Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Putin’s forces launch strikes on Kharkiv regardless of Kremlin claiming to again ceasefire | EUROtoday

Vladimir Putin will journey to China on the finish of August, reciprocating Chinese chief Xi Jinping’s anticipated go to to Russia this week, the Kremlin has introduced.

Mr Putin’s overseas coverage adviser Yuri Ushakov informed reporters that the go to will likely be a part of a “good tradition”, during which Mr Xi visits Moscow to attend celebrations of Russia’s defeat over Nazi Germany, and Mr Putin travels to China to attend occasions marking the Allied defeat of Japan.

“This was the case 10 years ago, in 2015, and this will be the case this year,” Mr Ushakov mentioned. In September, Beijing is ready to host an occasion marking the eightieth anniversary of the tip of the Second World War, which China refers to as “the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”.

In 2015, China marked the seventieth anniversary of its position within the defeat of Japan with a large navy parade involving greater than 12,000 troops, 500 items of navy tools and 200 navy plane.

Nearly 30 world leaders, together with China’s Xi Jinping, are anticipated to attend Vladimir Putin’s annual Victory Day commemorations in Moscow within the coming days, the Kremlin has claimed.

Military items from 13 international locations, together with China, will participate within the parade together with Russian troops and navy autos and weapons techniques, mentioned Kremlin overseas coverage adviser Yuri Ushakov.

Mr Ushakov mentioned a number of US veterans of the Second World War are anticipated to attend the occasions – which can mark the eightieth anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany – however it’s unclear whether or not any US officers intend to. Moscow has despatched an invite to the US ambassador.

The announcement got here after all the 4 airports had been pressured to shut following a second consecutive night time of Ukrainian drone assaults concentrating on the Russian capital.

Ukraine has warned international locations in opposition to attending Russia’s commemorations, warning that such a transfer would go in opposition to international locations’ declared neutrality over Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleg Synegubov has mentioned that round 90 industrial amenities had been broken and an additional 20 burned to the bottom in a Russian strike on town’s largest market.

“The Russian army shelled the largest market in the city, where many people come to shop. There are no military facilities or any potential military targets nearby,” mentioned Mr Synegubov, including that the ensuing fireplace lined an space of 500 sq. metres.

At least 11 folks had been injured, together with 4 within the metropolis of Kharkiv, in assaults throughout the area, Mr Synegubov mentioned.

Russian shelling has destroyed the house of a teenage Ukrainian Eurovision contestant every week earlier than the competitors begins.

Khrystyna Starykova, 19, posted images and video on social media detailing her broken condominium block within the metropolis of Myrnograd of japanese Ukraine’s Donetsk area.

The teenager is at present in Switzerland rehearsing for her efficiency with the band Ziferblat. Ms Starykova is a backing singer, affectionately generally known as “bird girl” as she handles the tune’s excessive notes.

Ms Starykova posted two images of her condominium block shrouded in smoke and nonetheless partly on fireplace, alongside the captions “Home” with a damaged coronary heart emoji and “I dreamed so much of returning home”.

She added that she was decided to nonetheless carry out at Eurovision subsequent week, in Basel, “for the sake of our country”.

My colleague Tom Watling studies:

An order from the US navy to cease 11 flights carrying artillery shells and different weaponry to Ukraine was issued by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and caught Donald Trump unawares, sources have informed Reuters.

The order to the US Transportation Command (Transcom) round every week after Mr Trump returned to the Oval Office got here from Mr Hegseth, Reuters reported, citing official information. After inflicting alarm in Kyiv and Poland, the order was reversed every week later, the information company studies.

It got here after Mr Trump held an Oval Office assembly about Ukraine with Mr Hegseth and different high nationwide safety officers, three sources had been quoted as saying. During the assembly, the concept of stopping Ukraine help got here up, however the president issued no instruction to cease help to Ukraine, two sources mentioned.

The US president was unaware of Mr Hegseth’s order, as had been different high nationwide safety officers within the assembly, three sources mentioned. But requested concerning the claims, the White House informed Reuters that Mr Hegseth had adopted a directive from Mr Trump to pause help to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s overseas ministry has urged international locations to not ship any troops to participate in a navy parade in Moscow on Friday marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Second World War victory over Nazi Germany.

“The participation of foreign military personnel in this event is unacceptable and will be regarded by Ukraine as an outrage to the memory of the victory over Nazism,” the ministry mentioned.

Russia and Ukraine have swapped 205 prisoners of conflict every, in accordance with the Russian defence ministry, in what would mark one of many largest such exchanges for the reason that begin of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale conflict in February 2022.

The ministry mentioned that the United Arab Emirates had helped mediate the trade and that the freed Russian prisoners had been at present in Belarus receiving medical and psychological help.

It comes only a fortnight after the 2 sides carried out their largest prisoner swap of the conflict to this point, reportedly exchanging greater than 500 prisoners. A month earlier, each side every returned an additional 175 prisoners.

Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash has resurfaced in Paris after escaping from home arrest in Moscow final month whereas dealing with a 10-year jail sentence for posts condemning Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) mentioned it helped Ms Barabash orchestrate her getaway, as she take away her monitoring tag and travelled greater than 2,800 kilometres “using clandestine routes” to evade surveillance.

“Her escape was one of the most perilous operations RSF has been involved in since Russia’s draconian laws of March 2022,” the group’s director, Thibaut Bruttin, mentioned alongside Ms Barabash at a press convention in Paris.

“At one point, we thought she might be dead.”

Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that “our people are free” after Ukraine and Russia every exchanged 205 prisoners of conflict, in one of many largest such exchanges of the conflict.

It comes only a fortnight after the 2 sides carried out their largest prisoner swap of the conflict to this point, reportedly exchanging greater than 500 prisoners. A month earlier, each side every returned an additional 175 prisoners.

“Our people are free. Our people are home,” mentioned the Ukrainian president. “Today, Ukraine has brought back 205 warriors. Young and older men from almost all types and branches of the Armed Forces. Defenders of Mariupol and the entire front line.

“They have been scattered across many Russian regions, imprisoned within a system whose only purpose was to torment them and destroy their humanity.

“We have brought them back. I am grateful to everyone who worked on this exchange. I thank our partners – first and foremost the United Arab Emirates – for their mediation and support. I thank all those who do not stay indifferent and continue to speak out about Ukrainians in captivity.

“Every day, we fight for our people. We will do everything to bring each and every one of them home.”

World affairs editor Sam Kiley examines the Ukrainian president’s objectives in assaults in opposition to Russia forward of main World War II commemorations.