???? Live: Russian defence minister makes first TV appearance since Wagner uprising

Issued on: 26/06/2023 – 06:59Modified: 26/06/2023 – 07:02

7:25am: Ukraine reclaims 130 square km along southern front line, deputy defence minister says

Ukraine has reclaimed some 130 square kilometres (50 square miles) from Russian forces along the southern front line since the start of the counteroffensive, Ukraine Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday.

“The situation in the south has not undergone significant changes over the past week,” Maliar told the national broadcaster.

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.

6:59am: Russian defence minister visits troops after Wagner mutiny

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has visited Russian troops involved in the military operation in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported on Monday, his first TV appearance since the weekend uprising by the Wagner paramilitary group.

Shoigu, the target of fierce criticism by the mercenary group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, went to a command post for Russian forces in Ukraine and held a meeting there with the leader of one of the units, according to images shown by the broadcaster.

4:30am: Australia to provide $74 million assistance package to Ukraine

The Australian Government will provide a new A$110 million ($73.54 million) package to Ukraine to defend against Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday.

The package includes 70 military vehicles, including 28 armoured vehicles, 14 special operations vehicles, 28 medium trucks and 14 trailers.

“Australia is unwavering in our resolve to condemn and oppose Russia’s actions and to help Ukraine achieve victory,” Albanese said.

4:20am: Russia suffers legal setback in Australian embassy standoff

Russia’s bid to build a new embassy near Australia’s parliament suffered a legal blow on Monday, when the country’s highest court denied a request for temporary protection against eviction.

Australia has blocked Russia from building a new embassy in the capital Canberra – a stone’s throw from Parliament House – after intelligence agencies warned it could be used as a base to spy on lawmakers.

Russia’s embassy last week launched a last-minute injunction to temporarily hold on to the land, while dispatching a mystery diplomat to squat on the site as the legal tussle played out.

Australia’s high court ruled on Monday morning that Russia had to temporarily vacate the site until the case returns to court for more detailed legal arguments, local media reported.

The Russian embassy said it had “no comments” on the ruling.

3:04am: Wagner retreat brings ‘relief’ in Moscow

There was a sense of relief in Moscow as it was announced early Sunday that Wagner troops were stopping their advance towards the city.

As news of the uprising unfolded, Russia soldiers had taken up positions outside of Moscow and residents south of the capital had been told to stay at home and travel only if absolutely necessary.

“We were pretty scared. We started to think where could we go, and what should we take with us,” one resident told FRANCE 24.

01:38

1:15am: 17,000 Ukrainian army recruits trained by Britain and allies

More than 17,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained by Britain and other allies over the past year to help Kyiv fight Russia’s invasion, the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday.

The recruits, from many different walks of life, all went through a “gruelling” five-week programme that the ministry said had transformed them “from civilians to soldiers”.

Britain and nine partner nations – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania and the Netherlands – opened the initiative for new volunteer recruits to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in June last year.

The UK-led training program, dubbed Operation Interflex, taught the recruits, who had little to no previous military experience, various skills including weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics.

“The determination and resilience of the Ukrainian recruits that arrive on British soil, from all walks of life, to train to fight alongside our British and international forces, is humbling to witness,” UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.   

Key developments from Sunday, June 25:

Russian paramilitary Wagner Group pulled its fighters from the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, where they had seized the military headquarters, the regional governor said on Sunday.

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his troops’ advance on Moscow late Saturday and said he would leave for Belarus to avoid facing charges.

The feud between Prigozhin and Russia’s military brass reached a crisis on Saturday when Wagner forces captured a key army headquarters in southern Russia before heading north to threaten the capital.

Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how all the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)