War in Ukraine, live: “A retreat may be necessary” in Sievierodonetsk, warns the governor of the Luhansk region

• The leaders of the 27 recognized Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for the European Unionannounced the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, referring to a “historic moment”, in the midst of the Russian offensive. This long-awaited decision by kyiv, taken at a summit of heads of state and government of EU countries in Brussels, marks the start of a long and complex process with a view to membership. Volodymyr Zelensky greeted “a unique and historic moment”.
• In Sievierodonetsk, “Under the constant shelling, we have suffered too much damage and a retreat may be necessary”warned on the night of Thursday to Friday Serhi Haïdaï, the governor of the Luhansk region. “There are 568 civilians left in shelters in Azot”the industrial zone, the only sector of the city still remaining in the hands of Ukrainian troops, he specified.
• Governor of Donetsk regionsaid Thursday that more “no city” of the area under his administration was not ” safe “ for its inhabitants, the fighting being too violent. Anti-aircraft alerts resounded in the night from Thursday to Friday in several major Ukrainian cities, from Donetsk to Odessa. The Russian army also continues to bomb the Mykolaiv regionwhere it announced on Thursday that it had notably destroyed 49 fuel reserves and three armored repair centers.
• Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksï Reznikov announced on Thursday, with a photo in support, the arrival of the first examples of the American Himars multiple rocket launcherswith a range of 80 km, a few hours before the White House announced a new component of military aid to Kyivworth $450 million.
• Germany activates level 2 of its gas supply contingency plan. In the wake of the 60% drop in deliveries from Moscow through the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Germany on Thursday activated the “alert level” of its emergency plan aimed at guaranteeing its gas supply, bringing the country closer to a situation of rationing. In this context, the government may ” sustain “ market players to cope with high prices. The third and final stage of the plan, the “emergency level”would allow the State to organize rationing.

Find our live from yesterday here.

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