- Ukraine has confirmed the retreat of its forces from Lysychansk though the president had earlier mentioned the combat for the town was persevering with.
- Mayor of jap Ukrainian metropolis Sloviansk says shelling from a number of rocket launchers has killed “many” folks and brought on 15 fires.
- Russia’s defence minister tells President Vladimir Putin that Moscow’s forces “have established full management over the town of Lysychansk” in Ukraine’s Luhansk area.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says his nation is being “provoked”, claims Ukraine fired a number of missiles at army targets inside Belarus.
- Ukrainian forces hit a Russian base with greater than 30 strikes within the Russian-occupied metropolis of Melitopol with out inflicting any casualties.
Listed below are all the newest updates:
‘Can’t’ say Lysychansk beneath Russian management: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has solid doubt on Moscow’s declare that Russian troops had captured Ukraine’s strategic jap metropolis of Lysychansk.
“We can’t say as we speak that Lysychansk is beneath (Russian) management. There’s combating on the outskirts,” Zelensky advised a press convention with Australian Prime Minister Albanese.
Zelensky warned, nevertheless, of “dangers” that the Lugansk area, the place Lysychansk was the final main metropolis in Ukrainian fingers, “shall be fully occupied” by Moscow.
Ukrainian military broadcasts retreat from Lysychansk
Ukraine’s army command has mentioned its troopers had retreated from the strategic jap metropolis of Lysychansk after weeks of fierce combating with Russian troops.
“The continuation of the defence of the town would result in deadly penalties. To be able to protect the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a call was made to withdraw,” it mentioned in a press release posted on social media.
Germany’s Scholz claims Moscow invasion deliberate ‘one 12 months’ earlier
Russian President Putin’s determination to invade neighbouring Ukraine has been made nicely prematurely, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has claimed.
“I feel the choice to – to do that warfare was taken one 12 months earlier than it began or probably earlier, as a result of he [Putin] ready for it,” the German chief mentioned in an interview with US broadcaster CBS
printed in its entirety on Sunday.
“And so he’ll be capable of proceed with the warfare actually a very long time,” Scholz added.
Lysychansk seize ‘victory’ for Russia however Moscow will proceed to face pushback: Tutorial
Michael Clark, a visiting professor at King’s School London says that whereas Russia’s seize of Lysychansk is a win for Moscow, it is going to proceed to face important pushback from the Ukrainians.
“This can be a victory for Russia, in the event that they haven’t taken Lysychansk I’m fairly certain they’ll … the Ukrainians have gotten a powerful place in Lysychansk, however the Russians have ran behind them for the primary time on this warfare beneath the affect of their new basic … who’s solely been in publish for about two weeks. They’re behaving like a extra fashionable military. So it is a victory for the Russians in taking the entire of Luhansk”.
“However when you take a look at their ambitions, they had been a lot better, even within the Donbas … They’re taking a really small chew which supplies them Luhansk. However they haven’t but acquired Donetsk which is the larger oblast. They’ve a few of it, however not all of it. They should take Sloviansk and Kramatorsk,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Australia to produce Ukraine with armoured autos
Australia will present Ukraine with 34 extra armoured autos and prohibit the import of Russian gold import, Reuters reviews.
Talking at a information convention in Kyiv alongside President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Albanese mentioned Australia would additionally impose sanctions and journey bans on 16 extra Russian ministers and oligarchs, bringing the overall variety of Russian people sanctioned by Canberra to 843.
Albanese mentioned Australia would give Ukraine 14 extra armoured personnel carriers and 20 Bushmaster autos.
Ukraine thanks US for missile system
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has expressed due to US President Joe Biden and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the newest army assist package deal.
The US mentioned it could provide Ukraine with Nationwide Superior Floor-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) as a part of an $820m package deal.
Reznikov described the transfer as “one other important step in assist of Ukraine”.
Thanks @POTUS and my colleague @SecDef for one more important step in assist of 🇺🇦: determination to produce NASAMS for #UAarmy. This will increase our capabilities to guard our land&sky. 🇺🇦 victory within the warfare in opposition to terrorist state will guarantee world safety for years to come back!
