Even on the day when Orthodox Easter is celebrated, the war in Ukraine does not stop: the fighting between Russian invaders and local forces continues with intensity on the various fronts of the offensive launched by Moscow in the Donbass, as well as the bombing of cities in the south of the country , first of all in Mariupol - the martyred city under siege since the beginning of the conflict - and Odessa, where Ukrainians also fear the possibility of an unconventional attack with chemical weapons.
Meanwhile ,
Mykhailo Podolyak
, a senior Ukrainian negotiator and advisor to President Zelensky, urged Moscow, today on the day of the Orthodox holiday, to accept a "real Easter truce", to "immediately open a humanitarian corridor for civilians" and to agree on a "special cycle. of negotiations "to facilitate the exchange of military and civilians.
"Russia is constantly attacking Azovstal in Mariupol. The whereabouts of our civilians and soldiers are targeted by heavy aerial bombardment, artillery fire and an intense concentration of forces and equipment for the assault," Podolyak writes on Twitter .
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State and Defense Minister Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin will arrive in Kiev today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced yesterday.
However, the US administration has not yet confirmed what, in conjunction with Orthodox Easter, would be
the first official visit by US government officials to Ukraine since February 24
, the day the Russian invasion began two months ago.
Zelensky: 'I will meet' Blinken in Kiev on Sunday '
THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT -
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also expected in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday. Tomorrow he will go to Ankara - key mediator in the ongoing conflict - and to Moscow on Tuesday.
"It is unfair and illogical" Guterres' decision to go to Russia first, Zelensky criticized.
"The war is in Ukraine, there are no bodies on the streets of Moscow. It would be logical to first" come to Kiev "to see the people here and the consequences of the occupation," remarked the Ukrainian president.
ODESSA AND FARS OF A CHEMICAL ATTACK
- Last night
Zelensky also announced that the death toll of the Russian missile raids on Easter Eve on the Ukrainian city of Odessa has risen to eight dead and about 20 injured
.
And now the threat of a chemical attack is also looming.
Moscow claims that Kiev is planning a provocative operation with the use of ammonia in the Yuzhny port, to blame the Russian forces and accuse them of targeting civilians.
A statement that Kiev interprets instead as a threat disguised as a warning: it would therefore be Moscow that wants to launch a chemical attack on the port of Odessa, according to the Kyiv Independent.
On the nuclear safety front, the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) has made it known that
Ukraine has provided a complete list of the equipment the country claims it needs for the safe and secure operation of its plants.
and that the IAEA has the means and "the technical experience necessary to effectively coordinate and implement the supply" required.
Kiev also announced that the work shifts at the Chernobyl power station continue regularly, the last of which took place on April 19.
ANSA agency
Ukraine: Aiea, Kiev has asked for aid for central operations - World
This was announced in a statement by the director general of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi (ANSA)
EASTER OF WAR
- Last night Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the Easter vigil in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
The television images showed the head of the Kremlin during the ceremony, celebrated by the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill.
American President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill sent Easter greetings to the Orthodox Christian community with a clear reference to Ukraine.
"We pray for all those who are suffering from the brutality of war and persecution. We mourn with all those who have lost loved ones or who fear for their safety", reads their statement.