Ukraine live updates: Griner likely to face conviction, G20 finance leaders split on war
Brittney Griner being convicted in Russia on drug charges that could carry a sentence of up to 10 years. Even before Griner pleaded guilty “without intent” last week at her trial, her conviction was almost certain – less than 1% of cases in Russia end in acquittal.
The eight-time WNBA All-Star toiling for years in a Russian penal colony, however, is not the desired outcome for her supporters or the United States government, which has classified her as “wrongfully detained.”
“We know that she’s going to be convicted … so is there an exit strategy?” Rob Saale, a former FBI hostage negotiation expert, told USA TODAY Sports.
That “exit strategy” will manifest in the form of a prisoner swap with Russia, experts predict. In April, the U.S. brought back former Marine Trevor Reed from Russian prison by exchanging Russian pilot and convicted drug trafficker Konstantin Yaroskenko. Reed had been sentenced to nine years on assault charges but began experiencing health problems while detained, his family said.
Potential Brittney Griner prisoner swap with Russia is promising and dangerous
Other developments
►A senior military official told reporters Friday that the Pentagon will not track the weapons it sends to Ukraine but has not seen any indication they are being misused. “We feel pretty good that the Ukrainians are using the weapons that we’ve provided to them and have not seen any indications that those weapons have gone anywhere else other than to fight against the Russians,” the official said.
►More than 9 million people have crossed the border from Ukraine since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. The number of individual refugees from Ukraine across Europe is nearly 6 million.
G20 finance meetings overshadowed by war in Ukraine
Financial leaders of the Group of 20, the world’s richest and biggest economies, have wrapped up meetings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali without a final joint statement after talks were overshadowed by divisions over the war in Ukraine.
US telemedicine system offers free consultations to medical workers in Ukraine
Russia increases attacks against civilians Saturday
Russia stepped up its onslaught against Ukraine on Saturday, with civilian casualties reported in several areas of the country.
At least three civilians were killed and three more were injured in a Russian rocket strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chuhuiv in the early hours, a regional police chief said. In the neighboring Sumy region, one civilian was killed and at least seven more were injured after Russians opened mortar and artillery fire on three towns and villages not far from the Russian border, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said on Telegram on Saturday morning.