US seeks to seize 2 luxury jets linked to Roman Abramovich

US authorities have moved to seize two luxury jets after linking both to Russian oligarch and former owner of Chelsea F.C, Roman Abramovich.

The $60 (€56) million Gulfstream and a $350 (€327) million aircraft are believed to be amongst the world’s most expensive private airplanes.

On Sunday the United States announced new sanctions and penalties on Russian oligarchs and elites, Kremlin officials, businessmen linked to President Vladimir Putin and their yachts, aircraft and firms that manage them.

Meanwhile, Russia has imposed personal sanctions on 61 US officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and leading defence and media executives.

The Russian foreign ministry said it had imposed personal sanctions, which ban those named from entering Russia, in retaliation for "constantly expanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business."

(AP and Reuters)

D-Day commemorations draw parallels with Ukraine

There were comparisons between the French victims of the World War II Nazi invasion, and the  Ukrainian population today in the face of Russian aggression, at a ceremony in Normandy on Monday commemorating the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

Read the full story here:

D-Day commemorations see parallels drawn between France and Ukraine

“Kyiv may be 2,000 kilometres away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader.”

What has Macron said about not 'humiliating' Russia?

Criticism of Emmanuel Macron continued on Monday, following his reported comments at the weekend in which he said it was necessary not to "humiliate Russia".

Critics accuse him of a stance that risks selling Ukraine short and may even encourage Vladimir Putin to intensify Russia's aggression.

So what did the French president say? Read more here:

What has Macron said about the need not to 'humiliate Russia'?

The French president has been strongly criticised after repeatedly stressing the need to chart a diplomatic path with Russia once the fighting ends in Ukraine.

Johnson and Zelenskyy discuss support and Russian port blockade

Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelenskyy "had an in-depth discussion on Ukraine’s ongoing battle against Russian aggression in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the UK prime minister's office said on Monday.

Johnson highlighted new British support for Ukraine, "including long-range multiple launch rocket systems to strike Russian artillery positions which are being used to bombard Ukrainian towns", the statement said.

"The leaders also discussed diplomatic negotiations and efforts to end the damaging Russian blockade of Ukraine’s grain exports." 

The UK prime minister faces an internal party challenge to his leadership on Monday following a domestic political scandal.

Russia fines US-backed Radio Liberty for 'fake news'

The U.S.-backed broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been fined 20 million roubles (€304,000) in Russia for failing to delete what Moscow calls "fake" news about its military operation in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

According to Interfax, Radio Liberty refused to delete reports that included a tally of deaths among civilians and Russian service personnel "as well as extremist statements about Russians". Russia has not provided military casualty figures since March.

RFE/RL, which also runs a news website, has been given a slew of fines in recent months and said in March that it was suspending operations in Russia after it was declared bankrupt and police pressure against its journalists intensified.

A hearing on its appeal against the bankrupcty ruling is scheduled for Wednesday.

RFE/RL said in March that it had been targeted for telling the truth, and that it planned to continue reporting on Russia from outside.

Since sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February, Russia has passed legislation that allows for prison terms of up to 15 years for journalists who intentionally publish reports at variance with Moscow's account of the campaign.

Moscow says that campaign is a "special military operation", not a war or invasion, and was necessary to thwart a Western attempt to use Ukraine to threaten Russia, and to protect Russian-speakers there from persecution.

Ukraine and its allies say these are baseless pretexts for a land grab that has killed thousands, flattened cities, and driven more than 6 million people to flee abroad.

(Reuters)

Russian car sales fall by 52% in a month and 83% in a year

New car sales continued to plummet in Russia in May, falling 83.5% year-on-year, weighed down by inflation and major Western sanctions against Moscow.

In May, 24,268 new light vehicles were sold -- a 52% drop compared to April -- according to figures published by the industry body the Association of European Businesses (AEB).

The collapse in sales began in March, following the imposition of heavy sanctions on the sector, including in particular a ban on the export of spare parts to Russia. 

Car production is also suffering badly: April's figures showed a year-on-year fall of 85.4%, due to the withdrawal from the country of a number of foreign brands and the halt to the supply of spare parts which forced many local factories to shut down. 

Tens of thousands of employees of Russia's largest car producer, Avtovaz, have been on paid leave for months, and most of its production has come to a halt. Renault sold its Avtovaz assets to the Russian state in the first major nationalisation.

Inflation and the instability of the rouble have also made it harder for Russians to buy imported goods, especially cars. 

In May, Russia published a list of around 100 categories of goods that can be imported without the consent of intellectual property owners in order to circumvent the restrictions. These include major car brands and spare parts. 

