Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Air alert in all regions of Ukraine

An air alert was declared in all regions of Ukraine this morning, meaning there is a threat of missile strikes. The alarm has been in effect since 9 a.m., Ukrainian media reported.

Earlier, the General Staff of the country's armed forces announced that Russian troops were attacking from four directions - in the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novo-Pavlovsk.

There were also reports of rocket attacks during the past 24 hours in the Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions, as well as casualties among the civilian population.

Zelensky: It is possible that the negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU will begin this year

Volodymyr Zelensky said that it is possible that the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU will start this year.

The Ukrainian president made the comment in his evening video message after hosting the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv.

Earlier, however, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the country still had a long way to go before becoming a member of the European Union.

"We have spoken and are already speaking as members of the European community. We are working to make this a law. There is an understanding that it is possible to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU this year," said Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine

Germany has evidence of war crimes in Ukraine

Germany has collected evidence of war crimes in Ukraine, the country's chief prosecutor announced in an interview published today for a print edition, cited by Reuters.

"Currently, for example, we are focusing on the mass killings in Bucha and the attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure," Peter Frank told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

So far, prosecutors have evidence "in the triple digits," Frank said, without elaborating. The chief state prosecutor also says that an international trial is needed in this regard.

Germany began gathering evidence as early as March 2022 to investigate possible war crimes. Data were collected through interviews with Ukrainian refugees and evaluation of publicly available information. German prosecutors are not currently investigating specific individuals. Peter Frank said the German prosecutor's office was preparing for a possible trial at a later stage in Germany, together with foreign partners or before an international court.

Asked who should be brought to justice, Frank said Russian state leaders and those who implement decisions at the highest military level should be held accountable.

Ukraine is demanding the creation of a special tribunal to try Russian military and political leaders it holds responsible for starting the war. The International Criminal Court launched its own investigation into alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. However, this court has no jurisdiction to deal with the aggression in Ukraine. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said yesterday in Kyiv that an international center for the prosecution of the aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague.

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