Russia launched this Tuesday a new offensive in the pro-Russian Donetsk and Luhansk regions to control them completely or, in the words of their foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to achieve their “liberation”.
This is the next phase of the military campaign that began on February 24 with the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory. This was stated by Lavrov in an interview with the India Today television network, broadcast by his department.
“Now will be an important moment in this special operation,” added Lavrov, the first senior Russian official to publicly confirm that Russia’s great battle for Donbas has begun.
Hours earlier, last night, the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, had informed his country that Russia had started “the great battle for Donbas”. This alludes to the expected major offensive by the Russian army to control the entire east of the country.
“We can confirm that the Russian troops have started that battle,” Zelensky said, in a message broadcast by video on the Ukrinform news channel. To add later that the Ukrainian soldiers “will fight” and that they “will not give up” any of the territory of the country.
Russia launched an offensive and gave Mariupol an ultimatum
Russia today gave another ultimatum to the Ukrainian forces still holding out in the besieged city of Mariupol, especially the Azovstal steel mill. This is so that they lay down their weapons until noon this Tuesday in exchange for thus saving their lives.
“Given the catastrophic situation that has developed at the Azovstal Metallurgical Plant, in addition to being guided by purely human principles, the Russian Armed Forces once once more offer militants of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries to cease hostilities and lay down their arms. starting at 12:00 (09:00 GMT), “said the Ministry of Defense.
“Everyone who lays down their arms is guaranteed the preservation of life,” said the head of the Russian Federation’s National Defense Control Center, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev.
In those same hours Petro Andriushchenko, deputy mayor of that population, said in his Telegram account that Mariúpol has not fallen under the total control of Moscow. Despite the intense bombardment it suffers.
“The occupation troops not only drop bombs on the Azovstal plant (which is still defended by Ukrainian soldiers), but also chaotically shell the residential neighborhoods of the city, where they only recently allowed the return of civilians,” said the municipal mayor.
The maritime city, on the shores of the Sea of Azov, has been heavily bombed by the Russian army since the beginning of the invasion. And its population does not have basic services such as water, electricity, electricity or food.
Although the city is practically destroyed, the municipal authorities appointed before the occupation continue to send messages. Mainly, on the situation of the nearly 100,000 civilians who remain in the city. And the more than a thousand soldiers who prevent it from falling completely into Russian hands.
Refugees
Some six million Ukrainians, both inside Ukraine and refugees in neighboring countries, now need food and cash assistance in the short term, the UN said today.
Food assistance is accelerating in places like Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel and Borodianka. All released at different times of the siege by Russian troops and where the destruction of infrastructure was widespread.
By videoconference from Lviv, the emergency coordinator of the World Food Program (WFP), Jakob Kern, said that this organization has mobilized 60,000 tons of food for the crisis in Ukraine. Which will allow feeding two million people for regarding two months.
