Russia denies warship sank in Black Sea
Russia on Thursday denied a report that the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet sank following a violent explosion which the Ukrainian military said was the result of a missile strike.
Odessa Governor Maksym Marchenko said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces hit the missile cruiser Moskva with two missiles. Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, later said the ship sank, calling it an event “of colossal significance”.
Hours later, the Russian Defense Ministry said munitions had exploded on Moskva following a fire, according to the Tass state news agency. “The ship was badly damaged. The crew was completely evacuated,” the ministry added. The cruiser typically has around 500 officers and crew.
The ministry said the fire had been brought under control and the ship would be towed to port with its guided missile launchers intact.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Russia “kind of had to choose between two stories: One story is that it was just incompetence, and the other was that they were attacked, and neither is the right outcome for them”.
The event is the latest in a series of wobbly results for Russian forces since invading Ukraine on February 24 in a bid, according to Western officials, to take kyiv, overthrow the government and install some. one favorable to Moscow. The ground advance slowly stalled and Russia lost potentially thousands of fighters before concentrating on eastern Ukraine.
USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM:Join our new Russia-Ukraine war channel
VISUAL EXPLANATOR:Mapping and tracking the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Latest developments
►In one of the most pivotal battles of the war, Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops moved into the beleaguered southern port of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces held out in pockets of the city. A Ukrainian official denied this claim, which could not be verified.
►Frayed relations between Ukraine and Germany may have worsened on Wednesday when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed annoyance at a diplomatic snub and said he had no plans to travel to kyiv anytime soon.
►Authorities in the city of Dnipro, in central eastern Ukraine, say they are ready to help bring the bodies of more than 1,500 Russian soldiers currently in the city’s morgues back to Russia.
►WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday criticized the global community for turning a blind eye to crises outside Ukraine and questioned whether “the world is really paying equal attention to the lives of blacks and whites”, citing the serious problems of war, disease and famine in the countries. such as Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria.
Russia threatens to bring closer nuclear weapons if Finland and Sweden join NATO
The entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO would force Russia to strengthen its northwestern borders and place nuclear weapons in the region, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. Medvedev noted on his Telegram channel that the length of Russia’s land border with the NATO alliance would more than double. This after one of Russia’s explanations for its invasion of Ukraine was concern over possible NATO expansion there.
“Naturally, these borders will have to be reinforced. The consolidation of ground forces and air defense will be seriously strengthened and significant naval forces will be deployed in the waters of the Gulf of Finland,” Medvedev wrote, adding that maintaining the region’s non-nuclear status is “out of the question.” .
China rejects US warning on Russia
China said on Thursday it would reject “any pressure or coercion” on its relationship with Russia. A day earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that China and other countries that overturn Western sanctions on Russia could face future economic fallout for not helping to end to Russia. “odious war” in Ukraine.
“Let’s be clear, the unified coalition of sanctioning countries will not be indifferent to actions that undermine sanctions,” Yellen said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said his country had “made tremendous efforts to defuse the situation, defuse the crisis and restore peace”. China has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by its strategic partner, Russia, or even to call the conflict a It abstained or sided with Moscow in UN votes after the start of the war in February.
Biden pledges additional $800 million in aid in call with Zelenskyy
President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for nearly an hour on Wednesday, a day after Zelenskyy praised Biden for accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of “genocide.”
Biden said in a statement that he had authorized an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and ammunition.
“The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we provide to devastating effect,” Biden said. “As Russia prepares to step up its attack in the Donbass region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself.”
Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden discussed the new arms shipment, tougher sanctions on Russians and seeking justice for their war crimes. In his nightly address to the nation, Zelenskyy said he is “sincerely grateful” for new US military aid.
NEWS COMES TO YOU: Get the latest updates on the situation in Ukraine. register here
Alarmed Finns want to join NATO amid
Thousands of Finns have signed up with training associations to hone their military skills or learn new ones, an interest fueled by concern over Finland’s geographic proximity to Russia. For the first time in Finland’s history, a majority of Finns support NATO membership.
“A lot of people say they are alarmed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they want to keep their military skills up to date, they want to learn new things, maybe they want to catch up on the mandatory service they didn’t take very seriously at the time,” said Ossi Hietala, a training officer for the National Defense Training Association of Finland. “They want to make sure they’re prepared for the worst.”
Finland, with 5.5 million people, remains one of the few European countries to perform compulsory military service, mainly due to its 830-mile border with Russia. Learn more here.
– Tami Abdullah
Contribute: The Associated Press
USA Today
