Latest Developments:
- Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner mercenary group, told his fighters on Saturday to stop their advance toward Moscow and return to their field camps in Ukraine. Prigozhin said he wanted to avoid shedding Russian blood.
- EU officials are backing the idea that proceeds from more than $230 billion in frozen Russian assets should finance Ukraine’s war effort and reconstruction. The European Central Bank cautioned the European Commission against the move because it could harm the euro and hurt financial stability, The Financial Times reported.
- A joint statement issued by U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said both leaders “have expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.” The statement also said they are calling for “respect for international law, principles of the U.N. charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Three people were killed and eight injured during a Russian missile attack on Kyiv Saturday, local officials said.
It was Russia’s eighth attack on the Ukrainian capital in June, said Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. He added that falling debris from a Russian missile attack in Kyiv resulted in a fire on several floors of a 24-story building. He also said that air defenses had shot down more than 20 Russian missiles in the airspace around Kyiv.
Officials in Ukraine said Russia launched missile attacks on several Ukrainian cities Saturday, causing damage to buildings and casualties.
Meanwhile, 11 people, including three children, were injured in a missile attack on the city of Dnipro that destroyed four homes, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Seven of them are hospitalized, officials said.
In Kharkiv, a city of more than 1 million people just south of the Russian border, a fire was started when a gas line was hit, Mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on Telegram. Terekhov said three missiles were fired at the city.
Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, RFE/RL reported.
Russian military losses
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported Saturday that Russia has lost 223,910 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, with an estimated 580 casualties Friday, The Kyiv Independent reported.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,024 tanks, 7,804 armored fighting vehicles, 6,731 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,015 artillery systems, 619 multiple launch rocket systems, 383 air defense systems, 314 airplanes, 308 helicopters, 3,460 drones, and 18 boats.
Reacting to Russia’s political turmoil since Wagner’s revolt Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in a tweet Saturday that “Russia's weakness is obvious.
“The longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later. It is also obvious Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos. We keep our resilience, unity and strength,” he said.
The White House on Saturday released a statement, saying President Joe Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. The leaders discussed the situation in Russia and also affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine, the statement said.
Ukraine counteroffensive
Three Ukrainian senior officials signaled Friday that the main part of the counteroffensive has not yet begun.
"Offensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue in a number of areas. Formation operations are underway to set up the battlefield," presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter. "The counteroffensive is not a new season of a Netflix show,” he said. “There is no need to expect action and buy popcorn."
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the "main events" of the counteroffensive were "ahead of us." "And the main blow is still to come. Indeed, some of the reserves — these are staged things — will be activated later," Maliar told Ukrainian television.
General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraine's Tavria front, said Russian forces had lost hundreds of men and 51 military vehicles in the past 24 hours, including three tanks and 14 armored personnel carriers.
A top Ukrainian general reported "tangible successes" in advances in the south — one of two main theaters of operations, along with eastern Ukraine. While Ukraine officials boast retaking eight villages so far, Zelenskyy said this week that gains had been "slower than desired."
Moscow claims the Ukrainian counteroffensive is a failure, saying Kyiv's forces have suffered heavy losses. Ukraine says Russia has lost many soldiers in heavy fighting since the counterattack began.
Reuters has not been able to independently verify the situation on the battlefield but has reached two of the villages recaptured by Kyiv.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
