Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked allies, including the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, for pledging support packages on the first day of a London-hosted conference on Ukrainian recovery. .
In his nightly speech, Zelenskyy said that the conference, which continues Thursday, aims to get international business support for the transformation of Ukraine.
“Ukraine’s task is to transform the moral leadership of our people into the economic leadership of our country,” Zelenskyy said. “All the requirements for this exist, first of all, in our people, in our beautiful strong country.”
The first day of the two-day conference saw the UK announce a $3 billion (approximately €2.75 billion) package over the next three years. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen withdrew the EU executive’s support package for Ukraine of €50 billion over the next four years.
Germany pledged €381 million in humanitarian aid this year, and France €40 million. The United States will provide more than $1.3 billion in additional aid.
The conference, the second to be held since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, was attended by leaders and representatives from more than 60 countries.
Speaking of matters on the ground, Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian troops for “every Russian helicopter shot down.”
He said forces were “advancing in the South,” and defenses were “strengthening in the East.”
Here are some of the other developments regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine on Thursday, June 22:
Gas explosion rocks Kyiv residential building
A gas explosion destroyed several apartments in a high-rise building in the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Thursday, the Kyiv City Military Administration said.
Serhii Popko, head of the administration, said the explosion was believed to be caused by a gas leak. The search for the victims continues, said Popko.
Four apartments were destroyed, and six others were destroyed.
The administration shared photos on Telegram showing the affected building, with several middle floors clearly on fire. It is said that there was one victim and 18 people were saved.
More DW coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine
War reporting in the digital age: DW looks at how the flood of video footage from Ukraine’s frontline trenches is making covering the war for journalists more complicated.
Rebuilding Ukraine is a huge undertaking and the final cost is anyone’s guess, not least because Russian forces continue to attack Ukrainian towns and cities. Sonia Phalnikar went to the village of Moshchun and the town of Irpin outside Kyiv to get a picture of the reconstruction efforts. See the report below.
rmt/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)
