• Russia launched its "military operation" in Ukraine on Thursday, February 24. Every evening, at 19:30 pm, 20 Minutes offers you its recap on the Russian-Ukrainian diplomatic conflict that has become a war that leaves dead and wounded and thousands of refugees every day.
  • Who did what? Who said what? And who supports whom and why? You will know everything about the progress of the negotiations and the events of this crisis that is shaking Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the United States.
  • On Friday, Russia said it was pushing into western Bakhmut to seize the city, the epicenter of the fighting.

Did you miss the latest events on tensions in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every night, at 19:30 pm. Who did what? Who said what? Where do we stand? The answer below:

News of the day

The assault on Bakhmut continues. This Friday, Russia said it was pushing in the west to seize this city epicenter of fighting for several months in Ukraine and where the outcome of this deadly battle remains more uncertain than ever. "Wagner [paramilitary organization] assault groups are conducting high-intensity military operations to take up quarters in the western part of the city," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The western zone is the last part of this city in eastern Ukraine to be in the hands of the Ukrainian military, who face Wagner's men and the Russian army now installed in the northern, southern and eastern districts. On Thursday, Russia said it blocked Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut and prevented any reinforcements from entering, suggesting that the city was about to fall. Kiev immediately denied these claims, assuring that it would continue to supply Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut and inflict "crazy losses" on the Russians.

The phrase of the day

Those responsible will be held accountable. »

This is the statement of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after seeing the "appalling" video of the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier. The leader said this sentence on Friday during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter shows a Russian-speaking man in uniform beheading with a knife a person who appears to be a Ukrainian prisoner of war, images that have provoked shock and anger in Ukraine and the West.

Today's figure

8.1 million. That's the number of barrels Russia shipped every day in March. Total oil shipments rose in March from 0.6 million barrels per day to 8.1 million barrels per day, adding to Moscow's oil windfall from $1 billion to $12.7 billion last month. A manna that remains 43% below a year ago, however, tempers the latest report of the IEA.

Today's trend

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Friday the alert and surprise maneuvers of the Russian fleet in the Pacific, in a context of rapprochement with Beijing and tensions with the West. On orders from President Vladimir Putin, he said Russia's Pacific Fleet, based in Vladivostok in the Far East, would work "at short notice" on combat training in "near and far" maritime areas. During the exercises, the ships will practice "repelling massive air attacks," "searching for and destroying submarines," as well as firing torpedoes, cannons and missiles, he said.

Our dossier on the war in Ukraine

According to the minister, these maneuvers are aimed at "strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces to repel aggression". Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the surprise maneuvers were "unrelated" to NATO's presence in the Asia-Pacific, where all eyes are on China and its American rival. The announcement comes at a time when China, which regularly conducts joint military exercises with the Russian military, announced Friday the visit to Russia of the Chinese Minister of Defense, from April 16 to 19.

  • War in Ukraine
  • World
  • Bakhmut
  • Russia
  • Wagner Group