Holding Bakhmut now a ‘military necessity,’ Ukrainian general says
Moscow sees capturing the city as vital to completing the capture of the Donbas industrial region in eastern Ukraine, one of its main war goals.
Ukraine Russia
Putin says Russia will station nuclear weapons in Belarus
Russia has struck a deal with neighboring Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory but will not violate non-proliferation agreements, Putin said.
Battle for Bakhmut ‘stabilizing’ after months-long assault, Ukraine’s top soldier says
Separately, Britain’s defense ministry said the months-long Russian assault on the city had stalled, mainly as a result of heavy troop losses.
Ukraine prepares counterattack as Russia’s siege on Bakhmut slows
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in what it calls a “special military operation,” saying Ukraine’s ties to the West were a security threat.
Any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin is war declaration on Russia, ally says
The Kremlin says the International Criminal Court arrest warrant is an outrageously partisan decision, but meaningless with respect to Russia
Russia’s Bakhmut assault is losing steam, Ukraine says
The Russian campaign has yielded few gains, and Ukraine, which had looked likely to pull out of the small eastern city of Bakhmut.
Russian launches drone strike in Kyiv as China’s Xi Jinping leaves Moscow
Despite the bloodiest fighting of the war, which both sides describe as a meat grinder, the front line has barely moved for four months.
Japan’s leader lands in Ukraine as China’s Xi meets with Russia’s Putin
Kyiv’s western allies have expressed concern that China might help Russia’s war effort, though Beijing insists it is a neutral broker in peace efforts.
Russia summons Canadian diplomat over Joly’s “regime change” statement
The Russian statement condemned the “Russophobic attack” and said it would have serious consequences for Moscow’s relations with Canada.
China’s Xi Jinping lands in Moscow as Russia’s Vladimir Putin wages Ukraine war
Xi’s trip to Russia comes after the International Criminal Court on Friday issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest on war crimes charges.