Status: 03/13/2022 08:01 a.m
For the first time since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian military has reported an airstrike near the city of Lviv, not far from the Polish border. The Russian offensive also continues in Mariupol. Today there should be another evacuation attempt.
Russian troops are apparently expanding their offensive in Ukraine. For the first time, the Ukrainian military also reported an attack near the city of Lviv. This is close to the Polish border – many refugees try to get to Poland via this route.
The dpa news agency initially reported explosions in Lviv. A reporter on site heard several detonations. An air alert had been raised in the city. Shortly thereafter, the military administration of the western Ukrainian city reported an air raid on the Yavoriv military base. The base is less than 25 kilometers from the border with Poland.
“The occupiers launched an airstrike on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security,” said the regional military administration. According to initial findings, eight rockets were fired. According to Ukrainian television reports, there were no fatalities.
In other parts of the country, too, Ukraine fears impending attacks from Russia. A Russian offensive is imminent in the city of Sievjerodonetsk with 100,000 inhabitants in the Luhansk region. In the south of Ukraine, the Russian military is raising troops around the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih with over 600,000 inhabitants.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
Separatists are advancing on the outskirts of Mariupol
Heavy fighting also continues in Mariupol. With the support of the Russian military, pro-Russian separatists have now managed to advance to the eastern outskirts of the port city.
The fighting has already wreaked havoc in Mariupol, according to footage released by US satellite manufacturer Maxar Technologies. The images showed serious damage to civilian infrastructure and residential buildings.
Satellite images of the Ukrainian Mariupol (uncommented)
3/12/2022 11:57 am
Evacuation failed again
In the past few days, aid organizations had repeatedly warned of the increasingly catastrophic supply of the population in Mariupol. But another evacuation attempt failed again on Saturday because the ceasefire had not been observed.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the unsuccessful evacuation. 50 buses could not leave because of shelling, said Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev from the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the column was held at a checkpoint for five hours.
Today another attempt is to be made to get the residents out of Mariupol.
Brought out thousands of people from other cities
According to both sides, however, evacuations took place in other corridors. According to the regional administration, thousands were brought to safety via the “Green Corridor” in buses and private cars from the Sumy region with the cities of Sumy, Lebedyn, Konotop, Trostjanets and several villages.
According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, around 200 people were taken out of the small town of Wuhledar in the Donetsk region. At least 60 minibuses also brought people to safety from the north-western suburbs of Kyiv. According to the Kiev regional administration, there were around 4,000 people.
According to Ukrainian information, a total of around 13,000 people were evacuated from several cities in the country. That was almost twice as many as on Friday, explained Wereschtschuk.
Apparently rocket attacks on western Ukraine
Karin Bensch, WDR, March 13, 2022 at 8:45 a.m