June 23, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine?has moved here.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks to media in Brussels, on Thursday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that European Union candidate countries have “homework” to do before the next stage of the of the accession process.

Speaking during a short press conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel following EU’s decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status, she said:

She added that today’s decision strengthens Ukraine and Moldova, plus Georgia — which the EU is ready to grant candidate status once the outstanding priorities are addressed — “in the face of Russian aggression and it strengthens the European Union because it shows once again to the world that the European Union is united and strong in the face of external threats”

“It’s a very strong message which is being sent out. A message of unity, of determination in political terms,” Michel added.

The EU says it will “swiftly” work on increasing military support to Ukraine and will work on further financial assistance.

In a news release following the first day of the two-day EU Summit, the European Council said, “The European Union remains strongly committed to providing further military support to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression and defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty. To this end, the European Council calls on the Council to swiftly work on a further increase of military support.”

The European Council also urged Russia to “immediately stop targeting agricultural facilities and removing cereals, and to unblock the Black Sea, in particular the port of Odesa, so as to allow the export of grain and commercial shipping operations,” blaming Russia for the global food security crisis.

“Russia, by weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has provoked,” it said.

The European Council also condemned “Russia’s indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” adding that “international humanitarian law, including on the treatment of prisoners of war, must be respected.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the European Council decision to grant?Ukraine?candidate status a “victory.”

In a video posted on Instagram immediately after the announcement, he said:

Zelensky added, “And maybe shall will even win, rebuild, join the EU and then rest. Or maybe we won’t be getting rest. Though children would disagree with that. But we will definitely win.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a press conference in Brussels on June 23.

Speaking at a news conference alongside European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Macron said that today’s decision to grant?Ukraine?and Moldova EU candidate status sends “a strong signal to Russia.”

“This strong united Europe has been up to the task,” he added.

“More broadly today, it’s a European perspective that we recognize to?Ukraine, Moldavia and Georgia. Which is a very strong signal to Russia and in the geopolitical context we mentioned and the choice made for?Ukraine?and Moldavia to be granted this candidate status to the European Union,” he added.

“We owed this to the Ukrainian people which is fighting to defend our values, their sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we also owed it to Moldavia regarding its political situation, of the destabilization attempts it is experiencing, and the generosity it showed in the context we just mentioned,” he said.

Various European leaders immediately reacted to the European Council’s decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate status.?

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter: “Very pleased with the Leaders’ endorsement of our Opinions. [Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia] all have work to do before moving to the next stage of the process. I know that they will move swiftly. They know how crucial this is for their democracies, their economies and their citizens.”

“This decision strengthens us all. It strengthens Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, in the face of Russian imperialism. And it strengthens the EU. Because it shows once again to the world that we are united and strong in the face of external threats,” she added.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, “On the right side of history.?Congratulations?to the people of Ukraine and Moldova. Today we gave hope. For freedom, for democracy, for our future.”

“This is #Europe’s moment,” she added.

EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said the decision “marked the beginning of a long journey that we will walk together,” and said “Ukraine will prevail. Europe will prevail.”

“The Ukrainian people belong to the European family. Ukraine’s future is with the EU,” he added.

Meanwhile, Latvia’s Prime Minister Kri?jānis Kari?? said, “Today [the European Commission] took a historic decision to grant the #EU candidate state status to Ukraine and Moldova. It is the next step in their European dream. We will be side by side with you in the further European integration process - supporting and sharing our experience.”

Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da called it a “big victory for Ukraine and for the European Union!” and a “very important and timely decision.”

And Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called it “a historic achievement” and a decision that “brings hope and trust in the EU future for the people of these countries and great responsibility for their leaders.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 11.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he commends the European Council’s decision to grant Ukraine candidate status to join the European Union.?

Quoting European Council President Charles Michel’s tweet announcing the decision, Zelensky said it is “a unique and historical moment” in relations between the European Union and Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also tweeted that “Ukraine will prevail. Europe will prevail.”

His tweet, accompanied by a short video with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy?Josep Borrell, said: “Today marks the beginning of a long journey that we will walk together. The Ukrainian people belong to the European family. Ukraine’s future is with the EU. We stand together for peace.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, June 11.

European Union leaders have agreed to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate status.

“Agreement. #EUCO has just decided EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. A historic moment,” European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter.

“Today marks a crucial step on your path towards the EU,” he added, congratulating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Moldova Maia Sandu as well as the people of Ukraine and Moldova.

The European Council has decided “to recognize the European perspective of Georgia and is ready to grant candidate status once the outstanding priorities are addressed,” Michel added.

The United Kingdom is willing to assist with a de-mining operation around Ukraine’s Black Sea coast in order to free food supplies, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

“I don’t want to get into the technical or military details, but you can take it from what we have already done in supplying equipment to the Ukrainians to help to protect themselves that we are certainly talking to them about what we can do at a technical level to help de-mine Odesa,” Johnson said, speaking to Reuters from Kigali, Rwanda, during an official visit.

