(NEW YORK) — Several GOP presidential candidates have come out in support of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds after former President Donald Trump attacked her on social media for staying “neutral” and not endorsing him in the crucial early-voting state.
Trump’s criticism followed a New York Times article detailing both his team’s frustration with the popular Iowa governor for not solely supporting his run — and Reynolds’ growing bond with Trump’s biggest primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Reynolds has said she doesn’t plan to endorse any specific GOP candidate ahead of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses. “I’ve made it clear, I will be happy to help introduce you, help travel the state, connect in any way that I can,” she said in February.
On Monday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to claim he helped boost Reynolds’ own career but now, because she wasn’t endorsing him, he was distancing himself from her.
“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events!”
Reynolds won her first election as governor in 2018 by nearly 3 points and won her reelection, in 2022, by just over 18 points.
On Twitter on Monday, DeSantis defended Reynolds without directly attacking the former president.
“Kim Reynolds is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done. She earned a landslide reelection because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session,” he wrote.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, another GOP candidate, who served as an ambassador to the U.N. under Trump, likewise called Reynolds a “conservative rockstar” who has delivered for Iowans.
“Like I always say, Iowa grows strong women!” Haley wrote on Twitter.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a vocal Trump critic, was the only major Republican presidential candidate to call out Trump himself, writing in a tweet that no one should be attacked for not endorsing in a race, calling the former president’s behavior “dictatorial.”
“I applaud Kim Reynolds for welcoming all GOP candidates into Iowa,” Hutchinson wrote on Twitter. “America deserves better than Donald Trump.”
In an interview with CNN, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum defended Reynolds and pushed back against claims that she’s favoring DeSantis.
“She is doing a great job being neutral,” Burgum said.
Some members of Iowa’s congressional delegation have responded to Trump’s social post about Reynolds, too.
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson tweeted Monday that “Iowa is lucky to have the best governor in the country!”
“We’re fighting alongside Kim Reynolds every single day to push back against Biden’s radical agenda and fire him in 2024!” Hinson wrote.
According to a source on Hinson’s team, while she tweeted in response to Trump’s post, “It’s not an attack against the former president but Ashley feels strongly that Gov. Reynolds has done an incredible job leading Iowa and believes any attack on her … is unwarranted.”
Reynolds’ office has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment. One of Iowa’s senators, Republican Joni Ernst, has not commented, however, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said that Reynolds was doing an “outstanding job” when asked by reporters.
ABC News’ Libby Cathey, Abby Cruz, Lalee Ibssa, Will McDuffie and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Bank of America was ordered to pay more than $100 million to customers for double-charging accounts with insufficient funds, denying reward payments to credit card holders and using personal data to open accounts without a client’s knowledge, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said on Tuesday.
The second-largest U.S. bank harmed hundreds of thousands of customers over a period of several years and across multiple products, the federal agency said.
In addition to the customer payment, the bank must pay $150 million in penalties, the agency added.
“Bank of America wrongfully withheld credit card rewards, double-dipped on fees, and opened accounts without consent,” Rohit Chopra, director of the CFPB, said in a statement.
“These practices are illegal and undermine customer trust,” Chopra added. “The CFPB will be putting an end to these practices across the banking system.”
Under company policy, the bank imposed a $35 fee when a client purchase was denied due to insufficient funds, the CFPB said. However, the bank went further, charging the fee multiple times based on a single faulty transaction, the agency added.
Carried out over multiple years, this practice known as double-dipping generated “substantial additional revenue” for the company, CFPB said.
In a statement to ABC News, Bank of America said it no longer charges the fee for insufficient funds.
“We voluntarily reduced overdraft fees and eliminated all non-sufficient fund fees in the first half of 2022,” a bank spokesperson said. “As a result of these industry leading changes, revenue from these fees has dropped more than 90 percent.”
In another alleged practice, Bank of America offered cash and points for customers who signed up for a credit card in an effort to compete with rival banks, the CFPB said. In turn, the company illegally withheld the bonuses from “tens of thousands of customers,” the agency added.
Bank of America, the agency said, also illegally applied for credit cards and bank accounts using customer information without their consent.
For more than a decade, the bank used customer information, such as credit reports, to complete applications under customers’ names, the agency noted.
In 2014, the CFPB ordered Bank of America to pay $727 million in redress to its victims for illegal credit card practices.
The company also paid a combined $235 million in fines last year for illegal garnishment and failed disbursement of state unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said.
The bank, the agency said, serves 68 million individual and small-business clients and holds $1.9 trillion in domestic deposits.
Bank of America shares inched upward less than a quarter of a percentage-point in early morning trading.
(INDIANAPOLIS) — An Indiana sheriff’s office is mourning the loss of a veteran deputy who was attacked and killed by an inmate during an escape attempt, authorities said.
Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm, 61, was transporting an inmate back to jail after a medical appointment on Monday when the inmate assaulted him at the entry point to Indianapolis’ Adult Detention Center, according to the Indianapolis police.
The inmate, 34-year-old Orlando Mitchell, allegedly stole a transport van, drove alone out of the Criminal Justice Center Complex and then crashed, police said.
Mitchell was taken into custody at the scene of the crash and hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
How Durm was attacked was not immediately released, but police called it “an intentional act of homicide.”
Durm, a 38-year veteran of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, is survived by his wife, four children and his parents, police said.
Durm’s wife has also worked at the sheriff’s department for decades, Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal told reporters.
“She knows it’s dangerous,” the sheriff said, “but still didn’t expect, to think that would happen to her husband. So they’re shocked.”
Durm has an extended family in law enforcement, including a son who is currently at the detention deputy academy, the sheriff said.
“I’m sure he went there today to follow in his father’s footsteps,” Forestal said. “He started today thinking he had a new career, and some other inmate ended his father’s life.”
Mitchell will be arrested for murder once he is released from the hospital, police said.
Mitchell was in custody on murder charges for allegedly shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend outside an Indianapolis day care last year, according to Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV.
(FORT PIERCE, Fla.) — The federal judge overseeing the case involving former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office has agreed to delay an upcoming hearing in the case.
Judge Aileen Cannon agreed Tuesday to delay a hearing involving how to handle classified material in special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta.
The hearing, originally scheduled for Friday, July 14, will now occur on Tuesday, July 18.
Nauta’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, had requested the delay due to a timing conflict with a bench trial he has to attend as defense counsel for a defendant charged in the Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
On Monday, Smith’s top prosecutor, Jay Bratt, urged Judge Cannon to reject the request, arguing that Nauta can be properly represented by his new local attorney, Sasha Dadan.
