Ukraine, Russia war: Civilians evacuated from Mariupol
Fears are mounting of a showdown between the remaining Ukrainian fighters and Russian forces at the Azovstal steelworks.
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Ukraine urged aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to evacuate its soldiers from their last holdout in the devastated port city of Mariupol.
Its plea came just hours after Kyiv announced “all women, children and the elderly” had been rescued from the Soviet-era tunnels and bunkers under the sprawling Azovstal steelworks.
Fears are now mounting of a showdown between remaining the fighters and besieging Russian forces.
Ukraine “calls on MSF to organise a mission to evacuate the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal and provide medical care to the wounded people, whose human rights were violated by Russian Federation,” the ministry of reintegration of temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine wrote in a statement in English.
They have been “for 72 days in a row under... ongoing shelling and attacks by the Russian army”, it added.
“Now, there is a lack of medicines, water and food, wounded soldiers are dying because of gangrene and sepsis.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that “diplomatic options” were under way to rescue Ukrainian soldiers from the Mariupol steelworks, as civilian evacuations continued.
The UN had said late on Thursday that a new convoy would evacuate civilians from the “bleak hell” of the factory, which has become the last pocket of resistance in the southeastern port city.
“We have managed to evacuate almost 500 civilians,” Andriy Yermak from Mr Zelenskyy’s office said on Friday.
Kyiv would “do everything to save all its civilians and military” stuck in the ruined city, adding that the operation was ongoing.
NEW RUSSIA FLAGSHIP MAKAROV ‘ON FIRE’
Russia’s new flagship in the Black Sea, the Admiral Makarov, burst into flames after what Ukrainian officials claim was a successful missile strike.
Reports of the latest attack on a Russian missile cruiser, said to have been near Snake Island, came as it was revealed US intelligence sources led to the successful missile strike that sunk Vladimir Putin’s flagship, the Admiral Moskva.
Russia issued similar denials that the Makarov was struck as it did in the immediate aftermath of the Moskva singing.
“We do not have such information,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to RIA Novosti.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Anton Gerashchenko and MP Oleksiy Goncharenko claimed on Telegram that the Makarov was hit by a “Neptune” anti-ship missile, citing Russian sources.
Russia sent helicopters and navy ships from Crimea to help the struck Makarov, according to Ukrainian-state media.
The new, 409-foot Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate replaced the Moskva as the biggest and most-important ship remaining in Russia’s navy, which is estimated to have about 20 vessels in the Black Sea.
Russia has been unable to sail new ships into the Black Sea due to Turkey’s closure of the Bosphorus strait.
It follows reports that the US provided intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the flagship Moskva last month, including targeting data for the Neptune anti-ship missiles in Ukraine’s arsenal.
The Pentagon sought to distance itself from the sinking of the ship in an attempt to avoid escalation between Russia and the United States.
“We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
He added the US was not “involved in the Ukrainians’ decision to strike the ship”.
His denial followed reports that the US had provided the intelligence behind Ukraine’s successful military operations in recent weeks, including the strike that killed senior Russian generals, like Valery Gerasimov, in the field.
The US does, however, say it shares battlefield intelligence to help Ukrainians defend their country while not participating in the “targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military.
“Ukraine combines information that we and other partners provide with the intelligence that they themselves are gathering on the battlefield,” he said.
“Then they make their own decisions, and they take their own actions.”
PUTIN APOLOGISES FOR HITLER COMMENTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised for controversial Hitler comments made by the Russian foreign minister, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
Earlier this week, Sergei Lavrov claimed Adolf Hitler had Jewish roots. The remarks were condemned by Israel as an “unforgivable” falsehood that debased the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.
Lavrov made the comment when asked why Russia said it needed to “denazify” Ukraine if Zelenskiy was himself Jewish.
“When they say ‘What sort of nazification is this if we are Jews’, well I think that Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it means nothing,” Lavrov told Italy’s Rete 4 channel, via an Italian interpreter.
“For a long time now we’ve been hearing the wise Jewish people say that the biggest anti-Semites are the Jews themselves.”
According to reports, Putin also responded to an earlier request from Bennett’s office, informing the Israeli Prime Minister Russia would allow civilian passage from the besieged Azovstal steel works in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol via a humanitarian corridor handled by the United Nations and Red Cross.
PUTIN PRACTICES NUCLEAR-CAPABLE MISSILE STRIKES NEAR NATO BORDER
Russia said its forces had practised simulated nuclear-capable missile strikes in the western enclave of Kaliningrad, amid Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The combat units also practised “actions in conditions of radiation and chemical contamination”, involving more than 100 servicemen.
The announcement came on the 70th day of Moscow’s military action in the pro-Western country, with thousands killed and more than 13 million displaced in the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
After sending troops to Ukraine in late February, Mr Putin has made thinly veiled threats hinting at a willingness to deploy Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.
