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2:36 p.m. : The African mission led by six African leaders to discuss a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine will visit Russia in June or July, announced the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov. Besides South Africa, the mission will include Senegal, Zambia, Congo, Uganda and Egypt. She must go to Moscow but also to Ukraine.
1:26 p.m. : Ukraine celebrates the annual Vychyvanka Day today. These traditional embroidered shirts, which have different patterns in different regions, play an important role in the country’s culture and traditions. Many officials and residents publish photos with the tunic, like here Volodymyr Zelensky, who however wears a military khaki version.
1:50 p.m. : The Russian public prosecutor’s office has demanded a fine against the opponent Yevgeny Roizman, for having “discredited” the Russian army. This man is one of the last great critics of the Kremlin still at large in Russia. “I ask to sentence Roizman (…) to a fine of 260,000 rubles”, about 3,000 euros at the current exchange rate, said the prosecutor, during the trial in Yekaterinburg. He faced up to 5 years in prison.
(ANNA YURIEVA / AFP)
10:48 : “Of course, nothing compares to what is happening in Ukraine, but we see the risk and we believe that we can only save our democracy by being part of the EU.”
Moldova wants to enter “as soon as possible” in the European Union to protect itself from the Russian threat and hopes for a decision “in the coming months” on the opening of accession negotiations, said its president in an interview with AFP.
(Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)
10:51 a.m. : The Ukrainian air force announces having destroyed 29 of the 30 Russian cruise missiles during a new Russian night attack. Anti-aircraft defense also destroyed four Russian drones, the military said in a statement on Telegram.
09:07 : A freight train carrying grain has derailed without causing any casualties in Crimea, annexed by Russia, Russian authorities have reported. This comes in the midst of a series of incidents and sabotages regularly attributed by Moscow to Ukraine.
06:20 : “A series of air attacks on kyiv, unprecedented in their power, intensity and variety, continues. This is the ninth consecutive air attack on the capital since the beginning of May!”
New airstrikes hit the capital and several regions of Ukraine at dawn, when a Chinese envoy is there to try to obtain a “political settlement” of the conflict.