The ultimatum of the Russian forces to the last defenders of Mariupol, barricaded in a steel mill, expired at 5 am Italian time. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls the situation in the besieged port city “inhuman”.
“Given the desperate situation that has arisen at the Azovstal metallurgical plant, and guided by humanitarian principles, the Russian armed forces offer the militants of the nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries to stop the hostilities and lay down their weapons. In exchange they will be spared. life “, General Mikhail Mizintsev, who commands the siege of Mariupol, declared in a statement.
“The situation in the city remains as serious as possible.
Simply inhumane. Russia is deliberately trying to destroy everyone there in Mariupol, “Zelensky said in his latest video message to the Ukrainians.” There are only two ways to influence “this situation, Zelensky continued:” Or our partners will give. immediately to Ukraine all the heavy weapons and aircraft necessary, or a negotiation path is needed in which the role of the partners is also decisive “.
On the arms front, the first weapons of the latest $ 800 million US military aid package in Kiev “has started to arrive” in Ukraine, a White House official said. On the diplomatic front, however, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich would have traveled to Kiev in an attempt to resume peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, informed sources say.
Then there is the sanctions front. The sixth package of EU measures against Moscow will target oil and banks. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
“We are further examining the banking sector, in particular Sberbank, which represents 37% of the Russian banking sector. And of course there are energy issues”, said Von der Leyen, explaining that the EU is working on “intelligent mechanisms” in so that oil can also be included in the next sanctions.
In an interview with CNN that will air today, Zelensky reiterates that “Russia in Ukraine is committing genocide: they do not kill soldiers, they kill civilians. We have audio and video evidence in which the Russians are heard saying that they hate us and that will destroy us “, said Ukrainian President Zelensky in the previews broadcast by the American all news.
The anti-aircraft warning sirens also rang this morning in Ukraine, in almost all regions. Irpin’s mayor, Oleksandr Markushin, said 71% of the city has suffered damage from Russian bombing so far, with more than 1,000 buildings affected including 115 completely destroyed.
And there remains the fear of nuclear and chemical weapons. “The Russians may be willing to use tactical nuclear weapons” to win this war, according to Nina Krusciova, great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Remains of chemical weapons have been found in the village of Bilka, according to the authorities of the northern Ukrainian city of Trostianets.
Source: Ansa
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