According to a spokesman, Zelenskyy was involved in a car accident in Kyiv

According to his spokesman in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was involved in a car accident. A vehicle collided with the head of state's car and the escort vehicles, spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov wrote on Facebook early Thursday morning.

Selenskyj was examined by a doctor. "No serious injuries were found." Further details about his state of health were not initially given.

Zelenskyj's car collided with a private vehicle, the spokesman said. He did not say when the accident happened. Paramedics accompanying Zelenskyy administered first aid to the driver of the other vehicle and called an ambulance. The accident is being investigated.

Minutes after the statement, Zelenskyy's office released the president's nightly address.

On Wednesday, Selenskyj visited the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine, which had been recaptured a few days ago.

According to official sources, the drinking water supply in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih was destroyed after eight Russian cruise missiles fired on it. “The water pumping station was destroyed. The river has breached the dam and burst its banks. The apartment buildings are just a few meters from the river,” Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun said on Twitter. Before the war, the city in southern Ukraine had around 650,000 inhabitants.

The chairman of the European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, calls on the federal government to supply battle tanks to Ukraine. “The Ukrainian army is showing that with the right help, it can win this war. Therefore, the federal government should clear the way for the delivery of battle tanks," said the CSU politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. This could shorten the war, limit destruction and much suffering. “The federal government claims that Germany will play a leading role in Europe and in a future European defense union. That is why the federal government should also lead the way.”

According to his spokesman, the car of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was involved in a traffic accident in Kyiv. "Zelenskyj is not seriously injured," writes Serhiy Nykyforov on Facebook.

After a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has little hope of peace in Ukraine anytime soon. "I feel like we're a long way from peace," Guterres said. "I have no illusions. At the moment, the chances of a peace deal are minimal,” he added. Even a ceasefire is "not in sight".

Guterres said he spoke to Putin about efforts to overcome "barriers" to Russian food and fertilizer exports. It was about an extension and a possible expansion of exports as part of an agreement brokered by the UN and Turkey.

According to Prime Minister Irakli Garibaschvili, Georgia intends to meet the twelve criteria set by the EU for opening accession talks very quickly. He will also offer the opposition a dialogue in order to have them on board for the necessary reforms, said Garibaschvili after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The European Union (EU) gave the country the prospect of accession in June, along with Ukraine and Moldova. Garibaschvili did not want to say how many years he sees his country in the EU.

According to the authorities, the central Ukrainian industrial city of Kryvyi Rih was hit by Russian cruise missiles. The head of the administration of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Valentin Resnichenko, said that hydrotechnical systems were badly damaged by the "massive rocket attack". The water supply had failed in some parts of the city. Unverified videos also showed that the Ingulez River was rising rapidly. The river is dammed in front of the city.

This is the story of a German who left his life in Bavaria to fight for Ukraine. Subscribe to “Close Up – The Reportage Podcast” now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Deezer or directly to the RSS feed.