UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday (19 corridors”. Call remained dead letter for the time being while Russia ramps up its offensive in the east of the country. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from that day of war in Ukraine where there were many diplomatic announcements.
The Russian offensive has begun in the east of the country
“A new phase of the special operation is beginning in Ukraine,” announced Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Dozens of strikes have been carried out in the Donbass region since Monday evening. On Tuesday evening, three people were killed and 21 others injured in new Russian bombing raids on Kharkiv, regional governor Oleg Sinegoubov said via telegram. The latter adds: “The intensity of the bombing has increased.”
In several cities “fighting does not continue”, “it is hell”, said the Ukrainian governor of the Lugansk region, Serguiï Gaïdaï, and called on the residents to flee.
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The Ukrainian army is reinforced with deliveries of combat aircraft
The Pentagon announced a delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine, as well as spare parts. But his spokesman, John Kirby, was stingy with details. He declined to specify their number, device type, or origin. “Today they have more fighter jets at their disposal than two weeks ago,” he said. Without going into detail about what other countries are providing, I would say that they have received additional aircraft and spare parts to increase their fleet. Other nations that have experience with this type of aircraft could help them get more equipment into service.
Sights to tighten sanctions against Russia
“We will again step up our sanctions against Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted after a meeting with Western leaders. The European Union and the United States have “reached a broad consensus on the need to increase pressure on the Kremlin, in particular by adopting new sanctions”. The allies also agree on the need to “strengthen Moscow’s international isolation,” said the Italian government, which announced the details of the meeting.
The Russian and Ukrainian economies badly hit by the war
Russia’s gross domestic product, which has been under heavy sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine in late February, is expected to contract by 8.5% this year and Ukraine’s GDP to fall by 35%, according to the IMF’s latest economic forecasts. Supported by government programs, the Russian economy is holding up better than expected. After a 60% plunge, the ruble even returned to near pre-invasion levels. According to IMF experts, the western sanctions are not yet having their full effect.