Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the intensity of Russian shelling of Kharkiv, Donbas and the Dnieper had “increased significantly” one day after the Kremlin launched its long-awaited offensive in eastern Ukraine. Russian authorities say a total of 1,260 military targets have been hit by missiles and artillery along the 300-mile front line in the Donbas and Kharkiv regions.
Zelenski said the situation in the besieged city of Mariupol was “possibly difficult”. “The Russian army is blocking all efforts to organize humanitarian corridors and save our people,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “The fate of at least tens of thousands of Mariupol residents who were previously relocated to Russian-controlled territory is unknown.
Russia’s defense ministry has said it will propose a ceasefire in Mariupol on Wednesday to allow Ukrainian defenders hiding in the Azovstal steel plant to lay down their arms. Russian-backed fighters are storming the plant, according to a pro-Russian official quoted by the BBC. Ukrainian authorities say at least 1,000 civilians are hiding in the complex along with Ukrainian fighters.
Russian forces have taken over Kremina in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the city, the district governor said. Kremina, a city of more than 18,000 people about 560 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, appears to be the first city captured by a Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Kharkov Mayor Igor Terekhov said Russian forces had been engaged in “continuous bombing of civilian neighborhoods” in Ukraine’s second city since Sunday. Four people, including three ambulance workers, died on Tuesday, Terekhov said. Separately, the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office said Russian missiles wounded 14 people in the city on Tuesday.
Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov declared himself against the “crazy” war in Ukraine and described the supporters of Moscow’s military actions as “morons”. In an Instagram post, Tinkov, who was sanctioned by the UK government, said “90% of Russians are against” the war.
Russia has stepped up its offensive in Donbass, but its progress has been hampered by “environmental, logistical and technical challenges,” the United Kingdom said. “Russia’s inability to quell resistance in Mariupol and their indiscriminate attacks, which have harmed local civilians, are indicative of their continued failure to achieve their goals as quickly as they would like,” the UK Defense Ministry said late Tuesday. .
Russia has deployed up to 20,000 mercenaries from Syria, Libya and other places in Ukraine’s Donbass region, according to a European official. The officer said the mercenaries were being sent into battle without heavy equipment or armored vehicles.
In his evening address, Zelensky said that if Ukraine had access to all the weapons it needs, “which are comparable to the weapons used by the Russian Federation, we would have ended this war.” It is dishonest that Ukraine is still forced to want what its partners have been keeping for years.
US President Joe Biden will announce another package of military aid to Ukraine, roughly the same amount as the $ 800 million announced by the US president last week, many sources told Reuters, leading to more than $ 3 billion in total aid. The United States for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
Russia has expelled 31 Dutch, Belgian and Austrian diplomats as Moscow faces growing international isolation. This comes after the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria announced the expulsion of some Russian diplomats.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a four-day Orthodox humanitarian break for Easter in the fighting in Ukraine. Guterres said the UN is ready to send humanitarian convoys to Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk, starting on Holy Thursday and continuing until Sunday, April 24, the date of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated by most Ukrainians and Russians.
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