As Russia stepped up its efforts to drive Ukrainian troops out of key areas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the military situation in the eastern Luhansk region was very difficult. According to the Reuters news agency, Russian troops have taken several settlements near the fought-on cities of Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk in the Luhansk region, Ukraine’s regional governor and general staff said on Tuesday. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian troops had captured the Toshkivka settlement south of Sievierodonetsk, confirming previous reports. “Unfortunately, the enemy threw huge amounts of weapons and soldiers at it and captured Toshkivka,” Mr. Gaidai said. Previously, Mr. Zelensky warned that Russia would likely intensify its “hostile activity” this week as Kyiv awaits a landmark European Union decision on its membership application.
Indonesian president visits Kyiv, Moscow this month: Minister.
Indonesian president and G20 chairman Joko Widodo will call leaders of Ukraine and Russia this month to discuss the economic and humanitarian consequences of the invasion of Moscow, his foreign minister said on Wednesday. The summit of the Group of 20 Major Economies – to be held in November on the Indonesian island of Bali – has been shrouded in controversy over Jakarta’s decision to invite Russia, despite alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Indonesia holds the rotating G20 presidency this year and is under pressure from some western countries, led by the United States, to exclude Russia from the meeting.- AFP
‘Everything is on fire: Ukraine region withstands bombing
Russian attacks on Tuesday put down a curtain of fire in areas of eastern Ukraine were pockets of resistance deny Moscow full military control of the region, nearly four months after the Kremlin unleashed its invasion. “Today, everything that can burn is on fire,” Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Eastern Luhansk region, told The Associated Press. The war in Russia has raised alarms about Ukraine’s food supplies to the rest of the world and gas supplies from Russia and has also raised questions about security in Western Europe.
War-damaged Russian tanks on display in Polish Square
Polish and Ukrainian government officials say they plan to display damaged or burnt-out Russian tanks and armored vehicles captured by Ukrainian troops during the war in Warsaw. The head of the Polish Prime Minister’s office, Michal Dworaczyk, said the aim is to highlight Russia’s “atrocities” and Ukraine’s response. “On the one hand, we show the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, (and) on the other hand; we show the heroic defense of the Ukrainian armed forces and the results of these battles,” Dworaczyk said.-AP
Ukraine and Russia’s armed forces entrenched Putin on WWII’s birthday.
Ukrainian and Russian troops remained anchored in the eastern Ukrainian battlefields. They entered Wednesday, a day of commemoration in both countries to mark the anniversary of Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Fighting in the months-long war has favored Russia in recent weeks for its massive lead in artillery firepower, a fact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged in a late Tuesday night speech. “The Ukrainian army is strengthening its defenses in the Luhansk region thanks to tactical maneuvers,” said Mr. Zelensky. “That’s the hardest place. The occupiers are also pushing strongly towards Donetsk.” – Reuters.
Russia warns Lithuania, urges Donbas. inside Ukraine
Moscow warned Lithuania of the “serious” consequences of restricting train traffic to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad as Kremlin forces made gains in Ukraine’s strategic Donbas region. The row over Lithuania, the arrival of advanced German weapons in Ukraine’s arsenal, and an imminent decision on Kyiv’s candidacy to join the European Union threaten further to heighten tensions between the West and Moscow – AFP. Ukrainian Zelensky says the military situation in the Luhansk region is very difficult. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the military situation in the eastern part of Luhansk was very difficult as Russia stepped up its efforts to drive Ukrainian troops out of key areas. “That’s the hardest place. The occupiers are pressing strongly,” said Mr. Zelensky in an evening video speech.- Reuters
