The Russian army is apparently attempting new attacks to conquer parts of the eastern province of Luhansk that are still under Ukrainian control. The battle in Mariupol, on the other hand, is over – according to their own statements, Russia is gaining complete control over the Azov steelworks, which was last fought over. The 87th day of the war at a glance.
Kyiv: Massive fighting in Donbass
The Ukrainian general staff registered a large number of Russian attacks, especially in the east. Ukrainian governor Serhiy Gaidai stated via Telegram that the Russian army is trying to destroy the city of Sievierodonetsk. Fighting broke out on the outskirts of town.
According to the General Staff in Kyiv, the enemy is still trying to gain complete control over the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in order to secure a land corridor to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Parts of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces were already under the control of pro-Russian separatists before the Russian invasion on February 24.
Moscow: Last stand at Mariupol Steelworks broken
After weeks of fierce fighting, the Russian army says it has taken complete control of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. All Ukrainian fighters surrendered, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow. The Ukrainian side initially did not comment on this.
The sprawling industrial complex on the Azov Sea was the last place in the strategically important port city in south-eastern Ukraine that had not yet been fully under Russian control. According to information from Moscow, a total of 2,439 Ukrainian soldiers have been taken prisoner by the Russians since May 16. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a TV interview on Saturday that he did everything to liberate Mariupol. Nonetheless, he said Ukraine had “broke the backbone” of the Russian army. “You won’t be able to get back on your feet for the next few years.”
New trouble about German arms deliveries
With regard to the German arms deliveries, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that this was the right decision. “The borders in Europe must not be moved by force,” said Scholz. Putin completely miscalculated. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen criticized Germany for being “too hesitant in supplying heavy weapons and imposing sanctions”. The Dane told the Handelsblatt: “We need German leadership.”
Meanwhile, there is new confusion about arms deliveries from Germany. The “Bild” newspaper reports on a confidential paper from the Ministry of Defense that contradicts Minister Christine Lambrecht’s official version. According to this, the Bundeswehr has 62 martens that are no longer used. According to a report in Der Spiegel, the government in Warsaw is angry because Germany, as promised, does not want to replace the Russian-made Polish tanks that Poland has already handed over to Ukraine in the near future.
Russia stops gas supplies to Finland
The Russian state-owned company Gazprom thus made its announcement from the day before come true on Saturday. Officially, the reason was that Finland refused to pay for the supplies in Russian rubles. However, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sharply criticized Finland’s official application for NATO membership – together with Sweden – and threatened consequences. Since Finland is not very dependent on Russian gas, the supply is not significantly affected. Finland and Sweden want to join NATO because of Russia’s war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, which is about to enter its fourth month.
Turkey sets conditions for Sweden to join NATO
According to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey is demanding concrete steps against terrorism from the Nordic country in the dispute with Sweden over NATO membership. An arms embargo against Turkey after the invasion of Syria in 2019 also had to be lifted, the official news agency Anadolu quoted Erdogan after a phone call with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
Biden puts billions in aid package for Ukraine into effect
US President Joe Biden has signed the US’ billion-euro aid package for Ukraine into effect. Congress had previously approved the package with a volume of almost 40 billion dollars (38 billion euros) with a large majority.
Italy develops plan for peace process in Ukraine war
Italy is working on a plan for a peace solution. “We now need a diplomatic counter-offensive,” Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told the newspaper “La Stampa”. The first goal is to achieve local pauses in fighting, followed by a ceasefire, work on neutrality and ultimately a peace agreement.
EU Justice Commissioner: War crimes will not go unpunished
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has pledged to prosecute war crimes in Ukraine. “It will take time, it will be a long process, but the atrocities committed in Ukraine will not go unpunished,” Reynders told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
More articles on the Ukraine war
You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.
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