Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the EU to impose more sanctions on Moscow as fighting remains entrenched in the Donbas. Meanwhile, Putin is due to lay flowers to commemorate WWII. DW has the latest.

Rebuilding Ukraine a 'task for generations' says Scholz

Ukraine needs massive financial aid in order to rebuild, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement to the German parliament, the Bundestag, on Wednesday.

Scholz said the reconstruction of Ukraine would be a "task for generations."

Russia accuses Germany of propagating 'Russophobia'

Moscow has accused Germany of anti-Russian sentiment on the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union as tensions rise amid the conflict in Ukraine.

"Russophobic hysteria is systematically fueled by almost daily public attacks against our country by members of the German government," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. 

It said Berlin has "recently been undermining the process of historical reconciliation between Russians and Germans" since World War II. 

"The anti-Russian propaganda campaign" has provoked "unmotivated aggression bordering on mass psychosis" against Russians and Russian speakers in Germany, the statement continued.

The ministry also accused NATO member Germany of increasing its military presence near Russia, "bringing to mind the most bitter periods of Russian-German relations for our people, including the events preceding May 1945."

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched its invasion of the former Soviet Union, which was code-named Operation Barbarossa, and earlier on Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider outside the Kremlin wall in Moscow to mark the anniversary.

Russia soccer appeals set to be heard in July

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear on July 5 the Russian soccer federation's appeal against FIFA and UEFA's joint decision to suspend its national and club teams.

A second CAS hearing on July 11 will consider an appeal by four Russian clubs, including league champions Zenit St. Petersburg, against exclusion from next season's UEFA club competitions.

The bans have affected both the Russian women's team's involvement in this summer's European Championships and the men's team's World Cup qualification bid.

IEA: Russia may cut off gas, Europe 'needs contingency plan'

Russia may cut off gas to Europe entirely, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday.

"I wouldn’t rule out Russia continuing to find different issues here and there and continuing to find excuses to further reduce gas deliveries to Europe and maybe even cut it off completely," executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement sent to the news agency Reuters.

"This is the reason Europe needs contingency plans", Birol added.

The IEA does not see a full cut-off as the most likely scenario but cannot rule it out as Moscow may attempt to gain political leverage ahead of the winter months, Birol said.

The European Union has sanctioned Russian oil and coal, but has so far held off from banning gas imports, partly due to its heavy dependence.

Finland ready to fight Russia if attacked, defense chief says

Finland has for decades prepared for a Russian attack and would put up stiff opposition should one occur, its armed forces chief said.

Helsinki has built up a substantial arsenal. But aside from that, General Timo Kivinen said a crucial factor is that the Finnish people would not be lacking in motivation.

"The most important line of defense is between one's ears, as the war in Ukraine proves at the moment," Kivinen said.

The Nordic country is now applying to join NATO over concerns that Russia could invade like it did Ukraine.

"We have systematically developed our military defense precisely for this type of warfare that is being waged there (in Ukraine), with a massive use of firepower, armored forces and also airforces," Kivinen said.

"Ukraine has been a tough bite to chew (for Russia) and so would be Finland."

Russia: 'Unacceptable' EU sanctions, countermeasures being prepared

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the "illegal EU sanctions" that prompted Lithuania to block the transit of some goods from mainland Russia to its exclave of Kaliningrad were "absolutely unacceptable." 

Peskov also said that Russia was working on retaliatory measures.

Lithuania has closed off the route to steel and other ferrous metals, which it says it is required to do under EU sanctions that came into effect on Saturday.

Kaliningrad is connected to Russia by a rail link through Lithuania, a member of both the European Union and NATO.

Russian delegates to OSCE denied British visas

Members of the Russian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have been denied British visas to attend the next conference.

The development was revealed on Wednesday by Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of Russian upper house's international affairs committee.

Ukraine calls fight in Sievierodonetsk 'hell'

Ukraine said the situation in Sievierodonetsk has become "hell" after the eastern industrial city suffered weeks of heavy shelling from Russian forces.

"For four months all our positions have been under fire from everything, from all the weapons that the Russian army has," the Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said in a statement.

"Our boys are holding their positions and will continue to hold on as long as necessary."

Ukraine journalist, soldier 'coldly executed' says Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Wednesday that a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier who was accompanying him "were doubtless coldly executed" when they were searching Russian-occupied woodlands for the photographer's missing image-taking drone.

RSF said it had carried out an investigation into the deaths of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov, returning to the spot where their bodies were found on April 1. The press freedom organization said it counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car still at the scene in woods north of Kyiv.

RSF found food rations, cigarette packets and other litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers.

Some of Levin and Chernyshov's belongings were also recovered.

A team with metal detectors also uncovered a bullet in the soil where Levin's body had been found. RSF said that suggests "he was probably killed with one, perhaps two bullets fired at close range when he was already on the ground."

A jerrycan for gasoline was also spotted close to where Chernyshov's burned body had been recovered, the press freedom group added.

UK: 'Extraordinary attrition Russian forces are suffering in the Donbas'

Casualties among Russian troops have amounted to "around 55% of its original force," highlighting the "extraordinary" attrition rate Moscow forces are suffering in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, Britain's defense ministry said in its daily Twitter update.

"The Russian authorities have not released the overall number of military casualties in Ukraine since March 25," the ministry said. "However, the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) publishes casualty figures for DPR forces. As of June 16, the DPR acknowledged 2,128 military personnel killed in action, and 8,897 wounded, since the start of 2022."

The defense ministry repeated its stance that it is "highly likely" DPR forces are using "outdated" weapons and equipment.