Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky on Sunday April 17 accused Russia of wanting ” destroy “ the entire eastern region of Donbass, promising that everything would be done to defend it, starting with the strategic port of Mariupol where the encircled soldiers are called upon to fight ” until the end “. “Russian soldiers are preparing for an offensive in the east of our country in the near future. They literally want to complete and destroy the Donbass”hammered Mr. Zelensky in a video message.
“Just as the Russian military is destroying Mariupol, they want to wipe out other towns and communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions”he continued, before launching: “we do everything to ensure the defense”. “Sabotage the occupiers’ orders.” Do not cooperate with them (…) You must stand your ground”he said again, adding for Westerners that “the need for an embargo on oil deliveries from Russia is becoming more and more important every day”.
In the East, the Russian Ministry of Defense assured Sunday that “high-precision missiles had destroyed fuel and ammunition warehouses” in Barvinkove (Izium region) and Dobropillia (not far from Donetsk). “The constant shelling of the (Lugansk) region continues”, at the same time deplored its Ukrainian governor, Serguiï Gaïdaï. The locality of “Zolote was hit hard today. They deliberately targeted a five-storey building (…) Two people were killed and five injured”.
“Deliberate Terror”
In this context, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister announced the suspension of the humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from the eastern part of Ukraine, for lack of agreement with the Russian army on a cessation of firing. Further north, in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, at least five people died on Sunday and 20 others injured in a series of Russian strikes, noted regional governor Oleg Sinegoubov. “In the last four days alone, 18 people have been killed and 106 injured” in the bombardments on this city, for his part noted Mr. Zelensky, castigating a “deliberate terror”.
Ignoring the ultimatum from Russia, which had asked the last Ukrainian soldiers present in Mariupol to lay down their arms on Sunday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal assured that the resistance would continue. “No, the city did not fall. Our soldiers are still there. They will fight until the end. As I speak to you, they are still in Mariupol”he told the American television channel ABC.
Moscow had asked the last Ukrainian fighters, entrenched in the Azovstal metallurgical complex, to cease fire in the morning and to evacuate the premises at midday. “All those who have given up their arms will be guaranteed to have their lives saved”promised the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram. “It’s their only chance”. In the early morning of Sunday, the Ukrainian General Staff reported Russian airstrikes on Mariupol and mentioned “assault operations near the port”without further details.
Mariupol, strategic objective
The capture of this city would be an important victory for the Russians because it would allow them to consolidate their coastal territorial gains along the Sea of Azov by linking the Donbass region, partly controlled by their supporters, to the Crimea that Moscow has annexed in 2014. For Volodimir Zelensky, “The situation in Mariupol remains as serious as it can get. Simply inhuman”.
He believes that there is only “two options” : either the Westerners immediately deliver heavy weapons to help him lift the siege of this city inhabited by 441,000 people before the start of the Russian offensive on February 24, or they help him to obtain a cessation of the fighting by the way of negotiation. “There is no food, water or medicine” in Mariupol, he got carried away with the media, accusing Moscow of ” to refuse “ the establishment of humanitarian corridors.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, for her part, demanded on Sunday the opening of an evacuation route for the wounded soldiers who are still there. According to the Executive Director of the World Food Program David Beasley, more than 100,000 civilians are on the verge of starvation in Mariupol, also without heating.
In the kyiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that it fired high-precision missiles at an ammunition factory near Brovary. The mayor of this locality Igor Sapojko affirmed that “some infrastructure elements had been affected” in the early hours of the day. Over the past three days, Russian forces have carried out several strikes on military factories in the capital region, following the downing of the cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea. And talks between Russians and Ukrainians have been stalled for several days now.