NU.nl regularly gives you an overview of the situation in Ukraine. This time: Russia is targeting the eastern Ukrainian city of Siversk in the Donetsk region, according to intelligence from the British Ministry of Defense. That city is located about 8 kilometers west of the current front line. The US on Friday approved a new arms package for Ukraine worth $400 million.
First Siversk. According to the British Ministry, it is very likely that Russia will concentrate its equipment towards that city. Russian troops are expected to take a break to regain their strength before launching another offensive in the eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the ministry said.
“There is a real possibility that Russia’s immediate tactical target will be Siversk as Russian forces attempt to advance towards the most likely operational target, the Sloviansk urban area,” the ministry said on Twitter. Siversk is west of those cities.
Those two cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, have been under attack for some time. After Russia has virtually taken control of the Luhansk region since last weekend, several rocket attacks have been carried out on both cities. There have been several deaths.
A girl in Bakhmut, Donetsk, walks among the rubble after rocket strikes in a residential area.
A girl in Bakhmut, Donetsk, walks among the rubble after rocket strikes in a residential area. Photo: Getty Images
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Moscow councilor gets seven years in prison for criticizing war
Then Russia. Alexei Goriniov, a Moscow city councilor, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for “deliberately spreading false information about the armed forces.” He is the first elected representative to be jailed under a new law.
The law was introduced to stifle criticism of the attack on the neighboring country. The law prohibits “deliberately disseminating false information that undermines the armed forces” and faces sentences of up to 15 years in prison. Sixty-year-old Goriniov carried a sign in court that read, “Do you still need this war?”
Gorinov was arrested in late April after criticizing the attack in Ukraine at a meeting a month earlier. When talking about organizing a children’s art event in his constituency, he took the floor and questioned the plan “because children die every day in Ukraine”. Gorinov’s meeting and expressions were captured on video.
Since the attack began on February 24, the Russian government has passed several laws criminalizing criticism of the war. A law was added a few days ago that imposes prison sentences on, among other things, “calling for action against national security”.
Especially much criticism of Russia during G20 conference in Bali
Then the G20 summit in Bali on Friday. There was a lot of criticism of Russia in particular. Despite multiple calls not to invite the country to the conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was there anyway.
It was not made any easier for Lavrov during the conference. The Russian foreign minister denounced the approach of western countries to the G20.
“Our Western partners are trying to avoid conversations about global economic problems,” Lavrov said. “From the moment they start talking, they start feverishly criticizing Russia about the situation in Ukraine, calling us aggressors and occupiers.”
Both US Secretary of State Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed the Russian blockade of the Black Sea, which has prevented Ukrainian grain from leaving Ukraine for a long time. “Ukraine is not your country. Their grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You must allow the grain to leave the country,” said Blinken.
Lavrov eventually decided to leave the G20 conference prematurely. Why is unknown. In any case, he no longer went to the sessions that were scheduled for Friday afternoon. He also skipped the official Friday night dinner.
Sergey Lavrov at the G20 summit with Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
Sergey Lavrov at the G20 summit with Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Photo: Getty Images
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US sends hundreds of millions worth of weapons to Ukraine again
Finally, the United States’ new arms package for Ukraine. President Joe Biden approved a new package worth up to $400 million on Friday. It includes four Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems). That is a powerful missile system that the Ukrainian army says it needs to match the range of the missiles that Russia uses in the Donets basin. Ukraine now has twelve Himars.
The US weapons package also includes ammunition for howitzer artillery systems controlled by GPS. The US military had never delivered it to Kyiv before.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US has provided military aid to Ukraine worth about $7.3 billion (EUR 7.18 billion). This amount includes this latest weapon package.
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