Russia-Ukraine war: Putin says Ukraine offensive stands 'no chance'

Putin said that Russia has transferred the first nuclear weapons to Belarus, Bloomberg News reported.  

Putin said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, was a "disgrace" to people of his faith.

Putin said, "I have a lot of Jewish friends. They say that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people." 

"I'm not joking," he added. 

Putin said that Ukraine's counteroffensive would fail as Kyiv's troops sought to advance in several directions, including the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia.  

"I think that Ukraine's armed forces stand no chance here, as well as in other directions -- I have no doubt about that," Putin told an annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg. 

Putin claimed Ukraine's armed forces were suffering "heavy losses". 

"In some places Ukrainian units are managing to reach the first line (of defence), in other places they are failing," he said. 

"They are using the so-called strategic reserves," he added. 

Putin said Ukrainian forces did not achieve their objectives in any section of the front, adding:  "That's the important thing."

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris. Macron sought to nudge the de-facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom into more vocal support of Ukraine against the Russian invasion. 

News agency AFP cited a French presidential official on the condition of anonymity Paris wanted MBS to understand the scale of the Ukraine conflict and "help us speed up the final outcome of the war, which means a victory for Ukraine on the ground". 

The official added that "we are going to tell him how important the Ukraine issue is and how Saudi Arabia can exert influence, including on Russia". 

(Image: France's President Emmanuel Macron greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 16, 2023. Credit: AFP)

Ukraine claimed that it downed 12 Russian missiles, including six hypersonic Kinzhals.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed six Kinzhals, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two reconnaissance drones.

According to the chief of the Kyiv military administration Sergiy Popko said all were intercepted over the capital.

The explosions were heard when a delegation of African presidents and senior officials on a peace mission in Ukraine visited Bucha. 

The South African presidency said in a tweet that South African "President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African Heads of State and Government participating in the African Leaders Peace Mission at the St Andrew's Orthodox Church in the City of Bucha." 

Ukraine said a series of strikes on Kyiv on Friday were meant as a "message" to African leaders visiting on a peace mission. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russian President Vladimir "Putin 'builds confidence' by launching the largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks, exactly amid the visit of African leaders to our capital. Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace."