Ukraine update: Russia extends pre-trial detention by US reporter | Current Europe | DW

The essentials in brief:

• Russia extends custody of US reporter Gershkovich until August 30
• Further unrest in Russia’s Belgorod region
• EU has already delivered 220,000 artillery shells to Ukraine
• President Zelenskyj wants to expand the marines
• Scholz: Putin’s war will lead to EU membership in Ukraine

the inside Russia arrested US journalist Evan Gershkovich must remain in custody for another three months. A court agreed to a request by the investigating authorities to extend the detention until August 30. This was reported by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. The court followed the demands of the Russian domestic secret service FSB. The Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in March on espionage charges. Gershkovich and the US government categorically denied the allegation. At Tuesday’s hearing, his parents were in the courtroom.

The US State Department again called for the journalist’s “immediate release”. A ministry spokesman also demanded the release of former American soldier Paul Whelan, who is also being held on espionage charges. Gershkovich is the first foreign journalist to be detained in Russia for espionage since the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is known for almost completely isolating its inmates.

Further unrest in Russia’s Belgorod region

After Fighting in the Belgorod region of Russia The situation on the border with Ukraine remains tense this Wednesday. The Russian authorities gave the all-clear, but later confirmed a drone attack. However, only one car was damaged. Meanwhile, there are still conflicting reports about control over the largely destroyed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

EU has already delivered numerous projectiles to Kiev

The Ukrainian armed forces have already received about 220,000 artillery shells and mortar shells through the new EU ammunition supply initiative. This was announced by a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels. In addition, around 1,300 missiles were delivered, including anti-tank missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft missiles. The EU countries had the Ukraine promised in March to provide a million new artillery shells and rockets for the defensive war against Russia within twelve months. They are to be provided from the stocks of the member states, but in future they will also be organized via new joint procurement projects.

President Zelenskyj wants to expand the marines

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to expand his country’s marines. With the formation of a Marian infantry corps, new brigades are to be added to existing units, Zelenskyy said in his evening video address. “We will equip them with modern weapons and equipment,” he added. Zelenskyj visited Ukrainian marines on the front line between the towns of Wuhledar and Marjinka on Tuesday. Both places are considered focal points of the war and are heavily contested.

The Ukrainian President was traveling abroad in the days before, including at summit meetings in Saudi Arabia and Japan. In his speech, he emphasized that “all international communication” serves to strengthen Ukraine and its defence.

Scholz: Putin’s war will lead to EU membership in Ukraine

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is confident that Russia will not win the war against Ukraine. “The bitter chapter of the history of our continent […] will end with free Ukraine joining the European Union as a full member,” said Scholz at his party’s 160th anniversary celebrations. He emphasized that the SPD in particular must clearly side with Ukraine in the conflict. Because it is also due to the détente policy of former Chancellor Willy Brandt that the principles of non-use of force, inviolability of borders, territorial integrity of states and the right of peoples to self-determination apply in Europe today. “We Social Democrats stand for all these principles out of deep conviction,” he said.

Poland wants to train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots

According to Poland, it wants to train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots, but has not yet started to do so. “We are ready,” said Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak after EU consultations in Brussels. The training hasn’t “started yet”. Blaszczak thus corrected information provided by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Before the meeting of EU defense ministers, he claimed that training for F-16 pilots had already “begun in several countries”, including Poland.

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren confirmed in Brussels that her country is part of the transatlantic fighter jet coalition that wants to train Ukrainian pilots and could also deliver F-16 fighter jets to Kiev in a “next step”. US President Joe Biden had previously cleared the way for this. Ollongren named Denmark, Belgium and Great Britain as further participants in the coalition. The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is examining support from the Federal Republic. He pointed out in Brussels that Germany does not have the US-made F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine is demanding.

So far, few asylum promises for Russian conscientious objectors

According to a media report, only a few Russian conscientious objectors have received asylum in Germany. Of almost 2,500 applications, only 55 were decided positively, reports the editorial network Germany, which refers to a response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior to a request from the left.

According to this, by the end of April 2,485 male Russian citizens of military age had applied for asylum in Germany. In 814 cases, the applications were decided. Of these, 55 applications were approved and 88 rejected. In the remaining 671 cases there was a “formal settlement of the proceedings”. This could be done, for example, by withdrawing the asylum application. Russian men between the ages of 18 and 45 are considered fit for military service.

Jan Korte, first parliamentary secretary of the left-wing faction in the Bundestag, criticized the small number of positive decisions on asylum applications: “If well over 100,000 men of military age leave Russia and refuse Putin’s war, but only 55 of them find official protection in Germany, that’s fine something terribly wrong.” Despite grandiose announcements, the federal government is doing too little to encourage young Russians not to fight against Ukraine. The federal government must now come to an agreement with its European partners and the countries bordering Russia on how Russian men of military age could be granted visas and protection.

TAL pipeline makes the Czech Republic independent of Russian oil

Thanks to an increase in the capacity of the Transalpine Oil Pipeline, the Czech Republic will be independent of Russian oil supplies from 2025. This was announced by Prime Minister Petr Fiala during a visit to the central crude oil tank farm near Prague. He spoke of a milestone. The part of the TAL capacity that can be used for his country will be doubled to eight million tons per year. The Transalpine Oil Pipeline (TAL) runs from the port of Trieste in Italy to Ingolstadt in Bavaria. From there there is a connection to the pipeline of the Czech state company Mero.

The replacement of pumps is necessary for the TAL expansion. Mero will bear the costs, which are estimated to be the equivalent of up to 67.5 million euros. Last year, 56 percent of the crude oil imported into the Czech Republic came from Russia.

The background to the planned waiver of deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia is the war of aggression against Ukraine. The liberal-conservative government in Prague is one of Kiev’s staunch supporters and has supplied many weapons.

kle/ma (afp, dpa, rtr, kna)

This article will be continuously updated on the day of its publication. Reports from the combat zones cannot be independently verified.