Ukraine War: "Hero City" - Selenskyj awards honorary titles based on the Russian model

Created: 03/07/2022Updated: 03/07/2022 06:59

By: Katja Thorwarth, Erik Scharf

Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, addresses the people of Ukraine.

© dpa/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office

Russia is waging its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fears the bombing of Odessa.

The news ticker.

• Volodymyr Selenskyj* warns of further attacks in Ukraine*.

• Russia is said to have the city of Odessa in its sights.

• You can read all the developments on the Ukraine conflict* here.

+++ update ticker +++

Update from Monday, March 7th, 2022, 6:30 a.m.:

The Ukrainian President Selenskyj has awarded the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol, Cherson, Hostomel and Volnovakha the honorary title of "Hero City".

This is reported by the news portal The Kyiv Independent.

Accordingly, it should be an allusion to a Soviet tradition: twelve cities in the Soviet Union received this title after the Second World War.

Zelenskyy is also quoted as saying: "We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war.

We'll find every scum that bombed our cities, our people.

Everyone who launched the missiles, who gave orders.

You will have no quiet place on this earth - except a grave."

War in Ukraine: Zelenskyj appeals to Russian people and fears bombing of Odessa

+++ 4.10 p.m .:

In a video on his Telegram channel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj accuses Russian troops of having destroyed an airport in the western Ukrainian region of Vinnytsia.

"I've just been informed about a missile attack on Vinnytsia: eight missiles," Zelenskyi said in the video released on Sunday (03/06/2022).

"Our peaceful Vinnytsia never threatened Russia in any way." The rocket attack was "tough, cynical, the airport was completely destroyed," Zelenskyy continued.

So far there has been no confirmation from the Russian side.

In his video, Zelenskyj also calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine again – which NATO has already rejected.

Ukraine War: Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns of bombing of Odessa

First report from Sunday, March 6th, 2022, 12.45 p.m .:

Kiev – It is a renewed call from Volodymyr Zelenskyj to his allies.

"The world has the power to close our skies to Russian missiles and planes," Ukraine's president told the Kyiv Independent.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyj expects an attack on the port city of Odessa.

On Sunday (March 6, 2022) the head of state announced in a video message that Russia was preparing to bomb Odessa, the historic port city on the Black Sea.

"It will be a war crime, it will be a historic crime," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

So far, the city with around one million inhabitants has been largely exempt from the fighting.

War in Ukraine: Bitter fighting for Kyiv continues

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on February 24th, 2022, the army of Russian President Vladimir Putin* has conquered some areas in the south of the country.

Among other things, they took the port cities of Cherson and Berdyansk.

In addition, the Russian troops recently invested in the attacks on the strategically important Mariupol.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv* continues to be fought bitterly.

The Russian fighters have still not succeeded in taking control of the city.

On Sunday night, the Russian attacks in the region around Kyiv left a trail of devastation in their wake.

Ukraine War - Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeals to Russian citizens

In a hospital north of Kyiv, the Ukrainian soldier Mykola, who was wounded by shrapnel, reported how his unit encountered an “enemy column” during a reconnaissance tour.

"They showered us with mortar fire," the 29-year-old told AFP reporters.

On the night of Sunday, Selenskyj also phoned the President of the United States, Joe Biden.

According to Selenskyj, the conversation was about security, financial support for Ukraine and the continuation of sanctions against Russia, as the President wrote on Twitter on Sunday night.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Russian people: "You can still fight evil this week"

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy never tires of appealing to the people of Russia.

Knowing full well that his words will probably never get there.

“The citizens of Russia now have a choice between freedom and slavery.

Today, tomorrow and this week you can still fight evil.

Don't miss this chance," Zelensyji told the Kyiv Independent

Also the former world chess champion

and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov from Russia appealed to NATO* and the EU*.

From Kasparov's point of view, we are already in the Third World War.

He criticized the "most powerful alliance in history" for only looking on at the "genocide" that Putin is committing in Ukraine.

(esa)