War in Ukraine: new American military aid, 50 civilians evacuated to Mariupol


THE ESSENTIAL

Washington announced on Friday new military aid to Ukraine where the Russian offensive knows no truce, including, according to kyiv, in Mariupol where around fifty civilians were however able to be evacuated.

A continuation of the fighting despite the unanimous adoption by the UN Security Council on Friday of a declaration calling for peace in this country, which enters its 72nd day of war on Saturday.

The main information to remember:

  • Joe Biden announces new military aid to Ukraine
  • Evacuation of 50 civilians in Mariupol
  • 41 people freed in prisoner exchange
  • Mariupol is totally ‘destroyed’, says Zelensky

50 people evacuated from Azovstal plant in Mariupol –

Fifty civilians were evacuated thanks to a new humanitarian convoy on Friday from the huge Azovstal factory, the last pocket of resistance of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, a port city besieged by Russian troops, announced Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

“Today we managed to get 50 women, children and elderly people out of Azovstal. Tomorrow morning we will continue the evacuation operation,” Vereshchuk announced on Telegram. The Russian Ministry of Defense specified for its part that eleven children, out of these fifty civilians, had been evacuated.

New US military aid

Joe Biden on Friday announced new military aid to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion, including artillery munitions and radar, but the US president warned that arms funds for kyiv were now “virtually exhausted. “.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement that the amount of this aid represented 150 million dollars, well below previous shipments of American weapons.

It includes in particular 25,000 155 mm shells, counter-battery radars to detect Russian artillery fire and communications jamming devices, an official also added.

Russia “forever” in southern Ukraine

Russia will remain “forever” in southern Ukraine, senior Russian parliamentarian Andrei Tourchak said on Friday during a visit to Kherson, a major Ukrainian city which Moscow has claimed full control since March.

Severodonetsk, one of the major localities in Donbass still controlled by the Ukrainians, is for its part “almost surrounded” by Russian forces and separatists, its mayor said on Friday.

Mariupol “completely destroyed”, according to Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that the city of Mariupol was “completely destroyed” and that there was nothing left for Russia to take apart from its Azovstal steel plant.

Mr. Zelensky was questioned, during a videoconference organized by the Chatham House think tank in London, about what the fall of this strategic port at the southern tip of the Donbass, where only a pocket of resistance in the this steel complex.

Security Council backs Guterres

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a statement giving “strong support” to the UN secretary-general “in the search for a peaceful solution” to Russia’s war on Ukraine. , we learned from diplomatic sources.

Written by Norway and Mexico and obtained by AFP, the declaration does not go so far as to support mediation by Antonio Guterres as provided for in a first version of the text negotiated since Thursday. The declaration adopted represents the first demonstration of unity by the Security Council since the start of the invasion on 24 February.

Exchange of prisoners: 41 people freed

Forty-one people, including 11 women, have been released in a new prisoner exchange with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced on Friday.

She did not reveal the number of Russians handed over to their country.

G7 videoconference with Zelensky

The leaders of the great powers of the G7 will have a virtual meeting on Sunday devoted to the war in Ukraine in which Mr. Zelensky must also participate, announced on Friday a spokesperson for the German chancellor whose country holds the presidency of the G7 this year.

A mysterious mega-yacht stranded in Italy

A mysterious mega-yacht worth an estimated $700 million (636 million euros) whose owner’s name has not been made public and which appeared to be on the way out, was immobilized on Friday by Italian authorities .

The investigation by the Italian authorities “has established significant economic and business links between the person who officially owns the ship Scheherazade and eminent Russian government figures” as well as Russian figures sanctioned by the West. following the invasion of Ukraine, says a statement from the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.

He therefore decided to immobilize the ship.

Shots fired during Azovstal evacuation, kyiv says

The Azov regiment, which defends the huge Azovstal steelworks where the last Ukrainian fighters from the besieged city of Mariupol (southeast) are entrenched, accused Russian forces on Friday of having targeted one of its cars taking part in the operation. evacuation of civilians, killing one soldier and injuring six.

The Russian army announced Wednesday evening that it would respect a unilateral ceasefire for three days, from Thursday to Saturday, to allow the evacuation of civilians, but information about the situation on the spot remains contradictory.

“Nearly 500 civilians” in total have been evacuated in recent days, according to kyiv, and these operations continued on Friday.

Hungary slows down the European embargo project

Hungary is blocking a proposed European embargo on Russian oil and difficult negotiations will continue between the 27 member countries of the EU to find an agreement over the weekend, several diplomatic sources told AFP on Friday.

“If no agreement is reached this weekend, I will have to convene an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers next week, after Europe Day,” said the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.

Africa faces an “unprecedented” crisis

Africa is facing an “unprecedented” crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly with soaring food and fuel prices, two officials from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warned on Friday.



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