Russia has also eased standards for the manufacture of vehicles on its territory, allowing the production of cars without ABS or airbags, because of shortages of electronic components and spare parts.

(AFP)

Ukraine forces 'holding on' in Sievierodonetsk, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian forces defending Sievierodonetsk are "holding on" despite assaults by Russian troops, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday -- adding however that Moscow's forces are "more numerous and more powerful".

Speaking at a meeting with journalists in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said the situation on the eastern front was "difficult". The cities of Sievierodonetsk and its sister city of Lysychansk "are dead cities today", he said.

The president argued that Ukraine's forces had "every chance" of fighting back, and said the Ukrainian command would "make decisions according to the situation".

Between 10,000 and 15,000 civilians are still in Sievierodonetsk, which has been shelled for weeks by Russian artillery, Zelenskyy said.

Regional governor Sergei Haidai said earlier on Monday that the local situation had "worsened" for the Ukrainian army, despite a counter-attack that regained control of half the city.

The city's mayor, Oleksandre Striouk, told the Ukrainian agency UNIAN that "the situation is changing every hour" and that "intense street fighting is underway", as well as an "artillery duel".

The industrial centre is the largest remaining Ukrainian-held town in the eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian soldiers have been advancing step by step in recent weeks.

The Russian army is currently trying to conquer the entire Donbas, partly in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

(AFP, with Reuters)

Don't close US embassy, ambassador urges Russia

Russia should not close the U.S. embassy despite the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine because the world's two biggest nuclear powers must continue to talk, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow was quoted as saying on Monday.

In a clear attempt to send a message to the Kremlin, John J. Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador appointed by President Donald Trump, told Russia's state TASS news agency that Washington and Moscow should not simply break off diplomatic relations.

"We must preserve the ability to speak to each other," Sullivan told TASS in an interview. He cautioned against the removal of the works of Leo Tolstoy from Western bookshelves or refusing to play the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

His remarks were reported by TASS in Russian and translated into English by Reuters.

(Reuters)

Moscow slams Serbia's neighbours over cancelled Lavrov trip

The Kremlin has sharply criticised three European countries which have refused to let a plane carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cross into their airspace, for a planned official visit to Serbia on Monday. 

Full story here:

Serbia's neighbours slammed for stopping Lavrov's visit to Belgrade

Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro closed their airspace, preventing Russia's foreign minister from visiting Serbia.

Russia says it hit Ukraine arms repair factory

The Russian military says it has struck a Ukrainian factory that was being used to repair armour.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was fixing armoured vehicles.

Konashenkov said that the Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets. His claims couldn’t be independently verified.

(AP)

Moscow warns West against providing long range rockets to Ukraine

The Russian foreign minister has warned the West that if it provides Ukraine with long-range rockets, Moscow will respond by taking over larger areas of Ukraine.

Speaking during an online news conference Monday, Sergei Lavrov said that “the longer the range of weapons you supply, the farther away the line from where neo-Nazis could threaten the Russian Federation will be pushed.”

The US and Britain have announced they will provide Ukraine with multiple rocket-launchers capable of striking targets up to 80 km away. The systems are capable of firing longer range rockets that can hit areas of up to 300km away, but the US said it wouldn’t supply the rockets.

Asked how Moscow would respond if the US and its allies change their mind and provide Ukraine with long-range rockets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments Sunday that Moscow will “draw appropriate conclusions and use our strike means, which we have plenty of, in order to hit the facilities that we haven’t struck yet.”

(AFP)

Italy rejects Russian accusations of discrimination allegations

The Italian government summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday to protest allegations made by the Russian foreign ministry that Russian citizens and officials are discriminated against in Italy. 

The ministry "firmly rejected the accusations of amorality towards certain representatives of Italian institutions and media, expressed in recent statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry" and also "rejected the insinuations about an alleged involvement of our country's media in an anti-Russian campaign," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russian ambassador Sergei Razov posted on the embassy's Facebook account on Saturday, with excerpts from a Russian foreign ministry report alleging discrimination against Russians in Italy.

Thus, "Russian diplomatic representations in Italy regularly receive information from their compatriots about threats received," according to the report.

"The large-scale campaign launched in Italy against Russian culture and its representatives has led to a series of unpleasant incidents," the report continues, referring to other problems encountered by Russians in Italy.

Italy and many of its leaders, including former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, have always had close relations with Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, but Mario Draghi's current government immediately aligned itself with the position of the European Union and NATO, condemning the Russian invasion. 

