15:20
Many neo-Nazis are fighting for Russia in Ukraine
As the Russian president justifies his war by “denazifying” Ukraine, an internal document from the BND, the German federal intelligence service, reveals that troops in Moscow are backed by far-right groups, according to Der Spiegel.
14:58
martial law and General mobilization extended to August 23
Ukraine extends general mobilization and martial law by three months until August 23.
In two votes, the Ukrainian parliament, the Rada, approved this extension with an absolute majority on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed these two decrees on February 24. They have already been extended twice by one month each.
14:56
The EU for Ukraine? Too long, says Clément Beaune
Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will “probably take 15 or 20 years,” estimated on Sunday the French Minister for European Affairs, who believes Kyiv can join the European political community proposed by President Macron in the meantime.
“You have to be honest. (…) If we say that Ukraine will join the EU in 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, then we are lying. It is not true. It’s probably 15 or 20 years, it’s a very long time,” Clément Beaune said on Radio J. “In the meantime, we owe the Ukrainians (…) a political project to get into,” he continued.
14:51
Terminator tank and Kiev column moved to Severdonetsk
According to British intelligence, BPM-T Terminator tanks, high-performance armored vehicles, are deployed in Severodonetsk, Russia’s “prime target”. The only formation that has this type of equipment is the column that tried to take Kyiv at the beginning of the conflict, which would indicate the presence of these men in the area.
The intelligence service estimates that this reassignment will not drastically change the balance of power around Severodonetsk, the column that wanted to take Kyiv was hit very hard by Ukraine.
13:07
Zelensky in Davos tomorrow
The Ukrainian leader is preparing his videoconference speech at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, which begins on Monday after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. He should use this new platform to urge the world to give Kyiv more aid, both financially and militarily.
13:07
7 civilians killed in Donetsk region
This Saturday, seven civilians were killed and ten others injured in earlier bombings in the Donetsk region, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko announced on Telegram.
13:03
Targeted Mykolaiv Kharkiv and Zaporizhia
According to the Ukrainian Presidency, Russian bombings targeted the cities of Mykolayiv, Kharkiv and Zaporijia overnight from Saturday to Sunday.
12:43 p.m
For Clément Beaune, supporting Ukraine is legitimate
“It’s legitimate, we support them. It’s not just a moral duty. If not, Europe would say: Go ahead, Mr. Putin’s Russia can do whatever it wants. It would be dangerous for our security,” argued Clément Beaune.
“If you are weak, you will not create peace,” he stressed, adding: “Ukraine is Europe.”
12:38 p.m
For Paris, “the goal is that there is no Russian victory”
The goal for France is “that there is no Russian victory”, it is “to liberate Ukraine”, affirmed French Minister for European Affairs Clément Beaune.
“The war researcher, the war monger, is Mr. Putin,” explains the former State Secretary for European Affairs, who has been promoted to Minister Delegate, at Europe 1
11:47
Ukrainian soldiers against oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk?
Russia will study the possibility of exchanging fighters from the captured Ukrainian Azov regiment for Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, MP Leonid Sloutski said on Saturday.
Viktor Medvedchuk, 67, is a prominent Ukrainian politician and businessman close to the Russian president, who was arrested in Ukraine in mid-April while on the run since the Kremlin offensive began in late February.
10:38
Pavlograd bridge destroyed
According to the regional administration, in the Luhansk region, the Russians destroyed the Pavlograd bridge connecting Severodonetsk and Lysyhansk. Severodonetsk is the subject of very intense bombing. 15,000 residents would be included.
10:19
Strike damages 1,000 homes and 11 schools, local authorities say
A Russian missile attack is said to have damaged 1,000 apartments and 11 educational institutions in Lozova, in the Kharkiv region, according to the city’s mayor Serkiy Zelensky. The shooting was reportedly carried out on May 20, but the toll has not yet been released.
One of the rockets fell on the Lozova Cultural Center on May 20. Reuters/Ukraine State Emergency Service (DSNS)
10:11
The Polish President addresses the Ukrainian Parliament
Andrei Duda has arrived in Ukraine to deliver the first speech by a foreign head of state to Ukraine’s parliament since the start of the war, his cabinet said in a statement.
10:00 a.m
What US aid contains
The American authorities have published the distribution of the 40 billion intended for Ukraine.
The American government spends $4.3 billion worth of food and health products, $9 billion worth of weapons, and $5 billion in “intelligence services,” among other things.
09:31
From a “military special operation” to a complicated war?
09:05
Mariupol, a partial Russian victory
Image captured by a drone of a destroyed Russian tank near Irpin, Ukraine, on May 6th. The first, albeit tentative, criticism of the shortcomings of their army is appearing in the Russian media today. Reuters/Carlos Barria
08:37
Zelenskyy regrets strikes in educational institutions
According to the Ukrainian President, more than 1,800 companies have been destroyed by Russian strikes since the beginning of the war. A “colossal” number, he said in his speech this Saturday. This count has not yet been confirmed by independent sources.
08:26
Russia claims to have destroyed a large stockpile of ammunition supplied by the West
“Long-range, high-precision Kalibr missiles launched from the sea destroyed a large shipment of weapons and military equipment supplied by the United States and European countries near the Malin railway station in the Zhytomyr region,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. It was not possible to verify this information from an independent source.
08:11
Extension of American aid
Joe Biden, during an official visit to Seoul, signed legislation passed by Congress on Thursday that would provide a whopping $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, particularly its war effort.
07:49
More intense hits
The Ukrainian General Staff, in its daily morning report this Sunday, notes that the Russian army has “continued its missile and airstrikes throughout the territory” of Donbass and even “increased the intensity, using aviation to destroy critical infrastructure.”
07:45
A “bloody phase” of the war
In a speech this Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the military situation had “not changed significantly” but that the fighting was difficult. The current phase of the war, in which the Russians are concentrating their forces on the east, will be “bloody” but will have to be resolved “through diplomacy” in the end.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press conference in Kyiv on May 21, 2021, where he received Antonio Costa, Portuguese Prime Minister. AFP/Sergei Supinsky.
07:42
Russia imposes sanctions
This Saturday, Russia cut off gas to Finland, which refused to pay in rubles. Putin also compiled a list of 963 Americans who were banned from entering the territory.
07:40
Hello and welcome
Welcome to this new live broadcast dedicated to the war in Ukraine. This Sunday we will follow the latest developments and the consequences of the conflict together.