When will the Ukraine war end? Three months into the war, Russia has intensified attacks in the eastern parts of the war-torn country and the question is being raised with the world leaders urging for a ceasefire. After capturing some major cities, Russia is now aiming at the strategic city of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says although his forces have been “holding out” in the key city, it has “become one of the dead cities”. The fighting has been concentrated in the east of the country since April where the Russian forces made advances after being beaten back from other parts. Thousands of civilians have been killed since the assault began on February 24 and millions have been displaced.
Here are the top updates on the Russia-Ukraine war:
1. The Ukrainian troops have suffered a huge setback after retaking parts of flashpoint eastern city Severodonetsk where Volodymyr Zelensky had warned that his forces were “outnumbered” by a stronger side. Speaking to the media, Zelensky said that “we are holding out in the key city but there are more of them and they are stronger,” reported AFP.
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2. The Ukraine president said that Severodonetsk and neighboring Lysychansk have become “dead cities now”. “They shoot here endlessly… It’s a horror show,” he added.
3. Ukraine is in talks with the United Nations on ways to export grain from ports that are blocked by Russia’s military, Zelensky said, reported Bloomberg. However, Kyiv is still skeptical about a tentative deal between Turkey and Moscow to restart shipments.
4. Amid the raging fight in and around the strategic city of Severodonetsk, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was banned from traveling to Serbia.
5. The Ukrainian president said that “the most dangerous situation” of the war at present is in Zaporizhzhia – a region west of Donetsk, which is partly occupied by Russian forces, reported Bloomberg. “We understand, and we see from intercepted calls, that the enemy wants to occupy Zaporizhzhia,” he said while speaking to the media.
6. The United Kingdom is set to follow the US and send long-range missile systems to Ukraine, defying the Russian warnings against supplying them to Kyiv. The UK defence ministry in a statement said, “The M270 launchers, which can strike targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away with precision-guided rockets, will offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces.”
7. Shortly after the UK joined the US in pledging to send weapons to Kyiv, Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to strike new targets in Ukraine if longer-range missiles are delivered.
8. The Russian defence ministry has said that its aircraft had hit three arms depots and a fuel storage facility near the village of Kodema, in the Donetsk region.
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9. According to Kyiv, the situation in the Kherson region in the south is “critical”. There is an absence of “mobile and internet networks, food supplies, medicine and cash”, it added, reported AFP.
10. The Ukrainian defence ministry warned that the “enemy is stepping up” attacks on infrastructure including roads and “creating railway pontoon bridges across rivers” around Kharkiv.
(With inputs from agencies)