Russia claims it destroyed M777 Howitzers sent to Ukraine by western allies
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova, Olga Voitovych and Vasco Cotovio
U.S Marine Corps. prepare the shipment of M777 howitzers to be loaded onto a C-17 by the U.S Air Force in the March Air Reserve Base in California, US, on May 19, along with other supplies and munitions as part of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. (EyePress News/Reuters)
The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed it has targeted and destroyed “155-mm M-777 howitzers” provided to Ukraine by the US and European allies, in a statement accompanying a video it released Wednesday.
Russian used high-precision artillery strikes to destroy the “155-mm howitzers made in the USA," its Ministry of Defense claimed.
It’s unclear how many M777 Howitzers were allegedly destroyed, but it’s not the first time Russia has made similar claims.
CNN has reached out to Ukrainian officials for comment on Russia’s claims but has yet to hear back.
CNN could not independently verify the destruction of M777 Howitzers, but it is widely understood that levels of attrition are high on both sides of the conflict.
9:52 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Lithuanian president says country is prepared for any "unfriendly actions" by Russia
From CNN's Chris Liakos
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda speaks during an interview in Vilnius, Lithuania, on June 22. (Ints Kalnins/Reuters)
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said his country is ready for some form of retaliation by Russia after it banned the transit of certain goods subject to European Union sanctions across its territory and into the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
“We are ready and we are prepared for some kind of unfriendly actions from the side of Russia, disconnection from the BRELL system or other actions,” said Nauseda, speaking to Reuters in a video published Wednesday. The BRELL system is a power grid shared between Russia, Belarus and Baltic states.
He said he does not believe Russia will challenge Lithuania militarily because his country is a NATO member.
Nauseda defended the decision to block the passage of some goods, saying they’re implementing what was decided on a European Union level.
“We just implement the sanctions, which were imposed on European Union level, and this has nothing to do with the bilateral relations between Russia and the Lithuania,” Nauseda said.
“We are looking forward to implement next stages of the sanctions, and it would be very good that European Commission explains the content of the sanctions to the Russian authorities and probably it will remove some tensions which are arising right now,” he added, warning that the escalation of tensions won’t benefit either side.
Earlier Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that retaliatory measures for Lithuania's transit ban on European Union-sanctioned goods to Russia through Kaliningrad were being discussed. Peskov did not elaborate what those measures could entail and said there was no exact timeline for Moscow’s response.
9:42 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Germany will train Ukrainian soldiers on Mars II systems
From CNN's Chris Stern in Berlin
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht speaks during a session of the German lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on June 22. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)
The German military is planning to train Ukrainian soldiers up on the Multiple Launch Rocket System Mars II, defense minister Christine Lambrecht said in the German parliament Wednesday.
The training to be conducted in Germany could start as early as next week, Lambrecht said, adding that once those instructions have been concluded, delivery of that weapons system could start.
Germany would deliver three such systems to Ukraine, with the UK matching that number, and the US would deliver four Multiple Rocket Launch Systems (MLRS), she added.
9:39 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
German government warns Russia against retaliatory measures over Kaliningrad dispute
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
Freight train cars from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad are seen at the border railway station in Kybartai, some 200 kms (124 miles) west of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on June 22. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)
The German government has warned Russia not to take countermeasures over the dispute of freight traffic to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
"We call on Russia not to take any measures that violate international law," German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.
He said that Lithuania had taken these actions within the European Union framework of sanctions on Russia. Only certain goods are affected by the sanctions, and no people have been sanctioned.
“We therefore clearly reject countermeasures announced by Russia,” Hebestreit said during a regularly scheduled government news conference in Berlin.
Some background: The Kremlin has said Lithuania's transit ban on European Union-sanctioned goods to Russia through Kaliningrad is "unacceptable."
“We are convinced that the sanctions adopted by the EU are absolutely unacceptable. Applying these sanctions regarding transit to Kaliningrad and back simply contradicts fundamental agreements,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, adding that retaliatory measures are being discussed.
Peskov refused to elaborate what those measures could entail and said there was no exact timeline for Moscow’s response, but that it will announce them when they are ready.
“(Response) measures are being prepared. After we carefully weigh everything, we will talk about it,” he said.
9:08 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Ukraine says city of Mykolaiv struck with 7 missiles
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
The city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine was struck by seven missiles on Wednesday, the head of the regional military administration, Vitaly Kim, said on his Telegram channel.
Kim was inspecting local harvests when the alleged attack occurred.
“I have interrupted the inspection in the district. I return to the city. The city was hit with seven missiles,” he wrote.
One person was killed and two were injured as missiles struck, the city’s mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said Wednesday.
“As of now we know about two private enterprises affected. Some fuel and lubricant materials were on the premises of these enterprises,” Sienkevych said. “Due to the missile hit into one of the enterprises the fuel and lubricant materials set on fire and now the whole city is covered with the black smoke. The firefighters are working on spot.”
According to the mayor, a school and a five-story building were also affected by the blasts and have had their windows shattered. The school also suffered damaged to the roof.
“We also received the information about four private houses which were damaged,” he added.
Russian authorities and Russian media did not immediately report on the incident and CNN could not independently verify Kim’s claim that seven missiles had struck the city.
Mykolaiv was the site of a fierce battle in the early weeks of Russia's invasion, but it was successfully defended by Ukrainian forces.
