The war in Ukraine seems to be entering a new phase. According to experts, the Russian spring offensive has failed. Meanwhile, Ukraine is preparing for a counter-offensive. The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force threatens to withdraw his troops from the key battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine as casualty rates mount. Ukraine’s military authorities say Russian forces have been unable to cut their supply routes to the front-line city.

Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence official speaking to RBC Ukraine, says more than 10 tanks of oil products with capacity of around 40,000 tonnes were destroyed in an explosion on the Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol on Saturday,

Speaking to RBC Ukraine, Yusov did not claim Kyiv was responsible for the explosion, instead describing the blast as “God’s punishment” for a Russian strike on a Ukrainian city on Friday.

Chinese role in mediation ‘not unrealistic’
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk says the Chinese are “pursuing their own interests, but a peaceful solution and end of hostilities are more in line with Beijing’s interests than this huge never-ending earthquake for the entire world order”.