Selenskyj calls for a clear commitment from Scholz More air traffic because of the Ukraine war City of Sievjerodonetsk still contested The news about the war in Ukraine in the stern ticker.

In the Ukrainian city of Sievjerodonetsk, which has been fought over for weeks, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers continue to fight for every street and every house. The city is almost sealed off, said the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that taking back Crimea from Russia was a war goal. “Of course we will also liberate our Crimea,” said the head of state in an interview.

8:27 p.m.: Russian assaults in eastern Ukraine

According to the Kiev military, Russian troops have carried out assaults in several places in eastern Ukraine. In the city of Sievjerodonetsk, fighting continued for every street, the Ukrainian general staff announced in the evening. The enemy is regrouping its troops and trying to bring in reinforcements.

Russian assaults were also recorded at Rubishne in Kharkiv Oblast and at Zolote in Luhansk Oblast. Such an attack was repelled near Berestowe in the Donetsk region, it said. As is usually the case, the military information could not be independently verified. Heavy Russian artillery fire was reported on almost all sectors of the front to the east and south.

7:50 p.m .: Ukraine only received around ten percent of the weapons required

According to the government in Kyiv, Ukraine has only received around ten percent of the weapons it has requested from the West. “No matter how hard Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our army is, we will not be able to win this war without the help of Western partners,” Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar told Ukrainian television.

She continued to demand that the sluggish arms deliveries had to be accelerated. “Because every day of delay is another day against the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, our people.” There isn’t much time left. Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also called for more arms deliveries because “the Russians have ten or a hundred times as many.” In particular, the Ukrainian army “doesn’t have enough long-range weapons” and “armored vehicles,” he said.

7.40 p.m .: Tennis professionals from Russia and Belarus are allowed to start at the US Open

In contrast to the grass classic in Wimbledon, tennis professionals from Russia and Belarus are allowed to start at the US Open. This was announced by the organizers. The head of the American tennis association, Lew Sherr, told the AP news agency that there was a concern that individual athletes would otherwise be held responsible for the actions and decisions of their governments.

Instead, players from Russia and Belarus will participate under neutral flags. This was also the case at the French Open, among others. In contrast to Wimbledon in New York, the current world number one Daniil Medvedev can also be there. The US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, starts on August 29th.

In contrast, the Wimbledon organizers had decided not to allow players from Russia and Belarus this year because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. For this reason, no world ranking points will be awarded at the third Grand Slam tournament of the year (June 27 to July 10) following a joint decision by the ATP and WTA.

7.30 p.m .: According to the court, restricting NGOs in Russia violates human rights

Russia’s legislation on “foreign agents” violates freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, according to the European Court of Human Rights. That was the decision of the Strasbourg court. Russia is to pay the 73 plaintiff non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around 1.02 million euros in compensation and reimburse costs of almost 119,000 euros. Those affected have no prospect of paying the money because Russia no longer observes the verdicts.

In 2012, a law came into force in Russia that forced NGOs, for example, to register as “foreign agents” because of their alleged political work and foreign funding. The criteria for the audit were tightened for those affected, and violations of the requirements were sanctioned. Many organizations were forced to close or were wound up because of the heavy fines.

6:20 p.m .: The federal government expects Ukrainians to stay for a long time – even at the end of the war

According to estimates by the federal government, many Ukrainian refugees will remain in Germany for the time being even after the war is over. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (both SPD) made this clear when they visited a facility for refugees in Berlin. Berlin’s Senator for Social Affairs, Katja Kipping (left), also believes that the number of Ukrainian war refugees in the capital may increase again.

At the moment, the number of arrivals in Berlin has dropped a bit to 500 a day, “but we have to expect that there will be a sudden increase again at any time,” said Kipping. More than 850,000 refugees from Ukraine have now registered in Germany. Many of them have probably returned to their homeland in the meantime.

According to Heil, the integration of refugees in Germany is taking place “in big steps”. Setting the course accordingly is sensible. “Even if the war soon comes to a standstill and there is a ceasefire, the destruction will be so severe that it is not realistic for many people to return in a short time,” said Heil. “That’s why we in Germany will need generosity longer.”

6:09 p.m .: Russia blacklists numerous well-known British journalists

Russia has blacklisted 49 British citizens, including many well-known journalists. “British journalists on the list are involved in the deliberate dissemination of false and biased information about Russia and events in Ukraine and Donbass,” the Foreign Ministry said in Moscow. British military representatives would also be sanctioned.

“People associated with the British defense complex are involved in decisions about the supply of arms to Ukraine,” the Foreign Ministry said, referring to the military officials. The chief of the Royal British Air Force is among these 20 sanctioned persons. Great Britain has been one of the most vocal and financially strongest supporters of Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian military operation in the neighboring country. London has so far announced more than £750 million ($937 million) worth of weapons supplies to Kyiv, including anti-aircraft defense systems, thousands of anti-tank missiles and hundreds of armored vehicles.

