On Wednesday, Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor for the White House, traveled to Kyiv without prior notice to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine. Despite a delay in Congress, Sullivan assured Ukrainians that billions in aid would still be provided to their country.

During a press conference, Sullivan stated that obtaining a firm bipartisan vote in Congress is our top priority, also known as Plan A.

“We will deliver the payment according to our agreement, so there is no need to discuss a backup plan today.” He also recognized the fact that the delay had been excessive.

Sullivan and Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for Ukraine’s president, held a meeting to discuss Ukraine’s needs on the battlefield as well as two upcoming summits: a NATO summit in Washington in July and a potential peace summit in Switzerland in the spring. Yermak mentioned the possibility of China, a Russian ally, attending the peace summit, but made it clear that Ukraine will not be extending an invitation to Russia.

Missile strike

The local government in Kharkiv, a city in northern Ukraine, reported that five people were killed and eight were injured in an industrial area due to a missile strike carried out by Russia on Wednesday. The mayor of the city also stated that five others were unaccounted for.

The explosion caused a significant fire at a printing plant in Ukraine’s second largest city.

The region of Kharkiv, situated near the border with Russia and in close proximity to the conflict zone, has faced multiple assaults during the two-year invasion by Russia.

The regional governor, Oleh Synehubov, stated on national television that based on initial information, the object in question was a cruise missile. A significant fire is still ongoing at the location.

According to Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of the regional police’s investigative department, the attack also targeted a factory that produces furniture and paint products.

The emergency service reported that rescuers quickly arrived at the location to battle a large fire that spread across an area measuring 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet). They searched through the debris in an attempt to find any survivors, as there may have been up to 10 people trapped.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov shared an update on the messaging app Telegram, informing about additional attacks in the city.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the critical need for an appropriate amount of air defense systems in Kharkiv, as well as in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, which have been greatly affected by Russian aggression. He urged international partners to recognize the importance of this defensive measure in safeguarding lives.

The defense ministry of Russia stated that they used their air defenses to eliminate 13 missiles and one drone from Ukraine targeting the Belgorod area, adjacent to Ukraine.

The Russian defense ministry reported that four more Ukrainian drones were taken down over the Saratov region in western Russia.

According to a statement from Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, no one was hurt and no property was damaged on the ground due to the debris that fell.

Russian assets proposal

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell suggested utilizing funds from frozen Russian assets in Europe to contribute to a fund that aids in providing military assistance to Ukraine.

Borrell proposed redirecting 90% of the money gained from Russian assets, such as interest received, to the European Peace Facility.

According to his statement, the earnings would amount to approximately $3 billion annually.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, went to Brussels to engage in discussions with EU officials. Borrell mentioned that the talks would cover topics such as the EU’s help in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, as well as Ukraine’s journey towards becoming a member of the EU.

Climate of fear

The human rights office of the United Nations released a report stating that Russia has generated a sense of fear in the regions of Ukraine that it has seized control of.

The report, which is based on over 2,300 interviews with victims and witnesses, stated that Moscow’s forces enforced the use of the Russian language and governance, while repressing expressions of Ukrainian culture and identity.

According to Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, the actions of the Russian Federation have caused serious harm to Ukrainian society by breaking social connections and causing individuals to become isolated. The lasting effects of this are significant.

According to a report, the authorities in control closed Ukrainian internet and mobile networks, as well as TV and radio channels. They redirected traffic through Russian networks, giving them control over accessible online information and limiting the population’s access to unbiased news sources and communication with loved ones. This resulted in a culture of suspicion and fear, where people were encouraged to spy and report on each other, even among friends and neighbors.

The origin of some data in this report is from Reuters.

Source: voanews.com