Outrage at sacking of Ukraine’s defence minister overshadows Starmer’s final visit as PM – as it happened

Key events6h agoClosing summary7h agoTarget of Monaco bomb blames attack on Ukrainian spy agency7h agoZelenskyy defends sacking Ukraine’s defence minister after his rift with army chief7h agoItaly's parliament backs parts of Meloni's contested electoral reform7h agoFrance and Morocco in talks over direct electricity link to bring Europe, North Africa closer7h agoPoland charges man allegedly paid by Russia to inflame Polish-Ukrainian tensions7h agoBucharest tourists hiring rentals that could collapse in an earthquake7h agoMafia law gives Italian families right to break free from life of crime8h agoSpanish PM's wife to face a jury trial on charges of alleged influence peddling, embezzlement8h agoUkraine's army chief calls for focus on fighting Russia amid criticism over defence minister's dismissal9h agoHeartfelt farewell from Starmer as he completes his final foreign trip as PM to Ukraine9h agoZelenskyy says he hopes to build strong relationship with incoming UK prime minister9h ago'Putin thinks our support will fall away, but he is wrong about that,' Starmer says9h agoNew €300m funding to help deliver 16 Swedish Gripen fighter jets for Ukraine10h ago'Your fight is our fight,' Starmer tells Zelenskyy10h ago'Mood is shifting' as Putin is 'forced to admit invasion is causing real problems for him,' Starmer says10h agoUkraine's stand preserved European security, Starmer says10h agoStarmer recalls, says 'will never forget' his Ukraine visits10h agoZelenskyy awards Starmer with the Ukrainian Order of Freedom10h agoZelenskyy, Starmer address the media in Kyiv10h agoThousands protest in Kyiv, Lviv over popular defence minister's sacking10h ago'You can count on our full support,' EU's von der Leyen tells Ukraine's new PM11h agoZelenskyy thanks Starmer, UK for supporting Ukraine11h agoNo immediate plans of resuming peace talks with Ukraine, Kremlin says11h agoSpanish amnesty law for Catalan separatists does not violate EU rules, top court says12h agoDismissed Ukrainian defence minister declines offer to become Zelenskyy's advisor12h agoZelenskyy and Starmer lay wreaths at Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv12h agoEnergy executive Koretskyi confirmed as Ukraine's new prime minister12h agoGoogle may be held liable for commercial partners' content on YouTube13h agoEU fails to agree the latest round of sanctions against Russia14h ago1000+ people protest against Zelenskyy's move to fire popular minister, leaving Starmer in 'embarrasing' position as he visits Kyiv14h agoVolodymyr Zelenskyy dismisses Ukraine’s defence minister on eve of Starmer visit14h agoMorning opening: Zelenskyy's move to oust popular defence minister sparks protests as Starmer makes last visitClosing summaryJakub KrupaWe will be closing the blog for today, so here is your summary of the day so far: Thousands of people joined protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities over president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to sack the country’s popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov (9:59, 11:56, 13:29). The growing domestic political crisis overshadowed Keir Starmer’s farewell visit to Kyiv (13:41), with both leaders stressing the strength of links between the UK and Ukraine (14:10, 14:33), and Zelenskyy saying he hoped to continue that relationship with the incoming prime minister, Andy Burnham (14:25). Separately, Sergii ​Koretskyi has been confirmed by the Ukrainian parliament as the country’s new prime minister (11:24). In other news, The Ukrainian businessman who survived an assassination attempt in Monaco has accused Ukraine’s military intelligence agency of organising the attack (15:59). The EU has failed to agree the latest round of sanctions against the Kremlin, with an interim decision to maintain the current price cap on Russian oil of $44.1o a barrel until 23 July pending another attempt at finalising the measures (10:25). The EU’s top court has ruled that a controversial Spanish law that offered an amnesty to those who planned and participated in the failed and illegal push for Catalan independence does not violate the bloc’s rules (12:25). Tourists in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, are staying in illegal accommodation listed on Airbnb and Booking.com in buildings considered so seismically vulnerable they could collapse in the event of a major earthquake, according to exclusive data shared with the Guardian (16:23). If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.Target of Monaco bomb blames attack on Ukrainian spy agencyPjotr SauerThe Ukrainian businessman who survived an assassination attempt in Monaco has accused Ukraine’s military intelligence agency of organising the attack.Vadym Iermolaiev says the attack on him in Monaco was not a warning but an attempt to kill him and his family. Photograph: Twitter XIn his first public statement since the bombing that shook the wealthy principality, Vadym Iermolaiev alleged that serving and former officers of the GUR military intelligence agency were behind the attempted killing, which left him injured but his partner critically wounded.“Based on the investigative evidence available to us, we have no doubt that serving officers of the main intelligence directorate of the ministry of defence of Ukraine, commonly known as the GUR, were directly involved in this attempted assassination,” Iermolaiev said in a statement published by his lawyers.French investigators have identified the suspected bomber as Anastasiia Berezovska, accusing the Ukrainian national of planting an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent. The bomb detonated as Iermolaiev emerged from a building with his partner and their 13-year-old child.Days after the attack, Berezovska was found dead near Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have arrested two suspects over her killing: Vladyslav Reut, an officer with the GUR, and former law enforcement officer Oleksandr Zhykovych.Ukrainian prosecutors have sought to portray the case as the actions of a rogue intelligence officer, alleging that Reut concealed his contacts with Berezovska and acted without the knowledge or authorisation of the agency’s leadership.Zelenskyy defends sacking Ukraine’s defence minister after his rift with army chiefLuke Hardingin KyivUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended his decision to dismiss the country’s popular defence minister, Mykhailo Federov, and confirmed reports that relations had broken down between the ministry and the country’s top army leadership.Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy said there had been a “challenging dialogue” between Fedorov – widely seen as a reformist and moderniser – and the military’s commander in chief, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi.“I would very much like to see unity. The sides have not found it. And the problem lies not only with the sides, but with me as well,” Zelenskyy said. “But things are as they are. And in such a situation, you have a choice: either one side or the other,” he said.Zelenskyy’s decision to back Syrskyi has outraged civil society and dismayed Ukraine’s foreign partners. More than a thousand protesters gathered outside the presidential office in Kyiv on Thursday, carrying placards in support of Federov. One read: “For what?”. Another said: “Is your head screwed on?” There were loud chants of “Syrskyi out”.It was only the second time since Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion that large numbers of people have taken to the streets in anti-government protests. A year ago, Zelenskyy’s decision – later reversed – to close two anti-corruption agencies provoked a similar backlash.Activists with banners protest against the resignation of Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Global Images Ukraine/Getty ImagesThe growing domestic political crisis overshadowed Starmer’s farewell visit to Kyiv, ahead of his departure on Monday from Downing Street. The two leaders laid wreathes at the Wall of Remembrance before holding one on one talks in the garden of the presidential palace, sitting together in a shady corner.Jakub Krupa… and back to Ukraine…Italy's parliament backs parts of Meloni's contested electoral reformItaly’s lower house of parliament approved a highly contested government plan to overhaul the ⁠electoral law, a ⁠move opponents denounced ​as an attempt to help prime minister Giorgia Meloni retain power in the next election due in 2027, Reuters reported.A voting board displays the result after Italy’s Chamber of Deputies approved the government’s electoral reform bill in a secret ballot by 217 votes to 152, with two abstentions, in Rome, Italy. Photograph: Francesco Fotia/ReutersThe proposal by the ruling right-wing coalition, comprising Meloni’s ⁠Brothers of Italy, the League and Forza Italia, would introduce a fully proportional system while guaranteeing a majority to any bloc winning more than 42% of the vote.Winners ⁠surpassing that threshold would receive a bonus of 70 seats in the 400-member lower house and 35 ​seats in the 200-member Senate. However, their total ‌representation would be capped at 220 ‌and 113 seats respectively, in a bid to avoid overly large majorities.Debate over the reform exposed tensions ‌within the alliance. On Tuesday, lawmakers rejected a government proposal to allow electors to express preference votes for candidates on party lists, partly due to coalition defections.The bill still requires Senate approval, which the government hopes to secure after the summer recess.Government supporters say the reform would guarantee that a stable majority comes out of the vote. Meloni is due to become Italy’s longest-serving postwar prime minister in early September, after presiding over an unusually prolonged period of stability, Reuters noted.France and Morocco in talks over direct electricity link to bring Europe, North Africa closerFrance and Morocco called for expressions of interest in an electricity interconnection project linking the two countries as part of broader ⁠efforts to strengthen ⁠energy ​ties between Europe and North Africa, French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu said.France's prime minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch prepare to greet each other after delivering their press statements in Rabat. Photograph: Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP/Getty ImagesThe project was one ⁠of “ambitious economic projects that create new synergies between our companies and allow us to further integrate Morocco ⁠and France into shared value chains,” Lecornu told reporters at ​the end of a ‌Franco-Moroccan high-level meeting in ‌Rabat.The project aims to identify commercially viable ways to export renewable ‌electricity from Morocco to France, a French briefing document seen by Reuters said.The two countries also signed cooperation deals covering finance, civil aviation, education, culture and diplomacy.Poland charges man allegedly paid by Russia to inflame Polish-Ukrainian tensionsPolish prosecutors have charged a Ukrainian man with sabotage and diversionary activities on behalf of Russian intelligence, alleging he was paid to desecrate memorials honoring Polish victims of Ukrainian massacres in the second world war in an effort to inflame tensions between the two countries, AP reported.Warsaw has long accused Russia of conducting hybrid operations aimed at driving a wedge between Poland and Ukraine.Announcing the charges, Poland’s Internal Security Agency said the case had exposed “the mechanism of operation of Russian intelligence services, which pursued their own interests by inciting conflicts between the Polish and Ukrainian nations.”According to Polish authorities, the 18-year-old Ukrainian national allegedly committed 47 criminal offenses between November 2024 