VLADIMIR Putin's end is approaching as the "countdown has started" according to Ukrainian officials following the Wagner rebellion.
The Russia leader has faced a tough week and now an alleged spy is set to be charged in Ukraine in connection with the Kramatorsk missile strike that has killed 12.
A restaurant in Kramatorsk, Donetsk was destroyed leaving three teenagers dead, and 61 injured.
Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Secret Service of Ukraine, said in the statement: "The Russian agent will undoubtedly stand trial in a Ukrainian court. But this detention is also a signal to all other spotters and traitors working for Russia. Remember: punishment is inevitable!"
It comes as Ukrainian forces are advancing "slowly but surely" across frontlines in the east and southeast of the country according to senior military officials.
Read our Russia coup live blog below for the latest updates...
29th Jun 2023, 12:21 By Louis Allwood
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This blog has now be paused. You can catch up on the latest Ukraine war news here.
29th Jun 2023, 12:00 By Louis Allwood
What ultimatum have Wagner troops been given?
Vladimir Putin directly addressed the mercenaries in his speech this week.
The tyrant said they were now faced with a choice of either serving the Russian military by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defence, or they could return home to their families.
He said: “It is the choice of each of you, a choice of the warriors of Russia who have acknowledged their fault.”
29th Jun 2023, 11:30 By Louis Allwood
Russian MP claims Moscow is ‘not attacking civilian infrastructure’ despite recent attack
A Russian MP has claimed Moscow is “not attacking civilian infrastructure” despite the recent attack that has killed at least three children.
Speaking to Sky News after the attack in Kramatorsk on a pizza restaurant, Evgeny Popov said: ” I don’t have enough information about this exact case but the Russian army is not attacking civilian infrastructure and a Russian missile has attacked some of the military infrastructure in Kramatorsk.”
29th Jun 2023, 11:00 By Louis Allwood
Putin requested minute silence for troops killed in attempted coup
During his address, Vladimir Putin requested a minute of silence to honour pilots killed during Wagner’s attempted coup.
He said: “A number of our comrades have died in the process. They fulfilled the order and their military duty with honour.
“Our resolution and courage, as well as the consolidation of the entirety of Russian society, has been huge and has played a defining role in overcoming these obstacles and the mutiny.
“You can see the army, society and people were one. This has allowed us to overcome the extremely dangerous situation that the country was in.”
29th Jun 2023, 10:40 By Louis Allwood
Russian deputy fired from nation's army
According to reports, the deputy to Sergey Surovikin has reportedly been fired.
A Moscow-based journalist tweeted that Colonel General Andriy Yudin had been "dismissed from the ranks" of the Russian army.
It comes as US officials said Surovikin had advance knowledge of the Wagner leaders plans to rebel against Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the armed forces General Valery Gerasimov over the dismal war in Ukraine, the New York Times reports.
29th Jun 2023, 10:20 By Louis Allwood
Desperate Putin ‘needs 7-million-strong army to replace Wagner’
Vladimir Putin will need to build an army of seven million men to replace the Wagner mercenary group a top politician in the Kremlin has claimed.
Leonid Slutsky said that Russia needs a contract army of at least seven million troops on top of the current conscript army following Wagner’s attempted coup.
The head of the Liberal Democratic party said on Telegram: “The country does not need any PMCs (private military companies) and their likes.
“There are problems in the regular army, but PMCs cannot solve them.”
29th Jun 2023, 10:00 By Henry Moore
Agent responsible for Kremlin strike arrested
Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that an arrest has been made in connection to the missile attack, sharing in a statement that the agent informed Russia about the restaurant crowd and “adjusted the enemy’s missile strike.”
Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Secret Service of Ukraine, said in the statement: “The Russian agent will undoubtedly stand trial in a Ukrainian court.
“But this detention is also a signal to all other spotters and traitors working for Russia. Remember: punishment is inevitable!”
29th Jun 2023, 09:29 By Louis Allwood
Russian losses near 230,000
Russian losses are fast approaching 230,000 according to Ukraine's Armed Forces.
A further 680 troops were estimated to have been eliminated.
A staggering 27 artillery systems were also destroyed as Ukraine continues to make advances.
