The hometown of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is looking increasingly vulnerable, coming under repeated attacks from Russian forces in recent days, with Ukraine's southern army unit saying Russia is building a military "strike force" to target Kryvyi Rih.Early Thursday, Ukraine's southern military command said the situation in its operational area — where fighting is intensifying around Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih as well as Zaporizhzhia to the east and Mykolaiv and Kherson to the south — is "tense and complex."Ukraine has warned that Russia is carrying out a "massive redeployment" of troops from the east to the south of Ukraine as it tries to defend its territorial gains against Ukraine's attempts to reclaim occupied Kherson and areas around Zaporizhzhia. The battle for eastern Ukraine is ongoing, however, with Zelenskyy describing the situation in the Donbas as hellish, adding that Russia still has the upper hand in the region.Kyiv has ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents in the Donbas amid intense fighting.Kremlin rebuffs NATO criticism, accuses alliance of creating a 'threat to the world order'The Kremlin rebuffed criticism from NATO's secretary-general and instead accused the Western military alliance of destabilizing the world order.Earlier, NATO's Jens Stoltenberg said Russia's war in Ukraine is an attack on the current world order and that Europe was "experiencing its most dangerous situation since World War II." In addition, he said that Russia must not be allowed to win the war.But Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov dismissed those comments, claiming NATO had fueled the conflict."This situation has been maturing for several decades and in many ways it was fueled by the policy of NATO because they brought the borders closer to Russia, this created additional threats for us," Peskov said.Kremlin Press Secretry Dmitry PeskovAnadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesPeskov claimed that the origins of the "real threat to the world order on our continent — that is, in Europe" was what he described as a "coup" in 2014. He claimed this was "carefully orchestrated, including by the member countries of the NATO, despite the guarantees they gave us.""This is where the danger and threat to the world order flows from. Therefore, we agree with Stolenberg's statement," Peskov said.Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 came after pro-democracy protests in Ukraine that began in late 2013 and continued into the new year. In February 2014, the protests culminated in the ousting of Ukraine's then pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in what many Ukrainians termed the Maidan Revolution or Revolution of Dignity.Russia said the ousting was the result of a Western-promoted, illegal "coup" and annexed Crimea and stoked pro-Russian unrest in eastern Ukraine, which has continued to this day. Pro-Western and particularly pro-European young Ukrainians supported the ousting of Yanukovich, seeing it as a step toward political independence from Russia and toward membership in the European Union.— Holly EllyattRussia's war in Ukraine is attack on world order, NATO chief saysNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg delivers remarks to the news media as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts Stoltenberg at the State Department in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2022.Leah Millis | ReutersRussia's war in Ukraine is an attack on the current world order, according to NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.Stoltenberg, speaking in his native Norway, said Europe was "experiencing its most dangerous situation since World War II" and that Russia must not be allowed to win."It's in our interest that this type of aggressive policy does not succeed," Stoltenberg said in comments reported by Reuters. Stoltenberg added that if Russian President Vladimir Putin considered doing anything similar to a NATO country, the full alliance will react.A central tenet of the Western military alliance is that an attack on one member is an attack on the whole 30-member organization, with members pledging to come to each other's mutual aid.— Holly EllyattUkraine tells Lebanon to reverse decision to clear grain shipment for travelA picture shows a view of the bow of the grain-laden Syrian-flagged ship Laodicea, docked in Lebanon's northern port of Tripoli, on July 30, 2022.Fathi Al-masri | Afp | Getty ImagesUkraine called on Lebanon on Thursday to reverse a decision by a court in Tripoli to authorise the departure of a seized Syrian ship carrying what Kyiv says is stolen Ukrainian grain, Reuters reported Thursday.In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said it was disappointed by the court's decision to clear the Syrian-flagged Laodicea for departure and said that Kyiv's position had not been taken into account.— ReutersRussian forces feeling the threat from Ukraine's Western-supplied weapons, UK notesA Ukrainian army unit shows the rockets on HIMARS vehicle in eastern Ukraine on July 1, 2022.The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesUkraine's offensive to retake occupied territory in the south of the country and its use of Western-supplied weapons is putting mounting pressure on Russia's forces, according to the latest intelligence update from the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence."Ukraine's missile and artillery units continue to target Russian military strongholds, personnel clusters, logistical support bases and ammunition depots," the ministry said on Twitter Thursday."This will highly likely impact Russian military logistical resupply and put pressure on Russian military combat support elements."A picture taken on July 21, 2022 shows a car moving past a crater on Kherson's Antonovsky bridge across the Dnipro river caused by a Ukrainian rocket strike, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine.Stringer | AFP | Getty ImagesThe U.K. said Russia was feeling threatened by Western-supplied weapons systems that are allowing Ukraine's forces to counterattack the Russian army more effectively, citing efforts by Russia to hide damage the Antonovsky Bridge, which leads to occupied Kherson and is vital for their military supplies to the city, that was hit by Ukrainian missiles last week."Russian forces have almost certainly positioned pyramidal radar reflectors in the water near the recently damaged Antonivskiy [Antonovsky] Bridge and by the recently damaged nearby rail bridge, both of which cross over the Dnipro River in Kherson, southern Ukraine," the U.K. noted."The radar reflectors are likely being used to hide the bridge from synthetic aperture radar imagery and possible missile targeting equipment. This highlights the threat Russia feels from the increased range and precision of Western-supplied systems."