You can find the live blog for Friday 17 June over here†
Ukrainian woman gives birth in British hospital after escaping from Russian bombs
A Ukrainian woman was born in a hospital in Nottingham after escaping Russian bombs in Ukraine.
Lesia Hussar, 41, gave birth to son Richard on June 12, after traveling more than 1,900 miles to the UK from her home in Chernivsti, southwest Ukraine.
Hussar was able to send a message to her husband, who works in the Ukrainian army, thanks to the staff at the Nottingham City Hospital. The couple already has a 14-year-old daughter, Renata, who currently lives with her mother in Woodthorpe, Nottingham.
“I am so grateful to everyone, my host family, their neighbors and the hospital staff here in Nottingham,” Hussar says. “I was very nervous during my pregnancy which doctors say could explain why Richard was so young when he was born, but it was such a relief to be cared for in Nottingham by such friendly and knowledgeable doctors and midwives. I love my country and want to go back to Ukraine Soon, I hope this summer, but the war has to be over before I can get my kids back there.”
14:45 Consult the European advisor for Ukrainian refugees
Former Deputy Prime Minister and former Labor Party leader Ludwik Asher has been appointed “Special Adviser” to European Commissioner Nicolas Schmidt. According to the spokesperson in this position, he will advise Luxembourg on “the issue of the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the European labor market”.
This confirms a message from NOS earlier on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the European Commission, Asher will be tasked with inventorying the first emergency shelters for refugees and integrating them in European countries. It will also check their housing, education and health care.
According to NOS, it is an unpaid job that he does in addition to his job. Asscher has been working as a consultant in a regulatory office for several months.
Ukrainian President visits Mykolaiv on the southern front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the south of the country to visit the city of Mykolaiv near the front. The city has been close to the lines since the start of the war in February. Zelensky visited the bombed street where, among other things, an apartment building was hit by a missile. He met with the local authorities on what appeared to be a shelter of some sort. This is the president’s first visit to the city since the outbreak of the war.
Zelensky rarely leaves the capital, Kyiv, as far as is known. At the end of May, he visited Kharkov, the second city of the country, which is also in the foreground.
Russian troops quickly advanced from the Crimea to the southern banks of the Dnieper, which they crossed near the town of Kherson, 50 kilometers south of Mykolaiv. Mikolayiv is strategically located on the Bow River on the road from Kherson to Odessa, the main port of Ukraine.
12.55 Boris Johnson: Ukraine should simply organize the Eurovision Song Contest
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson believes Ukraine should be able to organize the Eurovision Song Contest next year. It was announced on Friday that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the mass organizer, does not consider holding the event there to be safe in light of the war in Ukraine. The UK is now considered as an alternative.
Ukraine won the song contest in Italy in the last edition. Traditionally, the winner of the event is the one who organizes the next edition. “Of course I would love it if it were organized in this country, but the truth is that they won and therefore they deserved it,” Johnson told the press after visiting Kyiv. “That’s why I think they should.”
Ukrainian broadcaster UA: PBC is not happy to announce that it will not be allowed to hold the Eurovision Song Contest next year. In a letter signed by Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko, presenter Chernotytsky Mykola and former winner Ruslana (2004) and Kalush Orchestra Frontman Oleh Psiuk (2022), UA:PBC says the EBU made the decision “without discussion”.
12:30 Germany investigates hundreds of war crimes in Ukraine
The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has conducted investigations into several hundred possible war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Munch, reported in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. According to Munch, the Criminal Investigation Department is specifically looking for military and political leaders for these crimes and not just the actual perpetrators themselves.
“We have already received hundreds of indications in this direction so far,” the BKA president said. “This is the most difficult part of our investigation. It is a complex puzzle piece.”
