Odesa came under a barrage of Russian drone attacks over Monday night and Tuesday morning, Ukraine’s military said on Telegram. Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed as “virtual mediation” from a distance Pope Francis’s call for talks under a “white flag” with Russia. Ukraine’s president made no direct reference to Francis or his comments but mentioned religious figures helping inside Ukraine. Ukraine has become the world’s fourth-largest arms importer, while France has replaced Russia as the world’s second-largest exporter behind the US. Sipri noted that at least 30 countries had supplied major weapons as military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Source: The Guardian March 12, 2024 10:16 UTC