· Ukraine has ceded some territories in the Donbass region to Russian forces. Kiev has acknowledged Russia's "partial success" in recent days. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has described as "hell" the pressure under which his forces are in the east of the country. They have retaken two villages near the city of Sloviansk, according to Ukrainian General Oleksiy Hromov, but have been forced to abandon a coal mine considered a key defensive position, while forces have been pushed to the outskirts of Avdiivka.
· Three more ships carrying grain were authorized to leave Ukrainian ports on Friday as part of an internationally brokered deal to unblock grain exports and ease the global food crisis. Ships are destined for Turkey, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
· Ukraine will receive another financing package worth about 8 billion dollars from the European Union by September, a German government source told Reuters.
· NATO members are working closely with companies to ensure Ukraine receives more supplies of weapons and equipment to prepare for a protracted war with Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens said on Thursday. Stoltenberg. He told Reuters in an interview: "We are providing a lot of support, but we need to do more and be prepared for the long term."
· Amnesty International has said that the Ukrainian army is endangering the lives of civilians by staying in residential areas. The report has been rejected by representatives of the Ukrainian government. Human rights group researchers found that Ukrainian forces were using some schools and hospitals as bases, firing near homes. Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar, accused Amnesty of "distorting the real picture" and of failing to understand the situation on the ground.
