War in Ukraine: numerous victims in a missile attack in Pokrovsk, Russian assets frozen… update on the situation

Précédente attaque russe sur la ville de Pokrovsk, le 6 janvier 2024. MAXPPP – STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE HANDOUT

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce lundi 24 juin 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

Four dead and 34 injured in Pokrovsk after Russian missile attack

A Russian missile attack on the town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine on Monday left at least four people dead and 34 injured, including two children, said the governor of the region. "This is one of the largest enemy attacks on civilians in recent times", said Vadim Filachkin on Telegram. According to the governor, Russian troops launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at the town, located about 24 km from the front line.

The attack destroyed one home and damaged 16 others, he added. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement that two missiles hit Pokrovsk half an hour apart, adding that the attack also damaged a gas pipeline and cars.

EU approves use of frozen Russian assets despite Hungary's objections

European Union (EU) countries agreed on Monday to use 1.4 billion euros of profits from frozen Russian assets to finance aid to Ukraine, provoking the ire of Hungary, which was reluctant on the subject. In May, EU governments had already decided to use the profits from frozen assets for aid to Ukraine and to allocate 90% of them. to military assistance. Hungary, however, had blocked approval of the necessary legal measures, according to diplomats. Hungary, which intends to maintain cordial relations with Moscow, does not supply weapons to Ukraine and the Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has accused the European Union and the ;NATO to fuel the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

At a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, declared that unanimity normally necessary for foreign policy decisions was not required, as Hungary had previously refused to take part in decisions related to the use of frozen assets. "Since Hungary did not take part in the decision, there is no need for it to participate in the implementation&quot ;, he told reporters upon arriving at the meeting. If the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijjarto, was not very talkative during the presentation of the plan by Josep Borrell in Luxembourg, he expressed himself more virulently on Facebook.< /p>

"This is clearly a red line, there has never been such a brazen violation of the rules before European municipalities", he denounced."It goes without saying that our colleagues in Brussels, our legal team at the EU are examining the possibility of a legal route to demand justice for Hungary", added Peter Szijjarto, as Hungary prepares to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union. Josep Borrell indicated that the first tranche of profits valued at 1.4 billion euros should be available from next week. The EU plan is separate from a decision by G7 leaders earlier this month on providing a $50 billion loan to Kiev using interests from frozen Russian sovereign assets.

France determined "unequivocally" to help Ukrainians "in the long term"

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France had an unequivocal determination to support the&# 39;Ukraine "in the long term", while the possible arrival of the extreme right to power in Paris arouses concern&# 39;concern in kyiv.

"Our support for Ukraine remains and will remain constant and we will continue to mobilize to meet Ukraine's immediate needs, carry the message of our unequivocal determination to stand alongside the Ukrainians in the long term", he said alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg , at the Elysée.