Evacuees from Mariupol steel plant describe brutality of long siege
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — From their cold and fetid bunker, deep underground, the survivors of Mariupol’s Azovstal Iron and Steel Works had feared the wreckage that would greet them if they made it out alive.
As they staggered upstairs and into the light this week, the scene of charred and twisted metal eclipsed their worst nightmares.
After a three-day-long evacuation from the steelworks under Russian siege, during which Ukrainian soldiers have been staging a dramatic last stand for weeks with hundreds of civilians also sheltering there, the first 100 civilians arrived 140 miles northwest in the relative safety of the town of Zaporizhzhia, and began to tell their stories.
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ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — From their cold and fetid bunker, deep underground, the survivors of Mariupol’s Azovstal Iron and Steel Works had feared the wreckage that would greet them if they made it out alive.
As they staggered upstairs and into the light this week, the scene of charred and twisted metal eclipsed their worst nightmares.
After a three-day-long evacuation from the steelworks under Russian siege, during which Ukrainian soldiers have been staging a dramatic last stand for weeks with hundreds of civilians also sheltering there, the first 100 civilians arrived 140 miles northwest in the relative safety of the town of Zaporizhzhia, and began to tell their stories.
Read the full story here.
Russian ally Belarus launches military quick-response drills
The Belarusian military has launched large-scale drills to test the readiness of its armed forces to respond quickly to “possible crises” and counter threats from the air and ground, the country’s Defense Ministry said early Wednesday.
The ministry said the training exercise would not “pose any threat to the European community as a whole or to neighboring countries in particular.” Belarus borders Ukraine to its south, Poland to its west, Lithuania and Latvia to its northwest and Russia to its east.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russian troops to assemble and conduct military drills in the Eastern European country in the run-up to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. A large part of Russia’s invasion force crossed into Ukraine from Belarus.
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The Belarusian military has launched large-scale drills to test the readiness of its armed forces to respond quickly to “possible crises” and counter threats from the air and ground, the country’s Defense Ministry said early Wednesday.
The ministry said the training exercise would not “pose any threat to the European community as a whole or to neighboring countries in particular.” Belarus borders Ukraine to its south, Poland to its west, Lithuania and Latvia to its northwest and Russia to its east.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russian troops to assemble and conduct military drills in the Eastern European country in the run-up to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. A large part of Russia’s invasion force crossed into Ukraine from Belarus.
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Don’t be ‘Putin’s altar boy,’ Pope warns Russian Orthodox leader
Pope Francis warned the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church not to be “Putin’s altar boy” and justify the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a Tuesday interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Francis said he spoke with Patriarch Kirill, a key supporter of Vladimir Putin and his war, for 40 minutes over Zoom. During the March 16 conversation, Francis said, Kirill was listing off all the justifications for the war from a sheet of paper he was holding.
“I listened and then told him: I don’t understand anything about this,” Francis said. “Brother, we are not state clerics, we cannot use the language of politics but that of Jesus. We are pastors of the same holy people of God. Because of this, we must seek avenues of peace, to put an end to the firing of weapons.”
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Pope Francis warned the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church not to be “Putin’s altar boy” and justify the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a Tuesday interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Francis said he spoke with Patriarch Kirill, a key supporter of Vladimir Putin and his war, for 40 minutes over Zoom. During the March 16 conversation, Francis said, Kirill was listing off all the justifications for the war from a sheet of paper he was holding.
“I listened and then told him: I don’t understand anything about this,” Francis said. “Brother, we are not state clerics, we cannot use the language of politics but that of Jesus. We are pastors of the same holy people of God. Because of this, we must seek avenues of peace, to put an end to the firing of weapons.”
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Russian forces, preparing for Mariupol parade, clear ruins of bombed theater
Russian forces in Mariupol are making preparations for a parade in the shattered port city — by clearing debris from the bombed theater that had been sheltering hundreds of civilians, Ukrainian officials say.
