Ukraine asked more weapons from the West to help her end the siege of Mariupol and repel a expected Russian attack in the eastwhile becoming more and more reports of rape and brutal behavior by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians.
Besides, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced this morning that Russian missiles destroyed ammunition depots in the Ukrainian regions of Khmelnytsky and Kiev.
The ministry said Russian forces had hit an ammunition depot and aircraft hangar at the Starokostiantiniv air base in the Khmelnytsky region, as well as an ammunition depot near Havrilivka, north of Kiev.
In the meantime, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late last night, Monday night, in a televised speech that Russia may resort to the use of chemical weaponsas it has amassed troops in the eastern suburbs of Donbass for a new offensive against Mariupol, where thousands of people are believed to have lost their lives during the seven-week siege of the city.
“As far as the necessary weapons are concerned, we are still dependent on supplies, on our partners. “Unfortunately, we are not receiving what we need to end this war faster … Especially to lift the siege of Mariupol,” he said.
The first European Union country leader to meet personally Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latter unleashed what he calls “Special military operation”Austrian Chancellor Carl Nehammer said after talks in Moscow on Monday that an attack on the east was “being prepared on a massive scale”.
After suffering heavy losses and withdrawing its forces from the suburbs of Kiev, Russia turned to Donbaswhere he demands that Ukraine cede control of the region to separatist fighters. The occupation of Mariupol would allow Moscow to attempt to encircle the main Ukrainian power in eastern Ukraine.
During the regular morning briefing on the conflict zone, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that, in addition to their attempt to control Mariupol, the Russian forces also want to occupy Popasnaa city more than two hours drive from Lugansk, and preparing to elaunch an attack in the direction of Kurakovoin the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian armed forces announced that Troops repel attacks in Lugansk and Donetsk regions, destroying four tanks, five armored vehicles, two helicopters and four unmanned aircraft. Reuters could not confirm these numbers from independent sources.
Sergiy Gaidai, the governor of Lugansk, called on residents to evacuate using five humanitarian corridors agreed to open today in eastern Ukraine.
“It is much scarier to stay and burn in your sleep than a Russian shell,” he wrote in the Telegram messaging app. “Go away, every day the situation gets worse. Take your necessary items and head to the point of departure “.
A total of nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for today, including one for private vehicles from Mariupol, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Verestsuk.
The British Foreign Secretary Liz Trass It said Monday that Britain was working with its partners to verify details of information that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in their attack on Mariupol.
«Any use of chemical weapons will be answered and all options are on the table as to what that answer might be.“, The Briton told Sky News Undersecretary of Defense James Hippi.
The commander of the separatists, Edward Basurin However, he told the Interfax news agency today that his forces did not use chemical weapons in Mariupol, despite Ukrainian claims to the contrary.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that Kyiv was checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons during the siege of Mariupol.
Allegations of rape and executions
The withdrawal of Russian forces from the outskirts of Kiev brought to light horrific war crimes charges, which include executions and rapes of civilians. Moscow denies the allegations, calling them Ukrainian and Western provocations, and has also accused Ukrainian forces of sexual violence.
UN official Sima Bahous told the Security Council on Monday that while all allegations should be investigated by independent investigators, “the brutality shown against Ukrainian civilians has put us on alert.”
“We are hearing more and more allegations of rape and sexual violence,” he said.
Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations has denied the allegations, accusing Ukraine and its allies of “clearly intending to portray Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Ukrainian government is being directed by the United States to plant false evidence of Russian violence against civilians despite the fact that, as the ministry claimed, Moscow “is taking unprecedented measures to save civilians.”
The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine has accused Russia of holding journalists, activists and elected officials in prisons on Russian soil. Reuters could not confirm the allegation.
American pressure
Putin is scheduled to meet today with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Western sanctions, Russian and Belarusian news agencies reported.
The United States has sought to force Putin to withdraw his forces by banning Russian oil and gas imports and encouraging his allies to follow suit.
However, world powers such as China and India have avoided imposing sanctions on Russia. Motivated by big discounts, India has bought more Russian crude oil since the February 24 invasion than it did last year, according to data compiled by Reuters.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow will not stop fighting for any new round of peace talks. The latter was convened on April 1.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
