News from the Russia-Ukraine war: kyiv continues its counter-offensive; Putin rejects African peace plan
Ukrainian fighters leading Kiev’s counter-offensive operations are making ‘small advances’ in several areas, including Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions and around Bakhmut, the UK MoD said Sunday, noting that both sides are experiencing many losses.
African leaders met Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend in a bid to persuade him to seek peace talks with Kyiv. But Putin rejected the proposed measures, saying Russia had not refused to talk to Ukraine, Reuters reported, while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the proposed peace initiative was “very difficult to implement”.
Here is the latest news on the war and its ripple effects around the world.
Russia aims to defeat the counter-offensive with mines, artillery and aviation: The early days of Ukraine’s counteroffensive may have yielded minor gains, but Russia has used the past seven months, reports Mary Ilyushina, to bolster its reserves and ammunition and muster more drones. His forces fortified the 900-mile front line, which stretches from Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine to the Belgorod region in Russia, just across the border.
Although Russia’s defense has weaknesses, military experts have said, it is likely to slow down and hamper Ukraine’s plans. “They had months to create a defensive plan, they dug and used the terrain, they sat there for six months laying little traps and mines,” Russian military expert Dara Massicot told Reuters. Rand. Corp. “They also feel confident that they will probably feel that they understand their defensive lines.”
washingtonpost