Some context: International leaders have condemned Russia’s blockade of Black Sea ports, which the United Nations said could lead to millions experiencing famine or famine-like conditions around the globe. Satellite images have also shown what appear to be Russian ships taking stolen grain from Crimea to a port in Syria.

Earlier Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the crisis would have already been resolved if Ukraine and Western allies de-mined the ports.

“There is a job of work to be done. We are working with the Turks, with other European friends and allies to see what we can do. I think what the UK possibly has to offer, most of all, is expertise when it comes to maritime insurance, and a lot of expertise in moving goods through should we say contested areas of the sea,” Johnson also said.

BRICS countries said they support talks between Russia and Ukraine in a joint statement published on the Kremlin’s website on Thursday.

The BRICS countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“We have also discussed our concerns over the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine and expressed our support to efforts of the UN Secretary-General, UN Agencies and ICRC to provide humanitarian assistance in accordance with the basic principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality established in UN General Assembly resolution 46/182,” they added.

The BRICS summit, hosted by Beijing, marks Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first international forum with other heads of major economies since he launched his invasion in Ukraine back in February.?

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that he was willing to hold direct talks with Putin.

A man walks in front of damaged building in Lysychansk on June 21.

“There is no safe place” left in the Ukrainian town of Lysychansk, Serhiy Haidai said on Thursday.

The “whole of Lysychansk is being shelled with large calibre and air strikes,” said Haidai, the head of the Luhansk region military administration of the Ukrainian army. ?

Authorities continue to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid, he added.

European Union leaders gather for a summit in Brussels on June 23.

The European Union summit to discuss whether to grant candidate status to Ukraine has begun in Brussels.

All 27 EU leaders are meeting today and tomorrow to discuss EU membership applications from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia as well as current economic issues the EU is facing.

Last Friday, the European Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen announced the Commission’s opinion to recommend Ukraine as a member state in the EU, stating that Ukrainians are “ready to die” for the European perspective.?

On arrival, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte commended the European Commission’s “thorough assessment” of Ukraine’s application to join the European Union.?

“The worry we had was that the Commission would rush into candidate states. I must say that Ursula Von der Leyen came up with a very balanced outcome of talks with Zelensky … I must say, I was mistaken. They really gave us a very thorough and fair assessment,” Rutte remarked on Thursday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also told reporters that this decision will also serve as “an appeal to achieve progress in the perspective of the countries of the Western Balkans,” saying Germany will “actively support” efforts to help the nations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro , Kosovo and Serbia to implement an accession perspective soon.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da told reporters that displays of political support for Ukraine are “very important for the fighting spirit of Ukrainians,” calling his country a “keen supporter of the candidate status for Ukraine.”

An worker walks through the above-ground facilities of a natural gas storage facility?at the Uniper Energy Storage facility in Bierwang, Germany, on June 10.

Gas supply in the European Union is “currently guaranteed” but the situation is “to be taken seriously,” the EU Commission says.

“According to our exchange with the national authorities, the gas security of supply in Germany – and in the EU – is currently guaranteed. Lower inflows of gas from Russia can so far be compensated,” an EU Commission spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

However, “the situation is to be taken seriously,” it added.

“At this stage, we need to be aware that the situation could deteriorate further. Early Warning Declarations, which constitute the first level of warning foreseen in the SoS Regulation, have been made by nine other EU Member States over the past months, against the backdrop of Russia’s continued use of its gas supplies as a tool for blackmail,” the spokesperson added.

This comes as Germany further raised its warning level on gas supplies on Thursday, following a previous declaration of the Early Warning level.?According to the EU Commission, Germany discussed the situation with the Commission and the move is part of the EU’s coordinated action on the matter.

“The risk of full gas disruption is now more real than ever before. That is why, the adoption of the gas storage regulation together with other preparedness measures is so important at this moment,” EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Thursday.

The European Union and Norway agreed on Thursday to further strengthen their cooperation in the energy field, providing the EU with additional gas supplies, Norway’s oil and energy ministry said.

“We had a good and constructive meeting, where we agreed to cooperate even closer on energy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made closer cooperation necessary,” said Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland.

Some background: Europe’s energy crisis escalated this month as Russia further reduced supplies to Germany, Italy and other members of the European Union. Twelve EU countries have so far been affected by Russian gas supply cuts, the bloc’s climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said on Thursday.

Russia’s state gas company Gazprom slashed flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany by 60% last week, blaming the move on the West’s decision to withhold vital turbines because of sanctions. Italian energy giant ENI said Gazprom was cutting its supplies by 15%.

