Ukraine war latest: Russian region hit in wave of strikes - as Moscow responds to NATO chief's nuclear comments (2024)

The Kremlin has shared images of Vladimir Putin holding a meeting with Aisen Nikolayev, head of the Sakha Republic.

The Russian president is in the city of Yakutsk, some 3,000 miles to the east of Moscow.

Once his trip is finished, Mr Putin will leave Russia to begin his visit to North Korea. It will be the first time he has visited the country in 24 years.

It is not yet clear whether Mr Putin has left Yakutsk or what time he is due to arrive in Pyongyang.

Iraq and Rwanda are among the countries to have withdrawn their signatures from the communique signed at last weekend's Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, it has emerged.

Over 90 countries attended the two-day talks at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, billed as a peace summit.

Russia was not invited, while China snubbed the event. Attendees were mostly from Europe, the US and other Western allies, but included countries from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The communique, issued at the end of the conference in Burgenstock, supported Ukraine's territorial integrity in the face of Russia's invasion.

The document was signed by nations such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Ukraine, the UK and the US.

Also included on the list of signatories were Iraq and Jordan, though their names have since been struck off the list published on the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Jordan has also reportedly been taken off the list.

The process of making adjustments to the list is "still ongoing", according to Swiss foreign ministry spokesman Valentin Kliwa.

Speaking to Russian state news agency TASS, he clarified that countries can withdraw their signatures or join the group of states until 18 June inclusive.

Earlier today, Mr Zelenskyy announced that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - one of the churches that helps make up the Eastern Orthodox Church - had joined the list.

Ukrainians will be guaranteed to have power restriction schedules for two winters, according to the director of the Energy Research Centre in Ukraine.

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy sector have intensified since March, resulting in blackouts in many regions as half of the country's power generating capacity has been knocked out.

Oleksandr Kharchenko said restrictions would not be necessary if the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was back in Ukraine's hands.

The giant Russian-held nuclear plant is on the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and stopped generating power in 2022.

Both countries have accused each other of shelling the plant and risking a serious nuclear accident.

"The state of Ukraine's energy system currently stands at three working maximum capacity points out of 12," Mr Kharchenko told Ukrainian TV channel Kyiv24.

"If we could somehow get back to managing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and put at least two to three units into operation, it would be a huge factor that would change the situation in the energy system.

"Restrictions would be practically unnecessary or would be needed very rarely."

Russia's Pacific Fleet will hold exercises between 18-28 June in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, the Tass state news agency has said.

The report says the exercises will include approximately 40 ships and vessels. Some 20 naval aircraft and helicopters, including anti-submarine and search and recue helicopters, will also be in the manoeuvres.

Yesterday, Russian navy vessels left Cuba after arriving in the Havana harbour in a move seen by many as a Russian show of force.

A Russian military court has sentenced a Ukrainian woman to 12 years in prison for "spreading disinformation" and "taking part in a terrorist organisation," according to independent Russian media outlet Mediazona.

Krystyna Liubashenko says she was tricked and blackmailed into coming to Moscow and carrying out the protest, which included playing a recording of an anti-war speech and a Ukrainian anthem and launching balloons with a Russian opposition flag.

Facing financial difficulties after fleeing Kyiv and moving to Switzerland following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ms Liubashenko reportedly met a neighbour who lent her money to go to Moscow and hold an anti-war protest.

The neighbour, identified in the report as Vitalii Yurchenko, is later said to have insisted that Ms Liubashenko fly the white-blue-white flag associated with the Freedom of Russia Legion group that opposes the Kremlin.

The legion was declared a terrorist group by Russia last March.

Ms Liubashenko initially refused the demands but was convinced when Mr Yurchenko reportedly threatened to report her to Swiss authorities, who would take her two daughters away.

At her trial in Russia, Ms Liubashenko's defence presented this as evidence of blackmail, though she was still sentenced to 12 years.

It is believed that Russia has detained more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians since the start of its invasion.

