Vladimir Putin avoided any mention of the aborted Wagner group coup attempt in an address to young engineers released by the Kremlin on Monday.
The Russian president addressed a youth forum dubbed the “Engineers of the future” where he praised companies for ensuring “the stable operation” of the country’s industry “in the face of severe external challenges”.
The video, in which Putin congratulates participants at an industrial forum, is the first official communication from the president since the Wagner mercenary group mutiny.
It is not known whether the footage was recorded before the coup.
Earlier in the day, Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, was seen on film for the first time since the coup attempt in a video released by the ministry. It is not known when the video was filmed.
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03:07 PM BST
Storm Shadow missiles have had significant impact on Ukraine war
Ben Wallace, the British Defence Secretary, said that Storm Shadow long-range missiles supplied by London to Kyiv have had a significant impact on the battlefield in the Ukraine war.
“The Storm Shadow missile has had a significant impact on the battlefield”, Mr Wallace said.
“It has had an effect on the Russian army.”
02:56 PM BST
Iranian president gives ‘full support’ to Putin in call
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gave “his full support” to Vladimir Putin during a telephone call, the Kremlin announced in a statement on Monday, two days after an aborted mutiny in Russia.
“The Iranian president has expressed his full support for the Russian leadership in connection with the June 24 events,” the Kremlin said in an announcement.
After a phone call between Putin and Mr Raisi, the Iranian president’s political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, quoted the Iranian president in a tweet, saying “the Islamic Republic of Iran supports Russian sovereignty.”
According to the Iranian official, “President Putin explained the events related to the failed mutiny and insisted that such incidents cannot affect Russian sovereignty.”
02:39 PM BST
Wagner will be allowed to continue in Africa, says Russian foreign minister
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group will continue operations in Mali and the Central African Republic despite its leader’s aborted rebellion over the weekend, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said.
Wagner members “are working there as instructors. This work, of course, will continue,” the minister said in an interview with RT, adding that the revolt would not affect Russia’s ties with “partners and friends”.
02:36 PM BST
Biden admin believes first weeks of counter-offensive ‘sobering’ and Ukraine ‘behind schedule’
The first weeks of the counter-offensive have been “sobering” and Ukraine is “behind schedule,” a Biden administration official has said.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to the New York Times, the source said the pace of the counter-offensive was not unexpected given Russia’s extensive defences.
The official warned against drawing any conclusions from operations in the first few weeks.
02:11 PM BST
We are seeing massive cracks in Russia’s ‘propaganda,’ says German foreign minister
Recent events in Russia show “massive cracks” inside Russia’s political sphere, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has said.
“We are seeing massive cracks in the Russian propaganda”, Ms Baerbock said before heading into an EU meeting, adding that Western allies will continue to support Ukraine in the war.
She added that Vladimir Putin was destroying his own country with his “brutal war of aggression” in Ukraine.
01:45 PM BST
Wagner HQ ‘working as normal’ after mutiny
The main Saint Petersburg office of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, whose leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led a mutiny over the weekend that rattled President Vladimir Putin’s rule, said it was working in “normal mode.”
“Despite events that have taken place, the centre continues to work in normal mode in accordance to the law of the Russian Federation,” the group’s main office said in a statement.
It said Wagner has “worked for the future of Russia” and thanked its supporters.
01:38 PM BST
Nato Secretary-General: Wagner mutiny demonstrates ‘weakness of Russian regime’
The aborted mutiny by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group at the weekend showed the weakness of Russia’s leadership, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.
“Of course, it is a demonstration of weakness,” he told reporters during a news conference on the Pabrade training grounds in Lithuania.
“It also demonstrates how difficult and dangerous it is for President (Vladimir) Putin to be reliant on mercenaries, that has actually turned against him,” he added.
“It demonstrates the fragility the Russian regime but it is not for Nato to intervene in those issues, that’s a Russian matter.”
