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4 min ago

Putin says Wagner Group "simply does not exist." Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a Russian newspaper Thursday that the private mercenary Wagner Group "simply does not exist" as a legal entity.

His comments follow a Kremlin event — attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin — just days after Wagner fighters launched a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

At that meeting, Putin said he gave the fighters "an assessment of what they had done on the battlefield" and "showed them possible options for their further service, including the use of their combat experience."

Here are some of the other key developments from the war:

• Kyiv reports battlefield gains: Ukraine's grinding counteroffensive continues along the southern and eastern front lines this week, with Kyiv claiming some progress Thursday in the country's south. Ukraine's troops have taken back territory in the south including three reclaimed villages outside the town of Orikhiv, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said. Troops are also on the offensive around the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk.
• Biden trip ends: US President Joe Biden wrapped up a trip to Europe by asserting that Putin has "already lost" the war. Biden said he doesn't think the war will continue for years because Russia cannot maintain its resources for that long, and Putin will likely eventually "decide it's not in interest for Russia, economically, politically or otherwise." He said he hopes Ukraine makes progress in its counteroffensive to spur a negotiated settlement.
• Cluster munitions arrive: US-supplied cluster munitions have been delivered to Ukraine, a military official said Thursday. US and Ukrainian officials have said that cluster munitions could prove vital to breaking through Russia's stubborn defenses. But the weapons are also controversial for their potential risk to civilians. The US official reiterated a vow that Ukraine will use the cluster munitions to defend and reclaim their own soil, and in a way that will pose less danger to civilians.
• More support for Ukraine: The European Investment Bank and the European Union will provide another round of assistance worth about $450 million to help the reconstruction of Ukraine, the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has published a full list of the weapons and other military hardware pledged at this week's NATO summit, saying it amounts to more than $1.5 billion worth of equipment. And President Biden authorized the Pentagon to send up to 3,000 reserve forces to Europe as the war continues, adding to the more than 100,000 service members already in Europe.
• Grain deal deadline looms: Putin said Thursday that Russia may quit the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are not met, again imperiling an agreement that it has put in doubt as previous deadlines approached. The deal is due to expire Monday. It was brokered by Turkey and the UN to allow Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed. Among other demands, Russia wants access to international payments mechanisms currently out of bounds to its banks due to sanctions.

3 min ago

Putin says Wagner Group "simply does not exist"

From CNN's Jonny Hallam

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described for the first time what was discussed at a Kremlin event attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. 

The meeting was held on June 29, just days after Wagner fighters launched a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

"On the one hand, at the meeting I gave an assessment of what they had done on the battlefield (in Ukraine), and on the other hand, of what they had done during the events of June 24. Thirdly, I showed them possible options for their further service, including the use of their combat experience. That was it."

Putin, who was being interviewed by Russian newspaper Kommersant, was asked if Wagner would be retained as a fighting unit.

"Well, Wagner PMC does not exist!" Putin exclaimed. "We do not have a law for private military organizations! It simply does not exist!"

"There is no such legal entity," Putin explained.

"The group exists, but legally it does not exist!" Putin repeated in the interview. "This is a separate issue related to actual legalization. But this is a question that should be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. It's not an easy question."

Putin said he offered the 35 Wagner commanders multiple employment options, including one under the leadership of their direct commander, who goes by the call sign Sedoy [Grey hair] – a man under whom Wagner fighters had fought for the past 16 months.

"They could have all gathered in one place and continued to serve," Putin said, "and nothing would have changed for them. They would be led by the same person who has been their real commander all along."

29 min ago

Biden authorizes Pentagon to send up to 3,000 reserve forces to Europe amid the war in Ukraine

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky 

US President Joe Biden authorized the Pentagon on Thursday to send up to 3,000 reserve forces to Europe as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.  

The US has more than 100,000 service members in Europe, a number that has grown since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

Under the new authorization, the reservists would be part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the ongoing rotational deployments that bolster NATO and its eastern flank. The newly signed executive order designates Operation Atlantic Resolve as a contingency operation, which gives reservists the same benefits as active-duty service members.

