Russia says the West risks the 'wrath' of God if it punishes Moscow over war; basketball player Brittney Griner pleads guilty in Russian court

With Russia's military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian."

"It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction," he added.

"Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest," Putin said in a menacing note.

He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that "those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us."

— Associated Press

United Nations investigators said the war in Ukraine "could leave the country and region with a toxic legacy for generations to come," according to preliminary monitoring reports from the region.

The United Nations Environment Program, or UNEP, found thousands of possible incidents of air, water and land pollution and the degradation of ecosystems, including risks to neighboring countries.

"The mapping and initial screening of environmental hazards only serves to confirm that war is quite literally toxic," wrote UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen in the report.

"The first priority is for this senseless destruction to end now. The environment is about people: it's about livelihoods, public health, clean air and water, and basic food systems. It's about a safe future for Ukrainians and their neighbors, and further damage must not be done," she added.

Andersen said that Ukraine will also require international support to remediate the damage across the country and mitigate risks to the wider region.

— Amanda Macias

Finland's Parliament passed amended legislation on border security that allows for the closure of crossing points with Russia amid fears that Moscow could choose to send large numbers of migrants to the frontier.

The move by lawmakers came just two days after NATO's 30 members signed formal accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance — an outcome that has angered Russia. The two Nordic nations' membership bids were approved at a NATO summit at the end of June in Madrid.

The amendments approved by Finnish lawmakers will give the center-left government led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin wider powers to restrict border traffic in exceptional situations particularly on the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member.

The changes would also allow Finland, a nation of 5.5 million, to build barriers and fences along the border with Russia if needed. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is due to sign the amendments into law on Friday.

— Associated Press

President Joe Biden said that the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not strain the united international effort to aid Ukraine during Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.

"I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities," Biden wrote in a statement obtained by NBC News.

"That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions," Biden added.

Johnson, who was one of the first world leaders to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv following Russia's invasion, quickly became one of the most visible Western supporters of Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

German lawmakers approved a major package of reforms aimed at boosting the production of renewable power, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that the country has for too long relied on energy supplies from Russia.

The government unveiled its 600-page "Easter package" in April, less than two months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalated the simmering energy crisis between Moscow and western European neighbors, many of which were buyers of Russian fossil fuels.

Germany has sharply reduced its energy imports from Russia in recent months. The government aims to end the purchase of Russian coal and oil this year, and of natural gas by 2024.

Scholz said late Wednesday that the war was another reason for Europe's biggest economy to double down on its efforts to expand the use of renewable energy.

"Germany has relied for too long and too unilaterally on energy supplies from Russia," he said at a renewable energy industry event in Berlin.

— Associated Press

Diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow attended WNBA star Brittney Griner's trial in Russia and delivered a letter from President Joe Biden.

Griner, 31, who plays professional basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February at a Russian airport. She pleaded guilty to drug charges and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

"The U.S. government, from the highest levels, is working hard to bring Brittney and all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens home safely," the U.S. Embassy in Moscow wrote in a tweet.

Earlier in the week, Griner wrote a letter to Biden asking for his help with her case in Russia.

"I'm terrified I might be here forever," Griner wrote to Biden.

— Amanda Macias

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner after she pleaded guilty to drug charges in Russia.

Griner faces up to 10 years in prison.

Blinken said in a tweet that the U.S. "will not relent until Brittney, Paul Whelan, and all other wrongfully detained Americans are reunited with their loved ones."

On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner, the wife of the professional basketball star who plays in Russia during the WNBA offseason.

Biden reassured her that he is working to secure her wife's release as soon as possible. He also said he aims to win the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals wrongfully detained in Russia and around the world.

— Amanda Macias

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone after resigning as head of Britain's Conservative Party.

During the call, Johnson "highlighted the U.K.'s unwavering cross-party support for President Zelenskyy's people, and said the U.K. would continue to supply vital defensive aid for as long as needed," a spokesperson for the prime minister's office said.

"He thanked President Zelenskyy for everything he's doing to stick up for freedom, for his friendship and for the kindness of the Ukrainian people," according to the spokesperson, who added that Zelenskyy thanked Johnson for his rapid action on Ukraine, and said the Ukrainian people were grateful.

