(CNN Spanish) — Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has already exceeded 100 days, continues, with the Donbas region as Moscow’s main objective. But, in addition, the effects on the world economy are seen day by day.
Now, one of the biggest concerns is the blockade of Ukrainian ports, which might lead to the death of “millions of people”, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Watch the main news of the war that keeps the world in suspense.
“Millions of people may starve” if Russia continues to blockade ports, warns Zelensky
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that millions of people around the world may starve if Russia does not allow Ukraine to export grain from its ports.
“We cannot export our wheat, corn, vegetable oil and other products that have played a stabilizing role in the world market,” he said according to prepared remarks of a videotaped speech for the Time 100 Gala.
“This means that, unfortunately, dozens of countries may face physical food shortages. Millions of people may starve if Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea continues.”
World leaders have condemned a months-long blockade by Russian forces on key ports in Ukraine — including Mariupol on the Sea of Azov and Odessa on the Black Sea — that has left more than 20 million tons of grain stuck inside from the country. The Ukrainian Navy said on Monday that some 30 Russian ships and submarines continued to block civilian shipping in the Black Sea.
The battle for Severodonetsk, key at this point in the war
The battle for the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine continues to develop very dynamically as, according to local authorities, Russia now controls most of the key city.
“The night was difficult,” Oleksandr Striuk, head of the Severodonetsk city military administration, said on national television Thursday morning. “Our armed forces control part of the city: the industrial zone and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Striuk said around 10,000 people remained in the city. The industrial zone — which contains the Azot chemical plant, where some 800 people were said to be sheltering last week — came under heavy shelling overnight, he said.
There were no casualties at the chemical plant overnight and “the bomb shelter also survived,” Serhiy Hayday, head of the military administration of the Luhansk region, said via Telegram on Thursday.
“The explosions damaged at least two workshops at the chemical plant,” Hayday said. “One of them is key: that of the production of ammonia 1-B. However, there were no emissions of chemical products into the environment, all fertilizers and chemical products, according to the owner of the company, were removed from the territory in the second day of the war.
Earlier on Thursday, in an interview on national television, Hayday said “street fighting” continues to rage in the city.
The situation there is developing quite dynamically,” Hayday said.
Smoke and dirt rise from shelling in the city of Severodonetsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, on June 7. (Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)
“Russia is constantly firing on the part controlled by the Ukrainians. They are constantly firing artillery, and very powerful,” he added. “And they dismantle the houses floor by floor. In this sense, it is very difficult.”
Hayday said he believed that Russia wanted to capture the entire city by the weekend, in time for Russia Day on Sunday, but that they would not achieve that goal.
“As long as we have long-range artillery to be able to hold artillery duels with Russian artillery, our special forces will be able to clear the city in two or three days,” he said.
A National Guard commander fighting for control of the city told national television on Thursday that his forces were “catastrophically short of artillery guns.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday night that “in many ways, the fate of our Donbas is being decided there” in Severodonetsk.
“This is a very fierce battle, very difficult,” he said. “Probably one of the most difficult in this entire war. I thank everyone who defends this direction. In many ways, the fate of our Donbas is being decided there.”
Zelensky also said that this Wednesday “the occupiers announced the absolutely crazy news that they are preparing to unite some football clubs from all the occupied territories in a pseudo-championship: from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Melitopol, Crimea and even part of Georgia.” .
He called this decision a “mockery” of the Ukrainian people. Only the return of Ukraine, Zelensky stressed, will mean “a normal life for these territories, for these cities… once more. Peaceful, safe, open to the world. And, of course, new matches of world-class teams in Donbas.” Sand,” he added.
Also on Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said that his army is proceeding according to plan in its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“You will see the liberation of all Donetsk and Luhansk provinces,” he said. “Hopefully that will take place soon.”
First grain wagons leave occupied Melitopol, says Russian-backed leader
The first rail cars carrying Ukrainian grain from the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol have left for Crimea, a leader of the Russian-backed military administration of the occupied part of the Zaporizhia region said on Wednesday.
“I inform you with pride and joy that the first railway cars, 11 cars, left the Melitopol elevator with grain in the direction of Crimea,” said Eugeny Balitsky on Solovyov live, an online video platform. “It can be predicted that in the near future these deliveries will increase hundreds of times.”
Balitsky said he hoped the grain would find its way to Turkey and the Middle East, state broadcaster Russia-24 quoted him as saying.
“We ship grain through the Russian Federation. The main contracts are being closed with Turkey. The first trains have already passed through Crimea, they have gone in the direction of the Middle East,” he said, noting that “it was a traditional market for Ukraine.”
UN leader warns of “unprecedented wave of hunger and misery”
The war in Ukraine threatens to “unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and misery” around the world, the United Nations secretary-general said on Wednesday.
“For those on the ground, every day brings new bloodshed and suffering,” Antonio Guterres said in New York. “And for people around the world, the war, along with the other crises, threatens to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and misery, leaving social and economic chaos in its wake.”
This year’s crisis has to do with “lack of access,” he said. “Next year’s might be due to lack of food.”
“Make no mistake: no country or community will be unscathed by this cost of living crisis.”
