Two Russian-Controlled Regions Announce Referendums on Joining Russia
Two Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), announced plans for a referendum on joining Russia; this could signify a significant escalation in Moscow’s tactics, as former president and deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed the de-facto annexation would enable Russia to use all necessary means to defend what it considers its legal territory (Reuters)
Poland and Baltic States Block Russian Tourists
Four out of the five EU member states bordering Russia began to block Russian tourists from entering their countries on Monday night, but Finland, the other bordering EU member state, argues the move could contravene the Schengen zone agreement (Reuters)
The European Union has not adopted a unified policy, and member states like Germany and France say the move is counterproductive (Washington Post)
Ukraine’s Recapture of Bilohorivka Undermines Putin’s Key War Aims
Ukrainian troops recaptured the town of Bilohorivka from Russian forces, meaning Russia no longer holds total control of the Luhansk region, a local official said (The Guardian)
Ukrainian Troops Leave UN Peacekeeping Mission in DRC
Two hundred and fifty Ukrainian troops serving in the aviation unit of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) have returned to Ukraine to support the country’s fight against Russia, significantly diminishing the mission’s helicopter fleet (BBC)
Ukraine Retakes Territory
Ukraine has reclaimed significant territory in the northeast region of Kharkiv, forcing Russian troops to retreat from several strategic cities, including Izyum (Washington Post)
Ukraine has also launched a revitalized southern counteroffensive, with Russian forces struggling to hold onto occupied areas (CBS News)
U.S. Pledges Military Support for Ukraine, European Countries
In Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will supply $2 billion in long-term aid to Ukraine and eighteen other countries that are at risk of a Russian invasion. Separately, the Department of Defense announced $675 million in aid for Ukraine (New York Times)
UN Nuclear Watchdog Calls for Safety Zone Around Ukrainian Power Plant
Russian and Ukrainian officials called for a more detailed proposal after UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said the countries should establish a “nuclear safety and security protection zone” around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (AP)
U.S. Officials Say Russia Seeks to Buy Weapons From North Korea
New U.S. intelligence shows Russia is seeking to purchase artillery shells and rockets from North Korea, American officials said yesterday (Reuters)
While Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations denied the allegations, White House spokesperson John Kirby said Moscow’s inquiry shows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desperation amid the war in Ukraine. UN sanctions currently bar North Korea from selling weapons to other countries. It has attempted to strengthen relations with Russia since the start of the war and also expressed interest in sending workers to rebuild Russia-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine (Associated Press)
UN Nuclear Chief Cites Damage at Ukrainian Power Plant
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said the physical integrity of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been repeatedly “violated” amid the war (The Guardian)
A team of UN inspectors is currently on-site, and Grossi is set to brief media from Vienna later today. He has pledged an impartial and technically sound assessment of security at the plant, where shelling in recent weeks has raised fears of a nuclear disaster (New York Times)
While Russian forces occupy the plant, Ukrainian engineers operate it. The countries blame each other for attacks near the facility, and Ukraine has accused Russia of limiting press and inspector access to it. Fighting reportedly continued today both in the district where the power plant sits and in the nearby region of Kherson (Associated Press)
Russia Gains Ground in Eastern Ukraine
Ukraine ceded territory to Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region in recent days, a development Kyiv called a “partial success” for Moscow (The Guardian)
Meanwhile, the United Nations called for international inspectors to be allowed to stabilize Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for attacks on the facility over the weekend (The Guardian)
Additionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready to discuss a U.S. proposal to exchange Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for a Russian arms dealer; the news comes after a Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison following her arrest for marijuana possession in February (CNN)
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Appeals for Direct Talks With China’s Xi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on China to leverage its political and economic influence to get Russia to stop the conflict; he told reporters that he is looking to speak directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the war (South China Morning Post)
Russia Accuses United States of Direct Involvement in the War in Ukraine
Russia accused the United States of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine for the first time, pointing to intercepted calls which they say revealed U.S. approval of targets (BBC)
Meanwhile, the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies, including oligarchs and his purported romantic partner, as well as defense and technology entities who “generate substantial revenue for the regime” (Washington Post).