“The occupiers continue to dismantle the debris in the city center, including the Drama Theater, in preparation for the parade,” said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency said Wednesday that Russia was planning to turn Mariupol into a center of “celebrations” on May 9. That day, known as Victory Day, marks Russia’s role in defeating Nazi Germany. “To this end, the city is urgently cleaning the central streets of debris, the bodies of killed and unexploded ordnance,” the agency said.
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Russian forces in Mariupol are making preparations for a parade in the shattered port city — by clearing debris from the bombed theater that had been sheltering hundreds of civilians, Ukrainian officials say.
“The occupiers continue to dismantle the debris in the city center, including the Drama Theater, in preparation for the parade,” said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency said Wednesday that Russia was planning to turn Mariupol into a center of “celebrations” on May 9. That day, known as Victory Day, marks Russia’s role in defeating Nazi Germany. “To this end, the city is urgently cleaning the central streets of debris, the bodies of killed and unexploded ordnance,” the agency said.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Only a couple thousand Russian troops remain in Mariupol, according to the Pentagon, as the Kremlin continues to try to press its assault on Ukraine through its eastern and southern regions.
- As Russia intensifies missile attacks across Ukraine, its forces appear to be targeting key infrastructure points — including transport hubs and power stations. The Pentagon said Wednesday that such strikes in western Ukraine appear to be aimed at disabling railroads.
- Belarus has launched large-scale drills that aim to test its armed forces’ ability to respond quickly to “possible crises” and counter threats from the air and ground, the country’s Defense Ministry said.
- The E.U. plans to boost military aid to Moldova, European Council President Charles Michel said Wednesday, amid fears of spillover from Russia’s unprovoked Ukrainian war after recent explosions in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
More live updates here.
- Only a couple thousand Russian troops remain in Mariupol, according to the Pentagon, as the Kremlin continues to try to press its assault on Ukraine through its eastern and southern regions.
- As Russia intensifies missile attacks across Ukraine, its forces appear to be targeting key infrastructure points — including transport hubs and power stations. The Pentagon said Wednesday that such strikes in western Ukraine appear to be aimed at disabling railroads.
- Belarus has launched large-scale drills that aim to test its armed forces’ ability to respond quickly to “possible crises” and counter threats from the air and ground, the country’s Defense Ministry said.
- The E.U. plans to boost military aid to Moldova, European Council President Charles Michel said Wednesday, amid fears of spillover from Russia’s unprovoked Ukrainian war after recent explosions in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
More live updates here.
Pentagon: Russia may be trying to disable Ukraine rail system
The Kremlin is carrying out strikes on infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine’s efforts to resupply its forces in their defense against Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officials and the Pentagon said Wednesday.
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon, said Ukraine is still able to move weapons through the country.
Russia’s targets on Tuesday and Wednesday included electrical substations, a railroad facility and a bridge in two major cities in western and central Ukraine. Strikes on Tuesday night caused severe damage at three electrical substations in Lviv, a critical hub for assistance entering the country from Eastern Europe, delaying trains and wiping out power for about a quarter of a million people.
“It was a deliberate blow to supply chains,” Lviv’s regional governor, Maksym Kozytskyy, said in a statement.
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The Kremlin is carrying out strikes on infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine’s efforts to resupply its forces in their defense against Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officials and the Pentagon said Wednesday.
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon, said Ukraine is still able to move weapons through the country.
Russia’s targets on Tuesday and Wednesday included electrical substations, a railroad facility and a bridge in two major cities in western and central Ukraine. Strikes on Tuesday night caused severe damage at three electrical substations in Lviv, a critical hub for assistance entering the country from Eastern Europe, delaying trains and wiping out power for about a quarter of a million people.