4:39 p.m .: The federal government is supporting Gazprom Germania with billions

The federal government wants to support the gas company Gazprom Germania with billions to prevent bankruptcy. The Federal Government announced in Berlin that this should ensure security of supply in Germany. According to information from government circles, the sum involved is between nine and ten billion euros. Aid is therefore planned via the state development bank KfW.

According to the federal government, Gazprom Germania GmbH is a key company for gas supply in Germany. The company, which has stumbled due to sanctions from the Russian side, is to be protected from insolvency with a loan: “With this approach, the federal government retains influence on this part of the critical energy infrastructure and prevents energy security from being endangered.”

3:24 p.m .: Ministry – Gas supply security still guaranteed

The federal government currently considers the security of gas supply in Germany to be guaranteed. A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Economics said this in response to the fact that the Russian energy giant Gazprom reduced the maximum gas delivery volumes through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline to Germany by 40 percent. “We are monitoring the situation and examining the facts,” said the spokeswoman. Gazprom cited delays in repair work by Siemens as the reason. For Germany, Nord Stream 1 is the main supply pipeline with Russian gas.

3:14 p.m .: Ukraine reports exchange of killed soldiers with Russia

Ukraine has again announced that it will exchange dead soldiers with Russia. Russia has handed over the bodies of 64 “heroic” fallen defenders of the Azov steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine’s Ministry for Reintegration of Pro-Russian Separatist-Controlled Territories said. How many bodies were handed over to Russia remained unclear. The exchange took place in the Zaporizhia region. In two earlier similar actions, 210 killed Ukrainian soldiers had already been returned to their homeland.

2:50 p.m .: Von der Leyen is trying to get more gas imports for the EU from Israel

Against the background of the Ukraine war and the halt to gas deliveries from Russia, the EU wants to significantly expand its energy partnership with Israel. “The Kremlin used our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia to blackmail us,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech in Israel’s Be’er Sheva. In order to end this dependency on Russia, the EU is trying, among other things, to “expand our energy cooperation with Israel”. Talks have been going on for months for an agreement to ship Israeli gas to Europe via Egypt. A Commission spokesman said there would be announcements about energy cooperation “with Israel and other partners in the region” “in the coming days”.

2.10 p.m .: Russia wants to set up an escape corridor for civilians in the factory in Sievjerodonetsk

In view of the bitter fighting in Sievjerodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, the Russian army says it wants to set up an escape corridor for civilians who have sought refuge in the Azot chemical plant there. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow said that in accordance with the “principles of humanity”, a “humanitarian corridor to the north will be opened on Wednesday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CEST”.

The civilians are said to be taken to areas in the Luhansk region controlled by Russian separatists. The ministry called on Ukrainian troops to fly a white flag to show their agreement with the proposal. The ministry went on to say that they should give up their “absurd resistance” in the Asot plant.

1:56 p.m .: Kremlin: Foreign companies want to return to Russia

Western companies have emigrated en masse in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine — but the Kremlin says many are hoping to return. “Many companies from Western countries – including from the EU countries, the USA and Canada – remain interested in the Russian market,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax agency. The background is therefore the international economic forum in St. Petersburg, which begins on Wednesday and lasts until Saturday. Under “unprecedented pressure,” Western companies stopped working, Peskow added. “But still they say they want to come back at the first opportunity.”

1.34 p.m .: Lambrecht continues to assume that the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be delivered soon

Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) continues to assume that promised self-propelled howitzers will soon be delivered to Ukraine. Training on the weapon system in Germany will “be completed soon,” said Lambrecht. This could “then also be used to fight in Ukraine”.

At the beginning of May, the federal government announced that seven Panzerhaubitz 2000 from Bundeswehr stocks would be handed over to the Ukraine. On May 11, training of Ukrainian soldiers on howitzers mounted on a tank chassis began in Germany. It should be completed after around 40 days, which would be the beginning of next week.

1:13 p.m .: Russia reduces gas supply through the Nord Stream pipeline by 40 percent

Russia is reducing gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea by a good 40 percent. According to the energy company Gazprom, only 100 million cubic meters of gas per day can be guaranteed instead of the usual 167 million cubic meters. The background is missing parts that should have been delivered by the German Siemens group.

12:49 p.m .: Survey: 812 million euros in donations for Ukraine aid

According to a survey, people in Germany have donated at least 812 million euros since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February. This was announced by the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) in Berlin. The amount of donations for the people in and from Ukraine affected by the war is therefore likely to be even higher, since many smaller initiatives also collected money that were not taken into account in the surrender.

