The Ukrainian president estimates that up to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died so far. New humanitarian corridors for Mariupol and Luhansk were agreed. London reports that Russia is intentionally destroying bridges and infrastructure.
The Ukrainian capital Kiev has been the target of a new Russian attack. There were several explosions in the Darnyzja district, as Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Saturday. Initially, there was no information about possible victims. Russia spoke of the destruction of two weapons factories. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least two civilians died and four were wounded in the east of the country. Nine humanitarian runners were agreed for Saturday.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 19,000 to 20,000 Russians have been killed since the Russian invasion about seven weeks ago. The information cannot be verified.
Damaged armor factory
According to its Defense Ministry, Russia destroyed two weapons factories. This is an armored vehicle factory in Kiev and a military repair facility in Mykolaiv. In addition, a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter was shot down near the town of Izyum, near Kharkiv. According to an AFP correspondent, smoke rose above the premises of the weapons factory in Kiev, which was cordoned off by several police and soldiers. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that the factory’s production buildings had been destroyed by bombing with “high-precision long-range weapons”.
On Friday, Russian troops had already attacked a weapons complex near Kiev, in which, according to the website of the state arms company Ukroboronprom, “Neptune” rockets were being manufactured. The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship missile cruiser Moskva, which has since sunk, was hit by Neptune missiles on Thursday, according to a Ukrainian army spokesman. Moscow did not confirm this information and only spoke of explosions and fires on board.
Russian attacks on the Kiev region have actually decreased since late March. Moscow announced at the time that it wanted to focus its offensive on eastern Ukraine. On Friday, however, the Kremlin threatened to step up its attacks on the Ukrainian capital again. He previously accused Ukraine of bombing Russian cities near the border. The Kiev government sees the new Russian attacks in the capital region as an attempt to retaliate for the destruction of “Moskva”.
Klitschko appeals to wait before returning
On the Telegram news channel, Klitschko appealed to the public not to ignore the authorities’ aerial alarms. There are air alerts several times a day in the Ukrainian capital. As people who fled the attacks are now returning to Kiev, the mayor called for this to be stopped and for them to stay in safe places.
The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, told Telegram that one civilian was killed and three others were wounded in Russian attacks. He urged the population to flee as long as possible. Buses are ready to take people to safety. The governor of Poltava region west of Luhansk also reported civilian casualties. One person died and one was injured in a nighttime attack on a village near the regional capital Poltava.
With their own runaway cars
According to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Wereshtschuk, nine escape runners have been agreed for Saturday. From the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, people must try to flee in their own cars. Five corridors are planned for the eastern Luhansk region.
In addition to the death toll of up to 3,000, Zelenskiy also mentioned the number of around 10,000 wounded soldiers on the Ukrainian side on CNN. The number of up to 20,000 Russian soldiers killed cited by the Ukrainian president differs greatly from the Russian figures for March, when it said 1,351 soldiers killed and 3,825 wounded.
Caritas regrets the loss of local employees
Caritas reported the murder of another employee of a local aid organization. The man was killed on Maundy Thursday in a rocket attack near a children’s and family center on the outskirts of Kharkiv, which is cared for by a local welfare service and Caritas, said Klaus, director of Caritas Vienna. Schwertner, to the Kathpress News. agency on Saturday. While the three foster families with 30 children had already been taken to safety in western Ukraine and the Czech Republic, the employee stayed until the end as a guard at the small children’s village, Schwertner said.
According to British intelligence, the delivery of emergency supplies is being hampered by the extensive destruction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. A Defense Ministry statement in London said Russian troops deliberately blew up bridges, abandoned vehicles on key routes and dispersed landmines as they retreated. In the city of Chernihiv, for example, there is only one pedestrian bridge over the river.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s government expects the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall by 30% to 50% this year. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said this on television.
(APA/dpa/Reuters/AFP)