War in Eastern Europe: confusing situation in Mariupol, financial aid for Kyiv and Sweden should get NATO support

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Smoke rises above the Azov Steelworks

Photo: Alexei Alexandrov / AP

As of Thursday, civilians should be able to safely exit the besieged Azov steelworks in the port city of Mariupol.

However, Ukraine accuses Russia of violating the ceasefire.

Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is demanding the surrender of the defenders of Ukraine's last bastion in the city.

In other areas, too, the fighting continues on the 71st day of the illegal war of aggression.

Kyiv is demanding new military aid to withstand the invasion, Britain is considering supplying longer-range weapons.

An international donor conference for Ukraine raises billions.

And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg promises Sweden security guarantees.

The developments at a glance.

humanitarian situation

Vladimir Putin has called on Ukraine to order the fighters holed up at the Azov Steel Plant to lay down their arms.

According to a statement by the Presidential Office in Moscow, Russia is still prepared to allow the trapped civilians on the Mariupol site to safely evacuate.

Ukrainian fighters had previously accused Russian troops of violating the agreed ceasefire to evacuate civilians.

"Once again, the Russians broke the ceasefire promise and did not allow the evacuation of civilians who continue to hide in the basement of the plant," Deputy Commander of Ukraine's Azov Regiment Svyatoslav Palamar said in a video message published on Telegram.

The Kremlin had previously confirmed that escape corridors were open to people trapped in the southern Ukrainian city.

It is unclear whether civilians managed to escape on Thursday or not.

military situation

As a result of the massive shelling of several Ukrainian cities in the Donbass, local authorities have reported many civilian deaths and injuries.

"Twenty-five people were injured after a rocket hit Kramatorsk, nine houses, a school and buildings of civil infrastructure were damaged," said the head of the military administration of Donetsk region Pavlo Kyrylenko on his Telegram channel.

According to Kyrylenko, Chasiv Yar, Mariinka and Avdiivka were also fired upon.

At least one person died in Chasiv Yar.

The governor of the Luhansk region, which was also heavily fought over, Serhiy Hajday, spoke of at least five dead as a result of the shelling of the cities of Sievjerodonetsk, Lysychansk, Hirske and Popasna.

According to the authorities, a house and a garage were damaged when two towns in the western Russian region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine were shelled.

"Zhuravlevka and Nekhoteyevka are under attack from the Ukrainian side," said the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, in his Telegram channel.

According to him, there have been no victims so far.

That says Kyiv

Ukrainian Chief of Staff Valeriy Zalushnyi is pushing for the delivery of certain weapons to defend against Russian attacks with cruise missiles.

His country needs multiple rocket launcher systems (MLRS) such as the M270 or M142 Himars, said Zalushnyj after a discussion with US Chief of Staff Mark Milley about the military situation.

The international community

According to his office, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to Volodymr Zelenskyy about possible deliveries of longer-range weapons.

These should "prevent the bombing of civilians."

After Frank-Walter Steinmeier's failed trip to Ukraine and recent diplomatic upsets, the Federal President called Selenskyj.

Steinmeier had assured the President of Ukraine of Germany's full support, it said.

Selenskyj, in turn, invited the Federal President and the entire German head of state to Kyiv.

An international donor conference for Ukraine refugee aid in Warsaw has brought in pledges worth billions.

In total, more than 6.5 billion dollars were raised, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in his closing speech.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz also announced further German financial aid for the country in a video message.

Because of Russia's war, Sweden tends to join NATO.

Its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has now promised security guarantees to the country.

"I am convinced that we will find solutions for the security needs that Sweden will have in a transitional period," Stoltenberg told SVT.

From the moment the application is submitted, the military alliance has an obligation to be able to guarantee Swedish security.

Moscow says so

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has responded to a New York Times report that the United States had provided Ukraine with intelligence that helped defenders kill Russian generals.

Peskov said he was well aware that the United States, Britain and other NATO countries are constantly providing intelligence to the Ukrainian military and that this will not prevent Russia from achieving its goals.

However, Western aid to Kyiv slowed down the Russian offensive, Peskov said.

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svs/dpa/AFP/Reuters