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Only rubble: The "Grande Pettine Hotel" in Odessa was hit by a rocket (photo from May 8)
Photo: Max Pshybyshevsky / dpa
What has happened in the past few hours
According to the Ukrainian authorities, at least one person was killed and five others injured in Russian
rocket attacks
on the Ukrainian port city of
Odessa
on Tuesday night.
This was reported by the Unian agency, citing the local military leadership.
"The enemy maintains its psychological pressure and continues its hysterical attacks against peaceful civilians and civilian infrastructure," it said.
The city was shaken by numerous explosions in the evening, which were due to both rocket hits and anti-aircraft defenses.
According to media reports, among other things, a shopping center and a warehouse were hit.
According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian air force fired several
Kinzhal-type hypersonic missiles
at Odessa on Monday evening.
"Tourist objects" were hit and at least five buildings were destroyed, the "Ukrajinska Pravda" reported.
That says Kyiv
Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
hopes that his country will be granted
EU candidate
status as early as June.
"Today we took another step on our way to the European Union, an important and not only formal one," Zelenskyj said in his video address.
On Monday his country handed over the second half of the answers to the questionnaire that every state has to fill out to apply for membership.
"It usually takes months, but we got it done in weeks."
On Monday, he spoke to both EU Council President
Charles Michel
and Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen
about Ukraine's European integration, Zelensky said.
Both were impressed by the quick response to the questionnaire.
The Ukrainian President also said that trade in the country's ports had come to a standstill.
He called on the international community to take immediate steps to
end the Russian blockade
to allow
wheat shipments
and prevent a global food crisis.
Moscow says so
According to the Russian military, it prevented a major
landing
by Ukrainian troops on the strategically important
Snake Island
in the Black Sea.
The Ukrainian army deployed airborne units and marines to the island over the weekend, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"The Ukrainian provocation was thwarted by the skilful actions of the Russian units on the island."
Accordingly, the Russian troops shot down four Ukrainian fighter jets, three Mi-8 attack helicopters with paratroopers on board and a Mi-24 helicopter during the fighting.
In addition, they took down 30 Ukrainian drones.
Three armored landing craft of the type Kentaur were sunk at sea.
Konashenkov estimated Ukrainian losses at more than 50 soldiers.
There is no independent confirmation so far.
Reports from both sides had suggested heavy fighting around the strategically important island, which is located 35 kilometers off the coast just off the Danube Delta in the Odessa region.
International Reactions
After her return from Ukraine,
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas spoke
out in favor of the country, which had been attacked by Russia,
joining the EU soon.
The SPD politician said on ZDF that, unlike French President Emmanuel Macron, she hopes “that it won’t take decades”.
Of course, other countries were also waiting for membership in the European Union.
However, procedures and schedules would have to be accelerated in such a way that a “real perspective” would result.
After a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talks about progress in the EU negotiations on further
sanctions
against Russia
, which have stalled .
"The conversation with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán tonight was helpful," the German politician wrote on Twitter.
"We've made progress, but more work is needed." It's also about regional cooperation for a better infrastructure for oil deliveries.
US President Joe Biden signed
legislation
on Monday facilitating
the
delivery of armaments
to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
Biden spoke of an "important tool in supporting the Ukrainian government and people in their fight to defend their country and democracy" against Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.
“The cost of the fight is not small.
But giving in to aggression is even more expensive.«
Biden also asked Congress for quick approval of the
billion
-euro package he was requesting to support Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression.
"I have almost exhausted the funds made available to me by a bipartisan majority in Congress in support of Ukrainian fighters," Biden said Monday.
This could be the case in around ten days.
"We cannot allow our aid supplies to be halted while we await further action from Congress."
Economic Reactions
The US
suspended
import tariffs on Ukrainian steel for a year.
This was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal on Twitter.
Actually, the duty is 25 percent.
The issue was discussed during his visit to Washington in mid-April.
The 46-year-old thanked the USA for the quick decision.
The armaments group Rheinmetall could, according to its own statements, deliver the first repaired
Marder-
type armored personnel carriers
in three weeks.
That said CEO Armin Papperger of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
“We are awaiting the government's final decision.
But there are currently enough countries that want these vehicles, not just Ukraine.” The Bundestag approved the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine at the end of April.
However, the federal government is keeping a low profile with information on individual weapon types such as Leopard main battle tanks or Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
humanitarian situation
Around 100 civilians are said to be still in the
besieged
Azov steelworks
in the Ukrainian port city of
Mariupol .
In addition, there are still around 100,000 people in the badly damaged city, said regional head of administration Pavlo Kyrylenko on Monday evening.
"It's hard to say which of them wants to leave the city," he was quoted as saying by Ukrajinska Pravda.
Other reports had previously spoken of a complete evacuation of all civilians from the steel mill.
what is happening today
US President Biden receives Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Washington in the evening.
One of the topics of the meeting is the war in Ukraine
bbr/dpa/Reuters
