Belgorod region has for months been the target of Ukrainian cross border strikes, with civilians regularly killed. / Photo: AFP Archive
Tuesday, February 26, 2024
1743 GMT — Three civilians were killed and three others wounded when a Ukrainian drone attacked a car in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Gladkov said the car had been carrying builders and had come under attack on the outskirts of the border village of Pochaevo.
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1829 GMT — US welcomes Hungarian vote to admit Sweden to NATO
The United States has welcomed the vote to admit Sweden to NATO by Hungary, the last holdout in the Atlantic alliance.
"We certainly do welcome the vote in the Hungarian parliament today and look forward to it being finalised," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
1726 GMT — Macron seeks to rally European support for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for rapid action in favour of Ukraine as he opened a conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Kiev among European leaders with the war there stretching into its third year.
The meeting in Paris was a chance for participants to "reaffirm their unity as well as their determination to defeat the war of aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine", the French presidency said ahead of the gathering.
"We have seen hardening of Russia, especially these past few months," Macron said, citing the death in custody of President Vladimir Putin's top opponent Alexey Navalny.
1719 GMT — Ukraine says only 30 percent of promised EU shells received
Ukraine has received less than a third of the one million artillery shells the European Union promised to deliver, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
After two years of war and political infighting among its allies, Kiev has been struggling to secure the artillery rounds needed to defend the frontline two years after Russia's offensive.
"Out of the million shells that the European Union promised us, not 50 percent came, but 30 percent, unfortunately," Zelenskyy said at a press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov in Kiev.
1611 GMT — Russian forces destroy first US-supplied Abrams tank in Ukraine
Russian-installed officials said that Moscow's forces had for the first time destroyed a US-supplied Abrams tank in Ukraine, a battlefield claim that drew approving comment from the Kremlin.
"From the very beginning, our soldiers said that these tanks would burn just like others," state news agency RIA quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying.
He was referring to previous instances where Russia says it has destroyed Western weaponry in Ukraine. The United States began supplying the Abrams to Ukrainian forces last September.
1556 GMT — NATO's Stoltenberg welcomes Hungary's nod for Sweden to join alliance
NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed the Hungarian parliament's vote to ratify Sweden's membership in the treaty.
"Now that all Allies have approved, Sweden will become the 32nd NATO Ally. Sweden's membership will make us all stronger and safer," he said in post on social media platform X.
1546 GMT — Hungarian parliament approves Sweden's NATO accession
Hungary's parliament approved a bill to allow Sweden to join NATO, finally clearing the way for the Nordic country to join the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine.
Hungary was the last among the 31 members of the alliance to ratify Sweden's membership after months of foot-dragging by the ruling Fidesz party on the matter.
0846 GMT — European leaders gather in Paris to show unity for Ukraine
More than 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials are gathering in a show of unity for Ukraine, signalling to Russia that their support for Kiev isn't wavering as the full-scale military operation grinds into a third year.
French President Emmanuel Macron, hosting the conference in Paris, said he wants to discuss strengthening aid and ways to "give credibility to the fact that Russia cannot win in Ukraine.”
“We are at a critical moment," Macron said this weekend.
“With Ukraine having limited resources, we must reinforce the munitions, the military resources, what we send," he said. "But we must also think about how we manage this effort over time and how we ensure that Russia does not win.”
0928 GMT — Ukraine demands accountability for grain damage in Poland: Deputy prime minister
Kiev has urged Poland to punish those responsible for spills of a Ukrainian grain cargo at the border over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
Around 160 tonnes of Ukrainian grain were destroyed at a Polish railway station amid protests in what a senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday was an act of "impunity and irresponsibility".
"Those who have damaged Ukrainian grain must be found, neutralized, and punished. Two friendly civilized European states are interested in this," Kubrakov said on X.
Polish farmers protesting over what they describe as unfair competition from Ukraine and European Union environment regulations have blocked border crossings with Ukraine as well as motorways, and deliberately spilled Ukrainian produce from train wagons.
0612 GMT — Russia launches drones, missiles, Ukraine claims defence success
Russia launched 14 attack drones and a barrage of missiles at Ukraine overnight, with air defence systems destroying nine drones as well as three guided missiles over the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, Ukraine's air force has said.
Russia also launched two S-300 missiles from anti-aircraft missile systems and one air-to-surface Kh-31P missile, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
It was not clear what happened to the missiles and drones that were not downed.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says he was certain that US Congress would approve major new batch of military and financial assistance and Ukraine needed that decision to be made within a month pic.twitter.com/qWLGS9viY1
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) February 25, 2024
0249 GMT — Macron seeks to rally European support for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host European leaders for a conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Ukraine.
The meeting in Paris will be a chance for participants to "reaffirm their unity as well as their determination to defeat the war of aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine", the French presidency said.
It also signals Macron's eagerness to present himself as a European champion of Ukraine's cause, amid growing fears that American support could wane in the coming years.
"Battered and bruised, but still standing. Ukraine is fighting for itself, for its ideals, for our Europe. Our commitment at its side will not waver," Macron wrote on X, formerly Twitter, to mark two years since the conflict broke out.
0119 GMT — Biden summons congressional leaders for Ukraine, funding talks
President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders at the White House to press politicians on passing an emergency aid package for Ukraine and Israel, as we ll as averting a looming government shutdown next month, according to a White House official.
The top four leaders include House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
During the meeting, the president will discuss the “urgency” of passing the aid package, which has bipartisan support, as well as legislation to keep the federal government operating through the end of September, said the White House official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a meeting not yet publicly confirmed.
The Republican-led House is under pressure to pass the $95 billion national security package that bolsters aid for Ukraine, Israel as well as the Indo-Pacific.
For our live updates from Sunday, February 25, click here.
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