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He also pointed out that Russia poses an immediate threat to the NATO members. He considered that NATO is facing the most significant challenge since World War II. "We will stress clearly during the summit, which will review the Alliance's roadmap for the first time since 2010, that Russia represents a direct threat to our security," he said, according to AFP.
He also announced that important decisions about NATO's eastern and southern fronts and terrorism will be taken today.
As for the membership of Finland and Sweden after Turkey's approval yesterday evening, he explained that it needs 30 European parliaments to ratify it.
The general secretary indicated that NATO views China as a challenge, not an enemy. He said: "Beijing is considered as a challenge to the values, interests and security of the alliance, but it is not an adversary to it."
One of the main issues in this summit, besides the Russian-Ukrainian file, is to strengthen the military presence of the defensive Alliance on its eastern front.
Stoltenberg had made it clear last Monday that the Alliance would increase the size of its rapid reaction force to 300,000 soldiers, from about 40,000 soldiers currently. He also indicated at the time that the allies would discuss how to respond to the growing influence of Russia and China in NATO's "southern region".
At the summit, Turkey " got what it needed," Stoltenberg said regarding Finland and Sweden's bid into the Alliance. The two Nordic countries agreed to extradite Kurdish PKK members to turkey and coordinate with Ankara regarding terrorism.
The Madrid summit, which started yesterday evening with an official dinner, will be followed today by important discussions with expectations to address the issue of the "new strategic concept" of the Alliance, which is the renewal of NATO members' commitments every ten years, with a review of the threats facing the military Alliance and how to deal with them.
He also added that "the Madrid summit reinforces the path of aggressive containment pursued by the alliance towards Russia," AFP reported.
In addition, he described the expansion of NATO's membership to Finland and Sweden as "a very destabilizing step". He explained that it did not add anything to the security of NATO members.
The DFM also stressed that his country looks negatively at this issue, considering that the Atlantic countries that want to join the Alliance give up part of their defensive sovereignty to America.
Russian condemns the irresponsible course of the alliance, which is destroying the European security architecture, the diplomat added.
These statements came after Stoltenberg stressed earlier that Russia poses the biggest threat to the security of the alliance.
NATO general secretary said that NATO will announce today the acceptance of Sweden and Finland in its ranks, adding that "the process is moving at an unprecedented speed", after Turkey supported their nomination yesterday, leaving its previous objections.
Last May, the Scandinavian countries applied to join the Alliance, abandoning long years of neutrality, after growing concern over the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
It is noteworthy that the Madrid summit started today amid an unprecedented atmosphere of tension between Moscow and the West, and the escalation of armaments in Europe, as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which prompted many countries to line up behind NATO and strengthen their military presence in Europe.
"We are obligated to guarantee the state of the Union (between Russia and Belarus) and other countries from the Collective Security Organization," he said, noting that in the coming months, we will transfer the "Iskander-M" systems to Minsk.
He also indicated that the Su-25 could be re-equipped in the Russian war factories, put into service with the Armed Forces of Belarus, and start training on the airframe.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told his Russian counterpart that Lithuania's isolation of the Russian province of Kaliningrad was a declaration of war.
The meeting was after a missile strikes launched from Belarus today and landed in the border areas northeast of Kyiv.
The Ukrainian army announced earlier today that 20 missiles were launched by air from Belarusian territory, targeting a border village northeast of the capital.
The Ministry of Defense considered that the Kremlin seeks to drag Minsk into the conflict by carrying out a massive attack from its territory.
It is noteworthy that Belarus is a strategic ally of Moscow. Its president, Alexander Lukashenko, is closely aligned with the Kremlin and has declared since the beginning of the conflict that he stands by Russia, but at the same time, he called for de-escalation by stopping the West's supply of weapons to Kyiv.
He also intended to conduct joint military exercises with the Russian forces before May. Putin's armament of Minsk increases the risk of expanding the war, further destabilizing the world economy.
"The order to return the goods to its owner has been issued and the implementation of this order is currently underway in Greece," the organization said in a statement.
Earlier, Reuters reported on June 10, quoting three informed sources, that a Greek court had overturned a previous court ruling that allowed the United States to seize Iranian oil.
The case began on April 16, when Greece seized the Russian tanker Lana (formerly Pegasus) carrying 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil and delivered it at the request of the United States in early June.