“It was a deliberate blow to supply chains,” Lviv’s regional governor, Maksym Kozytskyy, said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Mariupol: Russian forces here are preparing for a parade timed for Victory Day on May 9. Ukrainian officials say local crews are apparently working in exchange for food as they clean streets of debris and bodies of the killed. Heavy fighting continued around the Azovstal steel plant, where as many as 200 civilians are still hiding. Only a couple thousand Russian troops remain, the Pentagon said, as Moscow refocuses on its eastern assault.
Donetsk region: Slovyansk and neighboring Kramatorsk, both of which lie near the western border of this region, are considered targets of the Russian advance. Capturing such targets would consolidate Russian military control of the northeastern Donbas.
Dnipro: Moscow struck a railroad facility and targeted a bridge here on Wednesday, the country’s head of railways said. Video verified by The Post showed explosions on a bridge in the city’s center that appears to be used by both cars and trains.
More live updates here.
Mariupol: Russian forces here are preparing for a parade timed for Victory Day on May 9. Ukrainian officials say local crews are apparently working in exchange for food as they clean streets of debris and bodies of the killed. Heavy fighting continued around the Azovstal steel plant, where as many as 200 civilians are still hiding. Only a couple thousand Russian troops remain, the Pentagon said, as Moscow refocuses on its eastern assault.
Donetsk region: Slovyansk and neighboring Kramatorsk, both of which lie near the western border of this region, are considered targets of the Russian advance. Capturing such targets would consolidate Russian military control of the northeastern Donbas.
Dnipro: Moscow struck a railroad facility and targeted a bridge here on Wednesday, the country’s head of railways said. Video verified by The Post showed explosions on a bridge in the city’s center that appears to be used by both cars and trains.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- European diplomats are set to meet again Thursday as they negotiate a proposal to phase out Russian oil imports. The oil proposal could be finalized by the end of the week but must be approved by all E.U. member states, and two countries — Hungary and Slovakia — have reservations.
- The talks are continuing amid news that Mariupol officials have lost contact with forces at the Azovstal steel plant, where Russian troops used tanks and heavy bombs to strike at the remaining Ukrainian forces.
- Overnight, Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk, injuring at least 25 civilians and destroying nine homes, a school and other civilian buildings, according to the regional military chief. A railroad facility and a bridge in Dnipro were hit on Wednesday, continuing the Kremlin’s targeting of infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine’s efforts to resupply its forces.
More live updates here.
- European diplomats are set to meet again Thursday as they negotiate a proposal to phase out Russian oil imports. The oil proposal could be finalized by the end of the week but must be approved by all E.U. member states, and two countries — Hungary and Slovakia — have reservations.
- The talks are continuing amid news that Mariupol officials have lost contact with forces at the Azovstal steel plant, where Russian troops used tanks and heavy bombs to strike at the remaining Ukrainian forces.
- Overnight, Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk, injuring at least 25 civilians and destroying nine homes, a school and other civilian buildings, according to the regional military chief. A railroad facility and a bridge in Dnipro were hit on Wednesday, continuing the Kremlin’s targeting of infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine’s efforts to resupply its forces.
More live updates here.
At the scene of Mariupol theater tragedy, Russia prepares for a parade
Russian forces are preparing for a parade in the shattered port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, clearing debris from a bombed-out theater that had served as the city’s main shelter before it was destroyed seven weeks ago, in an attack that remains one of the deadliest of the war.
City officials estimated at the time that as many as 300 people were killed in the March 16 airstrike. An Associated Press investigation, published Wednesday, put the number killed at close to twice that, based on the accounts of survivors and rescue workers. The report also drew on detailed floor plans of the Mariupol Drama Theater and photos and videos taken before and after the attack.
A white flag had been tied atop the building before the airstrike, and the word “children” was painted in Russian on the ground along two sides.
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Russian forces are preparing for a parade in the shattered port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, clearing debris from a bombed-out theater that had served as the city’s main shelter before it was destroyed seven weeks ago, in an attack that remains one of the deadliest of the war.
