‘Fierce fighting’ as Kiev seeks progress – DW – 07/03/2023

The country’s deputy defense minister said “fierce fighting is taking place” in parts of Ukraine as Kiev’s forces continue their counter-offensive.

“Everywhere things are hot,” Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram, in the east, with Russian forces advancing near the besieged cities of Avdiivka, Maryinka and Lyman in the Donetsk region.

They were also continuing their advance near Svatov, in the neighboring Luhansk region.

“A fierce fight is raging there… the situation is very complicated,” she said.

Maliar said Ukrainian forces were also moving ahead with “partial success” south of the eastern city of Bakhmut, as well as near Berdyansk and Melitopol in southern Ukraine.

The freedom of expression group said that the Ukrainian writer, Victoria Amelina, died of her injuries after a Russian missile attack on a restaurant in Kramatorsk last week.

She is the 13th person to die after a Russian missile destroyed the Ria Pizza restaurant on Tuesday.

“With great pain, we inform you of the death of Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina on July 1 at the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro,” Ben Ukraine wrote on his Facebook page.

Her writings were set aside after the Russian invasion and she was documenting Russian war crimes.

Her writing had previously earned her the Joseph Conrad Literary Prize, and made her a finalist for the European Union Prize for Literature.

US President Joe Biden will head to Europe next weekend on a visit to strengthen the international coalition against Russian aggression, just as the White House declared war in Ukraine.

During his five-day visit, he will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

He also plans to commemorate Finland’s entry into NATO during his visit to Helsinki. Finland became a full member of the bloc earlier this year.

Biden will start his trip next Sunday in London, and he will meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle the next day, according to Buckingham Palace.

Before heading to Europe, Biden will host Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the White House on Wednesday to discuss Stockholm’s ambitions for NATO.

lo/js (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)