Ukraine war live updates: Putin ‘not envisaged’ to attend Prigozhin funeral; Vatican responds to criticism of Pope’s Russia comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently “not envisaged” to attend the funeral of former ally-turned-traitor Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The Moscow administration has no details regarding the funeral arrangements, Peskov added in Google-translated comments reported by Russian state news agency Tass on Telegram.

Russia says Prigozhin was killed in a fatal plane crash last week, on the two-month anniversary of the failed insurrection of his forces against Moscow.

Prigozhin’s Wagner contingent fought on behalf of Russia on the Ukrainian frontline, as well as in Africa — before relations with Moscow’s top brass soured. Prigozhin and Wagner were offered amnesty in exile following the short-lived rebellion, in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Kremlin “welcomes” Pope Francis’ recent comments on Russia’s legacy, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in his daily update, as reported by state media agency Tass on Telegram and translated by Google.

“The Kremlin welcomes the words of the Pope of Rome about the legacy of great Russia, it is good that the pontiff knows Russian history,” the post said.

The comments from Peskov come after the leader of the Roman Catholic church made controversial references to Russia’s imperialist past during a speech to a group of young Russians Friday.

“You are heirs of the great Russia – the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity … Thank you for your way of being Russian,” Pope Francis said in the speech Friday, as translated and transcribed by NewsFromUkraine.

The Vatican apologized Tuesday following the comments, saying the pope did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Pope Francis had no intention of glorifying past Russian imperialism when he spoke to Russian youths last week, the Vatican said in a statement.

“The Pope intended to encourage young people to preserve and promote all that is positive in the great Russian cultural and spiritual heritage, and certainly not to exalt imperialist logic and government personalities,” a Vatican spokesperson said in an address, Reuters reported.

The leader of the Roman Catholic church faced criticism after he told a group of young people to remember they are the heirs of past czars, some of whom President Vladimir Putin had referred to in his justification of the invasion of Ukraine.

“You are heirs of the great Russia – the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. You are the heirs of the great mother Russia. Go forward,” Pope Francis said in the speech Friday, as translated and transcribed by NewsFromUkraine.

“And thank you. Thank you for your way of being Russian,” he added.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russia is “unlikely” to meet its targets for recruiting volunteers to its armed forces, according to Britain’s Defense Ministry, despite salaries having increased since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Serving in Russia’s armed forces has become increasingly lucrative as the country’s war in Ukraine has continued, according to an update by the U.K. Defense Ministry.

On February 2022, President Vladimir Putin said that a serving lieutenant received 81,200 rubles ($850) each month. By October 2022 he announced that lower ranking, mobilized private soldiers would receive 195,000 rubles every month.

Now many junior soldiers are earning more than 200,000 rubles a month, which is more than 2.7 times the average Russian salary, the ministry of defense wrote.

It is “highly likely” that the salary and benefits are a “strong incentive” for people to join the Russian forces, the ministry said.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russian domestic security agency FSB said Monday it detained a former U.S. consulate employee, accusing him of having collected information about Russia’s actions in Ukraine for U.S. diplomats, as reported by Russian state media outlet Tass.

Robert Shonov, who previously worked at the U.S. consulate in the Russian city of Vladivostok, said he was approached by U.S. embassy employees seeking information about the war in Ukraine and the upcoming presidential election, the report said.

“I had to collect negative information about these events, find protest sentiment among the population and report those,” Shonov said, according to Tass.

Shonov was first reported as having been arrested in May, but no additional details were provided. The U.S. embassy condemned the arrest at the time.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russian forces downed a series of drones over the regions of Tula and Belgorod overnight, according to a Google-translated post on the country’s Ministry of Defense Telegram account.

The Ukrainian drones were “destroyed,” according to the ministry. It made no reference to causalities or damage caused.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Ukraine opposes any further restrictions on the import of its grain by neighboring countries, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday.

Kuleba said he was “adamantly against” extending the bans currently in place on a trip to Prague in the Czech Republic, as reported by Reuters.

Five European countries banned Ukrainian grain imports over the summer on concerns that the glut in produce unable to be exported would damage the livelihoods of their domestic farmers. The European Union allowed the move, but the current bans expire on Sept. 15.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Ukraine was struck by 61 attacks Monday, according to Ukrainian official Oleksandr Prokudin.

The bombardments comprised 275 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, drones and aircraft, with much of the firepower targeted at residential areas in Kherson, Prokudin wrote on Telegram, according to a Google translation.

One person died and another four were injured, he wrote.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

South Korea announced it would be supplying Ukraine with a financial aid package worth 520 billion won ($394 million) for Ukraine next year, an increase of more than 800% on its assistance this year.

The package comprises 130 billion won for reconstruction, 260 billion for humanitarian aid and and 130 billion won through international organizations, according to South Korea’s 2024 budget, as translated and reported by Reuters.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold in-person talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan soon, as Ankara seeks to mediate a return to the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow exited last month.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday in a briefing with reporters that the time and location of the meeting is currently being finalized.

“We usually synchronize announcements of such visits with our partner countries. We will announce shortly when and where it will take place. The meeting is being prepared, and is being prepared very thoroughly,” he said, in comments reported by Reuters.

— Karen Gilchrist

The Kremlin on Friday rejected what it said was Western “speculation” that Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders, calling it an “absolute lie.”

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that an investigation into Wednesday’s plane crash that President Vladimir Putin said had killed Prigozhin was ongoing, according to a Reuters translation of a call with reporters.

Peskov added that it’s impossible to say whether Putin would attend the funeral of Prigozhin, citing the president’s “very full schedule.”

— Karen Gilchrist

The United States will begin flight training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in October, the Pentagon said Thursday.

The training is set to take place at the Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, once the pilots receive English-language training.

Norway on Thursday said it would donate F-16s to Ukraine, becoming the third country, after Denmark and the Netherlands, to pledge to fulfill Kyiv’s longstanding request for jets which it says will strengthen its air defenses against Russia.

— Karen Gilchrist