Selenskyj: Offensive “slower than desired”, but with progress – Taiwan’s night update teachers allegedly sedated children – parents demand answers

Selenskyj sees progress at the front

Two weeks after the start of the Ukrainian offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised to make progress on the front lines. “We are moving forward in the south,” he said in his daily video address on Wednesday. He admitted that there has been heavy fighting, but everywhere – including in the east, where Ukrainian troops are on the defensive – the enemy is being destroyed, he said. Only a short time before, the Ukrainian head of state had tempered public expectations of the offensive.

In a BBC interview broadcast on Wednesday, he admitted that the offensive was “slower than desired”. Selenskyj also attributed the small territorial gains to the large-scale mining of the area by Russian forces. Therefore, a careful approach is needed to avoid unnecessarily endangering the lives of the soldiers.

In his evening video message, however, Selenskyj announced mostly positive news. In addition to the unspecified progress on the front, the president also addressed the reconstruction conference for Ukraine in London and the new EU sanctions package against Russia. During the conference, Ukraine received not only state aid, but also commitments from the private sector to participate in the country’s development.

Zelenskyy praised the EU sanctions package as important to further isolate Russia “as long as Russia’s main exports are evil and dead”. The important thing now is to cut off ways to circumvent the earlier sanctions.

Kiev secret service admits Russian attack on its own headquarters

Meanwhile, Ukrainian military intelligence HUR confirmed reports of a Russian missile strike on its headquarters. The attacks took place at the end of May, but “have achieved neither the desired nor the announced goal,” agency spokesman Andriy Yusov said on Ukrainian television on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, reported on the missile attack.

Russian leaders have repeatedly threatened to attack Ukraine’s “decision centers”. The first information about an attack on HUR headquarters appeared on May 29. There was no official statement from Kiev at the time. Jussow declined to comment further on the fallout from the attack. He only does that after the war.

The number of victims after the flood disaster in southern Ukraine has risen to more than 60

About two weeks ago, at least 62 people were killed in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. Russian occupation authorities spoke on Telegram on Wednesday of 41 deaths on the Russian-occupied southern bank of the Dnieper. Ukrainian authorities estimate the number of deaths across the river to be at least 21. The actual number of victims is believed to be higher.

Von der Leyen: Russian assets should benefit Ukraine

The EU wants to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. The EU Commission will present a plan for this before the summer holidays, EU Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said at a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in London on Wednesday. She added: “The perpetrator must be held accountable.”

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a similar statement on the sidelines of the conference. It is essential for the reconstruction of Ukraine that Moscow is held accountable in the medium term, said the minister. Russia caused the damage in Ukraine.

Putin confirms expansion of Russian nuclear forces

Russia, meanwhile, shows no signs of withdrawing from the conflict. On the contrary: about 16 months after the start of the offensive war against Ukraine, President Putin confirmed the planned reinforcement of his own nuclear forces. At an event with graduates of the armed forces’ universities on Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency, Putin again announced that the new Sarmat-type ICBM, which can be equipped with nuclear warheads, will soon be commissioned. However, this was originally planned for 2022.

Since the invasion of Ukraine he ordered on February 24, 2022, Putin has repeatedly provoked international criticism with nuclear threats. His announcement that tactical nuclear weapons would be stationed in neighboring Belarus in particular caused outrage. According to the Kremlin, the handover should be completed by the end of the year.

What will be important on Thursday

In addition to the reconstruction conference, the Ukrainian offensive to liberate the territories occupied by Russia continues. Despite the progress announced by Zelensky, no breakthrough is in sight for Kiev. The Russian defense lines on the 815-kilometer front are considered to be firmly secured. (con/sda/dpa)