Global Courant
Ukrainian forces have launched a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraine’s Kherson region to Crimea, Russian-appointed officials in both regions said.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, said the bridge was likely attacked by Storm Shadow missiles that damaged the road, but traffic was diverted to another route. No casualties have been reported.
Crimea governor Sergey Aksyonov said specialists are examining the site to determine when traffic across the bridge can resume.
Known as “the gateway to Crimea”, the Chongar Bridge is one of the few bridges connecting Crimea – which was annexed by Russia in 2014 – to the mainland. The bridges provide an alternative to the narrow isthmus that connects the peninsula and the continent.
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09:09 BST
Ukraine’s entry into NATO could ‘prevent a major war in Europe,’ Zelensky chief of staff says
08:57 BST
Scholz urges the NATO summit to focus on strengthening Ukraine’s military strength
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius in July to focus on boosting Ukraine’s combat capability during its ongoing counter-offensive against Russia.
An important question that will be discussed at the July 11-12 meeting is the future relationship between Ukraine and NATO, Scholz said.
“We need to look at the current situation soberly,” Scholz told lawmakers in Berlin, noting that Kiev “itself has said NATO membership is out of the question while Russia is waging its war against Ukraine.”
“That is why I propose that in Vilnius we focus on what is now an absolute priority – namely strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces.”
08:17 BST
Pictured: A wounded Ukrainian soldier at the Campus Virchow Clinic in Berlin
Thousands of injured Ukrainian soldiers are being treated across the EU as part of a civil protection program set up by the European Commission.
A wounded Ukrainian soldier rests on his bed as a doctor examines x-rays at the Campus Virchow Clinic in Berlin – TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP
Germany alone has taken in 800 wounded Ukrainian soldiers since the start of the war, including about 50 in the Berlin hospital ward that specializes in musculoskeletal wounds.
Story continues
08:15am BST
Ben Wallace says he is not eligible for a top job at NATO
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace does not expect to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general, The Economist reports, amid claims the US wants the current leader to remain.
“It’s not going to happen,” Mr Wallace, who has previously said he would like the job, told the magazine in an interview.
“Maybe they want a prime minister,” he added.
Mr Stoltenberg will step down in September after nine years as secretary general of the military alliance, but the bloc is struggling to decide on a replacement ahead of a mid-July summit in Lithuania.
read more here
08:02 BST
Listen to the latest Ukraine
We report on the news that a British Challenger 2 has been seen on the battlefield for the first time – and on the announcements from the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.
Plus, we talk again with the founder of Vans of Borders about their latest work in Ukraine, delivering aid and documenting the lives of civilians caught up in the violence.
07:57 BST
Russian gas flow through Ukraine ‘could stop next year’
One of the last arteries carrying Russian gas to Europe could close late next year when Ukraine’s supply contract with Gazprom expires, the Financial Times reports, citing an interview with Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko.
The chances of Kiev and Moscow agreeing to extend the five-year transit contract first signed in 2019 were slim, even though the route through Ukraine accounts for nearly 5 percent of Europe’s total gas imports, the government reported. newspaper the Minister of Energy.
07:48 BST
Latest MoD update
07:42 BST
In the photo: Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk
Ukrainian soldiers of the 35th Brigade fire targets using 120mm mortar near one of the newly captured villages in Makarivka, Donetsk – Anadolu Agency / Anadolu
Ukrainian soldiers of the 35th brigade fire targets with 120mm mortar near one of the newly captured villages in Makarivka – Anadolu Agency / Anadolu
Andrii, Ukrainian soldier of the 35th Brigade, inspects 120mm mortar shells at the firing position near one of the newly captured villages in Makarivka – Anadolu Agency/Anadolu
07:39 BST
Top US security adviser attends meeting organized by Ukraine in Denmark
Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, will attend a meeting organized by Ukraine in Denmark this weekend, along with representatives from multiple countries, including some that have remained neutral about the Russian invasion, a Western official told AFP on Wednesday.
The Copenhagen meeting aims to discuss ways to achieve a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, the source said.
The invitees include top security officials from the United States, the European Union and other countries that have supported Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those who have not condemned the invasion, the source added, without specifying which states.
The as-yet-unannounced meeting was first reported by the Financial Times, who cited sources familiar with the plans and said the meeting could include officials from India, Brazil and South Africa, although participants were not yet finalized.
07:38 BST
First photos of the Chongarsky Bridge after arrival
07:35am BST
Britain ‘very, very much in favour’ of Ukraine’s accelerated NATO entry
Britain would support early NATO entry for Ukraine at the alliance summit in Vilnius next month, the foreign minister said.
James Cleverly said Britain would be “very, very supportive” of allowing Ukraine to skip the membership action plan, a lengthy reform process that future NATO allies would have to undergo before being allowed to apply for membership.
The comments reflected a growing consensus in Western Europe that Ukraine should join NATO after the war, but signaled a possible rift between London and Washington over the timetable.
Read more from Roland Oliphant here
07:34 BST
Ukraine’s counter-offensive is not like Hollywood, Zelensky says, admitting progress is slow
Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that Ukraine’s counter-offensive is “progressing slower than desired” as he warned observers it was not a “Hollywood movie”.
Just over two weeks after the attack, Ukraine has recaptured eight villages in the south, but the advance has slowed in recent days.
According to a senior Ukrainian defense official, Ukrainian forces have had “partial success” as they continue to attack on the southern front and withstood a major assault in the east.
read more here
06:41 BST
The first photos appear
Crimean bridge
Crimean bridge
Crimean bridge
06:24 BST
Good morning
Reports are emerging that an important bridge connecting the Ukrainian mainland to Crimea has been damaged.
Russia blames Ukraine.
Our reporters will have more information on this today. Follow our live updates.
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