Video summary of the war Ukraine - Russia: June 7 12:45
(CNN Spanish) --
Russia intensifies its attacks in eastern Ukraine, in the continuity of the war that began at the end of February and that, at least for now, seems far from having a culmination horizon.
Over the weekend, after a long time, it struck again on Kyiv, in what British intelligence said was an attempt to cut off Western access to weapons.
See the latest news of the war that keeps the world on edge:
Mariúpol "closes discreetly" for fear of cholera and "corpses everywhere", according to an adviser to the mayor
The Russian-occupied city of Mariupol is "quietly closing down" amid deteriorating sanitary conditions and fears of a cholera outbreak, an aide to the city's mayor says.
"It seems that the occupants have realized that there is such a challenge," Petro Andriushchenko said on national television.
"There is talk of quarantine. The city is shutting down quietly."
Andriushchenko, who is not in the city but has been a reliable conduit for information from the city, said it was "difficult to convey" how bleak Mariupol has become.
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"The city has really become one with dead bodies everywhere," he said.
"They are piled up. The occupants cannot afford to bury them even in mass graves. There is not enough capacity even for this."
CNN cannot independently confirm Andriushchenko's claims.
Cholera, an infection that causes acute diarrhoea, is "closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities" and kills tens of thousands of people worldwide each year.
The World Health Organization is also concerned about cholera in Mariupol and says it has prepositioned vaccinations in Dnipro.
Dr Dorit Nitzan, WHO European Region Emergency Coordinator, visited Ukraine last month and said the hygiene situation in Mariupol was a "huge danger".
"We received information that there are actually swamps in the streets, and sewage and drinking water are mixing," said Dr. Nitzan on May 17 in Kyiv.
Andriushchenko said that the natural sources of water in the city are diminishing as the warmer months arrive.
He said Russian evacuations from the city have stopped, and it is no longer possible to leave.
"You can enter the city with a Mariupol residence permit. But it's a one-way ticket, because you can't leave."
"Of all the possible scenarios to fight the epidemic, in our opinion, Russia has chosen, as always, the most cynical: lock people in the city and leave everything as it is: whoever survives, survives."
Mariupol Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov, who is also not in the city, said Tuesday that he believes there are about 150,000 people left there out of a pre-invasion population of more than 400,000, and another 30,000 to 40,000 in the suburbs of the surroundings.
Orlov claimed that the Russians had taken large amounts of medical supplies from Mariupol to the separatist city of Donetsk.
"Very surprising": Zelensky criticizes Macron's comments that "we are not going to humiliate Russia"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he "simply does not see the preconditions for ending the war."
In an interview broadcast by the Financial Times, Zelensky said that while "any war must end at the negotiating table", the position for "victory must be achieved on the battlefield".
He conceded that "restoring the borders we controlled before February 24"—the date of Russia's massive invasion—could be seen as a "serious temporary victory."
But he insisted that it was a "war for independence."
"Independence, in my opinion, and in the opinion of the majority of our people, is to recover all our territories, restore all our territorial integrity and the inviolable sovereignty of Ukraine," Zelensky said.
"We've already lost too many people to simply give up our territory," he said.
He reserved particularly harsh criticism for French President Emmanuel Macron for his recent remarks that "we are not going to humiliate Russia."
Zelensky answers how he would negotiate the end of the war with Putin and says that "he must come out of his bubble"
"Some people want to be leaders. To be a leader, you don't have to see yourself as such, but behave as such," Zelensky said.
"How can we achieve a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine without hearing the position of the country, and without hearing the position of the leader of this country? This is very, very surprising."
In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 28, the leaders of France and Germany "renewed their demand for a ceasefire" and asked Putin to have a direct exchange with Zelensky.
In an interview published on Saturday, the French president declared: "We must not humiliate Russia so that the day the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic channels. I am convinced that France's role is to be a mediating power." .
"We are not going to humiliate anyone," Zelensky said.
"We are going to respond with the same coin."
Zelensky said that Macron, as the leader of the Normandy Format of the negotiations that existed before the expanded invasion of Russia on February 24, "has a deep understanding of all the details, of all the details of all the agreements made with the Russian Federation. of Russia, and with Russia's non-compliance with these agreements."
