Americans captured in Ukraine could face the death penalty; ‘Calm before the storm’ as Russians regroup in the east

The main cities of Mykolaiv, a port in the south, and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast, have come under heavy attack, according to officials in the respective regions.

The head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, Hanna Zamazeeva, he said on his Telegram account on Tuesday that Russian forces continued to fire on Mykolaiv and attacked targets throughout the city, leaving 15 people wounded.

Meanwhile, Oleh Synehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said in his telegram account that Russian forces had fired on various parts of the city, damaging and destroying several public and commercial buildings.

Synehubov said three people were killed and seven injured in the past 24 hours.

Mykolaiv and Kharkiv are key targets for Russian forces, as control of these cities would allow Russian forces to occupy a larger area in the east and south of the country.

— holly ellyatt

The governor of the Luhansk region, where the heaviest fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops is taking place, has said he is witnessing the “calm before the storm” after a relatively quiet night on the front lines.

Serhiy Haidai, Governor of Luhansk Oblast, where fierce fighting is taking place in and around the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, he said in his Facebook update on Tuesday that the Russian forces had stopped to regroup.

He said “a difficult time has passed in the Luhansk region, after a whole day of advances in all directions” by Russian forces.

Haidai said Russian forces had been set a June 26 deadline to seize the Luhansk region, though he did not give the source of that information. “Five days from now it won’t happen,” he said, adding that Ukrainian forces in the region were still waiting for long-range artillery.

Ukraine has been desperate for more long-range weapons to help it turn the tide of the battle in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has seen slow but steady progress in terms of territorial gains.

— Holly Ellyatt

russian president Vladimir PutinThe spokesman told NBC News on Monday that Moscow would not guarantee that two American veterans who were fighting in Ukraine would not face the death penalty.

“It depends on the investigation,” Dmitry Peskov told NBC News when asked if Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh “would meet the same fate” as two British citizens and a Moroccan who were sentenced to death at a pro-Russian separatist “court,” widely seen as a kangaroo court, in eastern Ukraine this month.

Peskov said Drueke and Huynh were “involved in illegal activities” in Ukraine, saying “those guys on the battlefield were shooting at our military. They were putting their lives in danger.” NBC reported he as saying.

“There will be a court and there will be a court decision,” Peskov said, adding: “They should be punished.”

— holly ellyatt

Hollywood actor Ben Stiller met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday and called the war leader “my hero.”

Stiller is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency and has been in Ukraine for several days as part of his role, meeting with Ukrainian refugees.

“It’s a great honor for me,” Stiller said when he was introduced to Zelenskyy, adding, “You are my hero. You are amazing.”

Stiller also praised the president for his earlier acting career, saying “you gave up a great acting career for this.” “Not as good as yours,” Zelenskyy replied.

Stiller added that the president’s wartime leadership was “inspiring” to the rest of the world.

— Holly Ellyatt

Residents of the southern port city of Mariupol, which was taken over by Russian forces in May, are on the verge of survival due to a lack of drinking water, according to the city’s regional military administration.

Citing information from Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko, the administration said that “more than 100,000 people who still remain in the city do not have access to clean water.”

“Currently, the occupants provide it once a week. Residents queue for 4-8 hours. They are on the verge of death. This is a humanitarian catastrophe. Therefore, we must do everything to open a green corridor and save people,” the mayor said.

He added that the Russians and “collaborators” had also restricted residents’ access to food. “At the same time, the city runs out of gas, electricity and sewage.”

CNBC was unable to verify the information from the administration and Boychenko.

— Holly Ellyatt

Battles are taking place between Ukrainian and Russian forces in “multiple villages” around the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, and Ukrainian forces are losing control of a settlement, according to Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Serhiy Haidai.

In his latest update on Twitter, the official said the Ukrainian military had lost control of the village of Metiolkine, on the outskirts of the regional center.

“There are ongoing battles in several villages around Siverodonetsk and Lysychansk. Unfortunately, we currently have no control over Metiolkine near the regional center,” he said, adding that Russian forces had “intensified artillery and air fire.”

Russian and Ukrainian forces have been engaged in intense fighting and street battles in recent weeks, with the conflict centered on Severodonetsk, the last Ukrainian-controlled city in Lugansk province, and its “twin” city across the Siverskyi River. Donets, Lysychansk.

Haidai pointed out that the Ukrainian fighters are successful in close-quarters warfare, but the enemy’s artillery predominates in the area. He added that Russia is “punching” Lysychansk, but said a “quiet” civilian evacuation is taking place using armored vehicles.

“Lost settlement does NOT mean ‘lost war’. The Luhansk region will be defended to the end, we will hold back the horde as long as necessary,” Haidai said.

He added that “the Russians are hitting the industrial zone of Severodonetsk and the outskirts of the city hard. The same is happening in the districts of Toshkivka and Ustynivka”, where the “orcs” seek to achieve a breakthrough. “For this, they have assembled a large number of teams there,” he said.

Ukrainian officials frequently compare Russian fighters to the monstrous fictional “orcs” from JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series.

— holly ellyatt