Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning that “serious” military action is still underway, Russian forces continued their offensive with airstrikes on several locations in the Donbass basin on Thursday to conquer eastern Ukraine.
In Kramatorsk, the capital of the Donetsk province, which forms Donbass and the neighboring Luhansk region, the bombings left one dead and many injured.
An explosion left a large crater on land between a hotel and residential buildings, according to AFP reporters.
But Putin said at a meeting with lawmakers in Moscow that the Russian offensive that began more than four months ago and has left thousands dead and millions displaced has yet to “begin in earnest”.
Putin has also challenged Western countries that provide military support to Ukraine.
“We are currently hearing [os ocidentais] They want to beat us on the battlefield. What to say to them? Let’s try their luck!”
Despite this, the Russian leader left the door open for negotiation. “We do not refuse to hold peace talks, but those who reject them should know that it will be more difficult to reach an agreement with Russia later on,” he said.
Battle of Donbass
Russian forces claim control of the entire Luhansk province and now seek to conquer Donetsk to take absolute control of the mining basin, which has been partially in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
Sloviansk and its twin city of Kramatorsk are declaring themselves as the next targets of Russian forces.
“The enemy is trying to launch an attack on Sloviansk,” the Ukrainian army said by bombing neighboring towns.
The mayor of the city, Vadim Liakh, reported yesterday that the evacuation of civilians continues.
According to Liakh, about 23,000 people remained in the city on Wednesday, out of a total of 110,000 who lived there before the war.
“What are we going to do? We have nowhere to go, nobody needs us,” said 72-year-old Sloviansk resident Galyna Vasylivna.
A prosecutor in Moscow today sought a seven-year prison sentence for a local politician accused of spreading “false information” about the military in the context of the attack.
On Wednesday, Russia adopted a text that imposes heavy prison terms for anyone who encourages action against national security.
Zelensky thanks Johnson
The resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party, one step before his departure from power, shook the international scene.
Pressured by scandals and his own party, Johnson stands out as one of the Western leaders who offered the most support to Ukraine.
In this regard, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Johnson to express “sadness” at his departure.
“There is no doubt that England’s support will continue, but his personal leadership and charisma made him special,” Zelensky said. Said.
Minutes before the call, the Ukrainian presidency thanked Johnson for his support in the “hardest moments” of the war. The Kremlin, on the other hand, expressed its desire for “more professional people” to come to power in the UK.
The British political crisis ended on the eve of the Indonesian ministerial meeting of the G20 countries, which will be attended by Russia and Ukraine’s western allies.
This meeting is likely to be a “very difficult confrontation,” according to a French diplomatic source.
Tensions have also escalated between Ukraine and Turkey after a Russian grain cargo ship left Turkish territorial waters and returned to Russia.
Accusing Moscow of stealing its wheat crop, Ukraine says the ship Zhibek Zholy, which departed last week from the Russian-controlled Ukrainian port of Berdiansk, was carrying 7,000 tons of illegally obtained grain.
According to the US space agency (NASA), based on satellite data, Russia controls 22% of Ukraine’s arable land.
The war in the former Soviet republic and the sanctions against Russia resulted in the interruption of exports from the two countries, with consequences for rising grain and fertilizer prices worldwide and for energy supplies in Europe.
source: Noticias
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