Night overview of war Ukraine counts 600 prisoners of war – Moscow urges Mariupol to surrender
05/04/2022, 06:50
The outrage over war crimes against civilians in the village of Bucha continues. The Ukrainian judiciary is investigating hundreds of indications of new massacres in the Kiev region. President Selenskyj calls for a full investigation of the crimes. Meanwhile, the Russian army is again calling on the defenders of the besieged city of Mariupol to surrender.
Russia asks Ukrainian army to surrender in Mariupol
The Russian army has again asked Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks, to lay down their arms. Soldiers should be able to safely leave the port city in the morning via a corridor towards Kiev-controlled areas, said Major General Mikhail Mizintsev of the Russian Defense Ministry. “All those who lay down their weapons are guaranteed their lives,” he said.
Justice counts hundreds of atrocities in Kiev region
According to the Ukraine Prosecutor General’s Office, more than 7,000 reports of Russian war crimes have been recorded in the region around the capital Kiev. Most of the victims were in Borodyanka, Attorney General Iryna Venediktova said, according to Unian news agency. “I think we’ll talk about Borodyanka separately.” The Attorney General’s Office is working on the investigation of war crimes in Irpin, Bucha and Worsel.
Selenskyj demands clarification on massacres
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has assured that those responsible for the atrocities will be held accountable. “The time will come when all Russians will know the whole truth about which of their fellow citizens[na Ucrânia]committed the murders. Who gave the orders. Who turned a blind eye to the killings,” said the Ukrainian president. He invited journalists from around the world to look at the destroyed cities. “Let the world see what Russia has done!” Zelenskyy, who visited Bucha on Monday, fears that Russian troops are trying to “cover up their crimes”.
US satellite images confirm bodies in Bucha before Russian withdrawal
Meanwhile, US satellite imagery refutes the Russian thesis that some of the bodies found in Bucha were only dumped there after Russian troops withdrew. The “high resolution” images “confirm recent videos and photos on social media showing bodies that have been on the streets for weeks,” said a spokesman for US satellite imaging company Maxar Technologies.
The Russian Defense Ministry described the images as “fake”. So the bodies were not there when Russian forces withdrew on March 30. However, Maxar satellite images from March 19 and 21 show that already at that time there were several bodies on Yablonska Street in Bucha.
Deaths and injuries in air strikes
Several people were killed and wounded in Russian attacks in the southern Ukrainian town of Mykolaiv, according to Ukrainian sources. The region’s governor, Vitaly Kim, reported 11 dead and 62 wounded. During the night, air attacks were also raised in Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk oblasts and Sumy, Chernihiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhia oblasts.
Ukraine has 600 prisoners of war
About 600 Russian soldiers are in captivity in Ukraine, as Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, according to “Ukrajinska Pravda” on the standard program on Ukrainian television. They are looking for ways to reach Ukrainians in Russian POWs through the Red Cross and want to persuade Russia to release them.
CSU demands more weapons for Ukraine
In view of the atrocities in Butscha, CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt urged the federal government to support Ukraine with more arms deliveries. “Bucha’s photos cut to the marrow and bones and show an unspeakable violation of civilization in Russia,” Dobrindt told the Augsburger Allgemeine. “Now we need to further strengthen Ukraine’s defense capability with weapons, protected vehicles and drone reconnaissance technology, which not only needs to be provided by the Bundeswehr but also by industry.”
This is going to be important today
- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry expects further attacks on the city of Kharkiv. Russian troops were preparing to take the city, Defense Ministry spokesman Olexander Motusyanyk said, according to Ukrayinska Pravda.
- With a supporters’ conference in Berlin, Foreign Minister Baerbock wants to increase international aid to the Republic of Moldova, which is visited by many Ukrainian war refugees. Refugee supplies and rising energy prices must play a role.
- President Zelenskyy wants to address members of the United Nations Security Council via a video link.
You can read all the developments in our live ticker about the war in Ukraine.