Three months to the day after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's troops are continuing, not without difficulty, their offensive in the east of the country.
Moscow concentrates its firepower on the Lugansk region, trying to surround the cities of Severodonetsk and Lyssytchansk, in the face of tireless Ukrainian resistance.
A fight that always requires more weapons, as reminded Westerners, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Update on the latest events.
Lugansk region almost completely overrun
Entering their fourth month of war, Russian troops are concentrating their offensive on the last pocket of resistance in the Lugansk region, in the Donbass.
After having removed the Russian forces from the two largest cities of the country, kyiv at the end of March then Kharkiv in May, the Ukrainians have recognized for a few days "difficulties" in the Donbass.
“The next weeks of war will be difficult,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday evening in his daily televised address.
“The Russians seek to eliminate everything that is alive,” he continued.
Russian troops attempt to surround the towns of Severodonetsk and Lyssytchansk.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also reported heavy fighting in progress nearby, near the localities of Popasna and Bakhmout, which draws a strategy of encirclement.
The city of Severodonetsk under Russian strikes, May 23, 2022. ARIS MESSINIS / AFP AFP or licensors
Towards an embargo on Russian oil?
We knew the measure under discussion.
It could finally succeed quickly, according to the German government.
A European embargo on Russian oil would be possible "within a few days", estimated German Economy Minister Robert Habeck.
“Only a few states, especially Hungary, have reported problems,” he told ZDF public television on Monday evening.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: five minutes to understand the European embargo project on Russian oil
“Discussions are continuing” but “I think we will achieve a breakthrough in a few days”, he maintained, optimistic.
The Europeans have already announced the end of Russian coal imports from next August.
Originally, Brussels planned to stop imports of Russian crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of 2022. But Hungary is refusing for the moment this sixth package of sanctions proposed by the President of the Commission , Ursula von der Leyen, for lack of guarantees on the maintenance of its supply.
New weapons supplied to Ukraine
To help the Ukrainian resistance, twenty countries pledged to provide it with additional weapons at a meeting of allies on Monday, announced US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“Many countries will donate much-needed artillery ammunition, coastal defense systems, tanks and other armor” to the kyiv army, he added.
In this second meeting of the "Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine", 44 countries came together virtually to discuss military assistance to Ukraine at this stage of the conflict.
Among the equipment to be delivered to Ukraine, Denmark has notably pledged to send a Harpoon anti-ship missile system.
