8:55
Russian foreign minister calls on NATO and US to stop arming Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged NATO and the United States to halt arms sales to Kyiv if they are “really interested in solving the Ukraine crisis,” in an interview published this Saturday by the official New China Agency “.
“A steady stream of weapons of all kinds has entered Ukraine through Poland and other NATO countries,” Sergei Lavrov said.
“If the United States and NATO are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all they need to wake up and stop supplying arms and ammunition to the Kiev regime,” added the head of Russian diplomacy.
>> You can read our article on the subject here.
8:43
Russian offensive in Donbass lagging behind, Pentagon says
The Russian offensive in Donbass, which is progressing “slowly and unevenly” due to resistance from the Ukrainian military, has lagged behind, a senior Pentagon official said on Friday.
“They were at least several days late,” said a senior official, who asked not to be identified.
“They don’t move very fast,” he said. “A few kilometers a day is the maximum they can do because they are being pushed back by the Ukrainian army.”
8:33
Kyiv claims “tactical successes” despite the “difficult” situation in the north-east of the country
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the situation in this north-eastern region, where Russian forces have refocused their offensive, is “difficult”. “But our military is making tactical gains,” he said.
This is particularly the case in Rouska Lozova, a village north of Kharkiv taken over by the Ukrainians, from where Russian troops say they bombed the city. The village was liberated after intense fighting and more than 600 residents were evacuated, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
8:25
Violent explosions in Kharkiv at night
In the night from Friday to Saturday, heavy explosions were heard in Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, which were shelled by Russian artillery for weeks.
According to the Kharkiv regional military administration, on Friday these bombings resulted in at least one death and several wounded.
8:22
Pentagon accuses Putin of “depravity” and “cruelty.”
The Pentagon on Friday accused Vladimir Putin of “depravity” and “cruelty” in the behavior of Russian forces in Ukraine, where they are accused of killing civilians, including children.
“It’s difficult to look at certain images and imagine that a serious leader could do that. (…) I don’t know his mental state, but I think one can speak of his depravity,” said the US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby at a news conference.
>> All his statements can be read here.
8:19
Hello, everyone!
Welcome to this directive dedicated to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 66th day of the conflict.