Russia-Ukraine war: Fire breaks out in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region

A large-scale fire has broken out at an industrial plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Rescue teams have been leading response for almost 2 hours, President Zelenskyy's official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko informed on Telegram. No casualties were reported. 

Russia's invading troops have bombed and destroyed more than 145 cultural heritages of Ukraine and have committed more than 400 crimes, Kyiv has claimed. 

As many as 16 million Ukrainians that have fled the ongoing war in their country are now in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection, according to UN. 

Ukraine on Saturday warned of a threat of escalation on the border with Belarus, and summoned an emergency meeting of the city's military and officials to develop an action plan for response. Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi, in a Facebook post, claimed that the military threat has been suspected to emerge near Ukrainian city of Lviv. Belarusian military might launch an offensive and also possibly impose a blockade of export routes. 

"In each district of the city, we will create a defense headquarters and conduct additional training for members of the volunteer formations of territorial defense forces," Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi said. 

In his nightly address, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the truth about the war to be spread. "In many cities in the rear there is a feeling of relaxation now, but the war is not over, its cruelty is increasing in some places, and it cannot be forgotten," said Ukraine's leader. "Therefore, help the army, help volunteers, help everyone who was left alone at this time.  Spread the truth about the war and about the crimes of the occupiers." Furthermore he added, "No matter how difficult it is for us today, we must remember that there will be tomorrow. And tomorrow should bring maximum benefit to Ukraine – everyone should do absolutely everything possible for this."

Russia's Foreing ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Sunday launched a scathing attack on NATO, saying that BRICS member states have full sovereignty, own foreign political interests and priorities unlike the European Union or NATO. "Mutual respect and mutual benefit are the foundation for dialogue and development within BRICS," she said. "Our association does not have any intra-bloc discipline, or restrictions on contacts with other participants in international communication," Russia's MFA spokeswoman iterated. 

"BRICS has never set itself in opposition to anyone and consistently speaks for creating a more just, not pseudo-democratic, but a truly democratic and multipolar world order based on international law and a pragmatic balance of interests. BRICS does not have a 'hegemon' that forces its interests on the others. The agenda is built based on the interests of all members of the group."
 

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that the war with Russia "is not over." During his nightly address, Ukraine's president said that the violence across Ukrainian cities "is only increasing, and it cannot be forgotten. So be sure to help the army, help the volunteers, help everyone left alone at this time."

" No matter how difficult it is for us today, we must remember that there will be tomorrow. And tomorrow should bring maximum benefit to Ukraine – everyone should do absolutely everything possible for this," he added. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has suggested that the missiles launched by Russia that struck the capital on June 26, just days after EU leaders unanimously agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for membership may be "symbolic attack” in warning to West. Former commanding general of US Army forces in Europe, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, also further connected the attack, as per Associated press saying, “The Russians are humiliating the leaders of the West." 

Fearing Russia might cut off natural gas supplies, the head of Germany’s regulatory agency for energy called on residents Saturday to save energy and to prepare for winter, when use increases.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Mueller urged house and apartment owners to have their gas boilers and radiators checked and adjusted to maximize their efficiency.

“Maintenance can reduce gas consumption by 10% to 15% ,” he told Funke Mediengruppe, a German newspaper and magazine publisher.

Mueller said residents and property owners need to use the 12 weeks before cold weather sets in to get ready. He said families should start talking now about “whether every room needs to be set at its usual temperature in the winter -- or whether some rooms can be a little colder.”

Source/Image: Associated Press

Demonstrators have flooded the streets of Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to protest against Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Dressed in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, protesters chanted anti-Russia slogans asking Putin to stop the war. In an act of solidarity for the Ukrainian people, they also laid flowers in colour of Blue and Yellow across the street. 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, staunch ally Russia's president Vladimir Putin,  claims that Ukraine's forces have attempted to attack the military facilities on Belarusian territory. This, he said, happened three days ago. He warned that his country does not want to start a war with Ukraine, having earlier condemned the western arms supply. 

Ukrainian forces have deterred several attempts of assaults, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a post.  The offensives were launched in the direction of Novomykhailivka, but Russian forces were pushed back, it said. "We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together to victory!", the department said.

Russian forces are pounding the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters have spent weeks trying to defend the city and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Sievierodonetsk did a week ago. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces took control of an oil refinery on Lysychansk’s edge in recent days, but Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai reported Friday that fighting for the facility continued.

“Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons,” Haidai said Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.

Source: Associated Press

At least 40 buildings including apartments have been destroyed in the Donetsk region were from the Russian shelling on Saturday, Ukraine's  police has informed. Cities that were targetted are cities of Bakhmut, Sloviansk, Avdiyivka, Chasiv Yar, the towns of Severny and Pivden, and the villages of Oleksandrivka, Kurdyumivka, Zhelanne, Tonenke, and Vozdvizhenka, the police said. 

Ukrainian separatists backed by Russia said they have “completely” encircled the key city of Lysychansk in the eastern Luhansk region. “Today the Lugansk popular militia and Russian forces occupied the last strategic heights, which allows us to confirm that Lysychansk is completely encircled,” Andrei Marotchko, a spokesman for the separatist forces, told the TASS news agency.

Russian forces destroyed five Ukrainian army command posts in the Donbas and in the Mykolaiv region with high-precision weapons and also struck three storage sites in the Zaporizhzhia region, the defence ministry said. 

Notably, the mayor of Ukrainian city Mykolaiv has warned residents to stay in their shelters as powerful explosions rock the city.

According to head of the local administration, Dmytro Zhivytsky, Russian troops began fire at 9am on July 1 and within 24 hours, an estimated 270 projectiles of "various calibres" were spotted in the Sumy region leading to destruction.

