Ukraine's Zelenskyy defiant as Russian forces, despite setbacks, regroup near Kyiv
12 March, 2022
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday (Mar 11) Ukraine had reached a "strategic turning point" in the conflict with Russia, but Russian forces bombarded cities across the country and appeared to be regrouping for a possible assault on the capital Kyiv.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, on the Russian border, said a psychiatric hospital had been hit, and the mayor of the city of Kharkiv said about 50 schools there had been destroyed.
In the besieged southern city of Mariupol, the city council said at least 1,582 civilians had been killed as a result of Russian shelling and a 12-day blockade that has left hundreds of thousands trapped with no food, water, heat or power. Russia's defence ministry said the Black Sea port was now completely surrounded and Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately preventing civilians getting out and humanitarian convoys getting in.
A new effort to evacuate civilians along a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol appeared to have failed, with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk saying Russian shelling prevented them from leaving.
"The situation is critical," Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said.
Western countries meanwhile took more steps to try to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his assault.
US President Joe Biden said the G7 industrialised nations would revoke Russia's "most favoured nation" trade status. He also announced a US ban on imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds.
European Union leaders meeting in France said they were ready to impose harsher economic sanctions on Russia and might give Ukraine more funds for arms. But they rejected Ukraine's request to join the bloc.
At a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said there were "certain positive shifts" in talks with Kyiv, but did not elaborate.
GEARING UP
With the Russian assault now in its third week, Zelenskyy, who has rallied his people with a series of addresses, said Ukraine had "already reached a strategic turning point".
"It is impossible to say how many days we still have (ahead of us) to free Ukrainian land. But we can say we will do it," he said. "We are already moving towards our goal, our victory."
Russia's main attack force has been stalled on roads north of Kyiv, having failed in what Western analysts say was an initial plan for a lightning assault.
But images released by private US satellite firm Maxar showed armoured units manoeuvring in and through towns close to an airport on Kyiv's northwest outskirts, the site of fighting since Russia landed paratroopers there in the first hours of the war.
Other elements had repositioned near Lubyanka just to the north, with artillery howitzers in firing positions, Maxar said.
Britain's defence ministry said Russia appeared to be gearing up for new offensive activity in the coming days that would probably include operations against Kyiv.
However, the Russian ground forces were still making only limited progress, hampered by logistical problems and Ukrainian resistance, it said in its intelligence update.
The Ukrainian general staff said Russian forces were regrouping after taking heavy losses. Ukrainian troops had pushed some back to "unfavourable positions" near the Belarus border to the rear of the main Russian column, it said.
Kyiv's mayor, former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, said the capital had enough essential supplies to last a couple of weeks. Supply lines remained open for now.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com