8:27 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Turkish and Russian defense ministers discuss grain exports from Ukrainian ports
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio
A Russian soldier guards a pier with grain storage in the background at an area of the Mariupol Sea Port, eastern Ukraine, on June 12. (AP)
Russia's defense ministry said it discussed grain exports from Ukrainian ports with a Turkish delegation, during a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday.
“On June 21, negotiations were held in Moscow between the delegations of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey,” the Russian defense ministry said in press statement on Wednesday.
“The parties discussed the safe exit of Turkish merchant ships and the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, as well as approaches to ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea,” it added.
Grain shipments from Ukraine have stalled due to ongoing hostilities in the region since the start of Russia’s invasion.
More background: Ukrainian and world leaders have denounced Russia's blockade of Ukraine's ports, with the United Nations saying it could push nearly 50 million people into famine or famine-like conditions around the globe. Satellite images also show that Russian ships have been loading up with what is believed to be stolen Ukrainian grain in Crimea on their way to Middle Eastern ports.
Meanwhile, Moscow accuses the Ukrainian side of not de-mining the ports. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly blamed Western sanctions on the impending food crises, but European Union officials say he is blaming them for a crisis that he created.
9:37 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
It's 3 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
Russian forces are targeting a key city in Ukraine’s east, while missile strikes have been reported around the country and European leaders are meeting to discuss Kyiv’s EU status.
Here are the latest headlines.
Battle for Lysychansk: Russia has advanced into several villages south of Lysychansk, the last city in the Luhansk region still held by Ukraine. It comes after a bruising week for Kyiv’s forces, which has seen several villages to the city’s south fall. "It is not easy for our soldiers to keep the defense," a regional official admitted.
Fighting across Ukraine’s south: Heavy fighting is taking place in southern Ukraine along the borders of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, according to Ukrainian officials. Russians were shelling many districts of Mykolaiv, the government said Wednesday. For the second day in a row, the town of Bereznehuvate came under fire Tuesday, according to regional authorities.
Kaliningrad tensions: The Kremlin has again expressed its fury after Lithuania blocked sanctioned goods from crossing its territory into Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave surrounded by EU territory. The region could become a new flashpoint in the war after days of frosty exchanges with Lithuania, which says it is merely upholding EU sanctions.
EU talks: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a "seventh package of European Union sanctions,” as the bloc meets to make a final decision on formally giving Ukraine candidate status. There is broad support for Ukraine’s application to join, but France said Wednesday that it won’t get a VIP pass.
Snake Island strikes: Large burn marks and a damaged tower have appeared on the island after the Ukrainian Army said it conducted "aimed strikes," a new satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows. In the past two months, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly hit Russian forces and infrastructure stationed on the island.
War crimes team: US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a war crimes accountability team during a trip to Ukraine, which will work to identify and prosecute anyone who committed war crimes in the country. The team will be led by the department's best-known Nazi Hunter, Eli Rosenbaum.
7:25 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Kremlin says Lithuania's ban on sanctioned goods passing through Russian exclave is "unacceptable"
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
A Russian railway locomotive moves past freight train wagons at the border railway station in Kybartai, Lithuania, on June 21. (Ints Kalnins/Reuters)
The Kremlin has said Lithuania's transit ban on European Union-sanctioned goods to Russia through Kaliningrad -- Russia's exclave in the EU -- is "unacceptable."
Moscow is considering measures in response to Vilnius’s “unfriendly steps," according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“We are convinced that the sanctions adopted by the EU are absolutely unacceptable. Applying these sanctions regarding transit to Kaliningrad and back simply contradicts fundamental agreements,” Peskov said Wednesday, adding that retaliatory measures are being discussed.
Peskov refused to elaborate what those measures could entail and said there was no exact timeline for Moscow’s response, but that it will announce them when they are ready.
“(Response) measures are being prepared. After we carefully weigh everything, we will talk about it,” he said.
Some background: Russia has reacted furiously after Lithuania prohibited the passage of sanctioned goods across its territory into Kaliningrad last week.
Peskov said the move was "unprecedented" on Monday. “We also consider it illegal," he said, adding that the Kremlin will need to analyze the situation carefully. “It is part of a blockade, of course,” he said.
However, Lithuania said it is merely upholding European Union sanctions and the European bloc has backed the country's decision.
The row threatens to escalate tensions between Moscow and the EU, which has unveiled several packages of sanctions on Russian goods -- including last month agreeing to ban 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of 2022.
6:44 a.m. ET, June 22, 2022
Ukraine won't get a VIP pass to join the EU, France says
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris
French Junior Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune arrives at the French National Assembly in Paris, France, on June 20. (Raphael Lafargue/Abaca/Sipa USA/AP)
France has said Ukraine's passage to join the European Union could take years to complete, reiterating its position that the country won't be fast-tracked into the bloc despite widespread support among leaders for its efforts to join.
Ukraine will have to comply with strict rules as with any applicant, a French minister said, ahead of a Brussels summit in which leaders will discuss Ukraine's candidacy.
“There is no expedited procedure, there is no King’s Pass,” French Minister Delegate for Europe Clément Beaune said in an interview with French radio Europe 1, using a term for preferential treatment.
“They need to finish the war first, to rebuild the country, to meet all the democratic and economic requirements. This will take time. But we are giving this signal of openness,” Beaune added.
EU leaders will gather on Thursday and Friday to discuss whether or not to grant EU candidacy status to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
The European Commission last week backed Ukraine's candidacy.
Speaking in Brussels, its President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission recommends "that Ukraine is given candidate status. This is of course on the understanding that the country will carry out a number of further reforms."
