War in Ukraine: Airstrikes, 3 billion euros per year, Russian sentenced to 5 years in prison… Update on the situation

Russia and Ukraine condemned the airstrikes

Russia and Ukraine said they repelled numerous airstrikes in areas near the border on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, displacing civilians.

Russian officials said air defense systems destroyed missiles and drones fired by Ukraine in the Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh regions near the border with Ukraine. Drones were also shot down in the Saratov region of western Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that Russia would punish Ukraine for the attack and that he could create a buffer zone with more Ukrainian territory to protect Russia from Western shelling. “The first thing is to ensure our safety. There are many ways to do this, none of them easy, but we will do it.”Vladimir Putin announced during a meeting in the Kremlin on Wednesday.

Russia controls just under 20% of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to advance into Ukraine after capturing the town of Avdivka in February, as Ukrainian forces come under intense pressure on the front line. On the ground, Russian forces are pushing back Ukrainian troops, said the Russian Defense Ministry, which also announced the creation of two new armies.

“Groups of Russian troops continue to drive the enemy from his positions. The United States and its satellites are very concerned about the success of the Russian armed forces.”, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the generals. Russia has recruited hundreds of thousands of troops, and will create two new armies and 30 new formations, 14 divisions and 16 brigades, Sergei Shoigu added, without specifying how many troops the formations would bring together or where they would be deployed.

Kiev has been ordered to evacuate civilians due to intense Russian bombardment in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack “immovable” of Russia against the Sumy region in his daily address.

Regional authorities said one person died in Velika Pysarivka; Where, according to local officials, around 200 people were evacuated last week. In northern Ukraine, a Russian missile struck an industrial zone in the city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring at least five others, local officials said.

A printing press also caught fire due to the strike. “Preliminary data suggests it was a Russian cruise missile. Significant fire at site of attack”, mentioned the regional governor, Oleh Synehoubuv, on Ukrainian television. The governor added that up to 10 people may be trapped under the debris.

The European Union has offered to pay Ukraine 3 billion euros a year from Russian assets

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to provide up to three billion euros a year in aid to Ukraine from the proceeds of the Russian Central Bank’s fixed assets held in Europe. Majority of this income, i.e. 90%, will be paid by the Fund European Peace Facility That would allow Ukraine to buy weapons.

The rest will finance the reconstruction of the country. The total amount of aid Kiev receives will depend on interest rates that influence returns on fixed Russian assets held in the EU, which total 210 billion euros. Ukraine will also profit from the 25% tax that the Belgian government imposes on this income. In 2024, this tax should reach 1.7 billion euros, and 1.5 billion euros will be paid this year.

Once the Commission’s proposal is approved by the Member States, the aid will be paid in two installments per year, with the first installment disbursed in July. Custodians with Russian assets will retain 3% of the proceeds to cover their costs and temporarily set aside 10% to cover potential legal costs. This amount can be increased if necessary, the commission clarified.

After the war, these reserves will be paid to Ukraine if they are not used. European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said Russia was held responsible for the massive damage it caused, adding that the EU had coordinated its decision with the other G7 countries – the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The EU is not currently considering seizing Russian assets. “We insist, all assets must be confiscated”The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Chmyhal during a conference in Brussels.

Russian Documentary Writer Sentenced to 5 Years in Jail

This Wednesday, a Russian court sentenced a 36-year-old man to three years in prison. The suspect posted messages online on social networks condemning the actions of Vladimir Putin’s army in several Ukrainian cities. Parisian.

He published messages, describing “lie”More precisely, on the massacres perpetrated by the Russian military “mass killings of civilians”, explains the daily. These facts may have occurred in spring 2022 during the months of March and April. The thirty-year-old also made several films on artist Alexandra Skochilenko as well as journalist Maria Ponomarenko, who is also serving a prison sentence for criticizing Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 invasion of Kiev.

Vsevolod Korolev, who was arrested in July of the same year, was convicted, according to the NGO Memorial. “Spreading Misinformation” on the Russian Army by the Vyborsky District Court of St. Petersburg.