The Ukrainian authorities said, on Wednesday, that the Ukrainian forces, which used the precision artillery supplied by the United States, severely damaged a bridge vital to the supply lines of the Russian army in the occupied city of Kherson.
“The successful missile strikes on the bridges over the Dnipro River by the #US army create an impossible dilemma for the Russian occupiers in #Kherson,” The Ukrainian Defense Ministry tweeted. “Withdraw or annihilate by #UAarmy. The choice is theirs.”
The bridge is one of two crossings over the river used by Russia to transport personnel and equipment into the territories it occupies. Natalia Gominiuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Operational Command in the South, said the strike was not aimed at destroying the bridge but rather making it impossible for the Russian military to use it.
The Ukrainians have used a high-mobility artillery missile system that has been supplied to the United States in recent weeks. Russia has relied on less accurate artillery to bombard civilian areas indiscriminately since its invasion began five months ago.
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Other developments:
The military reported that the “Hero of Ukraine” was killed in the fighting on Tuesday. Major Oleksandr Kokurba, 28, was the head of intelligence in a tactical aviation brigade. In April, Kokorba was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine and the Military Gold Star for his personal courage and heroism. Three days of mourning began on Wednesday.
Germany has agreed to sell 100 howitzers worth $1.7 billion, according to Der Spiegel magazine and other media reports. The deal is worth about three times the value of what Germany has provided Ukraine so far.
► Ukraine estimated the total Russian combat losses to include more than 40,000 dead or wounded along with 1,738 tanks and 3,971 armored vehicles destroyed. Neither country has released details of its losses.
►inflation in Ukraine It jumped from 10% in January to 21.5% in June, “mainly as a result of the shocks caused by the war and global price pressures,” the NBU said.
The Verkhovna Rada approved the post of Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin, a staunch loyalist of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party. Kostin replaces Irina Venediktova, who was removed from his position this month amid fears of betrayal in the ranks of the office.
The United States made a “substantial” offer to free Greiner, her fellow American
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday that WNBA star Britney Grenier and fellow American Paul Whelan may be released from captivity in Russia under the terms of a deal proposed by the Biden administration.
It is not yet known whether Russia will accept the deal, but Blinken’s recognition of it and his revelation of his intention to communicate with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since the start of the war indicates a significant reversal of previous policy.
Blinken said the United States had put a “substantial proposal on the table for weeks” to facilitate their release and that he planned to raise his case at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Blinken did not reveal details of a possible prisoner exchange, but CNN reported that the United States had offered Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer nicknamed “The Merchant of Death.”
Greiner, who was arrested on drug charges at Moscow airport in February, Testified in a Russian court On Wednesday, he said her translator translated only a fraction of what she said when questioned after her arrest. Greiner also testified that she was not given an explanation of her rights or her right to a lawyer and was instructed to sign documents she did not understand.
Greiner, 31, pleaded guilty to a drug charge that could lead to a 10-year prison sentence.
Zelensky: Biden’s visit would be a “big sign” of support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview in Britain that will be broadcast on Wednesday on TalkTV that President Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine would be a “great signal” of support for the war-torn country. The White House has not revealed any plans for Biden’s trip to Kyiv.
Zelensky noted that First Lady Jill Biden attracted enthusiastic comments in Ukraine when she visited on Mother’s Day. Zelensky said that his wife’s visit to the White House and Congress was met with a great response in the United States
“President Biden’s visit to Ukraine will be the strongest signal of support for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
Russia is trying to blame the West for the food crisis during its trip to Africa
As if in a gesture, Russia’s top diplomat pointed an accusing finger at the West as he concluded his trip to Africa, home to many nations hard hit by food shortages exacerbated by war.
British Ministry of Defense He said in her daily intelligence assessment That during Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s tour of the continent, Russia is likely to use the visit to “blame the West for the global food crisis and win the support of African countries that have remained neutral over the Russian invasion of Ukraine”.
Lavrov certainly ruled out the “so-called food crisis” caused by the global rise in food prices, which was caused in part by Ukraine’s inability to export grain that had been besieged by invading forces. During his stop on Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Lavrov blamed the United States and the European Union for imposing sanctions, pursuing “reckless” green policies and even hoarding food during the pandemic.
“The situation in Ukraine additionally negatively affected the food markets, but not because of the Russian special operation, but because of the completely inappropriate reaction of the West, which announced the imposition of sanctions,” said Lavrov.
Western countries stressed that these sanctions do not include food.
Philippine government drops plan to buy Russian helicopters
A former Philippine defense official said the Philippine government has canceled a plan to buy 16 Russian military transport helicopters, citing concerns about US sanctions.
Delfin Lorenzana told The Associated Press that he canceled a $227 million deal to acquire Mi-17 helicopters while serving as defense minister under former President Rodrigo Duterte. Their term expired on June 30. Lorenzana said US security officials were aware of Manila’s decision and could provide similar heavy helicopters.
The Philippine ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, said the deal was canceled because Manila could have faced sanctions under a US law called the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
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‘Gas is now part of Russia’s foreign policy’: EU energy concerns deepen
Russia’s Gazprom was one step closer to shutting down gas deliveries to Europe via its Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday after cutting the flow to 20% of capacity. The energy giant blamed the reduction on the decommissioning of another Siemens turbine at the Portovaia compressor station.
Gazprom requires extensive documentation to verify that turbines sent to Canada for maintenance do not violate sanctions. European leaders dismiss the paper demands as a ploy from Russia as it seeks political influence over Europe before winter arrives.
“Gas is now part of Russian foreign policy and possibly a Russian war strategy,” German energy official Klaus Mueller told Deutschlandfunk radio.
Contributing: The Associated Press