Greece says the seizure of the tanker was in line with EU sanctions. In response to the seizure of the Lana tanker, the Revolutionary Guards navy seized two Greek-flagged tankers carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil in Persian Gulf waters on June 26.
The seizure was widely condemned by the European Union and the United States, with the Greek government calling it "piracy."
At the same time, the Revolutionary Guards claimed to have seized the tankers for "violations committed." The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the tankers' case had been sent to the judiciary.
Still, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei explicitly stated on June 5 that this was a "compensation" for Greece's seizure of Iranian oil.
Ayatollah Khamenei said: "Iranian oil is stolen off the coast of Greece, then the desperate heroes of the Islamic Republic make up for it and seize the enemy oil ship, in the nationwide propaganda and media empire, Iran is accused of theft."
The Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization said in a statement today: "Despite the Americans' order to keep the ship and seize the goods in its favor and the US-Greece legal aid agreement, the cargo was finally returned to its owner, and the Greek government issued the relevant order. "We are now witnessing the lifting of the ship's seizure and the return of the cargo to its owner."
In an interview with AFP, a Greek official confirmed lifting the embargo on Iranian oil and said that the Athens government hopes that Iran will release the two seized tankers soon.
"The enemy, with artillery support, launched an attack on Severodonetsk, which achieved partial success and expelled our units from the city center," the army said in its morning briefing on Facebook, stressing that the battles were "continuing."
Sergey Gaidai, the Ukrainian governor of Lugansk, confirmed the exit of Ukrainian forces from the city center, which is the administrative center of the part of the region under the control of Kyiv. On Monday morning, he wrote on Facebook: "The battles continue in the streets. The Russians continue to destroy the city," posting pictures of destroyed or burning buildings. He pointed out that the Russian bombing targeted a chemical factory where civilians were hiding and targeted sewage stations in the city.
Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces blew up a bridge linking the street-stricken Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk to another city across the river, cutting off a possible evacuation route for civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky likened the situation in Severodonetsk to a grave, which has become the focus of the battle for control of the Donbas industrial region in the east, consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk.
The commander of the Ukrainian army said that the active fighting against Russia extends over 1,000 km, stressing that Russia is not advancing in Lugansk and is again bombing Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy. He added that the security is investigating the suspicion of the presence of 50 collaborators with the Russian army.
For its part, Moscow confirmed on Sunday that it had "destroyed a large warehouse" in western Ukraine for weapons sent from Western countries, at a time when fierce battles are taking place in Severodonetsk in the east of the country, where it appears that Ukrainian forces are facing difficulties in confronting the Russians.
"The Kalibr missiles were launched from the sea, near Chortkev and destroyed a large warehouse of anti-tank missile systems, man-portable air defence systems and missiles supplied by the United States and European countries to the Kyiv system," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Russian army did not specify the timing of this strike, but the Ukrainian authorities in this small town in the country's West announced that on Saturday evening, it had wounded at least 22 people, including civilians, and damaged a military site.
Commenting on this, President Zelensky said in his evening video message on Sunday that "there was no tactical or strategic target for this strike, as is the case in the vast majority of other Russian strikes, describing the strike as" just terrorism."
In the east, the Ukrainian General Staff announced on Sunday morning that Russian forces were launching attacks on Severodonetsk "without achieving success," noting that Ukrainian soldiers repulsed the Moscow army near Vrobivka, Mykolaivka and Vasevka.
Control of Severodonetsk opens the way for Moscow to another significant city, Kramatorsk, in the Donbas Basin, a predominantly Russian-speaking region that Russia wants to control entirely. Pro-Russian separatists have controlled parts of this mining-rich region since 2014.
"The situation in Severodonetsk is tough," Lugansk region governor Sergey Gaidai said via Telegram. He added that the Russian forces wanted to "completely close the city" and prevent any passage of men and ammunition, pointing out that he feared the enemy would use "all its precautions to seize the city" within 48 hours.
In the south, in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian presidency said that "the Russians (reinforce) their efforts to destroy basic infrastructure."
At the other end of the front line, in Mykolaiv, an important port on the estuary of the Dnieper River in the south, the Russian advance has stalled on the outskirts of the city, according to a field team of AFP correspondents.
The Ukrainian Operations Command stated that the Russian forces fired missiles at the outskirts of this city, which were "continuous fire aimed at psychologically putting pressure on the civilian population."