Russia's Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, on Friday stated that stripping off Moscow's permanent membership in the Security Council will only be possible if the organisation "was disbanded and created anew." Speaking in a live interview with Soloviev TV, Polyanskiy reprimanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of trying to "stir up" the UNSC member states. The Russian envoy claimed that the Kyiv leadership is trying to inject newer angles into the issues that the UNSC members are "growing increasingly tired of."

"The UN officials have provided due clarification...this is total nonsense," Polyanskiy retorted, as quoted by TASS.

"Both Zelenskyy and Ukrainian envoy to the UN (Serhiy Kyslytsya) and wasting their breath claiming that time to time that Russia has no right to this (UNSC) seat...," Polyanskiy said.

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Poland on Friday announced that it will suspend special benefits for Ukrainian refugees residing in the country for more than four months amid the ongoing war in Kyiv. Speaking to a national publication Rzeczpospolita, Polish Deputy Interior Minister and Commissioner for Refugees Pawel Szefernaker said, July 1 was the last day for Ukrainian refugees to avail of the $9 per day allotment for food and accommodation, the move that was taken to encourage more people to "adapt in the country." He added, "We are convinced that many (Ukrainian refugees) in Poland are capable of becoming independent and adapting."

The official explained that the step taken by Warsaw is aimed at pushing more Ukrainians "to be active" and opt for jobs instead. "In our opinion, four months of full protection is enough time to blend into the community and culture and adapt to the country," Szefernaker suggested. Poland, however, will make exceptions for those with disabilities, pregnant women, and families with many children.

Warsaw has remained one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine among European countries since the inception of the Russian invasion. Apart from providing Ukraine with more than half of its military tank stockpile, Poland has also accepted and accommodated hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers ever since the war began. As per UN estimates, at least 1.5 million have remained in Poland out of the 4.3 million people passing through Polish territory.

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Four were killed and at least 12 injured in one day in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, said region's Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko while adding that a civilian injured in an attack in Luhansk Oblast had later died in Bakhmut.

At least 35 nations have demanded to suspend Russia and Belarus to be suspended from international sports organizations, according to the joint statement signed by 25 EU countries and 10 non-European nations, including the US, Canada and Japan. Moreover, Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk on July 1 called to remove Russia and Belarusian representatives from the governing bodies of sports organizations. He also suggested to stop broadcasting international sports events in Russia.

Ukraine's office of the Prosecutor General on Saturday claimed that at least 344 children have been killed in the ex-Soviet nation since the war began on Feb 24.

"As of the morning of July 2, 2022, more than 984 children were affected in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. According to the official data of the juvenile prosecutors, 344 children were killed and more than 640 children were injured," the official statement released on Telegram said. The statistic does not however include data from active war zones. 

US has accused several companies and research institutes in China of supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In its latest report, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) -an agency affiliated to the US Department of Commerce-added a total of 36 entities from around nine countries to its Entity List. Six out of the total were included specifically for their continued support to Putin’s War of Attrition. Apart from China, other countries which came under renewed scrutinty were UAE, Pakistan, Russia amongst others.

The list mentions all the entities who the department deems as conducting activities that could result in an increased risk of the diversion of exported, reexported and transferred items to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. Since its initial publication, grounds for inclusion on the Entity List have expanded to activities sanctioned by the State Department and acts contrary to US national security and/or foreign policy interests, as per the State Department website. Notably, the latest edition also includes two Chinese names, which have been on the list since 2018 and have shown continued support to Kremlin troops, despite White House sanctions.

As of July 1, Ukraine's General Armed Forces stated that Russia has lost around 35,870 soldiers, 1,582 tanks among several other losses.

During the joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Moscow's forces have fired at least 3,000 missiles into Ukraine. Gahr and Zelenskyy had discussed further support for Kyiv amid the ongoing war.

Ukraine's General Staff reported that Russian forces are trying to fend off Ukrainian advances near Kharkiv. Belarus has also reportedly extended mobilization training until June 9. It added that Russian forces were on the defensive near Sloviansk, as they continue to shell towards Kramatorsk. 

US Department of defence or Pentagon has confirmed that vulnerability to Ukrainian strikes was the reason behind the Russian retreat from Snake Island after over four months of the war. Pentagon said on Friday that there is no credence to Russia claiming its withdrawal from Snake Island was a “gesture of goodwill.” A senior US Defence official stated that Russian forces left the island because “Ukrainians made it very hard for the Russians to sustain their operations there (and) made them very vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes", stated Kyiv Independent. 

As Russia occupied some of the Ukrainian regions, the United States believes that Moscow's forces do not have sufficient forces to control Kherson Oblast. According to CNN, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the Kremlin “faces rising partisan activity in southern Ukraine,” posing a challenge to Russia’s attempts to control the region. As per the media outlet, another American official said Russia likely does not have sufficient forces in Kherson Oblast, especially considering its dedication of troops to Donbas.

Institute for the Study of War has stated that Kremlin might be preparing to mobilize the Russian economy to sustain the war. According to ISW, Kremlin proposed an amendment to introduce “special measures” requiring Russian businesses to “supply Russian special military and counterterrorist operations.” Kyiv Independent reported ISW suggesting that Russia is likely trying to directly merge the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant into the Russian energy system, in contrast to previous Russian claims that the nuclear plant would sell electricity to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the missile strike in Odesa Oblast “terror against our people” as the Russian strike killed 21 people and injured dozens on Friday. During a briefing with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Zelenskyy said the Russian missile strike on Mykolaiv “is not a random attack, but terror against our people”. Earlier, Russia shelled a residential tower and a recreational centre in the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa which claimed several lives as the war continued unabated for over four months.
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "I commend US historic decision to provide UA with new security assistance package, including modern air defense systems. Thank you POTUS for your continued leadership and support of UA in its fight against the aggressor. Together towards the victory!"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained on his heels to bolster support from the global community against the Russian Federation as the war continues to escalate in eastern Europe for over 128 days. On Friday, the embattled President held a series of telephonic conversations with his Latin American counterparts in an attempt to buttress support and rebuild old relations. "I continue to establish relations with an important region- Latin America," Zelenskyy wrote in a Twitter post after a call with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez Prenza and their Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric.