A joint statement from the EU and Norway noted that “Norway’s oil and gas production for European energy security has increased further after Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”

According to the statement, Norway currently delivers approximately one-fourth of EU countries’ gas consumption and is producing gas “at very high capacity.”

Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, speaks with his Belarus counterpart Viktor Khrenin in Minsk on February 3.

The Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu on Thursday called to strengthen the joint defense capabilities of Russia and Belarus, including a unified regional air defense system.

Shoigu also called Belarus to be Russia’s closest friend.?

Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the only leader in Europe to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Belarusian border with Ukraine was used as part of the invasion by Russian troops.?

The Biden administration is expected to publicly announce another round of military assistance for Ukraine as soon as today, according to a US official familiar.

The package is expected to include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) as well as artillery ammunition. The package is expected to total no more than approximately $500 million, the source said.

The White House said they don’t have anything to preview at this time but has stated that the Biden administration has said the US will continue to regularly provide security assistance to Ukraine.

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting to this post.

A woman walks into a Nike store in a shopping mall in Moscow, Russia, on May 30.

American sportswear firm Nike is leaving Russia.

Nike’s withdrawal from the Russian market was also shared in its official Russian website.?

The withdrawal means that along with stores shutting down, the company’s website and mobile app will no longer be available in the country, it added.

In early March, Nike suspended online and franchised store sales in Russia, but its non-franchised stores continued to work.

Many other American companies announced similar decisions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. Starbucks and McDonald’s, for example, had made similar decisions earlier. Several auto, finance, energy and other companies have also announced different levels of changes, pauses or halts in operations in Russia.

A Ukrainian service member looks on in the industrial area of the city of?Severodonetsk, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, on June 20.

The Ukrainian military said the situation in the city of Severodonetsk is “difficult” but “stable,” according to Oleksii Hromov, the deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces of?Ukraine.

“As of now, the situation is difficult, stable, the fighting is ongoing,” Hromov told journalists in a briefing Thursday.?

Hromov conceded that Russia had damaged Ukraine’s supply routes into the city, but he said military leadership had found alternative ways to send ammunition in and bring out the wounded.?

Russian forces?are gaining an advantage in eastern Ukraine as they learn from mistakes made during the earlier stages of their invasion of the country, including better coordinating air and ground attacks and improving logistics and supply lines, two US officials with direct knowledge of US intelligence assessments told CNN.

The US does not expect?new weapons systems?recently supplied to Ukrainian forces, including the HIMARS multiple rocket launch system, to immediately change the situation on the battlefield in part because those systems are so far being sent with both a limited range and a limited number of rockets to ensure they are not fired into Russian territory. Additionally, Russian forces have been able to destroy some of the new Western-supplied weapons, including M777 howitzers, in targeted attacks.

The US assessments, which increasingly envision a long and punishing battle in eastern Ukraine, come as the months-long war there has?reached a pivotal moment in recent days. Ukraine’s military has been burning through Soviet-era ammunition that fits older systems, and Western governments are facing a tough decision on whether they want to continue increasing their assistance to the country.

The US assessments paint a dismal image of the future of the war, with high personnel and equipment losses on both sides. US officials believe that Russian forces plan to maintain intense attacks in the east, characterized by heavy artillery and missile strikes, with the intention of wearing down Ukrainian forces and NATO resolve over time.

Russia’s advancements were brought into plain view in recent days after Ukraine’s defense of Lysychansk – the last city in the Luhansk region it still holds –?became a lot more tenuous. In the last couple of days, Russians have advanced into several villages south of Lysychansk, though not without sustaining losses from Ukrainian artillery fire.

Read the full story here.

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is helping?deliver aid in Lviv, Ukraine, because she said she felt it was a “moral imperative.”

She described going around different parts of Ukraine.

“I’ve been to the?bus terminals and train stations?and seen the faces of people?that walk up to 11 days with?dogs and their children and get?on buses with what’s left of?their lives —?professionals that had full?beautiful lives, and all they?wanted to be was free, and their?lives are in bags,” she said while sitting in a classroom at an orphanage in Lviv.

Ray said she brought necessary first aid, thousands of toys for kids and treats for dogs and cats in shelters.

Her hope, she told CNN, is to keep the conversation about Ukraine alive.

“We have so much going on in our?country now, in the US, that is?distracting us and tearing us?apart. We have to keep [Ukraine] at?the forefront.?Because these folks are giving up?everything in their lives to?defend democracy for all of us.?And we can be mindful and donate?a little or a lot, our time or?just share the work that they?are doing,” she said.

People clean up outside a damaged residential building located in in?Donetsk, Ukraine, on June 20.

Just 45% of the region of Donetsk are under the control of Ukrainian forces, leaving the other 55% under Russian control.

“It is very difficult to say the rest [of the cities/territories in Donetsk] are controlled by the enemy, because these cities are being destroyed by the enemy — they are just territories,” Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region military administration, said Thursday.

