Explosions heard in Russian city of Belgorod, regional governor says
Two explosions took place in the southern Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, the region’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote in a social media post.
“There were no casualties or damage,” Gladkov wrote, according to a Reuters translation.
Belgorod is home to fuel and ammunition depots being used for Russia’s operations in the war in Ukraine. Moscow in April accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot there via helicopter after a fire broke out at one of its facilities. Kyiv denied involvement.
— Natasha Turak
Belarussian forces have been identified in Ukraine, officials say
Units from Belarus’s military have been spotted in Ukraine’s border regions of Volyn and Polissya, Ukraine’s general staff wrote in an update Monday, adding that “the threat of missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure from the territory of the republic of Belarus by the Russian enemy remains.”
NBC has not independently verified the information.
So far, Belarus has not officially deployed its troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, although Russia is using the Belarus-Ukraine border areas as a staging ground for thousands of its own troops.
It was reported in March that hundreds of Belarusians had joined Ukraine’s armed forces to fight against Russia.
— Natasha Turak
More than a quarter of Russia’s committed troops likely made ‘combat ineffective,’ UK says
Just over two months into its invasion of Ukraine, more than a quarter of the troops Russia committed to the war are likely to have been rendered “combat ineffective,” the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence wrote in its daily intelligence update on Twitter.
“At the start of the conflict, Russia committed over 120 battalion tactical groups, approximately 65 per cent of its entire ground combat strength,” the ministry wrote.
“It is likely that more than a quarter of these units have now been rendered combat ineffective.”
“Some of Russia’s most elite units, including the VDV Airborne Forces, have suffered the highest levels of attrition,” it added. “It will probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces.”
— Natasha Turak
Jill Biden to meet with refugees in trip to Romania and Slovakia
First lady Jill Biden will travel to Romania and Slovakia this week, coming within miles of the Ukrainian border.
During her trip, Biden is expected to meet with U.S. service members, embassy staff, senior officials in Romania and Slovakia, humanitarian aid workers and refugees.
The first lady’s trip follows other visits to the region by high-level U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
— Christine Wang
Nancy Pelosi reiterates U.S. support for Ukraine
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said additional U.S. support for Ukraine is on the way following U.S. President Joe Biden’s massive aid package proposal.
In a statement, Pelosi said the Congressional delegation met with Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelenskyy and “conveyed our respect and gratitude to President Zelenskyy for his leadership and our admiration of the Ukrainian people for their courage in the fight against Russia’s diabolical invasion.”
Pelosi also said the delegation went to Poland “to send an unmistakable message to the world: that America stands firmly with our NATO allies in our support for Ukraine.”
She said the delegation will be meeting with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and other senior officials to discuss how they can further work together to support Ukraine.
— Christine Wang
