Ukraine’s government says a Russian missile strike on a humanitarian convoy has left 23 people dead and more than 30 others wounded. Today’s deadly attack in the city of Zaporizhzhia came as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to deliver a major address in Moscow, where he’s expected to announce that four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine will join the Russian Federation. President Biden condemned voter referendums used by Russia to justify its annexation of the territories as “an absolute sham,” while U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called annexation a “dangerous escalation” that would jeopardize prospects for peace.
Secretary-General António Guterres: “The U.N. Charter is clear: Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the U.N. Charter and international law.”