The 27 countries of the European Union agreed with European MPs on Tuesday to impose a standardized wired charger for smartphones, tablets, video game consoles, and digital cameras within two and a half years, to the dismay of Apple, which opposed the measure.
The European Parliament said that "under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different device and wire for charging whenever they buy a new device. They will be able to use one charger for all their small and medium-sized portable electronic devices."
"Cell phones, tablets, e-readers, earphones, helmets, digital cameras, portable video game consoles, and portable speakers, if they are rechargeable by wire, should be equipped with a USB Type-C port by fall 2024," the statement added, regardless of the manufacturer.
Similar requirements are expected for laptops "within 40 months of the text's entry into force", that is, by 2026.
In April, MEPs voted by majority to enact new legislation requiring all manufacturers of consumer electronics devices, including Apple, to use a USB-C charging port.
The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee voted in favor of the new bill, with a total of 43 votes in favor and only two against it. The committee indicated that it would reduce electronic waste, address product sustainability, and make the use of various devices more convenient.
Apple had expressly objected to this decision at the beginning of January 2020, and the American company said that the European Parliament's effort to unify the charging outlet between all electronics would "hamper creativity and innovation."
A study conducted by the "Copenhagen Economics" think tank revealed that it was proven that the new decision would cause the European Union to bear costs of up to 1.5 billion euros, compared to the estimated environmental returns of only 13 million euros.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced today, Tuesday, that Russia has "completely" taken control of residential neighborhoods in the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine.
The residential areas of Severodonetsk have been completely liberated," he said in a brief statement broadcast on television.
According to the defense minister, Moscow currently controls 97 percent of Ukraine's Luhansk region, in which Severodentsk is located. "Liman and Svyatogersk, as well as 15 other cities, were liberated," he said.
If confirmed, the control of these two cities will be game changing because it will remove the last obstacle towards the symbolic city of Sloviansk and towards Kramatorsk, the capital of Ukrainian controlled the Donetsk region.
According to Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, "126 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in five days" to the Russian forces and there are 6,489 in captivity since the start of the Russian military operation on February 24.
For his part, Oleksandr Stryuk, mayor of Severodonetsk, told a Ukrainian TV today that the city's defenders are doing everything possible to maintain their positions on the front line in the eastern city, where the situation is still very difficult.
He added that Russia is sending more troops with the aim of controlling the entire city. He continued, "Our armed forces have strengthened their positions and held on to the front line."
In turn, Serhiy Haiday, governor of the Luhansk region, said today that Russia is deploying military reinforcements in the east of the country to help control the city of Severodonetsk.
Hayday stated that Russian forces were in control of the industrial suburbs of Severodonetsk. "The street fighitng is still ongoing, with varying degrees of success. The situation is constantly changing, but the Ukrainians are repelling the attacks," he added.
According to Hayday, Ukrainian forces repelled a total of 10 Russian attacks in the past 24 hours.
British intelligence had said that the Russian army was isolating the Severdonetsk region from the north and south, adding that "the Russian army is making gains from the south of Severodonetsk."
British intelligence also said that the Russian army is facing difficulties in the "Pupasna" axis, adding that "Russian bombing targets the vicinity of "Izyum" in an attempt to advance from the northern side."
This comes while President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces are still holed up in their positions in Severodonetsk, and that fierce fighting continues in the city's streets, while the Russian army continues to mobilize additional forces in the Donbass axis.
Zelensky also thanked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for standing by the Ukrainian people and his willingness to provide his country with appropriate weapons.
Zelensky had confirmed that his country's situation would be difficult in the event of losing the Battle of Donbass. In an interview with the media, the Ukrainian president added that the situation in eastern Ukraine is dangerous, recognizing Russia's progress in Donbass.
For his part, the governor of Lugansk region confirmed that the Ukrainian forces had seriously retreated in the battle of Severodonetsk, while Moscow indicated that its military operations in eastern Ukraine would continue until the elements it described as Nazis on the Russian border were neutralized.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Sak stressed on Monday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, all countries in the region are in danger. He also said in an interview with "Al Arabiya", that Kyiv demanded Western weapons to respond to the Russian artillery.
"We do not plan to attack Russian territory," he said, adding, "We have many Russian targets to strike inside our territory." He also said, "We suffer from a shortage of soldiers and heavy weapons," referring to the Russian superiority in this.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that respecting Russia was important for a diplomatic solution when the fighting in Ukraine stops, adding that he believed Paris would play a mediating role to end the conflict.
