Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says war was ‘unleashed’ on Russia
The Russian president delivered his annual Victory Day speech.
More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces are readying a spring counteroffensive, but Putin appears to be preparing for a long and bloody war.
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Latest headlines:
US announces new $325 million military package
The U.S. Department of Defense announced a new $325 million military aid package for Ukraine, including more rockets and artillery rounds, in addition to other equipment.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley are in Europe to attend another meeting of the 50-plus countries providing military assistance to Ukraine that begins later this week in Ramstein, Germany.
"The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," the Pentagon said in a statement.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Germany says it delivered Patriot missile system to Ukraine
The German government announced Tuesday that it delivered a Patriot missile defense system and missiles to Ukraine this week.
The country also sent 16 Zetros trucks, bringing its total to 76, and two border patrol vehicles, bringing its total to 124, the government said.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Russia detains man who spoke with WSJ reporter
Russia's security services have arrested an anti-Kremlin political commentator who the jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich met with shortly before his own arrest.
Yaroslav Shirshikov has said he spent two days showing Gershkovich around the city of Yekaterinburg during a reporting trip there a couple of weeks before Russia seized Gershovich.
Shirshikov said he had been due to meet with Gershkovich again the week the reporter was arrested in the city.
This morning, local media published video showing masked security officers detaining Shirshikov in his apartment and searching it.
A local news outlet cited a security services representative saying Shirshikov may have been arrested for posting comments cheering the assassinations of two ultra-nationalist pro-war figures, Daria Dugina and the blogger Vladen Tatarsky.
The site UralLive quoted a law enforcement source that Shirshikov was detained on a charge of “justifying terrorism”, which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years prison. It linked the charge to a social media post in which Shirshikov wrote he wasn’t sad over the death of Tatarsky, who was killed in a bomb attack in St. Petersburg this month.
Shirshikov spoke to several international media outlets including ABC following Gershkovich's arrest. He said that Gershkovich had acted entirely as a professional journalist in Yekaterinburg, conducting interviews openly and doing usual reporting.
Shirshikov is a critic of the Russian government and has spoken publicly about his opposition to the war in Ukraine.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell
Putin visits military in occupied Kherson Region
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a trip to Kherson and Luhansk, visiting a military headquarters in occupied territory in Ukraine.
Putin arrived via helicopter at the headquarters of an army group in occupied Kherson, according to video released on Tuesday by the Kremlin.
In brief remarks after he arrived, Putin said he didn't want to distract troops from their mission, saying his tour of the installation would be in a "businesslike manner, briefly, but concretely," according to Interfax, a Russian state-affiliated news wire.
"It is important for me to hear your opinion on how the situation is developing, to listen to you, to exchange information," he said, according to Interfax.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
WSJ reporter in Russia formally charged with espionage
American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has now been formally charged with espionage, according to Russian state media. The move by Russia comes as a campaign to free him swells, with Senate leaders issuing a bipartisan demand to free him.
The formal charging shows Russia is pressing ahead with putting the journalist on trial, despite a growing outcry that has seen dozens of global media outlets demand his release.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday issued an unusual bipartisan statement calling for Gershkovich’s immediate release, saying "journalism is not a crime."
They also demanded Russia allow consular access to Gershkovich, who U.S. diplomats have still not been allowed to visit 10 days since his arrest, in violation of international rules.
The U.S.’s National Press Club has also now awarded Gershkovich its highest honor for press freedom, praising him for his brave commitment to reporting on Russia despite the risks.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell