Ukraine war latest: Modi issues rebuke to Putin during state visit; 'highly unstable scenario' with Western powers and Ukrainian military funding

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent

These are awkward comments for the Kremlin. You can just imagine Vladimir Putin's advisors wincing behind the scenes.

Because it's not a great look - having your guest of honour criticise you on your own turf.

Narendra Modi didn't explicitly accuse Russia of bombing the children's hospital but the words he chose heavily implied that.

"When innocent children are killed...the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying," India's prime minister said.

Note the word "killed". He could have said "die".

I think this shows he doesn't buy Russia's claim that the hit on the hospital was from a Ukrainian air defence missile gone wrong.

That didn't stop the Kremlin doubling down on that today, though, with Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it a "PR stunt".

Until now, India has walked a tightrope of neutrality on the Ukraine war.

It's been careful not to condemn Russia's invasion - maintaining good relations with the West while simultaneously becoming a key trading partner for Moscow.

But Modi's comments today suggest he feels that a line has been crossed.

Having said that, his visit here has still served a purpose for Vladimir Putin. Just look at the images.

The long embrace, tea on the veranda, the tour of the stables, the ride in the buggy....

If the intention was to show NATO leaders that Russia is not as isolated as they might think, then you could say the Kremlin has succeeded.

Verbally, yes, there was a slap on the wrist from Modi. But visually, it was all backslaps and bonhomie.

And this is powerful ammunition when it comes to the diplomatic war that's being waged alongside the one on the battlefield.

Modi's visit may not have gone to plan, but it most certainly hasn't backfired.

 British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the NATO summit in Washington is a chance for its members to send a message to Russia following its "appalling" attacks on Ukraine.

The newly appointed PM was speaking from Stansted Airport, where he is due to fly to the US and meet with world leaders, including Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

His comments come after Russia launched one of its worst set of missile strikes on Ukraine in months, with at least 41 people killed and 166 injured.

The main children's hospital in Kyiv was among buildings hit in cities across the country yesterday.

Mr Starmer said: "My message is very, very clear that this NATO summit is an opportunity for allies to stand together, to strengthen their resolve, particularly in light of that appalling attack, against Russian aggression. 

"I'm pleased to have the opportunity to affirm and reaffirm Labour's strong support, unshakeable support, for NATO. 

"We are a founding member. It's now the 75th anniversary, but this is an opportunity to send that message in relation to Russian aggression wherever. 

"But that attack last week was appalling. And so the message is even more important now than it was before."

Watch what Keir Starmer had to say below...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the nations and leaders to have condemned Russia's attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv.

Ukrainian authorities say Russia struck the main children's hospital in the capital with a cruise missile.

They also claim missiles were fired at other cities yesterday, killing at least 41 civilians.

Mr Zelenskyy is in Washington for the NATO summit, where countries will meet to discuss further military and financial support for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader posted on his Telegram channel this afternoon, where he urged "everyone to act" in response to Russia's latest attacks.

"I thank the leaders, the countries – everyone who yesterday and today has condemned Russian terror," he said.

"We appreciate your support, friends! We are on the phone – we are working with our partners now to make sure that no one is silent. That everyone condemns. And we really want everyone to act."

Russia needs to secure significant ammunition supplies from other countries if it wants to launch a major offensive in Ukraine.

That's according to a NATO official speaking to the Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity today.

The spokesperson said Russia lacked both the munitions and troops to launch a major offensive.

They also said Ukraine's capital Kyiv was expected to intensify its own offensive operations when supplies and weather conditions permitted.

"What we see today are still very high Russian losses. Russia is attempting to take ground. We've seen Ukrainian defences improve significantly," the NATO official said. 

He estimated that Russia would be able to sustain its war economy for three to four more years. 

Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavsky has said he has summoned Russia's ambassador in Prague following an attack on a children's hospital in Ukraine's capital, saying those who carried out the strike were the "dregs of humanity".

Ukrainian authorities say Russia struck the main children's hospital in Kyiv with a cruise missile and fired missiles at other cities yesterday, killing at least 41 civilians across the country.

Russia denied it had attacked a Kyiv children's hospital and said that Ukrainian anti-missile fire was to blame for Monday's strike.

"I have decided to summon the Russian ambassador," Mr Lipavsky wrote on X.

"Murderers who attack children in hospitals are the dregs of humanity. He has been instructed to deliver the message in Moscow."

A court in Moscow has ordered the arrest of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of  Alexei Navalny, in absentia for two months.

The court accused Ms Navalnaya, who lives outside Russia, of participating in an "extremist" group. 

The decision means she would face certain arrest if she set foot in the country.

Ms Navalnaya met her husband in her early twenties on a holiday in Turkey in 1998. 

She stayed largely in the shadows of his political career until his poisoning in 2020.

She has since vowed to take on his fight and called on fellow Russians to "use every opportunity" to fight against Vladimir Putin's regime.

Russia has pledged to begin discharging Indian nationals who had been "misled" into joining its military.

India's foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Russia, had raised the issue in his talks with Vladimir Putin.

"The prime minister strongly raised the issue of early discharge of Indian nationals who have been misled into the service of the Russian army," Mr Kwatra said.

He also said the situation affected an estimated 35-50 Indians, of whom 10 had already been brought home. 

He said the two countries would now work to expedite the remaining cases.

New Delhi has been seeking the release of its nationals whose families say they were lured to Russia by the promise of "support jobs" in the army, and were later forced into active combat in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver an address this evening at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, the institute has said.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, said in a statement: "President Reagan understood the Soviet Union and Russia. 

"He knew that free countries must stand together with confidence whenever tyranny is on the move."

NATO is not expected to invite Ukraine to become a member at this year's 9-11 July gathering. 

Many NATO countries want to state that Ukraine's path to membership is "irreversible" but alliance members are still wrangling over the summit declaration.

A little earlier, we reported on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's implicit rebuke of Vladimir Putin, by referencing the "pain" of the death of children (see 12.17 post).

We now have some more detail on talks between the pair, with the Russian leader saying they had constructive discussions about Ukraine.

In comments reported by Russian state-owned agency RIA, Mr Modi said: "We also agreed to establish peace as soon as possible and we are ready for any assistance in this matter.

"I have heard your position, your positive views and ideas. I can assure you that India has always been on the side of peace. And when I listened to you, I felt optimistic and hopes for the future arose, so I want to thank you for that."

"The solution cannot be through war. Bombs, missiles and guns cannot ensure peace, so we are emphasising the importance of dialogue, and dialogue is necessary."

However, despite Mr Modi's veiled criticism of Mr Putin earlier today, relations between the two appear to remain close - with the Russian president later awarding Mr Modi with the Order of St Andrew, Russia's highest state honour.

Yesterday we reported how a Russian strike on Ukraine's largest children's hospital, Okhmatdyt, Kyiv, killed two people.

A further 32 people were wounded, among them eight children requiring hospital treatment, said Ihor Klymenko, minister of internal affairs.

One of those killed has been named as 30-year-old Svitlana Lukyanchuk, from Lviv.

Orphaned as a child, she was raised by her aunt before she went on to study at the Bogomolets National Medical University.

After graduating, she worked as a paediatric nephrologist at Okhmatdyt.

Ms Lukyanchuk will be buried in Lviv near her parents at Holoskiv Cemetery.