Live updates on the Ukraine-Russia conflict: Zelensky emphasizes on National Flag Day that he will not yield Ukrainian territory to the occupier.
In the heart of Eastern Europe, the war in Ukraine continues to unfold, marking its third and a half years without any signs of resolution.
This week, 40 trains were delayed by nearly four hours in the Russian region of Rostov due to a Ukrainian drone attack. The ongoing hostilities have taken a toll on both sides, with cities like Mariupol, a significant industrial hub, falling into Russian hands after an 86-day siege three years ago.
Ukraine has lost several cities during the war, notably Mariupol in the Donetsk region, Lysychansk, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk in the Luhansk region. Intense fighting has occurred especially around these eastern industrial areas, and areas near Kyiv, including the suburb Bucha which was later retaken by Ukraine. The current main frontlines remain in eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk), with ongoing attacks on major cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv indicating active combat zones mostly in the east and northeast.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Moscow could soon conquer all of Donetsk, but this claim is disputed by the limited successes of the Russian army in the current battle for control of Donetsk. In a recent development, Russia has taken control of another town in the Donetsk region, located 30 kilometers from Sloviansk, in the ongoing offensive.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have yielded little progress. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that there is "no scheduled meeting yet" between President Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. The EU's Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, has called for Europe not to divide itself into "spheres of influence."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasised that he will not hand over Ukrainian territory to the occupier. He has also approved sanctions against 139 Russian individuals and entities and 28 foreigners for collaborating in the military offensive. In a bid to secure future peace, Zelensky received NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Kyiv to define security guarantees for Ukraine.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has warned that he could impose "massive sanctions" on Russia if there are no advances towards a peace agreement in Ukraine in two weeks. Trump's warning comes as the Russian army currently occupies approximately 115,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, less than the surface area of Greece or Nicaragua, and about 20% of Ukraine's total surface area.
As the war continues, the people of Ukraine and Russia remember those lost in the conflict. A dozen of Moscovites approached an improvised memorial in the center of Moscow to lay flowers in memory of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the Wagner mercenary group, who died two years ago in a plane crash.
Volodymyr Zelensky insists on meeting with Putin soon, but the Kremlin rejects the rush. The war in Ukraine, with its devastating impact on both nations, continues to be a pressing issue on the global stage.
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