— Holly EllyattRussian 'strike force' building to target Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi RihKryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is looking increasingly vulnerable with Ukraine saying Russia is building a military "strike force" to target the industrial city in central-southern Ukraine.Early Thursday, Ukraine's southern military command saying the situation in its operational area — where fighting is intensifying around Kryvyi Rih as well as Zaporizhzhia to the east, and Mykolaiv and Kherson to the south — is "tense and complex.""The enemy continues to conduct hostilities on the occupied line of defense. In order to prevent the advance of our troops and restore the lost position, the composition of the group in the Kryvyi Rih direction is increasing due to the transfer of units of the 35th Army of the Eastern Military District," the unit said, saying that Russian aircraft were becoming "more active" and attacking the area south of Kryvyi Rih.Residential buildings and industrial plants across the city skyline in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesUkraine's southern military command said in a previous update on Wednesday that it believed Russia was creating a military "strike group in the Kryvyi Rih region" and that "it's also quite likely that the enemy is preparing a hostile counter-offensive with the subsequent plan of getting to the administrative boundary of Kherson region."Officials in Ukraine have repeatedly warned in recent days that Russia is redeploying a massive number of troops to the south of the country, where Ukraine has launched counteroffensives to try to regain lost territory, particularly the occupied city of Kherson.Ukrainian artillerymen in the military assembly center check the weapons and special equipment to make them ready before they go to their duties at the frontline in Kherson, Ukraine on July 15, 2022.Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesIn his nightly address on Sunday evening, Zelenskyy praised the bravery of residents in his hometown, as well as other cities under repeated attack as Russia looks to extend its territorial gains in east and southern Ukraine."I want to thank every resident of Mykolaiv for their indomitability, for protecting the city and the region. I also thank Nikopol, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, the strong people of Zaporozhzhia and the region, all Ukrainians of the Kherson region, everyone who defends the approaches to Odessa and the region ... Thank you for your courage." "Strategically, Russia has no chance of winning this war," he added.— Holly EllyattZelenskyy says he wants to speak with Chinese President Xi JinpingUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on July 4, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Zelenskyy is seeking an opportunity for direct talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help end Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine, the South China Morning Post reported.Alexey Furman | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to speak directly with Xi Jinping in hopes China's president could use the country's influence to end Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine.In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has pursued talks with China since the beginning of the war. He told the newspaper that Russia would feel much more economically isolated without the Chinese market and could use that to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war.China has repeatedly said it supports a "peaceful resolution" to the situation in Ukraine, but has so far refused to call Russia's war an "invasion."— Natalie ThamU.S. Senate approves Finland and Sweden's membership to NATOSweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto attend a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after signing their countries' accession protocols at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 5, 2022.Yves Herman | ReutersThe U.S. Senate voted 95 to 1 to ratify Finland and Sweden's entrance to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a "slam-dunk" for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.Senators invited the ambassadors of the two Nordic nations to witness the debate and the vote, a crucial step in opening a new era for the now 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.President Joe Biden has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations. Their candidacies have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied, a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraine's West-looking government."It sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote."Russia's unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security," she added.— Associated PressUkraine nuclear plant is 'out of control,' UN nuclear chief saysInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi attends a joint news conference after talks in Tokyo, Japan May 19, 2022.Issei Kato | ReutersThe U.N. nuclear chief warned that Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine "is completely out of control" and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March, soon after their Feb. 24. invasion of Ukraine."Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated" at the plant, he said. "What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous."Grossi cited many violations of the plant's safety, adding that it is "in a place where active war is ongoing," near Russian-controlled territory.— Associated PressZelenskyy says 'global security architecture' is not working, cites tensions in the Balkans and TaiwanUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a working session of G7 leaders via video link, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 27, 2022.Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | via ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the "global security architecture" is not working, and referenced tensions in the Balkans, Taiwan and in the Caucasus."If it worked, there wouldn't be all these conflicts," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on the Telegram messaging app."And this is actually something that Ukraine has been paying attention to not only 161 days after the start of a full-scale war, but for years. Ever since Russia completely ignored international law, the interests of humanity as such," he added.— Amanda MaciasRead CNBC's previous live blog here:
Kremlin claims NATO is 'real threat' to world order; Russian 'strike force' builds around Zelenskyy's hometown.