STRAIGHT. War in Ukraine: new prisoner exchange, two children illegally sent to Russia find their mother

Shahed drones attacked last night

The head of the administration of the Dnepropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak, confirms that two people were killed during a kamikaze drone raid at night. Air defense intercepted six Iranian-made drones in the area, and “the wreckage of one of them fell on a car driving along the highway. Unfortunately, two men died,” Lysak wrote on Telegram.

American neutrality

The Joe Biden administration did not authorize or support secret meetings between former top U.S. national security officials and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russians about possible negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the White House and State Department say.

Yesterday, NBC News reported that Lavrov met in New York in April with Richard Haas, a former US diplomat and outgoing chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, two former White House aides and former Pentagon officials. At least one member of the American group traveled to Russia. “The Biden administration has not authorized these discussions,” a State Department spokesman told Reuters, recalling the administration’s policy of not discussing possible negotiations to end the war without the participation of Ukrainian officials.

Number

Since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, 2,576 Ukrainians have been released by the Russians as part of a prisoner exchange.

Two children returned to their mother

During yesterday’s prisoner exchange at an unknown location, two children taken to Russia were returned to Ukraine. Renat is 6 years old, and Varvara is 10 years old, they found their mother. A combat doctor, she herself was the subject of a previous exchange last October.

Biden may send scandalous weapons to Kyiv

The United States is expected to announce later today whether it is supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid program. The decision rests with President Joe Biden.

Many countries have banned the use of cluster munitions, which explode in the air, scattering many small munitions over a wide area, which can lead to the death and injury of civilians.

In Lviv, the number of victims is growing

Russian forces fired Kalibr rockets yesterday at the western city of Lvov. The residential building was especially damaged. According to the latest data, nine people were killed and 42 were injured. The oldest victim, a woman, was 95 years old. A 21-year-old woman also died. Research is ongoing.

Another prisoner exchange took place

In Ukraine, 45 people who were in Russian captivity have recovered. Among them are servicemen of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Security Service, a civil servant of the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant, Azovstal, as well as a security guard from Kherson.

Tomorrow is the 500th day of the war

This Friday marks the 499th day of the war. Tomorrow will be 500 days since Vladimir Putin began his operation in Ukraine, with the conviction to overthrow the government in a few days.

Zelensky is due to meet with Erdogan this Friday in Istanbul

The President of Ukraine is to meet with his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul. This will be the first visit of the President of Ukraine to Turkey since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. The menu of discussions may include an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain, which Russia does not intend to renew and which is supervised by Turkey.

Prigogine returned to Russia?

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko assured on Thursday that the sulphurous boss of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is in Russia, despite an agreement reached after his failed uprising that he must go into exile in Belarus. According to him, Wagner fighters are also “in their permanent camps” in eastern Ukraine, and not in his country “yet”.

Good morning !

Welcome to this direct, dedicated to the war in Ukraine and its consequences in the world.