ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Rome Saturday, where he will hold meetings with Italy’s president and prime minister. He is also set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican. It is the first time he is meeting the pontiff since Russia’s invasion, though ultimately Francis’ influence over the conflict may be limited.
Ukrainian officials announced air alerts throughout the country early Saturday, reporting multiple injuries. The cities of Nikopol, Khmelnytskyi and Mykolaiv were hit by Russian strikes, they said. Air sirens also blared in the capital Kyiv and the port city of Odessa. Meanwhile pro-Russian officials in Luhansk, a breakaway Ukrainian region backed and occupied by the Kremlin, reported explosions that they blamed on Ukrainian forces.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
How Ukrainian forces denied Russia victory in Bakhmut by Victory Day: Intelligence suggested the Russians were so focused on the intense street battles in Bakhmut that they were not expecting an assault on the outskirts of the embattled city, Siobhán O’Grady, Kamila Hrabchuk and Kostiantyn Khudov report. The initial fight lasted for 12 grueling hours; but by sundown, the troops from Wagner Group broke and fled, leaving five dead behind, according to Ukrainian military officers.
Two days later, after withstanding Russian artillery counterattack on the newly seized position, the Ukrainians advanced again, using tanks and American-made armored personnel carriers.
Jeong reported from Seoul, Bisset from London, and Parker from Washington. Loveday Morris in Berlin contributed to this report.
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