A Russian military plane crashed in Russia on Wednesday with 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board, Russian agencies report.At least nine people were injured by Russian strikes overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine.Follow the latest information live.
RUSSIAN MPS DENOUNCE FRENCH “MERCENARIES”
Russian deputies vote on a resolution denouncing the presence of French “mercenaries” in Ukraine
PLANE CRASH IN RUSSIA
A Russian Il-76 military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed on Wednesday in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced, according to Russian agencies.
“At around 11:00 from Moscow (08:00 GMT), an Il-76 plane crashed in the Belgorod region (…) On board were 65 captured soldiers of the Ukrainian army, transported to the Belgorod region in sight of an exchange, six crew members and three attendants,” the ministry said.
9 INJURED IN KHARKIV
At least nine people were injured by Russian strikes overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, the regional governor announced, the day after bombings left 18 dead in the country.
“The attack left nine injured, including a child, a 4-year-old girl, who was treated on the spot,” Oleg Synegoubov, the Ukrainian head of the eponymous region, lamented on Telegram, specifying that “four people were hospitalized : two men and two women.
During this attack, houses but also telecommunications installations were damaged, according to the same source.
NORTH KOREAN WEAPONS
The “Guardian” recently revealed satellite images taken by British intelligence services. We see three Russian ships collecting containers from a North Korean port.
For several weeks, the West has accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Moscow to support its invasion of Ukraine.
NATO: GREEN LIGHT FOR SWEDEN
Western countries have welcomed Sweden’s new step towards NATO after the favorable vote of the Turkish Parliament. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited his Swedish counterpart to Budapest to try to remove the final obstacles to the Nordic country’s entry into NATO.
The green light given Tuesday by the Turkish parliament by an overwhelming majority, puts an end to 20 months of negotiations which tested the patience of Ankara’s Western allies, eager to form a united front against Moscow in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY
The Ukrainian president yesterday promised a strong response after announcing the death toll of at least 18 civilians and 130 wounded during nighttime Russian airstrikes on kyiv and Kharkiv. “More than 200 different sites were hit, including 139 residential buildings (…) 130 people were injured, all are receiving the necessary help. Unfortunately 18 people died,” Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram, indicating that this toll could increase.
GOOD MORNING
Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the war in Ukraine. Find here the latest information and strong images related to this conflict.
The Kremlin assured Tuesday that Europeans were starting to turn their backs on Ukraine. “The Europeans realize that they have thrown their money out the window”, declared Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, to Russian news agencies. A new dig from Moscow at a time when the continuation of aid is causing internal tensions in the EU and the United States.
In his eyes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is like this “in a very difficult position”. “He no longer receives money, there are not enough shells for him abroad and he has problems at home”in Ukraine, he added.
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The Kremlin has tried in recent weeks to present Western countries, kyiv’s main supporters, as disunited over the course of action regarding Ukraine after almost two years of Russian assault. The tone is much more optimistic in Moscow since the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive last year.
As it stands, the front which extends in Ukraine for around 1,000 km is frozen, to the advantage of the Russian army which occupies almost 20% of its neighbor’s territory and which has been able to strengthen its positions in recent months. while mobilizing national industry to provide it with the ammunition necessary to continue its offensive.
On Tuesday, Dmitri Peskov also welcomed the dissensions within the American political class, with the Republicans still blocking important aid intended for kyiv. “At one point, Biden said it was an investment in Americans.”he said about aid to Ukraine. “If we stick to that (…), then he went bankrupt”, said the spokesperson. Ukraine, for its part, says it fears the erosion of Western support, after two years of conflict which have worn down public opinion and with the approach of important electoral deadlines in the EU – European in June – and in the United States – presidential in November.