In a 35-minute call, the president of the war-torn nation thanked Prenza for the bulk humanitarian assistance delivered to Ukraine as well as public condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war he waged on February 24.

Amid concerns of the Moscow-Kyiv war causing an acute food crisis, Ukraine has called on Turkey to seize the ship carrying grain from a Russian-occupied part of the country to be seized. According to a BBC report, Kyiv made the request regarding a Russian-flagged ship, the Zhibek Zholy which left the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk for the Turkish port of Karasu. 

However, the report stated that it was unclear where the cargo came from or how it was obtained but Moscow but it left the Ukrainian region amid accusations that Russia has been stealing grain from areas. But Russia has denied all allegations. 

While Berdyansk is in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region on the Sea of Azov, the news about the ship leaving the port was announced on social media by Yevhen Balytskyi, the recently-appointed governor of the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia. As per the report, Balytskyi said 7,000 tonnes of grain would be sent to "friendly" countries. He reportedly also said that ships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet would be "ensuring the security" of the journey. Balytskyi informed that the port was cleared of sea mines.
 

The pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine have charged two more Britons with fighting with the Ukrainian army as mercenaries, reported Russian state media. Britons Andrew Hill of Plymouth and Dylan Healy of Huntingdon have been reportedly charged with “forcible seizure of power” and undergoing “terrorist” training, stated The Guardian citing a state news agency in Russian-controlled Donetsk. 

The charges slapped on Hill and Healy indicate that they could face the death penalty as Russia categorically denied protection under Geneva Conventions to other foreign nationals captured by Moscow’s forces in four months of the Moscow-Kyiv war. 

Two Britons and a Moroccan man were sentenced to death last month on similar charges by authorities in the Donetsk region. Even though no date was set was the sentences to be carried out, two of those men are challenging the verdict. The UK, the European Union and the rest of the West have been pressuring Russia to not carry out the death sentences handed out to Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

The Guardian stated in its report that Hill was identified as a father of four from Plymouth and he has been previously paraded on Russian television in multiple clips. One of such clips aired last month with the headline, ‘Exclusive - before the execution’ and in the video, he appeared to have been informed that he might face criminal charges. He was told that he was being “detained here as a suspected mercenary”.
 

The United States announced another $820 million in new military aid for Kyiv as Moscow’s forces stretch into the fifth month. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Washington’s latest move in support for Ukraine and noted that people in the war-torn nation “continue to face a brutality highlighted once again this week by an attack that struck a shopping mall filled with civilians” referring to the Russian shelling of shopping centre in Kremenchuk on Monday.

Blinken said, “Ukrainians continue to face a brutality highlighted once again this week by an attack that struck a shopping mall filled with civilians.  They continue to fight for their country, and the United States continues to stand by them and their just cause.” 

He added, “As the United States prepares to commemorate our independence, we remain committed to the independence, security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said Russian forces carried out two airstrikes on July 1 with phosphorous bombs on Snake Island. Russian troops withdrew from the island on June 30, according to Kyiv Independent.

Comcast-owned American film production and distribution company, Universal Pictures has left Russia completely. The company has shut its offices in the country and all operations will be stopped within a few months. It is to note here that since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the 'special' military operation in Ukraine, major Hollywood studios, Universal, Warner Bros., Disney, Sony and Paramount - announced a temporary halt film distribution in Russia in March.

Earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry had announced that  it received the 1-billion-euro grant promised by Germany on June 25, which will be used to “finance priority social and humanitarian expenditures during martial law.”

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has been awarded title of Honorary Citizen of Odesa, the Kyiv Independent reports.Odesa mayor Henadiy Trukhanov signed an order that awarded Johnson with the Hryhoryia Marazly Honorary Badges of I, II, III degree.

The European Union’s executive arm on Friday pledged to draft an emergency plan this month aimed at helping member countries do without Russian energy in the wake of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the initiative would build on EU moves to ditch Russian coal, oil and natural gas and would complement a bloc-wide push to accelerate the development of renewable energy such as wind and solar power.

“We are preparing emergency plans for Europe,” von der Leyen said in the Czech town of Litomysl, where she marked the start of the country’s six-month stint as holder of the rotating EU presidency. “Energy prices are high. People -- rightly so -- expect us to do something about it.”

Image/Source: Associated Press

Ukraine has said that it believes the recent attack on a residential area of Odesa was "payback," according to Sky news. The withdrawal of Russian troops from strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea happened after Ukrainian forces fought back significantly.  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also iterated that Russian warplanes fired three missiles that hit residential building Odesa region.

Russian airstrike on residential areas killed at least 21 people early Friday near the Ukrainian port of Odesa, authorities reported, a day after the withdrawal of Moscow’s forces from an island in the Black Sea had seemed to ease the threat to the city. Video of the attack before daybreak showed the charred ruins of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Odesa. The Ukrainian president’s office said warplanes fired three missiles that struck an apartment building and a campsite.

