Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow vows to retaliate against US after missile attack on Crimea (2024)

Key points
  • Russia vows revenge against US after attack on Crimea|Washington hits back at 'ridiculous' claims
  • At least eight dead in fire near Moscow|Watch smoke billow from building
  • North Korea warns US over 'new world war'
  • Ukraine inches closer to EU dream
  • Big picture: What you need to know this week
  • Analysis:Blaming Ukraine for Dagestan attack fits Russia's wider narrative
  • Listen to the Daily above and tap hereto follow wherever you get your podcasts

08:26:25

Good morning - here's a roundup of the latest

If you're just checking in, here's a recap of what has happened in the last 24 hours - and we'll be back with live updates a little later today.

  • Vladimir Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the Russian president's peace proposals could stop conflict in Ukraine almost immediately, state-run TASS news agency reported. Mr Putin said on 14 June he would be ready for peace talks "tomorrow" if Ukrainian troops withdrew from the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukraine has said it won't give up any of its territory;
  • An elderly woman was killed, four people injured and scores of buildings damaged in multiple air attacks by Ukraine on the Belgorod region overnight;
  • The Kremlin yesterday blamed the US for an attack on Crimea with US-supplied ATACMS missiles but the US hit back at the claims, calling them "ridiculous" and "hyperbolic". The Russian foreign ministry summoned the American ambassador;
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had appointed brigadier general Andriy Hnatov as commander of the joint forces of Ukraine's armed forces, replacing Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol;
  • The EU approved a plan to use €1.4bn (£1.19bn) in profits from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine;
  • A Russian double-tap missile attack killed at least five people and wounded 41 others, including four children, in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk on Monday, regional officials said;
  • North Korea warned the US over sparking a "new world war".

22:00:01

We're pausing our live coverage...

That's all of our live coverage on the conflict for now.

We'll bring you any major developments overnight, and we'll be back with our regular updates in the morning.

21:40:01

US expected to announce $150m munitions package to Ukraine

The US is expected to announce it is sending an additional $150m (£118m) in munitions to Ukraine.

According to a US official, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, the package includes anti-armour weapons, small arms, grenades and artillery rounds, among other support.

The upcoming shipment is also expected to include munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.

That system is capable of firing the longer-range missiles from the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which Russia has said would prompt retaliation and risk escalating the conflict.

The package is expected to be announced tomorrow.

21:00:01

In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers fire howitzer at enemy

On day 850 of the Ukraine war, we take a closer look at how Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk region are taking the fight to Russian troops near by.

The images below show Mykhailo, Ihor and Oleh of the 33rd Separate Mechanised Brigade preparing and loading a self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops.

20:30:01

Dagestan holds first day of mourning after attack

The first day of mourning has taken place inRussia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan after attacks that the authorities say killed 20 people.

Gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in the attacks in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent yesterday.

Russia's national anti-terrorist committee described the attacks - in a predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed insurgency - as terrorist acts.

The attack is the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.

The affiliate of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan that claimed responsibility for March's raid quickly praised the attack in Dagestan, saying it was conducted by "brothers in the Caucasus who showed that they are still strong".

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War argued that the Islamic State group's North Caucasus branch, Vilayat Kavkaz, was likely to have been behind the attack, describing it as "complex and co-ordinated".

19:56:45

US hits back at 'ridiculous' claims it was behind Crimea strikes

Russian claims that the US was behind yesterday's strikes in Crimea are "ridiculous" and "hyperbolic", according to a spokesperson for the US state department.

Officials say four people died and around 150 more were injured in the attack as missile debris fell on a beach in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.

Russia's defence ministry said the missiles used by Ukraine were US-supplied ATACMS missiles, and claimed US specialists programmed them.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow earlier today that the "involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences".

During a US state department briefing, spokesperson Matthew Miller was asked about Russia's claims, which he said were unfounded and wrong.

"I don't have any assessment of the underlying attack, including who was responsible for it. But you have seen Russia make ridiculous claims about responsibility in the past," he said.

"You might recall after the terror attack in Moscow in March, they blamed the US despite the US warning them about the attack.

"It's not unusual for Moscow to make ridiculous, hyperbolic claims about responsibility that aren't born out of facts."

