In the run-up to his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited the two cities of Borodyanka and Bucha, which were severely affected by the Russian war of aggression. “War is absurd in the 21st century,” he said in Borodyanka, where Russian troops reportedly committed atrocities against civilians.
Valentin Simettinger (text), Christian Öser (image), Carina Kainz, Richard Walde (video), Georg Filzmoser (editing), all ORF.at
In Bucha, Guterres was informed of the murder of civilians at the mass grave site behind a church. “Here you can feel how important a thorough investigation is (…)”, says Guterres. “I imagine my family in one of these houses that are now destroyed,” he told reporters in Borodyanka. “I see my granddaughters running in panic.”
Kiev: More Russian attacks in the east
Meanwhile, according to the General Staff in Kiev, Russian forces have significantly increased the frequency of their attacks in eastern Ukraine. Russian occupiers would attack intensely from virtually all sides and bombing targets, the team said in the Ukrainian capital. Moscow is massing additional forces near Izyum in the Kharkiv region to encircle the defenders, he said.
Above all, the enemy is still fighting for full control over the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to establish a land corridor to Crimea. According to the General Staff in Kiev, the Russian armed forces continue to use Melitopol airport in the Zaporizhia region as a base for their fighter planes and helicopters.
Russian bombing in the Kharkiv region
According to Ukrainian sources, at least three people died and six were injured in the bombing in the Kharkiv region. The local administration blamed Russia for the civilian casualties that night. Regional military chief Oleh Synehubov said two of the six wounded were critically wounded. The Russian military used artillery and mortars.
The Ukrainian army is holding and inflicting casualties on the enemy. Several Russians were captured, he said. The information could not be independently verified.
Kiev: “Extremely difficult weeks”
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Ukraine faces “extremely difficult weeks”. Russia has gathered troops for a “large-scale offensive in eastern Ukraine” and “will try to inflict as much suffering as possible,” Reznikov posted on Facebook.
Debate: What resources does the West have?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been at war in Ukraine for several weeks now, and there is no end in sight. Solidarity with Ukraine unites Europe and the US. What means does the West have to end the war? What are the consequences of alleged crimes against civilians? How could a political solution be?
Discuss with debate.ORF.at!