Source/Images: AP

Ukraine's military is able to hit Russian command posts using rocket launch system that has given them success in battlefield, a US defense official said, as per CNN.  “The Ukrainians are able to carefully select targets that will undermine the effort by Russia in a more systematic way certainly than they would be able to do with the shorter range artillery systems,” the official said, speaking to a group of reporters Friday.

 UK Foreign Office has condemned  the “exploitation” of prisoners for “political purposes” after the two Britons captured in Ukraine were charged with "mercenaries activities." One of the prisoner faces possibility of a death sentence in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). 

“We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war and civilians for political purposes and have raised this with Russia,” a spokesperson for the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office told CNN. “We are in constant contact with the Government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released,” the spokesperson added.

Poland’s northern city of Gdansk on Friday honored the resistance put up by the Ukrainian city of Mariupol against Russian forces by naming a city square after it. The ceremony also included an open-air exhibition of photographs from inside Mariupol showing its residents’ and defenders’ suffering during the protracted Russian siege.

Gdansk officials said that naming a city square “Heroic Mariupol” was a call for more help and support for Ukraine in its struggle to protect its sovereignty. The Russian siege saw the port city shelled for weeks, resulting in many civilian deaths. Poland — including Gdansk — has provided shelter to millions of refugees from Ukraine.

Gdansk also has a square named “Free Ukraine.”

Source: Associated Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed on with his campaign to obtain support from Latin America with calls Friday to the leaders of Argentina and Chile.

“I continue to establish relations with an important region — Latin America,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

The conversations with Alberto Fernández of Argentina and Gabriel Boric of Chile came a little more than two weeks after Zelenskyy spoke with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso and Guatemalans President Alejandro Giammattei.

At the time, Zelenskyy said in a speech that the conversations with Lasso and Giammattei marked “the beginning of our new policy of restoring relations with Latin America.”

Fernández held a 35-minute call with Ukraine’s leader, in which he offered help in any negotiations that may take place with Russia, Argentina’s government said in a news release.

Source/Image: AP

Ukraine’s army has accused Russia using incendiary phosphorus munitions on Snake Island Friday. This came just a day after Russian troops declared that they have withdrawn from the Snake Island, situated in the strategic Black Sea outpost.  “Today at around 18:00... Russian air force SU-30 planes twice conducted strikes with phosphorus bombs on Zmiinyi island,” Ukraine military said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of terrorism against Ukraine’s cities and the civilians. Ukraine's president condemned the missile attack on Serhiivka, in the south of Ukraine. “This is not a single strike and not an accident, as the Russian mass media say every day. This is a targeted Russian missile attack, Russian terror against our cities, towns, our people — adults and children.”

Pentagon has announced an additional $820 million in military aid to Ukraine which includes surface-to-air missile systems and counter-artillery radars to counter Russia's mighty fire power. The new package will include nearly 150,000 rounds of millimeter artillery ammunition as well as two Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system  NASAMS.

Russia's Ambassador Oleg Stepanov sent greetings to the people of Canada and to the Governor General of Canada on occassion of Canada Day in a rare warm message since the onset of Ukraine war. Moscow sent "best wishes for continued prosperity and well-being" to Canadians, adding its "genuine interest in stable good-neighbourly relations with Canada."

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, on Friday slammed Russia as "terrorist state" for launching an attack on the  missile  Odesa region that claimed lives of 21 people and injured several civilians. Ukraine's Foreign Minister requested for modern missile defence systems from its allies  “to put an end to this war”.

Two British captured by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine have been charged with "mercenary activities", according to the Russia's state affiliated TASS. Dylan Healy, 22, and Andrew Hill, 35, are in captivity of Russians, and have been charged by DPR investigators. Healy was detained at a Russian military checkpoint and is now facing the death penalty. He was employed for British non-profit organisation Presidium Network in April and went into Ukraine war to fight under the Foreing Legion of Kyiv. He was captured at south of the city of Zaporizhzhia with Paul Urey, 45. No mention was made of the latter. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his visiting Norwegian counterpart for monetary aid, saying Ukraine has "real friends" nearby. Ukrainian leader called Norway a "diligent and rational member of the international community." He also labeleld Russia's missile strike on the port city of Odesa as an "act of terror against our cities." 

At the conference, Ukraine's Zelenskyy iterated: "This brutality from Russia yet again confirms how correct the decision of our partners was to support Ukraine with defensive weapons. No country should be left alone against this evil and I'm grateful to Norway." 

Norway on July 1 pledged an estimated one billion euros financial support for Ukraine, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced at a briefing during her trip to Kyiv. "I have come to Kyiv today to say after five months of terrible war that Norway will pledge its solidarity with the people of Ukraine. And we will pledge one billion euros in support to your country and your people for the remaining part of 2022 and for 2023," he said.

The financial aid will help Ukraine rebuild as well as will be used as humanitarian aid, support Ukraine's defense, and help the war torn nation rebuild. 

Credit: Twitter/@MattiasSvea

The Russian Federation's armed forces do not shoot at civilian targets during the 'special operation', the Russian press secretary claimed on July 1. According to Ria Novosti, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of Russia, on being asked about the missile attack on a residential building in the Odessa region, stated that the target were warehouses, military ammunition, and enterprises where military equipment is prepared, repaired and stored.

"I want to remind you once again the words of the President of the Russian Federation that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during a special military operation do not work on civilian targets. They do not work on civilian targets, civilian infrastructure. At the same time, they work on warehouses, on military ammunition, at enterprises where military equipment is prepared and repaired, ammunition is stored, places of concentration, training and education of mercenaries, including foreign mercenaries and nationalist elements," Peskov stated, Ria Novosti reported.

The Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrated the capabilities of Poland's self-propelled tracked gun-howitzers "Krab." According to reports, Poland provided it to Ukraine in order to demilitarize the Russian invaders.