According to Munch, the FBI’s goal is to “identify those responsible for the atrocities, prove their actions through investigation and bring them to justice.” The latter, among other things, must be carried out in Germany itself on the basis of universal jurisdiction, which makes it possible to try certain crimes, regardless of where in the world they were committed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (BKA) is assisting in its investigation by the German intelligence services (BND). For example, they recorded radio conversations of Russian soldiers in which they spoke openly about atrocities against civilians.
Munch stresses that the investigation may take some time, as many investigations into the war in Ukraine are still in their early stages. Germany also wants to send investigators to Ukraine, but this requires international mandates.
10.10 Ukraine wants to resume negotiations with Russia in August
Ukraine’s chief negotiator David Aratsgamia told Voice of America on Saturday that Kyiv does not want to resume peace negotiations with Moscow until the end of August. According to Arshamia, Ukraine will launch counterattacks on the Russians before that time, which will give the country a better negotiating position.
“I think we will conduct a counter-attack operation in several places,” the chief negotiator said, without elaborating.
Peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow began shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, the talks soon ended. Representatives of the two governments have not met each other since late April, and negotiations have stalled remotely.
Both countries blame each other for the lack of a breakthrough. Both Russia and Ukraine are now trying to improve their negotiating position through military successes.
09:10 Ukraine: Another Russian ship sank after the attack
A Ukrainian military official said a Russian ship, which was on its way to deliver weapons to the strategically located island of Snyk, sank on Friday after it was hit by Ukrainian missiles.
The locomotive, named Vasily Peach, was hit earlier today by missiles supplied by Denmark to Ukraine and was badly damaged. “Later in the day it became clear that the ship sank,” Odessa military governor Maxim Marchenko said in a video message to Telegram. German news agency DPA was unable to independently confirm Marchenko’s claim. Russia has yet to respond to the attack.
The ship is said to have been on its way to Snek Island, about 35 kilometers south of the Ukrainian coast. The island is important for access to the Black Sea. From there, the Russians could block shipping traffic to and from southern Ukraine. Russia took control of the island at the beginning of the war, but it is really not under control. There is a lot of fighting around the island.
The Vasili Bech is not the first Russian ship to be lost since the war with Ukraine. Russia had earlier confirmed the loss of the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet’s Moskva.
US drone sales to Ukraine may be at risk
Informed sources said that the plan of the US government to supply Ukraine with four large drones that can be armed with missiles is in doubt. It is said that there are concerns within the Pentagon that the advanced equipment could fall into the hands of the Russians.
Related to four MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones. Reuters news agency reported that the White House had previously approved a plan to sell it to Ukraine.
However, one of the Pentagon units responsible for securing high-tech now fears that the drones could pose a security risk if Russian forces get their hands on them. In particular, the possession of radar and surveillance devices on UAVs should not under any circumstances.
It is currently being discussed whether the deal can still be implemented within the US Department of Defense summit. However, a person concerned told Reuters that it was not yet clear when a decision would be made on this. According to government documents, the cost of each of the mentioned drones amounted to about ten million dollars (more than 9.5 million euros).
Ukraine recently appealed to its allies to provide more heavy military equipment for the war with Russia. Kyiv says it will need 1,000 howitzers, 300 rocket launchers, 500 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles and 1,000 drones to defeat the Russians.
05.56 Zelensky: Ukraine is an important member of the European Union
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will be of great value not only to Kiev, but also to Brussels and the member states themselves. “This is the largest contribution to the future of Europe in many years,” Zelensky said in a video message on Friday.
The European Commission on Friday recommended that Ukraine and Moldova be nominated as candidate members for the European Union. It will take years before both countries become actually members. For example, Ukraine still needs to do a lot to reduce corruption and strengthen democracy and the rule of law. The candidate’s seal of membership has been a strong desire of the Kyiv government, especially since Russia invaded the country.
According to Zelensky, the EU needs Ukraine to ensure its strength and independence. The president also stated that European integration would have positive consequences for Ukrainians. “The closer we get to other European countries, the more opportunities we have to ensure a modern and safe life for all Ukrainians.”