Russia-Ukraine: Wagner ‘banned from Putin’s war’ as Prigozhin snubs Kremlin contracts

Dressed in white and yellow protective suits and armed with devices to detect radiation levels, Ukrainian emergency workers took part in a drill Thursday to prepare for a potential risk of radiation leakage from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Dozens of civilians joined the drill on the outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia, located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.

In a tent set up to provide first aid, emergency workers practiced hosing people down with soap and going through the motions of administering treatment to individuals who play-acted victims from possible radiation-affected areas.

Askold Krushelnycky reports from Kharkiv, where he speaks to members of Ukraine’s army about Kyiv’s counteroffensive to reclaim its land from Moscow. Facing mines and constant shelling, gains are slow – and hard-earned

After a dramatic weekend, Putin is back in the Kremlin, doing staged walkabouts and wants the world to know that he is in charge, writes Mary Dejevsky. Whilst it’s tempting to conclude his days are numbered, it’s important to resist the spin

Russia‘s most senior generals have dropped out of public view after the failed mutiny by the Wagner mercenaries – with speculation swirling in Moscow that at least one of them has been detained.

That man is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine.

Armed forces chief of staff, General Valery Gerasimov, has also not appeared in public or on state TV since the aborted mutiny on Saturday when mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded Mr Gerasimov be handed over. Nor has he been mentioned in a defence ministry press release since 9 June.

The Wagner fighters – who have spearheaded some of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine – were cheered enthusiastically by residents in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday when they briefly took control of the southern Russian city. President Vladimir Putin described their actions as “treason” and “a stab in the back”.

People have also been purchasing other regalia, such as keyrings, on Wildberries’ rival Ozon.

“Very beautiful and original keyring,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “In memory of all those in Wagner’s ranks who died.”

Large numbers of Wagner fighters – including many former convicts granted their freedom in exchange for serving in Ukraine – have been killed on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Wildberries and Ozon declined to comment on Thursday on the surge in merchandise prices.

Elsewhere, Prigozhin face masks were on sale in St Petersburg, alongside those of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and jailed opposition politician Alexey Navalny.

Under Saturday’s deal that ended the mutiny, fighters of the Wagner group were allowed to join their leader Prigozhin in exile in Belarus, to be integrated into Russia’s regular armed forces or to return to their families.

Online prices for merchandise bearing the insignia of Russia’s Wagner group – a human skull against a black and red backdrop – have shot up since its abortive armed mutiny, with buyers posting five-star reviews and support for the mercenaries.

Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin sent an armed convoy on a 1,200-km (750-mile) charge towards Moscow in protest over what he said was the incompetence and corruption of Russia’s military leadership. A deal brokered by the leader of Belarus abruptly halted the mutiny late on Saturday.

E-commerce leader Wildberries’ weekly price breakdowns showed how costs have risen. A patch depicting the skull that can be sewn onto clothes fetched 525 roubles ($6) in the period June 25-29, up sharply from 294 roubles during June 18-25.

“Due to the situation in the country, the purchase was spontaneous,” wrote one buyer, Tatiana.

Prices for a black T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a Wagner fighter holding a violin jumped this week to 1,650 roubles from 1,236 roubles.

On a review of a Wagner flag on Wildberries, one buyer, Vladimir, said: “The Wagner Private Military Company is the best. Good luck to you guys. The flag is excellent.”

Ukraine believes its fight against Russia’s invasion demonstrates it is worthy of NATO admission and has also shown it is already a key part of transatlantic security.

One of the subplots in the summit’s run-up is whether Zelensky will attend.

The Ukrainian leader has said he sees “no point” in going to the summit if Kyiv is not given a “signal” at the meeting. His chief of staff said this week that Zelensky would decide on the eve of the summit whether or not to go.

His absence would overshadow any show of Western unity at the summit. The West has poured in vast amounts of military and financial assistance to help Ukraine hold its own against Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion.

But not turning up would also deprive Kyiv’s leadership of valuable face time with the leaders of Ukraine’s staunchest backers.

The final outcomes of major summits are typically the product of long-running negotiations and are often finalised shortly before the summit formally begins.

“If there is no result at the Vilnius summit, he doesn’t have reason and time to go,” said Zhovkva.

Asked what the threshold was for Zelensky to attend, Zhovkva cited a speech to parliament in which the Ukrainian leader spoke of the importance of courage in today’s world.

“The president will not travel … to the summit if the leaders will tend to or will show a deficit of courage, while Ukraine with all its courage, will and strength and high morale is fighting against Russian aggression,” he said.

Zhovkva pointed to the cases of Finland and Sweden who applied for membership last year. Finland has already since become a member.

“When Finland and Sweden submitted an application for membership last year, immediately in June last year the allies responded to the application … inviting them to membership with NATO,” he said.

Asked how close Ukraine was to receiving an invitation now, he said: “We are closer than we were half a year ago. And still some time is left; much time is left in reality…”

Ukraine wants to receive an invitation to begin the process of joining NATO at the military alliance’s summit next month, and President Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend if leaders do not show “courage”, a presidential aide said on Thursday.

Chief diplomatic adviser Ihor Zhovkva told Reuters that Kyiv wanted the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius to deliver a response to the application for NATO membership that Ukraine filed on Sept. 30 last year. “This application is now on the tables of the leaders of NATO allies.

The Vilnius summit would be a very good start to respond to this application. And by respond, we mean invitation for membership, which is only the first stage,” he said.

Kyiv’s allies are divided over how fast Ukraine should join NATO and some Western governments are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia.

In an interview in the heavily guarded president’s office in the Ukrainian capital, the Zelensky aide said Kyiv recognised it cannot join the 31-member bloc while Russia is waging war on Ukraine.

“What we are asking for is to start the procedure,” he said, banging the table at one point to drive his point home.

After a dramatic weekend, Putin is back in the Kremlin, doing staged walkabouts and wants the world to know that he is in charge, writes Mary Dejevsky. Whilst it’s tempting to conclude his days are numbered, it’s important to resist the spin.

If the minute-by-minute dramas of last weekend in Russia seem both a long way away and a long time ago, that is because a great many people want you to think that, or want you to see it in a new light. I can hardly remember a single episode in recent years that has passed so quickly from reality to myth – and competing myths at that.

Russia could not accept any Swiss-hosted peace summit on Ukraine after it joined European Union sanctions against Moscow, the Kremlin’s ambassador has said, claiming that Switzerland had lost its reputation for neutrality.

Earlier this month, Volodymyr Zelensky had suggested in a speech to the Swiss parliament that the country could act as a mediator.

But in an interview with Le Temps newspaper, Sergei Garmonin said Russia would not accept that Switzerland, which traditionally has served as a location for high-level talks between feuding powers, host such a summit.

“Swiss representation and mediation are out of the question,” Mr Garmonin said. “Switzerland has unfortunately lost its status as a neutral state and can no longer act as a mediator or as a representative of interests.”