(Reuters) – * The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said his forces controlled more than 80% of the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after some of war’s heaviest fighting. Senior Ukrainian military officials did not address the claim directly but said their forces were holding firm against fierce attacks.
BATTLEFIELD
* Nearly 8,500 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a U.N. body said, with many thousands more unverified deaths still feared.
POLITICS/DIPLOMACY
* U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the war in Ukraine with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when they meet on Wednesday during Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland, a White House official said.
* A senior Russian official said the United States’ designation of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” meant nothing to Russia and would not change its approach to his case, the TASS news agency reported.
* The World Bank is ready to do its part in rebuilding Ukraine after the devastation of Russia’s invasion, but international financial institutions cannot shoulder the sums involved alone and Western European countries will have to chip in, World Bank President David Malpass said.
* Canada imposed new sanctions on Russia and pledged more military support for Kyiv, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said after meeting Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
ECONOMY
* Russia’s Gazprom said it will ship 41.7 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, slightly higher than the 40 mcm it said it was shipping on Tuesday.
QUOTES
“The enemy (Russia) switched to so-called scorched earth tactics from Syria. It is destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire.” – Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, on the situation in Bakhmut.
“You and I know that there is in fact a tendency to always blame everything on Russia. It is, in general, a disease.” – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on leak of U.S. intelligence documents.
IN-DEPTH STORIES
* ANALYSIS-Western curbs on Russian oil products redrawglobal shipping map
* INSIGHT-Ukraine’s tech entrepreneurs fight war on adifferent front
* ANALYSIS-Russia’s military production, state splurge easesanctions pain
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.