It is the 109th day of war in Ukraine. According to British intelligence, Moscow is amassing artillery in Severodonetsk, but without progress. Yet, after the explosion in a chemical plant in Avdiikva, in the Donbass, Kiev admits the human losses: “In three months, 10 thousand of our soldiers have died, but we will prevail in this war.”
On the European front, Prime Minister Draghi will travel to Kiev by June with French President Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is preparing the visit. The three leaders would like to meet Zelensky before the G7.
Meanwhile, Von der Leyen’s blitz in Kiev. The president of the European Commission has no doubts: “Ukraine is on the right path for Europe”.
Tension between US President Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart: the head of the White House reproaches him because “he did not want to hear from us about the Russian invasion”. Kiev’s reply: “That’s not true, we also asked for preventive sanctions.”
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00.01 – Civilians have started to leave Azot
“Civilians have started exiting Gate 2 of the Azot chemical plant. That gate is not controlled by the militants ». He writes it, reports the Tass, on his Telegram channel Rodion Miroshnik, ambassador of the self-styled Lugansk People’s Republic in Russia, according to whom people are “rescued by allied forces”. Miroshnik reports that the remaining Ukrainian troops control some buildings near Gate 1 and that there are periodic exchanges of firearms.
Yesterday’s news and insights
Ursula von der Leyen traveling around Kiev after meeting Zelensky, visiting the Maidan