Russia bombs western Ukraine, intensifies offensive in east

THE Russia announced this Sunday, the 12th, that it destroyed a large deposit of weapons supplied by the United States and European countries in western Europe. Ukraine, while stepping up the offensive in the east in a crucial battle for Severodonetsk, where Ukrainian troops are struggling. An unusual Russian bombing raid on the town of Chortkiv, in western Ukraine, which remained relatively on the sidelines of the war, left 22 wounded, local governor Volodymir Trush said. He said the four missiles fired from the Black Sea partially destroyed a military installation and several residential buildings.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the bombing of Chortkiv destroyed a “large depot of anti-tank missile system, portable air defense systems and howitzers supplied to the Kiev regime by the United States and European countries”. At the same time, in the east, the situation in the strategic city of Severodonetsk is “extremely difficult” after Russian troops destroyed a second bridge and launched a massive bombardment against the third and final one, Governor Sergei Gaiday said. He highlighted that the destruction of the bridges intends to isolate the city. Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, separated by a river, have resisted attacks for several weeks and are the last Ukrainian positions in the Lugansk region.

At the diplomatic level, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, promised on Saturday, 11, to Kiev that the bloc will present by the end of the week a clear signal about Ukraine’s ambition to be a candidate to join the European Union. Von der Leyen highlighted that the former Soviet republic “has made progress in strengthening the rule of law, but it still needs to implement reforms to fight corruption”. Despite reservations from some member states, Kiev’s candidacy could receive the green light at the bloc’s next summit on June 23 and 24. “The challenge will be to leave the Council [da UE] with a united stance that reflects the importance of this historic decision,” Von der Leyen said during his return trip to Poland.

Ukraine’s geopolitical vulnerability was exposed with the invasion initiated by Russia on February 24, which caused thousands of deaths and forced millions of people to flee their homes, leaving entire territories of the country reduced to rubble. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said this Saturday that this is a “decisive” moment. “Russia wants to destroy European unity, wants to divide Europe and weaken it. All of Europe is a target of Russia. Ukraine is just the first step,” she said.