Ukrainian troops were engaged in fierce street fighting with Russian soldiers in the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, while other towns were under constant shelling, as the Kremlin pushed for control of the eastern Donbas region.
Fighting
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed for more weapons to arrive faster, saying things could become very difficult for Ukraine if Russian forces broke through front lines in Donbas, the eastern region where Sievierodonetsk is the main city not in Russian hands.
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Zelenskiy said on Monday that Russian forces had the numerical advantage in the battle for Sievierodonetsk, but that Ukraine’s forces had “every chance” of fighting back.
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In its nightly update, the Ukrainian military said two civilians were killed in Russian shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Monday and that Russian forces had fired at more than 20 communities.
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Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Monday that Russian forces were also advancing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 85 km (53 miles) to the west of Sievierodonetsk.
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In addition to artillery shelling, Russian forces conducted air strikes, using both planes and helicopters, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s general staff said on Tuesday.
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Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports. Russia denies targeting civilians in the conflict.
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Britain’s defence ministry said on Twitter on Tuesday that Russia’s broader plan likely continues to be to cut off the Sievierodonetsk area from both the north and the south.
Diplomacy and weapons
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A Fiji court has ruled a Russian-owned superyacht be removed from the Pacific island nation by the United States because it was a waste of money for Fiji to maintain the vessel amid legal wrangling over its seizure.
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Japan will freeze the assets of two more Russian banks and one more Belarusian bank as part of additional sanctions on Russia, Japan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
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Russia imposed sanctions on 61 U.S. officials including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, in retaliation for “constantly expanding U.S. sanctions”, the foreign ministry said.
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Russia should not close the U.S. embassy in Moscow because the world’s two biggest nuclear powers must continue to talk, the U.S. ambassador was quoted as saying on Monday. The Kremlin said it was interested in bilateral nuclear arms talks though they were unlikely to take place at this time.
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Britain said it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude.
Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now
Economy
- Zelenskiy said up to 75 million tonnes of grain could be stuck in Ukraine by this autumn, and that Kyiv wanted anti-ship weapons that could secure safe passage for its exports.
Quote
- “Sorry, that was the last bottle of Czech beer we had” - said a waiter at a central Moscow restaurant, a sign that once ample Russian reserves of foreign alcohol are dwindling.
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