Live blog: Vilnius must confirm Ukraine as de facto NATO member — Zelenskyy

Monday, July 10, 2023

1833 GMT — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the majority of NATO members stood together with his country and the Vilnius summit on July 11-12 in Lithuania must confirm that Ukraine is a de facto member of the military alliance.

"The majority of the Alliance stands firmly with us," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message.

"When we applied for membership of NATO, we spoke frankly: de facto, Ukraine is already in the Alliance. Our weapons are the weapons of the alliance. Our values are what the alliance believes in. ... Vilnius must confirm all this."

Zelenskyy said further weapons supplies for Ukraine in its war against Russia would also be discussed at the summit and added: "I am sure that there could well be positive news regarding weapons for our men from Vilnius."

The Kremlin has said that Ukrainian membership of the NATO military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europe's security architecture and that Russia would consider such a step a threat which demanded a harsh response.

More updates👇

1915 GMT — Russian shelling kills seven at Ukraine aid point: Governor

Russian shelling on an aid hub in the town of Orikhiv in southern Ukraine has killed seven people, the emergency services said on Monday.

Regional governor Yuriy Malashko said on social media that Moscow's forces "hit a humanitarian aid delivery spot in a residential area," calling the attack a "war crime".

"Four people died on the spot: women aged 43, 45 and 47 and a 47-year-old man."

The death toll has since increased, emergency services said.

1247 GMT — Australia to deploy surveillance aircraft to assist Ukraine

Australia will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft to Germany to support Ukraine by protecting a humanitarian and military gateway outside its territory, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced.

The deployment of the E-7A Wedgetail aircraft for six months will include up to 100 Australian crew and support personnel, and will not enter Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian airspace, according to a statement issued by Albanese's office.

"The deployment of the E-7A Wedgetail as an additional early warning capability will help ensure that vital support flowing to Ukraine by the international community is protected," said Defence Minister Richard Marles.

The Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical voice and data communications systems to provide an airborne early warning and control, Australia's defence force said.

1243 GMT — Ukraine says it captured key heights around Bakhmut

Kiev said that Ukrainian troops had captured key heights around the eastern city of Bakhmut, as the country pushes ahead with its counteroffensive.

Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said that Kiev's troops had over the past few days established fire control over "entrances, exits and movement of the enemy around the city".

"During the process of advancing, our troops took control of key commanding heights around Bakhmut," Malyar said on Telegram.

In May, Russian forces, aided by fighters from the Wagner mercenary group, announced their capture of Bakhmut after months of gruelling warfare for the now-destroyed town that once was home to some 80,000 people.

1222 GMT — Germany's Scholz: Israel-style security guarantees for Ukraine one of several options

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the United States' suggestion of Israel-style security guarantees for Ukraine is one of several options being discussed and added that talks on the issue are far from being finished.

US President Joe Biden, who is en route to Lithuania, had earlier told CNN that Washington was ready to provide security to Ukraine in the mould of what it provides to Israel: "the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves".

1020 GMT — Kuleba: NATO agrees to remove action plan for Ukraine's membership

Ukraine has said that NATO members have agreed to remove the Membership Action Plan (MAP) requirement for Ukraine’s membership to the alliance.

“Following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached a consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine's path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

Kuleba further said that this is also “the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member.”

1019 GMT — Putin met with Wagner chief in Moscow after failed mutiny: Kremlin

The Kremlin has that President Vladimir Putin had met with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 29 in the Kremlin, days after the mercenary group attempted to topple Russia's military leadership.

"The president gave his assessment of the events of June 24," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to the failed insurrection, adding that Putin also "listened to accounts given by (Wagner) commanders".

Just over two weeks after the aborted mutiny, there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the fate of the Wagner group and the deal that ended the rebellion against Russia's top military brass.

0842 GMT — Russia claims Ukraine conducted failed strikes in Rostov, Kaluga, Crimea

Russia has claimed that Ukraine attempted to strike targets in the Rostov and Kaluga regions, as well as the Crimean Peninsula which it illegally annexed in 2014.

“On July 9, the Kiev regime made an unsuccessful attempt to strike targets in the Crimea, Rostov, and Kaluga regions with S-200 anti-aircraft missiles, converted into a strike version, in order to destroy ground targets,” a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

Two S-200 missiles were destroyed by air defence systems, and two more similar missiles were neutralised by electronic warfare systems, Afzalov said, according to the statement.

0810 GMT — Ukraine says recaptured 14 sq km from Russian forces last week

Ukraine has said its forces had recaptured 14 square kilometres (five square miles) from Russian forces in the south and east of the country over the last week.

"Over 10 square kilometres of Ukrainian land had been recaptured in the south of Ukraine last week. In the Bakhmut sector last week, the Ukrainian military liberated four square kilometres of territory from the Russian invaders," Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov told state media.

Kiev has said it recaptured a total of 193 square kilometres since launching its counter offensive last month.

0601 GMT — Ukraine: Several were killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia

Four people died and 11 were injured in Russia's bombing of a residential area of the frontline town of Orikhiv in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region when distribution of humanitarian aid was taking place, the governor of the region has said.

Governor Yuriy Malashko said those killed included three women and a man, all in their 40s. He added that Russia carried out 36 targeted strikes on 10 settlements of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 500-day conflict that Russia has been waging against its neighbour.

Russia condemns US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine

The White House has in effect confessed to committing war crimes by agreeing to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, the Russian embassy in the US said in comments published on social media.

"We paid attention to (White House national security spokesperson John) Kirby's statements about the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine. The official admitted de facto to committing war crimes by the United States in the Ukrainian conflict," the embassy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of already using cluster munitions in the 500-day war that Moscow has been waging against Kiev.

Ukraine promised last week the munitions that the US decided to ship to Kiev will not be used in Russia.

2134 GMT — Zelenskyy eyes 'best possible result' from NATO summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope for the "best possible result" from an upcoming NATO summit where Kiev is hoping for a clear signal that it could one day join the alliance.

After meeting his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, Zelenskyy said the two discussed the summit, which opens on Tuesday in Vilnius, and agreed to "work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine".

Poland is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters within NATO and has said it wants "security guarantees" for the country from other NATO members.

Zelenskyy has said he does not expect Ukraine to actually join NATO until after the war but he hopes the summit will give a "clear signal" on the intention to bring Ukraine into the alliance.

For our live updates from Sunday (July 9), click here.