Today marks 50 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and there has been a marked shift in Moscow's approach. Ukrainian officials have warned for days they expect a major offensive by Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region.
French military spokesperson Col. Pascal Lanni said Wednesday Russia is potentially preparing for a "large-scale offensive" in the east in the coming days.
Here are the latest developments:
- Russian warship evacuated: Conflicting reports have emerged from the Russians and Ukrainians about an incident involving a Russian warship in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the Moskva was evacuated after a fire onboard detonated ammunition, seriously damaging the vessel, according to Russian state media. But Odesa state regional administrator Maxim Marchenko claimed Ukrainian forces hit the ship with "Neptune" missiles, causing serious damage to it.
- Bridge destroyed as Russians crossed: A Ukraine special-operations unit destroyed a bridge as a Russian convoy crossed it while it headed toward Izium in southeastern Kharkiv region, the Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed in a statement Thursday. They said the Ukrainian unit destroyed the bridge with an explosive charge as a convoy of a Tiger armored vehicle and several trucks crossed it.
- Nearly 200 children now killed: Some 197 children have died and 351 have been injured during the war in Ukraine, the country's prosecutor general said Thursday, citing figures from juvenile prosecutors. Bodies of children aged four and 10 were found along with the burnt body of a 17-year-old boy in Hostomel and Bucha, officials said.
- New, heavier weapons: For the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US is providing Kyiv with high-power capabilities, including Mi-17 helicopters and 18 155 mm Howitzer cannons. The new weapons package represents the starkest sign to date that the war in Ukraine is shifting, to deal with the type of fighting that’s likely to take place in the Donbas region — open terrain rather than the close fighting in urban and wooded areas. The EU has also approved an additional 500 million euros for military equipment for Ukraine.
- Evacuations resume: Nine evacuation routes for civilians to leave besieged Ukrainian cities have been agreed for Thursday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a Telegram post. Vereshchuk said there were no evacuation routes on Wednesday, adding Russians blocked buses in the Zaporizhzhia region and violated the ceasefire in the Luhansk region.
- The fight for Mariupol: The commanders of two Ukrainian units defending besieged Mariupol said they were able to join forces, as Russia claimed advances in the city. It comes as Ukrainian forces remain blockaded inside Mariupol. The Russian military has repeatedly claimed to have taken strategic positions in the city, but has also faced stiff resistance. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Mariupol's commercial seaport had been captured. CNN was not independently able to verify that claim.
No comments:
Post a Comment