Ukraine claims Russian troops used phosphorous shells in Avdiyivka twice amid war

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, reports have emerged that  Russian troops launched attacks with phosphorous shells in Avdiyivka. According to a report by Ukrinform, Russian forces fired phosphorous shells twice at Avdiyivka, but the armed forces repulsed an attempt by Russian troops to break through in this direction, said the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, on Telegram.

Ukraine claims Russian troops used phosphorous shells

"The Russians hit Avdiivka twice with phosphorous shells! First, last night in the area of the coke plant and this morning in the city center. As a result of these shellings, several fires broke out in the city. Following the second shelling, the Russians launched an airstrike on Avdiivka, aiming at a high-rise building. At least one wounded person is known. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulsed an attempt to break through Russian troops in this direction, "the head of the region wrote. He further stressed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were maintaining order and that all crimes committed by the Russian army against peaceful Ukrainians were carefully recorded.

Russia warns it may cut natural gas supplies to other EU nations

As the war between Russia and Ukraine escalates with western countries imposing sanctions on Moscow and supporting Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned that Russia will cut off the gas supply to other European Union if they refuse to pay in rubles. This came after Russia stopped gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria a move that the EU called as “blackmail”. Notably, the Russian government is cutting the natural gas to some nations that have refused to pay for Russian gas in rubles. 

While speaking to the Russian reporters, Peskov stated that the state gas giant had remained committed to its contractual obligations as announced by President Vladimir Putin. "When the payment deadlines approach, if some consumers decline to pay under the new system, then the president’s decree of course will be applied," said Peskov. 

Russia-Ukraine war

On the 63rd day of the Russia-Ukraine war, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow to find a peaceful agreement to end the ongoing conflict. Both parties discussed ways to evacuate Ukrainian citizens from a besieged steel plant in the battered city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, reports have also emerged that the US Defense Secretary has said that the "world has galvanised against Russia's imperial aggression" on Ukraine. This remark was given on Wednesday as the US Defense Chief hosted more than 40 countries for defence talks in Germany that sought ways to assist war-torn Ukraine. Several countries agreed to supply the needed assistance to safeguard Kyiv against Russian attackers.