update on the 59th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
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As the war in Ukraine will enter its third month on Sunday, fighting continued this Saturday in Donbass and the south of the country, where hopes for a truce on the occasion of the Orthodox holiday of Easter remain for the dead letter hour. Zelensky gave a historic press conference in the metro in Kyiv. Story of this 59th day of war in Ukraine.
• Strikes on Odessa
At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in Russian strikes on the port city of Odessa in southern Ukraine on Saturday.
Andrii Yermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidency explained that a baby of « three months » is among the victims. According to the Air Force, two missiles hit a military installation, and two others apartment buildings. Two more were destroyed by the anti-aircraft defense system, according to the Air Force.
The Russian army also said on Saturday that it had targeted with « high precision missiles » a large depot of weapons delivered to Ukrainian forces by the United States and European countries.
All these strikes follow Moscow’s remarks on Friday, which announced that it was aiming for « total control » of southern Ukraine and the Donbass region in order to « ensure a land corridor to Crimea ».
« This will weigh on vital infrastructure of the Ukrainian economy, the Black Sea ports through which deliveries of agricultural and metallurgical products are made », declared in particular a senior Russian military official.
• Zelensky’s communication demonstration in the metro in Kyiv
In a surreal setting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered himself an important demonstration of communication this Saturday from inside a metro station in downtown kyiv. On a chair, escalators behind his back, he responded to several journalists from around the world who had gathered to ask him about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Among his announcements, the president renewed his desire for peace between kyiv and Moscow.
« I think whoever started this war will be able to end it, » Zelensky said, repeating that he was not afraid to meet Putin if it led to a peace agreement.
On the other hand, he also warned: « If the Mariupol resistance fighters are killed or if the Kherson referendum takes place, Ukraine will exit the negotiation process. »
This Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky is to meet Antony Blinken, the head of American diplomacy, as he announced during his press conference. This will be the first official visit by US government officials to Ukraine since February 24. He hopes to draw from it in particular a delivery of arms.
• Failed evacuation of Mariupol
A new attempt to evacuate civilians from the port of Mariupol was planned for this Saturday, as indicated by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. But this ultimately did not take place because it was disrupted by Moscow. In any case, this is what the deputy mayor of Mariupol Sergei Orlov reports on BFMTV.
« Today, we consider that there are 28,000 inhabitants who are dead. These are civilian inhabitants killed because of the bombardments and the fighting that took place in the city, » he said.
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Information confirmed by a deputy mayor of the port city in southeastern Ukraine on Telegram.
According to Petro Andryushchenko, some 200 residents of this industrial port on the Sea of Azov had started to gather to be evacuated when they were « dispersed » by the Russian army. Some were then reportedly forced to board buses bound for a locality occupied by the Russians, 80 km to the north. “Once again the Russians have disrupted an evacuation,” lamented the deputy mayor.
• No truce in sight for Orthodox Easter
Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Friday evening, before the Orthodox Easter this Sunday, for a « humanitarian pause » to evacuate civilians from besieged Ukrainian cities, first and foremost Mariupol, hopes for a truce have been shattered .
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Vladimir Putin, called on Saturday to pray for a « lasting peace » without mentioning the idea of a truce for the Easter weekend for Orthodox Christians.
For their part, the Ukrainian authorities have called on the faithful to follow the ceremonies of the Orthodox Easter Vigil online, and not to derogate from the curfew, fearing « provocations » during ceremonies which usually attract crowds.
Thus in kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko recalled that the curfew would be in effect from 11 p.m. local Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday.
• Takeover by Ukraine of localities near Kharkiv
Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday that they had taken over three villages near Kharkiv in the east, Ukraine’s second largest city, while fighting continued in Donbass and the south of the country.
« Our Ukrainian armed forces succeeded in a counter-offensive launched yesterday morning. After fierce fighting, our units dislodged Russian troops from Bezrouki, Slatin and Proudyanka, » said Oleg Sinegoubov, governor of the Kharkiv region. 876450610001_6304583546001
Fighting was intense in the east in the Kharkiv region. This Saturday morning, the Russian army said it had carried out 1,098 strikes with artillery and rockets in the past 24 hours. « They literally bomb everything (…) H24 », wrote on his Telegram channel the governor of the Lugansk region, Serguiï Gaidai, calling on the population to evacuate. He announced two dead and two wounded in Zolote.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
