Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 101 of the invasion

Ukrainian forces have recaptured round 20% of the territory they misplaced in Sievierodonetsk since Russia’s invasion, based on Ukrainian officers. “Whereas before the situation was difficult, the percentage [held by Russia] was somewhere around 70%, now we have already pushed them back by approximately 20%,” Serhiy Gaidai, the head of the japanese area of Luhansk, introduced on nationwide tv on Friday.

Leading US common Mark Milley met Finnish president Sauli Niinisto on Friday to pledge US help for Finland’s and (*101*)’s Nato membership bids, which Turkey is obstructing. Milley instructed reporters it was clear that, if the two international locations’ purposes had been authorized, “they will bring a significant increase in the military capability of Nato”, Agence France-Presse reported. After Helsinki, Milley was anticipated to go to neighbouring (*101*) on Saturday.

A driver transporting two Reuters journalists in japanese Ukraine was killed and the two reporters calmly wounded on Friday, an organization spokesperson stated. They had come below fireplace whereas en path to Severodonetsk. “They were travelling in a vehicle provided by the Russian-backed separatists and driven by an individual assigned by the separatists,” the worldwide information company stated.

Vladimir Putin says exporting grain from Ukraine is “no problem”, after Moscow’s invasion raised fears of a world meals disaster. The Russian president stated in a televised interview on Friday that exporting may very well be executed through Ukrainian ports, through others below Russian management, and even through central Europe. Putin accused the west of “bluster” by claiming Moscow was stopping the grain exports from Ukraine.

The African Union head and Senegalese president, Macky Sall, stated he was “reassured” after assembly with Putin relating to world meals shortages brought on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition to world meals shortages, different points mentioned between the two leaders included grain provides which might be caught in Ukrainian ports.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodna, accused Russia of “stealing” and sending Ukrainian grain overseas. “Russia shamelessly steals Ukrainian grain and sends it overseas from Crimea, including to Turkey,” Bodna stated in a tweet on Friday.

14 million Ukrainians have been pressured to flee their properties, the majority ladies and youngsters, the UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad, stated on Friday. In a press release launched on the a hundredth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Awad spoke of displaced Ukrainians, describing the “scale and speed of [their] displacement not witnessed in history”.

Moscow will assist restore and rebuild Luhansk and Donetsk, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin introduced on Friday after a go to to Luhansk. About 1,500 specialists from numerous departments of the Moscow municipal economic system advanced and 500 items of gear had arrived in Luhansk, the mayor stated.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stated that Ukraine should meet all the vital requirements and situations for accession. She went on to name on the EU to assist Ukraine obtain its objectives.

“Victory shall be ours,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated in a video that includes the identical key ministers and advisers who appeared with him in a defiant broadcast on 24 February, the day his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, launched his unprovoked assault. “The armed forces of Ukraine are here. Most importantly, our people, the people of our country, are here. We have been defending Ukraine for 100 days already … Glory to Ukraine,” Zelenskiy added.

French president Emmanuel Macron says Putin has dedicated a “historic and fundamental error” by invading Ukraine and is now “isolated”. “I think, and I told him, that he made a historic and fundamental error for his people, for himself and for history,” Macros stated in an interview with French regional media on Friday. “Isolating oneself is one thing, but being able to get out of it is a difficult path”. Macron stated he didn’t “rule out” a go to to Kyiv.

Switzerland’s authorities has rejected a request by Denmark to ship practically two-dozen Swiss-made armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine. Switzerland’s govt Federal Council confirmed the determination on Friday after Denmark requested Switzerland switch 22 Swiss-made Piranha III wheeled armoured personnel carriers, which Denmark had obtained and saved in Germany, to Ukraine.