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Mayor Vadym Lyakh says 17 people have been killed in Sloviansk

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War in Ukraine: Latest developments

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP), Jul 7 – Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

– Zelensky ‘sad’ over Johnson ouster –

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telephones Boris Johnson to express his “sadness” over the British leader’s resignation as Conservative leader and impending departure as prime minister.

“We all welcome this news with sadness. Not only me, but also all of Ukrainian society which sympathises with you a lot,” the presidency quotes Zelensky as saying.

Johnson has been seen as one of Ukraine’s most vocal and fervent supporters in the West.

– Eastern cities under fire –

Russian forces grind deeper into the Donbas region with their sights set on the flashpoint eastern city and industrial hub of Sloviansk.

The governor of the battle-scarred Donetsk area of Donbas, Pavlo Kyrylenko, says Russian forces have killed at least seven civilians and injured others in the last 24 hours throughout the Donbas.

Mayor of Sloviansk Vadym Lyakh claims Russia has been unable to surround the city and says around 23,000 people remain there out of a pre-war population of 110,000.

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Ukrainian officials re-issue urgent pleas for civilians to flee.

Along with Sloviansk, Russia has also set its sights on Kramatorsk, the administrative capital of the Donetsk region, where at least one person was killed and several wounded in bombardments Thursday, AFP journalists say.

– Kyiv-Ankara tensions –

A diplomatic crisis flares between Ukraine and Turkey with Kyiv accusing Ankara of ignoring its calls to impound a Russian-flagged ship carrying grain allegedly stolen from Ukraine.

Kyiv alleges that the Zhibek Zholy, which arrived at Turkey’s Black Sea port of Karasu six days ago, slipped out of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian port of Berdyansk with wheat stolen from Ukrainian territory.

Russia denies stealing grain.

After being submitted to Turkish checks, the vessel returned to Russian territorial waters on Thursday, Turkish sources said.

Ukraine said it was “deeply disappointed” Turkey has not impounded the ship and handed back the grain.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry has summoned Turkey’s ambassador to demand an explanation.

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– Finland to bolster border fence –

The Finnish parliament passes legislation to build stronger fences on its 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia.

Finland and Sweden have begun the process of joining NATO.

Helsinki fears that Moscow could retaliate by flooding Finland’s border with migrants in a repeat of a sudden rush of migrants that arrived at an Arctic border post between Finland and Russia in 2016.

– Russia to create patriotic youth movement –

Russian lawmakers approve legislation to create a patriotic youth movement reminiscent of Soviet-era youth organisations that will be headed by President Vladimir Putin.

The movement will aim to enhance Russian values among children from the age of six.

“The state must create conditions that contribute to the comprehensive spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development of children, to the learning of patriotism, civil responsibility and respect for adults,” the authors of the legislation said.

In Soviet times, children were drilled in Communist values by three youth organisations — the Little Octobrists, Young Pioneers and the Komsomol.

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