Ukraine, Briefly

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• Ukraine celebrated its independence day Wednesday with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the country was “reborn” when Russia invaded six months ago, even as Ukrainian authorities remained on high alert over potential Russian attacks, NBC News reported. To commemorate the event, Kyiv’s international allies gave plaudits and fresh commitments of military assistance. US President Joe Biden announced a new package of about $3 billion that he claimed would enable the nation to buy weapons to protect itself in the long run. Despite the celebrations, a Russian attack killed 25 civilians when missiles struck a railway station and a residential area in eastern Ukraine, Reuters added.

• Nearly 16,500 people have been jailed across Russia for opposing the war in the six months since the invasion of Ukraine, according to data published Wednesday by an independent human rights group, the Moscow Times noted. OVD-Info found that the majority of detentions occurred during the first month of hostilities when the Russian parliament passed legislation making nearly any speech or action condemning the war illegal.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been facing criticism in recent days following an interview, where he justified his decision not to inform Ukrainians about details of repeated US warnings that Russia planned to invade the country, according to the Washington Post. Public figures and ordinary citizens have been posting harsh critiques on social media against the leader’s decision, saying that bears at least some responsibility for the atrocities that followed.