Moscow announces ceasefire on Monday to allow civilians to leave Azovstal in Mariupol
Russia has just announced a ceasefire on Monday to allow civilians to leave the Azovstal metallurgical site, the last close Ukrainian resistance in this strategic port in the south-east of the country.
Shelling continues in Mariupol
Russian forces continued on Monday to bombard, with missiles and artillery, the vast metallurgical complex of Azovstal in Mariupol, the last pocket of resistance where the last Ukrainian fighters are entrenched but also nearly 1,000 civilians, according to the Ukrainian general staff quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The United States wants a “weakened” Russia so that it cannot fight another war
The United States, which provides significant military aid to Ukraine, wants to see Russia “weakened” to the point of no longer having the capacity to carry out offensives similar to the invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon chief said on Monday. Lloyd Austin.
“We want to see Russia weakened to such a degree that they cannot do the same kinds of things as the invasion of Ukraine,” he said in eastern Poland, returning from a visit to Kyiv. “She’s already lost a lot of military capabilities, and a lot of troops to be frank, and we wouldn’t want her to be able to quickly replenish those capabilities,” he told reporters.
Russia says it shot down two Ukrainian drones near the border
Russia on Monday shot down two Ukrainian drones near the border with Ukraine, where Moscow has been waging a military offensive for more than two months, local authorities said.
“Anti-aircraft defense shot down two Ukrainian drones today at 4:15 a.m. (3:15 a.m. Paris time)” in the Rylsk district bordering Ukraine, Kursk region governor Romain Starovoit said on Telegram. , stating that there was no victim or material damage.
Update on the situation at 9 a.m.
• The war in ukraine entered this Monday in his 61st day, since the beginning of the Russian invasion. This weekend, the invader’s strikes were concentrated on the east and south of the country, in particular on the strategic port of Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipro.
• The Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Kyiv on Sunday, the first visit by US leaders to Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities. The two officials announced the gradual return of a US diplomatic presence in Ukraine and additional direct and indirect aid of more than $700 million.
• “The first thing to win is to believe that you can win. And they are convinced that they can win”, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said afterwards. “They can win if they have the right equipment, the right support,” he added.
• A Russian fuel depot was on fire near the Ukrainian border, on the night of Sunday to Monday. The Russian authorities, who announced this fire, did not specify the cause.
US Secretary of Defense says Ukraine ‘can win’ the war ‘if it has the right equipment’
Ukraine can win the war against Russia if it has the right equipment, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said after returning from a trip to kyiv with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The first thing to win is to believe that you can win. And they are convinced that they can win,” Lloyd Austin told some reporters about the Ukrainians. “They can win if they have the right equipment, the right support,” he added after the visit during which the two ministers met Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky.
Russia: a burning fuel depot near the Ukrainian border
A large fuel depot was on fire Monday in a Russian town near the Ukrainian border, Russian authorities said, without specifying the reasons for the fire.
“A fire broke out at the Transneft Briansk-Druzhba fuel depot in Briansk”, a town located 150 km from the border with Ukraine and serving as a logistics base for Moscow’s military offensive in that country, indicated the Ministry of Emergency Situations quoted by Russian news agencies.
“According to initial information, there is no victim, he added. The reasons for this fire have not been specified.
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. local time (1 a.m. Monday, Paris time) in the Fokinsky district of the city of Bryansk, the local branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said, adding that rescue workers and firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
Washington announces new military aid to Ukraine
The heads of diplomacy and defense of the United States, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, met on Sunday in kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Washington confirmed on Monday, announcing additional military aid to Ukraine and the return of American diplomats in the country.
The two officials announced the gradual return of a US diplomatic presence in Ukraine and additional direct and indirect military aid of $713 million.
Blinken announced to Zelensky the return of an American diplomatic presence in Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Kyiv on Sunday, the first visit by US leaders to Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities by Russia, US officials confirmed.
During their trip, the two officials announced the gradual return of an American diplomatic presence in Ukraine. The two ministers were back in Polish territory on Monday morning when US officials first confirmed the visit.
Zelensky congratulates Macron on his re-election
“Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron, a true friend of Ukraine, for his re-election!” Tweeted President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has met several times with the French president since the Russian invasion of his country on February 24. According to the French presidency, he congratulated him directly by telephone.
“I wish him further success for the good of the people. I appreciate his support and I am convinced that we are moving forward together towards new common victories. Towards a strong and united Europe!” he writes.
Ukraine offers talks with Russia in Mariupol
Ukraine has offered talks to Russia next to the vast Azovstal metallurgical complex in Mariupol (southeast), where Ukrainian fighters and civilians are still entrenched in a city largely under Russian control, announced this Sunday the Ukrainian presidency.
“We have invited the Russians to hold a special session of talks right next to the Azovstal site,” Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser Oleksiy Arestovitch told a briefing, indicating that he was “awaiting the response” from the Russian delegation.
Meeting between Zelensky, Blinken and the US Minister of Defense in Kyiv
A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken and the American Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin was held this Sunday evening in kyiv, according to the Ukrainian presidency.
“The Americans are in kyiv today. They are discussing with the president at this very moment,” said an adviser to the Ukrainian president, Oleksiï Arestovitch, in an interview broadcast in the evening on Youtube.
This is the first meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the American administration in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.