6:50 a.m . Additional aid from the World Bank of $ 1.49 Billion
Tuesday's approval by the World Bank Board of Directors of additional funding of $1.49 Billion for Ukraine was made to pay salaries of social workers and civil servants. This funding brings the total World Bank funding to over $4 billion.
6:35 AM: 800 civilians seek refuge at a chemical plant near Severodonetsk
According to the Severodonetsk lawyer Dmytro Firtach (owner of the site), "about 800 civilians" in Severodonetsk are also refugees from a chemical plant. "Among the 800 civilians are approximately 200 of the plant’s 3,000 employees, and 600 residents of Severodonetsk." This situation is reminiscent of Mariupol.
5:55 AM: Zelensky promises heroic defense in intense fighting in Severodonetsk
On Wednesday, intense fighting continued for Severodonetsk's control. Moscow claims that Moscow "liberated" its residential areas. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, praises the "heroic defense" of this important city in Donbass.
In his Tuesday night video address, he assured that the "situation on the frontlines has not changed significantly in 24 hours" and that the "absolutely heroic defense of Donbass is continuing".
5:5 am: Angela Merkel defends her policy towards Russia
On Tuesday evening, the former German chancellor spoke out in defense of her policy toward Russia. She said she didn't have to "apologize for" having used diplomacy to try and avoid war in Ukraine.
Angela Merkel answered questions from Der Spiegel magazine journalist. She stated that she was aware of the danger President Vladimir Putin poses to Ukraine for many years. Germany was interested in "finding a modus vivendi" with Russia to avoid "being in a state war", but to be able "to co-exist despite our differences," said the man who ruled over the largest European economy for 16 years. The former centre-right head of government was accused of increasing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy since the invasion of Ukraine. He also promoted construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline despite reservations from its American and European partners.
5:50 am: The most recent highlights on the ground
On Tuesday, intense fighting continued for Severodonetsk control, an important city in eastern Ukraine. Moscow claimed that it had "liberated" the residential areas. Sergei Gaidai, the governor of Lugansk Region, responded that they did not control the city. It was once famous for its chemical industry.
Witness to the intense fighting in Donbass, Denis Pushilin, leader of pro-Russian separatists, confirmed Tuesday that Roman Kutuzov, a Russian general, had died. This was reported by a Russian war correspondent on Sunday.
- The battle for the South continues, with Kyiv trying to retake the territory occupied by Russians in Zaporijjia and Kherson. According to the Ukrainian military, they claimed that they had carried out strikes against Russian encampments close to Kherson and ammunition depots nearby Mykolaiv. The Russian military was also accused by Ukraine of torturing and imprisoning nearly 600 people in the Kherson region, mostly journalists and activists supporting the cause of Kyiv.
5:45 a.m . Greetings everyone! Welcome to this live, where we'll be following the current situation in Ukraine on the 105th anniversary of the Russian invasion.
