The war in Ukraine, now in its 853rd day, continues to escalate with significant developments on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited soldiers in Donetsk, introducing Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov as the new joint forces commander tasked with pushing back invading Russian forces while preserving lives. In Pokrovsk, five Lithuanians delivering aid were injured in Russian attacks, with one having a leg amputated.
In Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported intense fighting with several dozen Russian soldiers blocked in an industrial facility. In Odesa, a Russian missile attack damaged an administrative building with no casualties reported. In politics and diplomacy, Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich went on trial in Russia for espionage, while Austria and Russia expelled correspondents in a tit-for-tat move.
The EU announced sanctions against Belarus to close a loophole in its sanctions against Russia. The US charged a Russian with hacking and destroying computer systems in Ukraine and allies, offering a $10m reward for his whereabouts. NATO selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next secretary-general, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg. Russian pranksters released footage of a video call with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron after tricking him into thinking he was speaking to a former Ukrainian president.
The EU is expected to sign a security agreement with President Zelenskyy, pledging support in areas such as arms deliveries and military training. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, tensions escalate both on the battlefield and in international diplomacy, with significant implications for the region and beyond.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