“There is a strong public interest in the conference occurring as originally scheduled and the case proceeding as expeditiously as possible,” Bratt said in his filing.
The move comes as Trump’s attorneys seek a lengthy delay of the trial, suggesting in a filing on Monday that it would not be possible to try the case prior to the 2024 election.
Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities.
Nauta, Trump’s longtime aide, last week pleaded not guilty to six counts related to the case, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
Trump has denied all charges and denounced Smith’s probe as a political witch hunt.
(NEW YORK) — The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing rose to $725 million after no one won on Monday.
A single winner would take home an estimated $366.2 million cash option before taxes — the ninth-largest Powerball jackpot on record.
There was no big winner on Monday, but the lucky numbers for anyone checking to see if they won a smaller prize were 2, 24, 34, 53 and 58, with 13 as the Powerball. There was a $2 million winner in Iowa and a $1 million winner in California.
The April 19 drawing was the last time the Powerball was won, with an Ohio ticket taking a grand prize worth $252.6 million. The following 34 drawings didn’t have any winners, the lottery said.
A single ticket won a $2.04 billion jackpot in November 2022, marking the largest-ever jackpot in the Powerball’s history.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions also continues to grow. The jackpot in that game is now $480 million with a lump sum payout of about $240.7 million, before taxes. The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday night.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that NATO is “stronger,” “bigger” and “more united than it’s ever been” with Sweden now close to becoming the alliance’s 32nd member following the addition of Finland.
“That sends a very strong message to Vladimir Putin that he’s not going to outlast Ukraine, he’s not going to outlast NATO,” Blinken told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an interview on Good Morning America.
Blinken, along with U.S. President Joe Biden, is in Lithuania’s capital for a two-day NATO summit that kicked off Tuesday.
On the eve of the summit in Vilnius, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden’s NATO accession documents to Turkey’s Parliament for approval “as soon as possible,” one of the last steps in the membership process. It was unknown whether Erdogan’s demands on other issues, including support from European leaders for Turkey’s bid to join the European Union and for the United States to supply Turkey with F-16 fighter jets, were part of the agreement.
When asked by an ABC News reporter in Vilnius if he was surprised by the move, Biden replied: “Not at all.”
Sweden and Finland, which have historically embraced neutrality, applied for NATO membership together last year as Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine. Finland officially joined the alliance in April following Turkish ratification, but Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Sweden’s membership.
Ukraine is also pushing hard for NATO membership, though Biden made clear over the weekend that he doesn’t believe the country is ready to join the alliance. Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, marking their third face-to-face meeting this year.
When asked what kind of assurances for Ukraine might come out of the NATO summit, Blinken told ABC News: “First, a very robust package of support both political and practical for Ukraine.”
“Second, when it comes to membership, I think the summit will take note of the progress that Ukraine has made, which has been significant,” he added. “And at the same time, the fact that work remains to be done in terms of reforming its military and strengthening its democracy. So all of that will be coming out of the summit. But you’ve got a unified alliance that is going to demonstrate in very practical ways its enduring support for Ukraine, including the path to membership.”
Asked whether there was concern that granting NATO membership to Ukraine would put the U.S. and its allies directly into conflict with Russia, Blinken said: “President Biden has been very clear about this and, in fact, the Ukrainians have too that in the midst of a war, you’re not going to take the membership step. But at the same time, beyond that — and the Ukrainians acknowledge this as well — they still have work to do.”
Ukrainian troops are currently in the “early weeks” of a counteroffensive against invading Russian forces, Blinken said, which will “play out over many more weeks and probably many more months.”
“I think the Ukrainians have in hand what they need to be successful,” he added. “It is tough, it’s challenging, the Russians have built up very strong defenses. But at the end of the day, besides all of the support that we’ve provided, it really comes down to this: This is Ukraine’s land. It’s their territory. It’s their future. It’s their freedom. I think that’s the biggest difference-maker and I’m convinced you’re going to see that play out over the next weeks.”
(NEW YORK) — As Russia continues its nearly 16-month-long invasion of neighboring Ukraine, political turmoil has erupted in Moscow while Kyiv tries to take back territory.
A feud between Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner Group, and Russia’s top military brass escalated as Prigozhin’s forces left the front line in Ukraine and marched across the border to seize a key Russian city. They then marched north toward Russia’s capital, seemingly unopposed, before turning around just hours later. The short-lived rebellion was described by international observers as the most significant challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority in his more than 20 years of rule.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are in the early stages of a counteroffensive to reclaim the almost one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory that is under Russian control.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 11, 7:41 AM EDT
Zelenskyy pushes for NATO membership invite ahead of summit
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again called on Tuesday for NATO to invite Ukraine to become a member, offering a strongly worded statement as the coalition leaders gathered for a summit in Lithuania.
Ukraine “deserves respect,” Zelenskyy said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he said. “While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance.”
Keeping Ukraine out of NATO amounts to a “motivation” for Russia to “continue its terror,” he said.
“Uncertainty is weakness,” he added.
Russia rebutted the statement a short while later.
“This is potentially very dangerous for European security. Indeed, it is fraught with great dangers, and those who will make this decision should be aware of that,” Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said when asked to comment on Ukraine’s possible fast-track admission to the coalition.
Jul 10, 5:17 PM EDT
Biden to meet with Zelenskyy at NATO summit
President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, an administration official told ABC News.
The meeting comes as Zelenskyy pushes for a spot in NATO, despite Biden’s public comments this weekend that he doesn’t think that’s the right move at this moment.
Biden has instead suggested a relationship similar to Israel and the U.S., with strong security commitments.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett and Molly Nagle
Jul 10, 4:21 PM EDT
Turkey agrees to advance Sweden’s bid to join NATO
Turkey and Sweden have reached a deal to advance the latter country’s bid to join NATO, according to NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg.
“This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer,” Stoltenberg tweeted along with a photo of him and the two leaders shaking hands.
Turkey and Sweden have agreed to work on “legitimate security concerns,” according to NATO.
Sweden has resumed arms exports with Turkey and “will present a roadmap as the basis of its continued fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” according to NATO.
The two countries agreed to set up economic cooperation through the Türkiye-Sweden Joint Economic and Trade Committee, NATO said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jul 10, 2:59 PM EDT
Zelenskyy previews participation in NATO summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined his agenda for the NATO summit in Vilnius in his evening address.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian government is “working to make the algorithm for gaining membership as clear and fast as possible.”
The president also added, in regards to the summit, “there may be good weaponry-related news.”