01:12 PM BST
Germany fights plan to use Russian wealth for rebuilding Ukraine
Germany is leading opposition to the European Union’s plans to use cash made from frozen Russian assets to help pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Berlin officials are reportedly among a group who have flagged concerns after Brussels drew up proposals to raise billions of euros from Russian assets confiscated under the bloc’s sanctions regime.
The plan would require the financial institutions who currently hold Russian central bank assets to hand over the profits those assets generate, so that the money can be put towards Ukraine’s efforts to rebuild its cities.
Read more from Matt Oliver here
01:05 PM BST
Ukraine in pictures:
12:49 PM BST
Sunak: ‘It’s too early to predict with certainty what the consequences of this might be’
Rishi Sunak said the UK is “prepared” for a range of scenarios that may unfold from the instability caused by the rebellion by Wagner mercenaries in Russia.
The Prime Minister said it was “too early to predict with certainty what might happen as a result of this” and he is in “close touch with our allies and we’re monitoring the situation closely”.
Pressed if the UK was preparing for possible regime collapse in Moscow, Mr Sunak said: “It’s too early to predict with certainty what the consequences of this might be, but of course we are prepared, as we always would be, for a range of scenarios.”
12:48 PM BST
Prigozhin ‘still under investigation’ for mutiny
Yevgeny Prigozhin is still under investigation for leading a mutiny against the Russian army on Saturday, Russian state media reported.
Russia daily Kommersant on Monday quoted unnamed officials in the intelligence agency FSB whose investigative department on Saturday unveiled charges against the Wagner boss saying the case has not been closed.
Later on Monday, two state-owned news agencies quoted unnamed officials in the Prosecutor General’s Office, insisting the charges have not been dropped.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said late on Saturday that Putin agreed to drop charges against Prigozhin after he agreed to send his forces home and leave for Belarus.
As of Monday, however, there was no evidence that Mr Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus at all.
The charges would be the Kremlin’s attempt to reassert its power after stunning security breaches over the weekend when Wagner forces managed to march 700 kilometres towards Moscow largely unhindered.
12:06 PM BST
Putin issues first statement since mutiny
Putin has issued via the Kremlin website his first statement since the Wagner mercenary group mutiny, congratulating participants of an industrial forum.
The Russian president made no mention of the aborted coup attempt.
Putin addressed a youth forum dubbed the “Engineers of the future” where he praised companies for ensuring “the stable operation” of the country’s industry “in the face of severe external challenges”.
11:41 AM BST
Ukraine ‘retakes Rivnopli’
Ukrainian forces have liberated the village of Rivnopil from Russian control in the southeast, Hanna Maliar, the Deputy Defence Minister, has said.
“Defence forces returned Rivnopil under our control. Let’s push on,” the minister posted on her Telegram account, referring to a rural community in the Donetsk region.
Ms Maliar said in an earlier statement that Kyiv’s forces had liberated about 50 square miles in the south since Ukraine began offensive operations several weeks ago.
11:10 AM BST
Ukraine reiterates call for Nato offer of simplified accession for Kyiv
Ukraine expects to receive a clear invitation for simplified accession to Nato when the military alliance holds a summit next month in Lithuania, a senior official said on Monday.
Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential staff, reiterated Ukraine’s position on Nato accession in comments published after Russia thwarted a march by mercenaries heading towards Moscow at the weekend.
“Ukraine’s position: the expected result is to receive an invitation for simplified accession at the summit in July. But, importantly, we would like to receive an absolutely clear signal that would establish Ukraine’s path to Nato membership,” he told a briefing for German media.
10:40 AM BST
Sergei Shoigu seen on film for first time since coup attempt
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, was shown speaking to troops in a video released by his ministry on Monday morning.
It is not known when or in what location the video was taken.
The video was the first time Mr Shoigu has been seen since Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin declared a “march of justice” late on Friday to oust the defense minister.
However, Rybar, a Russian military blog, suggested that the footage was filmed in the Belgorod region before the attempted coup took place.
In the video, Mr Shoigu is seen flying in a helicopter with a colleague and then attending a meeting with military officers at the headquarters of a military headquarters in Ukraine.
