19:04
Putin threatens to use depleted uranium shells
Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening to use depleted uranium shells in Ukraine if Kiev receives them from the West, a British official recently pointed out.
“Of course, Russia has something to answer for. Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells. We don’t use them at the moment, ”explains the Russian President during a TV interview.
18:44
Russia deploys “tactical” nuclear weapons in Belarus
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will station “tactical” nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally Belarus, a country on the doorstep of the European Union.
“There is nothing unusual here: the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long stationed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies,” Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Russian television. “We agreed to do the same,” he added, saying he had the Minsk agreement.
16:23
Two wounded when a humanitarian aid post was shelled in Kherson
“A humanitarian aid delivery point was bombed,” Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokoudin announced on Telegram.
Two people were injured in the shelling, a 41-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man. They were hospitalized, victims of mine explosions and shrapnel.
14:07
Ukraine is unable to launch a counteroffensive due to a lack of ammunition
In his interview with the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lamented his country’s lack of weapons, which is preventing his army from launching a counteroffensive against Russia.
“We are waiting for the ammunition to arrive from the partner countries. We can’t start yet,” he said.
“If you have the political will, you can find a way to help us. We are in a state of war and can’t wait,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
13:21
5,000 Russian Wagner prisoners pardoned
The founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said more than 5,000 people left the militia when their contracts expired and were pardoned.
On Telegram he also claims that in one month 0.31% of them re-offended, or about fifteen people. According to him, this is a recidivism rate well below the average for Russian prisoners.
13:12
Russia has exhausted its forces in Bakhmut, says British Defense
In its daily update, the UK intelligence services report that Russian forces in Bakhmout, a key city in the conflict, have been exhausted for several weeks.
“Russia’s attack on the Donbass town of Bakhmut has practically stopped. This is probably mainly due to the recent exhaustion of the Russian armed forces. Ukraine also suffered heavy casualties during its defense,” British intelligence said.
12:40 p.m
Damage to medical facilities amounting to 2.3 billion euros
Russian attacks on Ukraine have destroyed or damaged at least 978 medical facilities and 596 pharmacies in the country since the war began. According to a World Bank study cited by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, the damage amounts to 2.3 billion euros.
In 2023 alone, Ukraine will need at least 600 million euros to restore access to healthcare and rebuild medical facilities.
11:55
Night bombings on Kramatorsk, impressive damage
The Donbass city of Kramatorsk was the target of Russian attacks last night, Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko reported on Facebook. No casualties to report, but the images remain impressive.
11:37
According to the Ukrainian army, the situation in Bachmout has “stabilized”.
The chief of staff of the Ukrainian army reiterated that his troops managed to “stabilize” the situation around Bakhmout, the epicenter of the fighting.
The “most difficult” situation at the front is “around Bakhmout,” said Valery Zalujny late on Friday evening in a phone call with the chief of the British defense staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.
11:18
Russia would prepare its people for a powerful Ukrainian counteroffensive
“A Russian military blog warned that before Russia’s defense industrial base had a chance to increase production and build Russia’s defense capabilities, Ukrainian armed forces would most likely try to launch a counteroffensive,” notes the ISW, which recalls that Evgueni Prigoyine, leaders of the Wagner group made similar statements.
10:53
China has not contacted Kiev about a peace plan
In an interview with Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had not received an offer from China to discuss a Chinese peace plan to settle the conflict. And that while Zelenskyy made it clear that he wanted to meet the Chinese leadership, he emphasizes.
Ukraine’s President admits he is “skeptical” about Beijing’s proposed plan.
10:29
After Leroy Merlin, Ikea is also dropping the Russian market
The Swedish concern Ikea has reached an agreement to sell its last production facility in Russia, a furniture factory in the Novgorod region. According to the daily Kommersant, the total amount of all transactions could be around 15 billion rubles (or 180 million euros), a quarter less than the amount requested by Ikea.
LP/Olivier Boitet
10:08
Austria will arrest Vladimir Putin if found on its soil
Vienna intends to implement the arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin should the Russian President be on its territory.
“Austria is a contracting party to the Rome Statute. This means that Austria, like all other contracting parties, is obliged to cooperate with the ICC: Arrest warrants issued by the court must be executed and persons wanted by the court arrested,” the Austrian Ministry of Justice told the Ukrinform agency.
09:44
US senators urge Biden to present evidence to ICC
In a letter to the US President, six Senators (Democrats and Republicans) urge him to increase his support and cooperation with the International Criminal Court to expose war crimes committed by Russia.
“As the ICC works to build cases against Russian officials, including Putin himself, the United States has reportedly yet to share critical evidence that could aid in these prosecutions,” the text criticized Joe Biden.
09:25
Man dies from landmine near Kharkiv
His car hit a mine. A man died in the village of Chestakove, east of Kharkiv, in the explosion caused by the accident. In recent days, three more people have been victims of explosions related to mines left behind by Russian troops, local emergency services provide.
09:02
The criminalization of cooperation with the International Criminal Court, Russia’s new idea
In response to the international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Vladimir Putin, Russia wants to take revenge. The latest proposal so far by Vyatcheslav Volodin, President of the Duma, the Russian Assembly of Deputies: he wants to ban any activity of the ICC on Russian territory and impose sanctions in case of cooperation, reports the TASS agency.
Vyacheslav Volodin at a summit in Iran in 2018. (AFP)
08:43
Little by little, Ukraine is building its European nest
Still with a view to joining the European Union, Ukraine began reforming its legislation to conform with European law a decade ago.
According to Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Ukraine has so far fulfilled 72% of all commitments set out in the Association Agreement signed with Brussels in 2022.
“We are completing the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission, which we received together with the application, we have initiated a procedure for self-assessment of the conformity of Ukrainian legislation with EU law, all these parallel processes should be accelerated to the next stage of EU membership negotiations,” she said, as quoted by Suspilne.
08:18
50 Russian airstrikes in one day
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Russian army carried out 50 airstrikes and 11 rocket attacks on Ukraine on Friday alone. The Ukrainian army claims twenty strikes at once. It also claims to have shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter and six drones.
08:02
37% of Ukrainians know a war victim
A sociological survey conducted by the Razumkov Research Center in February shows that 37% of the 2,000 people polled have a relative or acquaintance who has been killed or injured since the conflict began.
In addition, 28% of these victims’ relatives said they went abroad after the war began and are still there today, public media Suspilne reports.
07:40
Leroy Merlin wants to leave Russia
More than a year after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Frenchman Leroy Merlin, one of Russia’s main foreign employers, announced yesterday that he intends to cede control of all his businesses in that country, one of its larger markets.
(NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)
07:18
Biden says China hasn’t shipped any weapons to Russia
US President Joe Biden assured this Friday evening that China had “not supplied any weapons to Russia” at that time, while the Chinese President was received by Vladimir Putin a few days ago.
“It’s been three months now since I’ve heard that China will supply key arms to Russia… That doesn’t mean they won’t do it, but they haven’t done it yet,” he told sidelines of a trip to Canada.
07:11
Welcome to our life
Welcome to our live dedicated to the news of the war in Ukraine as the fighting continues without significant progress on either side on the 395th day of the war.