and August 2025. In addition to allegedly desecrating memorial sites, he was charged with preparing a sabotage attack involving a drone, AP said.Prosecutors said evidence suggested the suspect was recruited online and paid in cryptocurrency.Bucharest tourists hiring rentals that could collapse in an earthquakeAndrei Popoviciuin Bucharest and Carmen Aguilar GarcíaTourists in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, are staying in illegal accommodation listed on Airbnb and Booking.com in buildings considered so seismically vulnerable they could collapse in the event of a major earthquake, according to exclusive data shared with the Guardian.Analysis of data collected by Re:Rise, a Romanian organisation working on seismic risk reduction, identified at least 207 illegal tourist rental properties advertised across the two platforms in Bucharest at the end of May, with a combined capacity to host more than 1,000 visitors each night.Booking.com listed 116 of them, 47 were on Airbnb, and 44 listings were on both platforms. All were in buildings qualifying for the highest level of seismic risk.Map of buildings in Bucharest at risk of collapse in a major earthquakeBucharest is the most seismically vulnerable capital in the EU, with two major earthquakes in the last century, the most recent of which, in 1977, killed more than 1,500 people, injured more than 10,000 and brought down 32 buildings in under a minute.Rescue workers sifting through rubble in Bucharest in 1977 after a powerful earthquake in the Balkan region. Photograph: Bettmann/Getty ImagesExperts believe another such quake is inevitable, warning that the damage could well exceed that of previous disasters because much of the city’s building stock has become structurally unsound in recent decades.In an effort to clamp down on unsafe housing in 2024, Romania outlawed short- and long-term rentals in high-risk buildings, classified as RS1. As a result, the capital has at least 404 such buildings where renting of any kind is illegal, with violations carrying fines of €1,000 (£850) to €2,000.As only a fraction of the city’s housing stock has been formally assessed for risk, experts believe the true scale of unsafe accommodation is probably greater.Mafia law gives Italian families right to break free from life of crimeLorenzo Tondoin PalermoChildren and young adults raised in mafia families will be given a chance to break away from organised crime under new legislation in Italy that aims to stop the intergenerational recruitment of gangsters.Police guarding a mafia funeral in Sicily. Power is often handed down from father to son in Italian criminal families. Photograph: Alessandro Fucarini/ANSA/AFP/Getty ImagesIn an unprecedented effort to sever the family chain, the Italian state will offer children aged under 25 and other close relatives of mafia bosses a chance to start over: a new home in another city, a new school and, if necessary, a new identity.On Wednesday, the “free to choose” bill won final approval in the senate. “Today, parliament is translating into law a dream that for years seemed impossible,” said Chiara Colosimo, the president of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission.About 400 children born into mafia families are expected to enter the programme each year, according to Colosimo.In many Italian mafia clans, power is passed from one generation to the next. While hereditary succession is not a fixed rule in Sicily’s Cosa Nostra or in the Neapolitan Camorra, it is deeply embedded in the culture of the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta, one of the world’s most powerful criminal organisations, where the son of a boss is often expected to inherit his father’s position as the head of the clan.These blood ties have long made the ’Ndrangheta exceptionally difficult to penetrate and largely resistant to the system of pentiti – former mafia members who choose to cooperate with the authorities.For many, confessing the crimes of their clan would mean betraying not only fellow gangsters, but their own fathers, grandfathers and uncles. Despite sweeping arrests and a succession of maxi trials involving hundreds of defendants, the organisation has proved remarkably resilient. As fathers and grandfathers serve life sentences, often in high-security prisons, sons and other younger relatives are increasingly taking their place, often while still in their teens.After becoming president of the youth court in Reggio Calabria in 2011, Roberto Di Bella launched an unprecedented probation scheme allowing authorities to remove children from the most dangerous ’Ndrangheta families and relocate them until they turned 18. Supported by educators, social workers and psychologists, they were helped to complete their education and build a life away from organised crime. Parents who continued to draw their children into criminal activity risked losing parental rights. Di Bella called the programme Liberi di Scegliere – meaning free to choose.Jakub KrupaLet’s take a quick look at other news stories from across Europe.Spanish PM's wife to face a jury trial on charges of alleged influence peddling, embezzlementSam Jonesin MadridA court in Madrid has confirmed that Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, will face a jury trial on charges of alleged influence peddling and embezzlement.Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and his wife, Begona Gomez attend a speech at Tsinghua University, in Beijing, China in April. Photograph: Andrés Martínez Casares/ReutersGómez has been the subject of a two-year investigation into her professional life that was sparked by a complaint from Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a self-styled trade union with far-right links that has a history of using the courts to pursue those it deems a threat to Spain’s democratic interests.She been accused of using her influence as the wife of the prime minister to secure and manage a post at Madrid’s Complutense University, and of using public resources and personal connections to further her private interests.Gómez – who denies any wrongdoing – was charged in mid-April with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds.A provincial court in Madrid has just upheld the decision of the investigating judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, to send the case for a jury trial.However, it has dropped two of the charges – corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds – and has also handed her back her passport, which Peinado had ordered her to surrender on the grounds that she might be a flight risk.The decision comes two days after the prime minister’s brother, David Sánchez, was banned from holding public office for nine years after being convicted of administrative misconduct relating to his hiring by a socialist-led council in the south-western region of Extremadura nine years ago.David Sánchez (centre), a composer and orchestra conductor, during his trial in May. Photograph: BALLESTEROS/EPADavid Sánchez, who had denied the charges, was found guilty of administrative misconduct but cleared of influence peddling by a court in Badajoz on Tuesday.The prime minister has previously accused his political and media enemies of launching a “harassment and bullying operation” against his family.He has also openly questioned the independence of some members of Spain’s judiciary. “There’s no doubt that there are judges doing politics and there are politicians trying to do justice,” he said in a TV interview last September.Government sources once again dismissed the case against Gómez as a politically motivated exercise.“Begoña Gómez is innocent,” they said on Thursday. “Anyone familiar with the investigation knows this is a political case, stemming from a false accusation by a far-right organisation, based on fake news, and whose sole motivation is the harassment and persecution of the prime minister’s wife.”Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente – who is known for his outspoken use of social media to defend the government – went further, suggesting the timing of the court’s decision had been intended to stop people focusing on the news that Europe’s top court had upheld Sánchez’s controversial Catalan amnesty law (see earlier entry here.)“See, kids? It’s all just coincidences,” Puente wrote on X. “The provincial court just happens to decide today to send Begoña Gómez to trial by jury. Wouldn’t want you to focus on the European court of justice ruling and lose track of what’s important.”In other news, there are more problems for Spain’s embattled prime minister Pedro Sánchez…Let’s go over to Sam Jones in Madrid.Ukraine's army chief calls for focus on fighting Russia amid criticism over defence minister's dismissalUkraine’s army chief called for national focus on the war against Russia amid signs of a split in the military hierarchy over the dismissal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.“We need to focus on the war and on an effective strategy,” commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who clashed with Fedorov, said on social media.“And now in this city, briefings can be held, visions can be developed, and decisions can be made,” he said, appearing to mock Fedorov’s press conference hours earlier, Reuters said (13:32).But one of Ukraine’s top soldiers, Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty said the army “needs change” in a rare public intervention, as he thanked Fedorov for “not being afraid to tackle issues,” AFP reported.Heartfelt farewell from Starmer as he completes his final foreign trip as PM to UkraineLuke Hardingin KyivI just came out of the press conference with Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was really quite interesting.At the beginning, Zelenskyy gave Starmer an award called the Order of Freedom; it’s the highest honour that Ukraine can grant to a foreigner. Starmer looked generally moved; I thought he was almost tearing up. He said he was taken aback. Apparently, he didn’t know about it.British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is presented with the Order of Freedom by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the gardens of the Presidential Palace in Kyiv. Photograph: WPA/Getty ImagesIt was very bonhomous when they met – handshakes, arm pats – and I think beyond the politics of performance, there’s the sort of sense of they do actually genuinely like each other, and more than that, I think that Starmer is for real invested in Ukraine’s cause.He was asked now he was off what would happen, and he was really emphasising the fact that that support for Ukraine was for ever, with the 100 year partnership signed last year; that it was enduring and it was cross party. He talked about Ukrainian flags flying on town halls, above Downing Street, churches, private gardens, and that this would continue (14:06).Notably, Zelensky also said he would want to set up a meeting as soon as possible with Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham, although he didn’t name him. So there’s a real sense of continuity (14:25).One other aspect that was interesting is that Starmer was saying basically that the momentum has moved; that Ukraine with its mid- and long-range strikes on Russian positions was achieving success, and that it’s especially in the last six to seven months, and it was in its sort of strongest battlefield position ever. The corollary of that was to keep applying pressure to Putin, who was losing the war, with sanctions, with G7 outcomes, and with unity and resolve.So quite kind of a rousing, quite heartfelt intervention from Starmer.They also spent about 45 minutes talking in the presidential palace garden, one on one, under an awning in the shade, like two old friends shooting the breeze.Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer meet in the gardens of the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Pool PA/AP