Per edited: Bi Luming
According to CCTV News on the 22nd, the Russian army said on the 21st that it repelled the Ukrainian army's attack on Snake Island on the 20th. In addition, in the cities of Severodnetsk and Lisichansk, fierce fighting continues. According to Xinhua News Agency, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned representatives of the EU diplomatic mission in Russia on the 21st to protest against the Lithuanian railway "embargo" and demanded that the transit cargo transportation in Kaliningrad be immediately resumed, otherwise the Russian side will take retaliatory measures. On the same day, according to Ukraine's state news agency, the frequency of Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast has increased significantly in the past two weeks. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy previously said that the Russian army was amassing strength and trying to relaunch the attack on the city of Kharkiv.
On the 21st local time, Finnish President Niinistö said that it may be difficult to reach an agreement on Finland's Swedish "accession" application at the NATO summit.
The Russians said they repelled the Ukrainian attack on Snake Island
According to CCTV News on the 22nd, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a notice on the 21st that the Russian army repelled the Ukrainian army's attack on Snake Island on the 20th, and the Ukrainian army turned to attack the Russian natural gas production infrastructure in the northwest waters of the Black Sea, and two drilling platforms were hit by the Ukrainian side.
Image source: CCTV News
According to the Russian News Agency reported on the 21st, Sheremet, a member of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) from the Crimean region, said: "We will do our best to repair the 'Black Sea Oil and Gas' company drilling platform damaged by the Ukrainian army attack, put it back into use, and will take a series of measures to ensure that civilian infrastructure is not further threatened." Earlier, according to the news released by local officials in Crimea on social media on the 20th, 3 drilling platforms belonging to the Crimean "Black Sea Oil and Gas" company were attacked by Ukrainian troops on the same day, resulting in 3 injuries and 7 missing.
In addition, the Russian military also found a US Air Force RQ-4 "Global Hawk" high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the airspace of the Snake Island area.
In the city of Severodnetsk and the city of Lisichansk in the Luhansk region, according to the Words of Sergei Gaidai, the military administrator of the Luhansk region appointed by the Ukrainian side on the 21st, the fierce fighting in the industrial area of Sergei Donetsk is still continuing. In addition, the Russians tried to encircle the Ukrainians along the road from Lisichansk to Bakhmut, but the Russians did not succeed in this attempt.
Image source: CCTV News
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on the 21st that the Russian army controlled two villages in the south of the city of Lisichansk. The Russians also launched an offensive from the village southeast of the city of Lisichansk in the direction of Lisichansk, and their offensive achieved partial results, although the fighting between the two sides was still ongoing.
According to the Ukrainian News Agency reported on the 21st, in the past two weeks, the frequency of Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast has increased significantly. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said in his speech on the 20th that the Russian army is accumulating strength and trying to re-launch an attack on the city of Kharkiv.
Italian senators opposed the government's supply of weapons to Ukraine
According to CCTV News on the 22nd, on the 21st local time, Italian Prime Minister Draghi said in his speech in the Senate that the Italian government will continue to support Ukraine together with the European Union and the Group of Seven. However, some lawmakers expressed opposition to the government's further supply of weapons to Ukraine and called for attention to deal with the spillover effects of the conflict.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
Draghi said on the same day that while supporting Ukraine, Italy will continue to impose sanctions on Russia. In response to Draghi's statement, some senators expressed opposition to the continued supply of weapons to Ukraine, believing that the Italian government should pay attention to the spillover effect of the conflict and solve the energy crisis and people's livelihood problems.
Italian Senator Ferrara: "We ask you [the Prime Minister] to make important comments on our behalf in the Council of Europe, above all our renewed call for political action to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible. ”
Other senators believe that the energy crisis caused by the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine has overwhelmed Italian small and medium-sized enterprises.
Italian Senator Rosa Sylvana Abate: "I now represent agricultural and fisheries operators who can no longer afford the operating costs of their businesses. They asked the Prime Minister to make a loud call in the Council of Europe for prioritization to develop and implement policies that would reduce the prices of gas and oil. ”
President of Finland: Nato summit may be difficult to reach an agreement on Finland's Swedish "accession" application
According to CCTV News on the 22nd, on the 21st local time, Finnish President Niinistö said that although negotiations between Finland and Turkey on Finland's accession to NATO have begun, it will be "difficult" to reach an agreement with the Turkish side at the NATO summit to be held next week. The first round of negotiations between Finland and Turkey in Brussels on the 20th did not make substantial progress.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg presents the applications submitted by Finland and Sweden to join nato in Brussels, Belgium, on May 18. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
In May, Finland and Sweden formally submitted applications to join NATO, but turkey, a NATO member, objected. By convention, NATO must be "unanimously agreed" by its members to recruit new members.
The Turkish government has repeatedly stressed in recent times that Sweden and Finland must end their support for the PKK, the Syrian Kurdish armed People's Protection Force and the Gülen Movement as they seek to join NATO, and lift restrictions on Turkey's export of defense equipment.
Turkish media: Quadripartite talks on Ukrainian grain exports will be held in Istanbul next week
According to CCTV News on the 21st, Turkish media quoted sources from the Turkish Presidential Palace on the 21st as saying that the four-party talks on the Black Sea Grain Corridor will be held in Istanbul next week. Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations will be represented.
Turkey will send a military delegation to Russia this week to discuss with russia specific plans to open a Ukrainian grain export corridor in the Black Sea. The food export corridor is expected to be operational within a month. If all goes well, Ukraine is expected to be able to export 30 million to 35 million tons of food in the next 6 to 8 months.
Turkish President Erdogan said in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the 20th that Turkey will continue to work with all relevant parties to ensure that Ukrainian grain is safely exported through the Black Sea waterway, which will "effectively avoid the global food crisis".
Daily Economic News Integrated CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency
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