“The priorities are absolutely clear: air defense for our cities, for all communities throughout the country, we are working to create a full-fledged sky shield,” he said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jul 10, 2:12 PM EDT
7 dead after Russians bomb city during aid distribution: Officials
Russian forces hit a residential neighborhood Sunday in the Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region by a guided aerial bomb during the distribution of humanitarian aid, Ukrainian officials said.
At least seven people were killed and 11 others were injured in the blast, according to the regional military administration.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jul 10, 11:57 AM EDT
Russia losing an average of 400 soldiers per day: UK officials
Russian forces are suffering an average of 400 casualties daily, according to a report from the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence.
The report said that Russia is struggling with “a crisis of combat medical provision.”
“It is likely that many dedicated military hospitals are being reserved for officer casualties,” the report said.
The Ministry of Defence added that half of Russian fatalities in the last 17 months could have been prevented with proper first aid.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jul 10, 11:40 AM EDT
More progress made near Bakhmut: Ukraine official
Ukraine Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar released a statement Monday with updates on the ongoing counteroffensive.
Malyar said that Ukrainian forces liberated more than 14 square kilometers of territory from Russian forces last week, the majority of which came from the south.
The minister added that Russian forces are “on the defensive” in the direction of Bakhmut.
“The defense forces of Ukraine were able to capture the main heights near Bakhmut and have been holding the fortress city under fire control for several days,” Malyar said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jul 10, 6:47 AM EDT
Putin met Prigozhin after Wagner rebellion, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after the rogue paramilitary leader launched a failed uprising, the Kremlin said on Monday.
The June 29 meeting came about a week after the rebellion failed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Indeed, the president had such a meeting, he invited 35 people to it — all the commanders of the detachments and the management of the company, including Prigozhin himself,” Peskov said Monday, according to Interfax, a Russian newswire. “This meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29, it lasted almost three hours.”
-ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva and Joe Simonetti
Jul 04, 12:13 PM EDT
Forty-three people injured in attack on Kharkiv region, including 12 children
Russian shelling on the town of Pervomayskyi, located in the region of Kharkiv, has injured 43 people, including 12 children, Oleh Synyehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, said .
A residential building was damaged and multiple cars were destroyed in the shelling, according to Synyehubov.
Jul 03, 5:52 PM EDT
Top Ukrainian generals say counteroffensive is ‘going to plan’
Ukrainian Armed Forces have yet to reach their “full potential,” but two top generals exclusively told ABC News the counteroffensive is “going to plan” despite concerns from Western analysts that Ukraine is not making enough progress.
Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, who is leading the counteroffensive in the south, told ABC News’ chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz that the situation is “stable.”
“The main thing is that we haven’t reached our full potential,” Tarnavskiy said.
Ukrainian troops launched the counteroffensive a month ago, attacking on multiple axes on the southern frontline in Zaporizhzia using Western-supplied vehicles. Ukraine succeeded in piercing Russian lines at two points, liberating a string of villages, but has since been locked in ferocious fighting.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, told Raddatz that last month’s failed rebellion by the Putin-backed PMC, the Wagner Group, wouldn’t impact the fighting on the ground.
“It would be better for us if there were some negative consequences in Russia itself, but it doesn’t matter for me,” he said.
Asked if he was confident of retaking the key city of Bakhmut, Syrskyi said, “Yes, of course. I’m sure.”
Both sides have suffered heavy casualties, according to Western officials, particularly in the south where Russia has so far conducted “relatively effective defensive operations” in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, the U.K. Ministry of Defense reported.
“The enemy is suffering eight times or even 10 times higher losses, especially with the number of killed troops,” Syrksyi said.
At least two people were killed and 19 others injured from a Russian drone attack in northern Ukraine, the Sumy Regional Military Administration said.
An administrative building and two apartment buildings were damaged in the four drone strikes, officials said.
Four people have been hospitalized, according to officials. Two of the patients were listed in intensive care.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily evening address that the lack of air defense systems is part of the reason buildings were hit.
“The enemy is taking advantage of this,” he said.
Jul 03, 11:41 AM EDT
US ambassador to Moscow meets with detained WSJ journalist
Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow, met with detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich on Monday, the ambassador’s press secretary told ABC News.
Tracy met with Wall Street Journal reporter at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison where he’s being held, according to the press secretary.
This is the second visit between Tracy and Gershkovich since his initial detention in March.
Jul 03, 11:30 AM EDT
Prigozhin releases new message
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group leader who led the rebellion in Russia, reportedly released a new message Monday, his first in a week, to a social media account with ties to the PMC.
In a short audio message posted by the Grey Zone telegram account, which is believed to be run by a Wagner member that frequently posts about events on the frontline in Ukraine, Prigozhin claimed the June 24 rebellion against Moscow was aimed at “fighting traitors and mobilizing our society.”
“I think we have achieved a lot of it. In the near future, I am sure that you will see our next victories at the front. Thanks guys,” he allegedly said.
The Wagner Group leader said “today, more than ever, we need your support.”
Jul 01, 8:39 PM EDT
Ukraine holds disaster drills amid fears Russia could sabotage Zaporizhzhia plant
Amid fears Russia might blow up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine is holding drills to prepare emergency services with how to deal with a potential radioactive disaster.
ABC News was invited to the drills in the city of Zaporizhzhia this week, about 30 miles from the plant, where firefighters in hazmat gear simulated decontaminating people from radiation during an evacuation.
Emergency workers demonstrated scanning civilians with Geiger counters as they disembarked buses, stripping some civilians and hosing them with water as they lay on stretchers. Firefighters in yellow suits sprayed down vehicles and moved them through a large washer system rigged up between fire trucks.
This week, Ukraine’s chief of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, claimed Russia had now completed preparation to potentially sabotage the plant if it chooses.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jul 01, 4:46 PM EDT
CIA director says mutiny shows ‘corrosive effect’ of Putin’s war
CIA Director Bill Burns said Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny showed the “corrosive effect” of President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine during remarks in England on Saturday.
“It is striking that Prigozhin preceded his actions with a scathing indictment of the Kremlin’s mendacious rationale for its invasion of Ukraine, and of the Russian military leadership’s conduct of the war,” Burns said during a lecture to Britain’s Ditchley Foundation. “The impact of those words and those actions will play out for some time, a vivid reminder of the corrosive effect of Putin’s war on his own society and his own regime.”
Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, also noted how Russian disaffection will gnaw away at the Kremlin and that the CIA is taking this opportunity to step up its recruitment efforts in Russia.
“Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership, beneath the steady diet of state propaganda and practiced repression,” Burns said. “That disaffection creates a once-in-a generation opportunity for us at CIA, at our core a human intelligence service. We’re not letting it go to waste.”
-ABC News’ Cindy Smith
Jun 30, 5:45 PM EDT
Too early to tell impact of mutiny on Putin: Gen. Milley
Gen. Mark Milley, the U.S. military’s top general, told reporters Friday that it’s likely too early to tell the impact of the Wagner Group mutiny on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We want to know the answer to that question,” Milley said when asked at the National Press Club if Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny had left Putin weakened. “I don’t think we have evidence, conclusive evidence, either way, yet too early to tell.”
Milley acknowledged that Ukraine’s counteroffensive is making steady progress, but moving slowly — something he said was not surprising given how tough of a fight it is.
“At the end of the day, Ukrainian soldiers are assaulting through minefields and in the trenches, and this is literally a fight for their life. So yes, sure, it goes a little slow, but that is part of the nature of war,” Milley said.
He also noted that the U.S. is considering sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, though no decision has been made.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Jun 29, 4:36 PM EDT
Russian Gen. Surovikin detained, US official says
Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin has apparently been detained, according to a U.S. official. Other details about his status are unclear.
The development follows reports from a senior U.S. official on Wednesday that Surovikin had engaged in discussions with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin about his plans to mutiny.
Prigozhin is now exiled in Belarus.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Jun 29, 2:56 PM EDT
Pence makes surprise trip to Ukraine
Former Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise trip to Ukraine on Thursday, projecting solidarity against Russia in a way, so far, unmatched by his Republican competitors in the 2024 presidential campaign.
“As I made clear to President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy today, when I return home, whatever the future holds for me and my family, we’re gonna stand for freedom,” Pence told reporters. “And I’ll do my part to make sure that America continues to stand for the courageous fighters here in Ukraine that are fighting to reclaim their freedom.”
Pence visited the sites of atrocities in the early phase of the war, in Irpin and Bucha, among other stops, before meeting with Zelenskyy inside the presidential palace in the capital of Kyiv.
-ABC News’ Libby Cathey and Guy Davies
Jun 29, 2:41 PM EDT
Ukraine sees ‘largest deterioration’ of peace worldwide: Report
Ukraine recorded the “largest deterioration” of peace worldwide in the latest global peace report from the international think tank Institute for Economics & Peace.
“The war in Ukraine had a significant impact on global peacefulness, with Ukraine and Russia having the largest and fifth largest deteriorations in peacefulness respectively,” the report stated.
Since last year’s report, Ukraine fell 14 places to 157th among the 163 countries covered by the report. Due to the conflict, 65% of men in Ukraine ages 20-24 have fled the country or died, according to the report.
-ABC News’ Emma Ogao
Jun 29, 12:45 AM EDT
Suspect accused of helping Russia direct missile strike arrested
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Wednesday the Security Service of Ukraine and the police arrested a suspect who they say coordinated with Russian forces in Tuesday’s missile attack on Kramatorsk, a city in the Donetsk region.
The missiles struck a popular pizzeria and killed 12 people, including three children. More than 60 people were injured, the president said in a public address.
The unidentified “spotter” was charged with treason, according to Zelenskyy.
“Anyone in the world who does not understand that one cannot be an accomplice of a terrorist state must be held accountable by the entire international community,” he said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jun 27, 10:56 PM EDT
Prigozhin thought he would have help from Russian military: Senior US official
A senior U.S. official tells ABC News that Yevgeny Prigozhin thought he would have help from the Russian military.
Both former Russian military officers and some others in Moscow had conversations with Prigozhin before he started his march, the official said.
The U.S. doesn’t believe Russian President Vladimir Putin realized this beforehand, and the officers sided with Putin in the end, the official said.
According to the official, Prigozhin was shocked he didn’t have support.
-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz
Jun 27, 9:43 PM EDT
Russian missiles strike Donetsk city
Two Russian missiles struck Kramatorsk, a city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, killing at least four people, according to officials.
At least 47 people were injured in the attack, but the death and injury toll could rise.
One of the deceased victims was a 15-year-old and one of the wounded victims was a child under a year-old, officials said.
One missile struck an eatery downtown and the other one hit the outskirts of the city, Andriy Yermak the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office said.
A restaurant and a hotel were badly damaged as a result of the strikes, according to officials.
Crews continued to dig through the rubble to search for victims throughout the evening.
“Each such manifestation of terror proves over and over again to us and to the whole world that Russia deserves only one thing as a result of everything it has done – defeat and a tribunal, fair and legal trials against all Russian murderers and terrorists,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko and Ellie Kaufman
Jun 27, 5:55 PM EDT
Russian missiles strike Donetsk city
Two Russian missiles struck Kramatorsk, a city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, killing at least four people, according to officials.
At least 47 people were injured in the attack, but the death and injury toll could rise.
One of the deceased victims was a 15-year-old and one of the wounded victims was a child under a year-old, officials said.
One missile struck an eatery downtown and the other one hit the outskirts of the city, Andriy Yermak the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office said.
A restaurant and a hotel were badly damaged as a result of the strikes, according to officials.
Crews continued to dig through the rubble to search for victims throughout the evening.
“Each such manifestation of terror proves over and over again to us and to the whole world that Russia deserves only one thing as a result of everything it has done – defeat and a tribunal, fair and legal trials against all Russian murderers and terrorists,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko and Ellie Kaufman
Jun 27, 2:33 PM EDT
US sanctions alleged illicit gold companies funding Wagner Group
The U.S. announced additional sanctions targeting the Wagner Group, specifically going after gold companies and a Russian man it says are illicitly funding the Wagner Group’s operations in Ukraine and Africa.
Central African Republic based companies Midas Resources SARLU and Diamville SAU, Dubai based company Industrial Resources General Trading and Russia based company Limited Liability Company, re connected to Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is already subject to U.S. sanctions along with numerous other entities linked to the Wagner Group, according to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov, a Russian national, and an executive in the Wagner Group, allegedly worked closely with Prigozhin’s entity Africa Politology and senior Malian government officials on weapons deals, mining concerns, and other Wagner Group activities in Mali, OFAC said.
“The Wagner Group funds its brutal operations in part by exploiting natural resources in countries like the Central African Republic and Mali,” Brian Nelson, the U.S. under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a written statement. “The United States will continue to target the Wagner Group’s revenue streams to degrade its expansion and violence in Africa, Ukraine, and anywhere else.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Jun 27, 2:19 PM EDT
Ukraine has recaptured 300 sq km so far: UK minister
Ukraine has recaptured approximately 300 square kilometers during the summer counteroffensive so far, United Kingdom Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Tuesday.