(AFP) 

US military chief compares Ukraine war victims to WWII

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had strong words about the war in Ukraine at a ceremony Monday commemorating the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

Speaking in the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, Milley said that "Kyiv may be 2,000 kilometres away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II.”

He spoke in the presence of more than 20 World War II veterans and several thousand people who came to pay tribute to those who fell that day.

“The world has come together in support of the defense of Ukraine against a determined invader. The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II,” he said.

“It’s about maintaining the so called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery.”

Gen. Milley recalled the principle underlined in that order that “strong countries cannot just invade small countries. Each country is sovereign and each country has the right to territorial integrity.”

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the 78th anniversary of June 6, 1944 landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day.

Asked about his feelings regarding the war being waged on the European continent, Shay told The Associated Press it “is a very sad situation.”

“In 1944 I landed on these beaches and we thought we’d bring peace to the world. But it’s not possible,” he added with regret.

(AP)

Lavrov denounces 'inconceivable' airspace closure

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday described as "inconceivable" the closure by three European countries of their airspace for the plane that was to take him on a visit to Serbia.

"The inconceivable has happened," Lavrov told a news conference, denouncing the measure as "scandalous".

The Kremlin on Monday denounced the closure as a "hostile act".

"Such hostile acts against our country are capable of causing certain problems (...), but they cannot prevent our diplomacy from continuing its work," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

(AFP)

Russia 'targeting civilian infrastructure' in north, says Ukraine army

Ukraine's army said Monday that Russia used mortars and artillery against civilian infrastructure in settlements of the Chernihiv and Sumy regions of northern Ukraine.

"In order to demonstrate their presence in the border areas, separate enemy units are operating that fire at the civilian infrastructure of the settlements of the Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine," the spokesperson for Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Shtupun said during the daily briefing.

Russian forces are conducting offensive operations in Slovyansk and Lysychansk and continue to storm the city of Sievierodonetsk, he added.

"In the Donetsk direction, the units of the aggressor are engaged in fire destruction of the positions of our troops along the entire line of collision," according to Shtupun.

(AP)

Sievierodonetsk situation has 'worsened', says Ukrainian governor

The situation in Sievierodonetsk has "worsened" after some Ukrainian advances, the regional governor said on Monday morning.

The key eastern city in the Donbas is the current epicentre of fighting with Russian troops.

"The fighting is very fierce in Sievierodonetsk. Our defenders managed to counterattack and liberate half the city, but the situation has worsened for us," said Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, on Ukrainian television without further details.

The governor says the bombardments have also intensified on Lysychansk, a neighbouring town located on "the heights" and strategic for "holding the defence line". 

The Russians are "destroying everything with their usual scorched earth tactics" so that "there is nothing left to defend", he claims. 

The industrial centre is the largest remaining Ukrainian-held settlement in the Luhansk region, where Russian soldiers have been advancing step by step in recent weeks.

After being initially pushed back by a Russian offensive on Sievierodonetsk, the Ukrainians claimed to have gradually regained ground there. On Sunday Haidai said half the city was under Ukrainian control.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian troops were withdrawing to Lysychansk "having suffered critical losses in the fighting for Sievierodonetsk (up to 90% in several units)".

(with AFP)

Boris Johnson faces internal challenge despite Ukraine war

Russia's aggression against Ukraine and other crises, both international and domestic, have failed to deter MPs from within the UK's ruling Conservative Party from mounting a challenge to the prime minister's leadership.

Boris Johnson, much admired in Ukraine for his support for the country in the face of Putin's destructive invasion, faces a vote of confidence on Monday night. It comes amid widespread public anger over the "partygate" scandal, which has exposed the systematic flouting of Covid lockdown rules at the heart of government during the pandemic.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has tweeted her support for the PM, citing his support for "Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression".

The UK's Ministry of Defence has said it will supply Ukraine with long-range rocket launchers, following Washington's lead.

Read the full story on the challenge to Boris Johnson:

UK PM Boris Johnson will face a vote of confidence later today

The ballot takes place on Monday evening, after at least 15% of his own Members of Parliament submitted letters calling for a vote of confidence in his leadership.

Ukraine intel report: Fighting in the east, Russians fortifying Snake Island

The latest British military intelligence report released on Monday morning highlights the ongoing fierce fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. 

The Ministry of Defence says Sieverodonetsk continues to be disputed by opposing forces: in recent days the Russians had claimed to control the city, but then Ukrainian forces staged a counter offensive and took back more ground. 

"Russian forces continue to push towards Sloviansk as part of their attempt at encirclement of Ukrainian forces" the MoD notes. 

Meanwhile the new intelligence briefing says Russia is continuing to fortify Ukraine's Snake Island in the Black Sea by moving "multiple defence assets" including anti-aircraft systems. 

