Ukraine Stages Military Drills in Chernobyl | VOA News

Ukraine’s armed forced conducted military drills Friday in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, next to the border with Belarus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with European leaders in Kyiv Friday. He is hoping to extract a fast-track promise for his country’s entry into the European Union and press for more sanctions on Russia at the summit. Analysts, however, say that his hopes of an expedited path into the EU will likely be dashed, despite his country’s dire need for the alliance’s support during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the EU has been supportive of Ukraine, it has not shown any indication that it is willing to speed up the membership process. Ahead of Friday’s summit, Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In his daily address Thursday, Zelenskyy thanked von der Leyen, and “her colleagues and our friends in the EU for their tangible support on the path of integration and in protecting our country and people.” Meanwhile, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday that the Wagner Group’s recruitment of convicts has dropped “significantly.” The ministry said the Russian Federal Penal Service experienced a decrease of just 6,000 inmates since November. In comparison, the penal service had reported a drop of 23,000 inmates from September to November 2022. “Wagner recruitment was likely a major contributing factor to this drop,” the British ministry said. https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-s-z... » Subscribe to VOA News: https://bit.ly/3KIPysi » Watch more VOA News video:    / voanews   Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people. VOA produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of approximately 3,000 affiliate stations. Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press. Connect with VOA News: » VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.voanews.com/ » LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE:   / voanews   » FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:   / voanews   » FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:   / voanews