The gains represent more territory than Russia seized during its winter offensive in 2022, Wallace told Parliament.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Jun 27, 1:31 PM EDT
Belarus president talks about Wagner negotiations
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko provided more details about his alleged role in negotiations between Wager Group leader’s Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin following the PMC’s rebellion.
Lukashenko claimed Prigozhin abandoned his demands, including the resignation of Shoigu, after they talked.
“[Prigozhin] told me ‘Alexander Grigoryevich, I will not demand from the president that he give up Shoigu and Gerasimov, and I will not even ask for a meeting,’ I say, ‘Well, that’s good. This is a very good move,'” Lukashenko claimed.
Lukashenko said that Wagner forces could join the Belarusian army but said that he won’t built camps for Wagner’s troops in his country.
“We don’t need to open any Wagner recruitment points,” he said.
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule
Jun 27, 12:22 PM EDT
Belarus president says Prigozhin arrived in the country Tuesday
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on state media Tuesday that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in his country earlier in the day.
Lukashenko claimed on state media that “security guarantees” Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to Prigozhin were provided.
“Yes, indeed, he is in Belarus today. As I promised, if you want to stay with us for a while and so on, we will help you,” Lukashenko said.
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule and Tanya Stukalova
Jun 27, 11:10 AM EDT
Ukraine makes gain on occupied bank across from Kherson
Ukrainian troops have reportedly seized a small village on the Russian-occupied eastern bank of Dneipr after crossing the river from the liberated city of Kherson, according to Russian accounts on Tuesday.
A small Ukrainian force has managed to dig in to the village of Dachi after making a landing there a few days ago and are trying to expand the beachhead. Ukrainian troops in small boats crossed the river and landed at the base of the ruined Antonivskiy Bridge, which they destroyed last year.
Russian military bloggers reported very heavy fighting on Tuesday, saying Russian airborne units have been trying unsuccessfully to dislodge the Ukrainians for the past four days. Russian aviation and heavy artillery have been firing on the Ukrainian position.
So far, the Russian side claims some 70 Ukrainian soldiers are dug in, covered by intense artillery fire from across the river. The Russian accounts say Ukraine is trying to move reinforcements across. Video released by Ukraine also shows a Russian APC being destroyed in the village of Oleshkjy, further south, indicating the bank south of Kherson is now contested.
Ukrainian troops have also managed to advance and liberate Rivnopil, a village on the Zaporozhzhia front, breaking through after more than two weeks of fighting. It’s notable because the Russians had been fighting hard to hold it.
Taken together the advance there, the landing in Kherson and advances near Bakhmut are small signs the Ukrainian counteroffensive may be starting to pick up steam and the Russians are coming under growing pressure.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jun 27, 6:39 AM EDT
Military stopped ‘civil war,’ Putin says
The Russian military and security forces stopped what could have become a “civil war,” President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
“The Russian military in a difficult hour for the country stood in the way of turmoil, the result of which would be chaos,” Putin said at an event for military units, adding that “the military and law enforcement officers of the Russian Federation actually stopped the civil war.”
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who the Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s had sought to have replaced, was present at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Jun 27, 5:15 AM EDT
Belarus was ‘combat’ ready during rebellion, president says
The military in Belarus was ordered to “full combat readiness” during the Wagner Group’s rebellion in neighboring Russia, President Alexander Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was said to have helped broker a deal to halt the choatic rebellion by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“I will not hide, it was painful to watch the events that took place in the south of Russia,” Lukashenko said Tuesday during brief remarks before a military presentation. “Not only me. Many of our citizens took them to heart. Because the fatherland is one.”
The fatherland comment appeared to allude to Lukashenko’s longstanding belief that Russia and Belarus share a special bond.
He added, “I gave all orders to bring the army to full combat readiness.”
Jun 27, 5:01 AM EDT
Russia closes case against Wagner Group leader
The Russian Federal Security Service on Tuesday dropped the criminal case investigating the rebellion by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his forces.
The FSB said it closed the case because it has been established that participants stopped actions directly aimed at committing a crime.
Jun 26, 6:28 PM EDT
US to announce 500M in military aid to Ukraine, official says
The U.S. will announce another military aid package for Ukraine Tuesday, a U.S. official told ABC News.
The $500 million aid package will include 30 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 25 Stryker armored vehicles, missiles for the HIMARS system and the Patriot air defense system, TOW missiles, Javelins and more ammunition for artillery, according to the official.
This will be the 41st aid package under the Presidential Drawdown Authority that allows the transfer of weapons from U.S. military stockpiles to Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Jun 26, 3:42 PM EDT
Putin expresses defiance against attempted Wagner rebellion
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his first public remarks after the Wagner Group attempted to march to Moscow and overthrow the government.
In a pre-recorded video statement, Putin thanked the Russians for their endurance, solidarity and patriotism during the ordeal and claimed that any blackmail attempt was doomed to fail.
Putin said an armed rebellion would have been suppressed.
“The organizers of the rebellion, betraying their country, their people, betrayed those who were drawn into the crime. They lied to them, pushed them to death, under fire, to shoot at their own,” Putin said.
The Russian president noted that the majority of Wagner fighters were “patriots.”
“I thank those soldiers and commanders of the Wagner Group who made the only right decision,” Putin said. “They did not go to fratricidal bloodshed, they stopped at the last line.”
Putin offered Wagner Group members who participated in the rebellion the option of joining the defense ministry or other law enforcement agencies or returning home.
Jun 26, 12:52 PM EDT
Biden says US, NATO not involved in Wagner rebellion
President Joe Biden spoke out addressed the Wagner Group’s actions over the weekend.
He said the U.S. and its allies convened on Friday when the rebellion began.
“They agreed with me that we had to make sure we gave Putin no excuse, let me emphasize, gave Putin no excuse to blame this on the West or to blame this on NATO,” Biden said at a news conference at the White House.
The president added that the incident was “part of a struggle within the Russian system.”
-ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler
Jun 26, 12:44 PM EDT
European leaders respond to Wagner attempted rebellion
The European Union Foreign Affairs Council met Monday and discussed the attempted rebellion by the Wagner paramilitary group over the weekend.
Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, told reporters at a news conference after the meeting that “the situation remains complex and unpredictable” and 27 EU states are remaining vigilant.
U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly released a statement Monday claiming the “Russian government’s lies have been exposed by one of President Putin’s own henchmen.”
