By This has been CNBC’s live blog covering updates on the war in Ukraine. [Follow the latest updates here.]
The United States has said that it will begin flight training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in October.
The announcement came after 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.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defense forces had destroyed 42 Ukraine-launched drones over the Crimean Peninsula and one missile over the Kaluga region.
Meantime, President Vladimir Putin broke his silence over the presumed death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, describing him a “talented businessman” and offering condolences to his family some 24 hours after the plane he was believed to be travelling on crashed into flames while en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that its forces downed 73 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours following a night of attacks focused on the Russian-held Crimean Peninsula.
“Seventy-three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and suppressed by means of electronic warfare during the day,” the ministry said in a Telegram post.
It added that its forces had also struck Ukrainian port infrastructure used for military purposes.
CNBC was unable to independently verify the reports.
— Karen Gilchrist
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
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that comments made a day earlier by U.S. President Joe Biden about the presumed death in a plane crash of Yevgeny Prigozhin are unacceptable, Reuters reported the the Tass state news agency as saying.
Biden said Wednesday that he was not surprised by the presumed death in a plane crash of the Kremlin dissident, adding that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind it.
“I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised,” the president said. “There’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind. But I don’t know enough to know the answer.”
— Karen Gilchrist
Ukraine shot down four Russian cruise missiles and a drone overnight, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
“Russians attacked Ukraine with two Kalibr cruise missiles, two Kh-59 cruise missiles, and a Shahed UAV,” the ministry said in a post on X.
“All targets have been destroyed by Ukrainian air defence.”
— Karen Gilchrist
The U.S. Department of State on Thursday imposed sanctions on 11 people and two entities it said are connected to human rights violations, including the forced deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
“The Department of State is imposing sanctions on two entities and 11 individuals for their roles in the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukraine’s children to camps promoting indoctrination in Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea and who have imposed Russian indoctrination curriculums in those regions of Ukraine,” the department said in a statement.
It added that it is also taking steps to impose visa restrictions on three Russia-installed officials over their involvement in human rights abuses of Ukrainian minors.
— Karen Gilchrist
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday that the presumed death of Yevgeny Prigozhin would be “deeply destabilizing” for the Wagner mercenary group.
In its latest intelligence report, the ministry said that there was not yet “definitive proof” that Prigozhin was on the plane that crashed in the Tver region on Wednesday, but that he is “highly likely” dead.
“There is not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin was onboard and he is known to exercise exceptional security measures. However, it is highly likely that he is indeed dead,” the ministry wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
— 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
Russia’s air defense forces destroyed 42 Ukraine-launched drones over the Crimean Peninsula and one missile over the Kaluga region early on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“Tonight, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks by aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
“Air defense systems detected 42 unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result of the fire impact over the territory of the Republic of Crimea, nine UAVs were destroyed, 33 were suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed without reaching the target,” it added.
Earlier, the Defense Ministry said it had shot down a Ukraine-launched missile over the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the attacks. CNBC could not independently verify the reports.
— Karen Gilchrist
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued condolences following the plane crash that is believed to have killed Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Prigozhin, who was once Putin’s personal chef and confidant, was in exile following an attempt two months ago to attack the Russian capital over frustrations with the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“With regard to this plane crash, first of all, I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. It’s always a tragedy,” Putin said in a speech.
The Russian leader said preliminary evidence indicates that those on the flight were employees of the Wagner company.
“I’ve known Prigozhin for a long time, since the early ’90’s,” Putin said. “He was a talented man, a talented businessman. He worked not only in our country — and with result — but also abroad,” he added, referencing Prigozhin’s contracts in Africa.
Putin added that there was an investigation already underway into the explosion that brought down the private jet.
— Amanda Macias
Putin offers condolences following plane crash believed to have killed Prigozhin; Black Sea grain deal talks might resume