Johnson also told Zelenskyy, "You're a hero, everybody loves you," the spokesperson said.

— Natasha Turak

Ukraine's foreign ministry said it will be summoning Turkey's ambassador in the country after a Russian ship carrying what it says is Ukrainian grain was able to leave the Turkish port of Karasu.

"We regret that Russia's ship Zhibek Zholy, which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter.

"Turkey's ambassador in Kyiv will be invited to Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs to clarify this unacceptable situation."

Moscow denies its ship was being detained, saying it was undergoing routine procedures.

Turkey has been trying to negotiate with Moscow and Kyiv the release of Ukrainian grain to export markets, after Russia's blocking of Ukrainian ports has led to global food shortages. Ukraine is one of the world's top exporters of grain and other agricultural staples.

— Natasha Turak

A Russian missile strike on the city of Kramatorsk killed at least one person and injured six, Ukraine's governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, wrote in a Telegram post.

"A Russian missile hit the center of Kramatorsk. It is known for sure about one dead and six wounded, but these figures may still change. Six buildings were damaged by the impact, including a hotel and a residential high-rise building. This is a deliberate attack on civilians," Kyrylenko wrote.

The details have not been independently confirmed by NBC. Moscow insists that it does not target civilian areas.

The Donetsk oblast, or province, of eastern Ukraine is part of the Donbas region, the capture of which Moscow has called an "unconditional priority." It is swiftly becoming the main target for Russian forces after they seized all of neighboring Luhansk after weeks of bloody fighting.

— Natasha Turak

Former Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should have no effect on international security assurances and support for Ukraine.

"Every leader at NATO and every leader at the G-7 said they were going to continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," said Kirby, the National Security Council strategic communications coordinator, in an interview on Fox News.

"I think President Zelenskyy understands that he has that international support, regardless of what government is in power in any one of those countries," he said, adding that aid from the U.S., U.K. and other countries "continues to flow into the country every single day."

Johnson, who was one of the first world leaders to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv following Russia's invasion, quickly became one of the most visible Western supporters of Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

American basketball player Brittney Griner pled guilty in a Russian court, admitting to drug charges that could have her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, Reuters reported.

"I'd like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said. "I'd like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare." The next hearing is set for July 14.

Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17. The Olympic gold medalist was accused by Russian authorities of having cannabis oil in her luggage and smuggling the narcotic material.

U.S. officials argue that Griner is being wrongfully detained. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan has previously said that the athlete is being "wrongfully detained, unjustly detained, and we have made that clear as an official determination of the U.S. government."

— Natasha Turak

President Zelenskyy posted photos on his Telegram channel of his meeting with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in Kyiv. He expressed his appreciation for the visit in his post, writing: "Pleased to meet US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. Bicameral and bipartisan support is very important to us. We feel and appreciate this unity."

He went on to stress the importance of getting Ukrainian students back into their classrooms and families back to their homes by the end of the summer, and how central the delivery of advanced weapons is to that goal.

"Now the primary task is that by September 1, women with children can return home, and children and students - to go to schools and universities. We count on the support of Congress in the issue of supplying modern air defense systems," he said. "We must ensure such a level of security of the sky that our people are not afraid to live in Ukraine."

— Natasha Turak

Members of the U.S. Army 2nd Brigade Combat Team depart for their deployment in Europe on July 7, 2022 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 

-Getty Images

Teachers and employees clear debris in a corridor of a special comprehensive boarding school for visually impaired children which has suffered damages after a strike on its premises, in Kharkiv, on July 7, 2022, amid Russia's military invasion launched on Ukraine.

The school, before today's hit, had already been shelled twice, on March 16 and July 1.

-AFP | Getty Images

Ukrainian troops have raised the country's flag once again on Snake Island, a strategically important outpost in the Black Sea that was re-captured by Ukrainian forces last week.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, posted images of the Ukrainian flag being raised on Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, on Telegram on Thursday.

Separately, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said they had completed the task of clearing the island, with the destruction of 30 units of enemy equipment in the process.

"Abandoned ammunition and vast ruins were discovered" the Operational Command "South" posted on Facebook with images of the flag posted on Youtube.

Snake Island was occupied by Russian forces at the start of the invasion back in February, but Ukrainian forces were able to recapture it last week. For their part, Russian forces claimed they had left the island as a "gesture of goodwill."

— Holly Ellyatt

The battle for Luhansk — the part of the Donbas that Russian forces claimed to have captured last weekend — is not over yet, accoding to Serhiy Haidai, the head of the region's military administration.

Haidai reiterated his comments yesterday that the "Luhansk region is 100% NOT occupied. Fighting continues in the outskirts of the area," saying again on Facebook on Thursday that "the battle for [the] Luhansk region is not over yet."

"Fights continue on the outskirts of Luhansk region," he said, with Russian forces trying to establish complete control over the area and the main road between Lysychansk (in Luhansk) and Bakhmut (in the neighboring Donetsk region).

CNBC was not able to immediately verify Haidai's claims.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian forces on the frontline in Donetsk have made few advances over the last 24 hours, according to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence, but this is likely to be due to its troops regrouping before a renewed push into the Donetsk region.

"Russian units involved in last week's gains are now likely re-constituting," the ministry said on Twitter Thursday.

Russia has not claimed to have taken any new territory in recent days but analysts say it is likely due to its forces regrouping before launching another assault on the Donetsk region in the Donbas. Russia has already seized the neighboring Luhansk province following the capture of the city of Lysychansk last weekend.

Analysts from the Institute for War said Wednesday evening that "the Russian Defense Ministry claimed territorial gains every day from the start of the war but has not claimed any new territory or ground force movements since completing the encirclement of Lysychansk on July 3."

"However, Russian forces still conducted limited and unsuccessful ground assaults across all axes on July 6. Such attempts are consistent with a Russian operational pause, which does not imply or require the complete cessation of active hostilities."

It means, in this case, the analsysts said that Russian forces will likely confine themselves to relatively small-scale offensive actions as they attempt to set conditions "for more significant offensive operations" and rebuild the combat power needed to attempt those more ambitious undertakings.   

— Holly Ellyatt

A top Russian official has warned that humanity could be at risk if the West tried to punish Russia for its actions in Ukraine, in response to U.S. calls for an international tribunal to prosecute potential war crimes in the country.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, once known for his more liberal stance but now a decided hawk as the deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council, said Wednesday on Telegram that he thought it was a "crazy" idea "to create tribunals or courts for the so-called investigation of Russia's actions" in Ukraine.

"These proposals are not only legally void. The idea of punishing a country that has one of the largest nuclear potentials is absurd in itself. And potentially poses a threat to the existence of humanity."

He said the U.S. had itself sown "chaos and devastation around the world under the guise of 'true democracy'," criticizing the U.S. for killing Native Americans, nuclear attacks on Japan and for taking part in wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

At the end of his Telegram message, Medvedev referenced the Bible, saying that if the U.S. judges Russia it could face the wrath of God.

"The US and its useless stooges should remember the words of the Bible: 'Judge not, lest you be judged; so that one day the great day of His wrath will not come to their house, and who can stand?,'" Medvedev said.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia claimed on Wednesday that it had destroyed two U.S.-made rocket systems (Ukraine was given eight such systems by the U.S. in recent weeks) but Ukraine has denied this, saying it was propaganda and fake news.

"Russian propagandists actively spread false messages about the alleged destruction of the American artillery system 'HIMARS'," Ukraine's armed forces said on Facebook yesterday, adding that it's "nothing but another Russian fake." HIMARs refers to High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

"HIMARS jet systems provided by American partners constantly deliver devastating strikes at strategically important enemy points, resulting in colossal losses among equipment, personnel and occupying forces," Ukraine said.

Ukraine's rebuttal came after Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed on Wednesday that it destroyed two U.S.-made HIMARS.

"High-precision air-based missiles have destroyed 2 U.S.-made Himars multiple-launch rocket launchers and 2 ammunition depots near Malotaranovka in Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry claimed in its latest military update on Wednesday.

CNBC and NBC News were unable to immediately verify the claim or a video that the ministry published claiming to be of the strike on the HIMARS.

— Holly Ellyatt