“Prigozhin’s rebellion is an unprecedented challenge to President Putin’s authority, and it is clear that cracks are emerging in the Russian support for the war,” he said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Jun 26, 12:18 PM EDT
‘We had no goal of overthrowing’ the government: Prigozhin
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin released an 11-minute recording Monday explaining why his troops reversed course on their campaign against Moscow over the weekend.
Prigozhin said the purpose of the “march” was to prevent losses of his troops “and to bring justice to all persons who, through their unprofessional actions, made a huge number of mistakes during” the war in Ukraine.
“We had no goal of overthrowing the regime,” he added, referring to Putin’s government.
Prigozhin said that the march escalated after their convoy was hit by a missile attack from Russian forces.
Prigozhin said that the marched stopped when his troops approached “Moscow deployed artillery.”
“We did not want to shed Russian blood. We went to demonstrate our protest and not to overthrow the government in the country,” he said.
He claimed that several of his troops were wounded and two were killed.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Natalia Shumskaia and Tanya Stukalova
Jun 26, 5:47 AM EDT
Ukrainian forces appear to cross river into occupied Kherson
The Ukrainian military has landed troops on the Russian-held eastern bank of the Dnipro River across from the city of Kherson, according to Russian reports.
Media posted online by pro-Russian accounts suggested small boatloads of Ukrainian soldiers have managed to establish a small beachhead at the foot of the destroyed Antonivskiy Road Bridge that spanned the river before Ukraine brought it down last year.
The size of the Ukrainian force on the bank is unclear, but Russian accounts suggested it was relatively small.
Some Russian accounts posted dramatic video showing fighting on the eastern bank, including what appears to be a Russian armored vehicle firing intensively at Ukrainian soldiers as it recovers Russian wounded.
The video was undated but Russian reports suggested around several dozen Ukrainian troops landed on June 24 and Russian airborne units have been trying to dislodge them since.
Another video shows a small boat carrying perhaps a dozen Ukrainian soldiers landing by the ruined bridge, coming under shell fire.
The Russian military blogger account, Two Majors, reported a small group of Ukrainian soldiers had succeeded in digging in around the bridge. It noted Russian forces had been forced to pull back to a distance from the bank because their positions had been flooded after the Kakhovka dam was blown up earlier this month.
Russian military bloggers said Russian aircraft and artillery were firing on the Ukrainians Monday.
If Ukraine is able to keep hold of its foothold, it will put further pressure on Russia’s forces in the south, already battling to hold back Ukraine’s counteroffensive on the Zaporizhzhia front.
In the wake of Saturday’s short-lived attempted rebellion against the Kremlin by the Wagner private military company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled oligarch considered one of Putin’s best-known opponents, told ABC News he supports the mutiny and encourages Russians to back the leader of the mercenary group.
Once Russia’s richest man, Khodorkovsky, a Putin opposition activist, spent 10 years imprisoned after he challenged Putin, his case now considered a foundational moment for Putin’s regime.
When Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his fighters marched on Moscow Saturday before making a sudden about-face, Khodorkovsky was notable among Russia’s pro-democracy opposition in calling on people to support Prigozhin, arguing that allowing him to remove Putin would create an opportunity for the democrats.
Khodorkovsky told ABC News he believed Prigozhin’s actions were a real coup attempt and that it had “seriously undermined” Putin’s power. He predicted that similar opportunities to collapse the regime will be launched soon.
“The blow to Putin’s reputation, to the authorities’ reputation, was absolutely fantastical,” Khodorkovsky said. “Putin’s government today is, without a doubt, strongly undermined by what happened — his authority, his ability to control the security services is seriously undermined.”
Khodorkovsky said Prigozhin’s march on Moscow had undermined Putin’s popularity, showing neither ordinary Russians nor the security services were prepared to act to protect him.
“Along the entire route of Wagner’s columns, no one in any way tried to hinder him (Prigozhin). Even the security forces did not try to stop him,” Khodorkovsky said. “It showed that, in fact, inside the country, Putin has an absolute void.”
Khodorkovsky said he did not support Prigozhin himself — considering him a “war criminal” — but that the democratic opposition should have sought to help him overthrow Putin, and then taken power from him after.
Khodorkovsky criticized other parts of the anti-Kremlin opposition who attacked him for calling on people to assist Prigozhin, saying he believed the opposition had “slept through” the opportunity and suggesting it should have sought to stage a rebellion in Moscow at the same time.
“There will definitely now be more such opportunities because of Putin’s weakening. But the next time we need to simply be more ready,” said Khodorkovsky, who is living in exile in England. “If an uprising had started in Moscow to meet Prigozhin then a situation could have developed quite differently.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jun 24, 6:53 PM EDT
US official says it’s a ‘mystery’ why Prigozhin stopped march to Moscow
A senior U.S. official says it is a mystery as to why Yevgeny Prigozhin stopped his march to Moscow given that he was seemingly in a dominant position.
The official said he was greeted as a hero in Rostov-on-Don. However, the senior official told ABC News that Prigozhin is in an “emotional state,” and perhaps did it because he thought this would destroy Russia, or because he glimpsed his own end. It is impossible to tell whether Prigozhin thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin will actually honor their deal which included allowing Wagner group soldiers to be folded into the Russian military.
The official said that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was very effective, telling Prigozhin and Putin that this was all a misunderstanding and that they are both patriots and aligned for the same goals.
Putin is said to be completely shocked by how fast Wagner Group moved through Russia. For now, he is just trying to secure his position. He does not want to be seen negotiating over his defense minister, but the official says the U.S. believes concessions were made over Sergei Shoigu’s future as well as others.
-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz
Jun 25, 3:56 AM EDT
Moscow highway restrictions remain, Russian media reports
Travel restrictions remained in place on Sunday on the major M-4 highway near Moscow, according to Russia’s state-run media.
“According to the previously issued regional decisions, traffic restrictions remain in force on the M-4 Don highway near the Moscow Region and the Tula Region,” the federal road agency said, according to TASS.
The security checkpoints had been put in place Saturday as a column of Wagner Group forces traveled toward Moscow. Roadblocks in southern Russia, including in Rostov-on-Don and the Krasnodar Region, were reportedly lifted.
“All previously imposed restrictions on highways have been lifted,” TASS reported, citing a branch of the Russian Interior Ministry.
-ABC News’ KJ Edelman
Jun 24, 10:20 PM EDT
‘Gang of 8’ briefed about Wagner Group movements
Senior congressional leaders were briefed about the ongoing situation in Russia, according to a congressional aide.
U.S. intelligence officials told the so-called “Gang of Eight” — the top Republicans and Democrats currently in congressional leadership– in recent days about potentially concerning movements of Wagner Group forces and equipment build-ups near Russia. However, it was unclear to U.S. intelligence what was going to happen and when.
