Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he doesn’t expect “strategic decisions” on his country’s ascension to NATO when the alliance’s leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July. Zelenskiy Says He Seeks Assurance of Eventual NATO Membership (6:50 p.m.) The bodies still have to be identified as part of an ongoing larger investigation of the Olenivka shelling. Ukraine called the attack on Olenivka in July a Russian war crime. The International Red Cross helped in mediation to arrange the return. Ukraine returned the bodies of 54 prisoners who were killed by an explosion in a detention facility in Olenivka in a Russian-occupied part of the Donetsk region last year, the Ministry for Reintegration of Occupied Territories said on its website. Red Cross Helped Ukraine Return Bodies of POWs (7:05 p.m.) Khosrowshahi came bearing an additional $1.5 million “to help heroic Ukrainian medics save thousands of lives, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Twitter. Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc., visited Ukraine after the ride-sharing giant raised $1.5 million to buy ambulances through United24, the official fundraising arm of the Ukraine government. Uber CEO Visits Ukraine, Raises $3 Million for Ambulances (7:50 pm)

Still, Finland can’t many of the tanks, given that it remains outside of NATO and has a long border with Russia, according to Niinisto, who said no decision has been made by the government.įinland has about 200 Leopard main battle tanks. “That’s all to the good.”įinland Should Contribute Leopard Tanks, President Says (8:20 p.m.)įinnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country should contribute Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine if a common European movement emerges around the issue, news agency STT reported. “President Zelenskiy has said he’s interested in tanks, and now you have some countries that are showing willingness to provide tanks,” Kirby said. He also said the US welcomes moves by allies to provide increasingly advanced weapons to Ukraine, including battle tanks, which the US so far has declined to provide. “And it certainly isn’t going to stop the Ukrainians, or slow them down in terms of their efforts to regain their territory.” “Even if both Bakhmut and Soledar fall to the Russians, it’s not going to have a strategic impact on the war itself,” Kirby, told reporters at the White House. Kirby said the fate of two towns under Russian assault in the Donbas region isn’t crucial to the war’s outcome. Earlier Thursday, Turkey summoned Sweden’s ambassador after supporters of the Kurdish militant group PKK hanged an effigy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a protest in Stockholm.Īsked about the new tensions between Turkey and Sweden, John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said President Joe Biden continues to “firmly support” Sweden’s accession.įate of Two Donbas Towns Isn’t Crucial to the War, US Says (9:56 p.m.) Turkey has expressed strong misgivings about Sweden’s membership in the military alliance because Swedish courts have blocked extradition of suspects wanted by the Turkish government. In a tweet, Austin also thanked Sweden for “its security assistance to Ukraine.” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underscored his support for Sweden’s quest to join NATO after meeting that country’s defense minister, Pal Jonson, on Thursday. One person was killed as Russia units shelled a settlement near the city of Kherson Thursday afternoon, regional Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said on Telegram.Īustin Reaffirms Sweden’s Bid for NATO Membership (2:50 a.m.) To the east, Ukrainian troops repelled attacks near 12 settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including Bakhmut. Russian forces hit Zaporizhzhia with missiles overnight, damaging private buildings and infrastructure facilities. Russia is likely to increase efforts to capture the part of Zaporizhzhia region on the left bank of Dnipro River, said Ukrainian General Staff representative Oleksiy Hromov. Russians Bought Record 57 Tons of Gold as Retail Tax Canceledįierce fighting continues in Soledar as Russian attempts to capture the town in the easter region of Donetsk are failing, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said during a video briefing.

Russia Oil-Price Cap Defies Skeptics With So Far, So Good Start Generators Help Shops Keep Lights On for Ukrainians Hit by War Ukraine Latest: Uber’s CEO Visits With $3 Million for Ambulances (See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Ukrainian troops were fighting to keep control of Soledar and Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. Russia’s commander of land forces, Oleg Salyukov, visited Belarus a day after his superior, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, took over the combined forces in the invasion.

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