29th Jun 2023, 09:00 By Louis Allwood
President Zelensky dismisses potential conflict ‘freeze’
Speaking in parliament, Ukraine’s President Zelensky dismissed talk of a peace with Russia that would see the Kremlin retain the land it has taken.
Zelensky signalled that he was against any solution that grants Russia control over territory previously belonging to Ukraine.
“Ukraine will not agree to any of the variants for a frozen conflict,” he said.
29th Jun 2023, 08:30 By Louis Allwood
Putin has become a ‘pariah’, claims President Biden
US President Joe Biden has said Putin was “absolutely” weakened by the Wagner Group’s attempted coup and has become a “pariah”.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Biden emphasised the damage Wagner’s failed coup could do to Putin’s regime.
When asked if Putin is weaker now than he was before the coup attempt, Biden said: “I know he is.
“He’s losing the war at home. He’s become a bit of a pariah around the world. And it’s not just NATO, it’s not just the European Union, it’s Japan,” he told reporters.
29th Jun 2023, 08:00 By Louis Allwood
Rescue mission at Kramatorsk pizza restaurant attack ends
A rescue mission has drawn to a close in the eastern city of Kramatorsk after a deadly missile attack on a pizza restaurant killed "at least 12".
Writing on Telegram the governor of Donetsk said: "The rescue operations at the site of the missile strike in Kramatorsk have been completed."
29th Jun 2023, 07:30 By Louis Allwood
Russian forces to face negative impact after loss of aircraft during Wagner rebellion
Russian troops will be facing "psychological shock" after losing a large number of aircrew in Wagner rebellion, the UK's Ministry of Defence has claimed in their latest intelligence update.
The Ministry said: "On 24 June, air defence forces of the Wagner private military company reportedly shot down Russian military helicopters and an Ilyushin Il-22M airborne command post aircraft."
The Ministry added: "The loss of this aircraft is likely to have a negative impact on Russian air and land operations. In the short term the psychological shock of losing a large number of aircrew in this manner will almost certainly damage morale within the Russian Aerospace Force.
"In the longer term, there is a possibility that current tasking levels may have to be reduced to safely manage the remaining fleet. This will likely undermine Russia's ability to command and coordinate its forces, particularly during periods of high tempo operations."
29th Jun 2023, 07:00 By Louis Allwood
Pizza restaurant attack death toll increases
The death toll of the pizza restaurant attack has increased to 12.
A 17-year-old girl, two 14-year-old sisters and a boy are among the dead.
Two S-300 surface to air missiles are thought to be responsible for the attack.
29th Jun 2023, 06:30 By Louis Allwood
Putin’s General Armageddon ARRESTED
Vladimir Putin's "General Armageddon" has reportedly been arrested amid claims he was in on the Wagner Group's armed revolt.
General Sergey Surovikin - renowned for his merciless manoeuvres - has known links to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary army chief behind Saturday's rebellion.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
OUT FOR BLOOD Putin’s General Armageddon ARRESTED after he vanished over Wagner coup claims
29th Jun 2023, 06:00 By Henry Moore
The Kremlin, explained
The world has seen regular updates from the Kremlin throughout the Ukraine-Russia war.
As a key component of Russian politics and the country’s history, here is a look into what the Kremlin is.
The Kremlin is a term given to a citadel within a Russian town.
The most famous is the government building located in Moscow‘s Red Square and is the official residence of the Russian president, where official events are held.
The citadel is made up of five palaces, four cathedrals, Kremlin towers, and a wall enclosing it.
29th Jun 2023, 05:00 By Henry Moore
President Zelensky dismisses potential conflict ‘freeze’
Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Ukraine’s President Zelensky dismissed talk of a peace with Russia that would see the Kremlin retain the land it has taken.
Zelensky signalled that he was against any solution that grants Russia control over territory previously belonging to Ukraine.
“Ukraine will not agree to any of the variants for a frozen conflict,” he said.
29th Jun 2023, 04:30 By Carsen Holaday
Agent responsible for Kremlin strike arrested
Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that an arrest has been made in connection to the missile attack, sharing in a statement that the agent informed Russia about the restaurant crowd and "adjusted the enemy's missile strike."
Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Secret Service of Ukraine, said in the statement: "The Russian agent will undoubtedly stand trial in a Ukrainian court.
"But this detention is also a signal to all other spotters and traitors working for Russia. Remember: punishment is inevitable!"
