A man walks through the ruins of destroyed buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine April 17, 2022. ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/ REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, April 17, accused Russia of wanting to “destroy” the entire eastern region of Donbass and promised to do everything in its defense, starting with the strategic port of Mariupol, where the soldiers were surrounded be called to fight “to the end”. Russian soldiers are preparing for an offensive in the east of our country in the near future. They want to literally finish off and destroy Donbass, Mr. Zelensky hammered home in a video message.
“Just as the Russian military is destroying Mariupol, they want to destroy other cities and other communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” he continued, before launching: “We are doing everything we can to ensure defense. “Sabotage the occupiers’ orders.” Do not cooperate with them. (…) You must stand your ground, he said again, adding for Westerners that the need for an embargo on oil shipments from Russia is becoming more important by the day.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers War in Ukraine: UK is determined to provide Ukrainians with what they need
In the east, the Russian Defense Ministry assured on Sunday that “high-precision missiles destroyed fuel and ammunition depots” in Barvinkove (Izium region) and Dobropillia (not far from Donetsk). The constant bombing of the region [de Louhansk] goes on, complained her Ukrainian governor Serguiï Gaïdaï at the same time. The village of “Zolote” was hit hard today. They purposely aimed at a five-story building. (…) Two people were killed and five injured.
“Premeditated Terror”
In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine announced the suspension of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from eastern Ukraine, due to the failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with the Russian army. Further north, in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, at least five people died and 20 others were injured in a series of Russian strikes on Sunday, regional governor Oleg Sinegoubov said. “In the last four days alone, 18 people have been killed and 106 injured” in the bombing of that city, Mr. Zelensky noted for his part, chastising “premeditated terror”.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers War in Ukraine: possible military scenarios in Donbass
Despite Russia’s ultimatum on Sunday ordering the last Ukrainian soldiers present in Mariupol to lay down their arms, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Khmygal gave assurances that the resistance would continue. “No, the city didn’t fall. Our soldiers are still there. You will fight to the end. As I speak to you, you are still in Mariupol,” he told ABC.
Moscow had asked the last Ukrainian militants holed up in the Azovstal metallurgical complex to cease fire in the morning and evacuate the site by midday. “Everyone who surrendered their weapons will have their life saved,” the Russian Defense Ministry promised in a telegram. “It’s her only chance.” Early on Sunday morning, the Ukrainian general staff reported Russian airstrikes on Mariupol without further details, mentioning “assault operations near the port”.
Mariupol, strategic goal
The capture of this city would be an important victory for the Russians, as it would allow them to consolidate their territorial gains on the coast along the Sea of Azov, merging the Donbass region, partially controlled by their supporters, with Crimea which Moscow annexed in 2014 For Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the situation in Mariupol remains as serious as it can be. Simply inhuman”.
He believes there are only “two options”: either the Westerners immediately deliver heavy weapons to help him lift the siege on the city of 441,000 before the start of the Russian offensive on February 24, or they help him launch a Obtain attitude of struggles through negotiations. “There is no food, no water, no medicine” in Mariupol, he got carried away by the media and accused Moscow of “refusing” to set up humanitarian corridors.
For her part, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Sunday called for the opening of an evacuation route for the wounded soldiers still there. According to World Food Program executive director David Beasley, more than 100,000 civilians in Mariupol are at risk of starvation even without heating.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers Possible abuses by Ukrainian soldiers
In the Kyiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that it had fired high-precision missiles at an ammunition factory near Brovary. The mayor of this locality, Igor Sapojko, said that “some infrastructure elements were affected” in the early hours of the morning. In the past three days, Russian forces have launched several attacks on military factories in the capital region after the cruiser Moskva was shot down in the Black Sea. And talks between Russians and Ukrainians have stalled for several days.