Mr Miller had previously been asked about the strikes in Crimea, to which he said the US laments any civilian casualties in the ongoing war.

On providing weapons to Ukraine, Mr Miller added: "We provide weapons to Ukraine so that it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression, including in Crimea, which, of course, is part of Ukraine.

"Russia could stop this war today and end the suffering caused by the war Russia launched if it ended its occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and stopped launching attacks on civilians."

19:20:01

Watch: Deadly fire near Moscow

We reported earlier on a fire at a former Russian electronics research institute near Moscow that has killed at least eight people.

We've now got video of the scene - with people visible leaning out of windows as smoke engulfs the building.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire to start.

18:40:01

Analysis: New EU sanctions target Russian gas for the first time - but could have gone much further

By Ian King, business presenter

The EU today launched its 14th package of sanctions against Russia - this time targeting Vladimir Putin'sliquefied natural gas exports (LNG) for the first time.

The measure is the latest attempt by the blocto deny Mr Putin'sregime of money as his war on Ukraine drags into its 29th month.

No EU bans on Russian gas yet

The sanctions, which will kick in after a nine-month transition period, fall short of an outright ban on Russian LNG shipments.

This partly reflects the fact that EU members are themselves still allowed to buy LNG from Moscow- even though the bloc has set a target of phasing out Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

The EU followed the leadof the United States and the UK in banning Russian oil imports, with one or two limited exceptions, in 2022 after Russia attacked Ukraine.

What latest sanctions do

The key measure in the package, signed off late last week in the face of opposition from Germany and Hungary,is a ban on trans-shipments off EU ports of Russian LNG - essentially preventing the commodity from being sold to third countries via EU ports.

Part of the package also targets specific vessels - including an initial 27 oil tankers - that are used to get around the price cap slapped on Russian oil by the G7 countries.

Read the full story here...

18:00:01

Video of Russian soldier's execution shows 'brutal culture' within armed forces

A video appearing to show a wounded Russian soldier being shot dead by another shows the "brutal culture" of Moscow's armed forces, according to a US-based thinktank.

Footage shared widely on social media over the weekend shows a Russian soldier injured by a drone strike, motioning to another soldier for help.

Instead, the other soldier kills him with a gunshot fired at point-blank range.

He does this instead of attempting to check the soldier's injury, attempting treatment, taking his identification tags or attempting a casualty evacuation, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says.

"The attempted or deliberate killing of a fellow soldier is unprofessional, and ISW has observed instances of Russian fragging (the deliberate killing of supervisors) and other anecdotes demonstrative of a callous disregard for the lives of Russia’s own soldiers throughout the war thus far, both within Russia and amongst Russian troops on the battlefield," it says in its latest assessment.

"Fragging is generally indicative of extremely poor discipline amongst troops, a disconnect between tactical level commanders and their subordinates, as well as a blatant disregard for human life."

Sky News has not verified the authenticity of the video.

17:23:31

At least eight dead in fire near Moscow

A fire at a former Russian electronics research institute near Moscow has killed at least eight people, state news agency TASS reports.

Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of the eight-storey building - in the town of Fryazino - which was engulfed by flames.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire to start.

Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said a 34-year-old man was in serious condition in hospital, while two firefighters were also being treated for injuries from the fire.

More than 100 firefighters are at the scene. Local emergency services said the man was the only person rescued from the blaze.

The building creates components for fighter jets, nuclear launch munitions, air defences and guided munitions.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow vows to retaliate against US after missile attack on Crimea (2024)

FAQs

What is the US response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine? ›

Following the attacks, White House announced an expansion of its sanctions programs. Today, the United States, along with Allies and partners, is imposing severe and immediate economic costs on Russia in response to Putin's war of choice against Ukraine.

Was Crimea ever part of Russia? ›

Catherine the Great's incorporation of the Crimea in 1783 from the defeated Ottoman Empire into the Russian Empire increased Russia's power in the Black Sea area. The Crimea was the first Muslim territory to slip from the sultan's suzerainty.

