This 82nd day of the war in Ukraine was marked by Sweden’s official application to join NATO, which provoked numerous reactions at international level.
While Russia continued its bombing in Ukraine on Monday, killing at least ten people in the Luhansk region, Kyiv claimed to have regained control of part of its border. On the economic front, American fast-food giant Mc Donald’s and French automaker Renault have formalized their exit from Russia. But most importantly, at the international level, this 82nd day of the conflict was marked by Sweden’s official bid to join NATO, despite threats from Vladimir Putin and Turkey.
• Russian bombardment kills 10 in Luhansk region
At least ten people were killed in a Russian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk on Monday. This was announced by the governor of Luhansk, Serguiï Gaïdaï, on his Telegram account.
“At least 10 people were killed. Due to the new shelling, it is extremely difficult to check the situation on the ground right now,” the governor said, urging residents who have not fled to stay safe.
In an earlier statement on Monday, the governor warned of “very powerful” artillery attacks on Severodonetsk, a city “virtually surrounded” by forces from Moscow and pro-Russian separatists from Donbass, according to the city’s mayor, who provided an update to the events gave situation on the ground on Sunday.
• Kyiv claims to have regained control of part of the border with Russia
On the military front, Russian forces appear to be stagnating, and in some places even retreating. On Monday, authorities in Kyiv announced that Ukrainian troops had managed to regain control of part of the border with Russia in the Kharkiv region in the north-east of the country. Russian forces are also said to have been pushed back to a border post.
“The 227th Battalion of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Kharkiv Armed Forces drove out the Russians and settled on the border,” the Defense Ministry said on its Facebook page, posting a video of armed soldiers in front of a border post painted yellow, the colors blue the Ukrainian flag, and with a trident, the coat of arms of Ukraine.
Along the same lines, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a new video address that “the occupiers refuse to admit they are stuck in an impasse in Ukraine” and that “their so-called Operation Special has failed.”
• A shot of the Moskva before she sank revealed
On the Russian side, it was one of the largest casualties, both strategic and symbolic, since the conflict began. Last April, Moscow saw the Moskva, the flagship of its naval fleet, sink in the Black Sea. A flagship, which, according to the official version of the Kremlin, fell victim to a storm. After the sinking, Kyiv, for its part, claimed that it had managed to neutralize the ship with rocket attacks.
On Monday, the Ukrainian army posted online a recording taken minutes before the sinking, in which we can hear the Moskva’s commanders asking for help.
“Tugs, will you receive me?” Emergency situation on the Moskva: two impacts, the boat rolls over to the side, tilts by 30 degrees, the propeller is destroyed. The impact occurs below the waterline. Impossible to approach the tractor! Crew rescue requested!” we can hear.
An exchange that contradicts the Russian version, as the officers themselves mention hull impacts.
• Sweden is asking to join NATO
After Finland’s application to join NATO on Sunday, Sweden’s application appeared to be just a matter of hours. It was made official on Monday afternoon by Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, who spoke of a new “era” for the Scandinavian country.
“The government has decided to inform NATO of Sweden’s desire to become a member of the alliance,” she told a news conference. “We are leaving one era to enter a new one,” said the Swedish head of state.
Sweden’s ambassador to NATO will announce Stockholm’s candidacy “soon”. Sweden and Finland had already announced that they wanted to apply at the same time. And this formalization quickly provoked many reactions. Even if the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has declared that he “fully supports” this approach, as does British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who believed that the two countries should be integrated into NATO “as soon as possible”. should, this request is still not accepted on the Turkish side.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining the Atlantic Alliance. A line he maintained on Monday to assure that he would “not back down” on this point.
In a statement, the Elysée immediately assured that if attacked, France “would stand by the side of Finland and Sweden”.
• “NATO enlargement will provoke reactions from us,” asserts Putin
Speaking on the sidelines of a CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Sweden’s and Finland’s desire to join NATO. However, when the Russian President claimed that it was “an artificially created problem” and that “Russia has no problems with these states,” he warned.
“There are no direct threats from these countries joining NATO, but military expansion in these areas will provoke our response, which will be based on the threats. Of course we will react appropriately. ‘ he warned.
With regard to the Russian invasion, the head of state once again emphasized that “in our neighboring country Ukraine, National Socialism has long since regained the upper hand” and thus justified what is still referred to as “special operations” in Russia.
Vladimir Putin also assured that this presence of “Nazism” in Ukraine was accompanied by an explosion of Russophobia “in so-called civilized countries”.