Live – Ukraine: “Priority is very clearly support,” Macron promises.

Ukraine's ambassador to France announced that his country will award Alain Delon with the Order of Merit for his support of the country attacked by Russia. “You have many admirers, me and my people are always by your side,” he said.

Two suspected Russian spies have been arrested in Germany. They are suspected of wanting to sabotage Russia's aid to Ukraine. “Absurd and ridiculous” allegations, Russia defends.

A man suspected of helping Russian intelligence prepare a possible attack against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been arrested in Poland, Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors announced.

The suspect, Pavel K., was “prepared to act on behalf of the military intelligence services of the Russian Federation and had contacts with citizens of the Russian Federation directly involved in the war in Ukraine,” a press release said. Polish Prosecutor's Office.

After a meeting of the European Council in Brussels, Emmanuel Macron stressed that “the priority is to support Ukraine.” “Each of us has a responsibility to make the best of our abilities so that we can collectively be effective in supporting Ukraine,” he declared.

“We are united in intensifying our sanctions against Russia and continuing to deter the Russian war machine,” he continued. The French president also confirmed a visit to Ukraine.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called on the sidelines of a G7 meeting on the Italian island of Capri to explore “creative” ways to use Russian assets frozen abroad to fund Ukraine's defense.

“Russian assets in the UK, Europe and elsewhere are frozen and Ukraine needs to find ways to use those assets to help defend itself,” he said. “It's important to try to agree” on how to do that, he said. “I have no doubt that we will find a way, but we have to be creative and we have to be flexible,” he continued.

The reports come after several calls in the US and Europe to set up a fund for Ukraine using billions of dollars of Russian assets frozen in the West after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine has an “urgent and critical need for additional anti-aircraft defense,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underscored on the sidelines of a meeting of G7 diplomatic leaders on the small Italian island of Capri.

He recently noted “encouraging” signs in military aid announcements from NATO members. But, “we should have given them earlier,” he added.

The Kremlin on Thursday condemned the seizure of a Russian businessman's villa in southwestern France, saying the decision threatened the “foundations” of the French legal system.

“Any attack on private property is primarily illegal,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “In this way, the French authorities are undermining the foundations of their legal system,” he added.

A villa owned by a Russian businessman in Anglet, southwest France, was seized in December 2023 as part of an investigation into suspected serious money laundering, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. In December 2013, a villa called “Sousana” was purchased for 5.4 million euros, according to the lawsuit.

The German Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Berlin on Thursday after announcing the arrest of two suspected Russian spies, a spokesman told AFP.

The arrested two German nationals are suspected by anti-terrorism prosecutors of planned acts of sabotage in the country against US military installations aimed at undermining military support for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry on Thursday called on people and businesses to reduce electricity consumption after recent Russian attacks on the country's energy system, according to a request by private electricity operator DTEK.

“Domestic and industrial consumers are requested to reduce the use of energy-consuming equipment during peak hours (7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.),” the ministry said, citing “significant damage to the power network” as a result of the Russian strikes, a “sharp drop in temperature” and ” Increase in load on electricity network”.

Ukraine said on Thursday it had struck the Russian military airfield at Zhankoil in Crimea, a part of the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. The “successful operation of the Ukrainian armed forces at the Zhankoy military airfield” made the “destroying” possible. S-400 system launchers, radar equipment and an air defense control center, Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR) said.

Military aid to Ukraine, which has been blocked in the US Congress for months and which elected officials must vote on Saturday, the Kremlin vowed Thursday that “nothing will change” on the situation on the front.

“This will not affect the development of the situation at the ends in any way (…) it cannot change anything,” assured Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman of the Russian President. Kyiv, for its part, considers this assistance to the Russian military “vital”.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday urged the Republican opposition-dominated House of Representatives to approve a budget package for Ukraine with “urgency”, while a new strike earlier in the day left dozens dead. “At this time, it is urgent that all friends and supporters of Ukraine make every effort to continue providing what Ukraine needs against Russian aggression,” he said shortly before an interview with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

The Ukrainian minister, for his part, pleaded with the United States to approve the budget, stressing that it was important to help Ukraine “overcome the carnage caused by Russian missiles.” “It's about life and death,” he insisted, adding that “air defense is the only question on my agenda here at the G7 ministerial council.”

The two leaders will attend a meeting of G7 (US, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy) diplomatic leaders on the island of Capri in Italy on Thursday.

At least one person was killed Thursday in Russian bombings in Selydové, Donetsk region, Governor Vadim Pilashkin announced. Two people were injured in Krasnogorivka and several other towns were hit by strikes, he added.

Two Russian spies suspected of plotting sabotage to undermine military support for Ukraine have been arrested in Germany, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Two German nationals were arrested in Bayreuth, a city in the southeastern region of Bavaria. They are suspected of carrying out several espionage missions, particularly on “US Armed Forces installations”.

Ukrainian engineers are developing the Khronos stealth submarine from the United Arab Emirates. The manufacturer announced that the ship passed the first tests for military use. However, there is no mention of a possible deployment in the Black Sea.

Russia said on Thursday that it had neutralized 20 Ukrainian drones in several regions, particularly near the border with Ukraine.

“During the night, several attempts by the Kyiv regime to launch terrorist attacks against bases located on Russian territory were foiled,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

In detail, the Russian military neutralized 20 drones, two Tochka-U ballistic missiles and five balloons, which are normally used to distract air defense systems.

The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekov, expressed concern about the state of his city, which is bombed daily by Russia. According to him, it could become a “second Aleppo”. The northern Syrian city was destroyed nearly a decade ago during fighting that erupted during the civil war.

At least 18 people were killed in three Russian attacks in Chernihiv on Wednesday, according to the latest reports from authorities. Emergency services said 77 people, including four children, were injured.

Social infrastructure, an educational institute, a hospital and twenty residential buildings were damaged.

Hello and welcome to this live stream to follow the news surrounding the war in Ukraine.