Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine’s army chief says eastern front has ‘deteriorated significantly’
Ukraine’s Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi says Russia has intensified armoured assaults as battles rages over village near Bakhmut. What we know on day 781
Germany will supply a US-made Patriot air defence system and air defence missiles to Ukraine at a “critical time”, as Kyiv struggles to defend its energy system from Russian bombardment, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday. Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app that he was grateful to Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, for the decision to supply an additional Patriot system, and missiles for existing air defence systems. Later in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy indicated talks were under way on expanding the transfer of another air defence system, though German officials did not reference this in their remarks. “We are also working with Germany on an additional Iris-T system, which is also a strong air defence system, and on missiles for our existing air defence systems,” Zelenskiy said in his video address.
Olaf Scholz said on X in response to the announcement: “We stand steadfast on the side of Ukraine”, adding that Zelenskiy had informed him in a telephone call on Saturday about “massive Russian air attacks on civilian energy infrastructure”. Germany’s ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Jaeger, said on X: “Other international partners must follow quickly now.”
Ukraine’s army chief said on Saturday the situation on the eastern front had worsened in recent days as Russia intensified its armoured assaults and battles rage for control of a village west of the devastated city of Bakhmut. “The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days,” said Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, more than two years since Russia’s invasion reflected the grim mood in Kyiv as vital US military aid that Kyiv expected to receive months ago remains stuck in Congress. Zelenskiy said in his evening address that the “situation at the front, in some areas, is difficult”.
The US House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel, House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday. It’s yet unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel, or the $95bn supplemental spending bill that includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine, and other humanitarian assistance. That package passed the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the house, whose Republican leaders will not call it up for a vote, largely because of their objection to further funding for Ukraine.
Russia’s defence ministry announced its troops had seized the village of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region, about 11km (7 miles) west of the largely destroyed town of Avdiivka, captured by Russia in the middle of February. Ukraine did not confirm this, however. Its general staff said on Saturday evening that troops had repelled Russian attacks aimed at pushing them out of Pervomaiske and other villages nearby. Ukrainian prosecutors said Russia on Saturday launched airstrikes on villages in the Donetsk region, killing three, including a 60-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, and wounding four.
In the south, Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of killing 10 by shelling the occupied town of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian authorities in Zaporizhzhia said Russia had struck the region more than 400 times in the past day, including from planes. Russia also said one man was killed by Ukrainian shelling of the occupied town of Oleshky in the southern Kherson region.
Safety at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine remains precarious but the shift to a cold shutdown of all six reactor units, completed on Saturday, is positive, the UN nuclear watchdog chief said in a statement. Drones attacked Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, on Sunday, hitting a reactor building in the worst such incident since November 2022, though nuclear safety was not compromised, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused one another of targeting the plant since Russia seized it weeks after it invaded Ukraine.
The London Metal Exchange on Saturday banned from its system Russian metal produced on or after 13 April to comply with new US and UK sanctions imposed for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions aim to restrict revenues for Russia from the export of metal produced by companies such as Rusal and Nornickel that help to fund its military operations in Ukraine.
Continue reading...Date: | |
Tag: | Ukraine |
Filter
-
Russian attacks are pushing us back, Ukraine's army chief says
Oleksandr Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from positions in eastern Donetsk.BBC News - Top stories - Ukraine -
Ukraine Warns of Dire Situation Against Russia as It Awaits U.S. Aid
Ukraine’s top commander said his outgunned troops were facing a dire situation as Russia tried to push its advantage before the first batch of an American military package arrives.The New York Times - Top stories - Ukraine -
Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east
Ukrainian troops have been forced to retreat from three villages in the east.ABC News - World - Ukraine -
Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv pulls back Abrams tanks due to drone raids and losses, says US
Pentagon says it will help Ukrainians to adopt tactics that use M1A1 tanks more effectively. What we know on day 793 Continue reading...The Guardian - World - Ukraine -
Russia-Ukraine war live: Ukraine’s farm minister welcomes end of Polish border blockade
‘Negotiations were not easy but we have a result’ says Mykola Solsky after ending of months-long blockade by Polish protesters. Polish farmers stopped protesting at the last blocked border crossing with Ukraine on Monday, Kyiv and Warsaw said, ...The Guardian - World - Ukraine -
Ukraine war briefing: Long-range Atacms already hitting Russian forces
Joe Biden gave missiles to Ukraine under prior funding, after the US reportedly warned Russia against using long-range missiles in Ukraine. What we know on day 792. Atacms long-ranges missiles capable of hitting targets 300km away had already ...The Guardian - World - Ukraine -
Ukraine war briefing: Hospitals in Kyiv evacuated over fears of Russian strikes
Evacuations come after comments by head of Belarus KGB, who said buildings hosted military personnel. What we know on day 794. Officials in Ukraine’s capital announced the evacuation of two hospitals – including a children’s hospital – that they ...The Guardian - World - Ukraine -
Ukraine to increase long-range strikes in Russia, says UK defence chief
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin tells the FT fresh military aid will help Kyiv reshape ‘difficult’ land fight against MoscowFinancial Times - Business - Ukraine -
Ukraine war briefing: Russian airstrikes pound central and western Ukrainian power facilities
Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeats pleas for more defensive missiles after fourth large-scale aerial assault on energy system in five weeks. What we know on day 795. See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...The Guardian - World - Ukraine -
Russia-Ukraine war live: ‘mortal’ Europe needs stronger defence, says French president
Emmanuel Macron says Europe faces existential threat from Russian aggression and calls on continent to adopt ‘credible’ defence strategy. Russia has vetoed a UN security council resolution calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms ...The Guardian - World - France
More from The Guardian
-
Blinken urges Hamas to accept ‘extraordinarily generous’ Israeli ceasefire deal
US secretary of state says Hamas is the ‘only thing standing between people of Gaza and ceasefire’. The US secretary of state has said that “the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire” is Hamas, ahead of what are seen as ...The Guardian - World - Israel -
Columbia issues ultimatum to clear pro-Palestine protest or risk suspension
Talks aimed at having encampment removed voluntarily break down as president insists school won’t bow to divestment demands. Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University have been given an ultimatum to abandon their encampment or risk ...The Guardian - World -
Mining firm BHP offers $25.7bn settlement for Brazil dam disaster
Australian company and its partner Vale unleashed largest spill of mining waste in history. The mining company BHP has said it hopes to secure a $25.7bn (£20bn) settlement over the 2015 Samarco disaster, when the collapse of a dam left at least 19 ...The Guardian - World - Brazil -
Kristi Noem’s story of killing her dog points to class two misdemeanor
South Dakota governor’s account of family dog Cricket killing neighbor’s chickens may be an offence, according to state law. Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor and Republican vice-presidential hopeful, may have committed a class two ...The Guardian - World -
Von der Leyen criticises European far right for being ‘Putin’s proxies’
Commission president, who is seeking another term, took aim at group that includes AfD and National Rally in pre-election debate. The European Commission’s president, Ursula Von der Leyen, has criticised the far-right as “Putin’s proxies”, while ...The Guardian - World