War against Ukraine: That's the situation
Created: 05/06/2022Updated: 05/06/2022 05:49
Civilians are still locked up in Mariupol - another evacuation mission is said to be under way.
© Alexei Alexandrov/AP/dpa
With the mediation of the UN and the Red Cross, more civilians are to be evacuated from the besieged steelworks in Mariupol.
KIEV - In the badly damaged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, more civilians could be evacuated from the embattled Azovstal plant on Friday.
This was announced by both UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday evening.
Details were not given.
"It is our policy not to discuss the details until it is complete so as not to undermine potential success," Guterres said.
According to the Ukrainian account, buses have already been set in motion in the direction of Mariupol.
According to Ukrainian sources, around 200 civilians are still waiting in the steelworks, the last bastion of the Mariupol defenders, for a chance to get to safety.
In two previous evacuations, mediated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, about 500 people from Mariupol and the surrounding area were taken to Zaporizhia in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Paramedics from Mariupol ask Erdogan for support
A paramedic from the Azovstal plant asks Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for assistance.
"End this nightmare," asked the man, who identified himself as a Muslim Crimean Tatar by the name of Hassan, in a video message released on Thursday evening.
“People are dying here, some from bullets, others from starvation, the wounded from a lack of medication, under terrible conditions.” He asked the Turkish head of state to mediate in the conflict, to monitor the evacuation of people from the plant, including from Ukrainian military.
Kyiv: Russians aim to capture Azovstal by May 9
According to the Ukrainian government, Russia wants to conquer the besieged steelworks by Monday.
President Zelenskyy's adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Thursday evening that the Azovstal plant should be captured on the 77th anniversary of the victory over Hitler's Germany on May 9th.
"The greatest gift to a ruler is his opponent's head.
I clearly see the desire to conquer Azovstal and give Putin "victory" on May 9," he was quoted as saying by the Unian agency.
"They really want that, but let's see if they can do it," said Arestovych.
The heavy attacks on the premises of the steel mill made the intentions of the Russian military clear.
A grand military parade is planned in Moscow on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II, which will be celebrated in Russia on May 9.
For the celebration, Russia is aiming for military success in Ukraine.
Media: Ukraine sank Moscow thanks to US information
According to media reports, US intelligence information helped the Ukrainian military sink the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser Moskva.
However, the US government had no knowledge of Ukraine's plans, several US media such as the Washington Post or the New York Times reported on Thursday evening (local time), citing unnamed people involved in the matter be familiar.
The New York Times previously reported that the Ukrainian army was partially citing information from the United States in its resistance to Russia.
For example, the Ukrainian army claims to have killed twelve Russian generals through targeted fire since the beginning of the Russian attack.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby denied the report.
Zelenskyj reiterates demand for Marshall Plan
Despite the massive Western financial support for Ukraine, President Zelenskyy is sticking to his thoughts about a sort of Marshall Plan for his country after the war.
The international donor conference in Warsaw, which a few hours earlier had raised a little more than six billion euros in support for Kyiv, was "an element of our protection, an element of protection for all of Europe," said Zelenskyj in his daily video address.
The fate of Ukraine and Europe will be decided "not only on the battlefield", but also in the economic sphere, in post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
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War against Ukraine: That's the situation
War against Ukraine: That's the situation
War against Ukraine: That's the situation
However, the billions pledged in Warsaw are "only a part of what is really necessary to restore normal life in the entire area to which Russia brought the war".
"That's why we need a modern analogue of the Marshall Plan for Ukraine." With the Marshall Plan, named after the then US Secretary of State George Marshall, the USA had supported reconstruction in Western Europe with billions in the years after the Second World War.
Zelenskyj: So far more than 2000 Russian rocket attacks
According to President Zelenskyy, the Russian army has used missiles against various targets in its war against Ukraine since 2014.
In addition, since the start of the Russian army's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2,682 airstrikes have already been registered.
Ukraine: Russian landing operation near Odessa possible
The Ukrainian military believes a Russian landing operation on the Black Sea coast near the port city of Odessa is possible.
According to a statement from the regional military leadership, Russian reconnaissance drones are increasingly flying over the area, the newspaper Ukrajinska Pravda reported.
In addition, the Russian Navy continues to have a strong presence off the Ukrainian-controlled stretch of coast.
What does the day bring?
The wanderlust of German politicians in the direction of Kyiv is gaining momentum.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in Berlin on Thursday evening that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) will soon be visiting the Ukrainian capital.
A date was not given by the Foreign Office.
The President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) is expected in Ukraine at the weekend.
dpa