Russia kills at least 21 civilians while bombing the Odessa region, and drops phosphorus bombs on Serpents’ Island, according to Ukrainian authorities. Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of the day on the war front in Ukraine.
At least 21 dead in strikes in the Odessa region
Cold War-era strategic bombers designed to carry nuclear warheads fired Kh-22 missiles from the Black Sea against an apartment building and tourist buildings on Friday before sunrise, according to Ukraine’s rescue services. of the day. A report published on Telegram by the emergency services describes that the first strike left 16 dead and 38 injured, including 6 children, and the other left 5 dead, including one child, and one injured.
“This is a targeted and deliberate strike by Russia, let’s face it, Russian terror against our towns and villages, against our people, adults and children.”denounced President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I call on our partners to provide Ukraine with missile defense systems as soon as possible”for his part wrote on Twitter the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kouleba, qualifying Russia as a“terrorist state”. Asked about the subject, the Kremlin spokesman said that “the Russian armed forces do not operate on civilian targets” in Ukraine.
kyiv accuses Moscow of firing phosphorus bombs at Serpents’ Island
“Around 6 p.m., the Russian armed forces twice carried out an air attack with phosphorus bombs on Serpents’ Island”, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy wrote on Telegram. He accompanied his message with a video on which we see a plane flying over Serpents’ Island and dropping at least two bombs which hit their target, leaving light white streaks appearing in the sky, a distinctive sign of the phosphorus bombs.
These incendiary weapons are prohibited against civilian targets, but not military ones, under a Convention signed in 1980 in Geneva. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of using these weapons on civilians since the start of the war, which Moscow denies. The day before, the Russian army had indicated that it had withdrawn from Serpents’ Island “as a sign of goodwill”after having “accomplished” them “targets set”.
Norway announces donation of nearly one billion euros to Ukraine
The donation of 10 billion Norwegian crowns (approximately 970 million euros), announced during the visit of Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Ukraine, will be made over two years and should be used to “humanitarian aid, the reconstruction of the country, arms and support for the functioning of the authorities” Ukrainians.
Washington announces $820 million in new military aid to kyiv
The 14th set of equipment delivered by the United States since the beginning of the war will include two anti-aircraft systems, four counter-battery radars, new missiles for the recently arrived US Himars multiple rocket launchers, and up to 150,000 155mm rounds. This new batch of equipment, taken from the existing stocks of the American army, brings to 6.9 billion dollars the total amount of American assistance to Kyiv.
Ukraine has started exporting electricity to the European Union
The country was in sync with the Russian power grid until it was invaded by Russia. It then operated autonomously before connecting to the European network in mid-March. “It will bring an additional source of electricity for the EU. And much needed revenue for Ukrainewelcomed the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. So we’re both winners.” Volodymyr Zekensky greeted him “an important step” of his “rapprochement with the European Union”.
Borsch threatened by war, according to Unesco
Unesco said on Friday that the war was jeopardizing the Ukrainian culture of borsch. This beetroot and cabbage-based soup, often accompanied by fresh cream, is very popular in Central Europe, especially in Russia. It is commonly believed that this dish is of Ukrainian origin. kyiv had requested in mid-April the inclusion of this soup on the list of intangible cultural heritage in danger, considering that the conflict initiated by Russia threatened the “viability” of the tradition surrounding this dish.