Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its forces have destroyed four US-supplied Himars rocket systems in July alone.
“Four launchers and one transport-loading vehicle for the US-made multiple launch rocket systems (Himars) were destroyed,” it said in a daily briefing.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Kyiv has hailed the arrival of eight Himars, which cost $5.6 million each, as a possible gamechanger for the course of the war. The advanced weapons are more precise and offer a longer range than other artillery systems, allowing Kyiv to strike Russian targets and weapons depots further behind the front lines.
Follow the latest updates below.
05:59 PM
Canadian PM has little confidence in Russia keeping its end of the bargain
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he has little confidence in Russia fulfilling its side of a bargain reached with Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations on resuming grain shipments from Ukraine.
He added he was nonetheless he is “optimistic” the grain will find its way “to places around the world where it is needed.”
“Canada’s confidence in Russia’s reliability is pretty much nil,” said Trudeau.
“They have demonstrated nothing but poor faith,” he said. “They have precipitated a global energy crisis (and) a global food crisis with their invasion of Ukraine, and the rest of us have been working very, very hard to try and mitigate those issues around the world.”
05:57 PM
Boris Johnson says UK ‘will not waver’ in its support of Ukraine
Boris Johnson said in a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the UK “will not waver” in its support of Ukraine when he’s no longer Prime Minister.
“He stressed the UK’s ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people and said that resolve will not waver, no matter who becomes the next UK Prime Minister,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said in a summary of their conversation.
“President Zelensky thanked the PM for his staunch support for Ukraine, and for his kind words in his last address to parliament.”
05:55 PM
Kyiv made a deal with the UN, not Russia, says Ukraine’s foreign minister
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has said Kyiv trusts the United Nations, not Russia, to uphold a deal struck in Istanbul to unblock grain exports disrupted by Moscow’s invasion.
“Ukraine doesn’t trust Russia. I don’t think anyone has reasons to trust Russia. We invest our trust in the United Nations as the driving force of this agreement,” Dmytro Kuleba told an online press briefing on Friday.
05:38 PM
Russian foreign minister to begin African tour in Egypt
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will begin an African tour in Egypt on Sunday, as the Kremlin launches a charm offensive on countries with strained relationships with the West.
Lavrov will meet Arab League members trying to square deep links to Russia with their close relationship to the United States.
He will then travel to Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Congo Republic.
Egypt has significant strategic and economic ties with Russia, which has been a key source in recent years of wheat, weaponry and – until the war complicated travel – tourists.
05:32 PM
Zelensky says he and Johnson talked about ‘intensifying’ Ukrainian military training
05:28 PM
Roman Abramovich attends grains export deal signing ceremony in Istanbul
05:11 PM
Johnson and Zelensky speak about UK prisoners held by Russians
Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the treatment of UK prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces during a call following the grains exports agreement this afternoon.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The leaders discussed their ongoing concern about the treatment of prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, including those of British nationality.
“The prime minister…
Read More: Russia ‘destroys’ four US-supplied Himars rocket systems