City officials estimated at the time that as many as 300 people were killed in the March 16 airstrike. An Associated Press investigation, published Wednesday, put the number killed at close to twice that, based on the accounts of survivors and rescue workers. The report also drew on detailed floor plans of the Mariupol Drama Theater and photos and videos taken before and after the attack.
A white flag had been tied atop the building before the airstrike, and the word “children” was painted in Russian on the ground along two sides.
Read the full story here.
Belarus president, Russia’s staunch ally, didn’t expect war to ‘drag on’
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he did not expect the war in Ukraine to “drag on this way.”
Lukashenko told the Associated Press on Thursday that he was doing “everything” he could to stop the 10-week-long conflict and that his own military’s sudden drills this week posed no threat to other countries.
“I want to stress one more time: I feel like this operation has dragged on,” he said in an interview in Minsk, accusing Kyiv and the United States of fueling the war.
The Belarusian leader, whose support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has made him a target of more Western sanctions, allowed Russian troops to assemble for joint military drills in his country in February, with Belarus serving as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.
He cast himself as pivotal to talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which have yet to yield an agreement as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine.
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he did not expect the war in Ukraine to “drag on this way.”
Lukashenko told the Associated Press on Thursday that he was doing “everything” he could to stop the 10-week-long conflict and that his own military’s sudden drills this week posed no threat to other countries.
“I want to stress one more time: I feel like this operation has dragged on,” he said in an interview in Minsk, accusing Kyiv and the United States of fueling the war.
The Belarusian leader, whose support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has made him a target of more Western sanctions, allowed Russian troops to assemble for joint military drills in his country in February, with Belarus serving as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.
He cast himself as pivotal to talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which have yet to yield an agreement as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine says Russia is stealing grain, which could worsen food crisis
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have taken vast stores of grain from Ukraine and exported them to Russia, exacerbating the risk of shortages and hunger in areas under Russian control.
Farmers in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces reported that the Russians were “stealing their grain en masse,” according to a statement released over the weekend by Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said on Ukrainian television last week that he had heard a surge of accounts from elevator operators about Russians seizing grain in recent weeks in occupied areas.
“This is outright robbery,” he said, warning that the behavior could cause a food crisis.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have taken vast stores of grain from Ukraine and exported them to Russia, exacerbating the risk of shortages and hunger in areas under Russian control.
Farmers in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces reported that the Russians were “stealing their grain en masse,” according to a statement released over the weekend by Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said on Ukrainian television last week that he had heard a surge of accounts from elevator operators about Russians seizing grain in recent weeks in occupied areas.
“This is outright robbery,” he said, warning that the behavior could cause a food crisis.
Read the full story here.
Putin apologizes to Israel for Hitler comments as Zelensky slams Nazi rhetoric
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare apology on Thursday to Israel over recent antisemitic comments from Russia’s foreign minister connecting Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to Judaism, according to the Israeli prime minister.
The reported apology came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of using Nazi propaganda and antisemitic tropes to justify the invasion as Russian leaders repeatedly compare Zelensky to Hitler.
During a phone conversation between Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Russian president apologized for remarks made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who recently dismissed Zelensky’s Jewish faith by claiming that “Hitler also had Jewish blood” — a discredited antisemitic claim.
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare apology on Thursday to Israel over recent antisemitic comments from Russia’s foreign minister connecting Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to Judaism, according to the Israeli prime minister.
The reported apology came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of using Nazi propaganda and antisemitic tropes to justify the invasion as Russian leaders repeatedly compare Zelensky to Hitler.
During a phone conversation between Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Russian president apologized for remarks made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who recently dismissed Zelensky’s Jewish faith by claiming that “Hitler also had Jewish blood” — a discredited antisemitic claim.
Read the full story here.
Oligarch’s effort to broker peace falters even as it shields him from sanctions
As hundreds of Ukrainians faced annihilation in an encircled steel plant, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich sent word last month that he had achieved a possible breakthrough.
