Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? Don’t panic, 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Who did what ? Who said what? Where are we ? The answer below:
news of the day
Yevgeny Prigojine, head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, announced on Friday the opening of 58 recruitment centers in 42 cities in Russia. “New fighters are coming over there, [ils] will accompany us to defend their country and their families, ”he said, quoted on Telegram by the press service of his company Concord.
The Wagner Group is on the front line in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmoutand Yevgeny Prigojine himself admitted that many fighters from his organization had been killed there.
These 58 recruitment centers were opened, for the most part, in sports halls and martial arts clubs. Evguéni Prigojine, however, did not specify how many contract fighters he intended to recruit via this new system, nor for how long.
sentence of the day
We believe that Russia is seeking to weaken the government of Moldova, certainly with the end goal of seeing a more supportive administration
White House spokesman John Kirby accused Russia of seeking to destabilize the Moldovaincluding through demonstrations, with the aim of installing a government committed to its cause.
Moldova, formerly in Russia’s zone of influence, is now ruled by resolutely pro-European authorities, like its neighbor Ukraine, which has been fighting for more than a year against the invasion of its territory by Russian troops. But that’s not counting Transnistria, a pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova. This territory on the border with Ukraine, which has declared its independence but is not recognized by any state, assured Thursday that it had foiled an attack against its leaders attributed to Kiev, accusations rejected by Ukraine.
“Russian actors, some linked to Russian intelligence, seek to orchestrate demonstrations in Moldova and use them to foment an insurrection against the Moldovan government”, assures John Kirby.
The number of the day
3. Like the three Ukrainian soldiers sentenced on Friday to heavy prison terms by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Captured during the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Viktor Pokhozei, Maxim Boutkevitch and Vladislav Chel were found guilty of “violence against the civilian population” and “use of prohibited methods during an armed conflict”, indicated in a press release , the Russian Investigation Committee, this body responsible for the main investigations in Russia. Maxime Boutkevitch and Vladislav Chel were sentenced to 13 and 18 and a half years respectively. Viktor Pokhozei was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs denounces, for his part, “a false trial”. “The sentences imposed are illegal, and null and void,” he added in a statement, calling on the international community to “condemn” the trial and “demand” from Moscow the release of the three convicted Ukrainian soldiers.
The trend
“On Maidan, kyiv’s Independence Square, thousands of people knelt as Dmytro Kotsyubailo’s coffin passed,” reports freelance reporter Stéphane Siohan, video in support. In the audience, several senior officers of the Ukrainian military, proof of the importance of Dmytro Kotsyubailo, despite his only 27 springs.
Nicknamed “Da Vinci”, this DUK military commander Pravy Sektor was killed on Wednesday in the battle around Bakhmout that has raged in recent weeks. “He is one of those whose personal history, character and courage have forever become the history, character and courage of Ukraine”, reacted to his death Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.
In addition to Dmytro Kotsyubailo, Oleg Khomiouk, 52, and his eldest son Mykyta, 25, other heroes of Bakhmout, also had the honors of Maidan Square. They left to fight as volunteers at the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Both died on March 2 in the same trench, according to their family.
