LIVE – War in Ukraine: Severodonetsk “largely” under Russian control, decisive battle for Donbass – BFMTV

9:14 Before sending more Himars artillery systems, the United States wants to verify that they are used correctlyThe United States, which announced the sending of four Himars precision artillery systems to Ukraine, want to make sure Ukrainian soldiers are familiar with their systems before sending more, US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said on Wednesday. The Himars (a lightly armored multiple rocket launcher) is a “sophisticated” system, and one needs to “make sure they know how to use these systems properly”, he said. The White House has announced last week the dispatch of four Himars systems, a number corresponding to a section of about thirty soldiers in the American army. This limited number had been criticized when the Ukrainians appear to be in difficulty in the Donbass against “more numerous and more powerful” Russians, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But the American Chief of Staff assured that it was a choice decided in consultation with kyiv to equip the Ukrainian artillery “one section at a time”. 8: 4331,700 Russian soldiers dead according to the authorities UkrainiansIn their daily report, the Ukrainian authorities declare that 31,700 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the conflict. Thousands of Moscow’s war vehicles were also destroyed in the conflict, they say. However, it is difficult to confirm the figures from kyiv at present, which does not give the number of dead and injured on the Ukrainian side. 8:24 “I lived like a normal child”: refugee in kyiv, this little boy fled Sererodonetsk”I lived like a normal child, I had hobbies, I got up, brushed my teeth, spent time at my computer, went to the toilet… And then one day I turned on the TV and I saw that war had been declared”, tells BFMTV Dénys, a little boy who is now a refugee in kyiv. He lived in bombed-out Severodonetsk (Donbass), in a basement without water or electricity in April.”A shell fell next to our house, my mother lost an eye and became half deaf. At that time , we took the car and we left our house to find another shelter”, explains the young boy. In kyiv, “I feel good, there are no explosions or shootings, but it’s not like home”.8:11The body of the journalist killed in Ukraine repatriated to FranceThe body of journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, killed in Ukraine, arrived overnight from Wednesday to Thursday in France, welcomed by members of his family, relatives and the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak. In front of his coffin draped in black, a moment of contemplation took place on the tarmac of Le Bourget airport, where his body arrived around “a little over 3:00 a.m.” in the morning, said journalists from his news channel. continuously BFMTV. A tribute will also be paid to him on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Place de la République in Paris, at the call of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in particular. His family, friends and colleagues will be present.4:02Zelensky says “the fate of Donbass” will be played out in SeverodonetskMore than a hundred days after the start of the war in Ukraine, every battle in the east of the country is now decisive . After the fall of Mariupol, Russian forces attempt to take the city of Severodonetsk, which is now “largely” under Russian control. This Wednesday, in his daily address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the battle “is very fierce.” According to him, “the fate of our Donbass is being played out there”. “It is a very fierce, very difficult battle. Probably one of the most difficult of this war”, he asserts.>> Our full article4: 02Sanctions wipe out 15 years of economic gains in RussiaSanctions imposed on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine are erasing 15 years of Russian economic progress and three decades of integration with Russia the West, according to a report by the Institute of International Finance (IFF) published on Wednesday. The impact of these measures remains difficult to predict, however, as they are fluid with potential new sanctions on the one hand and a possible Russian response, especially in the energy sector The war is likely to be more costly for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the sanctions do not work like “flicking a switch”, says the economist of the IIF Elina Ribakova during a press briefing. In its latest analysis, the IIF predicts that the Russian economy will contract by 15% this year and another 3% in 2023.4:01Hello everyone!