The billionaire and would-be peace broker told officials in Ukraine that he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-April and “reached an understanding” that would allow wounded soldiers and civilians — children among them — to leave the besieged mill in Mariupol, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
But when Ukrainian officials sought details on how to proceed, they were met by silence from Moscow. Russia continued bombing the Azovstal plant without any letup until the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross brokered a separate commitment from Putin to allow some civilians to be evacuated this week, officials said.
Read the full story here.
As hundreds of Ukrainians faced annihilation in an encircled steel plant, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich sent word last month that he had achieved a possible breakthrough.
The billionaire and would-be peace broker told officials in Ukraine that he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-April and “reached an understanding” that would allow wounded soldiers and civilians — children among them — to leave the besieged mill in Mariupol, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
But when Ukrainian officials sought details on how to proceed, they were met by silence from Moscow. Russia continued bombing the Azovstal plant without any letup until the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross brokered a separate commitment from Putin to allow some civilians to be evacuated this week, officials said.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine
- Drone footage published Thursday by the right-wing Azov Regiment’s Telegram channel shows multiple explosions at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where heavy fighting has continued.
- European diplomats met Thursday as they continue to negotiate proposals to phase out Russian oil imports.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare apology on Thursday to Israel over recent antisemitic comments by Russia’s foreign minister.
- Overnight, Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, injuring at least 25 civilians and destroying nine homes and a school, according to the regional military chief.
More live updates here.
- Drone footage published Thursday by the right-wing Azov Regiment’s Telegram channel shows multiple explosions at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where heavy fighting has continued.
- European diplomats met Thursday as they continue to negotiate proposals to phase out Russian oil imports.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare apology on Thursday to Israel over recent antisemitic comments by Russia’s foreign minister.
- Overnight, Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, injuring at least 25 civilians and destroying nine homes and a school, according to the regional military chief.
More live updates here.
The U.S. provided intelligence that helped Ukraine sink Russian warship
The United States provided Ukraine with intelligence that helped Kyiv attack and sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, in one of the most dramatic battlefield successes of the 71-day old war, according to people familiar with the matter.
The missile strike by Ukrainian forces in April, an extraordinary embarrassment for the Kremlin that deprived Russia of a key vessel in its military campaign, may not have been possible without the U.S. assistance, these people said, underscoring how deeply Washington has become enmeshed in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. It is unclear how many Russian sailors died in the attack, but U.S. officials believe there were significant casualties.
Despite providing intelligence on the Moskva, the United States had “no prior awareness” of Ukraine’s decision to strike the warship, a U.S. official said.
Read the full story here.
The United States provided Ukraine with intelligence that helped Kyiv attack and sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, in one of the most dramatic battlefield successes of the 71-day old war, according to people familiar with the matter.
The missile strike by Ukrainian forces in April, an extraordinary embarrassment for the Kremlin that deprived Russia of a key vessel in its military campaign, may not have been possible without the U.S. assistance, these people said, underscoring how deeply Washington has become enmeshed in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. It is unclear how many Russian sailors died in the attack, but U.S. officials believe there were significant casualties.
Despite providing intelligence on the Moskva, the United States had “no prior awareness” of Ukraine’s decision to strike the warship, a U.S. official said.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Heavy fighting continues at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where Russian forces are intensifying their attack as civilians wait for another evacuation convoy that is aiming to arrive Friday. The U.N. secretary general confirmed that nearly 500 civilians had been evacuated from the plant and its surroundings in recent days.
- The U.S. provided intelligence that helped the Ukrainian military sink Russia’s Moskva warship, U.S. officials told The Post. A U.S. official said the United States did not know of the strike in advance, but said Washington shares maritime information with Ukraine to aid in its defense.
