Putin likens Western sanctions to war, civilians trapped in Mariupol, and NATO wary of an exclusion zone in Ukraine, this Saturday, March 5, marks another critical day in the conflict that pits Russia against Ukraine.
Highlights of this Saturday, March 5
- Putin says he wants ‘demilitarized’ Ukraine
- Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of obstructing the evacuation of civilians
- The offensive of Russian troops in Mariupol resumed.
- Up to 1.5 million refugees expected by Sunday evening
- NATO refuses to introduce a no-fly zone in Ukraine
- New talks scheduled for Monday
- Putin regarded economic sanctions as a declaration of war
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, March 5 that Western sanctions were akin to waras his troops continued to attack Ukraine, where the evacuation of the civilian population was suspended.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of not creating the conditions for civilians to flee fighting in two bombed-out cities on the tenth day of the war that caused Europe’s worst humanitarian disaster in decades.
This war has begun last February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led to the exodus of almost 1.5 million refugees in the European Unionand provoked international sanctions without previous against Moscow, risking provoking recession Peace.
Zelensky needs help
During a video conference with the US Senate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “desperately called” the planes to intervene to fight the Russian occupiers, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Vladimir Zelensky continues to ask the West to frame no fly zone above from Ukrainebut the US and its NATO allies ruled out such a possibility, fearing direct confrontation with Moscow. The third round of talks to end the conflict is scheduled for Monday between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
Truce violated in Mariupol
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the opening of humanitarian corridors near cities Mariupol and from Volnovakhasurrounded by his troops. But in Mariupol, the municipality said that Russia did not observe the ceasefire and asked residents to return to shelters and wait for further information about the evacuation.
The Red Cross describes the situation in Mariupol as “heartbreaking”. This strategic port on the Sea of Azov is surrounded by Russian and pro-Russian forces. The evacuation of civilians, however planned by both sides, was delayed. The Russian army resumed the offensive. pic.twitter.com/0DcywByGae
— TV5MONDE info (@TV5MONDEINFO) March 5, 2022
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the evacuation of civilians in these two cities should not take place on Saturday. The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Ukrainian “nationalists” of preventing civilians from leaving, RIA Novosti reports. This southeastern port came under heavy shelling due to its strategic interest for Moscowassociated with its central position between eastern Ukraine under the control of pro-Russian separatists and Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.
“Last night, the shelling was stronger and closer together,” testifies a member of the organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF), adding that there was still no electricity, water, heating and mobile communications, and food was scarce. The Ukrainian government initially said it planned to evacuate about 200,000 people from Mariupol and 15,000 people from Volnovakha. The Red Cross is the guarantor of the ceasefire.
humanitarian catastrophe
The Russian Defense Ministry said that a major offensive will continue in Ukraine, where he denies targeting civilians or invaded the country, naming their actions “special military operation“. Humanitarian organizations warn of catastrophe humanitarianwhile food, water and medical equipment are in short supply.
By the end of the weekend, the number of refugees could reach 1.5 million, up from 1.3 million now, the head of the UN refugee agency said today.
Putin wants a “denazified” Ukraine
Ukrainian authorities reported thousands of dead and injured civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia wants Ukraine to be “demilitarized”.denazified“and that Ukraine has a status of neutrality.
“These sanctions that are being introduced are akin to to a declaration of warbut, thank God, it hasn’t come to that yet,” he said. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the West of banditry and threatened take revengewithout giving details.
The column of Russian armor is worried
According to the Ukrainian government, Russian forces have focused their efforts on encircling Kyiv and Kharkov, the country’s second largest city, in order to establish a land bridge to Crimea. Kyiv, which on the way of the Russian tank column blockaded for several days outside the Ukrainian capital, came under fire again, explosions are heard from the city center.
According to the Ukrainian media “Suspolnoye”, the authorities sumia city about 300 km east of Kyiv, warned of possible fighting on the streets of the city and urged residents to take cover.
How many messages have I received about this? Contrary to what we intuitively think, the “no-fly zone” is an offensive measure. Not defensive. To force it means to send allied aircraft against Russian assets in the Ukrainian sky https://t.co/OiXoxbwozS
— Muriel Domenach (@MurielDomenach) March 4, 2022
This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov. 66,224 Ukrainians returned from abroad join the fight against Russian troops.
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been widely condemned by the international community. Western countries have imposed tough sanctions on Moscow in an attempt to contain the conflict.
Kyiv resists
The Ukrainian army said in a statement on Saturday that the armed forces “fiercely fought for the liberation of Ukrainian cities from Russian invaders“, counterattacking in some areas and disrupting communications.
“The units of the invaders are demoralized, the soldiers and officers of the occupying army continue to surrender, flee, leaving weapons and equipment on the territory of Ukraine,” the report says.
Russia said it had destroyed 82 Ukrainian aircraft, 708 armored vehicles, 74 multiple rocket launchers and 56 drones. Reuters was unable to independently verify this information. Russian troops have made a breakthrough in the south, where they took control of the large city of Kherson for the first time this week. In recent days, the shelling of the cities of Kharkov and Chernigov in the north-east of the country has intensified.
A rally in support of Ukraine this Saturday afternoon in Paris, on the Place de la République, drew tens of thousands of demonstrators.