Latest news from the war: Mariupol, the “deadliest” place in Ukraine, according to the UN

Video summary of the war Ukraine – Russia: June 16 9:21 (CNN Spanish) — While the repercussions of the strong support that President Volodymyr Zelensky received from European leaders still resonate, the UN warned in the last hours by the situation in the city of Mariupol, “probably the deadliest place” in Ukraine as a result of the Russian war. There, according to data from the agency, more than 1,300 civilians died from Russian attacks, although the number could be much higher due to the difficulties in identifying and burying the deceased. Check out the main news of the war this Friday, June 17: The UN says that more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in Mariupol, but the real number is “probably thousands more” At least 1,348 civilians were killed during the battle of Mariupol, including 70 children, a senior United Nations official said Thursday. “The actual number of civilians killed in hostilities is probably thousands higher,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. “These deaths were caused by air strikes, tank and artillery shelling and small arms and light weapons during street fighting.” Up to 90% of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the southern city, Bachelet said. She called Mariupol “probably the deadliest place in Ukraine” from the start of the war until April. “Bodies have been found in individual or collective makeshift graves in courtyards, streets and parks, in unattended houses and apartments. Many remain to be buried,” she said. Bachelet added that right now it is “impossible to know” the exact number of dead. “Until all the bodies are recovered and identified, and their status, whether military or civilian, and the exact causes of death established, it will be impossible to know an exact number of civilian deaths directly caused by hostilities, and those caused by lack of food, water, medical care and other effects of life in hostilities,” he said. Russian missile destroys chef José Andrés’ NGO train 0:35 Russia “is not clean” and “is not ashamed to show who we are,” says Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia “is not clean” and “is not ashamed to show who we are”, in an interview with the BBC published on Thursday. “We did not invade Ukraine,” Lavrov insisted. “We declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way to explain to the West that dragging Ukraine into NATO was a criminal act.” Pressed further for comment on the casualties of the war in Ukraine, Lavrov said: “No, Russia is not clean. Russia is what it is. And we are not ashamed to show what we are.” Lavrov went on to comment on British citizens sentenced to death in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Russia’s responsibility for this verdict. “I am not interested in the eyes of the West at all. I am only interested in international law. Under international law, mercenaries are not recognized as combatants,” Lavrov said. War is the reason for Ukraine’s possible EU candidacy, according to President Macron French President Emmanuel Macron said that the possible granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine was the result of Russia’s invasion . In an interview Friday with CNN-affiliated BFMTV aboard a train leaving Ukraine after his visit to Kyiv, Macron said that “Ukraine should not normally be a candidate” and that they were “doing it because of the war and because we believe which is good”. Macron was in the Ukrainian capital with his German, Italian and Romanian counterparts to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a trip to defuse tensions over what Ukrainian officials perceive as lukewarm support for his defense against Russia. . “It is a sign of hope, it is a message for Ukraine to say that it is in the European family,” he said.
Although Macron said most of Western Europe supported the plan, “there are countries that are more reticent,” he said. An image of the visit of European leaders who visited Kyiv and gave their support to Zelensky. (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images) The French leader added that the issue of Ukraine’s EU candidacy will be decided at the European Council summit next Thursday and Friday. “The road is long to enter the EU,” he added. Also, he said that Moldovo can also become a candidate for EU membership. The French president visited the eastern European country on Wednesday as part of a two-day trip to Moldova and Romania before his unannounced trip to Ukraine. Some background: EU membership implies compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, which require that the candidate state has a functioning free market, that it can uphold European values ​​such as human rights and the law, and that the country has a functioning democracy. In addition to currently being at war, Ukraine ranks 122nd in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2021, out of 180, highlighting one of the main reasons why the country is often not considered EU candidate. Third American Missing in Ukraine Is Marine Veteran Grady Kurpasi A third American the State Department has identified as missing in action in Ukraine is US Marine veteran Grady Kurpasi, his wife confirmed to CNN. The last time Heeson Kim and other close friends heard from Kurpasi was between April 23 and 24, George Heath, a friend of Kurpasi’s family, told CNN. Kurpasi served in the United States Marine Corps for 20 years, retiring in November 2021. He chose to volunteer alongside Ukrainians in Ukraine, but initially didn’t envision himself fighting on the front lines of the war, Heath said. “For him personally, he has a skill set that he feels he can bring back,” he said of Kurpasi. “He wanted to go help the Ukrainian people. Actually, he wasn’t going to fight.” The State Department said it was aware of reports that a third American who traveled to Ukraine to fight Russia has been identified “in recent weeks” as missing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a briefing. press release on Thursday. Price did not name the third American believed to be missing, but said the State Department was in contact with the family. Meanwhile, a photo emerged Thursday of two American fighters in the back of a Russian military truck apparently confirming they were captured by Russian forces north of Kharkiv, Ukraine, last week. The men are Alexander John-Robert Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama. The photo shows the two men looking at the camera with their hands behind their backs as if they were tied. Missing Americans Alexander John-Robert Drueke (left) and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh appear in this undated photo posted on Telegram Thursday by a Russian blogger. (Photo from Telegram) The undated photo was posted on Telegram on Thursday by a Russian blogger, The V, whose full name is Timofey Vasilyev, from Moscow. CNN cannot verify when it was taken. Bunny Drueke, the mother of one of the allegedly captured Americans, said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper that the US State Department told her they are working to verify the alleged photo. “They said there is a photograph that is circulating in the Russian media. And they are working hard to verify it,” said Bunny Drueke. “We have high hopes.” Drueke said his son went to Ukraine to train Ukraine’s soldiers to fight Russia because “he felt that if Putin wasn’t stopped now, he would only get bolder with each success, and could eventually end up on American shores.” “. The two Americans fighting alongside Ukrainian forces north of Kharkiv in Ukraine have been missing for almost a week and are feared captured by Russian forces, according to their families and a fellow fighter. CNN’s Russian newsroom has identified a white food box with cans falling out as “mackerel with vegetables” made by Russian food producer Fregat. CNN has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.