Russia-Ukraine updates: Russian missile strikes hit multiple Ukrainian cities
Dozens of injuries were reported in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
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.
For previous coverage, please click here.
Latest headlines:
Putin addresses Yevgeny Prigozhin’s presumed death in plane crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his first comments Thursday on the plane crash that presumably killed Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin and the private military company's co-founder Dmitry Utkin along with eight others near Kuzhenkino, Russia, on Wednesday.
"As for the aviation tragedy, first of all, I want to express my sincerest condolences to the families of all the victims," Putin said in an on-camera address, adding that Wagner Group made a "significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine."
"I knew (Yevgeny) Prigozhin for a very long time, since the early 1990s. He was a man with a complex destiny, and he made serious mistakes in life," Putin said. "He achieved the results he needed both for himself and, when I asked him, for the common cause, as in these last months."
Putin said of the investigation, "But what is absolutely clear -- the head of the Investigative Committee reported to me this morning, they have already launched a preliminary investigation into this incident. And it will be carried out in full and to the end. There is no doubt about that here. Let's see what the investigators say in the near future. Tests -- technical and genetic tests -- are being carried out now. This takes some time."
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Wagner mercenaries observed exiting Belarus
Mercenaries with the Russian private military company Wagner Group were observed leaving Belarus where the group’s forces had set up camp since a failed rebellion against Russian military leaders in June, according to Andrii Demchenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
The group’s movements were observed by Ukrainian border guards and intelligence officials, Demchenko said Thursday.
The reported exit comes a day after Wagner leader Yvegeny Prigozhin and the group’s co-founder and operations manager Dmitry Utkin were presumed to have died in a plane crash near Moscow.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Ukrainian forces move into occupied Crimea, official says
Ukrainian troops have landed in occupied Crimea, a state defense official said on Thursday.
The landing in territory long held by Russian forces was accomplished without Ukrainian casualties, Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, said on Telegram. Russian forces suffered personnel losses, he said.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Zelenskyy warns of 'dangerous voices' in Congress, impact of US election year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke out against American critics who are pushing for cuts to military support to his country stating there are "dangerous voices" in Congress and in the U.S.
Zelenskyy told reporters Wednesday that his team was in constant contact with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and other U.S. national security officials, stating he was "glad" Ukraine had the backing of the White House, enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress and received “a lot” of support from the American public.
However, Zelenskyy said the coming year will be "very difficult," referring to the U.S. presidential election, which "will definitely have an impact on support for Ukraine."
"I think we’re going to have a hard time," Zelenskyy said.
He said the election results could be positive or negative for Ukraine.
“For our part, we will do everything to ensure that the support of the United States does not decrease…we will give all our time, our energy to constantly work with the USA," Zelenskyy said. “I expect that our partners in the United States will continue to be our partners and friends.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working on lobbying Biden for longer range missiles.
-ABC News' Tom Buridge and Natalya Kushnir
Moscow highway restrictions remain, Russian media reports
Travel restrictions remained in place on Sunday on the major M-4 highway near Moscow, according to Russia’s state-run media.
"According to the previously issued regional decisions, traffic restrictions remain in force on the M-4 Don highway near the Moscow Region and the Tula Region," the federal road agency said, according to TASS.
The security checkpoints had been put in place Saturday as a column of Wagner Group forces traveled toward Moscow. Roadblocks in southern Russia, including in Rostov-on-Don and the Krasnodar Region, were reportedly lifted.
"All previously imposed restrictions on highways have been lifted," TASS reported, citing a branch of the Russian Interior Ministry.
-ABC News' KJ Edelman