The Ukrainian government warned on Monday that the city of Mariupol, besieged by Russian troops, is experiencing a “catastrophic” situationsome declarations that were known before the round of negotiations between kyiv and Moscow in Turkey.
(You may be interested in: Ukraine announces the ‘release’ of Irpin, on the outskirts of kyiv)
“Some 5,000 people were buried, but no one has been buried for ten days due to the continuous bombing”, Tetiana Lomakina, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, told AFP, who says that the victims could number 10,000.
(Read here: What is really known about the casualties of Russian generals in Ukraine?)
Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, has been under siege by the Russian army since the end of February, forcing thousands of residents to live without electricity or clean water. On the ground it has been difficult to establish the death toll from the conflict. The UN puts the civilian death toll at around 1,100.
The conflict has also left economic traces. The kyiv government estimated on Monday that the losses caused by the war amount to more than 500,000 million dollars.
Against this background, Moscow and kyiv are preparing for a new round of talks in Istanbul, which is presumed to start this Tuesday.
Many in Ukraine suspect that Russia could use the talks as an opportunity to regroup forces and resolve serious tactical and logistical problems in its military.
(You may be interested: Ukraine estimates economic losses of more than 500,000 million dollars)
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said on Monday that the talks would probably they will start in Istanbul and that they should bring peace “as soon as possible”.
The “neutrality” of Ukraine and the future status of Donbas, two of the demands raised by Russia, could be at the center of the Istanbul talks.
But, alluding to his red lines in the negotiation, he added: “Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity are not in question. Effective security guarantees for our State are mandatory”.
Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity are not in question. Effective security guarantees for our State are mandatory
For its part, Putin has avoided being precise about the goals of the invasion, saying only that he wants to “demilitarize” and “denazify.”but not to occupy Ukraine.
Analysts hope that vagueness will give him room to agree to a deal, claim victory and end the war. The truth is that the Ukrainian resistance has scored some triumphs in recent days.
Supported by Western weaponry, the fighters pushed back the Russian army at Mala Rogan, near Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city. It was also known this Monday that the town of Irpin, very close to kyiv, was “liberated”. Ukraine has also announced that it has discharged 15 generals from the Moscow army. But the Krem-lin has only recognized one.
(In other news: At least 5,000 dead in Mariúpol due to the Russian offensive, Ukraine denounces)
In any case, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, assured on Monday that he sees an agreement between Russia and Ukraine as possible to end the Russian military campaign in that country, since the West seems more willing to recognize its mistakes.
On the other hand, the Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, announced on Monday that the organization will “immediately” explore agreements and arrangements with the parties for a possible humanitarian ceasefire.
poisoning case
Another element that was added during the day this Monday at the beginning of the negotiations was the revelation that he made The Wall Street Journal about a poisoning case.
The newspaper claimed that the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who tried to mediate between Moscow and kyiv to end the waras well as two Ukrainian negotiators, suffered symptoms that point to possible “poisoning”.
After a meeting in kyiv, the billionaire owner of Chelsea presented symptoms described as red and watery eyes, peeling of the face and hands. However, the symptoms later improved and today his life is not in danger, according to that medium.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP and Efe
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