He said that he was willing to negotiate with Russia, but that the only person capable of discussing ending the war was Putin himself.
"Any war must end at the negotiating table," he said.
"This is exactly how it has happened in history. I remain resolved and determined, like it or not, to negotiate directly with President Putin if we are willing to seriously discuss ending this war."
Zelensky also said Russia's blockade of ports, which is preventing grain exports, "is a threat of global magnitude."
"There is only one party to this threat, it is the Russian Federation. There is no dialogue here. This is a very concrete and tangible threat to Asia, Africa and some countries in Europe," he said.
"We understand that the resulting consequences could be famines and migrations that are going to affect Europe. So the consequences could be very serious," he said.
"And the whole world knows for a fact that we are not going to let the Russian ships reach the Ukrainian ports, because they attack us on a daily basis, and the whole world knows that Ukraine is ready to export everything we have. We are prepared for some normal and civilized conditions, but on safe terms.
Russia claims it opened a land corridor to Crimea through occupied Ukrainian territory
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday it had opened a land corridor to Russian-occupied Crimea, allowing civilians and goods to pass through the eastern Ukrainian territory now under its control.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a conference call Tuesday that the military, in collaboration with Russian railways, had restored 1,200 kilometers of train tracks and opened highways to allow "full-fledged traffic" between Russia, the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russian forces from Ukraine in 2014. Water supply through the North Crimean Canal, a lifeline for Crimea, has also been resumed, Shoigu said.
According to an official readout of the call, the defense minister said the land corridor allowed Russia to start delivering goods to Mariupol, Berdyansk and Kherson, port cities in southeastern Ukraine that have been seized by Russia since it launched its invasion late February.
He said the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk were operating normally and ready to ship grain, amid international condemnation of Russia's months-long blockade of key ports, which has left millions of tons of grain languishing in Ukraine.
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"According to the instructions of the Supreme Commander (Russian President Vladimir Putin), we are ready to load grain at the ports," Shoigu said Tuesday.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed that Ukraine must clear coastal waters for grain ships to pass through and assured that Russia will facilitate their passage and will not use cleared sea corridors to attack Ukraine.
"President Putin...said that Ukraine must demine the approaches to the ports, which will allow the ships, after being checked by our military to ensure that they do not import weapons, to enter the port, load with grain and then, if it is necessary, even with our help, to continue into international waters," Peskov told reporters in a regular conference call.
Some background
: The minister's comments come at a time when world leaders have condemned a months-long blockade by Russian forces on key ports in Ukraine — including Mariupol on the Sea of Azov and Odessa on the the Black Sea—which has left more than 20 million tons of grain stuck inside the country.
In a speech to the United Nations Security Council on Monday, European Council President Charles Michel accused the Kremlin of "using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries" by holding hostage millions tons of Ukrainian grain and blockade of Ukrainian ports.
The war affects energy and food prices around the world, according to the US Treasury secretary
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted on Tuesday that inflation is at "unacceptable levels" but also tried to stress that it is not just a US problem.
"Putin's war in Ukraine is having an impact on energy and food prices globally," Yellen told lawmakers.
"We are not the only country that is experiencing inflation. You can see it in virtually every developed country in the world."
Speaking during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday, Yellen pointed to the record-breaking release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve by the Biden administration.
"Power and gasoline prices, while very high, would be higher without it," Yellen said of the emergency oil release.
He also stressed that the United States is not immune to global energy crises.
"We are part of global oil markets that are subject to geopolitical influences," Yellen said.
"Given the global nature of these markets, it is virtually impossible for us to insulate ourselves from shocks like the ones happening in Russia that are driving global oil prices."
He added that it is essential that the United States be "more dependent on the wind and the sun, which are not subject to geopolitical influences."
Heavy fighting in the battle for Severodonetsk
Heavy fighting for control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk continues on Tuesday, with Russia using artillery, planes and helicopters in the area, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Two people were injured after Russian forces shelled a mining school in Lysychansk, which is located on strategic high ground across the Siverskyi Donets River from Severodonetsk, according to Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk Region Military Administration. .