As per the agreement made between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 14th BRICS Summit which was convened on June 23-24, both the leaders held a telephonic conversation on Friday (July 1). Taking to Twitter, Russian Embassy in India stated that Putin briefed PM Modi on the ongoing Ukraine war where the Prime Minister reiterated India's long-standing position in the favour of dialogue and diplomacy. 

At the request of PM Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin also elaborated on the key aspects of the Russian special military operation, emphasizing the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kyiv regime and its Western patrons aimed at escalating the crisis and disrupting efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically.

Read more. 

Ukraine's emergency services have claimed that the death toll from Russia's overnight strikes in the Odessa region has risen to 20, with at least 38 others injured. It stated that the attack on a residential building claimed the lives of at least 16 people, while a second attack on a recreation facility claimed the lives of four more including a child. According to authorities, a third strike landed in a field. "We don't expect to find anyone alive, but there is a chance,” the first deputy interior minister of Ukraine, Yevhenii Yenin stated, as per CNN. 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed that country's troops have destroyed an expensive Russian drone known as "Forpost." "In the morning, July 01, the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Command "South" destroyed the Russian unmanned aircraft "Forpost", which was trying to find a target for impact in Mykolaiv region," it stated in a Facebook post.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has handed full control over a major oil and natural gas project partly owned by Shell and two Japanese companies to a newly created Russian firm, a bold move amid spiralling tensions with the West over Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.

Putin’s decree late Thursday orders the creation of a new company that would take over ownership of Sakhalin Energy Investment Co., which is nearly 50% controlled by British energy giant Shell and Japan-based Mitsui and Mitsubishi.

Putin’s order named “threats to Russia’s national interests and its economic security” as the reason for the move at Sakhalin-2, one of the world’s largest export-oriented oil and natural gas projects. The presidential order gives the foreign firms a month to decide if they want to retain the same shares in the new company.

Russian state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom had a controlling stake in Sakhalin-2, the country’s first offshore gas project that accounts for about 4% of the world’s market for liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Japan, South Korea and China are the main customers for the project’s oil and LNG exports.

Associated Press

Ukrainian top officials signed a joint declaration on Friday to support the war-torn nation's bid to gain full membership of the European Union (EU). This comes days after the EU granted the candidacy status for the bloc's membership to Ukraine on June on June 23. "Today, we are signing a joint statement, which is a signal of the unity of all branches of government and evidence of our determination to achieve the strategic goal of Ukraine, namely: full membership in the European Union," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. 

The European Union (EU) countries for the first time in history imported more Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the United States than pipeline gas from Russia. This was declared by Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA). "The drop in Russian supply calls for efforts to reduce EU demand to prepare for a tough winter," he wrote on Twitter. According to the data shared by him, the volume of US LNG shipments to Europe in June amounted to around 5 billion cubic metres, whereas, the amount of natural gas imported from Russia decreased marginally.

An international film festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary kicked off Friday amid controversy following a protest by Ukraine over the screening of a Russian film alongside Ukrainian-made movies. Prior to the start of the 56th edition of the festival, several leading Ukrainian filmmakers along with Ukraine’s ambassador to Prague protested the scheduled screening of “Captain Volkonogov Escaped.”

Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Perebyinis said in an open letter that it would be “inhuman” to screen Ukrainian films alongside a Russian movie made with support from Russia’s Culture Ministry at a time when Russian troops had “committed atrocities” during their invasion of his country.

Organizers said they consider the Russian movie - whose world premiere was at last year’s Venice Film Festival - as being indirectly critical of the current Russian leadership. Four Ukrainian films and eight other nearly-completed movies produced or co-produced by Ukraine will also be screened at the festival.

After being cancelled in 2020 and delayed in 2021 due to the pandemic, this year’s festival will culminate in a ceremony to honour Australian Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush for his contribution to world cinema.

Associated Press

In a recent development, the Ukrainian Parliament appointed Dmytro Lubinets as Ukraine's new ombudsman. "On July 1, Verkhovna Rada approved the appointment of lawmaker Dmytro Lubinets as Ukraine’s new ombudsman, another lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak reported. Lubinets headed the parliament’s human rights committee," the Kyiv Independent reported. 
 

Russian nationals will need a visa to visit Ukraine from Friday, July 1, after Kyiv ended a decade-long visa-free policy that enabled cross-border travel for people of both nations. Following a petition from a Ukrainian citizen, President Volodymyr Zelensky officially announced the decision to abolish the visa-free policy on Wednesday, June 29. Zelensky stated that he supports the implementation of stronger procedures for the entry of Russian citizens in view of Putin's invasion. 
 

Peter Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has claimed that a new mass grave has been discovered in the city. According to him, it could contain more than 100 bodies of civilians who were killed during the ongoing war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is ready to fully meet the fertilisers' demand of agricultural producers from “friendly countries”.  The Russian leader asserted that the Kremlin was ready to supply products like nitrogen, phosphate, and fertilisers inter alia. Notably, the US and its allies have accused Putin of creating a global hunger crisis by blocking Ukraine's grain exports. 

As per Kremlin, Putin’s remarks came in the aftermath of his meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The meeting between the two leaders is being deemed pivotal given the fact that Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year and is preparing to host a summit in Bali in November. Widodo, who has been neutral in his stance on the ongoing war in Ukraine, last week visited Kyiv wherein he held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

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Ukrainian Defence Ministry alleged that Russian forces attacked Odessa region on Thursday night, killing at least 18 people. It further stated that the enemy used the same X-22 missiles that were fired at the shopping mall in Kremenchuk. "It’s time to officially recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism," the Ukrainian ministry added.

A survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology suggested that as many as 90% of Ukrainians want integration with the European Union. On the other hand, at least 73% of Ukrainians said they want Kyiv to be a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

The death toll in Russian missile strikes on residential buildings in Odesa increased to 19, including 2 children. Rescue workers are currently dismantling the concrete to get more access in order to look for survivors. At least 30 people have been injured in the hit. 

At least 343 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Meanwhile, as many as 635 children have been wounded in the ongoing war. 

"More than 978 children have been affected in Ukraine as a result of full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation. According to the official information provided by juvenile prosecutors, 343 children have been killed and more than 635 have been injured,” the Prosecutor General's office says.

As per the report, most victims were from the Donetsk region (339), Kharkiv region (185), Kyiv region (116), Chernihiv region (68), Luhansk region (61), Mykolaiv region (53), Kherson region (52), and Zaporizhzhia region (31).

UK Defence Ministry on Friday said that Russia withdrew from Ukraine's Snake Island due to garrison's isolation and its vulnerability to Ukrainian strikes. According to the ministry, Ukraine conducted attacks against Russia's garrison on the island in the past few weeks and prevented Russian vessels from resupplying the garrison .

The flag of the European Parliament was 'solemnly planted' in the Ukrainian Parliament on Friday. The ceremony took place in the virtual presence of EU President Ursula von der Leyen after her address. 

During her speech, she emphasised that for Ukraine to join the European Union, it is necessary to adopt a law on media, reduce the influence of oligarchs and appoint top officials to combat corruption. NEXTA reported. She added Ukraine that Europe will stand by Ukraine in the "long way" from the "dark times" to the moment when Kyiv crosses the "threshold of our Union." 

Russia supports cybercriminals whose only mission is to destroy security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a virtual address at the 4Gamechangers festival in Vienna. "I'm sure you're all aware of how big corporations disregard people's right to privacy and appropriate a lot of data about each individual. But... What can you oppose it with when the largest state in the world does this and even much worse?" he questioned. 

Zelenskyy also slammed Moscow for promoting disinformation propaganda, saying Russia invests billions to foster state-owned media to run Kremlin's agenda. "What kind of trust in mass media will we be able to talk about over time, if Russia continues to spend billions of dollars annually to spread lies, and these lies remain in the information space even of the European Union?" he told the participants at the Vienna forum. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dismissed threats by Russia's president of a possible nuclear strike over Ukraine as "sabre-rattling".

He made the comment in an excerpt of an interview scheduled to be broadcast on LBC Radio's "Nick Ferrari at Breakfast" programme on Friday.

That followed an opinion piece penned by the former British Ambassador to Washington, Kim Darroch, in the Daily Telegraph, where the diplomat warned NATO that Russian President Vladimir Putin may "resort to nuclear weapons" over the war in Ukraine.

Johnson dismissed Darroch's analysis and insisted that it is Putin's desire to frame the conflict as "Russia versus NATO."

He later described the war in Ukraine as a "wanton, illegal, unprovoked active aggression against a sovereign independent country."

Asked whether NATO had acted as a united alliance in its Madrid summit this week, Johnson said the conversations are now over "changing the dynamic" of the conflict.

Commenting further on the withdrawal of Russian forces from a strategic Black Sea island on Thursday, Johnson said the pullout from Snake Island was a "lesson."

The Kremlin portrayed the pullout from Snake Island as a "goodwill gesture."

But Ukraine's military claimed it forced the Russians to flee in two small speedboats following a barrage of Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes.

Associated Press

On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Spain, scores of Ukrainian nationals protested on Wednesday in the nation’s capital, Madrid, urging the alliance to support war-torn Ukraine and to put a stoppage to the conflict. The sizable pro-NATO crowd gathered in Madrid to show their support for Ukraine in its struggle with Russia. According to an Associated Press report, the Ukrainians residing in Spain participated in the peaceful demonstration in support of the alliance and welcomed it for supporting Ukraine during Russia's invasion. 

Furthermore, the head of the Ukrainian community in Spain, Yuriy Chopyk, expressed gratitude to the NATO members and allies for their assistance, noting that the aid provided so far is insufficient to combat Russian forces, Associated Press reported. He asserted that NATO needed to end the conflict because "they are killing us, destroying the whole country, destroying the Ukrainian nation”.   

Chopyk further demanded that efforts be doubled and that additional weapons and military hardware be supplied. NATO must assist in putting an end to Russia's "genocide" of the Ukrainian people, citing Chopyk, Associated Press reported.  In addition to this, the executive director of the anti-corruption Action Center spoke about NATO's role in defending Europe. 

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At least 18 people have been killed by a Russian missile strike in the Odesa region. The deceased included two children, the Associated Press reported. More than 30 have been wounded

Ukraine Armed Forces in its latest military briefing claimed that its defenders have eliminated 35,750 Russian troops since February 24. Apart from this, they have also destroyed over 240 artillery systems and 3,700 armoured personnel vehicle. 

In a virtual address to the Ukrainian Parliament, EU President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday acknowledged the brave battle of the Ukrainians against Russian aggression. 

She affirmed that Europe "will do everything in power" to help Ukraine "win" the war against Russia. "We will not rest until you prevail," she added. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday congratulated Czech Republic PM Petr Fiala on assuming the presidency of the European Council. "We wish you success in implementing the ambitious priorities of @EU2022_CZ, key among which is support for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a Twitter post. 

Several explosions were heard in the Mykolaiv region today after Russian missiles hit a factory earlier today, said regional head Oleksandr Sienkevych. 

