Russian invasion

The world's response
Orbán: "We have stopped Ukraine's EU membership"

After 95 percent of Hungarians voted against Ukrainian EU membership, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán believes he has a strong mandate to use his veto power against the country. He tells France 24.

In an interview with Hungarian Kossuth radio, Orbán compares Hungary to the iconic lone protester in front of the armored vehicles on Tiananmen Square in China:

- But now there were 2.2 million of us standing in their way, he says.

The other 26 EU countries pledged continued support for Ukraine on Thursday: economically, militarily and for the country's EU accession.

The Hungarian referendum has been criticized for leading questions and for being easy to manipulate through double voting. 29 percent of Hungarians voted, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The fighting
Counties in southern Ukraine “in darkness” after energy attack

Large parts of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine are without electricity after Russia attacked a central power station, writes Kyiv Independent. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin is urging residents to prepare for a prolonged power outage while repairs are underway. He writes this on Telegram, adding:

“Russia has plunged the Kherson region into darkness.”

In recent weeks, Russia has escalated its attacks on the capital Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities, according to Reuters.