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Russian forces launched an anticipated offensive in eastern Ukraine to force through defences along the front line. This was in what Ukrainian officials called the second phase. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, stated that Russia had started the “Battle of Donbas” in the east. A “very large portion of the Russian army is now focusing on this offensive.”
“No matter how many Russian soldiers they send there, I will fight. He said that we will defend ourselves in a video address Monday.
Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Ermak, assured Ukrainians that their forces would be able to resist the offensive in the “second phase of war”.
He said, “Believe that our army is very strong.”
Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately comment on the latest fighting. According to the governor of Belgorod, one person was injured when Ukrainian forces attacked a border village.
Ukrainian media reported that there were a number of powerful explosions along the front line in Donetsk, with shelling occurring in Marinka and Slavyansk.
Officials and media reported that blasts were heard in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. Meanwhile, sirens were being sounded in major centres close to the front line.
Reuters could not verify the reports immediately.
Oleksiy Dalov, Ukraine’s top security officer, stated that Russian forces tried to penetrate Ukrainian defences “along almost all of the front line of Donetsk-Luhansk and Kharkiv areas”.
Russia was repelled by the Ukrainian forces in the north and has refocused its ground offensive within the Donbas two eastern provinces, known as the Donbas. It also launched long-distance strikes against other targets, including Kyiv, the capital.
Russia’s campaign against Ukraine has focused on Donbas. It began in 2014, when Russia used proxy agents to establish two separatist “people’s republics” within the ex-Soviet country. It also houses a lot of Ukraine’s industrial riches, including steel and coal.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine, Russian forces are aiming to take full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson areas, while increasing missile strikes in West Ukraine.
The West and Ukraine have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of unprovoked aggression. The White House stated that Joe Biden would call his allies Tuesday to discuss the crisis and how to hold Russia accountable.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, stated that his dialogue with Putin was stalled following mass killings in Ukraine.
The United Nations reported Monday that the civilian death toll from the war had exceeded 2,000. It was at 2,072 as of April 17, midnight, after the start of the invasion on February 24.
Around 4 million Ukrainians fled the country.
Russia denies that it targeted civilians during its special operation to demilitarize Ukraine and eliminate dangerous nationalists. Russia rejects the claims of Ukraine that it has evidence of atrocities and says they were staged by Ukraine to undermine peace negotiations.
Russia is trying to retake Mariupol in its southeastern port, which has been under siege for several weeks. This would be a strategic prize that would link the Crimea region, annexed by Moscow in 2014, with territory held in the east. It also frees up the troops.
Video footage captured block after block of charred houses. Residents in Primorskyi were so shocked that they used open fires to heat their homes.
Olga, a resident of the area, told Reuters that she was not well. “I’m suffering from mental problems due to air strikes,” Olga said. I am really afraid. I run when I hear a plane.
According to the city council, at least 1,000 civilians are still living in shelters under the massive Azovstal steel plant. This vast facility contains many buildings, blast furnaces, and rail tracks. Read moreSerhiyVolyna, the commander of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, is still fighting in Mariupol and appealed to Pope Francis for assistance.
“This is how hell looks on earth. It’s not enough to pray for help. He prayed, “Save our lives from the satanic hands”, according to excerpts posted by the Vatican ambassador of Ukraine on Twitter.
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