Russia War against Ukraine: this is the situation
At least one person was killed when a Russian missile hit a high-rise building in the Ukrainian industrial city of Dnipro. Nine others were injured. Among them was a seven-month-old baby, the military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak, announced on his telegram channel on Friday evening. Three of the injured, two women aged 27 and 30 and a 29-year-old man, were in a critical condition. Two people are also believed to be under the rubble.
29.06.2024, 05:06
SDA
Pictures show a heavily damaged staircase of a nine-storey building in a densely built-up residential area. The top four floors are completely destroyed. Dnipro has been bombarded with rockets several times since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. In one of the most devastating attacks on civilian objects during the war, 45 people were killed and around 80 injured when a residential building in the city was hit in early 2023.
In light of the latest missile attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi once again called for air defenses to be strengthened. Only the determination of the world could put a stop to Russian terror, he wrote on social media.
During the night, there were again air alerts in various parts of Ukraine. The air force in Kiev reported that Russia had sent drones towards Ukrainian territory. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than two years.
Ten Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity
Meanwhile, ten Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Russian captivity, according to information from Kiev. Nariman Dzhelyal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, was among those released, wrote President Zelenskyi on social networks. He thanked the Vatican for its mediation in the release of the civilians.
Dzhelyal had already been arrested in Crimea, which had been annexed by Russia in 2014, in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was later sentenced to 17 years in prison. He is alleged to have blown up a gas pipeline. According to Selenskyj, several other prisoners were also detained in Russia or Belarus before the war. The prisoners also included two priests from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Belarus reinforces troops on the border with Ukraine
The border troops of the authoritarian ex-Soviet republic of Belarus (formerly Belarus) have reportedly deployed additional units on the border with Ukraine. Multiple rocket launchers with a range of 300 kilometers have been positioned there, a spokesman for the border troops told the state news agency Belta in Minsk. The measure was justified with alleged espionage and sabotage preparations on the part of Ukraine.
Belarus is Russia's closest ally. Ruler Alexander Lukashenko is heavily dependent on the Kremlin economically, financially, politically and militarily. Although Minsk is not officially involved in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian troops also used Belarusian territory to advance on Ukraine at the start of the war.
German arms exports increase due to war in Ukraine
Following a record arms export last year, export licenses rose significantly again in the first half of 2024 due to a further increase in arms deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government approved the delivery of military goods abroad for at least 7.48 billion euros. Compared to the entire first half of 2023, this represents an increase of a good 30 percent.
Almost two thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion euros) are destined for Ukraine, which Germany is supporting in its defensive campaign against Russia. This is according to an answer from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to a question from Bundestag member Sevim Dagdelen from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which is available to the German Press Agency.