During the war games in the enclave on the Baltic Sea located between EU members Poland and Lithuania, Russia practised simulated “electronic launches” of nuclear-capable Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The Russian forces practised single and multiple strikes at targets imitating launchers of missile systems, airfields, protected infrastructure, military equipment and command posts of a mock enemy, the statement said.
After performing the “electronic” launches, the military personnel carried out a manoeuvre to change their position in order to avoid “a possible retaliatory strike,” the defence ministry added.
Russia placed nuclear forces on high alert shortly after Mr Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.
The Kremlin chief has warned of a “lightning fast” retaliation if the West directly intervenes in the Ukraine conflict.
Observers say that in recent days, Russia’s state television has attempted to make nuclear weapons use more palatable to the public.
“For two weeks now, we have been hearing from our television screens that nuclear silos should be opened,” Russian newspaper editor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov said on Tuesday.
RUSSIA HAS ‘ALREADY LOST’, SAYS US
Russia has “already lost” its war in the Ukraine because it had failed to take over the country, the US claims.
White House secretary Jen Psaki made the comments after being asked how the Biden administration defined “winning in Ukraine” and if it meant no Russian troops remained in the country, ABC reports.
“I would say the way that (Russian) President Putin defined, defined winning a war that he started from the beginning was taking over Ukraine, enveloping Ukraine into Russia, taking away their territorial integrity and their sovereignty,” she said.
“Clearly, that has not been successful ... he expected and was planning to be marching through the streets of Kyiv victorious next Monday.
“He wanted this to be a moment to divide NATO, to divide the west. Clearly that is not what is happening.”
When asked if the US would say Ukraine had won the war if Russia took over the eastern part of the country, Psaki said the Ukrainians would define what a successful outcome looked like for them.
“But what I think is important to note and not lose sight of is how the Russians have defined this, and they has already lost, by their definition,” she said.
“They have not taken over Ukraine. President Putin is not going to be marching through down the streets of Kyiv. They will not own the territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country. They have not divided NATO.”
‘ALL OUT WARE’ PUTIN’S NEXT MOVE ON UKRAINE
Fears are mounting that Mr Putin will declare “all-out war” in just days, a move that would prove catastrophic for the Ukraine and the world.
While there’s been no official declaration of war to date, experts believe Mr Putin make the devastating move on May 9.
Known as Victory Day, May 9 is a symbolic day for Russia, marking the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in 1945.
The date is marked annually with a military parade, as leaders watch over from the tomb of Vladimir Lenin and address the people.
If Mr Putin does declare war on May 9, it will be 74 days since Russian forces first invaded the Ukraine, and could be used to justify further attacks in the name of war.
James Nixey, director of the Russia-Eurasia Program at Chatham House, told CNN a May 9 declaration would serve to “show off” to the home crowd, intimidate the opposition and “please the dictator of the time”.
In an interview with LBC Radio, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Mr Putin would be even more likely to take action on that key date given he had so far “failed” in most of his Ukraine objectives.
“I think what he’s going to do is he’s going to move from his ‘special operation’ … and he’s been laying the ground for being able to say ‘Look, this is now a war against Nazis’ and what I need is more people, I need more Russian cannon fodder basically,” he said.
“I would not be surprised … he is probably going to declare on May Day that ‘we are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people.’”
RUSSIA ‘PLANNING VICTORY PARADE’
Ukraine has accused Russia of planning to hold a military parade in the captured city of Mariupol to celebrate victory over the Nazis in World War II.
Kyiv said on Wednesday that an official from Russia’s presidential administration had arrived in the strategic southern port city, which has been largely destroyed in Russia’s more than two-month invasion of Ukraine, to oversee plans for the Victory Day parade on May 9.
“Mariupol will become a centre of ‘celebration’,” Ukraine’s military intelligence said in a statement on social media.
“The central streets of the city are urgently being cleaned of debris, bodies and unexploded ordnance.” Mariupol is one of the most battered cities in Ukraine. A group of Ukrainian forces are still holding out in its Azovstal steel plant.
“A large-scale propaganda campaign is under way. Russians will be shown stories about the ‘joy’ of locals on meeting the occupiers,” it said.
Mariupol mayor Vadym Boichenko later told Ukrainian television there were ongoing “works” in the city, as if the Russians were preparing for something.
“They are removing signs of the crimes they have committed,” he said.
The Ukrainian military on Tuesday said Russian troops had launched an offensive to rout troops inside Azovstal shortly after the United Nations and Red Cross confirmed the evacuation of more than 100 civilians from the site.
The Kremlin denied Russia was storming the plant on Wednesday, but Mr Boichenko said there was “heavy fighting” there and that city officials had “lost contact” with the troops inside with no way of knowing “what’s going on, whether they are safe or not”.
In a briefing on the army’s plan for May 9, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made no mention of a celebratory march in Mariupol.
