“People keep fleeing because they are afraid of bombs, airstrikes and indiscriminate destruction”. More than 3.3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, the United Nations said on Saturday March 19, while nearly 6.5 million people are believed to be internally displaced. . Around 90% of those who fled are women and children. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 can indeed be called up and must remain in their country.
Franceinfo summarizes what to remember from the day’s developments in Ukraine.
Moscow used hypersonic missiles
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that it used hypersonic Kinjal (“dagger” in Russian) missiles to destroy an underground weapons warehouse in western Ukraine. Russia had never previously reported the use of this ballistic missile in the two conflicts where it is belligerent, Ukraine and Syria.
This type of missiles, very maneuverable, defies all anti-aircraft defense systems, according to Moscow.
Zelensky calls for serious talks with Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was time for Moscow to agree to “reunite” for “to discuss” seriously about peace in order to avoid consequences for Russia “over several generations”. “Peace and security negotiations for Ukraine are the only chance for Russia to minimize the damage caused by its own mistakes”Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video posted on Facebook, filmed at night in a deserted street.
A devastated military site in Mykolaiv
Dozens of people were killed in a strike on Friday against a military barracks in southern Ukraine, Mykolaiv, witnesses said the next day.
“No less than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks”according to a 22-year-old soldier interviewed on the spot. “At least 50 bodies have been extracted, but it is unclear how many remain under the rubble”, continued the young soldier. Another soldier on the spot estimated that the strikes could have killed 100 people. The site in northern Mykolaiv was completely devastated after being hit by six rockets.
Russia claims to have entered Mariupol
The Russian army, for its part, claims to have succeeded in entering besieged Mariupol and fighting in the city center alongside troops from the separatist “republic” of Donetsk.
Taking Mariupol would be an important turning point in the war and would allow Russia to ensure territorial continuity between its forces coming from annexed Crimea (South) and the troops from Donbass (East).
kyiv calls on China to “condemn Russian barbarism”
The Ukrainian presidency called on China to join the West and “condemn Russian barbarism”while Beijing has so far never officially criticized Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
“China can be an important part of the global security system if it makes the right decision to support the coalition of civilized countries and condemn Russian barbarism”tweeted Mykhaïlo Podoliak, an adviser to the presidency and one of the participants in the negotiations with Russia.
Moscow fears armed mines at sea could drift in the Mediterranean
Russia has finally warned against the drift of mines placed by Ukrainian forces in the Black Sea after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, ensuring that it does not rule out that they could reach the Bosphorus Strait or even the Mediterranean.