🔴 Live: Russia shoots down Ukrainian drone over Belgorod region, says defence ministry

Issued on: 13/08/2023 – 07:23Modified: 13/08/2023 – 08:32

2 min

8:04am: Kremlin may no longer be funding Wagner Group, says UK

Britain’s defence ministry said on Sunday there was a realistic possibility that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group.

The defence ministry said in a daily bulletin the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army’s top brass in June.

“If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities,” it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus’ resources.

The ministry said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.

5:01am: Russia destroyed Ukrainian drone over Belgorod, defence ministry says

Russian air defence systems destroyed a Ukraine-launched unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region early on Sunday morning, the Russian defence ministry said.

“There are no casualties and no damage,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, adding the attack took place around 4am (0100 GMT).

The report could not be independently verified.

The Belgorod region in Russia’s south borders Ukraine.

12:01am: Germany’s Rheinmetall to deliver Luna drone system to Ukraine by end of year

Germany’s Rheinmetall will deliver a Luna New Generation drone system to Ukraine by the end of the year, Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing company sources.

Ukraine is desperate to boost its weapons arsenal, from drones and munitions to tanks, as it battles to repel Russia’s invasion.

The “Drones Package” consists of a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks, Bild said, adding the drone system could be used as a reconnaissance system, provide an LTE network and intercept or jam communications.

The company was not immediately available for comment.

Key developments from Saturday, August 12:

Russia’s foreign ministry on Saturday vowed to retaliate after thwarting what Russia described as a series of Ukrainian missile attacks on the Crimea bridge linking the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula to Russia’s mainland across the Kerch Strait. 

Russia’s defence ministry had earlier announced that the country’s forces had downed 20 drones over the Crimean peninsula.

Drone attacks on Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine and deep inside Russia have increased since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for the attacks but has said destroying Russia’s military infrastructure is crucial for Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)