Russia-Ukraine updates: Russian missile strikes hit multiple Ukrainian cities

Dozens of injuries were reported in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Last Updated: July 1, 2023, 4:46 PM EDT

Russia has continued a nearly 19-month-long invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Recently, though, the Ukrainians have gone on a counteroffensive, fighting to reclaim occupied territory.

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Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jul 01, 2023, 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.

In this May 101, 2022, file photo, CIA Director William Burns testifies during the Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, FILE

"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, 2023, 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, 2023, 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, 2023, 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."

Former Vice President Mike Pence meets with local officials in Irpin, Ukraine, and surveys damage from Russia's invasion on June 29, 2023.
Guy Davies/ABC News

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.

Read more about the trip here.

-ABC News' Libby Cathey and Guy Davies

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