? Live: Death toll rises from Russian strike on Kramatorsk restaurant

6:36am: Death toll rises to eight in Russian strike on Kramatorsk

The death toll has risen to eight from Russia’s attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, Ukraine’s emergency services said on Wednesday, adding that 56 people were injured.

Two Russian missiles struck Kramatorsk on Tuesday, hitting a crowded restaurant in the city centre. Three people were pulled from the rubble, the emergency services added.

“Rescuers are working through the rubble of the destroyed building and searching for people who are probably still under it,” emergency services officials said on the Telegram messaging app.

6:00am: Senior Russian general knew about Prigozhin’s plans: US media report

General Sergey Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, had advance knowledge that the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning a rebellion against Moscow’s defence officials, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper cited US officials briefed on US intelligence regarding the matter, and reported that the officials were “trying to learn if Gen. Sergey Surovikin, the former top Russian commander in Ukraine, helped plan Mr. Prigozhin’s actions last weekend”.

5:30am: Kremlin critic Navalny says ‘no bigger threat’ to Russia than Putin

As the fallout unfolded from Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s brief rebellion – widely seen as the biggest threat to Kremlin authority in decades – Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to shore up his authority by thanking regular troops for averting a civil war.

But as Moscow announced preparations to disarm Wagner fighters, jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny launched a stinging attack on the president in his first comments since the aborted rebellion by the paramilitaries.

“There is no bigger threat to Russia than Putin’s regime,” Navalny said on social media.

“Putin’s regime is so dangerous to the country that even its inevitable demise will create the threat of civil war,” he wrote.

4:50am: South Korea unveils sanctions on Russian national over North Korea’s weapons programmes

South Korea on Wednesday announced new sanctions on two individuals and two entities over their alleged involvement in North Korea’s weapons programmes, Seoul’s foreign ministry said.

The sanctions target Choi Chon Gon, a former South Korean national who acquired Russian citizenship, two companies Choi owns and a North Korean who supported Choi, the ministry said.

Choi is accused of helping North Korea‘s illegal financial activities in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions after acquiring Russian citizenship.

“It marks the first time our government has imposed unilateral sanctions on an individual of Korean descent,” the ministry said in a statement.

3:00am: Taiwan detects two Russian warships off its coast

Taiwan detected two Russian frigates sailing off its eastern coast on Tuesday and deployed surveillance ships and aircraft to monitor their movements, the island’s ministry of national defence said.

The Russian warships were “detected sailing from south to north in the waters off our eastern coast” as of 11pm local time (1500 GMT), it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Taiwan’s military monitored their movements and “dispatched aircraft, ships and (activated) shore-based missile systems to keep watch”, it added.

The ministry did not say how far the warships were from Taiwan’s coast.

1:56am: US to give Ukraine $500 million in additional military aid, Pentagon says

The United States will provide Kyiv with a new military package worth up to $500 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, in a show of support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia as Moscow deals with the aftermath of an aborted rebellion by Wagner mercenary fighters.

The package “includes key capabilities to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations, strengthen its air defenses … and other equipment to help Ukraine push back on Russia’s war of aggression”, the Pentagon said.

“I am sincerely grateful,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Twitter post “for another $500 million defense assistance package. Additional Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles, ammunition for HIMARS, Patriots and Stingers will add even more power.”

1:18am: Colombian writer, politician and FRANCE 24 journalist in Kramatorsk restaurant hit by Russian strike

Three well-known Colombian figures, including a FRANCE 24 journalist, were dining in the Kramatorsk restaurant hit by a Russian missile strike on Tuesday evening.

Journalist Catalina G?mez ?ngel has reported as a special envoy in Ukraine for FRANCE 24’s Spanish-language service since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Novelist Hector Abad and politician Sergio Jaramillo were in eastern Ukraine to “express Latin America‘s solidarity with the Ukrainian people against the barbarism and illegal invasion being carried out by Russia”, according to a statement released by the two men on Tuesday.

The three people survived the attack. Jaramillo has a bruised leg while Abad and G?mez ?ngel escaped unhurt, FRANCE 24 reported.

Key developments from Tuesday, June 27:

A deadly Russian missile strike hit a restaurant in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, authorities said Tuesday. Ukrainian police said Russia fired two S-300 surface-to-air missiles at the city.

NATO is ready to defend itself against any threat from “Moscow or Minsk”, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday, after Belarus welcomed Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin into exile. Stoltenberg said NATO would agree to strengthen its defences at a key summit in Lithuania next week in order to protect all members, especially those that border Russia’s ally Belarus.

Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how all the day’s events unfolded.

(C) France M?dias Monde graphic studio

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)