29th Jun 2023, 04:00 By Henry Moore
What is the Wagner Group?
The Wagner Group, officially known as PMC Wagner, is a Russian paramilitary organisation that was founded in 2014.
It is run by Putin’s former close ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russia calls the Wagner Group a “private military company,” though it has been labelled as a network of mercenaries by others.
It is believed that, as of December 2022, the Wagner Group had an estimated 50,000 personnel inside Ukraine.
This number was made up of around 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts from Russian prisons, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said via NBC News.
In the wake of the group’s rebellion against Putin, videos posted on social media showed banners urging people to join the Wagner Group being torn down in Russian cities.
29th Jun 2023, 03:00 By Henry Moore
Russian MP claims Moscow is ‘not attacking civilian infrastructure’ despite recent attack
A Russian MP has claimed Moscow is “not attacking civilian infrastructure” despite the recent attack that has killed at least three children.
Speaking to Sky News after the attack in Kramatorsk on a pizza restaurant, Evgeny Popov said: ” I don’t have enough information about this exact case but the Russian army is not attacking civilian infrastructure and a Russian missile has attacked some of the military infrastructure in Kramatorsk.”
29th Jun 2023, 02:00 By Henry Moore
Pictured: Putin’s deadly missile strike on Ukrainian civilians
Families were pulled from the wreckage of a Russian missile strike in Ukraine on Tuesday night.
Eleven are confirmed dead – including a child and two teenagers – while 56 are injured following the horrific attack on a restaurant and shopping area in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine.
29th Jun 2023, 01:00 By Henry Moore
Kremlin slams ‘rumours and speculation’ that Russian general knew about Wagner coup attempt
The Kremlin has slammed a new report that claims a top Russian general knew about the Wagner Group’s plans to rebel in advance.
The New York Times reported that the White House is investigating whether General Sergey Surovikin played a role in the Wagner Group’s failed coup last week.
The Kremlin dismissed these claims, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying: “There will be now a lot of speculation and rumours surrounding these events. I believe this is just another example of it.”
29th Jun 2023, 00:00 By Henry Moore
Putin has become a 'pariah', claims President Biden
US President Joe Biden has said Putin was "absolutely" weakened by the Wagner Group's attempted coup and has become a "pariah".
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Biden emphasised the damage Wagner's failed coup could do to Putin's regime.
When asked if Putin is weaker now than he was before the coup attempt, Biden said: "I know he is.
"He’s losing the war at home. He’s become a bit of a pariah around the world. And it’s not just NATO, it’s not just the European Union, it’s Japan," he told reporters.
29th Jun 2023, 23:00 By Henry Moore
Desperate Putin ‘needs 7-million-strong army to replace Wagner’
Vladimir Putin will need to build an army of seven million men to replace the Wagner mercenary group a top politician in the Kremlin has claimed.
Leonid Slutsky said that Russia needs a contract army of at least seven million troops on top of the current conscript army following Wagner’s attempted coup.
The head of the Liberal Democratic party said on Telegram: “The country does not need any PMCs (private military companies) and their likes.
“There are problems in the regular army, but PMCs cannot solve them.”
29th Jun 2023, 22:00 By Henry Moore
Kremlin slams 'rumours and speculation' that Russian general knew about Wagner coup attempt
The Kremlin has slammed a new report that claims a top Russian general knew about the Wagner Group's plans to rebel in advance.
The New York Times reported that the White House is investigating whether General Sergey Surovikin played a role in the Wagner Group's failed coup last week.
The Kremlin dismissed these claims, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying: "There will be now a lot of speculation and rumours surrounding these events. I believe this is just another example of it."
29th Jun 2023, 21:30 By Henry Moore
Russia was on brink of ‘CIVIL WAR’
Putin has told his troops they stopped a “civil war” as the trembling tyrant clings to power after the Wagner Group coup.
The 70-year-old despot addressed a carefully selected crowd of his generals and soldiers in the Kremlin’s sealed-off Cathedral Square in Moscow.
He insisted the rebel mercenaries “never had the support” of the people – despite pictures showing the Wagner troops being met by cheering crowds in Rostov.
“You de facto stopped civil war,” said Putin.
Vlad was speaking as the war of words continues between the Kremlin and Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin – who attempted to march on Moscow on Saturday.
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