Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, one day after Russia accused the United States of being behind an alleged drone attack. The ICC recently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Zelenskyy's visit is likely related to the warrant, as he was in The Hague to discuss the matter with the ICC and the International Court of Justice.
Posts tagged as “Eastern Ukraine”
Two former Russian convicts have made claims that Ukraine attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin. Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, who were both pardoned by Russian presidential decrees last year, also claimed to have been commanders of the Wagner Group. Russia has responded to the claims with fury, while Ukraine has denied the accusations and two Russian officials have expressed skepticism. It is currently unclear whether the claims are true, as CNN is unable to independently verify them.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of attempting to launch a drone attack on the Kremlin overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has called the incident a "terrorist act" and said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike. Ukraine has denied any involvement, and the investigation is ongoing. The attempted attack has raised questions about security in the region and the need for increased vigilance and security measures.
On Saturday, a massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine’s drones, according to the Moscow-installed governor of the port city. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been escalating, with the Ukrainian government accusing Russia of sending military forces into the country’s east and south. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it is unclear what the impact of the fire will be on the region.
Russia launched a large-scale attack against Ukraine on Friday morning, resulting in the death of at least 22 people and the destruction of an apartment building in Uman. Ukraine's air force was able to intercept 11 of the cruise missiles and two drones, but tensions between the two countries have been raised. The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and the international community is urging both sides to de-escalate the violence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the potential for Russia to use nuclear power plants as a form of blackmail. Xi Jinping pledged to send a “special representative” to Ukraine for talks about a “political settlement” and warned that “there is no winner in a nuclear war.” China has expressed a desire to become a neutral peace broker in the conflict, though the United States and others have questioned its impartiality.
China and Russia have both taken steps to end the conflict in Ukraine, with China sending an envoy to discuss a possible "political settlement" and Russia praising a framework proposed by China and Brazil. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have both expressed their support for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which has been ongoing since 2014. It is hoped that the Chinese envoy's visit will help to bring an end to the conflict.
American journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court on April 18th to appeal his detention on espionage charges. Gershkovich, the first U.S. journalist to be detained in Russia since the Cold War, is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan has expressed his hope that Gershkovich will be released soon, and the Wall Street Journal and the Committee to Protect Journalists have both called for his immediate release. Gershkovich’s appeal hearing is set to continue on April 20th.