The Azovstal factory, run by Ukrainian militants, is under constant fire, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said on Twitter. It was attacked with heavy bombs from the air and artillery. Many civilians would have sought refuge at the plant.
Ukraine promotes Putin’s “Easter Peace”
Podoliak, who is also one of the main negotiators in the negotiations with Russia, called on Moscow’s leadership to mark Orthodox Easter celebrations for a “true Easter peace in Mariupol”. Russia must “think about the remnants of its reputation” and agree to an immediate humanitarian corridor for civilians and separate talks for military-civilian exchanges.
Deployment of Russian troops in the north
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia is also strengthening its troops in northern Ukraine. Additional units will be transferred to Russia’s Belgorod region, the Ukrainian General Staff said. Among them are combat units with short-range Iskander-M missiles, stationed about 60 kilometers from the border. Iskander is a short-range mobile ballistic missile system. Guided missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
Constantly updated news about the Russian war in Ukraine on the PULS 24 live blog:
Poor Russian morale slows progress
According to British sources, Ukrainian forces repelled several Russian attacks along the “line of contact” in the eastern region of Donbass this week. Despite some Russian gains on the ground, Ukrainian resistance has been strong on all fronts and has inflicted significant casualties on Russia’s armed forces, the British MoD tweeted from a regular military intelligence situation report. “Russian troop morale and limited time for recovery, re-equipment and force reorganization after previous offensives are likely to hamper Russian combat efficiency,” the status report said.
According to authorities, a 48-year-old man was killed in an overnight Russian bombing raid in the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. The announcement was made by regional governor Valentyn Resnichenko on social media.
According to authorities, eight people were killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region on Saturday. Regional Governor Serhij Gajdaj announced this on social media.