Posted yesterday at 11:58 p.m.
Assaults in the East
Ukraine said Moscow continued to launch assaults in the east of the country, looking for weak points in Ukraine’s defense lines. For its part, Russia announced that it had launched hundreds of missiles and air attacks. His goal ? The capture of Donbass, a predominantly Russian-speaking eastern region. The governor of Luhansk in Donbass said Russian forces now control 80% of his region, up from 40% before the invasion began on February 24.
PHOTO SERHII NUZHNENKO, REUTERS
A Ukrainian soldier handles a BM-21 Grad rocket launcher in Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine
Mariupol close to falling
In the devastated city of Mariupol, Ukraine said the Russians dropped heavy bombs to wipe out what was left of the Azovstal steel complex, seen as the last island of resistance. According to Russian estimates, several thousand Ukrainian soldiers are still in the complex and its labyrinth of tunnels spread over approximately 11 square kilometers. President Volodymyr Zelensky said around 1,000 civilians were also trapped there. A Ukrainian posted a video on Facebook asking world leaders to help evacuate people from the plant. “This may be our last call. We may only have a few days or a few hours left,” he said.
Failure to evacuate civilians
PHOTO ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO, REUTERS
People waiting to be evacuated from Mariupol on Wednesday
Another attempt to evacuate civilians trapped in Mariupol failed on Wednesday due to continued fighting, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchnuk said. Women, children and the elderly could not escape, since the Russians did not respect a ceasefire.
“Assault attempts” in the Donbass
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported on Wednesday morning “attempted assaults” on the localities of Sulyguivka and Dibrivne, in the Kharkiv region, as well as on Rubizhne and Severodonetsk, in the Luhansk region. “The situation is getting more complicated hour by hour,” Luhansk Governor Sergey Gaidai wrote on Telegram, again imploring civilians to evacuate the area. “Get yourself safe […]. Go! “, he wrote.
Négociations
L’Ukraine a proposé mercredi à la Russie une « session spéciale de négociations » à Marioupol pour sauver « civils et militaires », ont déclaré deux négociateurs ukrainiens. « Nous sommes prêts à tenir une session spéciale de négociations à Marioupol. Pour sauver nos gars, […] soldiers, civilians, children, the living and the wounded. Everyone,” wrote Mikhaïlo Podolyak, adviser to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on his Twitter account.
Launch of a new missile
Russia announced on Wednesday the first successful test of a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat. President Vladimir Putin boasted that the missile could outwit any missile defense system and make those who threaten Russia “think twice”. The head of Russia’s aerospace agency called the launch from northern Russia a “gift to NATO”. For its part, the Pentagon spoke of a “routine” test and said it was not considered a threat.
Discussions
Seeking a path to peace, UN Secretary General António Guterres asked to meet MM. Putin and Zelensky in their respective capitals to discuss how to end the fighting. The UN received no immediate response.
Fears of cyberattacks
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand warned on Wednesday that their intelligence services had information that Russia was preparing to launch massive cyberattacks against the allies of the ‘Ukraine. According to them, these cybercriminal groups could launch attacks against States, institutions and companies.
PHOTO EMILIO MORENATTI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ukrainian soldiers cross the river in Irpin, a suburb of kyiv.
More than 5 million Ukrainians have fled their country
The milestone of 5 million Ukrainians who have fled their country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 has been crossed, according to new figures published on Wednesday by the UN. However, about 1.1 million Ukrainians have returned to their country since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian Border Guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko said on Wednesday.
IMF calls for financial support for Ukraine
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, on Wednesday called on countries to provide financial support to Ukraine so that the government can continue to function. Ukrainian officials have told the IMF they need $5 billion a month to run their economy, she told a news conference.
With Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press