Wagner chief Prigozhin killed
Ukraine’s armed forces have gained a foothold in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where they are believed to be advancing towards Russia’s second line of defence.
Kyiv’s General Staff said on Tuesday its forces had “achieved success ... within the re-captured frontiers” and were attacking detected enemy targets with artillery as well as carrying out counter-battery measures.
The battlefield update came as the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin had no plans to attend the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, as the Wagner chief’s press service said a closed-door “farewell” service had been held for him on Tuesday, with mourners welcome at a cemetery in his native St Petersburg.
Prigozhin died when his business jet crashed last week, two months after he and his Wagner mercenaries staged a mutiny against Russian military commanders in which they took control of a southern city, Rostov, and advanced towards Moscow before turning back 200 km (125 miles) from the capital.
Western politicians and commentators have theorised that Mr Putin ordered Prighozin’s death as an act of vengeance. However, Mr Peskov called the suggestion an “absolute lie”.
