Update on the situation at the end of the day
- At least eighteen dead in Tuesday’s Russian strikes
Eighteen people were killed and 130 others were injured after Russian strikes on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. Shortly before, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, had mentioned 19 deaths. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, Valery Zaluzhny, Russia targeted Ukraine with 41 missiles, of which 21 were shot down. Ukraine is urgently demanding more air defense resources from its Western allies, and has set itself the goal of regaining control of the skies above its territory by 2024.
- Turkish Parliament ratifies Sweden’s membership in NATO
The Turkish Parliament ratified Sweden’s membership of NATO on Tuesday evening. The Swedish candidacy, which only requires the green light from Viktor Orban’s Hungary, was approved by Turkish MPs with 287 votes for and 55 against. Sweden, on the verge of becoming 32e member country of the Atlantic Alliance, announced its candidacy in May 2022, at the same time as Finland, admitted in April 2023.
- Lithuania to buy German Leopard 2 tank battalion
As part of strengthening its military capabilities in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Lithuania announced on Tuesday its intention to purchase a German tank battalion Leopard 2.
- Washington asks its allies to provide equipment to Ukraine
The United States organizes the monthly meeting of about fifty countries supporting Ukraine, but cannot agree to send the munitions and missiles that Ukraine needs to repel the Russian invasion.
- Moscow accuses France of having deployed “mercenaries” in Ukraine; Paris denounces “gross manipulation”
A French pro-Russian association echoed a list of names of 13 “French mercenaries”. Chain Rybarclose to the Russian army, also expresses doubts about this list.
- For the Kremlin, Zelensky is in “a very difficult position”
“Europeans realize that they have thrown their money out the window”declared Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, on Tuesday to Russian news agencies.