Reside: Senior EU officers head to Kyiv as rescue efforts proceed in Kramatorsk
Greater than a dozen senior European Union officers arrived in Kyiv on Thursday with guarantees of extra navy, monetary and political assist.
The flight comes as rescue efforts proceed within the jap metropolis of Kramatorsk after a Russian missile assault on an house constructing killed no less than three folks. Comply with the France 24 reside weblog for the most recent developments, all occasions are in Paris time (GMT +1).
7:53 a.m.: Ukraine targets oligarch, former minister in anti-graft marketing campaign Ukraine expanded its crackdown on corruption Wednesday, launching coordinated housing searches linked to the divisive minority authorities and former inside minister in addition to tax places of work within the capital.
The searches got here forward of a significant summit with the European Union, and seem like a part of Kyiv’s push to reassure navy and monetary donors in European capitals and Washington that Ukraine is systematically cracking down on graft.
Zelensky’s occasion chairman, David Arakhamia, stated the searches focused influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former inside minister Arsen Avakov. Legislation enforcement authorities have additionally raided tax places of work within the capital and senior customs officers have been fired.
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5:00 a.m.: Senior EU officers meet in Ukraine Greater than a dozen senior EU officers arrived in Kyiv on Thursday with guarantees of extra navy, monetary and political assist, a symbolic journey meant to spotlight help for Ukraine.
However the EU is decided to sprint Ukraine’s hopes of shortly being granted membership, stressing the necessity for extra anti-corruption measures and its unwillingness to simply accept a rustic at warfare, Europe’s largest armed battle since World Conflict Two.
“It is a very robust sign that we’re in Kyiv throughout the warfare. It is a sign for the Ukrainian folks. It is a sign for Russia. It is a sign for the world,” a senior EU official stated.
Senior members of the European Union’s European Government Committee will meet with their counterparts within the Ukrainian authorities on Thursday. Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
4:51 a.m.: Russians have fun the anniversary of the Stalingrad victory President Vladimir Putin Thursday is about to preside over ceremonies marking the eightieth anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory within the Battle of Stalingrad, one of many bloodiest battles of World Conflict II.
The high-profile celebrations within the southern metropolis of Volgograd come because the Kremlin seeks to shore up help for its offensive in Ukraine, launched almost a 12 months in the past to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, whose troopers fought alongside Russia in opposition to Nazi Germany.
The Kremlin stated Putin was anticipated to journey to Volgograd, previously referred to as Stalingrad, to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at a warfare memorial and to handle a live performance.
The Battle of Stalingrad lasted greater than six months, and ended with the give up of German forces on February 2, 1943, after greater than 1,000,000 folks had been killed.
>> Learn extra: ‘They’d Slightly Hell’: The Battle of Stalingrad, 80 Years Later
1:33 a.m.: Condo constructing bombed in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, killing no less than 3 folks Ukrainian authorities stated on Wednesday that no less than three folks had been killed when a Russian missile hit an house constructing within the jap metropolis of Kramatorsk.
“Two hours in the past, the Russian occupiers bombed a residential constructing within the metropolis heart with a missile,” stated district governor Pavlo Kirilenko.
“Two hours in the past, the Russian occupiers hit a residential constructing within the metropolis heart with a missile and fully destroyed it,” stated district governor Pavlo Kirilenko on the Telegram messaging app.
The district police stated on their official web site that that they had “preliminarily identified that there have been three lifeless civilians and 20 injured”.
© France Médias Monde Graphic studio (France 24 with AFP, Related Press and Reuters)
