A year ago
On April 28, 2023, at least five people were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine. A 3-year-old child and a young woman were killed in the city of Dnipro, and three other people were killed in the central city of Uman. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a fair response from Ukraine and the world against “this Russian terror." Air raid sirens were heard in Kyiv, and explosions were reported across Ukraine, with at least one 13-year-old injured. Ukrainian forces reportedly intercepted 21 of 23 Russian cruise missiles, according to Ukraine's top general. In Washington, the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Iran's intelligence agency, and several Iranians for their role in the "wrongful detention" of Americans.
The interception of the Russian cruise missiles is seen as a significant achievement for Ukraine, which has been fighting against Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country since 2014. The new sanctions imposed by the Biden administration are part of its efforts to hold accountable those responsible for human rights abuses and other violations.
In terms of global impact, WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was formerly detained in Russia, stated that she has no plans to play overseas again unless it is as a member of Team USA in the Olympics. The United States has asked Brazil to extradite an alleged Russian spy charged last month by the Justice Department for carrying out espionage operations against the West while posing as a foreign student in Washington. Russia's Foreign Ministry rejected a U.S. consular request to visit Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist detained in Russia. Finally, senior American lawmakers expressed frustration at the slow pace of tank deliveries to Ukraine.
The rejection of the U.S. consular request highlights the strained relations between Russia and the United States, while the delay in tank deliveries to Ukraine may further exacerbate tensions between the two countries.
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