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Hayday said Russia was using "sabotage and reconnaissance groups" in the town of Bilohorivka, just west of Lisychansk and Severodonetsk.
That town also sits on high ground along the Siverskyi Donets River, and was the site of a massive Ukrainian defeat from a Russian assault last month.
On the outskirts of Severodonetsk, the Ukrainian army said that Russia was using "remote mining of the area in the direction of the offensive of our troops towards Rubizhne".
Ukrainian service members fire a shell from an M777 howitzer near a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 6, 2022. (PHOTO: REUTERS/Stringer)
Rodion Miroshnik, an official from the separatist, self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, claimed on Telegram that nine civilians had been killed by Ukrainian shelling in the past day.
On Monday night, Oleksandr Striuk, head of the Severodonetsk military administration, said there was "fierce fighting and street fighting" and that the situation was "changing by the hour".
Further west, in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian military said Russia was focusing its efforts on moving south from Izyum towards Sloviansk, where the front line has not moved much despite many weeks of heavy fighting.
"The entire front line is under constant fire," Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Military Administration of the Donetsk region, said on national television.
He said that the Ukrainian forces were focused on defending the line, and that it was "inappropriate to talk about a counterattack at this time."
In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, authorities said fighting continued along the entire line of contact, but eased somewhat on Tuesday.
In the Kherson region, the Ukrainian military said Russia was "concentrating its main efforts on improving its tactical position, maintaining occupied borders, and resupplying ammunition and fuel."
Officials said Russia had begun preparations "for the celebration of Russia Day in the region."
Russia celebrates its national holiday on June 12.
And in the northern region of Sumy, authorities said Russian forces shelled the border town of Seredyna-Buda early Tuesday.
At least six houses and a farm building were damaged, but no casualties were reported.
Russia Sanctions 61 Other Americans, Including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Russia has placed a further 61 US officials and top defense and media executives on its "exclusion list", barring them from entering the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The list includes the directors of major defense companies, media platforms, rating agencies, and aircraft and shipbuilding companies, as well as individual officials from the US State Department.
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The Ministry said the sanctions were a response to the "increasing number of US sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as against representatives of domestic companies."
Among the US officials included in the list are Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and the head of the Sanctions Coordination Office, James O'Brien.
A little background
: In May, Russia banned a total of 963 US officials and personalities from entering the country, including President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
That list included most senators and members of the US House of Representatives, former and current government officials, journalists, military personnel, advocates, citizens, and CEOs.
Ukraine accuses IAEA chief of "lying" and legitimizing Russian occupation of Zaporizhia NPP
Ukraine's nuclear power operator on Tuesday accused the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of legitimizing Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, and of "lying" by claiming Ukraine asked him to travel to the plant.
CNN has contacted the IAEA for comment.
The general director, Rafael Mariano Grossi, affirmed this Tuesday that there is a "clear and present risk for security and safeguards" at the plant, and said that he was "actively working to agree, organize and lead an international mission led by the IAEA " to visit her.
"We consider this message from the head of the IAEA as another attempt to reach ZNPP by any means to legitimize the occupiers' stay there and indeed to approve all their actions," Energoatom wrote on Telegram.
Grossi wrote on Twitter that "Ukraine asked us, we will go there."
Energoatom said that "the Ukrainian side did not invite Grossi to visit ZNPP and had previously denied him such a visit, emphasizing that a visit to the plant will be possible only when our country regains control over it."
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The operator said the loss of data transfer between the exchange and the IAEA had been caused by Russian forces cutting off the Internet connection.
Energoatom said that "the information is stored on the server and will be transferred when Vodafone is switched on."
This comes as the Ukrainian mayor of Enerhodar, a Russian-occupied town neighboring the plant, says plant employees and their families are coming under increasing pressure.
Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who is not in Enerhodar, said the situation "is getting more and more difficult."
"There has been no mobile communication or Internet for almost a week, so it is difficult to control the current situation," he said.
"During the last three weeks there have been mass kidnappings, mass robberies and massive pressure on the population, which has a pro-Ukrainian opinion."
CNN cannot independently verify his claims.
"Ukrainian personnel are working at the plant," he said.
"Military personnel and observers from Rosatom" — the Russian nuclear operator — "have been rotated at the nuclear power plant."
