The city of Sievjerodonetsk (Ukraine) is involved in fierce fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Moscow said Saturday June 4 that enemy forces were withdrawing from the city, while Ukrainian authorities acknowledge an “extremely difficult” situation across the region.
Here’s what to remember from this new day of war.
Moscow says Ukrainian army units are withdrawing from Sieverodonetsk
The Russian army said on Saturday that Ukrainian military units were withdrawing from the key city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine amid raging fighting between Kyiv and Kremlin forces. “Ukrainian army units that suffered critical casualties in the fighting for Severodonetsk (up to 90 percent in several units) are retreating to Lysyhansk,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Lugansk region governor Serguiï Gaïdaï admitted earlier in the day that “the situation in the entire region” was “extremely difficult”. “Fighting is currently concentrated on Sieverodonetsk because (…) the Russian army put all its weight and reserves into this fight,” he added in an interview published on his official social networks. “Initial information indicates that they have managed to take control of most of the city. But our forces are now pushing them back,” he said.
Kyiv slams Macron’s remarks calling for ‘not to humiliate Russia’
The head of Ukraine’s diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba, on Saturday, June 4, slammed French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls not to “humiliate” Russia. “Calls not to humiliate Russia can only humiliate France or any other country. Because it is Russia that is humiliating itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. That will bring peace and save lives ” Kouleba said in a tweet.
Calls to avoid humiliating Russia can only humiliate France and any other country that calls for it. Because it is Russia that is humiliating itself. We’d all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. It brings peace and saves lives.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) June 4, 2022
Four foreign volunteers killed, including a Frenchman
Kyiv on Saturday announced the deaths of four foreign volunteers who went to fight against Russian troops. A German, a Frenchman, an Australian and a Dutchman were killed, according to the International Defense Legion of Ukraine, which did not say exactly where and when. On Friday, Paris confirmed the death of a Frenchman who, according to the press, died in the Kharkiv region (northeast). Australia also confirmed the death of one of its nationals in May.
Putin is downplaying the risk of a food crisis
The UN is concerned about the risk of a food crisis, particularly in Africa, which imports more than half its grain from Ukraine and Russia. Their price on this continent has already exceeded levels reached at the time of the 2011 Arab Spring crises or the 2008 food riots. Acting President of the AU Macky Sall met with Vladimir Putin on Friday, who assured that there was “no problem” with exporting the grain blocked in Ukraine.