The day of the war at a glance: Selenskyj does not give up Mariupol – USA delivers special Ukraine drones

The day of the war at a glance
Zelenskyy does not give up Mariupol – USA supplies special Ukraine drones

Russia announces complete capture of the port city of Mariupol. But Ukrainian fighters are still holding out in the Azovstal steelworks. President Zelenskyy is not yet giving up on Mariupol and is already thinking about the liberation of the metropolis. Meanwhile, the US government announces the development of a new drone specifically designed for Ukraine. The 57th day of the war at a glance:

Zelenskyy doesn’t think Mariupol is lost yet

Fighting raged around Mariupol for weeks. According to its own statements, Russia has now completely conquered the port city. This was announced by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The steel works of the Azowstal factory, where Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are still holding out, are no longer to be stormed but besieged. “Block this industrial zone so that not even a fly comes out,” Putin said on state television. The Ukrainian fighters should lay down their arms and they would escape with their lives.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not believe that Mariupol is completely lost. “The situation is difficult, the situation is bad,” said the head of state in Kyiv. There are several ways to liberate the city. “There is a military path to prepare for, and we are preparing,” said Zelenskyy. This requires the help of Western partners. Another way is a diplomatic, humanitarian one. Kyiv has already proposed several options to Moscow, including an exchange of “wounded for wounded”.

More military aid to Ukraine

Just last week, the United States put together a huge armaments package for Ukraine – now the next one is already following. US President Joe Biden has promised the country another $800 million in weapons supplies. “This package includes heavy artillery pieces, dozens of howitzers and 144,000 rounds of ammunition for those howitzers,” Biden said at the White House.

Further help comes from Lithuania. Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told the BNS agency that his country had sent heavy mortars to Ukraine. Also, from the stocks of the army of the EU and NATO country, Kyiv received Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition, grenades, machine guns and pistols and other equipment, Anusauskas said. Spain is also supplying Ukraine with additional military equipment. “A Spanish Navy ship, the ‘Isabel’, left a Spanish port for Poland today,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during a visit to Kyiv. On board are 200 tons of “modern ammunition” and other material such as heavy transport vehicles.

US developed drone for Ukraine

The US government’s new armaments package also includes a drone specially developed for Ukraine. “This was quickly developed by the Air Force specifically in response to Ukrainian requirements,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. More than 120 of the drones named “Phoenix Ghost” are to be delivered to Ukraine. The new drone is similar to the so-called switchblade drones. The Switchblades are mini drones and initially start without a target. They can then circle above the ground for a long time in order to lurk and attack a target there. Then they destroy themselves.

Russia advances in the Donbass

Moscow’s troops are making slow progress in eastern Ukraine. According to their own statements, Russian forces have taken the small eastern Ukrainian town of Kreminna in the Luhansk region, which had previously been turned into a fortification by the Ukrainian army. The report could not be independently verified. However, in the days before there had been reports from the Ukrainian side that Kreminna had fallen. According to Ukrainian sources, the cities of Rubishne and Popasna are also “partially” in Russian hands. According to British intelligence, Moscow’s troops are also advancing in the direction of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region.

Despite the advances, Ukraine believes that the expected major Russian offensive has not yet begun. Attacks began along the entire front line on the territory of the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions on Tuesday morning, Secretary of the Ukrainian Security Council Oleksiy Danilov said in a radio interview. However, it is likely that these are only “test attacks”.

Zuckerberg and Harris Redlisted

US President Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are already banned from entering Russia. In response to Western sanctions, the Kremlin has again imposed dozens of travel bans on US citizens and Canadians. Among those named are Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris. The State Department in Moscow published a list with a total of 29 US citizens and 61 Canadians, including government officials, military officials, scientists, entrepreneurs, experts and journalists.

Kyiv reports prisoner exchange

Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian sources, 19 soldiers and civilians have been freed in a prisoner exchange with Russia. “We were able to bring back 19 people, including 10 military personnel, including 2 officers, and 9 civilians,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told Telegram. She gave no information on any Russians who might have been released in return. No confirmation of the exchange came from Moscow.

It is the fifth time that the two warring factions have exchanged prisoners since the Russian attack began in late February, Vereshchuk said. According to the deputy head of government on Tuesday, 66 Ukrainians were released the previous time. This time there were also injured among the liberated, she explained.

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