Macron has sought to maintain dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February.
Macron's position has been repeatedly criticized by some partners in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, which they see as undermining efforts to pressure Putin to come to the negotiating table.
On Saturday, Macron told a number reporters that, "We must not insult Russia so that on the day the fighting stops, we can find a way out through diplomatic means. I am convinced that France's role is to be a mediating power."
Macron has been speaking with Putin regularly since the war began, as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire and start meaningful negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.
"I think, and I told him, that he is making a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history," Macron said in the press conference.
France supports Ukraine militarily and financially, but Macron has not yet gone to Kyiv to offer token political support like other EU leaders, which Ukraine would like to do.
Paris sends Ukraine offensive weapons, including Caesar howitzers. Paris has said he has asked arms manufacturers to speed up production.
Amid signs that the war will be prolonged, the US Department of Defense confirmed that the Russian army has lost, since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, nearly 1,000 tanks, 350 artillery systems, 36 warplanes, and 50 helicopters.
On Thursday, a senior official in the ministry told reporters in Washington that the Russian forces lose soldiers on a daily basis, but they hid the numbers.
He also noted that the Russians have 110 combat battalions, explaining that they are making slow progress on the ground, despite having a superior force.
In the Pentagon's daily briefing on Ukraine, he pointed out that the battles are now mainly focused on the center of the Donbass region, in a Russian attempt to isolate it and besiege the Ukrainian forces.
He also continued that there were major battles in the south of the city of Isiyum, and others in the Kherson and Mykolaiv region.
He pointed out that the Russian forces are adding defenses on the Snake Island in the Black Sea to prevent the Ukrainian forces from recovering it, explaining that they have actually succeeded in staying away from the shore and besieging the Ukrainian ports.
He stressed that the Russian forces have abandoned the strategy of large territory attack, as operations have become smaller, and are now following the plan of focused bombing and then moving ground forces after destroying the target.
It is noteworthy that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has entered its fourth month, with fighting intensifying in the east.
Kyiv confirmed that the country is going through a difficult period. Pointing to the fact that intensity of the battles in the Donbass region has reached its "peak" while Russian forces are still penetrating the industrial areas.
Last March, Moscow launched the second phase of its military operation, focusing on the east, after it failed to capture Kyiv or Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.
For this purpose, thousands of troops were sent to the region, stationed in three directions, in order to encircle the Ukrainian forces in the city of Severodonetsk, on the eastern bank of the Seversky Donets River, and the opposite city of Lysechansk on the western bank.
While it aims to control the entire Lugansk region with the aim of opening a land corridor linking the east with the Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, despite repeatedly asserting that the goal of that operation is to protect the Russian-speaking population of the Donbass, many of whom are loyal to Russia.
He added that any idea of retaking the Crimea by force, which Russia annexed in 2014, would lead to hundreds of thousands of casualties, according to what was quoted by the "Reuters" agency.
The Ukrainian president had reiterated his demands for imposing more economic pressure and sanctions on Russia due to the military operation it launched on his country's territory, which has entered its fourth month.
In a video speech, he said, in front of the Forum, that "the world is facing a turning point, and it must tighten sanctions on Moscow to warn other countries that are considering the use of brute force."
Zelensky has repeatedly asked Putin to meet face to face. "I think that whoever started this war will be able to end it," he told a news conference at a metro station in the heart of the Ukrainian capital.
The Ukrainian president took the opportunity to appeal to the world to support his country with more weapons and impose "maximum" sanctions on Moscow. "I think that there are not yet sanctions of this kind on Russia, but they should be imposed," he said.
Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, announced on the 13th of this month that Moscow does not object in principle to a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but a final document must be prepared.
On its account on "Twitter", Pentagon said, " [it] continues to fulfill priority requests for military assistance to Ukraine."
"We are facilitating the delivery of arms to Ukraine by allies and partners," the US defense ministry added.
Earlier, the Pentagon spokesman explained in a press briefing that his country had given Ukraine military aid through presidential decrees, roughly equivalent to its defense budget for 2021, stressing that the United States continues to support the war-torn country.
And he said last Monday that Washington wants to use the rest of the aid carefully to provide what the Ukrainians need in the current battles.
He also expected the aid package approved by Congress to be exhausted by the end of the third week of this month, demanding that the second package requested by the administration be passed quickly.
