06/26/2023
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 04:05 Kiesewetter: “Putin will make war even more brutal” +++
The foreign policy spokesman for the Union faction, Roderich Kiesewetter, expects Vladimir Putin to have an even harder hand after the failed Wagner uprising in Russia. “Putin must now avoid giving his opponents the impression that he is battered. He must show domestic political strength,” the CDU politician told the Berliner Tagesspiegel. The president will “intensify the war against Ukraine, make it even more brutal than before.” According to Kiesewetter, Ukraine now needs “more help than ever”: “Germany must finally jump over its shadow and deliver the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine.” In addition, the federal government should “bundle armaments production in Europe and listen more to Ukrainians, Poles and Balts”.
+++ 03:10 Selenskyj talks to Biden about the Wagner mutiny +++
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj have spoken on the phone about the failed uprising of the Wagner private army in Russia. He had “a positive and inspiring conversation” with Biden, explains Zelenskyj at Twitter. “We discussed the course of the fighting and the processes in Russia.” It was also about weapons with longer ranges.
+++ 01:49 air raids on Odessa +++
The southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa is attacked from the air. Several explosions could be heard in the city, reports the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. Shortly before, the Ukrainian Air Force had warned of possible Russian attacks with cruise missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea.
+++ 01:06 Russian authorities report damage to houses and streets after the Wagner uprising +++
Russian authorities take stock of the damage after the advance of the Wagner militia. In the Voronezh region, 19 were damaged in a firefight with the Russian army, the head of the district administration said. In Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner fighters occupied a military headquarters, tanks battered more than 10,000 square meters of roadways, according to Mayor Alexei Logvinenko. He published photos showing tank tracks on the streets. According to him, the repair work should start immediately and it is planned that they will be completed in two days.
+++ 00:10 Zelenskyj: The situation in Zaporizhia needs more attention +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj complained that the world public was not paying enough attention to the Russian threat at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine’s western partners have received all available intelligence information about Russia’s plans for the nuclear power plant, he said in his video address that evening. “We have to take very concrete measures, all together in the world, to prevent any radiation incidents,” he warns of possible sabotage. The Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe.
+++ 23:16 Lithuania demands strengthening of NATO’s eastern border after Wagner revolt +++
After the Wagner uprising, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda calls for a further strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank. Should Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin end up in exile in Belarus with unclear intentions, the security of the eastern border must be increased. “We are dealing with a large state, a nuclear state, and any internal unrest inevitably has consequences for the security of the surrounding states,” says Nauseda, referring to Russia. So far he has had no information confirming that the Wagner boss is already in Belarus. Lithuania borders Belarus and the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.
+++ 22:25 Russian government advocates a day off for computer scientists and journalists +++
The Russian government advocates “giving employees of IT and telecommunications companies and the media a day off”. This is reported by the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. The reason: “Saturday was a very emotional and tense day.”
+++ 21:44 Ukraine says it is advancing 600 to 1000 meters near Bachmut +++
In the vicinity of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian army advanced 600 to 1,000 meters to the south and north on Sunday, said a spokesman for the Eastern Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhiy Cherevatyi. The reports the Kyiv Independent. “The defense forces retain the initiative and continue offensive operations,” Cherevatyi said.
+++ 21:20 Selenskyj on the phone with Biden and Trudeau +++
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is making a series of important phone calls, as he tweeted writes, the first with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, the second with US President Biden. He thanks both politicians for supporting Ukraine. With Biden he “coordinated our positions on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, discussed further work on the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula and the preparations for the world peace summit”.
+++ 20:55 Macron: Wagner uprising shows division in Russia +++
From French President Macron’s point of view, the uprising of the Wagner mercenaries shows how divided the Russian leadership is. Macron told the newspaper “La Provence” that the mercenaries’ march to Moscow referred to “the divisions in the Russian camp and the instability of both the military and the auxiliary troops”. “All of this should make us very vigilant and fully justifies the support we are giving to the Ukrainians in their resistance,” Macron said.
You can read about the developments from the previous day here.