War in Ukraine live: the city of Severodonetsk is “simply destroyed” by Russia

Presented live by Clémence Apetogbor and Sandra Favier

Cover photo: A Russian tank near Sieverodonetsk, May 24. ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO / REUTERS

Posts are open from 9am to 9pm on this live stream.

• Sievierodonetsk or the Shadow of Mariupol. Nestled in the western part of the Luhansk region, the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk is almost under siege by the Russian army. The city will be “simply destroyed,” wrote Serhi Haïdaï, governor of the oblast, on Telegram. He accused the Russian army of bombarding the city with multiple rocket launchers, imprecise and devastating weapons. According to him, the bombs are also targeting the Azot factory, where civilians are taking refuge, in a situation reminiscent of the Mariupol siege. The governor estimates that the Luhansk region is already “more than 90 percent” controlled by the Russians.
• In Davos, Ukraine demands more heavy weapons. Kyiv urgently needs mobile units that are able to fire several rockets at the same time in order to have weapons equivalent to Russia’s firepower, stressed its Ukrainian foreign minister in Davos on Wednesday. “The battle for Donbass is very similar to the battles of World War II,” said Dmytro Kuleba. He explained that in this region of Ukraine, which has been intensively bombed in recent days, “some villages and towns no longer exist”.
• Moscow is facilitating the issuance of Russian passports for residents of southern Ukraine. Russia will allow residents of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions of southern Ukraine to apply for a Russian passport through a “simplified procedure,” according to a presidential decree issued on Wednesday. “This simplified system will make it clear to everyone that Russia is not here for long, but forever,” replied Kyrylo Stremoussov, a Moscow-appointed Kherson region official.
• The presidential decree in question also applies to residents of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, whose respective armies participate with Moscow in the battles against Ukraine. Several hundred thousand residents of these separatist areas have already received Russian passports.
• The United States denounced an attempt to “subdue” the population. now under his control. The plan was “a Russian tactic to subjugate the Ukrainian people and impose their will by force,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told a news conference, adding that states would “strongly oppose” such a project .
• The United States has chosen to end it, starting Wednesday, on an exemption allowing Moscow to pay its debts in dollars. That decision could send Russia, which has a dozen payments due by the end of the year, into default.
• The cost of damage to Ukrainian infrastructure according to Alexander Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, would be in the order of “90 to 100 billion dollars”. At the Davos Forum, Federal President Ignazio Cassis announced that his country would hold a “Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine” on July 4th and 5th, which would deal in particular with the question of the contributions announced and to be made by the World Bank, the OECD and the European Union (EU).
• Ukrainian war wounded treated in France. Kyiv thanked France for accepting “Ukrainian war wounded in its hospitals and especially in army hospitals,” according to a press release published by the French Armed Forces Ministry on Wednesday evening. The first two Ukrainian soldiers were received at the Percy military hospital in the Paris region, the office of the French minister told Agence France-Presse.

Read all our articles, analysis and reports on the war in Ukraine

decryptions. “Europe has exaggerated the strength of Russia and underestimated that of Ukraine”

Report. North of Kyiv, a huge “crime scene” for gendarmerie experts

Chronic. “The return of NATO does not condemn European defense”

Critical. “It’s 3:30 p.m. and we’re still alive. Diary of War”: the “Islands of Reality” by Evgenia Belorusets

Report. War in Ukraine: In Nove Zalissia, the “double punishment” of former Chernobyl refugees

decryptions. Russian oligarchs: European Commission proposes to confiscate their yachts, mansions and bank accounts

grandstand. “Let’s not give Vladimir Putin our weaknesses. He can’t win”

Media. Ukrainian war humor recognized by Charlie Hebdo

Video. Kharkiv metro resumes service after protecting civilians