Black Sea region of Odessa reports rocket attacks Selenskyj’s appeal to Belarus: Don’t get drawn into the war The news about Russia’s war in Ukraine in the stern ticker.
Day 123 of the Ukraine war: As a new EU accession candidate, Ukraine can hope for a future in a common Europe. At the same time, however, the military situation in the eastern Luhansk region is becoming increasingly precarious for the Ukrainian army. Russian troops are fighting and trying to encircle the strategically important city of Lyssychansk. Before his planned video link at the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj again called for faster arms deliveries to his country.
The most important developments in the star ticker.
11:21 a.m .: EU energy ministers agree to fill up the gas storage tanks by 80 percent
The energy ministers of the EU countries have agreed on a target for filling the gas storage facilities in the EU to 80 percent by next winter. This is to ensure “that the gas storage capacities in the EU are filled up before the winter despite the disruptions on the gas market,” said the member states in Luxembourg.
According to the specification, the national gas storage facilities in the EU countries should be at least 80 percent full by November 1 as a precaution, and 90 percent in the following winters. The EU wants this year to “jointly reach 85 percent of the total underground gas storage capacity” in the European Union, the member states said.
10.46 a.m .: Habeck warns of forced gas throttling in winter
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has warned against forced gas cutbacks in the event of a shortage in the coming winter. Over the winter, there is a “medium-term” scenario “that reductions will actually have to be enacted by law,” said Habeck before a meeting with the energy ministers of the EU countries in Luxembourg. In his estimation, such a reduction would lead to “a severe economic crisis” in Europe and Germany.
10.23 a.m .: Selenskyj switched on at the G7 summit
Day two of the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj joined the first working session of the heads of state and government in the morning. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will be one of the dominant topics on the second day of the summit.
10:04 a.m.: US government: G7 impose further punitive measures against Moscow
According to the US government, the USA and the other G7 countries want to impose further punitive measures against Moscow because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The measures were aimed, among other things, against military production and supply chains, said the White House on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Bavaria.
9.31 a.m .: London: Russia is increasingly relying on reservists in Ukraine
According to Great Britain, the Russian army will primarily rely on reservists in its war against Ukraine. The combat reserve consists of part-time volunteers who are actually intended for security tasks in the rear of the front, said the Ministry of Defense in London, citing intelligence information. Battalions would probably be filled with veterans who have served in the past five years. “Despite a continuing shortage of operational reservists for Ukraine, the Russian leadership is likely to remain reluctant to order a general mobilization,” it said.
8.52 a.m .: Russia on the verge of default
Russia is apparently facing its first default on foreign debt in more than 100 years. A 30-day period expired during the night to pay interest on two government bonds in foreign currency. It’s about a total of around 100 million US dollars. If investors didn’t get the money, which is likely given the West’s harsh financial sanctions, it would be the first default on foreign debt since 1918. The more recent default, in 1998, was on domestic-held debt.
8.21 a.m .: Scholz does not want to “torpedo” the G20 despite Russia’s war of aggression
Despite the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken out in favor of maintaining the G20, of which Russian President Vladimir Putin is also a member. “One thing is clear: the G20 must continue to play a role,” said the SPD politician on ZDF’s “Morgenmagazin”, to which he was connected from the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau. There is “a common belief that we don’t want to torpedo the G20,” he added.
7.46 a.m .: Ukrainian military prevented boiler around Lysychansk
According to the Ukrainian military, they repulsed Russian attacks west of Lysychansk and thus prevented the strategically important city in eastern Ukraine from being surrounded. “Near Verkhnyokamyanka, the defense forces inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and forced them to retreat,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in its situation report. Verkhnyokamyanka is only a few kilometers west of Lysychansk on the last important supply road for the city.
6.16 a.m .: Zelenskyj: More speed with arms deliveries
Before his planned video switch at the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj once again called for faster arms deliveries to his country. “We need powerful air defense – modern, fully effective,” he said in his daily video speech at night.
Any delay in arms deliveries to Ukraine is an invitation to Russia to strike further, Zelensky said. The G7 countries, which include Germany, the US, Canada, the UK, France, Italy and Japan, collectively held so much potential “to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine and Europe,” Zelenskyy said. “There are already some agreements. The partners have to move faster.”
5.11 a.m .: Ukrainian Black Sea region of Odessa reports rocket attacks
Six people were injured in a rocket hit in the Odessa region in southern Ukraine. The missile was fired by a Russian Tu-22 strategic bomber, the Ukrainian Defense Command South said. According to the authorities, a child is among the victims. It is not clear from the information whether the people involved were injured or killed.
3.34 a.m .: Survey: Almost one in four people is worried about their job because of the effects of war
According to a survey, almost one in four employees is worried about their job because of the Ukraine war. In the survey conducted by the market research institute Trendence, 23.3 percent of the employees surveyed stated that they were worried about losing their job as a result of the war, as the newspapers of the Funke media group reported.
At 49.2 percent, almost every second employee stated that they were mentally stressed by the pictures from the war zones. According to this, every second interviewee calls on their employer to get involved with Ukrainian war refugees.
1:44 am: Amnesty criticizes Lithuania for dealing with refugees
Amnesty International accuses Lithuania of violating human rights on a large scale with refugees of different nationalities from neighboring Belarus. While war refugees from Ukraine are welcomed with open arms in Lithuania, those seeking protection from countries such as Iraq or Syria are illegally imprisoned, severely abused and deported. This is the result of questioning migrants in two Lithuanian detention centers, according to a recent report by the human rights organization. At the same time, Amnesty accused the EU of passively tolerating the actions in the Baltic member state.
12:03 a.m .: Zelenskyj’s appeal to Belarus: Don’t get drawn into the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the people of neighboring Belarus not to get involved in the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “The Kremlin has already decided everything for you,” he said in his evening video address, looking towards Moscow. “But you are not slaves and cannon fodder. You must not die.” People should not let others decide for Belarus.
Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko met with Russian President Vladimir Putin again on Saturday. The Kremlin chief announced the delivery of Iskander-M missile systems to Belarus, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads. According to the latest information from Kyiv, Russian troops recently also attacked Ukraine from Belarus. The country is a close ally of Russia.