The head of the Washington-based Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball on Thursday stressed that Russia and the US must engage in a "strategic stability dialogue" to reduce the threat of nuclear threat escalation. Speaking to TASS News Agency, he added that both sides, including US-led NATO, must "sober up" and give up their "nuclear rhetoric" and resume their Strategic Stability Dialogue at an early date- which both sides endorse. 

"Russian and NATO leaders must sober-up and refrain from threatening nuclear rhetoric and actions that increase the risk of nuclear escalation, such as moving to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, putting strategic weapons on higher alert levels, or developing new types of nuclear weapons designed for fighting and ‘winning’ a regional nuclear war," Kimball told TASS. 

Referring to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), he added, "We also encourage Washington and Moscow to resume their Strategic Stability Dialogue at an early date - something both sides say they support - and reach agreement on new mechanisms to maintain common sense restraints on their bloated nuclear stockpiles as the February 2026 expiry date for New START approaches."

A letter released by the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday stated that it has sanctioned at least 13 Russian officials including the Children’s Rights Commissioner for the Russian President Maria Lvova-Belova. According to TASS News Agency, Canberra also imposed "autonomous" penalties on Russian Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev, and Minister for Construction, Housing, and Utilities Irek Faizullin. 

Other individuals being blacklisted are: 

• President of the Gazfond non-governmental pension fund Yury Shamalov,
• entrepreneur Alexander Plekhov,
• member of the Board of Directors at Sogaz Mikhail Klishin,
• Chairman of the Board of the Rosgeologia company Sergey Gorkov,
• co-founder of the Kievskaya Ploshchad company God Nisanov,
• former President of the AFK Sistema company Yevgeny Novitsky,
• Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESN Group Grigory Berezkin and
• President of Mercury Group Igor Kesaev
• entrepreneur Igor Putin,
• Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Sogaz Insurance Mikhail Putin,
• Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MRT Group of Companies Roman Putin and
• Chair of the Board of the National Media Group Alina Kabaeva.

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a presser at the Foreign Intelligence Service’s head office dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Russia’s illegal intelligence on Thursday accused the West of "cynically using millions of Ukrainians for geopolitical gains."

"In its actions, the so-called collective West <...> proceeds from the fact that there is no alternative to its model of liberal globalism. However, let’s call a spade a spade: this model is nothing but a new version of neocolonialism and a US-style world order for the chosen ones, where the rights of others are simply trampled on. It's clearly illustrated by the fate of many countries and nations in the Middle East and other regions of the world, as well as of millions of people in Ukraine, whom the West is cynically using as consumables in geopolitical games aimed at containing Russia," Putin said, as quoted by TASS. 

According to a report by the Institute for Study of War (ISW), Russia-appointed authorities in occupied Energodar are disseminating falsified information on non-cash payments. This prompted Ukrainians to withdraw local currency- Hryvnias- in large amounts. 

In the past 24 hours, Ukraine's military claimed to have killed at least 35 Russian troops. In addition, they have destroyed two modernised T-72B3 tanks and four armoured units on the southern frontlines. 

In a bid to assist Ukraine to combat Russia's ‘unprovoked’ war, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his nation will quickly supply the weapons which the war-torn nation needs to defend itself, including a sizable number of armoured vehicles and six additional Caesar howitzers. He further assured that France along with the allies, and the partners from Europe will be there with Ukraine.  

It is to mention that CAESAR is a French self-propelled 155 mm, 52-calibre, howitzer that is installed on a 6x6 or 8x8 truck chassis. It can fire all 39/52 caliber NATO-standard shells and accurately hit targets situated 40 kilometres away.

Taking to Twitter, President Macron said that they have 'unanimously decided' to increase their economic, humanitarian, as well as military assistance for Ukraine at NATO. “The allies are shouldering their responsibilities,” he added.  

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At least 14 people, including 3 children were killed after Russian missiles struck a residential building in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district of the Odesa. Another 30 were injured, including 3 children, said the State Emergency Service. So far rescue workers have been able to retrieve 7 people, including 3 children, from under the debris.

Ukrainian Armed Forces in its latest operational briefing updated that Russian troops have focused their efforts on surrounding defender forces in Lysychansk. Meanwhile, the Russians have also established full control over Luhansk region and conducted storm operations to block logistics supply to Ukrainian units. 

In the first historic development between Ukraine and the European Union nations, Kyiv is set to begin electricity exports to Romania. "The initial volume is 100 megawatts. The visa-free energy regime with the EU, which has been launched since March 2022, is giving a comprehensive and practical result. During the first day, Ukrenergo National Power Company generated UAH 10 million from the sale of access to the interstate connection,” said Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal in a Telegram message.

"Ukraine launched a significant export of electricity to the territory of the EU, to Romania. And this is only the first stage. We are preparing to increase supply," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The significant rapprochement with the European Union will help reduce dependence on Russian gas, said Zelenskyy during his night address. "That is, it is not just a question of export revenue for us, it is a question of security for the whole of Europe," he said in a statement. 

Zmiinyi Island is a strategic point, and it significantly changes the situation in the Black Sea, said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly address on Thursday.  Although, he added, "It does not guarantee safety yet, it does not yet guarantee that the enemy will not return. But it already limits the actions of the occupiers significantly. Step by step, we will drive them out of our sea, our land, and our sky." 

Meanwhile, the situation in Donbass remained "extremely difficult," Zelenskyy said. "The fire superiority of the occupiers is still extremely tangible - they have already taken everything from their reserves to hit us: the Luhansk region, the Donetsk region. I am grateful to everyone who defends our positions in such conditions. This is true heroism," he added. 

Australia has announced that it has imposed sanctions on Russian officials, including the Children's Rights Commissioner for the Russian President Maria Lvova-Belova and Russian ministers, according to the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The sanctions are also levied on another 12 Russian nationals, TASS reported.

