War in Ukraine live: several Ukrainian cities bombed

Volodymyr Zelensky thanks France for sending tanks to Ukraine

“France takes European defense support to Ukraine to a new level, and I thank President Macron for this leadership”said this Wednesday evening in his traditional video address Volodymyr Zelensky.

“This sends a clear signal to all our other partners: there is no rational reason why Ukraine should not yet be supplied with Western-style tanksadds the Ukrainian president. And it is very important to restore security for all Ukrainians and peace for all Europeans. »

“We must end Russian aggression this year precisely, and not postpone any defensive capabilities that can hasten the defeat of the terrorist state”he also encourages, specifying that “Russia foresees a new wave of aggression for the coming months”. “We have to make this the last wave”dit M. Zelensky.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the Russian army is increasing its forces in the Donetsk region in the east of the country, while the troops from kyiv “inflicted many losses on the enemy and drove the occupiers from their positions on the outskirts of Bakhmout”.

This town in Donetsk oblast that Russian forces, led by the Wagner mercenary group, have been trying to take for months, is undergoing fierce fighting. According to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the military administration of the Donetsk region, quoted by CNN, “two civilians died on Wednesday in the city because of the bombardments”, and 60% of Bakhmout is destroyed.

“Whatever the enemy attempts to enter the city, they fail. Whatever their advances, they are pushed back to their previous positions, outside the city limits”Mr. Kyrylenko told Ukrainian television. “In fact, they are now in the devastated flat area, which also contributes to their huge personnel losses. »