• Russia launched its "military operation" in Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Every evening, at 19:30 pm, 20 Minutes offers you its recap of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict 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.
  • The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office announced the opening of a war crimes investigation after the death of a journalist from the France-Presse Agency near Bakhmut.

Did you miss the latest events about the war in Ukraine? Don't panic, 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

He was only 32 years old and risking his life to bring back the images of the war in Ukraine. France-Presse (AFP) journalist Arman Soldin was killed in a shelling near the besieged town of Bakhmut on Tuesday night. An investigation was opened Wednesday for war crimes, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office said. Entrusted to the gendarmes of the Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH), it will aim to determine the circumstances of the death of this French journalist born in Sarajevo.

From the president to the parliament via London or Kiev, many tributes have been paid to him. "With courage, from the first hours of the conflict he was at the front to establish the facts. To inform us," Macron tweeted. On behalf of the government, Elisabeth Borne also expressed Wednesday her "emotion" and "solidarity" to her family and loved ones, "to her colleagues at the France-Presse Agency" and "to all journalists". The Senate observed a minute's silence in the Chamber.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry also offered its "sincere condolences to his family and colleagues," adding, "He dedicated his life to reporting the truth to the world." The British government also praised the journalist's "vital" work. "Journalism continues to shed light in the darkness of this war, and Arman's work has been vital to this," a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

The phrase of the day

It is necessary for China to use its relations with Russia to make Russia better understand that it is at an impasse and ask it to come to its senses. »

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Wednesday called on China to use "its relations with Russia" to bring it on the path to peace, shortly before a meeting with its Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. Speaking during the minutes of the Council of Ministers, she recalled that "on China and concerning Ukraine", the positions of the France were "known". "We talk about it openly, directly, with the frankness that friendship allows," she added.

Catherine Colonna and Qin Gang "will discuss international crises, in particular the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as global issues, especially in the run-up to the Paris Summit on a new global financial pact," Anne-Claire Legendre, spokeswoman for the Quai d'Orsay, said in a statement.

Today's figure

7.4. This is the number in billions of Swiss francs (about 7.6 billion euros) of assets and reserves of the central bank of Russia immobilized in Switzerland, said Wednesday the Swiss Ministry of Economy. Transactions related to the management of reserves and assets of the Russian central bank have been prohibited since March 25, 2022. "The assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation are therefore fixed assets," says the Ministry (SECO).

Discussions are under way within the European Union to possibly use the assets of the issuing institution of the Russian Federation for investment purposes and to allocate their revenues to the reconstruction of Ukraine. "Switzerland is following the case closely," the ministry said.

Today's trend

After months and months of intensive battle in Bakhmut, the Ukrainian army is not giving up. While the Russians have repeatedly announced an imminent capture of the city, a senior Ukrainian military official claimed Wednesday that Kiev's forces have carried out counterattacks in this epicenter of fighting in the east of the country, and forced Russian troops to retreat in some places.

Our dossier on the war in Ukraine

The battle for the devastated city, now nearly 95 percent controlled by Russian forces, is the longest and deadliest since the Russian invasion began. While Russian troops, and in the first place the fighters of the Wagner paramilitary group, have gradually and slowly gained ground in recent months in Bakhmut, the Ukrainian resistance west of the city remains fierce. "We are conducting effective counterattacks. In some areas of the front, the enemy could not resist the assault of the Ukrainian defenders and withdrew to a distance of up to 2 kilometers," Oleksandre Syrsky, commander of the Ukrainian army's ground forces, said on Telegram. According to him, Wagner's fighters on the ground were replaced in some places by units of the Russian regular army, less well prepared.

  • War in Ukraine
  • World
  • Vladimir Poutine
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Russia
  • Bakhmut