Ukraine seeks to retake territory; Biden goes to Europe: Live updates
Ukraine’s military, staggered in the early days of the war by the brutal fury of Russia’s invasion, has gained footing and begun the arduous task of taking back territory overrun by Russia’s initial onslaught.
A senior Pentagon official this week described Ukrainian resistance as quick and nimble, and, for the first time, seeking to retake ground lost to the Russians. Russian forces remain largely stalled across Ukraine, particularly around the capital of Kyiv, said the official who described intelligence assessments to reporters on condition of anonymity.
The Russian military has lost more than 10% of the combat force sent to invade Ukraine, the official said.
The Ukraine Defense Ministry in recent days claimed to have driven occupying Russian troops out of Makariv – a small Kyiv suburb but crucial because it provides control of a highway to the west. The effort also blocked Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest and provided the Ukrainian military with a much-needed success story.
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Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is lobbying for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the carnage. But he also is rallying Ukrainians to fight on.
“We will fight ’til the end, at sea, in the air,” Zelenskyy said in a recent speech. “We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets.”
Zelenskyy continues to plead with the West for help, specifically for the establishment of a “no-fly” zone over his country. The U.S. have responded with a firm no, but President Joe Biden embarks Wednesday on a multi-day trip to Europe starting Wednesday to meet with allies about the ongoing response to Russia’s invasion, including military assistance for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said Biden is working on long-term efforts to boost defenses in Eastern Europe and reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy.
Latest developments
►Poland says it’s seeking to expel 45 Russian intelligence officers using diplomatic status as cover to stay in country.
►The war has jeopardized Ukraine’s wheat and barley harvests, increasing the possibility of rising hunger in impoverished areas around the globe.
►In a nightly address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 100,000 civilians remained in the port city of Mariupol, which also came under naval attack after weeks of air and land strikes.
►The United Nations on Wednesday will now face three resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine after Russia decided to call for a vote on its Security Council resolution which makes no mention of Russian aggression against its smaller neighbor.
Ukraine says Russia seized relief workers in Mariupol convoy
Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of seizing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies into the bloodied port city of Mariupol, which also came under naval attack after weeks of air and land…
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