The pro-Russians declare the conquest of Lugansk.
Ukrainian army announces withdrawal from Lysychansk.
Kiev reports that Turkey has blocked a Russian cargo ship loaded with stolen grain.
Ukrainian forces bombed Melitopol airport.
Moscow admits the sinking of the Saratov
THE BATTLE IN LUGANSK
- The Ukrainian army announces that it has withdrawn from Lysychansk, the last stronghold of Kiev in the Lugansk oblast, in the east of the country, after weeks of hard fighting with Russian forces .
Russia claims to have
captured the city of Lysychansk and the entire Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine
.
This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense, quoted by Interfax.
Yesterday Kiev denied the taking of the last city of Lugansk but this morning Zelensky's adviser Oleksiy Arestovych had admitted the possible fall of the twin city of Severodonetsk.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Yuriy Sak told the BBC that the city of
Lysychansk is not under "full control" by Russian forces
, despite Moscow saying the city has fallen.
But he added that the fighting in the city has been "very intense for quite some time", with the Russian ground forces "attacking relentlessly".
"For Ukrainians, the value of human life is a top priority, so sometimes we withdraw from certain areas to be able to take them back in the future," he added.
The battle for Donbass is not over yet: even if Russia conquers all of Lugansk we are not at the game over.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Yuriy Sak told the BBC, adding that there are "other large cities in the Donbass area, particularly in the Donetsk region" that are under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces.
"These are cities that have been the target of severe rocket attacks, artillery bombardments in the last two days," he said.
Sak said Ukraine is confident and receiving support from its Western allies.
"
There are risks that the entire Lugansk region
be occupied "by the Russians." But the situation can change every day. "The warning comes from the Ukrainian president." Unfortunately, this has happened in many cities - he added -, entire areas have passed from one side to the other ". Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in the morning that Russian forces have taken complete control of Lysychansk and the whole of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, after weeks of heavy fighting.
Moscow, Defense Ministry: 'Kiev attacks where there are no targets military '
KIEV'S ACCUSATION: RUSSIANS STOLEN WHEAT, STOP A CARGO SHIP -
Turkish customs authorities have stopped a Russian cargo ship, carrying grain, en route from the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk to Karasu.
This was stated by the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, as reported by the Guardian.
"We have full cooperation. The ship is currently stopped at the port entrance and has been detained by the Turkish customs authorities," Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar told Ukrainian national television.
Ukraine had asked for the seizure of the ship, which was located off the Turkish coast, accusing Russia of stealing Ukrainian wheat, a charge denied by Russia.
UKRAINIAN RAID IN MELITOPOL -
Powerful explosions around three in the morning in the perimeter of the airport of
Melitopol, a city in south-eastern Ukraine occupied by the Russian army
where the troops of the Federation are based.
Ria Melitopol reports it by publishing photos and videos.
Meanwhile, Kiev admits that the Russians could take Lysychansk.
Admissions also from the Russian front: for the first time the sinking of the Saratov is recognized.
A huge column of smoke
has risen over the area of the Melitopol airport
.
The consequences of the attack are also visible tens of kilometers from the city.
Civilians have not been able to access the air raid shelters because Russian forces have closed them all - Ukrainian media report - and many residents are trying to leave the city.
In Melitopol, the Ukrainian armed forces
destroyed one of the four Russian military bases
.
"More than 30 bombs were dropped," Mayor Ivan Fedorov wrote on social media.
And he added that a large flow of Melitopol residents is expected for the evacuation: "Our task is to help accommodate people who want to move to Zaporizhzhia."
"The Russians are trying to claim that there have been bombings on civilian areas and that the population has been hit: but this is not true," Fedorov said.
The city has been under Russian occupation since the end of February.
Another Ukrainian counter-offensive in the territories occupied by the Russians took place in
Chornobayivka
, a town near Kherson in southeastern Ukraine.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine
blew up a Russian ammunition warehouse
.
This was announced by the regional military administrator of Odessa Serhiy Bratchuk on telegram, as reported by UNIAN.
The center of Lysychansk
THE EU EVALUATES AN AUTHORITY TO STRENGTHEN THE APPLICATION OF SANCTIONS -
The European Union is evaluating the possibility of making the sanctions adopted, especially those against Russia, more effective through the establishment of an 'ad hoc' Authority that check the application as this latter task falls under the responsibility of the Member States and is not always performed in the best possible way.
This was confirmed by the EU Commissioner for Financial Services Mairead McGuinness in an interview with the Financial Times, saying she was in favor of the idea that she could take the form of an EU version of the Office for the Control of Foreign Assets (Ofac), the US Treasury agency.
THE SINKING OF THE
SARATOV -
Russia
claims to have recovered a large landing ship that was reportedly sunk by its crew "to prevent the detonation of onboard ammunition due to the fire that broke out" after a Ukrainian missile struck it in the port of
Berdyansk
on 24 March: it is the first time that Moscow admits the
sinking of the Saratov
.
The BBC reports it.
A Telegram post by a Russian-appointed official in southern Ukraine, Vladimir Rogov, claims that Tochka-U ballistic missiles had targeted the Russian-controlled port.
The ship will be towed to Kerch, Crimea.
Three Russian ships carrying 24 cruise missiles and two large amphibious ships in
the Black Sea
are ready for attacks on the Ukrainian territory.
This was announced on Facebook by the southern operational command of Kiev, reports Ukrinform.
"There have been quantitative and qualitative changes in the naval formation of the Russian fleet: three missile carriers equipped with 24 cruise missiles and two large amphibious ships are now in operation", reads the post.
"This is the moment in which Western countries are
betting on the continuation of the war
.
This means that the West, under the leadership of Washington, does not allow Ukrainians to think, to talk about peace ". Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in an interview with Rossiya-1." Sooner or later the good sense in the West will prevail and the negotiations on Ukraine will resume ", he added, underlining, however, that before the negotiation process resumes, Ukraine must" once again understand the conditions in Moscow ".
Ukraine, Zelensky: '2,610 cities and villages still occupied by the Russians'
