08.37 A statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin has been erected in Henichesk, a Russianoccupied Ukrainian city on the Azov Sea in Kherson Province, a few kilometers north of the border with annexed Crimea and about 290 km southwest of Mariupol, CNN reports today published a photo taken by Facebook. The original statue of Lenin in front of the government building was demolished on July 16, 2015 by order of the city council as part of the campaign to eliminate the remains of the Soviet era in the country. The new statue stands in front of the city’s regional council building, which has a Russian flag hoisted on its roof. Henichesk, recalls CNN, was one of the last cities in the region to have a statue of Lenin. A Ukrainian official from Kherson, Yuri Sobolevsky, confirmed the installation of the new statue in a post on Facebook. “Orcs in the Kherson region continue their experiments to travel back in time,” he wrote, using the slang for Russian soldiers. “Red flags, monuments of the Soviet era he added . And all against the background of a deepening humanitarian crisis, strict repression of dissent and public demonstrations. Their motive is absolutely transparent: they behave like jackals, using nostalgia feelings of the population”.
08.25 Russian forces will not stop the offensive against Ukraine and a ceasefire is not expected in the near future: However, UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said he did not rule out a ceasefire in the coming weeks. “A ceasefire is not in sight now, it could happen in a few weeks,” Griffiths commented, adding he will travel to Turkey to discuss possible ways to further the peace process with President Erdogan. Ukraine accepted most of the proposals on humanitarian issues, Griffiths reminded, but Russia did not provide any answers.
07.53 Japan will send drones as well as suits and masks to Ukraine against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks: the Ministry of Defense announced this on its Twitter account, according to Ukrinform. The ministry did not provide any further information on the planned delivery to Kyiv to support the country in the war against Russia.
03.22 “I will return to Kyiv, but to bring something useful. I don’t have to go there just to show my support.” French President Emmanuel Macron told France 5 TV, the Guardian reported. “If I go to Kyiv, it has to make a difference,” Macron said, adding that he has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forty times since the war with Russia began.
02.00 Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said about 40,000 civilians were “forcibly deported” from the city to Russia or Russiancontrolled regions of Ukraine. The BBC reports. In a speech on Ukrainian television, Boichenko said these numbers were “verified by the municipal register.”
01.25 Joe Biden will hear from allies and partners on Ukraine later in the day. This was announced by the White House, stressing that the video call is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Italian time.
00.33 According to Ukraina 24 reports, bombings would take place in Kharkiv.