Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told European Union leaders that now is the time to begin the process of Ukraine’s accession to the bloc, describing a proposal for associate membership as “unfair”.
Zelenskyy said in a letter to EU leaders on Friday that associate membership would leave Ukraine “voiceless” because it would not have voting rights, which would prevent Kyiv from advancing its interests, the Reuters news agency reported.
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Ukraine has intensified efforts to join the EU after Hungary’s former prime minister, Viktor Orban, was ousted in parliamentary elections last month. Under Orban, who maintained close ties with Russia, Budapest repeatedly used its veto power to block Ukraine’s accession bid and stalled approval of aid for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s push for EU membership comes as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to advance their interests on the battlefield.
The head of the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine said on Saturday the death toll from a drone attack a day earlier had risen to 10.
Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces to respond to the attack, which allegedly hit a student dormitory in the town of Starobilsk.
The head of the region, Leonid Pasechnik, said 48 people were injured in the attack while 11 remain missing.
The United Nations said on Friday it was alarmed by reports of the incident but cautioned that it could not verify the details.
Kyiv has denied striking the dorm, saying it targeted an elite drone command unit in the area and that it complies with international humanitarian law.
Ukraine’s military hit a large chemical plant, Metafrax Chemical, in Russia’s Perm region, 1,700km (1,050 miles) from the border, Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
“The company’s products supply dozens of other Russian military production facilities, including aircraft equipment and drones, missile engines, and explosives. The production process at the enterprise has now been halted,” he said on Telegram.
Ukraine also attacked Russian oil infrastructure, striking a refinery in the city of Yaroslavl. In Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, at least two people were injured when falling drone debris caused a fire at an oil terminal.
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that Ukraine had retaken almost 600 square kilometres (230 square miles) of territory since the beginning of the year, adding that Kyiv’s gains were forcing Moscow to engage in negotiations aimed at ending the war, which began in February 2022.
“Ukraine’s positions are stronger now than in previous years. Since the beginning of the year, 590 square kilometers of our territory have been liberated and brought under Ukrainian control. The trend is certainly not in the occupier’s favor. We continue to increase the rate at which Russian personnel are being eliminated, and together with sanctions in all their forms, this is forcing Russia toward diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.
According to Zelenskyy, about 86,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the year, while at least 59,000 have been seriously injured and a further 800 have been taken prisoner.
Ukraine has increased attacks on infrastructure crucial to Russia’s military and economy. Earlier this month, Kyiv attempted to attack gas facilities in southwest Russia’s Orenburg region, which is home to one of the world’s largest gas fields.
Ukrainian officials believe Russia may be preparing to launch a new offensive in the coming months, as its troops regroup along the front line.