"It is likely these weapons are intended to provide air defence for Russian naval vessels operating around Snake Island" the report says, following the loss of the Russian cruiser Moskva in April to a Ukrainian attack. 

Russian foreign minister's Serbia visit cancelled after countries close airspace

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Serbia has been cancelled after countries around Serbia closed their airspace to his aircraft, a senior foreign ministry source told the Interfax news agency on Sunday.

The source confirmed a Serbian media report that said Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro had closed their airspace to the plane that would have carried Moscow's top diplomat to Belgrade on Monday.

"Our diplomacy has yet to master teleportation," the source said.

There was no immediate comment from the Russian foreign ministry.

Serbia, which has close cultural ties with Russia, has fended off pressure to take sides over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has not joined western sanctions against Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic agreed last month that Russia would continue supplying natural gas to Serbia, while other countries have been cut off for refusing to pay for Russian gas in roubles.

(Reuters)

UK to supply new rocket launcher systems to Ukraine

The United Kingdom will supply Ukraine with rocket launchers with a range of 80km, to counter the Russian offensive, the Ministry of Defence announced on Monday, following Washington's lead.

These multiple rocket launcher systems (M270 MLRS) will "significantly increase the capabilities of Ukrainian forces," the ministry said in a statement. 

The decision was taken in "close coordination" with the United States, which last week announced the supply of Himars systems with a range of 80km - i.e. multiple rocket launchers mounted on light armoured vehicles.  

The Ukrainians had been asking for multiple rocket launchers for some time to be able to strike Russian positions in depth while positioning their batteries further from the front.

However, US President Joe Biden has ruled out supplying Ukraine with long-range rocket launcher systems that could reach Russia, despite Kiev's repeated requests for such weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that Moscow would strike new targets if the West supplied long-range missiles, saying current arms deliveries were aimed at "prolonging the conflict".

"If the international community maintains its support, Ukraine can win," commented British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. 

"Russia's strategy is changing, and our support must change too," he added, stressing that the new weapons would enable the Ukrainians "to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery,

(AFP)

Ukraine's World Cup quest ends with loss to Wales

Ukraine's players wept in the rain while applauding their dejected supporters after missing out on qualifying for the World Cup by losing 1-0 to Wales in Europe's last playoff for the FIFA soccer showpiece on Sunday.

The agonizing moment in a tight game came in the 34th minute when Andriy Yarmolenko inadvertently headed the ball into his own net while trying to clear Wales captain Gareth Bale’s free kick.

While Wales heads to a first World Cup in 64 years — opening against the United States in November — this was a game too far for Ukraine’s emotionally charged mission to qualify for Qatar while remaining under invasion by Russia.

“We did everything that we could," coach Oleksandr Petrakov said through a translator," but I really want the people of Ukraine to remember our team’s efforts."

Petrakov's priority, once the World Cup dream had been extinguished, was ensuring the suffering at home is not forgotten by the world.

“We have war raging all over the country,” Petrakov said. “We have children and women dying on a daily basis. Our infrastructure is being ruined by Russian barbarians. The Russians want to hurt us, but the Ukrainians are resisting and defending their land. We just want your support. We just want to you to understand what is happening back home.”

(AP)

READ MORE IN OUR STORY HERE.

President Zelenskyy visits Donbas frontlines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited his troops on the frontline in the war-torn eastern region of Donbass against Russian forces on Sunday.

He made an announcement about the trip on a video posted to social media. 

"We were in Lyssychansk, we were in Soledar," said the leader, who visited command posts in these towns near Sieverodonetsk, a key city in Moscow's offensive in the Donbass mining basin.

He also visited Bakhmut, in the southwestern Donetsk region, and held talks with military personnel, the presidency said.

During his trip, Zelenskyy "deepened his knowledge of the operational situation on the defensive frontline," the presidency said.

"I want to thank you for your excellent work, for your service, for protecting us all, our state. I am grateful to everyone," he told them. "Take care of yourselves!"

"I am proud of everyone I have met, shaken hands with, communicated with, supported," Zelenskyy said in his daily address.

He also said he had visited Zaporizhia, to meet residents of Mariupol who managed to flee the strategic port on the Sea of Azov almost completely destroyed by Russian bombing.

"Each family has its own story. Most were without men," he noted. "One family's husband went to war, another's husband is in captivity, another's husband, unfortunately, is dead. A tragedy. No home, no loved ones. But we must live for the children. True heroes, they are among us.

Mr Zelenskyy had already visited the front lines in May, in the Kharkiv region.

(AFP)