12:23 p.m.: Fighting continues in Seyerodonetsk – chemical plant under fire

Fighting in the city of Sieverodonetsk continues in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk. The situation around the local chemical plant Azot is particularly difficult, said the head of the city’s military administration, Olexander Strjuk, on Ukrainian television. Around 540 to 560 civilians are said to be staying in bomb shelters on the factory premises. “Certain stocks were created at the Azot plant,” Strjuk said. In addition, the police and military provided as much help as possible. The area is under constant fire.

11:35 a.m .: Zelenskyj calls for “much more” support from the West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded significantly more aid from the West in the war against Russia. “We still have to do a lot more together to win this war,” Selenskyj told Die Zeit in an interview. In particular, his country needs far more modern artillery pieces, such as longer-range multiple rocket launchers and similar systems. On the debate about the extent of support from the federal government, he said that deliveries from Germany were “still lower than they could be”.

10:45 a.m.: Russian troops continue to advance in eastern Ukraine

In eastern Ukraine, Russian troops have been able to advance further in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian information. The Russian attackers had established themselves in the settlement of Vidrodzhennya, the Ukrainian general staff said. Previously there had been heavy artillery fire on the nearby town of Bakhmut. The Russian units advanced along the European route 40 in the direction of Bakhmut. In addition, according to Ukrainians, the Russians are preparing to resume their offensive from captured Lyman to Rajhorodok and from Yampil to Siwersk.

10.36 a.m .: The Russian border region of Bryansk reports injuries after shelling

According to official information, in the Russian region of Bryansk, a village not far from the border with Ukraine was again shot at from the neighboring country. At least four residents were injured in the town of Saimishche, said Governor Alexander Bogomas. Several residential buildings were damaged.

On February 24, Russia began a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine and since then has repeatedly complained about attacks on its own territory. In addition to Bryansk, other Russian regions such as Kursk and Belgorod have repeatedly accused the enemy side of shelling. The government in Kyiv usually does not comment on the allegations.

9:55 a.m.: Lithuania buys 18 howitzers from France

Lithuania buys 18 howitzers from France. The Caesar Markt II howitzers would “significantly strengthen” Lithuania’s defense capabilities, said Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas. Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has raised fears in Lithuania and the other small Baltic states that Russia might attack them too.

9:03 a.m.: London: Russians are making small advances in the Kharkiv area

According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Russian invasion troops in Ukraine have made minor progress in the area around the city of Kharkiv for the first time in weeks. However, the main Russian attack efforts remain focused on the Sieverodonetsk pocket, according to the daily intelligence update on the Ukraine war. According to British government experts, Russia’s industry is adapting to the demand from the Ukraine war thanks to funding from the Kremlin. “However, the industry may struggle to meet many of these needs, in part because of sanctions and a lack of expertise,” the statement said.

5.44 a.m .: More air traffic due to the Ukraine war and recovery from the corona crisis

The more relaxed corona situation and the Ukraine war are causing a lot of movement in the sky. According to the German Air Traffic Control (DFS), the increase in traffic in the airspace after two years of the Corona lull is enormous. “We are currently at around 90 percent of 2019 traffic. At peak times, our controllers are even controlling more flights than before the crisis,” said a spokeswoman. Due to the large-scale shifts in traffic flows due to airspace closures over Russia and Ukraine, DFS has registered an additional increase in traffic of around ten percent for Germany. In addition, there are significantly more military flights over Germany due to the war.

5.35 a.m .: Selenskyj demands clear help from Scholz

Before a possible visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is calling for clear support from Germany. “We need Chancellor Scholz to be sure that Germany supports Ukraine. He and his government have to make a decision,” he said in an interview with the ZDF “heute-journal” on Monday evening. Germany should not attempt a balancing act between Ukraine and relations with Russia. Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi could visit Ukraine in the middle of the week.

5.01 a.m .: Macron travels to Romania and Moldova

French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to neighboring Romania and Moldova in view of the war in Ukraine. According to the Élysée Palace, Macron wanted to leave for Romania early Tuesday morning and then continue to Moldova on Wednesday. Both countries are concerned with the threat of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Another topic is the desire of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to join the European Union. At the EU summit on June 23rd and 24th, the EU states want to position themselves on the candidate status of the three countries.

12:02 a.m.: Ukraine has lost a quarter of its sown area

As a result of the Russian attack, Ukraine as an internationally important agricultural producer planted about a quarter fewer fields. That’s what Deputy Minister of Agriculture Taras Vysotsky said in Kyiv. However, the harvest will be sufficient for personal use, especially since this has fallen due to the flight of many people, he predicted. The farms are not only hampered in their work by the fighting. Because of the export blockade, the cultivation of export-oriented crops is declining, Vysotskyi said.