Russia Ukraine war update: Putin soldiers surrender after counter attack as G7 leaders agree to $50bn Kyiv loan

Zelensky says China trying to undermine Ukraine peace summit

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Dozens of Russian soldiers have appeared to surrender to Ukraine troops after Kyiv launched a counter attack around the city of Vovchansk.

A video released by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade shows Ukrainian soldiers taking at least 24 Russians as prisoners of war.

It comes as the US and Ukraine signed a security agreement at the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday, as world leaders agreed to a $50bn loan to help Kyiv following the Russian invasion.

Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described the pact as a “real marker” of the US commitment to Ukraine, “not just for this month and this year, but for the many years ahead”.

Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that the document is “unprecedented, as it should be for leaders who support Ukraine“.

The agreement will not commit US troops directly to Ukraine‘s defence against Russia‘s invasion. That is a red line drawn by the US president, who does not want to have America pulled into a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Moscow.

Key Points

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G7 leaders strike deal on $50bn funding for Ukraine using Russian assets

It came after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected “important decisions” from the summit in Italy, with leaders from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan seeking to shore up support for Kyiv as several of them face elections or political turmoil at home.

Also on Thursday, US President Joe Biden agreed to a sweeping bilateral security agreement that will see his country and Ukraine work together “to help deter and confront future aggression against the territorial integrity” of either state.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 09:20

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Explosion heard in Kyiv region after missile warning

An explosion rang out across the region outside the Ukrainian capital on Friday, a Reuters witness said, following an air raid siren and warnings by the military of a possible Russian missile attack.

“Air defence forces are working in Kyiv region. Stay in your shelters! The missile danger continues,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

It was unclear if the explosion indicated air defences had shot down a target. Public broadcaster Suspilne cited local residents saying they had heard explosions in the western region of Khmelnytskyi.

After the air raid siren sounded, the Air Force said long-range missiles had been fired at Khmelnytskyi region and told Kyiv residents to take cover. The military then declared the air raid alert over, but there was no further official information.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 09:01

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Russian soldiers surrender after Ukrainian counter attack

Dozens of Russian soldiers have appeared to surrender to Ukraine troops after Kyiv launched a counter attack around the city of Vovchansk.

A video released by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade shows Ukrainian soldiers taking at least 24 Russians as prisoners of war.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 08:39

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South Korea and US sound alarm over North Korea-Russia ties ahead of Putin visit

A possible impending visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea could deepen military ties between the two countries in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, officials of South Korea and the United States warned on Friday.

South Korea’s vice foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, in an emergency phone call with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, said Putin’s visit should not result in more military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow in violation of the resolutions, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.

Echoing Kim’s concerns, Campbell pledged continued cooperation to tackle potential regional instability and challenges caused by the trip.

“While closely monitoring related developments, the two sides agreed to resolutely respond through airtight cooperation to North Korea’s provocations against South Korea and actions that escalate tensions in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.

On Wednesday, a senior official at Seoul’s presidential office said Putin was expected to visit North Korea “in the coming days”. Russia‘s Vedomosti newspaper on Monday reported Putin would visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday declined to give a date or agenda for a possible visit but said Russia‘s right to develop closer ties with North Korea should not be in doubt or a source of fear for anyone.

(AP)

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 08:00

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Ukraine and Japan sign “breakthrough” $4.5 billion security deal

Ukraine and Japan signed a “breakthrough” security deal worth $4.5 billion on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky announced on X.

The Ukrainian president said the agreement includes “security and defense assistance, humanitarian aid, technical and financial cooperation, as well as joint efforts on the Peace Formula”.

He added: “Additionally, the agreement implies sanctions against the aggressor and efforts to hold the aggressor accountable.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 07:43

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Ex-Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant employee jailed for collaborating with Russia

A former employee of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was sentenced to 10 years in prison for collaborating with Russian forces at the facility, Kyiv Independent reported.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, was captured by Russian troops in March 2022, just days after Moscow launched its Ukraine invasion.

The man was found guilty of collaborating with Russian authorities while holding a senior position, the prosecutor’s office said, adding that a pre-trial investigation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) Zaporizhzhia Oblast office.

The man agreed to be appointed the first deputy general director of the plant and helped organise meetings to persuade colleagues to support Russia’s operations at the plant, the prosecutor’s office said.

File: A photo shows a view of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 June 2024 07:30

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Ukraine arrives at Euro 2024 to a patriotic welcome and vivid reminder of the war at home

With patriotic songs broadcast and thousands of exiled Ukrainians in the stadium, the men’s national team was made to feel at home at its first training in Germany for the European Championship.

After the national anthem played, and before the warmups began, there was a vivid reminder of the war at home that is a constant and uniting force for this Ukraine squad.

Each player had a ball to give to a fan and Oleksandr Zinchenko presented his to a military veteran who had prosthetic legs below each knee.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 07:00

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Ex-spy says US should be concerned by Russian ships visiting Cuba

An ex-spy has warned that the US should be concerned by Russian ships visiting Cuba, but the Kremlin has insisted that there is nothing to worry about.

“You can’t look at this as just a routine exercise. It has to be seen against the background where Putin is stating that he’s actually fighting the West in the Ukraine,” he said.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 June 2024 06:30

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Putin shows off in launch of Russian dummy nuclear warheads

Russian drills to deploy tactical nuclear weapons for combat involved the special delivery of dummy nuclear warheads to forward storage points and an airfield where they were loaded on bombers, according to Russia‘s nuclear unit.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the nuclear drills after what Russia said were threats from the West, including signals from Western officials that they would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons.

Drills have taken place in the south of Russia, which borders Ukraine, and with the involvement of soldiers from the Leningrad military district in Russia‘s northwest, and have included mobile missile launchers, the air force and navy.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain14 June 2024 06:00

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Drones strike Russian oil refinery

An oil refinery in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast has been struck by drones overnight, regional Governor Aleksandr Gusev said.

One of the drones hit the oil refinery damaging fuel tanks but caused no deaths, he added.

Russia has reported a rise in Ukrainian attacks on its territory since its forces opened a new front in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region last month.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar14 June 2024 05:41