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) July 3, 2022
Russia-Ukraine warfare: Listing of key occasions, day 130
Because the Russia-Ukraine warfare enters its a hundred and thirtieth day, we check out the primary developments. Learn extra right here.
West blocking peace with Ukraine: Peskov
Moscow has accused the Western nations of stopping peace negotiations with Ukraine and thus dragging out the warfare.
“Now could be the second when Western nations are betting all the things on a continuation of the warfare,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov advised state tv, German information company DPA reported.
Beneath the management of the USA, the West was not permitting Ukrainians “to consider peace, nor to speak about it, nor to debate it,” Peskov mentioned.
Australia PM Albanese visits Irpin
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Irpin on Sunday saying it was “devastating” to see residential buildings destroyed from the results of shelling. it “a warfare crime.”
“And right here now we have what – clearly a residential constructing. One other one simply behind it. Brutally assaulted. You realize, it is a warfare crime, “he mentioned.
Shelling hits Sloviansk, ‘many killed’
The jap Ukrainian metropolis of Sloviansk is hit by highly effective shelling from a number of rocket launchers and many individuals are killed and wounded, in keeping with the town’s Mayor Vadim Lyakh.
“There are 15 fires. Many killed and wounded,” Lyakh wrote on Telegram. He mentioned it was probably the most highly effective shelling of the town just lately.
‘Lysychansk seize is strategically important if confirmed’
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Kyiv, says if the seize of Lysychansk is confirmed, it could imply that the Russians have management of the entire of the Luhansk area.
“Add that to the beneficial properties that the Russians already made in Donetsk, that implies that the entire of the Donbas space can be beneath Russia’s management,” he mentioned.
“That’s strategically important as a result of that’s the place the Russians moved their army consideration to after they failed to maneuver into Kyiv within the early days of the warfare once they had been overwhelmed again from the capital.”
Russia’s defence minister reviews seize of Lysychansk
Russia’s defence minister says Moscow’s forces have taken management of the final main Ukrainian-held metropolis in Ukraine’s Luhansk province.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu advised President Putin that “because of profitable army operations, the armed forces of the Russian Federation, along with items of the Folks’s Militia of the Luhansk Folks’s Republic, have established full management over the town of Lysychansk”, in keeping with Russian information companies.
Lysychansk ‘fully’ encircled: Russia-backed separatists
Ukrainian separatists backed by Russia say that they had “fully” encircled the important thing metropolis of Lysychansk within the jap Luhansk area.
“As we speak, the Luhansk common militia and Russian forces occupied the final strategic heights, which permits us to substantiate that Lysychansk is totally encircled,” Andrei Marotchko, a spokesman for the separatist forces, advised the TASS information company.
The Ukrainian military, nevertheless, rejected the claims that Lysychansk has been surrounded, however mentioned heavy combating was ongoing on its edges.
“Combating rages round Lysychansk. (However) fortunately the town has not been encircled and is beneath management of the Ukrainian military,” Ruslan Muzytchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Nationwide Guard, mentioned on Ukrainian tv.
‘A few of Ukrainian missiles might have hit Belgorod’s residential space’
“We try to piece collectively precisely what occurred by way of social media reviews. Al Jazeera can’t verify something that both aspect is saying at this level,” Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher says, reporting from Kyiv.
“What seems is that someplace round 25 missiles had been fired in the direction of the airport which is a Russian base in Belgorod. It seems that a few of these missiles might have hit a residential space. That’s actually what the media is saying …” he mentioned.
“This after all comes on the again of a Russian assault final week which hit a purchasing centre after which on Friday we noticed 21 folks killed in Odesa and the Ukrainians had been accusing the Russians of intentionally concentrating on residential areas.”
Ukraine hits Russian base in occupied Melitopol: Exiled mayor
Ukrainian forces have hit a Russian base with greater than 30 strikes within the Russian-occupied southern metropolis of Melitopol within the area of Zaporizhia, in keeping with the town’s exiled Ukrainian mayor, Ivan Fedorov.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine do all the things to return peaceable life and Ukrainian statehood to Melitopol. All of the invaders can do is flee from our metropolis,” he mentioned in a video deal with printed on his Fb web page.
