A tribunal in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, which now controls the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, has sentences two UK citizens and one Moroccan to death, Russian state media has reported.

Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner of Britain and Saadun Brahim of Morocco were charged as working as foreign mercenaries. The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic was recognized by Moscow on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The tribunal is not internationally recognized.

Russian media …

Pushing Russian forces back to their pre-invasion positions would be a major temporary victory for Ukraine, but full sovereignty over Ukraine’s territory remains the ultimate goal, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with the Financial Times.

"We have fewer weapons and therefore are not able to move forward. We will suffer more losses and people are my priority," he said.

Zelensky stressed that victory must be achieved on the battlefield, but said he is open to talks …

The head of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said the pro-Moscow separatist government will soon hold tribunals for captured Ukrainian servicemen in Mariupol, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

"Preparations are underway for preliminary tribunals or intermediate tribunals. One of the first will be held in Mariupol, everything is moving towards this," Pushilin said.

The separatist leader told Rossiya 24 that he does not rule out the death penalty for members of the …