the Russians have repeatedly tried to attack Ukrainian airfields. According to him, this is due to the fact that Ukrainian aircraft today perform tasks at dozens of operational airfields, and they do it successfully. Ignat specified that the enemy was trying to attack airfields in Kropyvnytskyi, Dnipro, and Starokonstantinovka. "The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine understands this very well. The planes, of course, are dispersed, they are hidden and they continue to perform tasks," he assured.
10:09 British intelligence states that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are advancing from the north and south near Bakhmut and it is unlikely that the Russian Federation has significant reserves in order to turn the tide.
10:04 The Russian army hit the Kherson region in the morning with prohibited incendiary ammunition, the IVA reported. The blow was inflicted on the residential areas of Kherson and Antonovka. There were fires in residential buildings, damaged water supply, gas pipeline and critical infrastructure.
09:56 In the occupied part of the Kherson region, the death toll as a result of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station has grown to 48, Russian emergency services reported.
09:45 In Moscow and the Moscow region, the regime of the counter-terrorist operation has been canceled, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee of the Russian Federation reported.
09:29 The Russian Defense Ministry reports that Shoigu allegedly checked the advanced command post of the Western Group of Forces in the zone of the "special operation". This is his first public appearance since Prigogine's "rebellion".
09:12 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person died, seven were injured. There are three wounded in the Donetsk region, and two in Zaporozhye, according to the IVA.
09:06 Australia announced a new $110 million aid package for Ukraine. Of these, 100 million will be directed to military assistance, 10 million - to humanitarian aid. In particular, Australia will send 70 military vehicles to Ukraine, including 28 M113 armored vehicles, 14 special purpose vehicles, 28 MAN 40M medium trucks and 14 trailers. The package will also include artillery ammunition of 105 mm caliber.
08:54 The defense forces in the south have liberated about 130 square meters since the beginning of the offensive. km of territory, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. According to her, Ukrainian troops continue their offensive in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions. "Last week, there was a leveling of the front, an improvement in the operational-tactical situation, and as a result, 17 square kilometers were liberated," Malyar specified.
She said that the Russian troops are putting up strong resistance, at the same time they are suffering significant losses: the enemy has eight times more deaths over the past week than in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the east, the Ukrainian Defense Forces conducted both defensive and offensive operations during the week, and had tactical success. The enemy was advancing in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. At the same time, Ukrainian troops in the east at the end of last week began counter-offensive operations in the areas of Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Bakhmut, Bogdanovka, Yagodnoye, Kleshcheevka and Kurdyumovka. On each of the directions there is an advance from 1 to 2 km. Now the troops are fixed on the achieved lines.
08:38 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 26.
- personnel - about 225,580 (+950) people liquidated,
- tanks - 4031 (+1),
- armored combat vehicles - 7820 (+14),
- artillery systems - 4055 (+21),
- MLRS - 624 (+0),
- air defense systems - 385 (+0),
- aircraft - 314 (+0),
- helicopters - 308 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 3482 (+10),
- cruise missiles - 1259 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6751(+16),
- special equipment - 557 (+5).
08:14 At night, the Russians attacked Ukraine mainly from the south: three Caliber cruise missiles were launched from a submarine in the Black Sea and eight Shahed-136/131 strike drones from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov. The air defense forces destroyed two Caliber missiles and seven attack UAVs, the Air Force command said. In addition, the enemy attacked from the northern direction with four unidentified drones (probably strike drones). All drones have been destroyed.
07:43 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky and Maryinsky directions - 36 military clashes occurred in a day, the General Staff said in the morning report .
00:16 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that NATO would have to strengthen its eastern flank if Belarus hosts Prigozhin: "If Prigozhin or part of the Wagner group ends up in Belarus with unclear plans and unclear intentions, this only means that we need more strengthen more the security of our eastern borders."