An International Red Cross convoy that was supposed to take Mariupol residents to safety on Friday had to turn back. The situation made it impossible to continue with the relief effort, it said in a statement. In recent days, ceasefires planned for evacuation along certain roads have not been observed repeatedly. Meanwhile, for the first time since the start of the war, Russia has accused Ukraine of an attack on its own territory – after initial hesitation, Kiev has denied it.
Alice Hohl, Jürgen Klatzer (text), Lukas Krummholz (image), Florian Zischka (video), Mario Palaschke (edit), all ORF.at/agents
Ukrainian helicopters attacked a fuel depot in the city of Belgorod, causing a massive fire, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, told the Telegram news channel. Ukraine rejected Russian allegations overnight. “For some reason they claim it was us,” Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said of the fire in the border town of Belgorod. “According to the information I have, this is not true.”
A spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry had neither confirmed nor denied the allegations previously. Ukraine is currently defending itself and cannot be held responsible for “any catastrophe on Russian territory”.
more negotiations
However, negotiations on a ceasefire resumed. The Kremlin said the Belgorod attack would complicate ceasefire negotiations with Kiev. “Of course, this does not create favorable conditions for the continuation of negotiations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow.
Billions in Mariupol Damage
According to the city, the attack on Mariupol has already caused at least ten billion dollars in damage to the port city’s infrastructure. “Every crime, every murder and every act of destruction committed by the perpetrator must be documented and forwarded to the International Court of Justice,” demanded Mayor Vadym Boichenko. The humanitarian situation in the city is getting worse every day, water, food and heated rooms are hardly available.
Debate: What will be the impact of the war?
Russian President Vladimir Putin continues the war in Ukraine despite international appeals and sanctions. How effective are sanctions? Why is Ukraine so alone? What is the best way to help refugees? What effects will the war have?
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