Russian invasion
War against Ukraine: That’s the situation
A sports complex of the Kyiv Polytechnic University destroyed by Russian shelling. Photo: Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Despite the defeat, President Zelensky does not want to give up the important city of Sievjerodonetsk. Meanwhile, the capital Kyiv is rocked again by explosions. The developments at a glance.
Ukraine wants to recapture all cities occupied by Russia. This is what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised his compatriots in a nightly video address.
More than four months after the start of the war, his country is in an emotionally difficult phase. Previously, Moscow had reported the capture of the strategically important city of Sievjerodonetsk.
At the same time, Russia announced the delivery of missile systems to neighboring Belarus. These can also be equipped with nuclear warheads. Ukraine is still able to defend itself against Russia, Zelenskyy said. However, he does not know how great the losses and efforts will be until victory is on the horizon.
Several explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv early in the morning. Eyewitnesses reported rockets.
Kyiv and Moscow confirm capture of Sieverodonetsk
Selenskyj expressly mentioned the city of Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country, which should again be under Ukrainian control in the future. Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed the capture by Russian troops.
An adviser to the President of Ukraine, Oleksiy Arestovych, said according to the Unian agency that fighting continued in the region. The city’s mayor, Oleksandr Strjuk, said the pro-government troops had moved into different positions. The information could not be independently verified.
Allegedly brought civilians from chemical plant
According to information from Moscow, the chemical plant Azot in Sievjerodonetsk, which was recently converted into an air raid shelter, is now controlled by pro-Russian units of the Luhansk separatists. It was initially unclear how many people sought shelter there. The separatists claimed to have “evacuated” 800 civilians. Where they were taken remained unclear.
Explosions in Kyiv
In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv there were several explosions in the morning as a result of Russian rocket attacks. A rocket hit a nine-story apartment building, Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote in the Telegram news service. Another rocket fell on the premises of a kindergarten in the Shevchenko district.
According to the civil defense, at least one person was injured in the house. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were injured and others were still stuck under the rubble. The rescue and extinguishing work continued in the morning. Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote that Russian troops fired a total of 14 rockets at Kyiv and the surrounding area in the morning hours. This could not be checked at first.
Fighting also continues in other parts of the country
According to Zelenskyy, Russia fired 45 rockets at the neighboring country within half a day on Saturday alone. There should also have been victims. According to the authorities, at least three people were killed and four others injured in an attack on the western Ukrainian city of Sarny.
A car wash and a workshop were hit, the head of the military administration said, according to the Unian news agency. He blamed Russia for it.
Nuclear research center in Kharkiv under fire
The nuclear research facility “Neutron Source” in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has come under fire again. Buildings and infrastructure such as ventilation ducts were damaged, the nuclear regulatory authority said.
The part of the facility where the nuclear fuel is stored was not mentioned in the damage listing. No increased radiation was found. Ukraine blamed Russia for the attack.
Russia wants to station nuclear-capable missiles in Belarus
Russia plans to deploy Iskander-type missile systems to neighboring Belarus in the coming months. President Vladimir Putin promised the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko – his close ally.
The Iskander-M could accommodate “both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles – both conventional and nuclear,” Putin said. According to the media, they have a range of up to 500 kilometers.
Russia’s defense minister visits troops in Ukraine
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine. The Defense Ministry in Moscow released a video showing Shoigu in dark green military clothes getting off a plane and then conferring with military officials. The minister inspected the situation and listened to “reports from the commanders on the current situation and actions of the Russian armed forces in the main theaters of operations,” according to an attached statement.
He also awarded medals to individual soldiers for their work in the “special military operation”, as the war against Ukraine is officially called in Russia. Exactly where in Ukraine Shoigu was staying was not disclosed.