- EURO NEWS - STAFF - MAY 17, 2023 -
Russia has frozen the bank accounts of Finland’s diplomatic missions in Moscow and St. Petersburg, forcing them to rely on cash payments, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
These are the latest developments from the Ukraine war this Wednesday.
Finland's diplomats resort to cash after Russia freezes accounts
Pekka Haavisto said Moscow’s move - which has impacted making rent, electricity and water payments - breaches the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Helsinki has delivered a diplomatic note about the matter to Russia, he added.
"O EIXO DO MAL LATINO AMERICANO E A NOVA ORDEM MUNDIAL"
“We’re not alone,” Haavisto told reporters. “Some other European Union nations have encountered problems with money traffic in Russia. But according to our information, restrictions on Finland are among the tightest.”
He didn’t see the move as linked to Finland’s recent membership of NATO but rather to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Finland became the 31st member of NATO last month, a historic move after decades of military nonalignment, though it was close to the US-led alliance.
Ukraine claims it has gained ground around Bakhmut
Kyiv said on Tuesday it had captured 20 square kilometres from Russian forces around Bakhmut in recent days.
Likened to a "meat grinder", the devastated eastern city has been an epicentre of fighting for months, with both sides suffering heavy losses.
Ukraine's army claims it is regaining ground to the north and south, diminishing Russian control over the former salt mining town - currently estimated at 90%.
"In recent days, our troops have liberated about 20 square kilometres north and south" of Bakhmut, said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar.
Russian troops continue their attempt at "completely destroying the city with the help of artillery", he added.
In its daily assessment, the US-based Insitute for the Study of War said Russia was reinforcing its troops in Bakhmut, despite Ukraine's "limited and localised counterattacks".
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed on Monday that Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive had not begun, maintaining his army "needs more time".
This could be a red herring to trick Russian forces.
US volunteer allegedly killed by Wagner mercenaries
The Russian mercenary Wagner Group claimed on Tuesday its soldiers killed a US citizen in Bakhmut.
In a video posted online, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin announced the death of the volunteer soldier, reportedly an ex-member of the US special forces from Idaho.
"He came to meet us," Prigozhin said next to the body of a man he claimed was the American. He said the body would be handed over to the US authorities.
Euronews could not verify his claim.