Update on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The situation on the ground, international reactions, sanctions: a point about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

– Moscow confirms strike on Kyiv –

Russia confirmed on Friday that it had carried out a strike the day before with “high-precision” weapons against Kyiv, amid a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that “the Russian forces destroyed with long-range and high-precision weapons the workshops of the Artyom Aerospace Company in the city of Kyiv.”

The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, condemned these “indiscriminate strikes”, which left at least one dead according to the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. A Ukrainian producer from Radio Liberty has been killed, according to this US-funded radio.

On Thursday, the Russian military also destroyed with “high-precision missiles” three power stations located near railway hubs, including Fastov in the Kyiv region, the ministry said.

– Proposed evacuation of civilians from Mariupol –

The Ukrainian presidency announced that an “operation” to evacuate civilians holed up in the Azovstal plant besieged by Russian forces in Mariupol (southeast), is “planned” on Friday.

Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, including dozens of children, are trapped, according to Kyiv, in these huge steel plants, with the last Ukrainian fighters in the city.

On Thursday, the commander of Ukrainian soldiers holed up in Azovstal, Sergeych Volynsky, indicated that a Russian bomb had fallen on an underground field hospital set up by the Ukrainians at the site.

– Zelensky and Putin invited to G20 summit –

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced on Friday that he had invited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and confirmed that he had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit to be held in November in Indonesia.

– British soldiers in Eastern Europe –

About 8,000 British soldiers will take part in exercises in Eastern Europe this summer alongside NATO soldiers, in a “show of solidarity and strength,” according to British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

Dozens of tanks and 120 armored fighting vehicles will be deployed from Finland to North Macedonia under the long-planned project and reinforced since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.

– USA: Kyiv budget extension –

Joe Biden escalated pressure on Moscow on Thursday by asking Congress for a massive $33 billion budget extension to provide more military aid to Kyiv, and by proposing to liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs to offset damage to Ukraine.

The US president said the US was “not attacking” Russia but “helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression”, having already delivered 10 anti-tank weapons to every Russian tank.

He added that Washington would not allow Moscow to “bully” Europe to cut off gas supplies.

burx-paj / cds / lch