People try to console a woman named Sabina after her husband Artem Pogorelets was killed by Russian shelling at a market in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Thursday.
Evgeny Maloletka/AP
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Evgeny Maloletka/AP
People try to console a woman named Sabina after her husband Artem Pogorelets was killed by Russian shelling at a market in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Thursday.
Evgeny Maloletka/AP
As the week begins, here’s a roundup of the main developments from the past week and a look ahead.
What to watch this week
The trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner will resume in Moscow on Tuesday. She admitted to bringing cannabis into Russia, but said she had no intention of breaking the law.
Also on Tuesday, EU energy ministers to meet in Brussels on gas supply issues.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits African countries, notably in Ethiopia, Uganda, the Republic of Congo and Egypt, where he addressed Arab League leaders in Cairo.
The Russians will score a national holiday honoring the country’s navy on Sunday.
what happened last week
July 18: Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska embarked on a trip to Washington, where she met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden, and delivered a speech to US lawmakers.
July 19: visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran, where he met Iranian leaders and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iran has expressed its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. It was Putin’s second trip outside Russia since his country invaded Ukraine on February 24.
July 20: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the United States will send four more long-range artillery systems, known as HIMARS, to Ukraine, under a US military aid program. The United States has already sent 12 such systems.
July 21: Russia attacks Kharkiv, The second largest city in Ukraine, in one of its most populated areas, said the mayor of the city. At least three people were killed and more than 20 injured.
The same day, Russia has restarted natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Maintenance work had interrupted gas shipments for 10 days.
22nd of July : In Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine have finalized agreements with Turkey and the UN unblock Ukrainian seaports and resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. The agreements would also help “Russian grain and fertilizers reach world markets”, the UN said. At the signing ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the development “a beacon of hope…in a world that needs it more than ever.”
Also on Friday, Human Rights Watch published a report on “apparent war crimes” committed by Russian forces in areas of southern Ukraine under their control.
July 23: Russian airstrikes hit the port of Odessa, prompting international condemnation and raising doubts about Russia’s commitment to the previous day’s agreements. “Russia violated its commitments,” Blinken said.
July 24: Marked Sunday Five months since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine’s seaports authority said it was working to resume shipping from the seaports of Odessa and elsewhere.
In depth
As the war in Ukraine continues, soldiers are underarmed and injuries mount.
The bombed-out Mariupol theater group is back on stage with a local Ukrainian play.
How to prosecute war crimes in Ukraine compares to hunting Nazis.
Cafes are opening in Kharkiv, but most major Ukrainian businesses remain closed.
Kharkiv is finding a new normal as residents return to work – despite missile strikes.
Russia’s war in Ukraine harms nature.
Special report
Russia’s war in Ukraine is changing the world: see its ripple effects around the globe.
Previous developments
You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more NPR coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR Ukrainian state podcast for updates throughout the day.