The document released on Friday by the Australian Department of Home Affairs says that autonomous sanctions are being imposed on Russian Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev, and Minister for Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin.

Owing to a shortage of semiconductors, Russia could face "big problems" with manufacturing military equipment, alerted the US Department of Commerce.

This comes as sanctions have led to falling in semiconductor imports by Russia by 90%, which is necessary for high-precision missile tanks, the US Commerce Department said. 

During a meeting with the visiting Indonesian Prime Minister Joko Widodo, Russia's President Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow was blocking Ukrainian grain exports, and instead suggested an alternative route for the safe passage of the agricultural commodities to the international market. Putin offered to transit the Ukrainian grain via Romania, Poland, Belarus, the Danube, and the ports of the Sea of ​​Azov. The Russian leader made the offer just days after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced at a presser that Moscow had agreed to allow passage to an estimated 22 million tonnes of grain that has been sitting in silos to be shipped out in accordance with the United Nations' proposal. 

Putin on Thursday denied that his invading troops in Ukraine had blockaded the port of Odessa, and other major ports in the Black Sea, having earlier laid blame on Ukraine's military for mining the waters. “We do not prevent the export of Ukrainian grain. The Ukrainian military has mined the approaches to their ports, no one prevents them from clearing those mines and we guarantee the safety of shipping grain out of there,” Putin said at the conference. He once again blamed the Western sanctions for chaos in the global food market and inflation.

[IMAGE: Kremlin]

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After severing diplomatic ties with Damascus for its formal recognition of the pro-Russia separatist-controlled Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as 'independent', Ukraine on Thursday declared Syria's decision to be "an unfriendly act" against its regime. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine "strongly condemned'' the Syrian Arab Republic for becoming the first nation in the world to affirm Ukraine's breakaway territories' independence. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the decision of the Syrian Arab Republic to recognize the so-called 'independence' of the temporarily occupied territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine,” Ukraine asserted in a statement on Thursday. “We consider this decision to be an unfriendly act against Ukraine, an encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, and a gross violation of Ukrainian law, the UN Charter, and the fundamental norms and principles of international law," it added.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a brutal warning to Finland and Sweden, just two days after dropping his objection to them joining the NATO alliance. Addressing media reporters at the close of the NATO summit in Madrid, Erdogan asserted that if any of the two nordic nations renege on their promises, then his administration would not ratify the deal. Ankara had earlier objected to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, accusing them of housing pro-Kurdistan terrorists, but later lifted its objection after they promised to extradite the suspects. 

Erdogan said that the 10-article agreement with the Nordic countries was a victory for Ankara and addressed all its "sensitivities”. He particularly highlighted the extradition of terror suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or a network of exiled clerics accused of the failed coup in Turkey. But the leader said that if the nordic pair fail to act upon the agreement, then the Turkish Parliament could back from approving the deal. 

[IMAGE: AP

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The United Nations in the latest update on the condition of war-affected Ukrainians stated that more than half of those internally displaced have returned home. Citing data assimilated by the International Organisation for Migration reported that over 5.5 million people have returned home so far. However, a total of 6.2 million still remain internally displaced. 15% of those who returned said that their homes have been damaged in the war, IOM said. 

On July 1, two Russian missiles hit a 9-story high-rise and another targeted a leisure complex in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky District in Odessa killing as many as 10 people. 7 more were injured in the attack. 

The US Treasury Department on June 30 blocked a Delaware-based company Heritage Trust due to links with Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. The firm worth over $1 billion allegedly brought money into the US through shell companies, The Guardian reported. 

The Brigadier General of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksii Hromov on June 30 claimed that Russia has been using less precise missiles from Soviet stocks to strike Ukraine. "Russia's targets remain military facilities, critical infrastructure and transport networks," he said as quoted by Kyiv Independent. He added that the civilian population is suffering significant losses due to (poorly targetted) strikes. His remarks come as Russian troops have escalated their missile attacks in the wake of the two crucial summits held in past weeks- G7 & NATO. According to Ukraine's official data cited by Kyiv Independent, the missile attacks count stand at 202 until June 30. 

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Thursday inked a deal to deliver 39 armored combat support vehicles (ACSVs) to Ukraine. His announcement came after the end of NATo's Madrid Summit. 

“The light armoured vehicles we will be sending over will be extremely effective. We’re just glad to help and we’re going to continue to look and respond to things that they need," Trudeau told reporters at the summit. 

It is to note that the ACSVs was originally brought for the Canadian army but will be sent over to Ukraine to help bolster defence against Russia. “Stocks for the Canadian military will be replenished as quickly as possible... We need to make sure that the women and men of the Canadian Forces have the equipment they need to continue their mission and step up as necessary," he said adding that Ottawa recognised it as the best use of the vehicles as of now. 

In a show of support of continued support to Ukraine in the fight against Russia, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern on Thursday stated: "I passed on New Zealand’s solidarity, and our commitment to keep standing with Ukraine as they fight the illegal invasion of their country.”

Although, her statement came a day after she rejected Kyiv's invitation to visit the country citing a time crunch. Nevertheless, Ardern called Zelenskyy on Thursday morning to discuss "strengthening of sanctions on Russia and ways of bringing the aggressor to justice. Invited to join the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote in a Twitter post. 

“There is a lot of shelling and from multiple directions. The Russian army is approaching from different directions towards Lysychansk,” said Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast. He added that Russian forces remain on the city outskirts where there is currently no street fighting.

The situation in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk is “extremely difficult.” The Russian forces’ have continued shelling making it impossible for civilian evacuation in the region, he added.