Five civilians were killed by a Russian strike in the Sumy region, located in northeastern Ukraine, the northern command of the Ukrainian army announced on Tuesday February 20. “A private house was damaged” in the village of Nova Sloboda, a small town about ten kilometers from the Russian border, it is specified on Telegram. Follow our live stream.
Sweden announces record military support for Ukraine. It amounts to an amount of 7.1 billion crowns, or approximately 633 million euros, in the form of equipment, while kyiv is struggling against Moscow. “The reason we continue to support Ukraine is a matter of humanity and decency. Russia has started an illegal, unprovoked and indefensible war,” Defense Minister Pal Jonson declared at a press conference.
The Ukrainian army in an “extremely difficult” situation facing the Russians. This was stated by Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily message on Monday, assuring that Russians “put take advantage of the delay in aid” western Ukraine. The Ukrainian president believes that his country lacks artillery and needs anti-aircraft defense as much as longer-range weapons.
Concerns over Polish border blockade. For Volodymyr Zelensky, the border blockade by Polish truckers and farmers demonstrates “the erosion of solidarity” towards his country. For weeks, the latter have been trying to prevent imports of cargo from Ukraine, to protest against what they consider to be unfair competition.
The ICRC investigates the fate of 23,000 missing people. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced Monday that it was trying to “shedding light on the fate of 23,000 people who have disappeared” during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “Over the past two years, the ICRC has received more than 115,000 tracing requests from families in Ukraine and Russia”specified the institution.