Another early morning in which there were attacks in the Donbass region, in the east of the country. In the Donetsk area, already 55% controlled by the Russians, four civilians were killed in the attacks. Already in Lugansk the shelling of Severodonetsk continues, while villages near Lysychansk have been taken.
On the political front, this Thursday will be marked by the meeting of European leaders in Brussels to decide the future of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union (EU). President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky spent the day before and this Thursday in phone calls to European leaders. “We deserve it,” he says, about Ukraine’s entry into the EU. Already the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, speaks of a “wind of change”, at the same time that the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, defined the current moment as “decisive”.
The European Parliament also passed a resolution recommending that European leaders confirm Ukraine’s status as a candidate country “without delay”. The proposal received more than 500 votes in favor.
What happened during sunrise and morning?
- European leaders will meet this Thursday in Brussels, in a meeting in which it will be formally decided whether Ukraine will be granted the status of a candidate country to the European Union or not. Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will spend the day making phone calls to European leaders. Before the summit, Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “wind of change” and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, called the moment “decisive”.
- The European Parliament (EP) recommended to the European Council to grant “without delay” the status of candidate country to the European bloc to Ukraine and Moldova, in a resolution approved by a large majority (529 votes in favor).
- The Ukrainian governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, announced that four people have been killed by attacks by Russian forces in that area in the last few hours.
- The Russian offensive near Lysychansk advances, with troops occupying two more towns, Loskutivka and Rai-Oleksandrivka. The British Ministry of Defense says that Lysychansk and Severodonetsk are “under increasing pressure”.
- The Ukrainian government confirmed that the Sumy region in northern Ukraine was hit by shelling that killed one person and wounded five others.
- Mukolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych announced on his Telegram channel that explosions were heard in the city of Mykolaiv. A few hours later, the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed that the city was hit by three Russian cruise missiles.
- The Ukrainian armed forces confirmed today that their operation to try to recapture Snake Island in the Black Sea continues and that a Russian missile launch system placed on the island has been hit.
- The Russian Defense Ministry says it has killed 650 Ukrainian soldiers in the last 24 hours. In its most recent daily report, the institution highlights that “the enemy” continues “suffering significant losses.”
- Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced that HIMARS rocket launch systems sent by the United States have arrived on Ukrainian territory.
- One of the British soldiers sentenced by a military court of the pro-Russian separatist authorities in Donetsk will be executed, according to information given to him and transmitted by him to his family. The three foreign soldiers captured by the pro-Russian forces in Donetsk – the British Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin and the Moroccan Saadoun Brahim – are preparing an appeal against the death penalty, the TASS news agency confirmed.
- Today is the first preliminary session of the trial of a Russian soldier accused of raping a Ukrainian woman during the invasion, Mikhail Romanov.
- United Nations experts announced today that 152 historical and cultural monuments or buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed in recent months by Russian attacks.
- Germany today entered phase 2 of its emergency gas supply plan, which has three levels. This phase is activated when there is a “high risk” of long-term gas supply problems. Asked about the issue, the German Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, refused to rule out the possibility of rationing gas distribution in the country.
- The United Kingdom today announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, this time applied to the area of international trade. Specifically, London stops exporting various goods and technology to Moscow, as well as jet fuel and banknotes in pounds or euros.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Russia has any responsibility for the current food crisis, caused by the shortage of cereals exported from Ukraine. “I want to emphasize once again that there is no link between Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and the food crisis,” the Russian official said.
- The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal accused Russia of using hunger as a weapon, which afflicts several countries, which are still struggling against the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Russia is using completely unacceptable and inhumane tactics typical of medieval times and using hunger as a weapon,” Francisco André said.
- The vice president of the Russian Security Council and an ally of Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, today published an essay in which he harshly criticizes Western leaders and states that “Mario Draghi is not a Silvio Berlusconi and Olaf Scholz is not an Angela Merkel” .
Source: Observadora