A Ukrainian soldier walks past the town hall in Sudzha, Kursk, Russia, August 16, 2024 (AP)

EA-Bertelsmann VideoCast: A Beginner’s Guide to Europe’s Defense and Security

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Defying Ceasefire Talks, Russia Demands Ukraine’s Capitulation

Monday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “No Response” from US to Russia’s Latest Killings

UPDATE 1557 GMT:

Belgium has pledged €1 billion in military aid to Kyiv during a visit by Prime Minister Bart De Wever and senior officials to the capital and its suburbs (see 1132 GMT).

UPDATE 1447 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian troops have captured two Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian invaders.

We have information that there are much more than two such Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units. We have the documents of these prisoners, bank cards, personal data.

Zelensky said troops clashed with six Chinese soldiers near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. The captured troops are being held by Ukraine’s Security Service.

The President instructed Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to contact Beijing for a response by Chinese officials.

Sybiha said the Foreign MInistry has summoned China’s charge d’affaires to express condemnation and demand an explanation.

We strongly condemn Russia‘s involvement of Chinese citizens in its war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as their participation in combat against Ukrainian forces….

Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Zelensky added, “We definitely need a reaction to this. A reaction from the United States, Europe and everyone in the world who wants peace.”

UPDATE 1442 GMT:

The Kremlin says talks with the US will resume in Istanbul on Thursday.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave no details about the discussions.

There have been two previous rounds of talks. Russia has broken its commitment to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, and has rejected a Ukraine-US agreement to stop assaults in and from the Black Sea.

Last week Vladimir Putin’s financial and investment Kirill Dmitriev met with Trump Administration officials, including Donald Trump’s envoy/real estate development Steve Witkoff, in the White House.

UPDATE 1132 GMT:

Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart de Wever, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, and Defense Minister Theo Francken have joined Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the memorial to the dead in Bucha, near Kyiv.

Occupying Russian forces killed more than 1,400 civilians in March 2022 before they were forced to withdraw from northern Ukraine.

UPDATE 0750 GMT:

At least three civilians were killed and 19 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses downed 9 of 46 drones launched by Russia, and 31 were lost to electronic counter-measures. The Russians also fired an Iskander-M ballistic missile.

In the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, Russian shelling killed two residents and wounded two others.

In the Kharkiv region in the northeast, a man was killed and five others were injured. Homes, a garage, and a vacant recreation center were damaged.

Other casualties were reported in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

UPDATE 0606 GMT:

Dependent on oil revenue to finance its 37 1/2-month invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin is expressing concern over the tumbling price.

Amid instability and the threat of global recession from Donald Trump’s tariffs, Urals crude fell to $52.76 per barrel at the Baltic port of Primorsk on Friday.

Russia’s 2025 budget is based on $70 per barrel.

“We are very closely monitoring the situation, which is currently characterized as extremely turbulent, tense, and emotionally overloaded,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said the fallout of the 14% price drop in the past week is being analyzed, but claimed a technical budget rule would smooth out consequences.

In late March, global oil prices were rising amid US sanctions on Iran and discussions on a halt to Russia’s invasion. Brent crude reached $72.52 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude increased to $68.68.

But Russian oil and gas revenue fell by 17% year-on-year in March to 1.08 trillion rubles ($12.8 billion), with forced discounts on crude sales and a stronger ruble.

The government lost about 230 billion rubles ($2.7 billion) in tax income compared to March 2024.

Oil and gas revenues account for 1/3 of total state income.

UPDATE 0501 GMT:

Norway is allocating around $454 million for the purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine.

Around $363 million will be devoted to the Czech-led European Union initiative to provide Kyiv with artillery shells. Another $91 million will be allocated to the European Peace Fund.

“We are now strengthening our cooperation with the EU to provide Ukraine with, among other things, more artillery ammunition,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

UPDATE 0433 GMT:

Kyiv has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday to discuss Russia’s deadly missile strike last Friday on Kryvyi Rih in south-central Ukraine.

The attack on a residential building and playground killed 20 civilians and injured 75. Nine children were slain and 12 wounded.

Ukraine has also requested a special meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted:

A robust international response to Russian atrocities is critical. Such terror should never be normalized. We call for both strong condemnation and firm action.

Russia must cease its terror against Ukrainian children and civilians, respond to US full ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine has accepted, and end the war.

Funerals were held in Kryvyi Rih on Monday for some of the victims.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city administration, said, “We are not asking for pity. We demand the world’s outrage.”

Teacher Iryna Kholod spoke of Arina and Radyslav, both 7 years old as “little suns in the classroom”. She still had unopened birthday gifts for them.

Radyslav was involved in a school campaign collecting pet food for stray animals. “He held the bag like it was treasure. He wanted to help,”

The teacher reflected, “Two desks in my classroom are empty forever….How do I tell parents to return their textbooks? How do I teach without them?”

Ukraine released video footage dismantling Russia’s claim that it had hit a restaurant where military personnel were present.

Vilkul said the video established “absolutely clearly – no military, no ‘commandos’, no ‘military equipment,’ as the lying Russian media wrote.”

“They hit a peaceful residential area. They hit children and civilians with ballistics with cluster bombs,” he summarized.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Kyiv’s forces are operating in the Belgorod region in western Russia.

Belgorod is on the border with the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine. It is south of the Kursk region, part of which Ukraine claimed last August but which is being retaken by Russian assaults.

Last month, Russian outlets acknowledged Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod. The DeepState monitors, based in Ukraine, say Kyiv’s troops have occupied a 13-square km (5-square mile) area near the village of Demidovka, around two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said Ukraine’s military commander-in-chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, had reported on “our presence in Kursk region and our presence in Belgorod region”.

We continue to conduct active operations in the border areas on the enemy’s territory, and this is absolutely right – the war must return to where it came from.

The President has said the incursions into Russian territory are to detect Moscow’s invaders from attacking the Kharkiv and neighboring Sumy regions.