War in Ukraine | Mariupol “completely destroyed”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed regret on Friday that the city of Mariupol was “completely destroyed”. He claimed that there was nothing left to take except the Azovstal steelworks. For his part, a senior Kremlin official announced Russia’s intention to stay “forever” in the city of Kherson.

Emilie Bilodeau
The Press

The Azovstal steelworks, all that remains

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that the city of Mariupol was “completely destroyed”.

“You have to understand that Mariupol will never fall […], it is devastated, there is no longer any structure, everything has been completely destroyed, ”he said during a videoconference with the Chatham House think tank in London. All that remains, “this small structure, the Azovstal steelworks”, added the president.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister said that Russian forces continued to attack the area of ​​the factory. A rescue car was reportedly targeted by an anti-tank guided missile. “One fighter was killed and six others were injured,” said the Azov regiment, which protects the industrial site.

“The enemy continues to violate all the agreements and not to respect the security guarantees for the evacuation of civilians,” added the regiment’s leader to a journalist from Agence France-Presse.

Despite the fragile truce with Russia, the UN managed to evacuate 50 people from the factory, including women, children and the elderly, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

The American Institute for War Studies estimates that it is only a matter of days before Russian forces succeed in taking control of the steel mill.

“In the Russian discourse, they are already saying that they have seized Mariupol,” says Aurélie Campana, from Laval University, a specialist in political violence and Russia. There may still be Ukrainian soldiers underground, but they are unable to conduct an assault outside the metallurgical plant. »

“Russia is here forever”

Russia intends to stay “forever” in Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine. This is one of the rare times that a senior Russian official has made such a clear announcement of Moscow’s intention to stay in the territories taken by the army.

“Speaking to the residents of the Kherson region, I would like to say once again that Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about it, ”said Andrei Tourtchak, in a press release.

Aurélie Campana specifies that a Russian general also affirmed, last week, the intention of the Kremlin to keep the newly conquered territories in Ukraine. “Russia wants to take over southern and eastern Ukraine to form what it calls a Novorossia, that is to say a New Russia”, explains the professor

Andreï Turtchak specified that there would be “no return to the past”. “We will live together,” he added. He claimed that Russia would help residents of the Kherson region just as it supports the pro-Russian separatist cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. World War II veterans will also receive gifts and a bonus on May 9, Victory Day, when Russia celebrates the surrender of Nazi Germany, the press release said.

Journalist prosecuted

A Russian journalist and opponent will face justice for criticizing Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

Ilia Azar said on Friday that he was the subject of an administrative prosecution for having “discredited the use of Russian armed forces to protect the interests of Russia and its citizens, and to maintain international peace”. It was a Facebook post that prompted the accusation, Azar said.

The journalist is currently not in Russia. He claims he faces a fine of 100,000 rubles (nearly $2,000).

Since the launch of the offensive in Ukraine, Russia has reinforced its legislative arsenal in order to be able to impose heavy fines and inflict prison sentences on those guilty of having “discredited” the army or published “false information”. Calling the military offensive a “war” is enough to be prosecuted.

What also happened on Friday…

• The leaders of the great powers of the G7 will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday devoted to the war in Ukraine, in which Volodymyr Zelensky will also participate, announced Berlin.
• As many as 41 people, including 11 women, have been released in a prisoner swap with Russia, Kyiv said. The number of Russians handed over to Moscow has not been disclosed.
• The UN Security Council has approved a unanimous statement giving “strong support” to the Secretary General of the Organization “in the search for a peaceful solution” to the war waged by Russia in Ukraine.
• The police dispersed around 50 women who were defying the ban on demonstrations in Kyiv. Soldiers’ wives in Mariupol demanded the evacuation of their husbands.