Since the start of the Russian military operation on Ukrainian soil, it is noteworthy that the United States has been providing Ukraine with military and intelligence support.
In the latest US statements, the permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations said that Washington would continue to provide Kyiv with intelligence, but how this information is used depends on the Ukrainian army.
"We provide them with intelligence so that they can defend themselves against Russia, as well as take a better position at the negotiating table with Russia," said delegate Linda Thomas Greenfield in an interview with CNN.
She added that her country would continue to provide the support they need, stressing that Russia felt the consequences of US support for Ukraine.
Former HDP co-chair, Selahettin Demirtas, told his followers that big changes will face Turkey and asked them to cast their ballots.
Demirtas published an opinion from prison and says, 'embrace for changes, work hand in hand, and keep each other's back. What develops a country is not a single person but the work of millions. Turkey is an inclusive state, and you need to agree on the fundamental democratic principles and eschew bickering on the personality of the political candidates.'
He concludes his opinion by stressing the importance of mass participation in the coming elections. One needs to curiously and peacefully work to change the government.
Turkish general elections are scheduled to be held on June 18, 2023. Voters from 87 electoral districts will elect 600 Members of Parliament to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for a five-year term, forming the country's 28th Parliament.
Turkey's six main opposition parties, excluding the HDP, have allied to partake in the elections. The HDP has announced it will participate alone.
People's Democratic Party (HDP) is a leftist, Kurdish-dominated party with broad support in Turkey's Kurdish inhabited Eastern governorates.
According to most statistics, more than 15 million Kurds live in Turkey, giving the HDP a vast popular base.
Demirtas is one of the most popular Kurdish leaders in Turkey and the world. Its words bear heavy influence on Kurds in Turkey.
Today, Tuesday, the Russian army continues its 'special military operation' in Ukraine for the 76th day, while the West continues its pressure campaigns in the form of sanctions, military, and material supplies to Ukraine.
On the ground, several large explosions were heard that shook buildings in the Ukrainian city of Odesa. The Ukrainian armed forces announced on Facebook that one person was killed and five others were injured when seven missiles fell on a shopping center and warehouse.
In footage from the scene, firefighters and rescue workers were combing through piles of still-smoky rubble.
In the latest developments, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Kyiv forces, under the orders of Zelensky and the instructions of American and British advisers, have been trying for days to recover the strategic island of Zmyni in the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Ukrainian forces tried to land their troops on the island. Still, they incurred heavy losses and failed in their endeavors, as the Russian troops on the island thwarted these plans.
"Over the past two days, the Kyiv regime has made several desperate attempts to carry out air and sea landings on the island of Zmyni, which is important to ensure control of the northwestern part of the Black Sea," Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said.
The Ukrainian military has warned that Russia may target the country's chemical industry. The Ukrainian General Staff did not explain the report on Tuesday. Still, it comes after Russia targeted oil depots and other industrial sites during the war.
"We do not rule out the possibility of sabotage at the sites of chemical industries in Ukraine, with the continuing accusations of units of the Ukrainian armed forces," the military said.
Yesterday, US President Joe Biden signed a decree to speed up sending military aid to Ukraine, signed the Defense Lease Act to help Ukraine, and called on European countries to unite in supporting Ukraine militarily in the face of Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, described the signing of the US law as a "historic step." He added that his army would defend democracy in Ukraine and Europe.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Borisov, announced that Russia has sufficient high-precision missiles and ammunition to carry out all the tasks before the Russian forces.
He noted that all types of high-precision Russian weapons confirmed their combat advantages during the conflict in Ukraine.
"The military-industrial complex supplies our army with all the necessary missiles in the required quantities," he told Interfax.
A Donetsk People's Republic forces leader announced the first meeting between representatives of the Russian army and the besieged Ukrainian forces inside the Azovstal factory in Mariupol since the start of the conflict.
The commander of the "Vostok" battalion of Donetsk Republic forces, Alexander Khodakovsky, said on his channel on "Telegram" today, Saturday, "A group of troops carrying a white flag went out to a road leading from the bridge where the evacuees have received civilians into the Azovstal complex."
Khodakovsky indicated that a group of Russian military personnel went as negotiators to meet with them, stressing it was "the first personal contact since the start of the Mariupol siege" between the two parties in the conflict.
