The Ukraine war will enter its third month in three days from now and an updated map amid the Russia offensive – shared by the United Kingdom’s ministry of defence – shows that the eastern part of the country have been largely besieged. In overnight developments, Russia claimed that it had fully seized Mariupol, the strategic port city, which has been a sufferer and a witness to relentless fighting since March. In the midst of a continuing assault, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has sought compensation from Moscow for all the damage. Kyiv has estimated its war losses at around $100 billion, according to reports.
Here are ten latest updates on the Ukraine war:
1. “We invite partner countries to sign a multilateral agreement and create a mechanism ensuring that everybody who suffered from (the) Russian actions can receive compensation for all losses incurred,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address.
2. “That would be fair. And Russia will feel the weight of every missile, every bomb, every shell which it has fired at us,” the 44-year-old leader further inisted.
3. Moscow claimed on Friday that it had taken full control of the Azovstal steel works, the last holdout of Ukrainian troops in Mariupol, the city facing relentless assault for three months.
4. “The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant… has been completely liberated,” Russia’s defence ministry was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters as it further said that a total of 2,439 defenders had surrendered in the past few days. The numbers have not been confirmed by Kyiv.
5. Group of Seven major economies have pledged a support of nearly $20 billion to the war-torn nation this year, reports have said.
6. In the eastern parts, Luhansk is facing doubled-up assault. “The Russian army has started very intensive destruction of the town of Sievierodonetsk, the intensity of shelling doubled, they are shelling residential quarters, destroying house by house. “We do not know how many people died, because it is simply impossible to go through and look at every apartment,” Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said on his Telegram channel, Reuters reported.
7. A $40 billion US aid bill for the conflict-battered country was flying to Seol with Joe Biden, people familiar with the matter said, with the US president on an Asia visit, news agency AP reported. The bill was cleared by the US Congress on Thursday.
8. One of the major concerns for the world amid the Ukraine war is the food crisis that has emerged.
9. “Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine is blocking the export of critical food supplies, increasing prices for the most vulnerable around the world. The Kremlin must end its barbaric war, and let Ukrainian farmers help feed the world again,” the UK government has said.
10. The war started on February 24 as part of what Russia called a “special military option”. Millions have been displaced, thousands have died and many Ukrainian cities have suffered tremendous damage yet Russian president Vladimir Putin is yet to indicate if he will end the war anytime soon.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP, Bloomberg)
