All the latest developments from the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the "courage" of his people on the 500th day of the war unleashed by Russia, which carried out another deadly bombardment in the east of the country on Saturday.
The Ukrainian president visited Snakes Island, which Moscow seized shortly after the start of the invasion on 24 February 2022 before having to abandon it.
Zelenskyy rallies support from Erdogan over NATO entry
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support early Saturday for Ukrainian NATO membership, saying the war-torn country deserves to join the alliance.
Erdogan made the comment at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Turkey as part of a European tour to rally support for Ukraine’s entry into the military alliance after the war with Russia comes to an end.
NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week are expected to reaffirm that Ukraine will join their alliance one day.
Zelenskyy's visit to Istanbul came ahead of the alliance's two-day summit in Vilnius next week.
Talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were expected to focus on a grain deal which Turkey helped broker with the UN last year and allowed the shipment of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
NATO member Turkey has maintained close ties with both Ukraine and Russia, using its relations with the two countries to act as a mediator.
Washington agrees to send cluster bombs to Ukraine
The Pentagon confirmed on Friday it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military dislodge and push back entrenched Russian forces as part of a military aid package worth €735 million.
The announcement followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claims that slow weapons deliveries to Ukraine were frustrating its counteroffensive, allowing Russia to consolidate occupied areas with mines.
Sending the banned ammunition to Kyiv is expected to trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.
Cluster munitions are an attractive option because they would help Ukraine destroy more targets with fewer rounds.
The US hasn’t used them in conflict since Iraq and it has large amounts of them in storage it can access quickly, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst for the Foundation for Defence of Democracies.
Proponents argue that Russia has already been using the controversial weapon in Ukraine and that the munitions the US will provide have far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths.
UK government opposed to cluster bomb use
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated on Saturday that the UK opposes the deployment cluster munitions.
"The UK is a signatory to a convention that bans the production and use of cluster munitions and discourages their use," said Rishi Sunak, in a statement to British media on the sidelines of an election visit.
"We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion", he added, pointing out that the UK had supplied Kyiv with many weapons, including heavy tanks and long-range missiles.
The use of cluster bombs itself does not violate international law, but using them against civilians can be a violation.
A convention banning the use of cluster bombs has been joined by more than 120 countries, which agreed not to use, produce, transfer or stockpile the weapons and to clear them after they’ve been used.
The US, Russia and Ukraine haven’t signed the agreement.
Joe Biden is due to meet Rishi Sunak in London on Monday for a whirlwind tour before heading to the Nato summit in Vilnius. He will also meet King Charles III.
Ukrainian missiles rain down on the Russian front
On Wednesday, Kyiv launched an array of missiles against Russia's "entire front", the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.
Russian facilities across the war front were targeted by coordinated missile attacks, according to several geolocated footage and images.
The US-based think tank's analysis confirmed strikes in a Russian military facility in Makiivka and an administration building in the occupied territory of Volnovakha.
"Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated series of strikes aimed at degrading Russian logistics and ground lines of communication (GLOCs) throughout the theatre," the ISW said.
The analysis comes amidst Ukraine's Security and Defence Council secretary's claims of "fruitful" counteroffensive efforts in the past few days.
Ukraine has ramped up its efforts to regain occupied territories towards the east as a fierce battle continues near Bakhmut.
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July 08, 2023 at 08:07PM
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Ukraine war: Zelenskyy marks 500th day of conflict as cluster bomb controversy continues - Euronews
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