10:23 AM BST
Ukraine urges EU to ‘accelerate Russia’s defeat’
Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minsiter, has urged the European Union to “accelerate Russia’s defeat” by stepping up support for Ukraine.
Mr Kuleba, who was attending a meeting with EU foreign ministers, said on Twitter the fact that tanks had moved towards Moscow during a thwarted coup showed that “Ukraine will win”.
“At #FAC (Foreign Affairs Council), I urged the EU to accelerate Russia’s defeat by stepping up support for Ukraine,” Mr Kuleba wrote.
10:03 AM BST
Wagner chief still under investigation despite Kremlin deal
The head of the Wagner group is still under investigation for trying to organise an armed rebellion, Russian news agencies reported on Monday, despite a deal to end his mutiny announced earlier by the Kremlin.
“The criminal case against (Yevgeny) Prigozhin has not been dropped,” the three main Russian news agencies quoted a source in the prosecutor’s office as saying.
09:54 AM BST
Prigozhin ‘not that important a figure’, says Ukrainian ambassador to the UK
Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, has said he doesn’t believe that Prigozhin is “that important a figure.”
09:52 AM BST
Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen drive a medic M113 armoured personnel carrier along a street
09:07 AM BST
Wagner mutiny shows Moscow’s ‘big strategic mistake’ in attacking Kyiv, says Nato
The aborted mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia demonstrates that Moscow committed a strategic mistake by waging war on Ukraine, Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato Secretary-General, has said.
“The events over the weekend are an internal Russian matter, and yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake that President (Vladimir) Putin made with his illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine,” he told reporters on a visit to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.
“As Russia continues its assault, it is even more important to continue our support to Ukraine.”
09:00 AM BST
Prigozhin remains under investigation for mutiny, Kommersant reports
Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin remains under investigation by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of organising an armed mutiny, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Monday, citing an unidentified source.
The criminal case against Prigozhin was initiated on June 23 after he announced a “march for justice” by his fighters against the military leadership, who he said were cowards who were undermining Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
As part of a deal, as set out by the Kremlin’s spokesman, criminal charges against the mutineers were to be dropped in exchange for their return to camps, and Prigozhin was to move to Belarus.
On its website, Kommersant cited its source as saying there had not yet been time to change the status of the case.
08:38 AM BST
Wagner’s stalled coup will cripple Russia’s war in Ukraine, say experts
Members of the Wagner Group returning to base after a Russian coup was called off CREDIT: Anadolu Agency
The chaos inflicted on Russia’s armed forces by the Wagner Group coup attempt may prevent it from mounting any further serious military offensives in Ukraine, analysts said on Sunday night.
While the mercenary group’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has ordered his fighters to return to their front-line bases, doubts over the 25,000-strong force’s loyalty are likely to limit their future use to the Russian military’s high command.
Ben Hodges, a former US general, said that even if Wagner’s units were broken up and distributed across the rest of Russia’s military, regular army commanders would be unlikely to fully trust them.
Read more from Colin Freeman here
08:15 AM BST
Latest MoD update: Ukraine has ‘gained impetus’ in assaults around Bakhmut
08:09 AM BST
Australia’s High Court dismisses Russia’s bid for injunction to stop its embassy’s eviction
Australia’s highest court has dismissed Russia’s application for an injunction that would have prevented Moscow’s embassy being evicted from a site in the national capital Canberra.
A man who had been occupying the site in a portable cabin for more than a week in an apparent act of Russian defiance left soon after.
High Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia’s challenge on constitutional grounds to a law terminating the lease as week. “I do not perceive (Russia’s) case … to be a strong one. Indeed it is difficult to identify a serious question to be tried,” Ms Jagot said.
Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia’s lease on the largely empty block on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House.
Government lawyer Tim Begbie said Russia appeared to be making the injunction application to protect its own security and intelligence interests.
“It’s not just that they haven’t made a compelling case for constitutional invalidity in this application, they’ve made absolutely no case for it,” Mr Begbie said.