No US troops are directly involved in the war in Ukraine as Kyiv is not a member of the NATO alliance.

“This new designation benefits troops and families with increases in authorities, entitlements, and access to the Reserve component forces and personnel,” said Joint Staff Director of Operations Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims at a press briefing.

The move gives the Defense Department another option to send more capabilities to assist US European Command. But a defense official said it would likely take approximately six months to send these reservists to the theater because of the advance notice required. 

The added troops would likely work in logistics and sustainment, or medical fields like dentistry and health care — roles that the reserves typically have more of than the active-duty force.

Since 2014, US forces have deployed to Europe under Atlantic Resolve to work with allies and partners in the region. Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder added that the new designation will enable the Defense Department to “provide better system support and sustain our forces.” 

“(T)his includes things like increased contracting responsiveness, personnel-related entitlements that give activated reservists the same benefits as active component personnel,” he said. “It also, as a secretary-level operation, enhances our ability to track spending directly associated with this contingency.”

The executive order approving the mobilization of more forces gives officials the ability to call on troops “to come support Atlantic Resolve, and as I just highlighted, be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active-duty counterparts.” 

3 hr 49 min ago

Ukraine says its troops are consolidating gains in the south

From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva

Ukraine's troops have taken back territory in the country's south, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Thursday.

Kyiv's forces have captured several settlements south of the town of Orikhiv, including the villages of Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka and Novopokrovka, according to the deputy defense minister.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield reports from either side of the conflict.

Ukraine also remains on the offensive south of Orikhiv in areas surrounding the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, Maliar said.

"The enemy is now redeploying units and using all available reserves. Due to the fact that our soldiers destroy enemy equipment depots on a daily basis, the number of enemy attacks has slightly decreased," Maliar said.

In eastern Ukraine: Maliar said Ukrainian units are advancing south of the city of Bakhmut but are meeting strong Russian resistance. Troops are also engaged in heavy fighting around the cities of Kupyansk, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka, she said.

3 hr 50 min ago

Pentagon confirms US cluster munitions have arrived in Ukraine

From CNN's Haley Britzky

US-supplied cluster munitions have been delivered to Ukraine, a military official said Thursday.

The acknowledgment confirmed reporting from CNN regarding the delivery of the weapons to Ukraine.  

“There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the Joint Staff director for operations, said during a news conference.

Key context: While US and Ukrainian officials have said cluster munitions could be a game-changer on the battlefield, helping break through Russia's stubborn defenses in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the weapons are also controversial.

More than 100 countries, including key US allies, have banned cluster munitions because of their potential threat to civilians. The bombs work by scattering smaller "bomblets" across a wide area. If any of the bomblets fail to explode, they can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines.

Sims said Ukraine does not have “any interest in using the cluster munitions anywhere near the civilian population, unlike the Russians.”

“Russians have employed these weapons against civilians in civilian communities, which is a significant difference from what the Ukrainians intend to do,” Sims said. “The Ukrainians intend to use cluster munitions in the tactical environment, against Russians, not against civilians.”

3 hr 50 min ago

Ukrainian official says up to 200 Russian soldiers killed in recent strike in south

From CNN's Tim Lister and Yulia Kesaieva

As many as 200 Russian soldiers and the commandant of the occupied southern town of Tokmak were killed in a recent strike on a Russian base, a Ukrainian official said.

"Our defense forces have successfully worked on the occupiers' positions in Tokmak," Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, said on Telegram.

Fedorov is in Ukrainian-held territory and his claims cannot be confirmed, but he claimed that intelligence reports said a Russian base at a forging plant in the town had been hit.

There is no way to confirm the claims and no visual evidence currently exists of an attack on the plant. However, a pro-Russian social media outlet said on Tuesday that the "AFU massively shell Tokmak. Preliminary, 6 strikes were recorded.” 

A Russian-appointed official in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, also spoke of a series of explosions in the town on the same day, posting a video of fires in an open area that could not be geolocated.