Russia’s RIA information company additionally reported that Ukraine had hit the realm of Melitopol the place the town’s airport is positioned. It cited native Russian-appointed official Vladimir Rogov as saying that the Ukrainian strikes partially broken homes within the airport space, with out inflicting any casualties.
The Normal Employees of Ukraine’s Armed Forces mentioned “about 20 items of enemy tools and two subject ammunition depots had been destroyed” in Melitopol.
At the very least three killed in Russia’s Belgorod: Official
At the very least three folks have been killed and dozens of residential buildings broken within the Russian metropolis of Belgorod, in keeping with the native governor.
Vyacheslav Gladkov mentioned a minimum of 11 house buildings and 39 non-public residential homes had been destroyed.
Al Jazeera couldn’t confirm the claims independently.
US funds software program for Russians to slide previous censors
A US-backed marketing campaign is giving Russians entry to anti-censor software program to dodge Moscow’s crackdown on dissent in opposition to its invasion of Ukraine, reviews the AFP information company.
Teams concerned within the marketing campaign advised AFP that the US-backed Open Expertise Fund is paying out cash to a handful of American corporations offering digital non-public networks (VPNs) freed from cost to hundreds of thousands of Russians, who can then use them to go to web sites blocked by censors.
“Our device is primarily utilized by folks attempting to entry impartial media, in order that funding by the OTF has been completely crucial,” mentioned a spokesman for Lantern, one of many concerned corporations.
Explosions in Russian metropolis of Belgorod
A Russian official says blasts within the metropolis of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine, have resulted in a hearth in a residential constructing.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, mentioned three wounded folks had been taken to a hospital.
“Causes for the incident are being investigated,” he mentioned on the Telegram messaging app. “Presumably, the air defence system labored.”
Ukraine adviser concedes Lysychansk may fall
An adviser to Zelenskyy has conceded that the town of Lysychansk, Ukraine’s final huge bastion within the jap province of Luhansk, may fall to the Russians.
“That is certainly a menace. We will see. I don’t rule out any considered one of quite a lot of outcomes right here. Issues will grow to be rather more clear inside a day or two,” mentioned Oleksiy Arestovych.
“If Lysychansk is taken, strategically it turns into tougher for the Russians to proceed their offensive. The entrance traces shall be flatter and there shall be a frontal assault reasonably than from the flanks.”
‘Colossal investments’ required to rebuild Ukraine, says Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president has referred to as for worldwide assist to assist rebuild his devastated nation as soon as the warfare is over, sounding a uncommon hopeful be aware after 4 months of brutal battle.
“It’s vital not solely to restore all the things the occupiers have destroyed, but additionally to create a brand new basis for our lives: secure, fashionable, comfy, accessible,” he mentioned in his night-time deal with.
This could require “colossal investments, billions, new applied sciences, finest practices, new establishments and, after all, reforms,” he mentioned. “Regardless of how troublesome it’s for us as we speak, we should keep in mind that there shall be a tomorrow.”
Regulator urges Germans to organize for potential fuel scarcity
Fearing Russia would possibly minimize off pure fuel provides, the top of Germany’s regulatory company for power has referred to as on residents to avoid wasting power and to organize for winter, when use will increase.
Federal Community Company President Klaus Mueller urged home and house homeowners to have their fuel boilers and radiators checked and adjusted to maximise their effectivity.
“Upkeep can cut back fuel consumption by 10 p.c to fifteen p.c,” he advised Funke Mediengruppe, a German newspaper and journal writer.
Lukashenko says Ukraine fired missiles on Belarus
The Belarusian president says his military has shot down missiles fired into their territory from Ukraine and promised to reply “immediately” to any enemy assault.
“We’re being provoked,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying by state information company Belta.
Learn the total story right here.
Hi there and welcome to Al Jazeera’s persevering with protection of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Learn all of the updates from yesterday, July 2, right here.
