A summary of today's developments
Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, posted on Telegram that “an explosion was heard in the northeastern part” of the city. “We’re waiting for good news about Russian losses,” he added. The city, which is east of the Dnipro river and north east of the Crimean peninsula, has been occupied since March.
The number of fatalities after a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, has grown to three, the Kyiv Post reports, citing a report by Ukrinform giving the Kramatorsk mayor, Oleksandr Honcharenko, as the source.
The US has said it is concerned by reports of British, Swedish and Croatian nationals being charged by “illegitimate authorities” in eastern Ukraine. “Russia and its proxies have an obligation to respect international humanitarian law, including the right and protections afforded to prisoners of war,” the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said.
Russia has warned the US that potentially placing Russia on the US State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism could be a diplomatic “point of no return”, and trigger a total breakdown of relations between the two countries.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Saturday the war could only end with the return of the Crimea peninsula and the punishment of the Russian leaders who ordered the military invasion.
Russian forces have taken full control of Pisky, a village on the outskirts in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Interfax cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Saturday
The two primary road bridges giving access to the pocket of Russian-occupied territory on the west bank of the Dnipro in Ukraine’s Kherson region are now probably out of use for the purposes of substantial Russian military resupply, British military intelligence said on Saturday, which has been described as a key vulnerability by the UK’s defence ministry.
Ukraine’s health minister has accused Russian authorities of committing a crime against humanity by blocking access to affordable medicines and hospitals in occupied areas.
The Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, has again complained that the lack of comprehensive Schengen zone travel restrictions for Russians puts an “unfair” burden on countries neighbouring Russia, reiterating calls on the EU to introduce visa bans for Russian nationals.
The Ukrainian military has reportedly shot down a Russian fighter jet, as well as four Russian drones over the past 24 hours, according to Ukrainian media.
Across Europe, beaches and cities are filled with tourists. Among them, perhaps keeping their voices low, is a sprinkling of Russians. But if some politicians have their way, this may be the last summer Russian tourists can spend on a Mediterranean beach.
Countries including Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Finland and the Czech Republic have called for the EU to limit or block short-term Schengen visas for Russians, in protest at their country’s invasion of Ukraine.
After six months of war, the proposal echoes widespread frustration with a Russian public that seems either unable or unwilling to mount a meaningful resistance to the war being waged in their name. The situation has been aggravated by high-profile incidents including a Russian woman harassing two Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
“Stop issuing tourist visas to Russians,” Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas wrote on Twitter last week. “Visiting #Europe is a privilege, not a human right.”