Tokmak, in the Zaporizhzhia region, is an important hub for Russian defenses and is regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces.

3 hr 57 min ago

Putin says Russia may quit grain deal if demands are not met

From Tim Lister and Uliana Pavlova

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia may quit the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are not met. The deal is due to expire Monday.

“As one of the options, let’s not start with the extension and then the fulfillment of promises, but first the fulfillment of promises and then our participation," he told journalist Pavel Zarubin.

“What I mean is, we can suspend our participation in this deal and if everyone once again says that all the promises made to us will be fulfilled, well, let them fulfill these promises and we will immediately join this deal again.”

A key Russian demand has been to allow access to international payments mechanisms currently out of bounds to Russian banks as part of an international sanctions regime.

“Not a single point related to the fact that there are interests of the Russian Federation have not been fulfilled. Despite this, we voluntarily extended this deal many times. Well, listen, that's enough in the end,” Putin said.

Extension proposals: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Putin this week outlining a proposal to keep the deal alive.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters the objective of that proposal is to "remove hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian agricultural bank, a major concern expressed by the Russian Federation, and simultaneously allow for the continuing flow of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously rejected one formula that would create a subsidiary of one Russian bank that might then be allowed to connect with the international financial system.

What to know about the deal: The Black Sea grain deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations allows Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed. 

There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through Eastern Europe, but they can't readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Romania has refurbished rail links and storage facilities but its main port is already clogged with waiting ships. 

3 hr 57 min ago

Putin has "already lost" the war in Ukraine, Biden says

From CNN's Betsy Klein in Helsinki, Finland

US President Joe Biden said he doesn't think the war in Ukraine will drag on for years to come, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "already lost."

"There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine. He has already lost that war," Biden said at a news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki when asked if Ukraine not immediately being admitted to join NATO could embolden Putin.

The US president said he doesn't think the war will continue for years because Russia cannot maintain its resources for that long, and Putin will likely eventually "decide its not in interest for Russia, economically, politically or otherwise."

He said he hopes Ukraine makes progress in its current counteroffensive to spur a negotiated settlement.

Read more about Biden's trip to Europe here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a Russian newspaper Thursday that the private mercenary Wagner Group "simply does not exist" as a legal entity.

His comments follow a Kremlin event — attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin — just days after Wagner fighters launched a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

At that meeting, Putin said he gave the fighters "an assessment of what they had done on the battlefield" and "showed them possible options for their further service, including the use of their combat experience."

Here are some of the other key developments from the war:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described for the first time what was discussed at a Kremlin event attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. 

The meeting was held on June 29, just days after Wagner fighters launched a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

Putin, who was being interviewed by Russian newspaper Kommersant, was asked if Wagner would be retained as a fighting unit.

"There is no such legal entity," Putin explained.

"The group exists, but legally it does not exist!" Putin repeated in the interview. "This is a separate issue related to actual legalization. But this is a question that should be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. It's not an easy question."

Putin said he offered the 35 Wagner commanders multiple employment options, including one under the leadership of their direct commander, who goes by the call sign Sedoy [Grey hair] – a man under whom Wagner fighters had fought for the past 16 months.

"They could have all gathered in one place and continued to serve," Putin said, "and nothing would have changed for them. They would be led by the same person who has been their real commander all along."

US President Joe Biden authorized the Pentagon on Thursday to send up to 3,000 reserve forces to Europe as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.  

The US has more than 100,000 service members in Europe, a number that has grown since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

Under the new authorization, the reservists would be part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the ongoing rotational deployments that bolster NATO and its eastern flank. The newly signed executive order designates Operation Atlantic Resolve as a contingency operation, which gives reservists the same benefits as active-duty service members.

No US troops are directly involved in the war in Ukraine as Kyiv is not a member of the NATO alliance.

The move gives the Defense Department another option to send more capabilities to assist US European Command. But a defense official said it would likely take approximately six months to send these reservists to the theater because of the advance notice required. 

