Russia-Ukraine War News Highlights: Shelling reported in Eastern Ukraine; Zelenskiy sacks Ukraine’s envoy to India, Germany, and three other nations

Russia Ukraine War Crisis Highlights: Russian forces launched shelling in Eatsern and Southern Ukraine, a regional governor said Saturday as the Ukrainian government urged people in Russian-occupied areas in the south to evacuate “by all possible means.” The governor of Luhansk, Serhyi Haidai, said the Russian forces managing to “raise true hell” in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland despite reports of them taking an operational pause, Reuters reported. He said Russia launched over 20 artillery, mortar and rocket strikes in the province overnight and its forces were pressing toward the border with neighboring Donetsk.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed Kyiv’s ambassador to India, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary on Saturday, Reuters reported quoting the presidential website. It was not immediately clear if the envoys would be handed new jobs.

US President Joe Biden signed a new weapons package worth up to $400 million for Ukraine on Friday, including four additional high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) and more ammunition. Zelenskyy on Twitter thanked Biden for the HIMARS and shells, which he said were priority needs.