Ukrainian troops, on the defensive for months, will soon counterattack as Russia’s offensive appears to be faltering, a military commander said, but Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that unless they receive weapons and ammunition quickly, war could it lasts for years.
Ukrainian soldier on the Bahmut front, preparing for the counter-offensive against the RussiansPhoto: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia
The Latest on the Ukraine War, Day 394, LIVETEXT:
07:33 Russian forces may have to advance as far as Kiev or Lviv in Ukraine, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian news agencies.
“Nothing can be ruled out here. If we have to get to Kiev, then we have to go to Kiev, if to Lviv, then we have to go to Lviv to destroy this infection,” Medvedev said on Friday, quoted by RIA Novosti.
07:05NATO is looking for its leader – here are the candidates known so far / President Iohannis, on the list
07:00 VIDEO Prigozhin talks about a plan of Ukraine to return to the borders of 1991: “They are preparing 3 strategic strikes”
01:17 Zelensky: On the free territory of the Kherson region, more than 50 villages were almost completely destroyed by the occupier
00:21 Von der Leyen launches an initiative with Ukraine and Poland for the repatriation of children kidnapped by Russia
Brief recap of recent events:
- The Ukrainian army “will very soon take advantage” of the situation on the Bahmut front, where Russian attacks are slowing down due to heavy losses, says Oleksandr Sirski, Ukraine’s most feared general.
- The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, opened the door to possible negotiations on the borders of Ukraine on Thursday, reiterating at the same time that the decision will belong to Kiev.
- Zelenskiy again urged Europe to speed up the delivery of weapons to his country and, in particular, to send long-range missiles and more modern aircraft.
- Ukrainian officials say the Russians have suffered heavy losses in three hot spots along the front lines.
- British military intelligence said Russia had partially regained control of the approaches to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kreminna after its forces were pushed back from the region earlier this year.
- Russian troops have left the town of Nova Kakovka in southern Kherson region, the Ukrainian military said, but an official stationed by Russia in the region denied the report. European Union leaders held talks with UN chief Antonio Guterres on global food security and sanctions against Russia, and also approved a plan to supply more artillery shells to Kiev.
- Any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Kremlin leader would amount to a declaration of war against Russia, Dmitry Medvedev said. Hungary would not arrest Putin if he entered the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said.
- Slovakia has handed over the first four promised MiG-29s to Ukraine, with the rest to be delivered in the coming weeks.
- Images appearing on social media lead military experts to believe Ukraine used a new type of naval drone in an attack on the port city of Sevastopol on Tuesday.
- The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament approved the bill ratifying Finland’s NATO membership on Thursday.
- Finland’s defense minister said Thursday that he does not want to donate Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine, despite Ukraine’s request for such planes, but will send three more Leopard battle tanks.
- Ukrainian forces shot down a group of Russian soldiers from a drone just as they were preparing to go out on a boat ride.
- Russia has removed obsolete tanks and armored vehicles from long-term military storage for a number of reasons, not just the most obvious, to use them in attacks, the Institute for the Study of War explains.
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