Russia said on Tuesday that its forces had taken control of the eastern Ukrainian village of Orlivka, situated about four kilometres (2.5 miles) west of the town of Avdiivka, which Moscow's forces captured last month after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Earlier, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said the United States "will not let Ukraine fail" as he attended a meeting of Kyiv's Western allies in Germany.
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Russian spy chief says French military in Ukraine would be priority target for Russia
Sergei Naryshkin, chief of Russia's foreign intelligence service, said on Tuesday that any French military sent to Ukraine to help fight Russia would be a priority target for Russian troops, the TASS news agency reported.
"It (a French contingent) will become a priority and legitimate target for attacks by the Russian Armed Forces. This means that the fate of all Frenchmen who have ever come to the territory of the Russian world with a sword would await it," Naryshkin said.
French President Emmanuel Macron in late February opened the door to European nations sending troops to Ukraine.
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German defence minister announces €500 million aid for Ukraine
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Tuesday a €500 million ($542 billion) aid package for Ukraine which includes 10,000 rounds of ammunition and said the United States was still a reliable partner.
"We have once again put together an aid package worth almost half a billion euros," Pistorius told reporters on the sidelines of talks with the United States and other allies at Ramstein Air Base.
He also said he had nothing to add to Germany's position that there would be no boots on the ground in Ukraine.
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Washington will not let Ukraine fail, US defence chief vows
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised on Tuesday that the United States will not let Ukraine fail in fighting off Russia, even as further aid remains stalled in Congress and Kyiv's forces face shortages of munitions.
The Republican-led House of Representatives has been blocking $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine and the United States has warned that a recent $300 million package would only last a few weeks.
The "United States will not let Ukraine fail", Austin said at the opening of a meeting in Germany of Ukraine's international supporters, at which he is seeking to secure further assistance for Kyiv.
"We remain determined to provide Ukraine with the resources that it needs to resist the Kremlin's aggression," he said.
Washington announced $300 million in assistance for Ukraine last week, but Austin said it was only possible due to savings on recent purchases.
"We were only able to support this much-needed package by identifying some unanticipated contract savings", Austin said.
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French army says it is prepared for 'toughest' engagements
French land forces are ready to respond to any threat as they prepare for even "the toughest engagements", their commander said in remarks published on Tuesday.
The statement from ground army chief of staff General Pierre Schill comes after President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out dispatching ground troops to help Ukraine fight Russia.
The French army "is ready", Schill wrote in an op-ed piece in the French daily Le Monde.
"However the international situation may evolve, French people can be certain that their soldiers stand ready to respond," he said.
Schill said a display of French military capabilities would help to "deter any attack on France".
"To protect itself from any attack and to defend its interests, the French army is preparing for even the toughest engagements," he said.
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Russia says it has captured frontline village in eastern Ukraine
Russia said on Tuesday that its forces had taken control of Orlivka, a frontline village situated about four kilometres (2.5 miles) west of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow has made a number of gains in recent months, pressing its advantage on the battlefield as Kyiv struggles with shortages of ammunition and troops.
"On the Avdiivka front, units of the 'Centre' grouping of troops liberated the village of Orlivka," the defence ministry said.
The reported capture comes a little over a month after Russian forces seized the nearby town of Avdiivka following one of the bloodiest battles in the conflict.
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Putin tells FSB security agency to punish 'scum' pro-Ukraine Russian fighters
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called on the FSB security service to identify and punish pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters who have taken part in an increasing number of deadly attacks on border regions.
"About these traitors... we must not forget who they are, we must identify them by name. We will punish them without statute of limitations, wherever they are," Putin said, calling Russians fighting against their country "scum".
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Russian region bordering Ukraine to evacuate 9,000 children amid attacks
Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine plans to evacuate 9,000 children following an uptick in deadly Ukrainian shelling, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Tuesday.
Kyiv's attacks on the territory have killed 16 people since last week, with shelling intensifying in the run up to elections poised to keep President Vladimir Putin in power until 2030, authorities say.
"We are evacuating a large number of villages, and now we are planning to evacuate about 9,000 children because of the shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces," Gladkov told a meeting of ruling party members.
"I am proud that the residents of the region did not succumb to the difficult situation and that many more people came to the polling stations than ever before," he said.
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Russia appoints acting head of navy to replace incumbent
The new head of Russia's Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news agency reported, confirming the appointment of Admiral Alexander Moiseev as acting head of the Navy.
His appointment follows a series of sustained Ukrainian attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is traditionally based in Crimea, which Moscow took from Kyiv in 2014.
Moiseev replaces Nikolai Yevmenov, the previous head of the Navy.
RIA showed video of a ceremony at the port of Kronstadt near St Petersburg where it said Moiseev was presented as acting head of the Navy.
He served on nuclear submarines for more than 29 years and has been decorated as a Hero of Russia, the country's top military award.
He was appointed acting commander and then commander of the Black Sea Fleet in 2018 and then appointed commander of the Northern Fleet in 2019 before taking up his current role.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
