Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know now

(Reuters) – Russian forces have battled for complete control of the eastern industrial city of Severodonetsk, where the United States said it would provide Ukraine with advanced missiles to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. Read more

fighting

* Ukrainian officials reported “cutting off all communications” in the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region. Read more

– President Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces have achieved some success near the southern city of Kherson and are advancing in parts of the Kharkiv region to the east of Kyiv. Read more

* US President Joe Biden has agreed to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems that can strike Russian long-range targets with precision as part of a $700 million arms deal expected to be revealed on Wednesday. Read more

– The Interfax news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that the Russian nuclear forces are conducting exercises in the Ivanovo region, northeast of Moscow.

trade

* European Union leaders have agreed to a ban on imports of Russian crude oil that takes full effect by the end of the year, but Hungary and two other landlocked Central European countries have obtained waivers for pipeline imports on which they depend. Read more

* German Uniper companies (UN01.DE) and RWE (REWEG.DE) They paid for Russian gas under a new scheme proposed by Moscow, in an effort to ensure continued supplies of fuel that is critical to Europe’s larger economy. Read more

* Russia’s Gazprom (GAZP.MM) It said it would cut off supplies to several “unfriendly” countries that refused to accept Moscow’s plan to pay the ruble for gas. Read more

– A UN spokesman said that a senior UN official had “constructive discussions” in Moscow on facilitating exports of Russian grain and fertilizer to world markets. Read more

Finance

A Reuters poll showed that the Russian economy will contract less than expected this year and that inflation will be lower than previously expected. Read more

Diplomacy

Pope Francis led an international prayer service in Rome for peace in Ukraine and other war-stricken places. It was attended by about 1,000 people, including the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican, and a number of people wearing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. Read more

Written by Allison Williams and Grant McCall

Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.