As the war enters its 812th day, Russian air strikes on the southern Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson have injured at least 25 people, three of them seriously, in an attack that also damaged apartment blocks, homes, schools and a medical facility, while an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro hit infrastructure, killing two civilians.
Russian forces have also taken control of two more settlements in the Kharkiv region and one in the Zaporizhia region, the Defense Ministry says, claiming Russian forces had taken the settlements of Hlyboke and Lukyantsi in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhia region.
Ukraine has had to evacuate some 8,000 people from the Kharkiv region since last week, its emergency services agency says. Intense fighting rages in Vovchansk in the northeast of that region, about 5km from the border with Russia. Oleksiy Kharkivskyi, Kharkiv town’s police chief, said the situation was “extremely difficult,” while Ukraine’s General Staff said Ukrainian troops had managed to “partially” push back some Russian infantry groups but “defensive actions” were ongoing on the town’s northern and northwestern fringes.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air force destroyed 10 long-range Ukrainian missiles launched at Sevastopol in Crimea, which Moscow invaded and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It did not say whether there was any damage.
Sri Lanka said at least 16 of its citizens had been killed fighting as mercenaries in the war in Ukraine, mostly on the Russian side.
Putin visits China, backs China’s peace proposals for Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Thursday for a two-day visit, where he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua ahead of the visit, he backed China’s peace proposals for Ukraine.
Putin thanked China for its efforts in trying to solve the Ukraine “crisis,” and said he would brief Xi on the battlefield situation, with Russia claiming that its forces are advancing in all directions in Ukraine.
Putin also noted this week that Russia’s total defense and security spending may reach a little more than 8.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
EU to expand sanctions on Russian media
European Union ambassadors agreed to expand sanctions on Russian media to four more outlets, accusing them of publishing propaganda. EU Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiyskaya Gazeta would be added to the list, which already includes Sputnik and RT. Jourova said Russian funding of EU media, nongovernmental organizations and political parties would also be banned.
US adds $2bl in military aid
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $2bn in additional military aid for Ukraine and said Washington was rushing ammunition, armored vehicles, missiles and air defenses to the country to ensure their speedy delivery to the front line.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
