Russian forces advance in factory city, U.S. to send precision rockets to Ukraine & More Trending News

KYIV, June 1 (Reuters) – Russian forces on Wednesday pressed nearer to the centre of an industrial metropolis in a drive to seize a swathe of jap Ukraine, whereas the United States mentioned it might provide superior rockets to Kyiv to assist push Moscow to negotiate an finish to the warfare.

Ukraine’s General Staff mentioned Russian forces, now 98 days into their invasion, pounded infrastructure in jap and southern areas, together with town of Sievierodonetsk, which they entered on May 27 and is the primary focus of their floor offensive in the jap Donbas area.

According to provincial governor Serhiy Gaidai, a Russian air strike hit the Azot chemical factory in Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday, blowing up a tank of poisonous nitric acid and releasing a plume of pink smoke. He urged residents to stay inside.

Reuters couldn’t independently affirm the reason for the incident.

U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned Washington would provide precision rocket programs and munitions as a part of a $700 million weapons bundle anticipated to be formally introduced on Wednesday. learn extra

“We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” Biden wrote in the New York Times.

A Biden administration official mentioned the brand new provides – which comes on high of billions of {dollars} value of kit resembling drones and anti-aircraft missiles – included the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which Kyiv has mentioned is “crucial” to counter Russian missile assaults.

Amid issues that such weapons might draw the United States into direct battle, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned that Ukraine has promised Washington it is not going to use the rocket programs to hit targets inside Russia. learn extra

Russia, nevertheless, warned of an elevated threat of direct confrontation with the United States. learn extra

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, talking in Saudi Arabia, mentioned the provision of the rocket launchers raised the dangers of a “third country” being dragged into the battle.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned such provides wouldn’t encourage Ukraine’s management to resume stalled peace talks.

“We believe that the United States is purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire,” Peskov mentioned.

NUCLEAR FORCES

Shortly after the U.S. determination was introduced, the Russian defence ministry mentioned Russia’s nuclear forces had been holding drills in the Ivanovo province, northeast of Moscow, the Interfax information company reported. The report didn’t point out the U.S. determination. learn extra

Russia has additionally accomplished testing its hypersonic Zircon cruise missile and can deploy it by the top of the yr on a brand new frigate of its Northern Fleet, a senior army officer mentioned on Wednesday. learn extra

Ukraine’s General Staff mentioned Russian forces continued to pound northern, southern and jap districts of Sievierodonetsk.

If Russia captures town and its smaller twin Lysychansk on the west financial institution of the Siverskyi Donets river, it should maintain all of Luhansk, one in every of two provinces in the Donbas that Moscow claims on behalf of separatists and a key warfare intention of President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian forces now management simply 20% of Sievierodonetsk, Russian forces 60% and the remainder has turn into a “no-man’s land”, Oleksandr Stryuk, the Ukrainian head of town administration, instructed Reuters. learn extra

“The 20% is being fiercely defended by our armed forces… Attempts are being made to drive out the Russian troops… We have hope that despite everything we will free the city…,” Stryuk mentioned.

Governor Gaidai mentioned Lysychansk was simpler to defend as it’s situated on a hill however Russian forces would goal it with artillery and mortars as soon as in full management of Sievierodonetsk.

The chief of the pro-Moscow Luhansk People’s Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, instructed TASS information company Russian proxies had superior slower than anticipated to safeguard metropolis infrastructure and “exercise caution around its chemical factories”.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council support company which had lengthy operated out of Sievierodonetsk, mentioned up to 12,000 civilians stay trapped in the crossfire, with out enough entry to water, meals, medication or electrical energy.

Before the warfare, town was house to round 120,000 individuals.

WEAPONS PACKAGE

The new U.S. bundle consists of ammunition, counter fireplace radars, air surveillance radars, further Javelin anti-tank missiles and anti-armour weapons, officers mentioned.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned on Wednesday Berlin would provide Kyiv with its IRIS-T medium-range surface-to-air defence system.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has referred to as for extra weapons whereas lambasting the European Union, which agreed on Monday to lower imports of Russian oil, for not sanctioning vitality from Russia sooner.

The EU will ban imports of Russian oil by sea. Officials mentioned that will halt two-thirds of Russia’s oil exports to Europe at first, and 90% by the top of this yr. learn extra

Responding to the EU oil embargo, Russia widened its gasoline cuts to Europe, driving costs increased and ratcheting up its financial battle with Brussels. learn extra Moscow mentioned on Wednesday it might re-route oil exports to restrict its losses.

The warfare has additionally disrupted Ukraine’s exports of wheat and different commodities, hitting customers with increased meals costs particularly in the world’s poorest nations.

Pope Francis appealed for all blockades on wheat exports from Ukraine to be lifted, saying grain shouldn’t be used as a “weapon of war”. learn extra

Putin launched what he calls a particular army operation on Feb. 24 to disarm and “denazify” Ukraine. Ukraine and its Western allies name this a baseless pretext for a warfare of aggression.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Gareth Jones and Angus MacSwan; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Frank Jack Daniel and Hugh Lawson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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