Ukraine’s First Wartime Grain Shipment Leaves Odesa
A shipment of grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for the first time since Russia’s February invasion, carrying twenty-six thousand tons of grain (The Guardian)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered civilians to evacuate from the eastern Donetsk region amid increased Russian shelling (CNN)
Western officials say the Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture the Russia-controlled city of Kherson in southern Ukraine is “gathering momentum” but have raised worries over potential damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant–Europe’s largest–which is currently occupied by Russian forces (New York Times)
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that the United States offered weeks ago to release a Russian arms dealer in exchange for the freedom of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, but no deal has yet been made (Bloomberg)
Additionally, Russian forces stationed in Belarus launched several missiles at northern Ukraine (BBC)
Turkey Launches Monitoring Site for Russian-Ukrainian Grain Export Deal
Turkey announced a control center where Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish, and UN officials will monitor Ukrainian grain exports after a deal was reached last week (Wall Street Journal)
Meanwhile, Russia’s space agency announced that it will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, at which point it will focus on building its own outpost amid heightened tensions between countries over the war in Ukraine (Washington Post)
EU Reaches Deal on Lowering Gas Use as Nord Stream 1 Flow Set to Fall
Russia’s Gazprom will slash gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by half starting tomorrow, citing technical issues (Washington Post)
Meanwhile, EU countries agreed to voluntarily limit their gas use by 15 percent from August to March to reduce natural gas consumption in the face of a potential energy crisis (Reuters)
Russia Bombs Major Ukrainian Port City
Russian forces bombed the Ukrainian port city of Odessa over the weekend, drawing questions surrounding Russia’s intentions to honor a deal made with Ukraine on Friday to restart grain exports (France 24)
Meanwhile, Russian gas resumed flowing at a reduced level to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline today after fears that Moscow would cut it off due to tensions over the war in Ukraine (BBC)
Russian Foreign Minister Declares Expanded War Goals
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declared that Russian aims in Ukraine now extend beyond the Donbas region to include parts of southern Ukraine (Reuters)
Separately, the European Commission asked that European Union (EU) countries reduce their natural gas use by 15 percent amid fears that Russia could cut off gas supplies (Financial Times)
Meanwhile, Syria said it will end diplomatic relations with Ukraine (Associated Press)
Iranian State Oil Company and Russia’s Gazprom Sign Energy Cooperation Deal
The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Russian energy firm Gazprom signed a deal in which Gazprom agreed to help Iran develop oil and gas fields and complete export pipelines (Reuters)
Gazprom reportedly told European buyers it cannot guarantee scheduled deliveries to them due to “extraordinary” circumstances; this report raises concerns that Gazprom could reduce its gas flow to Europe when an ongoing maintenance period ends on Thursday (Reuters)
At Least Twenty-Three Killed by Russian Missile Strike
At least twenty-three people were killed in a Russian missile attack on the city of Vinnytsia, southwest of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said (BBC)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the country’s prosecutor general and the head of its intelligence agency, saying they had failed to effectively root out criminals working for Moscow’s interests (New York Times)
Ukraine Strikes Military Depot in Russia-Occupied Town
Russian officials said at least seven people were killed in an attack in Ukraine’s Kherson region (Moscow Times)
Meanwhile Turkey hosted four-way talks with delegates from Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations over security guarantees to allow grain exports to leave the Black Sea (Al-Monitor)
Russian Strike on Donetsk Apartment Kills At Least Twenty-Four
Search and rescue missions have discovered twenty-four bodies killed by a Russian strike on an apartment building in the city of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine’s Donetsk province (CBS)
Meanwhile, Ukraine has asked Canada not to hand over a turbine to Russian state-controlled natural gas company Gazprom amid Ukrainian calls for further sanctions on Russia; Canada and Germany reportedly fear Russia will use the turbine as an excuse to cut gas supply along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline (Reuters)
The pipeline was shut down for annual maintenance, and while Russia said the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would resume its flow of gas to Europe after ten days, Germany warned that European countries should prepare for the possibility it does not resume (Agence France-Presse)
Battle for Ukraine’s Donbas Shifts to Donetsk
Russian forces have begun shelling locations across Donetsk, having taken neighboring Luhansk over the weekend; in the past twenty-four hours, Ukrainian officials say at least eight civilians were killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk as pro-Russia separatists say attacks by Ukrainian forces have killed four civilians (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, Russian troops have withdrawn from the Black Sea islands following repeated Ukrainian attacks (New York Times)
Separately, the Swiss president has pushed back on a Ukrainian plan to seize as much as $500 billion in frozen Russian assets to fund its recovery, insisting upon the need for specific legal justification respectful of individual property rights (The Guardian)
EU grants Ukraine Candidate Status
EU leaders voted to grant Ukraine candidate status after having fast-tracked the approval process in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Ukraine ordered its forces to withdraw from Severodonetsk, leaving Lysychansk as the last Ukraine-controlled area in the Luhansk province (New York Times)
As Ukraine lost ground, Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and a shopping mall in Kremenchuk killed more than twenty people (National Public Radio)
European Commission Recommends EU Candidate Status for Moldova, Ukraine
Next week in Brussels, European Union (EU) leaders will consider whether to officially give Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status (Politico)
Biden Announces an Additional $1 Billion in Arms for Ukraine
President Biden has announced $1 billion in additional weapons for Ukraine, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plea for more heavy arms (Reuters)