-ABC News’ Trish Turner
Jun 24, 5:18 PM EDT
Blinken holds call with Turkish counterpart for ‘ongoing situation in Russia’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated that U.S. support for Ukraine will not change. The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation develops,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Blinken also spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday to discuss the situation in Russia, Miller said. Blinken reiterated that support by the U.S. for Ukraine will not change.
The U.S. will stay in close coordination with Ukraine as the situation develops.
-ABC News Shannon K. Crawford
Jun 24, 4:45 PM EDT
Wagner chief will not be prosecuted, Kremlin says
Yevgeny Prigozhin will go to Belarus to ease tensions and the fighters of PMC Wagner Group who took part in the so-called “campaign” against Moscow will not be prosecuted, the Kremlin said Saturday evening.
The rest will be able to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense, the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“In the end, we managed to resolve this situation without further losses, without raising the level of tension,” Peskov said.
“An agreement was reached that PMC Wagner would return to their camps,” he added.
Jun 24, 2:55 PM EDT
Wagner Group chief orders mercenaries to halt march on Moscow
The Wagner Group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he has ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and return to their field camps, saying he wants to avoid shedding Russian blood.
Prigozhin made the announcement in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel.
Russian state media has shown Wagner fighters packing up and reportedly leaving Rostov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and thanked him for his efforts de-escalating the situation.
Jun 24, 1:12 PM EDT
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cancels trip to Israel, Jordan due to situation in Russia
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has canceled his planned trip to Israel and Jordan due to the situation in Russia. The trip was to have begun Saturday.
Milley also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
“They discussed the unprovoked and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and exchanged perspectives and assessments. The Chairman reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to Joint Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler.
The Pentagon said Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is monitoring the ongoing situation in Russia and will continue to be briefed on any significant developments.
Jun 24, 12:47 PM EDT
Moscow suspends schools, events until July 1
Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, has suspended mass events outdoors and at educational institutions until July 1.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin urged residents to refrain from traveling around the city. Monday was also declared a non-working day for the city. Sobyanin said that a counter-terrorism regime was declared in Moscow and that the situation was difficult.
Jun 24, 12:34 PM EDT
Biden speaks with leaders of France, Germany, UK about ‘situation in Russia’
President Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the developments in Russia.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also briefed by their national security team on the developments in Russia and will continue to receive updates throughout the day, the White House said Saturday.
Jun 24, 10:11 AM EDT
Wagner troop column 300 miles south of Moscow, Russian media says
The governor of the Lipetsk region, which is about 300 miles south of Moscow, said a column of Wagner troops has been spotted in the region, Russian state media reports.
Jun 24, 9:15 AM EDT
What is the Wagner Group?
The Wagner Group is a private military organization run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with tens of thousands of fighters, according to U.S. officials.
Earlier this year, the U.S. labeled the group a “significant transnational criminal organization” and levied new sanctions, while human rights observers this week said they suspected Wagner fighters were linked to the mass killing of people in Mali last year.
Government reports, statements from U.S. officials and insights from experts, as well as other sources, shed light on the Wagner group’s history and goals, its alleged wrongdoings and its importance to Russia — in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.
Jun 24, 7:24 AM EDT
NATO monitoring Russian situation, official says
A NATO representative said the alliance was watching what was happening in Russia on Saturday.
“We are monitoring the situation,” spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.
Jun 24, 6:31 AM EDT
‘Operational combat’ underway north of Rostov, official says
A governor of the Voronezh region, about 300 miles south of Moscow, says Russia’s armed forces are conducting “operational combat operations” there as part of “counter terrorism operation.”
Earlier the region’s government reported a column of Wagner Group fighters was moving through the region, an area between Rostov-on-Don and Moscow.
“In the bounds of the counterterrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are conducting necessary operational combat operations,” the official said. “We will inform further about the development of the situation.”
Jun 24, 6:03 AM EDT
Russia in ‘so much chaos that no lie can hide it,’ Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia appeared to be suffering “full-scale weakness” after the Wagner Group mercenaries said they’d taken hold of a key Russian city.
“Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it,” he said on Twitter.
Jun 24, 5:47 AM EDT
Prigozhin responds to Putin, says Wagner not going to surrender
The Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calling him a “traitor,” by saying he will not surrender or turn back.
“Putin was deeply mistaken about the betrayal. We are patriots of our homeland, we fought and are fighting,” Prighozin said in an audio message. “No one is going to turn around at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else, because we do not want the country to live longer in corruption, deception and bureaucracy.”
Prigozhin accused Russia’s military of targeting a Wagner column with helicopters and jets.
Jun 24, 5:37 AM EDT
Chechen leader backs Putin, says forces moving into ‘zones of tension’
The powerful head of Chechnya, the semi-independent Russian region, Ramzan Kadyrov, said on Saturday he supported President Vladimir Putin.
Kadyrov saiud he fully backs Putin and called Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s actions “treacherous.”
Kadyrov has tens of thousands of heavily armed fighters. He said his forces are already moving to “zones of tension.”
It raises prospect of Chechen forces fighting with Wagner Group troops.
Kadyrov has previously been friendly with Prigozhin — his coming out in support of Putin is a boost for Putin, but also raises prospect of serious clashes in Russia.
Jun 24, 5:27 AM EDT
Next 48 hours ‘will define’ Russia, Zelenskyy advisor says
Russian leaders are “now choosing which side they are on,” an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday.
“The next 48 hours will define the new status of Russia,” Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter. “Either a full-fledged Civil War, or a negotiated Transit of Power, or a temporary respite before the next phase of the downfall of the Putin regime.”
He added, “A deafening ‘elite’ silence is in Russia so far…”
Jun 24, 3:52 AM EDT
Uprising ‘significant challenge’ to Russian state, UK says
Members of the mercenary Wagner Group have begun moving north “almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow,” in what amounts to the “most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.
“Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis plays out,” the ministry said on Twitter.
Jun 24, 3:25 AM EDT
Putin: Wagner Group moves are ‘stab in the back’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said moves taken by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime ally, to bring his troops into a key Russian city amounted to a “stab in the back.”
Putin didn’t mention Prigozhin by name, but said that “necessary orders have been given” to defend Russia in a recorded address aired on Russian television on Saturday.
“Actions that divide our unity are in essence defeatism before one’s own people,” he said. “This is a stab in the back of our country and our people.”
