An overview of the Russia-Ukraine war

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated that Ukraine had the unwavering backing of the EU and needed to triumph against Russian aggression to safeguard European values ahead of a meeting between the two countries the next week. “We support Ukraine without any qualifiers. Ukraine must prevail in this conflict because it is fighting for ideals that we all share, for the upholding of international law, and for democratic principles.

The regional governor said that three persons were killed by a Russian hit on Saturday in a residential area of Kostiantynivka, a city in eastern Ukraine. The attack, which also caused damage to four residential complexes and a hotel, also left fourteen other individuals hurt. Russia allegedly used several rocket launchers in its strikes on Konstantynivka, according to the Ukrainian defense ministry.

The Ukrainian military was accused by Russia of purposefully hitting a hospital on Saturday in an area of eastern Ukraine that was under Russian control. It stated that a strike left 14 persons dead and 24 patients and medical personnel injured. The attack was carried out using a rocket launcher supplied by the US and targeted a hospital in the Russian-controlled hamlet of Novoaidar, according to the Russian defense ministry. According to AP, it was unable to independently verify the assertions.

According to a top advisor to Ukraine’s president, Kyiv and its western allies are holding “fast-track” discussions on the prospect of arming Ukraine with long-range missiles and combat aircraft. According to Mykhailo Podolyak, a Volodymyr Zelenskiy advisor, those who assist Ukraine in the west “understand how the battle is evolving” and the necessity of sending planes that may provide cover for the armored combat vehicles that Germany and the United States have promised to provide.

As Kyiv intensifies its push to acquire fourth-generation fighters, Ukraine claimed on Friday that it will take its pilots around six months to prepare for battle in western fighter jets like US F-16s. This week, Germany and the US revealed intentions to send heavy tanks to Kyiv, giving the country a tremendous boost. Kyiv is now expecting the west will also provide fighter fighters and long-range missiles.

According to reports from official media KCNA, North Korea on Saturday criticized US vows of combat tanks, saying they went “far over the red line” in its pursuit of hegemony through proxy conflict. Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in a statement that her country will “stand in the same trench” with Russia against the United States.

The incoming US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, will meet with Sergei Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister of Russia, early next week, according to the RIA news agency.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy stepped up his efforts on Saturday to prevent Russian athletes from competing in the 2024 Olympics, claiming that if they were permitted to do so, they would use their participation to justify a war against Ukraine. According to Zelenskiy’s remarks on Friday, Ukraine will start a global campaign to bar Russia from the summer games, which will be held in Paris. According to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, any attempt to exclude Moscow from international athletic competition due to what it refers to as its “special military operation” in Ukraine is “doomed to fail.”