Russia has announced its territorial ambitions in Ukraine as it appears poised to take control of all of Mariupol.
Mariupol’s fate has yet to be determined as Russia claims full control of the area. In Boutcha, the UN has identified dozens of unlawful killings of civilians, adding even more credibility to the war crimes charges against Moscow. Story of this 58th war day in Ukraine.
• Towards a ceasefire in Mariupol?
Russia says it is ready for a ceasefire. Moscow’s armed forces thus indicated on Friday that a pause in the fighting could be decided “at any time” at the Azovstal industrial estate, where the last Ukrainian soldiers are entrenched in Mariupol. The city has been under siege since the beginning of the conflict and has been largely destroyed.
This Thursday, Moscow had even secured control of Mariupol, which Ukrainian authorities deny. On BFMTV this Friday, the deputy mayor of the city assured that 20% of the place is still in the hands of the Ukrainian army. More than 21,000 civilians died on the spot, he said.
• The Russian army seeks total control of Donbass and southern Ukraine
Russia’s real purpose revealed by a senior official? In fact, General Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of the armed forces of the Central Russian Military District, has indicated that Moscow’s intentions do not stop at Donbass.
“One of the objectives of the Russian military is to gain complete control over Donbass and southern Ukraine. This will create a land corridor to Crimea and put pressure on the vital infrastructure of the Ukrainian economy,” he said, according to Russian news agencies.
This would mean that Russia is also planning to capture Odessa, Ukraine’s third largest city and strategic port. “Control of southern Ukraine is also a corridor to Transnistria (in Moldova, editor’s note), where there are also cases of oppression against the Russian-speaking population,” assured General Minnekayev.
• A first assessment after the sinking of the Moskva
Eight days after the sinking of the Moskva in Ukraine, Russia has released its first report. According to the Ministry of Defense, one person has died and 27 are still missing. This is the first time Moscow has acknowledged losses since the sinking of the building on April 14.
• Negotiations are “skating” between the two camps
Although the war has already started for almost two months, there seems to be no indication that Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of reaching an agreement. A feeling that was reinforced on Friday by statements by Sergei Lavrov, head of Russian diplomacy. According to him, the negotiations are “skating”.
“They are slipping because a proposal we handed over to the Ukrainian negotiators five days ago and drafted taking into account their comments remains unanswered,” he said.
According to him, the Ukrainians are not making the necessary efforts to reach an agreement. “It is very strange for me to hear statements every day (…), also from the (Ukrainian) president and his advisers, which give the impression that they do not need these negotiations at all,” he assured without giving his opinion. specify .
• 50 illegal murders registered by the UN in Boutcha
The UN said Friday it had documented the “unlawful killing” of 50 civilians in Boutcha, a town on the outskirts of Kiev where hundreds of civilian bodies were discovered last March. The images, taken after the departure of Russian troops from the area, had shocked the whole world.
The United Nations also accuses the Russian military of actions “tantamount to war crimes”, specifying that Vladimir Putin’s men “bombed and shelled indiscriminately populated areas, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure”.
This statement comes as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Moscow on April 26. In particular, he will meet Vladimir Putin there.