An overnight attack on two oil depots in Russia's Rostov region was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), according to reports.

Russian authorities reported fires spread across 5,000 cubic metres in the town of Azov, with dozens of firefighters trying to tackle the blaze (see 08:30 post).

As we reported here earlier, it was the second wave of attacks on the Russian border region in the last two days.

According to the Kyiv Independent, the SBU's drone attack successfully targeted 22 oil storage tanks.

"The SBU will continue to implement 'drone sanctions' against the Russian oil refining complex and reduce the economic potential of the enemy, which provides the aggressor with resources for waging war against Ukraine," the source added.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy says the communique signed by more than 80 nations at last weekend's Swiss peace summit is still open for more to join.

The document, issued at the end of a Ukraine-led peace conference in Burgenstock, supported Ukraine's territorial integrity in the face of Russia's invasion.

About 100 countries took part in the conference, but Russia was not invited and China snubbed the event. Attenders were mostly from Europe, the US and other western allies, but included countries from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Some key regional powers were among those not to sign the communique, including Brazil, India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Addressing this at the end of the summit, Mr Zelenskyy said that "unfortunately, there are people who are still balancing".

Today he announced that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - one of the churches that helps make up the Eastern Orthodox Church - had signed the communique.

Mr Zelenskyy added that the document would remain open for signatures and that he was "confident that more countries and international organisations will join".

The streets of Pyongyang have been lined with images and flags of Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president is due to touch down on North Korean soil for the first time in 24 years today where he will meet with the country's leader Kim Jong Un.

And the red carpet is being rolled out already for the visit of Mr Putin, with state television broadcaster KCTV showing concerts of Russian military while the streets have been lined with Russian flags and images of the president.

Anton Gerashchenko, former Ukrainian advisor to the internal affairs minister, shared footage on X of Pyongyang's Russian-themed welcome.

Mr Putin and his entourage - set to include Russia's defence and security ministers - are expected to arrive in North Korea this evening local time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the remote Siberian city of Yakutsk today ahead of his visit to North Korea.

The Russian leader is heading to Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Mr Putin will meet regional governor Aisen Nikolayev in Yakutsk before travelling to North Korea later today.

The world coverage chief of the Wall Street Journal says he is hopeful that the imprisonment of American journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia will end soon.

Mr Gershkovich is due to stand trial on espionage charges in Russia where he is accused of "gathering secret information" for the CIA.

Russian prosecutors said Mr Gershkovich was caught "red-handed", with the FSB state spy service claiming that he was trying to obtain military secrets.

He denies the allegations but, if found guilty, could face up to 20 years in prison.

Since his arrest, Mr Gershkovich has been held at Moscow's Lefortovo Prison - a notorious jail used during Joseph Stalin's purges, when executions were carried out in the basem*nt.

The trial will take place 900 miles from Moscow, behind closed doorsin the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, where Mr Gershkovich was first detained.

"I think that having a journalist taken prisoner, which hasn't happened since the Cold War in Russia, sort of transcends the [Ukraine] war and is kind of a fundamental attack on the freedom of the press which really underpins all of our free societies," Mr Gershkovich's colleague, Gordon Fairclough, told Sky News today.

"It's sadly not surprising, but it is incredibly disheartening to see a colleague falsely accused, and effectively being held hostage to geopolitics.

"I got a letter from him a couple of weeks ago. He's quite a resilient guy and seems to be keeping his spirits up and his sense of humour is intact."

US President Joe Biden called Russia's actions "totally illegal," while US state department spokesman Matthew Miller previouslysaid there was "absolutely zero credibility" to the charges against Mr Gershkovich.

There is now a growing expectation that the situation could be resolved through a prisoner swap between the US and Russia.

Mr Fairclough added: "We expect the way this to be resolved and the way Russian officials have signalled this would be resolved would be through some kind of prisoner swap with the US government.

"We know that talks are ongoing between the US and Russia on this subject."