Kyrylenko also spoke about a concentration of battalion tactical groups in the Sloviansk and Lyman.?

Ukrainian forces have “serious battles ahead,” he said, adding that a continuation of shelling along the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway is underway to “cut off” Severodonetsk and Lysychansk from supplies.?

A two-day summit is underway in Brussels with European Union leaders meeting to decide whether to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine. The question of?whether or not Ukraine should join the bloc,?and how Russia would react has been a contentious issue for years.?

Here are the latest headlines on Russia’s war on Ukraine:

High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States have arrived in Ukraine, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Thursday.

“HIMARS have arrived to Ukraine. Thank you to my ???? colleague and friend @SecDef Lloyd J. Austin III for these powerful tools,”?Reznikov tweeted.

CNN could not independently verify if or when the HIMARS had entered the country or if they were already being used in the battlefield.

The HIMARS is a Multiple Launch Rocket System developed for the US Army in the 1970s. It carries a preloaded pod of six 227mm guided missiles, or one pod loaded with a tactical missile.

Both Russia and Ukraine already operate MLRS systems but the six-rocket HIMARS version being sent to help Kyiv is more advanced, with superior range and precision.

Ukraine has asked for around 300 of these systems. To date, the US has only donated four HIMARS to Ukraine, but hasn’t ruled out providing more in the future.

Separately, Germany will send three such systems to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Wednesday.

Russian cruise missiles targeted southern Ukraine on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military’s operational command for that part of the country.

In Mykolaiv, three surface-to-air cruise missiles launched from occupied Kherson struck targets in the city.

The port city of Odesa was also targeted by two cruise missiles, the Ukrainian military said, adding that those missiles were shot down by the country’s air defenses.

Western Balkans countries leaders and EU leaders pose for a picture at a European Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on June 23.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution by 529 votes to 45 calling on European Union leaders to approve Ukraine’s status as an EU candidate country “without delay.”

The vote – held at a European Council meeting taking place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday – also called on leaders to grant candidate status to Moldova and the same to Georgia “once its government has delivered” on a set of political and social reforms established by the European Commission.

The non-binding resolution says that granting Ukraine candidate status would “send a clear political message, affirming that the countries concerned have made the irrevocable choice of a European path.”

In the resolution, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said granting candidate status would also allow the EU to remain a “reliable partner and a credible geopolitical player, which lives up to its principles and values,” and would show “solidarity with those who defend the same ideals.”

MEPs said there was “no ‘fast-track’ for EU membership” and accession to becoming a full EU country “remains a merit-based and structured process which requires the fulfilment of the EU membership criteria and is dependent on the effective implementation of reforms” as well as transposing all EU law – the acquis – into domestic law.

Lawmakers also called on the Ukrainian and Moldovan governments to “unambiguously demonstrate their political determination to implement the European ambitions of their people,” and to “significantly enhancing progress with substantial reforms in order to effectively fulfil the criteria for EU membership as soon as possible.”

A worker walks underneath a raised section of pipework at the compressor station in Ihtiman, Bulgaria, on June 15.

Cuts in Russian gas supplies to Europe are explained by technical issues with turbines, rather than political reasons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, adding there was “no hidden agenda.”

Russia remains a reliable gas supplier and strictly fulfils all its obligations, Peskov told reporters on a regular conference call.

However, issues with the maintenance of Gazprom turbines in Europe have caused lower supplies, he added. “It’s strange to drag politics into everything,” Peskov also said.

Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany by 60% last week, blaming the move on Europe decision to withhold vital turbines due to sanctions.?

Europe has been widely affected by Russia limiting its gas deliveries. On Thursday, Germany declared the second phase of its three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies. German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said “gas is from now on in short supply in?Germany,” and the country is currently “in an economic confrontation with Russia.”

The first batch of 14 Australian M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers donated to Ukraine is already en-route, the country’s ambassador to Kyiv said Thursday.

“Australia has committed over [Australian] $285 million ($196 million) in military assistance to Ukraine to support [the Ukrainian military] counter Russia’s illegal invasion,” Ambassador Bruce Edwards tweeted on Thursday. “The first batch of M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers departed Australia last week.”

The Australian government’s military assistance package consists of Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, M777 Howitzers, anti-armor weapons, ammunition, unmanned aerial systems and a range of personal equipment.

The Ukrainian grain export crisis would have already been resolved had Kyiv and its Western allies demined the Black sea ports, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Thrusday.

“The attempts of Turkey and the UN Secretary-General would have been successful long ago had Ukraine and its Western masters resolved the issue of demining in the Black sea,” Lavrov said.

“Attempts to organize an international coalition for demining ports in the Black Sea are aimed solely at intervening in the affairs of the Black Sea region under the auspices of the UN,” Lavrov added.