He said parades would take place in 28 cities, involving some 65,000 people, 2,400 pieces of military hardware and more than 400 aircraft.
Russians celebrate Victory Day every year on May 9 with military parades and public events commemorating the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Moscow has said the aim of its massive invasion was to “demilitarise” and “de-Nazify” Ukraine.
INVASION COULD END WITHIN MONTHS
Russia could end its war in Ukraine within four months, according to Kyiv’s Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence.
“There is information among the occupier’s military that … the so-called ‘special military operation’ is set for September 2022,” the ministry said.
It comes as defence officials warned Mr Putin is planning imminently to “annex” the two eastern regions of Ukraine battered by its invasion after failing to overthrow the Kyiv government.
“According to the most recent reports, we believe that Russia will try to annex the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Lugansk People’s Republic’ to Russia,” Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said on Monday.
“The reports state that Russia plans to engineer referenda upon joining sometime in mid-May,” he told reporters in Washington.
Mr Carpenter said that the United States also believed Russia was considering a similar plan in a third region, Kherson, where Moscow has recently solidified its control and imposed use of its ruble currency.
“We think the reports are highly credible. Unfortunately we have been more right than wrong in exposing what we believe may be coming next, and so that is part of what we’re trying to do here.”
Russia in 2014 said it had annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula but it has stopped short of actions in similar areas with large numbers of Russian speakers, whose cause it has repeatedly cited in its invasion.
“Such sham referenda – fabricated votes – will not be considered legitimate, nor will any attempts to annex additional Ukrainian territory,” Mr Carpenter said.
“But we have to act with a sense of urgency.”
RUSSIA RENEWS ASSAULT ON MARIUPOL PLANT
Russian forces have launched an offensive on the besieged Azovstal steel plant where Kyiv’s forces are holed up in the southern city of Mariupol, according to official accounts from both sides.
“A powerful assault on the territory of the Azovstal plant is underway with support from armoured vehicles and tanks,” Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Azov military unit said in a statement on Tuesday.
The invading troops are also attempting “to land a large number of infantry by boat,” he said.
“We will do everything we can to repel this assault, but we call for immediate measures to evacuate civilians who are on the territory of the plant,” he added.
Video from the besieged city of Mariupol shows thick columns of smoke rising from the area of the Azovstal steel plant amid the sound of heavy explosions. The plant was reportedly hit by artillery, naval artillery and aircraft throughout the night. Two civilian women in one of the bunkers were killed as a result of a massive air strike,” Denys Shlega, a commander in the National Guard, told Ukrainian television from Azovstal.
The Azov regiment posted images of the bodies of two women inside the complex.
“Since the morning, the enemy has been trying to assault the Azovstal plant with significant forces using armoured vehicles. Our soldiers bravely repel all attacks,” Shlega said.
The Russian army said earlier Tuesday that its forces and pro-Moscow separatists were using artillery and planes to target Azovstal where Ukrainian fighters are making their last stand.
The Russian defence ministry accused members of the Azov battalion and other Ukrainian troops of using a pause in fighting to once again take up their combat positions at the plant.
“Using artillery and aircraft, units of the Russian army and the Donetsk People’s Republic are beginning to destroy” the “firing positions” of the Ukrainian troops, the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Mariupol is among the most battered cities in Ukraine.
The United Nations announced Tuesday that 101 civilians had been successfully evacuated from the tunnels of the Azovstal plant in a joint operation with the Red Cross.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that civilians evacuated from Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol had reached safety in Zaporizhzhia.
“We’ll continue to engage parties to the conflict & do all we can to support safe passage for civilians trapped in war-impacted areas,” the OCHA said.
The UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, said she was “relieved to confirm that the safe passage operation from Mariupol has been successful.”
“The people I travelled with told me heartbreaking stories of the hell they went through. I’m thinking about the people who remain trapped. We will do all we can to assist them,” she tweeted.
PUTIN COULD ENLIST KGB AGENT IN WAR
Vladimir Putin could undergo cancer surgery and hand power to his spy chief, a Kremlin insider claims.
Speculation has been rife about the Russian leader’s health after he appeared bloated in the face and video resurfaced showing him shaking uncontrollably.
Experts have weighed in claiming he is showing signs of abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
New reports suggest Mr Putin 69, could undergo treatment and hand over power to Nikolai Patrushev, 70, a former KGB counterintelligence officer dubbed “the most dangerous man in Russia”.
Patrushev is considered the architect of the Ukraine war, and is believed to have convinced Mr Putin that Kyiv was awash with neo-Nazis.
In a recent interview with Russian state newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Mr Patrushev claimed: “Europe and European civilisation have no future.”
He continued: “Using their henchmen in Kyiv, the Americans, in an attempt to suppress Russia, decided to create an antipode of our country, cynically choosing Ukraine for this, trying to divide essentially a single people.
“The result of the policy of the West and the regime in Kyiv can only be the disintegration of Ukraine into several states.”
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