Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit two former Soviet states in Central Asia this week, Russian state television reported, the first trip by a Russian leader abroad since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
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High-ranking officials of the European Union stressed at the G7 summit in Germany that they should be cautious about potential sanctions on the import of Russian gold, reports Reuters.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, pointed out that it is necessary to find a mechanism by which the export ban would affect the Russian economy, while not harming the economies of the bloc's members.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today in Elma that the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries due to aggression against Ukraine have a "profound impact".
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Russia said it hit a missile factory in Kiev today and called "false" claims it hit a residential area in the Ukrainian capital.
It is about the Artiom weapons factory, which was targeted as a military infrastructure, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, adding that they had already targeted that factory in April.
"There is false news that Russian forces targeted civilian targets in Kiev," the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that the rockets "precisely hit the workshops of the Artiom factory."
The Ministry states that the damage caused to neighboring housing is the result of the fall of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile.
"The damage was not only caused from above, but also from below, which confirms the version of the fall of the Ukrainian air defense missile," the Russian ministry said.
Ukrainian authorities reported that one person was killed and four were wounded and taken to hospital in strikes carried out early this morning on a residential area near the center of Kyiv.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said today that the Russian army's attacks on residential buildings in Kiev show the necessity of international unity in support of Ukraine.
The Russian army shelled Kiev this morning and hit at least two residential buildings.
He emphasized the unity of the G7, the European Union and NATO in organizing support for Ukraine.
"We can say with certainty that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin did not count on this and that he still has a headache because of the great international support for Ukraine, but of course also the courage of the Ukrainians in defending the country," said Soltz today after the first session of the G7 summit, which is hosted in the south of Bavaria.
Attacks on civilian objects, he added, show that supporting the Ukrainians is the right decision.
The German government has previously come under fire for its reluctance to send weapons to Ukraine.
However, Scholz said that "Germany and the US will always act together when it comes to the security of Ukraine."
He added that he and US President Joseph Biden were unanimous on what needs to be done.
Bulgaria did not export weapons directly to Ukraine, said Prime Minister of that country Kiril Petkov.
He told journalists today that the Government strictly adheres to the corresponding resolution of the National Assembly, reports the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
"We exported to some traditional partners, to European Union countries, but there was no direct transfer between Bulgaria and Ukraine," said Petkov.
Speaking about the expected change of government after the vote of no confidence in his cabinet on June 22, he said that the composition of the cabinet will remain unchanged for the time being.
"We are all a very close team and we will continue in the same format," said Petkov.
He added that he does not want to talk about individual ministers until they receive the support of independent deputies.
Petkov noted that they clearly stated that there are several people with whom they would not negotiate.
These are, as stated, Boyko Borisov, Peevski and the Movement for Rights and Freedom, Kostadin Kostadinov and Slavi Trifonov.
"As far as we can see, Toško Jordanov cannot make a single step or statement without Trifonov's permission," said Petkov.
He said that, unfortunately, they cannot negotiate with him either, but they are ready to talk with everyone else.
Local officials announced that one person was killed in a rocket attack on the city of Cherkasy in central Ukraine, and the bridge connecting the western regions with the eastern combat zones was also damaged, reports Reuters.
The regional chief wrote on Telegram that five people were also wounded.
On the other hand, an adviser to the Ukrainian president told Reuters that one of the rockets targeted a bridge over the Dnieper River.
Russian troops are trying to limit the transfer of our reserves and Western weapons to the East, said Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser, Alexey Arestovich, in a message.
Russia's latest missile attacks on Kiev show that international sanctions should be more aggressive and include the European Union's embargo on Russian gas, said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff of the Ukrainian president.
"The G7 summit should respond to Russian attacks on Kiev," Jermak said.
"Sanctions should be more aggressive. The gold export embargo is good, but a gas embargo is needed in the new EU sanctions package," he added.
At the summit in Madrid from June 28 to 30, NATO will decide whether there will be the largest deployment of troops of this alliance since the time of the Cold War.
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Russia's Defense Ministry said it used high-precision weapons to attack Ukrainian army training centers in Ukraine's Chernihiv, Zhytomyr and Lviv regions, Russian news agencies reported, citing Reuters.
Explosions were heard in the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy, former regional governor Oleksandr Skichko said.
He did not provide further details.
The city of Cherkasy has been largely untouched by bombing since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko toured the Shevchenkovsky district - a neighborhood in the center of the Ukrainian capital that was shelled early this morning.
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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited soldiers in Ukraine.
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At least five people were wounded in this morning's shelling of buildings in the center of Kyiv, Ukrainian police chief Igor Klimenko said on national television, as reported by Reuters.
With the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Severodonetsk, the fighting moved to neighboring Lysichansk, the last city in the region under Ukrainian control, writes the Kyiv Independent.
The capture of Severodonetsk brings Moscow closer to full control of the Luhansk region, where 95 percent of the territory is already under the control of Russian forces, adds the same media.
During the G7 Summit in Bavaria, US President Joseph Biden announced the introduction of a ban on the import of Russian gold.
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Several explosions took place early this morning in the Shevchenkovsky District in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
It is not yet known if there were any injuries.
"Ambulance teams and rescuers have been sent to the places of explosions. Locals are being rescued and evacuated from two buildings. More detailed information - later," Klitschko wrote.
Shevchenkovsky district is a historical district in Kyiv, one of the central ones in the capital - it is home to a number of universities, restaurants and art galleries, Reuters reported.
Due to the Ukrainian shelling yesterday, the Russian army was forced to suspend the evacuation of people from the chemical factory in Severodonetsk - just a few hours after the country's forces captured the city, the Tass news agency reported, citing Reuters.
Separately, Alexey Arestovich, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said special forces were still in Severodonetsk and directing artillery fire at the Russians.
The 123rd day of the war in Ukraine has begun - yesterday was marked by the Russian capture of the strategically important city of Severodonetsk. In more detail HERE.
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