War in Ukraine: meeting Blinken-Zelensky, assaults in the Donbass ... the point on the 60th day of the fighting

The symbolism was strong.

On Saturday, during a press conference in front of dozens of journalists, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke from the kyiv metro, where many Ukrainians had taken refuge to flee the Russian bombardments.

During this speech, the Head of State notably invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to a meeting, in order to “put an end to the war”.

At the same time, Russian strikes are still intensifying on the east and south of the country, despite fierce resistance from the Ukrainians.

“Many Russian assaults” repelled in the Donbass

While the governor of Kharkiv announced the recapture by Ukrainian forces "after long fierce fighting" of three villages north of the city, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that Ukraine had "repelled numerous assaults along the contact line in the Donbass this week”.

"Although Russia made some territorial gains, Ukrainian resistance was strong on all axes and inflicted significant casualties on Russian forces," the Defense Ministry continued.

Dnipro hit by night strikes

In Telegram messaging on Sunday, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said three night strikes hit the Pavlograd district, including a missile hitting railway infrastructure.

“A 48-year-old man died, eight buildings were destroyed.

There are three cars and a truck under the rubble.

The explosion shattered the windows and locked the door of a neighboring building” indicated the governor, before adding that two other missiles had hit an industrial complex: “Destroyed production building, no one was hit.

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"Permanent" attacks by the Russians on the Azovstal factory

According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak this Sunday, Russian forces would “continuously” attack the Azovstal factory, the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city of Mariupol, the strategic port under Russian control for several days now.

“Easter 2022. But right now Russia is constantly attacking Mariupol Azovstal,” he wrote on Twitter, adding: “The place where our civilians and soldiers are is covered with bombs heavy air, artillery fire and an intensive concentration of forces and equipment for the assault.

Who gave the 'no assault' order?

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A Blinken-Zelensky meeting regarding arms deliveries

The heads of diplomacy and defense of the United States are expected Sunday in kyiv, the first American visit to Ukraine after exactly two months of a war which is still raging in the east and the south.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin are due to arrive in kyiv on Sunday to discuss US arms shipments to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday.

The president would like them "even heavier and more powerful" against the Russian army, he said during a press conference in a metro station in downtown kyiv.