Earlier on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Thursday it is “urgent” to solve the Ukraine?grain?crisis within the next month to avoid “devastating” consequences.

Speaking in Ankara alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Truss once again accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “weaponizing hunger” and stressed that?if this difficult situation is not resolved, it will likely lead to “a huge hunger across the globe.”

“He [Putin] blocked the Ukrainian ports and is stopping 20 million tones of?grain?being exported across the globe, holding the world to ransom,” Truss said, who is in Turkey to discuss the plan to get the?grain?out, supported by the UN.

Pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lubmin, Germany, on June 21

Twelve European Union countries have been affected by cuts to the gas supply from Russia,?the EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said on Thursday.

“In total twelve Member States are now affected by Russian unilateral supply cuts. Ten Member States have issued an early warning under the gas security of supply regulation,” he said.?

“The risk of full gas disruption is now more real than ever before,” he stressed, adding this is why it is important to adopt gas storage regulation alongside other measures of preparedness.

The twelve EU countries that are partially or totally affected by Russian gas disruptions are: Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The EU countries that have issued early warning declarations as a precautionary move are: Italy (26/02), Latvia (09/03), Croatia (25/04), Germany (30/03), Austria (30/03), Finland (06/05), Estonia (18/05), Denmark (20/06), the Netherlands (20/06) and Sweden (21/06).

Germany has just announced, and informed the EU Commission, that it is moving to step 2 of the EU SoS regulation, the “alert” level, a EU Commission spokesperson told CNN via email.

The “early warning” is the lowest level of crisis notification under the bloc’s Gas Security of Supply Regulation, accelerating the monitoring and information exchange requirements in the Member State concerned. According to this regulation, the natural gas undertakings concerned shall make technical information available, on a daily basis, to the competent authority of the Member State.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that EU membership is Ukraine’s “choice of our future vision.”

“Today or tomorrow, and I know you know this, we have a big chance to receive a candidate status for EU membership,” Zelensky said during a?questions and answers session following his virtual address to the?Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Zelensky said after the war ends, Ukraine will focus on “building a European state which will be part of the EU” but the threat from Russia will remain.

“We will understand very clearly that our neighbor is Russia, and that Russia, even if we finish the war and we win, in 10 or 20 years Russia may attack us again. I am not saying that this will happen, but there is a possibility.”

Zelensky said developing Ukraine’s security institutions will be an important part of the rebuilding process.?“Security in all public spaces – starting from the borders of our country down to the very center,” he said.

“We have prepared a lot of draft laws, a lot of reforms,” he added.

The UK government has imposed a tranche of new trade sanctions on Russia, placing prohibitions on the export of a range of goods to Russia.

Details of the sanctions which were imposed Wednesday were posted in an update on the UK government website Thursday morning.?

The export of jet fuel and fuel additives to Russia was also prohibited as part of the new sanctions, the update announced.?

Finally, a prohibition was placed on the export of Sterling or European Union denominated bank notes to Russia, according to the update.?

The UK government responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 by immediately imposing sanctions on the same day.

Recent hits to Russia’s imports came when Lithuania announced banning the passage of sanctioned goods through their territory from Kaliningrad – Russia’s enclave on the Baltic coast – which has the support of the EU behind it.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, said on national television that “the fight for Lysychansk and Severodonetsk has entered its climax.”

Arestovych compared the situation to the “18th round” of a boxing bout. “Any side that sends two battalions of artillery there wins this fight. Let’s see who sends. Who has [those battalions] – only the military command on both sides knows.”

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, left, and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu give a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, Turkey, on June 23.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Thursday it is “urgent” to solve the Ukraine grain crisis within the next month to avoid a “devastating” outcome.

Speaking in Ankara alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Truss once again accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “weaponizing hunger” and stressed that?if this difficult situation is not resolved, it will likely lead to “a huge hunger across the globe.”

“We are clear the commercial vessels need to have safe passage to be able to leave Ukrainian ports, and that Ukrainian ports should be protected from Russian attacks,” she said, adding that, “Russia cannot be allowed to delay and prevaricate.”

Ukrainian servicemen ride a bus to their positions in the Luhansk area, Ukraine, on June 19.

As Russian forces close in on the city of Lysychansk, Ukrainian military commanders have an unenviable choice. They can defend the city, block by block, against vastly superior firepower – or they can withdraw to take up new defensive positions further west.

Defending the city would inevitably mean heavy casualties among both soldiers and the thousands of civilians who are still sheltering there.?The Russian bombardment of the city – like that of neighboring Severodonetsk – has been largely indiscriminate.

Additionally, the resupply corridor along the T1302 highway to Bakhmut might be cut off, leaving Ukrainian troops surrounded.?

