The World Health Organization issued an urgent appeal for access to sick and injured people caught up in the war in Ukraine, including hundreds of “landmine victims”, premature babies, pregnant women, patients with terminal illnesses and older people, many of whom have been left behind. Meanwhile, senior UN officials have called for humanitarian corridors to be established to enable the safe and constant delivery of assistance to extremely vulnerable population in Ukraine.

Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, warned of deteriorating living conditions in Severodonetsk captured by Russian forces two weeks ago, saying the city is without electricity, water or a working sewerage system, while the bodies of the dead decompose in hot apartment buildings. “Luhansk hasn’t been fully captured, even though the Russians have engaged all their arsenal to achieve that goal”, Governor Haidai said adding that “fierce battles are going on in several villages in the region’s border.

Russian troops shelled the brigade that was trying to repair the damaged long-distance gas pipeline in Zaporizhzhya region, Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fyodorov said.

Ukraine has called on its allies to send more weapons as its forces have been trying to slow Russia's military advance through the eastern Donbas region.

United States President Joe Biden is set to announce a new security assistance package worth USD 400 million for Ukraine. The latest aid package, which is the 15^th such installment, brings the US commitment to more than USD 7 billion since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Heavy artillery platforms like howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), sit high on Ukrainian military wish list.