Ukraine forces are still advancing in taking back teritory Russia ‘say’s’ in has annexed….
The guessing goes on about how Russian President Putin is gonna handle his losses….
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Key developments
- Putin formalized annexation claims to the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson on Wednesday. The Russian leader also signed a decree authorizing Moscow to take over operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which Ukrainian staffers have continued to operate under occupation, even as fighting nearby raised international concerns about nuclear safety.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency said that its chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, would consult with authorities regarding the new decree. Grossi is set to arrive in Kyiv, and later Russia, the agency tweeted Wednesday. The need for a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant is “now more urgent than ever,” Grossi said.
- Documents on Russian plans for the regions say Ukrainian offensives to regain territory would be seen as attacks on Russia itself. The documents also say pro-Moscow separatist militias in Luhansk and Donetsk will be incorporated into Russia’s military and residents will become Russian citizens upon taking an oath of loyalty.
Battleground updates
- Russian troops have started to withdraw from the southern city of Snihurivka, which was annexed along with the Kherson region, the Associated Press reported Wednesday, quoting the governor of the neighboring Mykolaiv area. The city is a key railway hub that was seized by Russian forces in March.
- Six Iranian-made kamikaze-style drones hit the city of Bila Tserkva, about 50 miles south of Kyiv, injuring one person overnight Wednesday, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram. Shahed-136 drones have largely been used in the south of Ukraine, according to the Associated Press, with this attack the closest to the capital.
- Ukrainian troops are approaching Luhansk, the eastern region that Russia claims to have annexed and that remains largely occupied by Russian and pro-Kremlin forces, the British Defense Ministry said Wednesday. “Politically, Russian leaders will highly likely be concerned” by the move, the ministry said.
- Ukraine also continues to push ahead from the recently liberated city of Lyman, refuting Russia’s illegal annexation of the four Ukrainian regions, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said Tuesday. Lyman is a strategic supply hub in the eastern Donetsk region.
- In some occupied regions, Russian forces have struggled to treat and evacuate their wounded, Ukraine’s military leadership said Wednesday. In Kherson, Russia is trying to evacuate up to 150 injured soldiers and 50 units of damaged military equipment. In Luhansk, the number of wounded Russian troops have overwhelmed the region’s medical facilities, forcing Moscow to convert a local school into a military hospital….
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Russia strikes near Kyiv with ‘kamikaze’ drones supplied by Iran.
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As Russian troops retreat, cameras document the devastation they left behind.
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Putin signs annexation laws, plowing ahead with a parallel reality as Russia loses ground in Ukraine.
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Russia says it is nationalizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, while Ukraine says it is taking charge there.
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Price cap on Russian oil could have unintended consequences, analysts say.
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In a rebuke to the West, OPEC and Russia agree to a big cut in oil production….