Who owns the Crimea? ›

Crimea
Geography
StatusInternationally recognized as Ukrainian territory occupied by the Russian Federation (see Political status of Crimea)
Ukraine (de jure but not in control)
Northern Arabat Spit (Henichesk Raion) Autonomous Republic of Crimea Sevastopol
Largest settlementSevastopol
17 more rows

Why is Ukraine so important to Russia? ›

Russia has deep cultural, economic, and political bonds with Ukraine, and in many ways Ukraine is central to Russia's identity and vision for itself in the world. Family ties. Russia and Ukraine have strong familial bonds that go back centuries.

What were the responses to the Ukraine war? ›

The invasion received widespread public condemnation internationally. Protests and demonstrations were held worldwide including in many post-Soviet countries and some in Russia itself. Russian monuments across Europe were subject of vandalism with some even demolished.

Who is more powerful, Russia or Ukraine? ›

Russia's military capabilities outnumbered those of Ukraine for most indicators as of 2024. For example, the number of aircraft at the disposal of the Russian Army exceeded 4,200, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces possessed 321 aircraft. Russia's naval fleet was 7.5 times larger than Ukraine's.

What do the people of Crimea want? ›

Polling in 2008 by the Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies, also called the Razumkov Centre, found that a majority of Crimeans simultaneously approved the idea of joining Russia (63.8%), while also supporting the idea of remaining within Ukraine if Crimea was given greater autonomy (53.8%).

Who gave Crimea to Ukraine? ›

In 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union transferred the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. The territory had been recognized within the Soviet Union as having "close ties" to the Ukrainian SSR, and the transfer commemorated the Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary.

What percentage of people speak Russian in Crimea? ›

According to the survey, Russian is used at home by 43–46% of the population of the country (in other words a similar proportion to Ukrainian) and Russophones made a majority of the population in Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine: Autonomous Republic of Crimea — 77% of the population. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — 32%

Who does Crimea rightfully belong to? ›

According to Ukrainian law "On status of the autonomous Republic of Crimea", passed on 29 April 1992, "Republic of Crimea is an autonomous part of Ukraine and independently decides on matters, of its application of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine" (art. 1).

What was Ukraine called before? ›

From the 18th century on, Ukraine became known in the Russian Empire by the geographic term Little Russia. In the 1830s, Mykola Kostomarov and his Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Kyiv started to use the name Ukrainians.

Why did Putin invade Crimea? ›

Vladimir Putin said that Russian troops in the Crimean peninsula were aimed "to ensure proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will," whilst Ukraine and other nations argue that such intervention is a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.

Why did Russia not want Ukraine to join NATO? ›

While public support for NATO membership has risen in Ukraine since 2014, the prospect continues to face opposition from Russia, which sees Ukraine's potential NATO accession as a security threat.

How long can Russia sustain war? ›

The authors concluded Russia could sustain its current rate of attrition for up to three years and maybe longer. The report also detailed how, despite international sanctions, Russia's economy had proved resilient and it had ramped up defense spending for 2024.

What is Russia's reason for invading Ukraine? ›

Putin espoused irredentist views challenging Ukraine's right to exist, and falsely claimed that Ukraine was governed by neo-Nazis persecuting the Russian minority. He said his goal was to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine.

What did the US do after Russia invaded Ukraine? ›

Following Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States deployed or extended about 20,000 additional Armed Forces to Europe. As of December 2023, the U.S. force posture in Europe, including permanently stationed forces, totaled approximately 80,000 military personnel.

How does the Russian invasion of Ukraine affect the US? ›

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have an important impact on the US economic and political outlook this year. The conflict will drive up global commodity prices, fuelling inflation and weighing on US economic growth. As a result, we have lowered our forecast for real GDP growth this year, from 3.4% to 3%.

How much has the US given to Ukraine? ›

How much money has the United States provided Ukraine? Since the war began, the U.S. Congress has voted through five bills that have provided Ukraine with ongoing aid, doing so most recently in April 2024. The total budget authority under these bills—the “headline” figure often cited by news media—is $175 billion.

What are the sanctions on Russia after Ukraine invasion? ›

With the commencement of attacks on 24 February 2022, a large number of other countries began applying sanctions with the aim of devastating the Russian economy. The sanctions were wide-ranging, targeting individuals, banks, businesses, monetary exchanges, bank transfers, exports, and imports.

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