The latest news on the war between Russia and Ukraine | Wilnesh News

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev on Tuesday morning, flying from the United States to Poland and then taking a sleeper train from the Polish border to the Ukrainian capital.

It is Blinken’s fourth trip to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion and his first since Congress last month gave final approval to a long-awaited $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine. His last visit was in September 2023.

Such high-profile visits by senior U.S. officials are often unannounced for security reasons.

Blinken stepped off a train in Kiev early Tuesday morning local time and was greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Blinker and Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markalova.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kiev on Tuesday in a visit aimed at boosting morale among Ukrainian troops battling a massive Russian offensive in the northeastern border region of Kharkiv.

The unannounced visit to Kiev is the first by a senior U.S. official since Congress passed a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April, increasing tensions between the country and Russia, which has regained the initiative in recent months. Opportunities for military combat.

A senior U.S. official told reporters before Blinken arrived in Kiev by train from Poland that Blinken’s trip was intended to send a strong message of reassurance to Ukrainians at a “difficult moment” for the country.

“This is a tough fight. There’s no question about it,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, but noting that the United States is “very confident that the Ukrainians are going to be increasingly effective in pushing back the Russians and allowing them to become Our allies”. Aid comes from the United States and other allies and partners. “

The official added that Blinken’s mission on the trip will be to discuss how additional U.S. aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s defenses and discuss other steps the U.S. is taking to provide long-term guarantees and commitment to its security.

Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and will deliver a speech focused on Ukraine’s “strategic success” in the war. The presentation will be held on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

— Holly Elliot

Ukraine’s security services said on Monday they had thwarted a “terrorist attack” planned by Russian agents in Kiev on May 9.

Explosive devices will be detonated at multiple locations in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, including stores, the country’s security service said in a Google-translated Telegram postal.

“The IEDs were disguised in tea packages. They consisted of timers, detonators and plastic explosives along with an incendiary mixture and were expected to cause massive fires,” the post read. It added that the explosives were intended to detonate during peak hours.

Explosives were also allegedly planted in a car parked near the popular cafe, security services said.

Ukrainian security services said in a separate cable that they used counterintelligence methods to identify those behind the attacks. postal.

“He personally gave instructions to the agents he recruited and even recorded video instructions for planting an explosive device in a store of the same chain in the Moscow region,” the post read.

The accused Russian agents also planned an attack in February but were also thwarted by Ukrainian security services, they said.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said on Monday that two people were detained in connection with the attempted attack. One was charged with treason and attempted sabotage, while the other was charged with “uncompleted attempted acts of terrorism,” the office said in a Google-translated cable. postaladding that the investigation is ongoing.

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

——Sophie Kidlin

Russia has achieved “partial success” in the Ukrainian village of Lukyansi near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where it has launched a new offensive in recent days, according to the Ukrainian military.

“The enemy has not stopped offensive operations in the direction of Kharkov,” the Ukrainian Telegram account of the General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement. postal Monday, according to Google Translate.

The latest news states that 11 attacks have occurred and two “combat conflicts” are ongoing.

The military said Russia had achieved “partial success” in Lukyanchi but failed to advance further, adding that Ukrainian forces were fighting back. CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.

According to Reuters, earlier in the day, Kharkiv region chief Oleh Syniehubov said Russia was attacking in small numbers in an attempt to stretch the front line.

——Sophie Kidlin

Ukrainian presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak said in a statement that changes made to the country’s government by Russian President Vladimir Putin showed that Russia would try to “expand the scale of the war.” postal Monday on Telegram.

“Russia is ultimately isolating itself and will try to expand the scale and form of the war while reconfiguring the economy to run in an acute/deficit form, which can ensure a sharp increase in the military component,” he said, according to his post. Google Translate of text.

The reshuffle shows that Russia is moving towards “military ‘communism'” to ensure there are enough resources to fight never-ending wars and aims to curb corruption in the military, while the influence of “traditional clans” is waning. distribute.

——Sophie Kidlin

Russia said its troops had improved their tactical positions near four settlements in the northeastern region of Kharkiv on Monday, while Ukraine said it had deployed reserves to the area where Russia launched a new offensive last week.

Russian troops “improved the tactical situation and carried out strikes against (Ukrainian) manpower and hardware near Vesele, Neskuchny, Wovchansk and Liptsi,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday, according to a translated Telegram post.

The ministry said on Sunday that its forces had captured nine villages in the Kharkiv region over the weekend after launching a new offensive in the region.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its latest update on Monday that “the combat situation in the Kharkiv region remains complex and constantly changing.”

Combat operations are ongoing in many areas, General Staff saidpointing out that the Russian military is conducting offensive operations in multiple directions.

The Ukrainian military said fighting was ongoing in the border town of Vovchansk, adding that Russia had used “a large force of up to five battalions to attack the city… So far, the enemy has achieved tactical success.”

“Measures have been planned to eliminate the enemy who penetrates our defense lines.”

Ukraine said it was deploying reserve forces to stabilize the situation, but added that one of its main priorities “is protecting the lives of our soldiers”.

CNBC was unable to verify reports from the battlefield.

— Holly Elliot

Acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow is ready if Western countries want to resolve the Ukraine war on the battlefield.

“This is their right, if they want to go to war, they will go to the battlefield.” battlefield,” RIA Novosti said.

Lavrov dismissed the upcoming Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June, which Russia is not participating in, likening the event to “a rebuke to schoolchildren.”

Russia has not been invited to the summit but has said it would not attend even if welcomed. It said a peace summit without it would be in vain.

Russia’s leadership has repeatedly warned of the possibility of direct confrontation between Moscow and the West, threatening that World War III could break out if Ukraine’s Western allies send ground troops into the country.

— Holly Elliot