Skip next section Blinken heads to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia
05/29/2024May 29, 2024
Blinken heads to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is arriving in the of Chisinau on Wednesday. It is the first stop of a short European tour during which he will seek to shore up Western support for Ukraine among NATO allies and neighboring countries.
The US top diplomat’s trip comes as Ukraine is trying to fend off intensifying Russian attacks in the east and as President warns that allowing Kyiv to use Western weapons to hit inside Russia would trigger a global conflict.
In Chisinau, Blinken is due to meet President Maia Sandu and other senior officials, at a time when US officials say the country is facing Russian “influence operations.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4gPEQ
Skip next section Poland arrests spy suspect over photos of Ukraine aid
05/29/2024May 29, 2024
Poland arrests spy suspect over photos of Ukraine aid
Polish security services have arrested a man suspected of trying to get photos of military vehicles crossing the border into Ukraine.
The Ukrainian man, named as Oleksandr D., sent messages to a Polish citizen encouraging him to help foreign intelligence services, according to Jacek Dobrzynski, the spokesman for the minister coordinating special services.
The 26-year-old Ukrainian man was suspected of encouraging a Pole to share the photos and “take part in the activities of foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland,” the spokesperson added.
Poland says that being a hub for supplies delivered to Ukraine has made it a key trying to gather information on support for Kyiv’s war effort.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gPEc
Skip next section Sweden pledges €1.16 billion in military aid to Ukraine
05/29/2024May 29, 2024
Sweden pledges €1.16 billion in military aid to Ukraine
Sweden has pledged 13.3 billion kronor (€1.16 billion or $1.26 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv struggles with multiple delays in vital Western military support in the third year of its war with Russia.
“Sweden is supporting Ukraine with its 16th aid package, its largest to date, worth 13.3 billion kronor,” Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch told reporters.
The Scandinavian country, which formally , will donate a range of material, including ASC 890 surveillance aircraft, Rb 99 medium-range air-to-air missiles and artillery ammunition, as well as all of its model 302 armored infantry fighting vehicles.
Defense Minister Pal Jonson, who also participated in the press conference via video link, added that the ASC 890 surveillance aircraft would be particularly useful for Ukraine’s air defense, allowing it to “identify incoming cruise missiles and drones and identify targets both on the ground and at sea.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4gPCl
Skip next section Ukrainian military says it shot down 13 of 14 Russian-launched drones
05/29/2024May 29, 2024
Ukrainian military says it shot down 13 of 14 Russian-launched drones
Ukraine’s air force said that it had shot down 13 of 14 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on three regions.
Debris from the drones fell on energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s northwestern Rivne region, governor Oleksandr Koval said on messaging platform Telegram. The attack triggered a defense mechanism that cut power to some localities. It has since been restored.
Drone debris also damaged power lines in the central Kirovohrad region, its governor said adding that repairs were underway.
The air force shot down 11 drones over the Mykolaiv region, but the local governor gave no details of the damage.
Meanwhile, Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, said on Telegram that Russian air defenses destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the city of Armavir.
dh/rmt (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4gPBX
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