Russia’s war on Ukraine latest: Zelenskiy in Germany after meeting pope

(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Germany early on Sunday as he seeks to shore up support from key allies against Russia’s invasion of his country.

“Already in Berlin,” Zelenskiy tweeted after arriving from Italy, where he asked Pope Francis to back Kyiv’s peace plan got promises from Italy’s leaders of full military and financial backing for Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

FIGHTING

* Ukrainian troops are advancing in two directions in the eastern city of Bakhmut, but the situation in the city centre is more complicated, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said on Saturday.

* The Russian news outlet Kommersant reported that two Russian fighter jets and two military helicopters had been shot down on Saturday close to the Ukrainian border, in what would be a spectacular coup for Kyiv if confirmed.

* Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian aircraft had struck two industrial sites in the Russian-held city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles supplied by Britain.

* As the Eurovision song contest was underway in Britain on Saturday, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year’s contestants from Ukraine.

* Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

DIPLOMACY, ECONOMY

* The Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers and the EU will ban Russian gas imports on routes where Moscow has cut supplies, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

* British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will push other global leaders to pledge more support for Ukraine when he attends international summits next week, his office said on Saturday.

* Germany on Saturday announced 2.7 billion euro ($3.0 billion) of military aid to Ukraine, its biggest such package since Russia’s invasion, and pledged further support for Kyiv for as long as necessary.

* The EU must speed up the supply of ammunition to Ukraine as the country’s forces need 1,000 artillery shells every day in the Bakhmut area alone, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday.

* South Africa is “actively non-aligned” in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the country’s presidential security adviser said on Saturday, after U.S. allegations that it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week.

* The head of Russia’s federal crime agency suggested on Saturday that key sectors of the economy should be returned to state ownership to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

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