President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia traveled to the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don to satisfy with army commanders, the Kremlin mentioned on Saturday, in his first publicized go to to the army hub because it was seized in June in a short-lived rebel led by the Wagner mercenary chief.
The Kremlin didn’t say when Mr. Putin visited. He met with the chief of the Russian army, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, the Kremlin mentioned. General Gerasimov and Sergei Okay. Shoigu, the Russian protection minister, had been the first targets of criticism from Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the top of the Wagner personal army firm, within the lead-up to an rebellion that plunged the nation into disaster and raised questions on Mr. Putin’s management.
The go to, which appeared to happen at evening, comes as Mr. Putin continues an energetic schedule of public appearances, aiming to venture a way of authority within the days because the mutiny and amid the battle in Ukraine. Russia’s troops have largely succeeded in holding the road in opposition to Ukrainian forces in Kyiv’s Western-backed counteroffensive, a army achievement he has praised commonly in public feedback.
It can be an extra signal that Mr. Putin is sticking by his prime generals. At the identical time, the highest basic seen as closest to Mr. Prigozhin, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, nonetheless has not been seen in public because the mutiny.
Rostov-on-Don is dwelling to the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District, a strategic command middle for Mr. Putin’s battle in Ukraine. Mr. Prigozhin briefly took management of the headquarters earlier than his fighters started advancing towards Moscow.
The Russian state news company Tass mentioned that Mr. Putin had repeatedly visited town and the command put up there, together with in March, when he additionally visited the occupied Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol.
Separately on Saturday, Russia’s army mentioned it had shot down a Ukrainian missile aimed on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. An S-200 surface-to-air missile was shot down by air protection, and there have been no accidents or harm, Russia’s Defense Ministry mentioned. The declare couldn’t be independently verified.
Per week earlier, Moscow mentioned it had shot down two missiles fired by Ukraine on the strategically important Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Crimea to Russia. Ukrainian officers, whereas in a roundabout way confirming the assault, have mentioned they might proceed finishing up assaults on the peninsula and the bridge as a part of Kyiv’s efforts to focus on the Russian army’s logistical provide traces.
In their slow-moving counteroffensive within the nation’s east, Ukrainian forces have been aiming to succeed in the Sea of Azov and drive a wedge into the so-called land bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, a vital hyperlink for the Russian army’s provide routes.
Here’s what else is going on within the battle:
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Zelensky Visit: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived on Saturday in Sweden, the place he mentioned in an announcement that he would proceed to to work on bilateral cooperation, “in particular in the defense industry, the European integration of Ukraine and common security in the Euro-Atlantic space.”
He added that Ukraine supported Sweden “on its way into NATO.” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, an alliance member that had been blocking Sweden’s entry, expressed help in July for the Nordic nation’s membership, however mentioned that it nonetheless wanted to take extra steps to earn the help of the Turkish Parliament.
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Camp David Summit: In his summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, President Biden counseled Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan for his nation’s help of Ukraine. “Imagine if we had done nothing?” the president mentioned. If the world had not come to Kyiv’s support, “What signal would that send to China about Taiwan?” Mr. Biden requested, hinting at U.S. officers’ concern in regards to the prospect of China taking army motion in opposition to Taiwan.
Paul Sonne and Marc Santora contributed reporting.
Source: www.nytimes.com