Status: 11.04.2022 16:09
The Ukrainian army also expects Russian attacks from the west. President Zelenskyy again called for heavy weapons from the international community. He assumes tens of thousands of civilians killed in Mariupol.
The Ukrainian leadership fears a Russian attack from the west. Russian troops stationed in the Republic of Moldova could be used for this purpose, it was said in Kiev. “It cannot be ruled out that the Russian armed forces carry out provocations on the territory of the Transnistrian region of Moldova,” the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Transnistria, located on the border with Ukraine, is part of the Republic of Moldova under international law but has been controlled by Russia since 1990. If Russian troops from Transnistria and pro-Moscow paramilitary groups in the region intervene in the Ukraine war, there is a potential threat to encircle Ukrainian forces in the south of the country, especially around the Odessa region. Russia has so far denied such intentions.
Concentration of Russian troops in the east
In addition, Kiev reports a higher concentration of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. Among them are troops from Siberia and the Russian Far East. “The occupiers will probably try to renew their offensive in the coming days,” the Ukrainian general staff said. At the same time, the general staff reported on its Facebook page in its daily report that another 200 Russian soldiers were killed, three tanks and twelve armored vehicles, five artillery pieces, three rocket launchers and two aircraft destroyed. The information could not be independently verified.
Shaded in white: Russian army advance. Shaded in green: Russian-backed separatist areas. Crimea: annexed by Russia. Image: ISW/04/10/2022
Ukrainian Army: “Last Battle” for Mariupol
According to the Ukrainian military, they are preparing for a “final battle” for Mariupol. “Today will probably be the last battle because the ammunition is running out,” declared the 36th Naval Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Facebook. The soldiers were “pushed back” and “surrounded” by the Russian army. The achievement will mean “death for some of us and prison for the rest.”
War against Ukraine: summary of the current situation in Mariupol
Sabine Krebs, ARD Warsaw, Daily News at 4pm, 11 April 2022
Zelenskyy: Tens of thousands dead in Mariupol
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message to the South Korean parliament that he assumed “tens of thousands of Mariupol citizens were killed”. The Russians “completely destroyed” the southern Ukrainian port city that had been under siege for weeks.
Selenskyj demands heavy weapons again
In his speech, he also called on the international community for more military support, “from planes to tanks”. “There can be no hope that Russia will just stop,” he said. “We need anti-aircraft systems, we need aircraft, tanks, other armored vehicles, artillery systems and ammunition,” he said.
Moscow can only be forced to make peace. However, previous sanctions were not enough. “The ties between Russian banks and the global financial system must be completely severed,” emphasized Zelenskyy. Above all, Russian oil exports must be stopped.
Two Caritas workers killed in Mariupol
The humanitarian organization Caritas International reported the death of two employees in Mariupol. Two Ukrainian employees and a person seeking help were killed in a rocket attack on the organization’s building. “The fact that Caritas Ukraine employees, risking their lives, continue to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid every day is admirable and deserves great respect,” said Caritas International head Oliver Müller. Caritas also remains active in other troubled cities such as Kramatorsk, Zaporizhia or Kiev.