Ukraine-Russia battle newest: UK sends Kyiv extra Storm Shadows after Trump accuses Putin of secret nuclear exams | EUROtoday

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is massing troops close to the jap Ukrainian city of Dobropillia, the place Kyiv’s forces superior earlier this yr in a profitable counteroffensive.

Dobropillia is about 30km north of Pokrovsk, the place Zelensky mentioned Ukraine’s defences are coming beneath extreme strain and as much as 300 Russian troopers have infiltrated the town.

Russia is focussing its offensive on this jap sector of Donetsk, and has been pushing to take the strategic metropolis of Pokrovsk for nearly a yr.

Taking Pokrovsk would give Moscow its most vital single territorial achieve in Ukraine because the seize of the ruined metropolis of Avdiivka in early 2024.

Ukraine is exhibiting “remarkable commitment” to becoming a member of the EU, however should reverse latest unfavorable tendencies within the struggle in opposition to corruption, the European Commission has mentioned.

The draft textual content, a part of an EU enlargement report anticipated to be adopted as we speak, says that “despite the very difficult circumstances the country finds itself in on account of Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine continued to demonstrate remarkable commitment to the EU accession path over the past year”.

Ukraine utilized to hitch the EU days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has been pushing to make progress on its bid, regardless of the challenges of Russia’s battle and EU member Hungary blocking Kyiv from formally transferring to the subsequent section of negotiations.

While praising Ukraine for launching reform processes, the European Commission additionally mentioned that Kyiv must make extra progress on judicial independence, combating organised crime and respecting civil society.

Ukraine’s army items are competing with one another by launching lethal drone assaults to earn factors that can be utilized to purchase extra weapons.

The video game-style rewards system is proving to be very fashionable, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister mentioned, with lots of of items collaborating. Launched a yr in the past, it’s now being expanded to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, in accordance with experiences.

“It’s become truly popular among units,” deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov advised The Guardian. “All the defence forces find out about this and there’s competitors for the factors, for getting these drones, digital warfare techniques and different issues to assist them in warfighting.

An explosion has been reported on the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in Russia’s Bashkortostan. The blast precipitated a partial collapse of a water-treatment facility, the administration of the town of Sterlitamak mentioned this morning.

There no instant experiences of accidents, the administration of the town situated within the Ural Mountains mentioned on its Telegram channel.

The explanation for the explosion was not instantly clear.

The Ukrainian army has mentioned its defences round Pokrovsk metropolis in Donetsk are holding, denying claims from Russia that its troops are in full management of any district of the town.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Pokrovsk remained beneath extreme strain, although Russian troops had made no good points prior to now day. He mentioned as much as 300 Russian servicemen had infiltrated the town.

Russia mentioned on Monday that its troops had superior into Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they’ve been attempting to seize for over a yr.

The Russian defence ministry mentioned its troopers had been destroying what it described as surrounded Ukrainian formations close to Pokrovsk’s railway station and industrial zone, and had entered the town’s Prigorodny space and dug in there.

“The invaders proceed to assault in small teams of as much as 5 troopers, with out utilizing armoured automobiles,” the operation task force responsible for Ukraine’s eastern front line said on Facebook.

Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps said Ukrainian forces had thwarted an attempt to cut off a supply route from Rodynske, to the north.

North of Pokrovsk, however, Ukraine has recorded recent gains near Dobropillia. Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces had stepped up pressure there with the aim of forcing Russia to divert its focus away from Pokrovsk.

The UK government has provided Ukraine with more supplies of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, officials said.

An unspecified number of missiles have been sent to Ukraine to ensure the war-hit nation is amply stocked up to respond to Russian attacks with its own long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, people aware of the matter told Bloomberg.

The officials said Britain is resupplying Ukraine with the cruise missiles as it is concerned Moscow will step up attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

The UK government has not publicly announced the transfer of Storm Shadow missiles or how many are being sent. The reported transfer comes as Donald Trump continues to delay a decision on sending US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

Two weeks ago Ukraine successfully attacked an important Russian chemical plant using British-made Storm Shadow missiles. Kyiv described the facility as critical to Moscow’s war efforts.

Ukraine will set up offices for arms exports and joint weapons production in Berlin and Copenhagen this year, Volodymyr Zelensky has announced.

Zelensky told reporters that naval drones and artillery systems were among the weapons that Kyiv could export. He also said that Ukraine plans to launch mass production of its domestically produced missiles – Flamingo and Ruta – by the end of this year.

Pokrovsk is a city that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year.

An estimated 100,000 Russian troops were circling the area, with Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi saying his forces pushed hard to dislodge Russian troops.

Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk” by Russian media, and Kostiantynivka to its northeast which Russian forces are also trying to envelop, would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk – Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

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