Russia's military aggression against Ukraine continues.
Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues across Ukraine, forcing thousands of civilians to flee the country.
We will keep you updated on developments regarding the situation in Ukraine on the 19th (Japan time), including the situation of the fighting and the diplomacy of the countries concerned.
(There is a time difference of 6 hours between Japan and Ukraine and Moscow, Russia)
President Zelensky again shows willingness to liberate major cities
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video released on the 18th that a reversal offensive in the east and south of the country "Ukrainian forces have been able to achieve a series of victories, but perhaps now there seems to be a lull". Maybe, but this is not a lull, it's a preparation for the next phase."
In addition to Izyum in the eastern Kharkiv province, which had already been recaptured, he again showed his willingness to liberate major cities such as Kherson in the south and Mariupol in the east.
Russian national singer criticizes Ukraine invasion on social media
Russian national singer Alla Pugacheva, who is known for singing the hit song "One Million Roses," posted a message on social media on the 18th that effectively criticized the invasion of Ukraine, drawing a lot of attention online. are collecting.
Ms. Pugacheva said that her husband, Galkin, who opposed the invasion while blaming the government, was designated by the Russian government on the 16th of this month as a "foreign agent," which means a so-called foreign spy. I posted a message on my Instagram.
In it, she writes, "Her husband, a true patriot who wants prosperity in his country, a peaceful life, freedom of speech, and an end to killing children for illusory goals." "I am in solidarity with," she said, asking that she be added to the list of "foreign agents."
She said that Ms. Pugacheva is particularly popular among the elderly, and President Putin directly awarded her a national medal eight years ago and congratulated her on her birthday.
In response to her post by Ms. Pugacheva, not only Ukraine but also Russia has received a series of comments of support and praise, and the reaction of the administration side is attracting attention.
“Russian military attacked civilian infrastructure,” Ukraine condemns
The Ukrainian military has announced that it has liberated almost all of eastern Kharkiv Oblast from Russian forces, and is believed to be advancing troops further east to the Donbass region.
A U.S. think tank, the War Research Institute, said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces could surround Russian forces stationed around Liman, a key stronghold in eastern Donetsk.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian military announced on the 18th that the Russian military repeated missile attacks, damaging infrastructure facilities in more than 30 settlements in 24 hours.
In addition, Governor Kirilenko of Donetsk Oblast posted on social media one after another the situation of the war, strongly criticizing Russia that a total of seven civilians in the province were killed in the attack by the Russian army. The governor said the attack killed two people and damaged gas pipelines and power lines.
The British Ministry of Defense said on Monday that the Russian military had increased its attacks on civilian infrastructure and said it likely expanded its targets to directly demoralize the Ukrainian people and government. doing.