The added troops would likely work in logistics and sustainment, or medical fields like dentistry and health care — roles that the reserves typically have more of than the active-duty force.

Since 2014, US forces have deployed to Europe under Atlantic Resolve to work with allies and partners in the region. Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder added that the new designation will enable the Defense Department to “provide better system support and sustain our forces.” 

The executive order approving the mobilization of more forces gives officials the ability to call on troops “to come support Atlantic Resolve, and as I just highlighted, be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active-duty counterparts.” 

Ukraine's troops have taken back territory in the country's south, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Thursday.

Kyiv's forces have captured several settlements south of the town of Orikhiv, including the villages of Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka and Novopokrovka, according to the deputy defense minister.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield reports from either side of the conflict.

Ukraine also remains on the offensive south of Orikhiv in areas surrounding the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, Maliar said.

In eastern Ukraine: Maliar said Ukrainian units are advancing south of the city of Bakhmut but are meeting strong Russian resistance. Troops are also engaged in heavy fighting around the cities of Kupyansk, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka, she said.

US-supplied cluster munitions have been delivered to Ukraine, a military official said Thursday.

The acknowledgment confirmed reporting from CNN regarding the delivery of the weapons to Ukraine.  

“There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the Joint Staff director for operations, said during a news conference.

Key context: While US and Ukrainian officials have said cluster munitions could be a game-changer on the battlefield, helping break through Russia's stubborn defenses in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the weapons are also controversial.

More than 100 countries, including key US allies, have banned cluster munitions because of their potential threat to civilians. The bombs work by scattering smaller "bomblets" across a wide area. If any of the bomblets fail to explode, they can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines.

Sims said Ukraine does not have “any interest in using the cluster munitions anywhere near the civilian population, unlike the Russians.”

As many as 200 Russian soldiers and the commandant of the occupied southern town of Tokmak were killed in a recent strike on a Russian base, a Ukrainian official said.

Fedorov is in Ukrainian-held territory and his claims cannot be confirmed, but he claimed that intelligence reports said a Russian base at a forging plant in the town had been hit.

There is no way to confirm the claims and no visual evidence currently exists of an attack on the plant. However, a pro-Russian social media outlet said on Tuesday that the "AFU massively shell Tokmak. Preliminary, 6 strikes were recorded.” 

A Russian-appointed official in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, also spoke of a series of explosions in the town on the same day, posting a video of fires in an open area that could not be geolocated.

Tokmak, in the Zaporizhzhia region, is an important hub for Russian defenses and is regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia may quit the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are not met. The deal is due to expire Monday.

“As one of the options, let’s not start with the extension and then the fulfillment of promises, but first the fulfillment of promises and then our participation," he told journalist Pavel Zarubin.

“What I mean is, we can suspend our participation in this deal and if everyone once again says that all the promises made to us will be fulfilled, well, let them fulfill these promises and we will immediately join this deal again.”

A key Russian demand has been to allow access to international payments mechanisms currently out of bounds to Russian banks as part of an international sanctions regime.

Extension proposals: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Putin this week outlining a proposal to keep the deal alive.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters the objective of that proposal is to "remove hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian agricultural bank, a major concern expressed by the Russian Federation, and simultaneously allow for the continuing flow of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously rejected one formula that would create a subsidiary of one Russian bank that might then be allowed to connect with the international financial system.

What to know about the deal: The Black Sea grain deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations allows Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed. 

There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through Eastern Europe, but they can't readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Romania has refurbished rail links and storage facilities but its main port is already clogged with waiting ships. 

US President Joe Biden said he doesn't think the war in Ukraine will drag on for years to come, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "already lost."

The US president said he doesn't think the war will continue for years because Russia cannot maintain its resources for that long, and Putin will likely eventually "decide its not in interest for Russia, economically, politically or otherwise."

He said he hopes Ukraine makes progress in its current counteroffensive to spur a negotiated settlement.

Read more about Biden's trip to Europe here.