In some places, Russian units advancing from the south are within five kilometers (three miles) of the highway. While other resupply routes are available, they would be difficult and vulnerable. The Institute for the Study of War, in its latest assessment, says; “Russian forces will likely continue to regroup and intensify operations in the area between Bakhmut and Lysychansk to advance toward Lysychansk from an additional axis, sever Ukrainian supply lines, and attempt to consolidate control of the entire Severodonetsk-Lysychansk area in the coming days.”

On the other hand, one advantage of staying and fighting in Lysychansk is that it is on higher ground than surrounding areas, and Ukrainian forces would likely to be able to hold back and inflict damage on Russian units for some time – perhaps weeks. Lysychansk would potentially become another Mariupol. By sucking in Russian units, the city’s defenders would probably relieve the pressure on other fronts, such as around Sloviansk.?

The?dilemma for the Ukrainian military is an urgent one. As the pocket in Luhansk and Donetsk regions that they defend shrinks, the option of a tactical withdrawal to new lines of defense may not last long.?

Robert Habeck Federal Minister for the Economy and Climate Protection, speaks on energy and supply security in Berlin, Germany, on June 23.

Germany has activated the second phase of its three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, the country’s Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced Thursday.

Habeck called on Germans to reduce their fuel use as part of a national effort.?”We are now calling to reduce gas consumption,” particularly looking ”ahead to the upcoming winter months.”

The minister said the government’s decision to raise the level to “alarm” follows the cuts to Russian deliveries made since June 14 and the continued high market price for gas. Habeck said the third and highest stage is the “emergency” level.

Habeck said security of supply was currently guaranteed in spite of a “worsened situation on the gas market” in recent days. Soaring prices were “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s strategy to unsettle us, drive up prices and divide us,” Habeck said.

Habeck said while gas storage facilities are currently filled to 58% capacity – higher than at this time last year – the goal of reaching 90% by December won’t be achievable without further measures.

Besides the bombardment of Ukrainian defenses in Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, officials say there’s been shelling by Russian forces on various other fronts, causing a number of civilian casualties.

In Donetsk, authorities say several settlements came under fire, including the cities of Sloviansk and Bakhmut. Dozens of settlements in the region are without water or electricity.

The government said Thursday that four districts in the Sumy region in north-eastern Ukraine had again been hit by cross border shelling.

Five people were injured and one died as a result of a mine blast in the Okhtyrka district of Sumy, regional authorities said.?

In the south, the district of Kryvyi Rih was shelled, leaving two people wounded. The regional administration said that the town of Apostolove was now littered with cluster munitions. CNN can’t verify the claim.?

Authorities said that Russian shelling of villages behind the frontline that runs along the Kherson-Mykolaiv border continued and that inside Kherson the situation was critical in several settlements.?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, on June 23.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday he wants to discuss the outlines of a ”Marshall Plan for Ukraine,” with the leaders of the Group of Seven countries at the upcoming summit in Germany.

”Just like Europe was devastated by war, Ukraine needs a Marshall Plan for reconstruction,” Scholz told lawmakers at the Bundestag, adding that rebuilding Ukraine would be a ”task for generations.”

Some context: The Marshall Plan, a US-funded initiative enacted in 1948, helped rebuild Western Europe after WWII. Scholz hopes for a united front on long-term support for Ukraine when Germany hosts the annual G7 summit in Bavaria.

Following his visit last week to Iripin, a Kyiv suburb which saw intense fighting at the beginning of the Ukraine war, Scholz said it reminded him “of the pictures of German cities after World War II.”

Billions of dollars would be needed for Ukraine to finance rebuilding over several years, he said, adding that this would only be possible if European nations, other major donor countries and international organizations work together.

Scholz has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss financial aid for Ukraine with the G7 leaders by video link on Monday.

President of the European Council Charles Michel speaks to the press as he arrives for the EU-Western Balkans leaders' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on June 23.

European Council chief Charles Michel has called Thursday a “decisive moment” for the bloc as EU leaders meet to discuss Ukraine’s bid to gain membership.?

EU leaders are considering whether to approve the European Commission’s decision last week to grant Ukraine EU candidate status.?

The European Council President said he was “confident” that EU leaders will grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and “express a clear and strong” European perspective for both nations.?

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola also hailed Thursday as a “historic” day, expressing her “hope” that Ukraine’s candidate status will be given the greenlight.

The Ukrainian military has released video showing extensive destruction in Lysychansk, the last city in Luhansk?region still under Ukrainian control.

The commentary on the video says the city is “half-destroyed by Russian artillery.”

Released on Thursday, the video shows rockets embedded in streets and large holes blown through apartment buildings.

The city’s roads are deserted — littered with upended vehicles — and the sound of incoming rounds seems almost constant. One?sends the film crew running for cover.

In the video, commentary said the Russians have so many weapons they can subject whole neighborhoods to barrages of shelling.?

An unnamed woman whose identity is disguised says: “People die in their apartments, in their homes, in their yards.”

