Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia's advance on Kharkiv 'halted' (2024)

Closing arguments in the trial of Wall Street Journal reporterEvan Gershkovich will be heard in a Russian court tomorrow.

Mr Gershkovich attended a trial session for a second day behind closed doors today - more in our 8.10am post on that.

The 32-year-old was arrested in March last year while on a reporting trip. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the US - which he, his employer and his government all vehemently deny.

Russia will not rule out new deployments of nuclear missiles in response to the planned US stationing of long-range conventional weapons in Germany, Moscow's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.

Russia regularly threatens Europe and the US with the nuclear option in public.

"I am not ruling out any options," the Interfax news agency said he told reporters in the Russian capital when asked to comment on the US deployment plans.

Washington said last week it would start deployment in Germany from 2026 of weapons that will include SM-6, Tomahawk and new hypersonic missiles in order to demonstrate its commitment to NATO and European defence.

Interfax cited Mr Ryabkov as saying that the defence of Russia's Kaliningrad region, which is wedged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, was a particular focus.

"Kaliningrad is no exception in terms of our 100% determination to do everything necessary to push back those who may harbour aggressive plans and who try to provoke us to take certain steps that are undesirable for anyone and are fraught with further complications," Mr Ryabkov said.

Readers have been sending in their questions to our senior correspondents and military experts for their take on the changing battlefield environment in Ukraine.

Today,Ross Tregembo asks:

Is there a possibility of internal dissent within Putin's inner circle leading to his removal from power?

Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennettreplies:

"Not right now, no. This seems extremely unlikely for a number of reasons.

"Firstly, Vladimir Putin has just started a new presidential term, keeping him in the Kremlin for another six years.

"The potential political jeopardy of an election has evaporated and his approval ratings are near record highs (85% according to the independent Levada Center), helped by Russia gaining the upper hand on the battlefield in Ukraine.

"So there's no overt public support for a change at the top.

"Secondly, who would succeed him? His refusal to pick a successor all these years has been deliberate, and a key factor in preserving his power.

"Thirdly, his potential rivals are focused elsewhere.

"Look at what’s happening at the ministry of defence and the series of corruption scandals. By replacing his long-time ally Sergei Shoigu as minister of defence, Putin seemed to open the doors to a full-on purge of the military’s top brass.

"Analysts say this was a deliberate ploy to play his rivals off against each other - security services vs the military. By doing that, they're less likely to take a shot at him.

"Yes, it's only been a year since his authority was challenged like never before, with the Prigozhin-led uprising. But fast-forward 12 months and his grip on powerappears stronger than ever."

A Russian court has sentenced US citizen Michael Travis Leake to 13 years in prison on drug smuggling charges, the court service has said in a statement.

Mr Leake, a musician and former US paratrooper - who was arrested in June 2023 - was found guilty of selling drugs on a large scale, the court service said.

It was not clear how he pleaded.

He is one of about a dozen Americans currently held in Russian detention - alongside Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, whose trial continued today (see 8.10am post).

Another American, Robert Romanov Woodland, was sentenced by a Russian court to 12-1/2 years for drug smuggling earlier this month.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's desire to create "a true European Defence Union" if she is re-elected shows the mood in Europe is one of militarisation and confrontation, the Kremlin has said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the plans reflected Ms von der Leyen's "changing priorities" and said her proposals gave a "military colouring" to the EU.

Mr Peskov told reporters that her proposal "confirms the general attitude of European states to militarisation, escalation of tension, confrontation and reliance on confrontational methods in their foreign policy".

"Everything is quite obvious here," he added.

One more line to bring you from Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address at Blenheim Palace - concerning Russia's progress in northern Kharkiv.

When trying to convince leaders to help with Kyiv's air defence capability, the president said Ukraine had halted Moscow's forces completely.

"We have stopped the Russian advance on Kharkiv - period," he said.

"Putin has sacrificed tens of thousands of his citizens but has achieved nothing significant," he added.

"This was made possible by the bravery of our warriors and the bravery of our partners, who have lifted limitations on the use of Western weapons along our border," he added.

Russia launched a surprise attack on Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region in May, opening up another front for Ukraine to defend.

Moscow's troops made rapid progress in the days immediately after the incursion, before being slowed by a stubborn Ukrainian resistance.

Reports earlier in the week that Russian operations were winding down in the area resulted in Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denying the claims yesterday.

"This operation is ongoing, it will continue until it has been successfully completed," he told reporters.

Speaking to European leaders gathered in Oxfordshire, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for three things: Unity in the continent, more upgrades to Ukraine's air defences and diplomacy.

"We have maintained unity in Europe and acting together means that Putin has missed his primary targets - he has failed to create division in Europe," he said, adding that the Russian leader would " try to approach you or go to some of your partners individually, trying to tempt, pressure or blackmail you so that one of you betrays the rest, weakening our unity".

It is not clear who he was referring to, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow recently in a move dubbed an "appeasem*nt mission" and slammed by European leaders.

Moving to air defence, he called on leaders to show bravery and lift limitations on donated weapons.

He then noted recent steps taken by the UK and US (among others) in doing so. "Did this lead to escalation? No," he said.

"On the contrary, it blocked Putin's attempt to expand the war. Did Putin have any response? No."

Concluding his second point, he said: "The more effective our air defence is, the more helpless Putin will be [and] the fewer restrictions we have on the use of effective weapons, the more Russia will seek peace."

Finally, he thanked leaders for continued efforts to see Ukraine join both the EU and NATO - urging them to continue those processes.

Watch his comments below...

Lithuania's parliament has voted to withdraw from the convention banning the production, stockpiling, use and transferring of cluster munitions.

The use of the weapon in the Russian-Ukraine war has been controversial, with more than 100 countries banning the weapons - which Kyiv, Moscow and Washington have all not signed.

"Conventions are important when all countries adhere to them," defence minister Laurynas Kasciunas told the parliament before the vote.

"The problem is, Russia, in its aggression against Ukraine, is not adhering," he added.

The weapon detonates in the air and releases "bomblets" that scatter over a large area.

Opponents say they kill indiscriminately and some of the smaller munitions can fail to detonate, posing a long-term risk to civilians.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered some comments to broadcasters outside Blenheim Palace.

"For us it's very important to be here, for Ukraine, especially these periods," he said.

"It's a tough period for us... it's very important to maintain unity in Europe, because always this unity leads to a strong decisions," he added.

He said he would focus on air defence and energy at this summit.

On the new prime minister, he said: "I count on his support because really the UK demonstrated leadership from the very beginning of Russian attacks and all these strong steps and some not simple steps."