The Russian army continues its offensive in Ukraine. On Saturday, March 5, fighting continued on several fronts, in particular near the strategic port of Mariupol, in southeastern Ukraine and not far from Kyiv. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin continued to threaten Westerners with the possible creation of a no-fly zone, which Kyiv demanded but rejected by NATO.
Russian offensive resumed in Mariupol
The Russian army announced on Saturday, March 5, the resumption of the “offensive” after delaying the evacuation of civilians from two besieged cities in southeastern Ukraine, including from the strategic port of Mariupol. The evacuation was delayed by Russia’s repeated violations of the ceasefire, the Mariupol mayor’s office said, and Moscow accused Ukrainian “nationalists” of preventing civilians from leaving and using the truce to secure their fangs.
The capture of this city of 450,000, located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, will be a turning point in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This will connect Russian forces moving out of annexed Crimea, which have already captured the key ports of Berdyansk and Kherson, and separatist and Russian forces in the Donbas.
The Russian army is approaching Kiev
Russian forces are closing in on Kiev, meeting stiff resistance and occasionally bombing residential buildings, especially in Chernihiv, 150 kilometers north of the capital, where dozens of civilians have been killed in recent days. The Russian army also continues shelling the outskirts of Kyiv from the northwest and especially from the east.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had launched a counterattack around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, the site of the most intense bombardment since the start of the war.
Vladimir Putin warned about the no-fly zone
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Saturday that Russia would consider an ally any country attempting to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a statement by Kyiv that NATO rejected.
US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley dismissed the idea of a no-fly zone in Ukraine as it would mean “active combat” by Russian forces. The owner of the Kremlin also said that he did not plan to introduce martial law in Russia, in response to persistent rumors in this direction.
Third round of talks announced
The third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place on Monday, David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said on Saturday. For its part, Beijing called for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine during a telephone conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken.
In anticipation of these new negotiations, international discussions continue. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday to discuss the war in Ukraine. For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba at the Polish-Ukrainian border on Saturday in solidarity on the tenth day of Russia’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.