Russia on Tuesday intensified the offensive in Ukraine by launching a major operation against Kiev, a severe bombardment against Kharkov, and a siege against the port of Mariúpol, which led the Ukrainian president to once again ask the Europeans for help.
(Read: Ukraine asks Russia not to destroy the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev)
Satellite images captured overnight a column of more than 60 kilometers of Russian vehicles and artillery advancing in the direction of Kiev. In tune with the advance towards the capital, the Ukrainian army moved its device to the west and north of the city, a journalist from the AFP.
(You may be interested in: Germany’s strategy to contain the threat of Putin)
(Due to the public interest aroused by the events between Russia and Ukraine, all of our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO.)
“The shooting and shelling woke us up all night,” said Natacha, who opened a canteen for soldiers and volunteers in the town of Chaika, west of Kiev, where it snowed overnight.
The Russian army instructed civilians in Kiev to live near Ukrainian intelligence infrastructure to evacuate the area because it is preparing attacks against those targets.
Also on Tuesday, Russia bombed the center of Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million people not far from the border. At least 18 dead and 26 wounded is the balance of the bombings, according to reports from the relief services.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky called the bombings a “war crime” and said the defense of the capital, Kiev, is the “priority.” The Russians appeared to be making gains in the south of the country, in the Azov Sea region.
The Mariupol port was without electricity due to the bombing and the region’s governor said that the town of Volnovakha, with 20,000 inhabitants, was almost “destroyed”. This area is key since it allows the Russians to unite the Crimean peninsula – annexed by Moscow in 2014 – with the territories of the Ukrainian separatists.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Donetsk separatist militias joined “military units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which took control of the Ukrainian areas along the Sea of Azov.”
The commander of the separatist forces of the pro-Russian territory of Donetsk, Eduard Basurin, indicated that Mariúpol “will be completely surrounded” this Tuesday.
The countless casualties of the war
The balance of the conflict is uncertain. The UN reported 102 dead among civilians and 304 wounded, but acknowledges that the balance may be higher. The Russian forces have not published any balance of what they describe as a “special military operation”, but acknowledged that they suffered casualties.
The UN estimates that more than 660,000 people have fled Ukraine. The situation “seems on the way to becoming the largest refugee crisis in Europe this century,” said the spokeswoman for the refugee agency (UNHCR).
Given the advance of the Russians, Zelensky urged the international community on Tuesday to veto Russia from “all ports” and “airports in the world”, a call picked up by the Danish shipping giant Maersk that announced the suspension of the voyages to Russian ports.
Zelensky spoke Tuesday before the European Parliament by videoconference and reiterated his request to join the EU immediately and urged Europeans to prove that they are with their country.
“Europe will be stronger with Ukraine in its midst. Without you, Ukraine will be alone. We have proven our strength (…), so prove that you are with us, prove that you will not abandon us,” he said in a dramatic call which was applauded by the plenary.
While Ukraine’s quick entry into the European Union seems out of the question, European leaders expressed support for Ukraine and Germany promised more sanctions.
The president of the European Council, the Belgian Charles Michel, accused Russia of committing “geopolitical terrorism” and the head of the German government, Olaf Scholz, urged an immediate end to the “bloodbath”.
economic destruction to Russia
Zelensky called for the “economic destruction” of Russia, at a time when the sanctions adopted by the United States, Europe and allied countries are of historic magnitude. Punitive measures include airspace closures, exclusion from a major international financial transfer system, Currency blockade and individual sanctions against the political, government and business elite.
“We are ready to intensify it and maintain it (the pressure, ndlr) as long as necessary,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, visiting Poland, said on Tuesday. The pressure is on all fronts.
The International Olympic Committee recommended the exclusion of Russia from all competitions. Among other measures, Russia was left out of the World Cup in soccer and the rugby federation, and this Tuesday it lost the venue for the World Cup in volleyball.
The first negotiations between the two sides, held on Monday in Belarus, ended without any ceasefire and the delegations returned to their capitals for consultations, without setting a date for another meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was informed of the talks but it was too early to “evaluate” the outcome of the talks.
In this framework, the Russian Sefemsa minister, Sergei Shoigu said his troops will continue the offensive until they achieve their goals.
The minister recalled that his country wants a “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine, as well as to protect itself from the “military threat created by Western countries.”
At the UN headquarters in Geneva, numerous delegations, including Ukraine and Western countries, boycotted the online intervention of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a Disarmament conference and at the Human Rights Council session, leaving the room almost empty . Later, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that Russia may be excluded from the UN Human Rights Council.
The UN has launched a call to collect 1.7 billion dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine, as it estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need help and projects that some four million displaced people could require help in neighboring countries in the next months.
AFP
More world news:
– Russia – Ukraine: What will be discussed in the negotiations?
– Ukraine: a conflict that will define the presidency of Joe Biden
– Exreina was found dead, after talking about suicide in her networks
#Russia #intensifies #offensive #Ukraine #Zelensky #urges #act