Ukraine Russia war – live: Wagner mercenaries ‘arrive in Belarus’ as Putin sacks top commander

Wagner mercenaries are arriving in Belarus weeks after a failed rebellion against the Kremlin regime, it has been reported. A large convoy of around 60 vehicles, including large trucks and buses, were seen moving northwest to a camp in the village of Tsel, according to military monitoring group ‘Belarusian Gayun’. ‘A combination of factors indicates that this is a convoy of the Wagner PMCs [private military company], which entered Belarus from the Russian Federation at night in the Krichev area,’ it said. Elsewhere, a top Russian commander appears to have been sacked for voicing concerns about the Kremlin’s war strategy in a sign of growing divisions between officers on the front line and the country’s military leadership. The 58th Combined Arms Army’s general-major Ivan Popov was dismissed after a leaked video showed him delivering a blistering attack on the Russian military leadership, whom he accused of ‘hitting us from the rear, viciously beheading the Army at the most difficult and intense moment’. Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the ‘comments draw attention to serious disaffection many officers likely harbour towards the senior military leadership.’ Key Points Wagner mercenaries ‘moving to Belarus’ Putin sacks top commander for criticising strategy as army divisions grow Russia’s Wagner fighters are training soldiers in Belarus – ministry Putin offered Wagner the chance to keep fighting under ‘Grey Hair’ commander Senior Russian general says he was fired after accusing defence ministry of treachery Senior Russian general killed in airstrike with British Storm Shadow missile Russian spy chief spoke to CIA boss about ‘what to do with Ukraine’ Large Wagner convoy arrives in Belarus village – report 10:39 , Matt Mathers A large convoy of Wagner Group vehicles has arrived in Belarus, according to military monitoring group ‘Belarusian Gayun’. Some 60 vehicles, including large trucks and buses, were seen moving northwest to a camp in the village of Tsel. ‘A combination of factors indicates that this is a convoy of the Wagner PMCs [private military company], which entered Belarus from the Russian Federation at night in the Krichev area,’ it said. It comes following the Wagner Group’s failed rebellion last month. Warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner boss, ordered his troops to march on Moscow but later rowed back on the move, saying he wanted to avoid ‘blood shed’. Russian president Vladimir Putin reported said Prigozhin and his troops could move to Belarus after dropping criminal charges against them. Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhi (via REUTERS) Russia’s FSB thwarts attempts to kill two prominent journalists – Ifax 13:52 , Matt Mathers Russia’s FSB security service said on Saturday it had thwarted alleged Ukrainian-backed plots to kill two prominent Russian journalists, Interfax news agency reported. The FSB said it had detained an unspecified number of people on Friday who it said had carried out reconnaissance near the homes and workplaces of Margarita Simonyan and Ksenia Sobchak. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which in the past has denied involvement in assassinations of pro-war figures inside Russia. ICYMI: 13:00 , Matt Mathers India is close to buying new French warplanes and submarines and played a starring role in France’s Bastille Day celebrations Friday. But for all the camaraderie on display this week between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron , their two countries remain sometimes-awkward allies. Macron skirted around concerns about threats to rights and freedoms under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. Modi called for peace efforts in Ukraine to end Russia’s war and resulting grain shortages, and India has increased imports of sanctioned Russian oil; Macron’s France is boosting weapons supplies to Ukraine for its counteroffensive. Full report: The Nato summit was not the triumph that Zelensky hoped it would be 12:38 , Matt Mathers The Ukraine president found his efforts to join the bloc frustrated, writes Mary Dejevsky . But the event did have its uses. Read Mary’s full piece here: US support for Ukraine emerges as key dividing line between GOP 2024 hopefuls in Tucker Carlson-hosted forum 11:53 , Matt Mathers Russia ‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February of 2022. A year-and-a-half later, the fate of the brutal conflict is still top of mind in Washington and beyond. Joe Biden recently embarked on a high-profile visit to Europe for a Nato summit , where he opined on the future of the alliance and Ukraine’s potential place in it. This shift may even have reached the GOP , which took something of an isolationist turn under Donald Trump . However, these days, the Ukraine war seems to be a central topic once again. That renewed focus was on full display on Friday at an event hosted by Tucker Carlson , the former Fox News anchor. Ariana Baio and Josh Marcus report: Ukraine shoots down 10 Russian drones – Kyiv 11:01 , Matt Mathers Ukrainian forces have downed 10 Russian drones across the country on Friday and overnight, the air force said. In a Telegram post, the Ukrainian air force added that Moscow had fired six Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine’s south and east during the night, four of which were shot down. It did not immediately give details of any casualties or damage. In southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province, where Ukraine has been engaged in a counter-offensive to take back occupied territory, there were 45 air and artillery attacks between Friday and Saturday, governor Yurii Malashka said. Russian forces shelled neighbouring Kherson province 70 times over the same period, using mortars, artillery, drones, tanks, aviation and multiple rocket launchers, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Saturday. No civilians were wounded, he added. Russian shelling over the past day killed one civilian in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Saturday. Ukrainian forces have been pressing their counter-offensive in the area, inching their way from Velyka Novosilka down towards the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol. File photo: A cloud of smoke after a night drone strike in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv (AFP via Getty Images) 10:07 , Matt Mathers Agreements that the United Nations and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertilizer to get from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are going hungry have eased concerns over global food security. But they face increasing risks. Moscow has ramped up its rhetoric, saying