The night of the war at a glance
Zelenskyy: Fate of the people depends on arms deliveries – supersonic bombers hit Mariupol
04/18/2022 06:29 am
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is again pushing for a supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine. Further delays would amount to “permission for Russia to take the lives of Ukrainians.” According to Ukrainian sources, the port city of Mariupol has become the target of supersonic bombers. The mayor of the city meanwhile warns that there are also thousands of civilians in the embattled steelworks.
Selenskyj calls for an end to hesitation in arms deliveries
In his daily video speech, Zelenskyy warned that the Russian military was preparing an offensive in the Donbass industrial region in eastern Ukraine in the near future: “Just as the Russian troops want to destroy Mariupol, they also want to destroy other cities and towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions raze to the ground.” We are grateful to the partners who help. “But those who have the weapons and ammunition we need and who are holding back their help must know that the fate of this battle also depends on them. The fate of people who can be saved,” said Zelenskyy. In view of an expected new offensive by Russian troops, delays are “permission for Russia to take the lives of Ukrainians”. He did not name any countries. However, there had recently been a dispute in the traffic light coalition in Germany about the delivery of heavy weapons. Politicians from the Greens and FDP had accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of hesitation. Military experts assume that Ukraine will need significantly more heavy weapons in the east of the country to withstand attacks. This is partly due to the open terrain without large forests.
Ukraine reports more attacks on Mariupol
The Ukrainian General Staff reported Russian missile and bomb attacks on besieged Mariupol. Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers would also be used. Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal told US broadcaster ABC that the city had not fallen. The Ukrainian soldiers would “fight to the end” in Mariupol. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reported on the US broadcaster CBS that their own troops were “basically surrounded” by Russian troops who wanted to level Mariupol to the ground. Literally, Kuleba said, “The city no longer exists.” Russia had previously threatened the remaining Ukrainian troops in Mariupol with annihilation. The Ukrainians ignored an ultimatum to lay down their arms and surrender by Sunday noon.
Mariupol’s chief of police: Also many civilians in the steel mill
Several thousand Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol are said to have holed up in the huge Azovstal steelworks. According to local authorities, numerous civilians are also on the contested site of the plant, which also includes underground facilities. People were hiding there from shelling during the weeks-long siege of the city by the Russian military, Mariupol patrol chief Mikhail Vershinin told local television. “They don’t trust the Russians. They see what’s going on in the city and that’s why they stay on the factory premises.” The information could not be independently verified. Large parts of Mariupol are now under the control of the Russian military. Around 100,000 residents stayed in Mariupol, Vershinin said. Russian troops had them clear rubble for food, and had bodies removed and buried in mass graves, he claimed. Before the war, Mariupol had around 400,000 inhabitants. Thousands of civilian deaths are feared after the long siege and constant shelling.
Zelenskyj: Will not give up on eastern Ukraine
In view of the feared large-scale attack in the east of the country, Selenskyj announced tough resistance. “We will not give up our territory,” he told news channel CNN. The battle in the Donbass region could affect the course of the entire war.
Governor: Ukrainian troops recapture places near Kharkiv
According to the authorities, the Ukrainian troops were able to recapture several towns near the city of Kharkiv in the north-east during a counter-offensive. The governor of the region, Oleh Synyehubov, said on his Telegram channel that the Russian troops were being pushed back further from Ukraine’s second largest city. Authorities had previously reported that at least 5 people were killed and 13 injured in shelling in the city center on Sunday.
This will be important on Monday:
- After the Ukrainian troops in Mariupol let the Russian ultimatum expire, the Azovstal area could be stormed. Zelenskyi has already said that the death of the city’s defenders would further complicate negotiations with Russia.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank begin their annual spring meetings, overshadowed by the war.
- In Germany, the debate about armaments aid and the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine is likely to continue.