The Russian army is retreating in several sectors of southern and eastern Ukraine, the leader of the paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine, said on Friday (23 June), contradicting the Kremlin’s assertions that the Kiev counter-offensive is a failure. “The (Russian) army withdraws to the areas of Zaporizhia and Kherson (south), the Ukrainian armed forces push”said the boss of Wagner in a video interview published on Telegram by his press service. “There is no control, there are no military successes” of Moscow, he stings, claiming that the Russian military “wash themselves with their blood”a way of asserting that they are suffering heavy losses. Follow our live.
Thirteen Russian cruise missiles shot down overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force reportedly shot down 13 Russian cruise missiles on Friday targeting a military airfield in the west of the country. “All thirteen Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles were destroyed by anti-aircraft defense”said the air force on Telegram. “This time the attack targeted a military airfield in the Khmelnytsky region”, she clarified. Follow our live.
Emmanuel Macron speaks of “the isolation of Russia”. “What does this summit say [pour un pacte financier mondial] ? Russia’s isolationassured Emmanuel Macron, guest of franceinfo, RFI and France 24, this Friday. “Russia has put itself in a situation of no longer respecting international law” and Emmanuel Macron assures that he has no “no reason to call today” Vladimir Poutine.
Alarms due to air raids throughout Ukraine. Sirens went off across Ukraine overnight from Thursday to Friday, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram, quoted by The Kyiv Independent. Alarms were heard in Kyiv and in all oblasts of the country from 3 a.m. (local time).