Local officials reported that Russia had shelled the Ukraine city of Kherson in the south, resulting in four fatalities and at least one injured.
The Russian ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, was called by France after two aid workers from France were killed by Russian artillery fire last Thursday near Kherson. Paris called the incident “barbarism” and reported that three more French nationals were hurt.
Three Russian citizens have been detained, according to Russia’s FSB security service, on suspicion of trying to kill a high-ranking Crimean official with a car bomb. The three had been accused of “terrorist” offenses, according to the FSB, which also asserted that the attempted attack was orchestrated by Ukraine’s security service. The official who was purportedly the target was not identified.
Politics and diplomacy of Ukraine
The Russian government issued a warning to Western nations, stating that any attempt to raise money for Ukraine by using frozen Russian assets as collateral would be illegal and would face legal challenges from Russia. Following President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, which resulted in the freezing of an estimated $300 billion in sovereign Russian assets, the United States and its allies prohibited dealings with the Russian Ministry of Finance and Central Bank.
Boris Nadezhdin, an antiwar candidate, is in the running for president. According to Nadezhdin, he received notification from Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) that 15% of the signatures he provided to be considered for the electoral race were deemed invalid. He could now be prevented from running for office by the CEC.
The scheduled vote on Sweden’s NATO bid during an emergency parliamentary session faced a setback as members of Hungary’s ruling party abstained, leading to a deadlock. Among the 31 members of the security alliance, Hungary stood alone in withholding support for Sweden’s accession. The United States, a key NATO member, openly expressed disappointment with Hungary’s decision, emphasizing the importance of unity within the alliance and urging Hungary to reconsider its stance. The move highlighted underlying tensions and diverging strategic interests within NATO, raising questions about the organization’s cohesion and effectiveness in addressing emerging security challenges in the region…
Weapons
The Netherlands would send six more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, bringing the total number of aircraft pledged to 24 by Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren’s announcement. Ollongren stated, “Ukraine’s aerial superiority is essential for countering Russian aggression.”
Georgia announced that it had intercepted a covert explosives shipment from the Ukrainian port of Odesa that was headed for the Russian city of Voronezh. It said the explosives, concealed in a shipment of automobile batteries, had arrived in Georgia in a minivan owned by a Ukrainian and were to be driven to Voronezh, which is roughly 180 kilometers (110 miles) from the Ukrainian border. It didn’t specify for what.
Key Points
Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of Kherson, resulting in four fatalities and one injury.
French aid workers were killed by Russian artillery fire near Kherson, causing three more French nationals to be hurt.
Three Russian citizens have been detained on suspicion of trying to kill a high-ranking Crimean official with a car bomb.
The Russian government issued a warning to Western nations, stating any attempt to raise money for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral would be illegal and face legal challenges from Russia.
Boris Nadezhdin, an antiwar candidate, received notification that 15% of his signatures for the electoral race were deemed invalid by Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC).
A vote on Sweden’s NATO bid was scheduled to take place during an emergency session of parliament, but members of the ruling party in Hungary abstained.
The Netherlands pledged to send six more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Georgia intercepted a covert explosives shipment from the Ukrainian port of Odesa headed for the Russian city of Voronezh.
