The intensity of the fighting continues. On Wednesday 26 October, during his daily update on the war ravaging Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned “extremely fierce fighting (…) near Bakhmout”, a city in the Donetsk region, in the east of the country. On Tuesday, seven civilians were killed and three others injured in this locality, which has been a priority target for the Russian army for several months. Franceinfo takes stock of the day’s news on the war front in Ukraine.
A body handed over by Russia to Ukraine
The body is that of an American volunteer, announced on Telegram Andriï Iermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidency. Joshua Alan Jones, 24 and American army veteran, had fought for Ukraine, where he died at the end of August in a fight against Russian forces.
Evacuations of civilians continue in the Kherson region
Population movements continue around Kherson, in the midst of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. “Over 70,000” civilians left their homes “In a week”Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Russian occupation administration, said on Wednesday on the Krym 24 television channel. “Crossing” from the right bank of the Dnipro River to the left bank began on October 19. It was originally planned to evacuate “from 50,000 to 60,000 people”, detailed Vladimir Saldo.
Vladimir Putin criticizes the new British Prime Minister
The Russian president did not congratulate Rishi Sunak on taking office because the UK is a country “enemy”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. In parallel, theUS President Joe Biden congratulated Britain’s Prime Minister on Tuesday and agreed with him “on the importance of working together to support Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable for its aggression”, reports the White House.
Elisabeth Borne promises legal action against the Russian army
Facing the senators on Wednesday evening, thehe French Prime Minister notably denounced of the “shocking, revolting, monstrous acts” assigned to the Russian army. Elisabeth Borne said that Russia “will have to answer” of “barbaric violations of the laws of war”. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Russian army is frequently accused of committing war crimesand several investigations have been opened, in particular on the side of the International Criminal Court (ICC).