Ukraine-Russia War Live: Putin ‘Invokes Cuban Missile Crisis’ As He Moves ‘Nuclear’ Ships To Havana

The Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, Ukraine’s southern region, has accused Ukrainian forces of killing 22 people and wounding 15 in a shelling of the small town of Sadov.

Ukrainian forces targeted the area for the second time today, using a US-supplied HIMARS missile to inflict the most casualties, Governor Vladimir Saldo said.

Leonid Pasechnyk, another Russian-appointed governor of the occupied northeastern Ukrainian region of Lugansk, said three people were killed and 35 wounded in the Ukrainian attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces used US-supplied ATACMS missiles in an attack on the city of Lugansk.

Ukraine has not commented on any incident.

Unusual spray-painted images and messages referring to Ukraine appeared on the streets of Paris on Friday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Joe Biden in the French capital.

It was unclear who sprayed the graffiti, which appeared on several buildings in central Paris, near the Parliament complex and various government ministries.

Some featured coffins with the words “French soldier in Ukraine” on French stencils. Others include a sign that says in Ukrainian: “Give the elections back to Ukrainians.”

In a speech in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Joe Biden said the US and the West are ready to stand by Ukraine’s unwavering support against Russian aggression and to stand firm against Vladimir Putin, a “tyrant bent on domination”.

The US president has met Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris to reassure him that a $225m (£176m) arms shipment is on its way.

It was their first meeting since December, when Ukraine’s leader visited Washington amid a congressional impasse over a $60 billion arms package for Kiev.

The bill in Congress, which was held by the Republican opposition at the time, passed, allaying fears that Ukraine would face defeat this year without that lifeline.

Significantly, the Biden administration, after long hesitation, belatedly allowed Ukraine to use American weapons, mainly ATACAM missiles, to strike targets inside Russia — as long as it is not in Moscow and the Kremlin.

Russia’s top diplomat pledged aid and military assistance this week on a trip to several countries in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa as Moscow seeks to increase its influence in the restive, mineral-rich stretch of the continent.

Russia is emerging as a security partner for a growing number of African governments in the region, replacing traditional allies such as France and the United States.

Sergey Lavrov, who has made several trips to Africa in recent years, stopped in Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Chad this week.

There is “every possibility” that a World War II-scale conflict could tear Europe apart in the coming years, Britain’s military chief has said.

General Sir Patrick Saunders, 58, who will step down in the coming days after two years in office, made the comments at an event in Portsmouth on June 6, 1944, to mark the D-Day operation.

After recently returning from a visit to British troops in Poland, General Sanders reported on the progress of the British Army, but added that “more needs to be done” and urged the military to increase its readiness for war.

US veteran and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared an emotional moment to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion to liberate France, each praising the other as a hero.

Retired Staff Sgt. Melvin Hurwitz, 99, and other veterans were introduced to foreign dignitaries Thursday at a commemoration of the Normandy landings.

When he met Zelensky, Hurwitz kissed the Ukrainian leader on the hand and hugged him, exclaiming: “Oh, you are the savior of the people!”

Nine-year-old Sasha fell into a basement as Russian-launched jets buzzed in the sky above her. He was terrified, shaking as he tried desperately to block out the noise of the Shaheds, the Iranian-designed drones that have become a deadly feature of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

The boy lived with his mother and five siblings in the village of Zakharivka, just a few miles from Russian forces advancing across the border in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. The region has been the scene of intense fighting for weeks.

This was five days after the Russian offensive began in mid-May. Poor defensive fortifications and severed lines of communication, jamming the Russian signal, left the Ukrainian forces in limbo. Then the Moscow troops quickly crossed the border.

The United States will soon send a $225 million arms and aid package to Ukraine as Kiev works to repel renewed Russian attacks, President Joe Biden said Friday.

Biden announced the new tranche of defense aid during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, a day after the Ukrainian president joined the US president and other world leaders in ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Speaking at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial during the ceremony, Biden described Ukraine’s fight against Russia as a modern-day counterpart to the war against Hitler and Nazism, while stressing the importance of overcoming isolationist sentiments, a stark contrast to his predecessor and likely 2024 election opponent, former President Donald Trump. .