Russia has withdrawn all its naval vessels from the Sea of Azov, according to Ukraine’s navy. This comes after successful attacks on Russian-annexed Crimea and other areas forced the Russian navy to rebase its ships. In a separate incident, Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kharkiv, damaging the office of a Swiss mine-clearing NGO and injuring six people. Ukraine’s army is facing heavy Russian attacks around the town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, with recent advances made by Russian forces.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has stated that Ukraine will only agree to peace talks with Russia if Russia negotiates in “good faith”. China, however, has stated that conditions are not yet ripe for peace talks. In the UK, Labour prime minister Keir Starmer has assured continued support for Ukraine, committing to Ukraine’s path to NATO membership and working on sanctions against Russia.
In a tragic incident, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and four others injured in a shooting after a personal dispute among the soldiers. This incident highlights the sensitive issue of violence among fellow soldiers in both Russia and Ukraine. The issue is further exacerbated by reports of a Russian soldier shooting dead six of his fellow troops in Ukraine’s Donetsk region in 2024.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