A Ukrainian soldier said communications are difficult because the Russians are employing electronic warfare measures, meaning the state emergency service can’t reach victims of the shelling, nor organize evacuations.

As a soldier leaves the city in a vehicle, he points out Lysychansk’s oil refinery, which he says has been burning for weeks.?

Ukrainian tanks on the road in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 21.

The UK Ministry of Defence said on Thursday that Russian forces have been advancing on the outskirts of Lysychansk over the past five days.

Since June 19, “Russian forces have highly likely advanced over 5 kilometers (3 miles) towards the southern approaches of the Donbas city of Lysychansk,” the MoD said on Twitter in its latest assessment of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military said it is continuing an operation against the Russian occupation of Snake Island, which lies in the Black Sea and has been occupied by the Russian Navy since the early days of the conflict.

Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman of Odesa regional military administration, said on Telegram there was “good news … our military hit another Pantsir missile system.”

The Pantsir is an air defense weapon the Russians have shipped to Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s main intelligence directorate said “the operation will continue until the total liberation of Snake Island.”?

The army’s Southern Operational Command said on Tuesday it had used “aimed strikes with the use of various forces” on the island.

Russian forces have taken control of two more settlements near the strategic city of Lysychansk in their offensive to capture the remainder of Luhansk region, according to Ukrainian officials.

Shrinking territory: It appears the pocket of territory defended by Ukrainian forces where the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk meet has shrunk further as Russian attacks persist from three sides.?

Both villages lie to the southwest of Lysychansk and are within 8 kilometers (5 miles) of the main highway linking Lysychansk with the west.

Russian offensive: In its operational update for Thursday, the General Staff indicated that the Russian focus was now on seizing the highway.

In neighboring Severodonetsk: Hayday said Ukraine continues to “deter the Russians” but “the occupiers are destroying industrial facilities.”

Missiles and shelling: Lysychansk was shelled several times on Wednesday, with several settlements around the two cities suffering air and missile strikes, Hayday said. Despite the shelling, some civilians had been evacuated from Lysychansk and humanitarian supplies were being brought in to the city.

Aiming for full control: The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that “the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on establishing full control over the city of Severodonetsk, conducting offensive operations to surround our troops near the city of Lysychansk, and blocking the main logistics routes.”

It said the Russians were also preparing to bridge the Siverskiy Donets river.

Two British citizens Aiden Aslin, left, and Shaun Pinner, right, and Moroccan Brahim Saadoune, center, sit behind bars in a courtroom in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on June 9.

Two British nationals and a Moroccan held in the pro-Russian, self-proclaimed?Donetsk People’s Republic?(DPR) are preparing their death sentence appeals, according to?Russian state news agency TASS.?

British citizens Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and Moroccan national Brahim Saadoune were sentenced to death earlier this month after being accused of being “mercenaries” for Ukraine.

DPR authorities said the three men were foreign fighters who had been apprehended by Russian forces in the southern city of Mariupol in April. Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported that Pinner, Aslin, and Saadoune will be shot.

Pinner’s lawyer told TASS her team is preparing documents to file an appeal, adding that if it’s rejected, a petition for clemency will be filed.?

Read more on their case here.

A crucial two-day summit kicks off in Brussels on Thursday with European Union leaders meeting to decide whether to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine.

Here are the latest headlines on Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The fiancée of an American fighter missing in Ukraine says she is still waiting on “concrete evidence” of his whereabouts, adding the US State Department has told her his case is a “top priority.”

Joy Black got engaged to volunteer fighter Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh shortly before he left for Ukraine. She hasn’t spoken to him for two weeks.

Huynh, 27, from Hartselle, Alabama and fellow US fighter Alexander John-Robert Drueke, 39, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama were taken into detention?by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk after being captured last week, according to Russian state media.

Russia’s reaction: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously said the?Geneva Convention?— the charter which sets out how soldiers and civilians are treated in wartime — does not apply to the two detained US citizens and the death penalty could not be ruled out.

However, the Biden administration disagrees “vigorously” with?that assertion, according to a a senior State Department official.?

Black said it was “good that they made that clear.”

She said the State Department told her they are contact with the Russians but, “I just have to put my faith in and trust in the process with our government. So that’s what I’m doing to try to stay positive.”

Ukrainian?servicemen?ride BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on June 14.

Ukraine’s forces control less than half of the country’s eastern Donetsk region, a regional military chief said on Wednesday, adding that more than a hundred cities and villages within the Ukrainian-controlled areas had no gas or electricity supply.

A man stands outside a damaged residential building following recent shelling in?Donetsk, Ukraine, on June 20.

When asked about the situation in the Ukrainian-controlled areas of Donetsk, Kyrylenko called it “very difficult.”?

