Jonathan Landay

KHARKIV: Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine claims it has damaged a Russian Navy logistics ship at Snake Island. This is a tiny but strategically important outpost in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, relatives of Ukrainian soldiers huddled in Mariupol’s steelworks pleaded to them to be freed.

Some defence officials believe that the recent fighting on Snake Island could become a struggle for control over the Western Black Sea Coast, with Russian forces trying to push forward in Ukraine’s North and East.

Serhiy Brachuk, an Odesa military spokesperson, said that the Vsevolod Robertrov support vessel caught on fire due to the efforts of naval seamen.

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm these details. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Maxar, an American private firm, provided satellite imagery showing the effects of possible missile attacks against a Russian Serna Class landing craft. The vessel was near Ukraine’s border with Romania.

Photos also show recent damage to the buildings of the island. This is the same place that became well-known for its obstinacy towards the Ukrainian defenders during the invasion.

Russia was further beaten back on the battlefield when Ukraine drove its troops from the area around Kharkiv (the second-largest city in Ukraine), the largest advance made since the Kremlin tried to expel the forces of Kyiv and northeast a month ago.

Reuters journalists confirmed that Ukraine now controls territory to the Siverskiy Donets River about 40km (25 miles) east from Kharkiv.

Two people were killed in the shelling of Dergach (near Kharkiv) by regional authorities.

The wives and family members of Ukrainian combatants were hiding out in Mariupol’s Azovstal Steel Plant. They chanted and marched for their safety. Russian forces bombarded the steelworks. This was the last refuge for Ukrainian defenders after the siege that lasted more than two years.

Maria Zimareva said that she wanted all of the defenders to be allowed home, so they could live normal lives with their families and children. Her brother works at the steelworks. They have worked hard for it. They can’t walk on the streets together with their family members. “Why can’t they get help?”

Kyiv stated that it is working to rescue the many seriously injured servicemen.

We have begun a new round in negotiations about a roadmap for (evacuation). We will begin with the severely wounded,” Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister, told 1+1 television.

NATO EXPANSION

As the fighting continued in other parts of the country, diplomatic pressure was increased on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The announcement on Thursday by Finland that it would apply to NATO membership and that Sweden is expected to follow suit, will result in the Western military alliance expanding, something that Putin had hoped to stop.

The biggest change in European security since decades would be to abandon the Cold War neutrality.

Moscow was hostile to Finland’s declaration and threatened retaliation including “military technical” measures.

According to the foreign ministry, “Helsinki must understand the consequences and the responsibility that such a move entails.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Finns will be welcomed and promised an “easy and quick” accession process.

Such a move was supported and encouraged by the White House.

Jen Psaki, press secretary said that she would be supportive of a NATO application from Finland or Sweden if they applied.

Finland’s border of 1,300 km (800 miles) will nearly double the length between Russia’s U.S.-led Alliance and Russia. NATO Guards are located just an hour away from St Petersburg in the north outskirts.

Putin stated that NATO expansion was one of the reasons why he began what he called “a special military operation” to Ukraine in February.

Thursday saw a resurgence of the disputes about Russian energy supplies to Europe. Russia is still Europe’s largest source of money and its biggest source heat and power.

Moscow declared it would stop the flow of gas to Germany from Poland via its main pipeline, but Kyiv stated it wouldn’t open a route that was shut down this week unless they regain control over areas occupied by pro-Russian fighters. The European gas market saw a surge in prices.