Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 minutes takes stock for you every evening. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the results of the battles, here are the main points of the day.
The fact of the day
This Monday, Russia announced the conquest of the village of Bilogorivka, one of the last to escape it in the Ukrainian region of Lugansk. “As a result of combat operations, units of the Southern troop group completely liberated the settlement of Bilogorivka in the Luhansk People’s Republic and occupied more favorable positions,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. For its part, Ukraine is under pressure in this part of the front due to a lack of men and ammunition. Lugansk is one of four regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to annex, in addition to Crimea in 2014.
Today’s statement
“ Ebrahim Raïssi was a remarkable politician (…) As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighborly relations between our countries and made great efforts to bring them to the level of strategic partnership » »
Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first heads of state to react to the death of Ebrahim Raïssi, killed in a helicopter accident during the weekend. He praised the memory of a “reliable partner who made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of friendly relations between Russia and Iran,” the Kremlin said in a statement. In a telephone conversation with his interim successor, Mohammad Mokhber, the two men insisted on “their mutual desire to continue to consistently strengthen global cooperation.”
The number of the day
29. This is the number of Russian drones shot down by Ukraine during the night from Sunday to Monday. Different regions were targeted: Odessa and Mykolaiv (south), Poltava (center) and Lviv (northwest), according to the air force. The Air Force also mentions an Iskander ballistic missile launch in the Kharkiv region (north-east), where Russian forces have been carrying out a ground offensive for ten days, without specifying whether this missile was shot down.
Today’s trend
Repression of the population and the cultural sector continues in Russia. This Monday, in Moscow, the trial of two Russian artists began – the director Evgenia Berkovitch and the playwright Svetlana Petriïtchouk – who risk seven years in prison for a play. They were arrested a year earlier for “justifying terrorism”.
In Moscow, a man was also fined almost 500 euros for dyeing his hair in the colors of Ukraine. He is accused of having “discredited” the Russian army. He defends an “accident”, ensuring that he does not support Ukraine.
This Monday, a man was also sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for “terrorism”. He is accused of being recruited by Ukraine to carry out an arson attack on a military recruitment office in Siberia.