After Ukrainian troops withdrew from Avdiivka, the Russian forces were responsible for removing any deserted military equipment left behind.
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The Foreign Minister of Russia is scheduled to travel to Turkey this week while Russian troops have taken control of a new village near Avdiivka.
According to his spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to participate in a forum and engage in discussions with his Turkish counterpart on Friday and Saturday.
Russia and Turkey have been making arrangements for a visit from Putin, which the Kremlin announced would happen after Russia’s presidential election in mid-March.
In the meantime, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that military personnel have taken control of the Ukrainian town of Stepove, located approximately 11 km northwest of Avdiivka.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian army announced that they have removed soldiers from Stepove and Sieverne, two villages that had less than 100 residents before the war.
In early March, Russia seized control of Avdiivka, marking its largest territorial acquisition since claiming Bakhmut in May of last year.
Kyiv claims that a Russian fighter jet was shot down by Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force leader has asserted that Ukraine successfully shot down a Russian fighter jet.
Mykola Oleshchuk stated that February 29th, a date that only appears every four years, holds additional significance for Russians due to the tragedy of another plane crash.
He reported that Ukraine had downed a Su-34 fighter jet in the eastern area, but did not give any additional information.
Mr Oleshchuk has claimed that six Su-43s were shot down in the last two weeks.
David Cameron is increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin to release the perceived successor of Alexei Navalny.
David Cameron plans to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin by having a discussion with the wife of Russia’s most notable opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, during important negotiations in Whitehall, according to information obtained by The Independent.
The diplomatic conflict between the United Kingdom and Russia has reached a significant point with the scheduled meeting on Friday between the foreign secretary and Evgenia Kara-Murza. Her husband, Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was educated at Cambridge, is currently imprisoned in a remote Siberian penal colony for allegedly disseminating false information about the Russian military.
As top-level discussions take place, human rights campaigners caution that Putin’s “successor to Navalny” is the next target on his list for elimination.
Macron warned by Putin allies that sending French troops to Ukraine will result in a similar outcome as Napoleon’s army.
The head of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, who is a strong supporter of Putin, stated that Macron seems to view himself as Napoleon and cautioned him against replicating the actions of the French leader.
According to Volodin’s official social media post, in order to maintain his own authority, Macron has resorted to the idea of instigating a third global conflict. This course of action could potentially pose a serious threat to the people of France.
“Prior to making such declarations, Macron should consider the fate of Napoleon and his troops, with over 600,000 casualties lying buried in the moist ground.”
During the 1812 invasion of Russia, Napoleon’s army initially advanced quickly and took control of Moscow. However, Russian tactics ultimately forced the Grande Armee into a prolonged retreat, resulting in the death of many soldiers due to illness, lack of food, and extreme cold weather.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, participates in a press conference following the gathering in support of Ukraine.
A judge in Russia has ruled for the co-chair of a group that has won the Nobel Prize for their efforts in promoting human rights to serve 30 months in jail.
A court in Moscow has issued a verdict to imprison a long-standing defender of human rights, who had voiced opposition to the conflict in Ukraine. He was immediately incarcerated upon the ruling’s announcement in the courtroom.
Oleg Orlov, age 70, was found guilty of repeatedly making statements that discredit the Russian military in an article he authored criticizing the invasion of Ukraine. He has refuted the allegations as being politically motivated.
The prosecutor requested a prison sentence of 2 years and 11 months for him.
On Friday, Navalny will be laid to rest in Moscow while protests continue.
The funeral for Russian political figure Alexei Navalny will take place in Moscow on Friday, according to his wife Yulia. However, she expressed concern about potential disturbances and mentioned that arrangements for a public memorial have been hindered.
The supporters of Navalny have claimed that the Kremlin sabotaged their efforts to arrange a private memorial service in a larger venue, and prevented an earlier burial for Navalny. The Kremlin denies any involvement in these plans.
Yulia, the wife of Alexei, wrote on X that two individuals, namely Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sobyanin (the Mayor of Moscow), are responsible for the lack of a location for a civil memorial service and a final farewell for her late husband.
“The Kremlin officials are responsible for his death, as well as for insulting Alexei’s body, mother, and now his memory.”
The Kremlin is refuting any role in the passing of Navalny on February 16 at 47 years old in an Arctic prison camp. According to his followers, his death certificate states that he died from natural causes.
Is it morally acceptable to utilize the frozen assets of Russia to support the war effort in Ukraine?
Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury Secretary, emphasized the importance of collaborating with Western allies to release the frozen Russian government assets in order to assist Ukraine. However, she stated that the U.S. does not have a preferred plan for how to accomplish this.
Yellen, speaking at a news conference ahead of meetings with her G7 and G20 counterparts, said the U.S. and its allies were evaluating different options for some $285 billion in Russian assets immobilized in 2022 and the associated risks.
In June, solutions have been requested by the G7 leaders.
Yellen recognized potential risks, but diminished worries expressed by certain European parties that seizing Russian funds would weaken the status of the U.S. dollar, euro, or Japanese yen as significant currencies for global reserves.
Yellen suggested that the G7 collaborate in examining various approaches for unleashing the economic potential of their assets. While seizing the assets is one option, there are also other proposals like using them as collateral to secure loans from international markets.
Learn about Sweden’s journey to become a member of Nato.
Erdogan calls for ‘just and lasting solution’ to war in Ukraine
The nation of Turkey backs Ukraine’s sovereign and territorial rights, strives for a fair and enduring resolution to the Ukrainian conflict, and is open to hosting renewed discussions between Russia and Ukraine for peace.
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed Turkey’s well-known backing for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. He also noted their active efforts in safeguarding the welfare and concerns of their Crimean Tatar compatriots.
He believes that giving diplomacy and dialogue a chance is necessary for a fair and lasting solution to the conflict in Ukraine, which first erupted in February 2022.
He stated that, in my opinion, it would be beneficial to work together to establish overall peace guidelines.
Zelensky suggests collaborating with Balkan countries to manufacture weapons together.
The two-day summit held on Wednesday brought together southeastern European countries to discuss President Volodymyr Zelensky’s vision for peace in Ukraine and his proposal for collaborating on arms production. Zelensky aimed to gain support from the Balkan region for his efforts.
The gathering in Tirana, Albania’s capital, occurs as Kyiv works to enhance its defensive capabilities against the Russian military in light of dwindling support from the United States amid Russia’s ongoing invasion for over two years.
Zelensky expressed interest in collaborating with all of our partners, including Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, Moldova, and Romania, in his opening remarks to top delegations.
“We currently have approximately 500 defense companies functioning in Ukraine, each contributing to bolster our efforts against Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, this alone is not sufficient for victory. We are facing challenges related to ammunition supply that are impacting our success on the battlefield.”
Zelensky suggested hosting a defense forum between Ukraine and the Balkans in either Kyiv or a capital in the Balkan region. This event aims to facilitate arms cooperation and is a continuation of similar initiatives carried out last year with companies from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sri Lanka has terminated the issuing of visas to hundreds of thousands of Russians who have taken refuge in the country to escape the ongoing conflict.
In the past two years, the official records show that approximately 288,000 individuals from Russia and around 20,000 from Ukraine have visited Sri Lanka, following the onset of the conflict.
Source: independent.co.uk
