► “La Croix” and 80 European media banned from Russia
Russia announced on Tuesday, June 25, blocking access on its territory to the broadcasting of 81 European media, in “retaliation” to the EU’s decision in May to ban four Russian state media outlets. “Countermeasures are introduced on access from Russian territory to media broadcasting facilities of EU member countries”said the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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This measure affects The cross and eight other French media: LCI, Le Monde, Libération, l’ExpressRadio France, AFP, CNews and Arte.
“The Russian side has repeatedly warned at different levels that the political harassment of Russian journalists and the unjustified ban on Russian media in the EU will not go unnoticed”, assures Moscow. “ Despite this, Brussels and the capitals of the bloc countries have chosen to take the path of escalation, forcing Moscow to take mirror and proportional countermeasures.continues the Russian Foreign Ministry.
► Serbia assures that it is not helping “any belligerent”
Serbia, which has always maintained good relations with Moscow, does not help “no belligerent” in the war in Ukraine even if Serbian weapons are found on the Ukrainian front after having been acquired by Western countries, assured Prime Minister Milos Vucevic in an interview with AFP.
“I don’t want to prevent companies from selling our ammunition to Spain, the Czech Republic, the United States… Because it is not prohibited and it is not immoral for us to produce weapons and munitions which, unfortunately, are also used where there is war”he added.
► The EU officially opens accession negotiations with Ukraine
The European Union on one side, Ukraine and Moldova on the other, have officially launched negotiations in Luxembourg intended to allow these two countries to one day be full members of the EU. Russia has sought by all means to obstruct this process, which promises to be long and difficult, leading these two former Soviet republics to anchor themselves to Europe.
“A strong Ukraine is not possible without the EU, and a strong EU is not possible without Ukraine either”declared Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal at the opening of the negotiations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the official launch of Ukraine’s accession negotiations to the European Union, describing this day as“historical” for this country which has been fighting for more than two years against the Russian invasion.
“Today is a historic day”he declared on social networks. “We will never allow ourselves to be diverted from our path towards a united Europe, towards our common home of all European nations. A house that must be peaceful! »he added.
► The ECHR condemns rights violations in Crimea
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Russia’s human rights violations in Crimea since the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.
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Seized by kyiv in 2014 and 2018, the court, which has its seat in Strasbourg, found in a judgment of the Grand Chamber, its highest instance, that Moscow had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. man (“right to life”) due to “the existence of an administrative practice of forced disappearances and a lack of effective investigation” on this subject.
The Russian state, excluded from the ECHR following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, was also guilty of a large number of violations in Crimea, European judges found.
► ICC issues arrest warrants against Russian army chief and ex-minister
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it had issued arrest warrants against Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
They are both accused of being responsible for the war crimes of directing attacks against civilian objects and causing excessive accidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of“inhumane acts”, the ICC said in a statement. The court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in March 2023, a decision rejected by Moscow.
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Russia immediately judged “insignificant” the ICC arrest warrant against his former defense minister.
The Ukrainian presidency, for its part, welcomed a “important decision”. “The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov” said Andriï Iermak, the head of the presidential cabinet, on Telegram, welcoming a “important decision” after almost two and a half years of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
► The EU extends the protection granted to Ukrainian refugees until 2026
The European Union has once again extended the temporary protection granted to some 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2026.
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Ukrainians fleeing the war started by Russia have benefited from a status since March 2022 allowing them to stay, work and access aid in the EU. This protection, which was due to expire on March 4, 2025, was again extended for another year, due to the continuation of the war.
► Arrival of the first munitions sent as part of the Czech initiative
Prague announced the arrival in Ukraine of the first delivery of munitions purchased outside Europe as part of a Czech initiative, in order to face the invasion of Russia.
“The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We do the right thing”declared Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on the social network Ukrainian army.
► Ukraine says it hit an ammunition depot in Russia overnight
Ukraine said it had hit a Russian army ammunition depot in the Russian region of Voronezh, bordering Ukraine, causing a major fire at the site.
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“On June 25, 2024, an ammunition depot of the Russian army of aggression was hit (…) in the Voronezh region”the Main Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement in the morning.
According to this source, the operation was carried out by Ukrainian military intelligence forces. “A fire broke out on this site containing shells and with a total area of 3,500 m2”welcomed the Ukrainian ministry, specifying that the fire “always burns”.
► The Russian army claims to have destroyed 30 Ukrainian drones, one dead
The Russian army claimed to have destroyed 30 Ukrainian drones overnight in regions bordering Ukraine where a woman was killed according to local authorities.
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“Overnight, during an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks with aerial drones on the territory of the Russian Federation, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 29 drones in the Belgorod region and one drone in Voronezh »specified the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram.
“Unfortunately (…), a civilian resident was killed” in the village of Belovskoye, in the Belgorod region, declared for his part the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