According to Kyrylenko, Russian forces killed four civilians in the Donetsk region on Wednesday. Another five people were injured, he added.?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky address the nation from his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 22.

In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of the conversations he held with 11 European leaders on Wednesday, asking for their support on the eve of an EU summit where a decision will be made on Ukraine’s candidate status with the bloc.

The question of Ukraine’s candidacy for the European Union will be decided at the European Council summit taking place on Thursday and Friday.?

At a separate event earlier Wednesday, Zelensky told an audience in Canada that he believed all European Union members would back a proposal to grant Ukraine EU candidate status.

Russian missile strikes: The President also gave an update on the Russian missile strike at Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, earlier on Wednesday. CNN reported earlier that Mykolaiv was struck with seven missiles and suffered damage to infrastructure. “Fortunately, no one was killed and five were injured,” Zelensky said.

According to Zelensky, casualties were reported following a strike on Kharkiv on Wednesday. Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, confirmed this in his Telegram post Wednesday. He reported 10 people dead and 10 wounded as the result of the strike.

War crimes: Zelensky also thanked the United States “for its assistance in investigating war crimes in Ukraine,” and called it “one of the greatest contributions to the protection of international law and order today.”

The US attorney general announced a war crimes accountability team?during a trip?to Ukraine Tuesday that will work to identify and prosecute anyone who committed war crimes in the country.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said Russian claims of a rail blockade of its territorial outpost in Kaliningrad are a “lie.”

Some context: Russia has reacted furiously after Lithuania prohibited the passage of sanctioned goods across its territory into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad last week. Peskov said the move was “unprecedented” on Monday. “We also consider it illegal,” he said, adding the Kremlin will need to analyze the situation carefully. “It is part of a blockade, of course,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will virtually address the G7 and NATO summits that are occurring over the coming week, senior US administration officials said, as he works to reinforce Western support amid?Russia’s grinding invasion?of his country.

The Ukraine war will loom over President Joe Biden’s?trip to Germany and Spain, where he will confer with a dozens of leaders.

At the G7, the officials said, Biden will unveil steps alongside other leaders to increase pressure on Russia for its invasion. And at NATO, the US will announce measures to “strengthen European security, alongside expected major new contributions from allies,” one official said.

Officials declined to detail what, if any, new sanctions the administration, in concert with G7 allies, would announce against Russia.

Read the full story here.

The 27 leaders of the European Union countries are expected to support granting?EU candidate status?to Ukraine and Moldova at a two-day summit being held in Brussels Thursday and Friday, according to a senior EU official.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels Wednesday, the EU official said, “I have not seen a problem on granting candidate status to Ukraine,” and lauded the work of European Council President Charles Michel.

But the senior official added: “I would like to tell you that ‘it’s a done deal’ and ‘it’s easy,’” but after years of working inside the EU, institutions didn’t want to be drawn on a definitive answer.”

Separately, a senior diplomat from an EU country said that “Ukraine and the Commission have done a great job” in preparing for Ukraine’s bid to start the long process of joining the EU, and the diplomat’s country was “happy with the report on the table.”

The diplomat tamped down expectations, saying that granting Ukraine candidate country status “doesn’t mean that we can advance, side-tracking everything which is normally on the table. That is not the case, and I think is not fair.”

When asked about a timetable for Ukraine becoming a full EU member state, the diplomat said: “I think the only one who can set a timetable is Ukraine, because Ukraine has to adapt, to transform, reform, and under the present circumstances, we understand that priorities lie elsewhere.”

A utility worker during installation of an address sign on the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) square near the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia, on June 22

Moscow has renamed the area outside the US Embassy after the pro-Russian breakaway republic in eastern Ukraine.

The new address has been changed to “Donetsk People’s Republic Square,” the Moscow City Hall office announced on Wednesday.??

The new address was chosen following the results of a public vote with nearly 280,000 participants, according to the City Hall.

In May, Moscow councilors proposed to rename one of Moscow’s streets in honor of the “defenders of Donbas.”?

The embassy’s previous address was 8 Bolshoi Devyatinsky Lane.

The city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine was struck by seven missiles on Wednesday, the head of the regional military administration, Vitaly Kim, said on his Telegram channel.?

Kim was inspecting local harvests when the alleged attack occurred.?

“I have interrupted the inspection in the district. I return to the city. The city was hit with seven missiles,” he wrote.?

One person was killed and two were injured as missiles struck, the city’s mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said Wednesday.

According to the mayor, a school and a five-story building were also affected by the blasts and have had their windows shattered. The school also suffered damaged to the roof.?

“We also received the information about four private houses which were damaged,” he added.

Russian authorities and Russian media did not immediately report on the incident and CNN could not independently verify Kim’s claim that seven missiles had struck the city.

Mykolaiv was the site of a fierce battle in the early weeks of Russia’s invasion, but it was successfully defended by Ukrainian forces.