- Ukraine is “putting up a very stiff resistance,” though Russian forces are making incremental progress in Donbas, said the Pentagon spokesman. Ukrainian forces have shifted to counterattacks in Kharkiv and Izyum, while there are heavy clashes in Luhansk, according to Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
More live updates here.
- Heavy fighting continues at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where Russian forces are intensifying their attack as civilians wait for another evacuation convoy that is aiming to arrive Friday. The U.N. secretary general confirmed that nearly 500 civilians had been evacuated from the plant and its surroundings in recent days.
- The U.S. provided intelligence that helped the Ukrainian military sink Russia’s Moskva warship, U.S. officials told The Post. A U.S. official said the United States did not know of the strike in advance, but said Washington shares maritime information with Ukraine to aid in its defense.
- Ukraine is “putting up a very stiff resistance,” though Russian forces are making incremental progress in Donbas, said the Pentagon spokesman. Ukrainian forces have shifted to counterattacks in Kharkiv and Izyum, while there are heavy clashes in Luhansk, according to Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
More live updates here.
A race against time in Ukraine as Russia advances, West sends weapons
A slowly regenerating Russian army is making incremental gains in eastern Ukraine against valiant but underequipped Ukrainian forces. The United States and its allies are racing to deliver the enormous quantities of weaponry the Ukrainians urgently need if they are to hold the Russians at bay.
Both sides are fighting furiously, both sides are suffering heavy casualties, and for both sides it has become a race against time.
If the Ukrainians can hold out long enough for the new weaponry to arrive, there is a good chance they can not only reverse Russia’s gains but inflict a decisive defeat that could inhibit Russian ambitions in Europe for years, analysts and U.S. and Western officials say.
The Russians are under pressure to make gains before the new weapons arrive and before their own exhausted troops and depleted armor reach the limits of their capacity to advance.
Read the full story here.
A slowly regenerating Russian army is making incremental gains in eastern Ukraine against valiant but underequipped Ukrainian forces. The United States and its allies are racing to deliver the enormous quantities of weaponry the Ukrainians urgently need if they are to hold the Russians at bay.
Both sides are fighting furiously, both sides are suffering heavy casualties, and for both sides it has become a race against time.
If the Ukrainians can hold out long enough for the new weaponry to arrive, there is a good chance they can not only reverse Russia’s gains but inflict a decisive defeat that could inhibit Russian ambitions in Europe for years, analysts and U.S. and Western officials say.
The Russians are under pressure to make gains before the new weapons arrive and before their own exhausted troops and depleted armor reach the limits of their capacity to advance.
Read the full story here.
Video shows Russian ‘filtration camp,’ Mariupol mayor’s office says
Video released by the office of the Mariupol mayor on Thursday claimed to show the inside of a Russian “filtration camp.”
The three clips — released on Telegram — were filmed inside a school in the Ukrainian village of Bezimenne, east of Mariupol, according to geolocation by The Washington Post. The school is on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which is briefly shown in one of the videos.
Men forcibly taken from Mariupol “were placed in the school in Bezimenne village,” according to the accompanying Telegram post, and denied medical assistance. Russian soldiers frequently threaten the detainees with torture and executions, it continued.
The mayor’s office also said people were forbidden from bringing personal belongings and their identification papers were confiscated. Instead, they received “filtration” papers, officials said.
Read the full story here.
Video released by the office of the Mariupol mayor on Thursday claimed to show the inside of a Russian “filtration camp.”
The three clips — released on Telegram — were filmed inside a school in the Ukrainian village of Bezimenne, east of Mariupol, according to geolocation by The Washington Post. The school is on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which is briefly shown in one of the videos.
Men forcibly taken from Mariupol “were placed in the school in Bezimenne village,” according to the accompanying Telegram post, and denied medical assistance. Russian soldiers frequently threaten the detainees with torture and executions, it continued.
The mayor’s office also said people were forbidden from bringing personal belongings and their identification papers were confiscated. Instead, they received “filtration” papers, officials said.
Read the full story here.