Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, a regional governor said, in what could prove a serious setback for Moscow's plans to capture the entire Donbas region.

Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, a regional governor said, in what could prove a serious setback for Moscow's plans to capture the entire Donbas region. FIGHTING, CIVILIANS

* Zelenskiy on Saturday said the situation in the Donbas remained very difficult, and Russian forces were still trying to demonstrate some kind of victory. * Russia, rejecting Ukraine's claim to have struck and set alight a modern navy logistics ship in the Black Sea, showed photos of what it said was the Vsevolod Bobrov with no signs of damage.

* Refugees from bombed-out Mariupol spoke of devastation as they reached Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhzhia in a large convoy of cars and vans after waiting days for Russian troops to let them leave. * Russia's defense ministry said its forces had hit Ukrainian command posts, ammunition depots and other military equipment in several regions, including the Donbas, killing at least 100 Ukrainian "nationalists".

DIPLOMACY * G7 foreign ministers vowed to reinforce Russia's economic and political isolation, continue supplying weapons to Ukraine and work to ease global food shortages stemming from the war.

* Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said the country's diplomats in Washington were being threatened with violence, Tass reported. * Mitch McConnell and other Republican U.S. senators visited Kyiv and met Zelenskiy, who hailed what he said was a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine and the strength of relations between the two nations.

* Turkey has not shut the door to Sweden and Finland joining NATO but wants negotiations with them and a clampdown on what it sees as terrorist activities, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said. QUOTE

""We had a victory: today in Eurovision, but soon we will have a victory in Ukraine-Russian war," said Tetyana, a military medic after Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won the popular song contest. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)