it may not extend the deal that expires Monday unless its demands are met, including ensuring its own agricultural shipments don’t face hurdles. The Black Sea Grain Initiative has allowed 32.8 million metric tons (36.2 million tons) of food to be exported from Ukraine since last August, more than half to developing countries, including those getting relief from the World Food Program . Courtney Bonell reports: South Korea president to meet Zelensky 09:23 , Matt Mathers South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was visiting Ukraine on Saturday for talks with president Volodymyr Zelensky, the South Korean presidential office said. The surprise trip came after Yoon attended a NATO summit in Lithuania and visited Poland this week, where he expressed solidarity with Ukraine and explored ways to support its fight against Russia’s invasion. Yoon visited the site of mass killings in Bucha near the capital Kyiv, before visiting Irpin, a residential area that received large-scale missile attacks. He was expected to hold a summit with Zelenskiy afterward, his office said. Lithuania NATO Summit (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Putin sacks top commander for criticising strategy as army divisions grow 09:00 , Matt Mathers A top Russian commander appears to have been sacked for voicing concerns about the Kremlin’s war strategy in a sign of growing divisions between officers on the front line and the country’s military leadership. The 58th Combined Arms Army’s general-major Ivan Popov was dismissed after a leaked video showed him delivering a blistering attack on the Russian military leadership, whom he accused of ‘hitting us from the rear, viciously beheading the Army at the most difficult and intense moment’. Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the ‘comments draw attention to serious disaffection many officers likely harbour towards the senior military leadership.’ Missing Russian general with links to Wagner boss is ‘resting’ says official 08:30 , Matt Mathers A top Russian official has addressed the whereabouts of a senior general who has not been seen in public since the Wagner mutiny. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the state Duma defence committee, said that general Sergei Surovikin is ‘resting’ and ‘not available right now’. Laura Sharman reports: Missing Russian general with links to Wagner boss is ‘resting’ says official UK accuses Russia of ‘cynical brinkmanship’ over Ukraine grain deal threat 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The UK has accused Russia of ‘cynical brinkmanship’ over threats to collapse a deal that allows Ukraine grain to be exported to countries at risk of famine. The Black Sea Grain Initiative is a deal negotiated with Kyiv and Moscow by Turkey and the UN in July 2022 to ease a global food crisis, allowing agricultural produce from the wartorn nation’s southern ports to be shipped out without fear of attack. It came with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertiliser, which have been exempted from Western sanctions regimes applied since the invasion started more than 500 days ago. UK accuses Russia of ‘cynical brinkmanship’ over Ukraine grain deal threat Putin says Wagner Group has no legal basis and therefore simply doesn’t exist 07:32 , Matt Mathers Russian president Vladimir Putin said that the Wagner private military company ‘simply doesn’t exist’ as a legal entity, in comments adding to the series of often bizarre twists that have followed the group’s abortive revolt last month – the most serious threat to Putin’s 23-year rule amid the war in Ukraine. ‘There is no law on private military organizations. It simply doesn’t exist,’ Mr Putin told a Russian newspaper late Thursday, referring to the Wagner group. Full report: Putin says Wagner Group has no legal basis and therefore simply doesn’t exist 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Russian and Belarusian players will return to Wimbledon as neutrals this year after the All England Club lifted its ban on players from both countries competing in the Championships. Wimbledon was the only one of the four grand slam tournaments to ban players from Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but was criticised by the men’s and women’s professional tours for doing so. In response, Wimbledon was stripped of its ranking points and the Lawn Tennis Association was hit by a fine after the ban on Russian and Belarusian players was extended to the summer’s other grass-court events in Britain. But in March this year, the All England Club announced it had reversed its decision ahead of this year’s Wimbledon to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete, as long as they agreed to several strict conditions. Jamie Braidwood has more. India’s Modi and France’s Macron stand apart on Ukraine 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar India is close to buying new French warplanes and submarines and played a starring role in France’s Bastille Day celebrations Friday. But for all the camaraderie on display this week between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and French president Emmanuel Macron, their two countries remain sometimes-awkward allies. Macron skirted around concerns about threats to rights and freedoms under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. Modi called for peace efforts in Ukraine to end Russia’s war and resulting grain shortages, and India has increased imports of sanctioned Russian oil; Macron’s France is boosting weapons supplies to Ukraine for its counteroffensive. Russian forces struck Sumy Oblast 110 times in a day 06:35 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Russian forces shelled Sumy Oblast in northeast Ukraine over 110 times on 14 July, the military administration said. The Russian military fired on the communities of Bilopillia, Esman, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Hlukhiv, Druzhbiv, Seredyna-Buda, and Novoslobidske.No casualties were reported from the shelling. The Russian mortar attacks damaged three residential buildings in Seredyna-Buda, while two private houses were damaged in Novoslobidske. Risk of Russia launching nuclear weapons not high, says Zelensky’s aide 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, said the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons to stop the counteroffensive is not high at the moment, according to Kyiv Independent. Mr Yermak’s remark comes a day after US president Joe Biden said there was no real possibility of Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said Kremlin would see the potential provision of US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as a ‘nuclear threat’. 05:25 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar