Did you miss the latest events on tensions in Ukraine? Don’t panic, 20 minutes takes stock every evening at 7:30 p.m.: Who did what? Who says what? Where are we ? The answer below:
news of the day
Moscow’s strategic target, Severodonetsk, is ambushed by the Russian army. According to the regional governor, “the Russians continue their attack and consolidate their positions in the center” of this Donbass city.
Too intense fighting is preventing the evacuation of civilians, prompting the governor to say there is “no way now” to leave the city. French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, who was escorting a humanitarian vehicle evacuating residents, was killed in this area on Monday.
phrase of the day
“Wheat, a staple food, please do not use it as a weapon of war!” »
Pope Francis on Wednesday called for an end to the blockade on grain exports from Ukraine, to defend the “universal right to food” and to reject the use of wheat as a “weapon of war”. “The blocking of grain exports from Ukraine, on which the lives of millions of people depend, especially in the poorest countries, is of great concern,” he said.
The number of the day
27.6%. This is the drop in Russian gas exports over a year. “Exports to distant countries amounted to 61 billion cubic meters, down 27.6% (23.2 billion cubic meters) from the same period in 2021,” Russian giant Gazprom said.
The trend of the day
Tensions between the United States and Russia continue to mount. This Wednesday, the Kremlin accused Washington of “pouring fuel on the fire.” This statement follows Joe Biden’s promise to provide Kyiv with “more advanced missile systems and ammunition that will allow them to more accurately hit key targets on the battlefield.”
According to a senior White House official, they are Himar (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) systems, multiple rocket launchers mounted on light armor with a range of about 80 kilometers. No delivery date was specified.
“The United States line is to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian. [Ce qui] does not promote peace negotiations,” said Russian Presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Any sustained, increasing supply of arms increases the risk” of a military confrontation between the United States and Russia, added Russian Deputy Minister of Diplomacy Sergei Ryabkov.