On the ground, the Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia targeted the port city of Odesa in the south. In contrast, the Ukrainian governor of Sumy reported that the two sites in the city were subjected to Russian missile attacks.
Before that, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of American and European weapons and equipment by bombing in the Kharkiv region, while 18 Ukrainian military sites were targeted last night, including three ammunition depots near Odesa.
The British Ministry of Defense stated that the conflict in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll on some of Russia's most advanced and capable units. It added that at least one T-90M tank, the most advanced in Russia, was destroyed during the fighting.
About 100 T-90M tanks are in service among the best-equipped Russian units, including those fighting in Ukraine.
Forces loyal to the Russian army continue their operations in the vicinity of the Azovstal factory, where the Ukrainian forces are holed up in the city of Mariupol. Tanks and heavy artillery are deployed to penetrate the defenses of the Ukrainian forces inside the besieged factory.
Russian Defense Ministry announced that "Nazi formations" and Kyiv forces are preparing provocations in an area where chemical industries are concentrated in Donbas, southeast of Ukraine, "at the direction of their sponsors in the United States and Britain."
Head of the Russian National Defense Control Center Lieutenant-General Mikhail Mezintsev said, "At the sites of the "Azot" company in Severodonetsk, Luhansk People's Republic, they have deployed heavy weapons, where they are holding more than a thousand factory workers and civilians as human shields, and at the same time the "Nazis" are systematically bombing the towns of Pervomaisk Stakhanov, and Kalinov, to provoke the Russian forces to respond, aiming to accuse the Russian army of killing civilians and causing a disaster."
On the ground, the President of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced that the Kyiv forces had thwarted an attempt to launch a counterattack in the village of Voivodovka in Lugansk, inflicting heavy human and material losses on the attackers and destroying their command center.
The spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, announced that Russian defenses had shot down a Ukrainian Su-27 plane and intercepted two Ukrainian "Smerch" missiles targeting the city of Izum in the Kharkiv province.
In humanitarian terms, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from the city of Mariupol in the Donbas region and its surrounding areas during a humanitarian operation carried out in coordination between Russia and Ukraine.
Guterres said on his Twitter account yesterday, Friday, that two convoys evacuated about 500 people from Mariupol, especially the Azovstal steel plant, which is still the last stronghold of the Ukrainian forces, and the areas surrounding this city, within the framework of a successful operation carried out by the United Nations in cooperation with the Committee.
"I hope that continued coordination between Moscow and Kyiv will lead to more humanitarian pauses to provide a safe passage for civilians," he added.
Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Mariupol, the largest city overlooking the Sea of Azov, has witnessed fierce battles during which the forces of Russia and the Donetsk People's Republic managed to control the entire city, except for the Azovstal plant.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of violating a ceasefire today aimed at evacuating dozens of civilians trapped underground in the bombed steel plant after fighting thwarted efforts to rescue them the day before.
The Ukrainian presidency announced the country's readiness for "a counterattack against Russia if the West provides us with a large amount of weapons." "We need enough weapons for several brigades to carry out a counterattack at the end of June," the Ukrainian presidency added.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launched a global platform to raise funds to help Kyiv win the war against Russia and rebuild the country's infrastructure.
"With one click, you can donate money to protect our defenders, save civilians and rebuild Ukraine," Zelensky said in an English video message posted on his Twitter account.
Today, Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the provision of humanitarian aid worth 200 million euros from the European Union to Ukraine.
By pledging this additional amount, von der Leyen said on Twitter that the union seeks to deliver a message to the Ukrainian people that "your battle is our battle... and we are with you."
The Kremlin said Thursday that it is well aware that the United States, Britain, and other NATO countries are providing the Ukrainian army with intelligence, stressing that this will not prevent Russia from achieving its goals.
The comment came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to a report in the "New York Times" that Washington provided intelligence information that helped Ukrainian forces kill Russian military leaders.
Over the past months and since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the US assistance to Kyiv was not limited to the military, and the United States provided intelligence information about the Russian units, which allowed the Ukrainians to target and kill many Russian generals who died during that period, according to senior US officials.
Informed sources revealed that the Ukrainians killed nearly 12 generals on the front lines, a number that surprises military analysts.
It also made clear that the targeting assistance was part of a covert effort by the administration of US President Joe Biden to provide timely battlefield intelligence to the Ukrainians, according to a report carried out by the New York Times.