Jun 24, 3:12 AM EDT
Kremlin briefs Putin on ‘attempted armed rebellion’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed by the country’s security agencies about what was referred to as an “attempted armed rebellion,” according to Russia’s state-run media.
The late-night statement from Putin’s spokesman suggested that the Kremlin considered Wagner Group’s move into Rostov-on-Don, a key Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, to be a “rebellion.”
Wagner’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in an audio message on Friday claimed his forces would now punish Russia’s defense minister and chief of general staff, telling other units to stand down and not offer resistance.
“Special services, law enforcement agencies, namely the Ministry of Defense, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rosgvardiya, in round-the-clock mode, constantly report to the president on the measures taken in the context of the implementation of the instructions previously given to him,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
Jun 24, 2:42 AM EDT
Wagner Group claims control over Rostov military facilities, airport
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, said on Saturday that the headquarters of the Southern Military District and all military facilities in Rostov-on-Don were under his control.
Prigozhin in a video demanded that Kremlin bring him Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Sergei Shoigu.
He also threatened in the video that he would go to Moscow.
“We will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” he said in one of a series of video and audio recordings posted on social media.
He added, “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”
(NEW YORK) — Law enforcement line-of-duty deaths decreased by 66% halfway through 2023, according to a report released by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund on Tuesday.
Every year the NLEMF releases two reports — one counting the midyear line of duty death statistics and one recapping the statistics for the entire year.
There have been 52 federal, state and local law enforcement officers who’ve died in the line of duty between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to NLEMF.
“The 52 line-of-duty deaths are down across all categories, but the overall decrease is largely a result of dramatic reductions in the reports of COVID-19 related deaths,” the report said.
COVID-19-related deaths skyrocketed numbers over the past few years.
In all categories, traffic-related deaths, felonious deaths and accidental deaths are all down.
In particular, traffic-related deaths were down significantly from last year.
“These 11 crash-related fatalities are a decrease of 63% compared to the 30 crash-related deaths during the same period last year,” the report said.
There were 25 officers killed by gunfire — a 24% decrease from a year ago when 33 officers were killed by firearms.
Handguns were the leading cause of officer deaths, the report said.
One of the officers killed with a handgun was Sgt. David Christopher Fitzgerald. He was shot while patrolling for a suspicious person on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Five deaths occurred in April, May and June; four in February, and three in January and March.
According to the report, officers who lost their lives had between three months of service and 34 years. The youngest officer killed was 23, and the oldest was in their early 70s.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Vermont, where torrential rainfall has triggered life-threatening flash floods.
The president’s action frees up federal resources to supplement the state and local response efforts as well as authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts across Vermont.
Many rivers in the Green Mountain State were “expected to crest overnight at flood levels,” according to a joint press release from the Vermont Department of Public Safety and the Vermont Emergency Management. Swift water rescue teams had already performed more than 50 rescues, primarily in the towns of Londonderry, Weston, Bridgewater, Andover, Ludlow and Middlesex, the press release stated.
“Vermonters should be vigilant and aware of conditions as floodwaters rise,” the agencies warned in the press release on Monday night. “If flooding approaches your home evacuate to higher ground sooner rather than later, your route could be compromised by floodwaters and leave you stranded.”
Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, has issued an emergency health order closing downtown until at least 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday as the Winooski River, which runs through the city, recedes. Water levels were expected to drop between 8 a.m. and noon ET, according to Montpelier city manager William Fraser.
“This will allow officials to assess safety risks and begin clean up efforts,” Fraser said in a statement via social media on Monday night. “We know that business owners will be anxious to check out their stores but we urge patience.”
The Winooski River has risen to its second-highest level on record, behind only the historic flood of 1927.
In another statement early Tuesday, Fraser warned that the Wrightsville Dam, located at the intersection of the municipal borders of the towns of Montpelier, Middlesex and East Montpelier, “only has 6 feet of storage capacity left,” which he said “could be a dangerous situation.”
“If water exceeds capacity, the first spillway will release water into the North Branch River,” Fraser added. “This has never happened since the dam was built so there is no precedent for potential damage. There would be a large amount of water coming into Montpelier which would drastically add to the existing flood damage. This will be particularly bad along the North Branch River corridor and into the downtown. Unfortunately, there are very few evacuation options remaining. People in at risk areas may wish to go to upper floors in their houses.”
The emergency in Vermont came as heavy rainfall drenches the northeastern United States, with flooding expected in the New England area from upstate New York to western Maine. The extreme weather began on Sunday, affecting much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, prompting flash flood alerts in parts of New York. The system pushed north on Monday, with the heaviest rainfall and reports of significant flash flooding occurring in Vermont.
(NEW YORK) — Journalist Evan Gershkovich has spent more than three months in Russian detention, but his parents say they remain confident the U.S. government will do all it can to bring their son home.
“President [Joe] Biden spoke to us and gave us a promise to do whatever it takes,” Ella Milman, Gershkovich’s mother, told ABC News’ Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos as she sat alongside her husband, Mikhail Gershkovich, in their first broadcast interview since their son’s imprisonment.
Milman said Biden spoke to them “as a parent” about their son, a Wall Street Journal reporter based in Moscow, who’s being held on espionage charges — charges he, his outlet and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
“[H]e told us he understands our pain,” she said.
Just days after Evan Gershkovich’s arrest on March 29, Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally declared the reporter “wrongfully detained” by Russia.
When Evan’s parents met with Blinken, they said he showed them a card bearing the names of all the wrongfully detained Americans worldwide. Gershkovich’s name was on the list, too.
“And he promised to us he’s not going to rest until all the names are crossed out from his card,” Milman continued.
“Mr. Blinken [is] working very hard to cross Evan’s name out on that card,” she added.
On Friday — Evan Gershkovich’s 100th day in a Russian prison — Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, confirmed U.S. officials have been in contact with their Russian counterparts to discuss Evan’s release.
“What the Kremlin said earlier this week is correct,” Sullivan said during a White House press briefing on Friday during which he addressed a report about talks of a potential prisoner swap. “There have been discussions. But those discussions have not produced a clear pathway to a resolution, and so I cannot stand here today and tell you that we have a clear answer to how we are going to get Evan home.”
Evan Gershkovich was in a restaurant in Yekaterinburg, about 1,000 miles from Moscow, when Russia’s Federal Security Service arrested him earlier this year.
The WSJ and friends, as well as people Gershkovich interviewed in Yekaterinburg, have said the journalist was working on a story about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary military organization Wagner Group, who just last month led a short-lived rebellion against the Russian government after leaving the front lines of Ukraine when he was arrested.
Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty to espionage charges. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted in a case that is marked “top secret.”