Russia made 'a big mistake' by invading Ukraine, says Merkel
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel answers questions from journalist and author Alexander Osang at the Berliner Ensemble in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, June 7.
(Fabian Sommer/dpa/AP)
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday there was no justification for Russia's "brutal disregard" of international law in launching its invasion of Ukraine.
"The attack on Ukraine was a big mistake on the part of Russia and an objective violation of all norms of international law and everything that allows us to live together in peace in Europe," Merkel said in an interview with German journalist Alexander Osang. .
"If we go through the centuries and say which part of the territory belongs to whom, then we will only have war, and that is absolutely unacceptable."
Merkel said she did not blame herself for "not trying hard enough" to prevent Russia's actions in the years leading up to the Feb. 24 invasion.
"It's a great sadness that I didn't succeed, but now I don't blame myself for not trying," he said.
“I would feel very bad if we had said, 'oh, you don't need to talk to that man at all,'” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia and Europe as neighbors conditioned certain relations, Merkel said.
"You can't ignore each other. That won't be possible in the future either."
Ukraine and NATO:
Merkel said she was convinced that any plan to make Ukraine a candidate for NATO membership during her time in office would have been tantamount to a declaration of war, from Putin's perspective.
Merkel also said that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is "incredibly brave in his fight against corruption" but "at that time Ukraine was a country dominated by oligarchs", which would have prevented him from joining NATO.
"And that's why I was strictly against it," he explained.
Merkel also showed respect for Zelensky's "will" to fight.
"In the beginning, Russia not only made a serious miscalculation about the conquest of Kyiv, but its response to the offer that it could leave the country, 'I don't need to be taken away, I need weapons', was also very clear and also inspired my respect," Merkel said.
“En última instancia, Ucrania es un rehén geopolítico de Occidente. El odio de Putin, la hostilidad de Putin va en contra del modelo occidental. La hostilidad de Putin va en contra del modelo democrático occidental”.
Unidad europea: Merkel dijo que estaba muy contenta de que Alemania decidiera recientemente comprar drones armados de Israel. “Ha sido una lucha muy dura invertir en disuasión militar. Ese es el único idioma que Putin entiende”, dijo.
"La anexión de Crimea fue un corte profundo", dijo Merkel. “Para mí estaba perfectamente claro que no estamos tratando con alguien que nos desea lo mejor con nuestra forma de vida. Sin embargo, no podemos deshacernos de él".
"Ahora es muy, muy importante que la Unión Europea permanezca unida".
Funcionario ruso de alto rango visita Melitopol mientras se llevan a cabo los preparativos del referéndum
El primer subjefe de gabinete del presidente de rusia, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Kiriyenko, visitó este martes la ciudad ucraniana ocupada por Rusia de Melitopol, según la autoproclamada alcaldesa prorrusa Galina Danilchenko.
Danilchenko anunció su visita en un video publicado en Telegram y agregó que Melitopol estaba comenzando los preparativos para un referéndum.
La ciudad está “muy agradecida con la Federación Rusa por la ayuda y el apoyo que estamos recibiendo para construir esta vida. Sabemos que nuestro futuro está en la unidad con Rusia. La Federación Rusa está aquí para siempre. Y ahora estamos empezando a prepararnos para el referéndum", dijo Danilchenko.
Melitopol es una ciudad clave en la región de Zaporiyia, en el sureste de Ucrania. También es vecino de la región de Jersón que ha estado bajo control ruso desde el comienzo de la invasión a fines de febrero.
Hennadii Lahuta, el jefe ucraniano de la Administración Militar de Jersón que es un funcionario pro-Kyiv, confirmó que estaban en marcha los preparativos para un próximo referéndum que se llevará a cabo "en otoño" en las áreas controladas por Rusia en el sur de Ucrania.
El área se estaba preparando para un referéndum sobre "la inclusión de la región en la Federación Rusa", dijo Lahuta en un teletón transmitido el martes por los canales de televisión ucranianos de la ciudad ocupada por Rusia de Kherson.
After Russian-backed separatists seized control of parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine's Donbas in 2014, people's republics were declared in both areas.
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