07:58 AM BST
Wagner crisis shows Ukraine war is ‘cracking Russian power’, says EU’s top diplomat
Wagner’s aborted mutiny shows Moscow’s war in Ukraine is splintering Russian power, the EU’s top diplomat has said, warning instability in the nuclear-armed power is “not a good thing”.
“What has happened during this weekend shows that the war against Ukraine is cracking Russian power and affecting its political system,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
“Certainly it’s not a good thing to see that a nuclear power like Russia can go into a phase of instability. It’s also something that has to be taken into account,” Mr Borrell told journalists.
He said “the most important conclusion is that the war against Ukraine launched by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and the monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him”.
“The monster is acting against its creator, the political system is showing the fragilities and the military power is cracking,” Mr Borrell said.
07:54 AM BST
Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman carries a shell in Zaporizhzhia
07:43 AM BST
Rouble tumbles to 15-month low after failed coup against Putin
The Russian rouble tumbled to a near 15-month low against the dollar as markets responded for the first time to the short-lived military coup against Vladimir Putin.
The rouble was 2.1 per cent weaker against the dollar at 86.37, hitting 86.88 as markets opened, its weakest point since late March last year, about a month after Russia invaded Ukraine.
It comes as Goldman Sachs warned that the world faces the risk of higher oil prices long-term, although Brent crude was little changed overnight after the Wagner mercenary group called off its march on Moscow over the weekend.
Read more on our Business liveblog here
07:42 AM BST
Putin disappears as allies ask how rebels got so close to Moscow
Vladimir Putin has disappeared from public view since pleading with Russians not to back a coup as his propagandists questioned how rebels were able to get so close to Moscow.
Officials insisted on Sunday that Putin was in the Kremlin throughout the biggest threat to his 23-year reign but they also said that he would not appear on television to reassure Russians.
Instead, Kremlin-controlled television channels broadcast a soft interview with the Russian president filmed earlier in the week in which he talked about boosting weapons production.
Read more from James Kilner here
07:38 AM BST
Moscow lifts Wagner mutiny security measures
The Russian capital Moscow has lifted an “anti-terrorist” security regime it had imposed over the weekend when mutinous Wagner mercenaries threatened to storm the city.
The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, announced the decision on his Telegram account, thanking Muscovites for their “calm and understanding” during the crisis.
07:37 AM BST
Ukraine reclaims 50 square miles along southern front line
Ukraine has reclaimed some 50 square milesfrom Russian forces along the southern front line since the start of the counteroffensive, Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister has said.
Hanna Maliar said: “The situation in the south has not undergone significant changes over the past week.”
She added that along the eastern part of the front line, which includes the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka directions, about 250 combat clashes have taken place over the past week.
07:32 AM BST
The world must put pressure on Russia, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his defence minister said they held a series of calls with Kyiv’s allies on Sunday to discuss the “weakness” of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s next counteroffensive steps.
“We discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia. The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored,” Zelenskiy said after a phone call with US President Joe Biden.
According to the White House readout, the two leaders “discussed Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive, and President Biden reaffirmed unwavering US support.”
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defence minister, said he and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Ukraine’s counteroffensive and next steps to strengthen the forces.
“Things are moving in the right direction,” Mr Reznikov wrote on Twitter.
07:29 AM BST
Russian agents’ threat to family made Prigozhin call off Moscow advance
Russian intelligence services threatened to harm the families of Wagner leaders before Yevgeny Prigozhin called off his advance on Moscow, according to UK security sources.
It has also been assessed that the mercenary force had only 8,000 fighters rather than the 25,000 claimed and faced likely defeat in any attempt to take the Russian capital.
Vladimir Putin will now try to assimilate Wagner Group soldiers into the Russian military and take out its former leaders, according to insights shared with The Telegraph.
Read more here
07:24 AM BST
Good Morning
Good morning and welcome to today’s Ukraine liveblog.
We will be guiding you through all the latest updates on Ukraine.
