Biden in Europe – Ukrainians kill commander of Russian Marines Zhukov Brigade

LAST UPDATE 23:56

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Europe on one of the most important presidential trips in recent history. His visits to Brussels and Poland could further undermine the alliance’s boundaries to end the bloodshed in Ukraine, with Western leaders struggling to find ways to end Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. So far, the punishment of Western sanctions has not stopped Putin, and it is unclear whether the new steps expected this week will be different.

Biden will announce new sanctions against Russian politicians and oligarchs during Thursday’s summit.

At the same time, the US government considers that members of the Russian military forces have committed war crimes in the attack against Ukraine, said today Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken. “Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public sources and intelligence services,” Blinken said in a statement.

Since yesterday, when the White House announced that Russian forces had entered the thousand-strong city of Mariupol, following the firing of cruise missiles by the Navy, Moscow is stepping up its attack in order to understand the paramount importance of Vladimir’s plan. , so that then, the only thing he will have left on the north coast of the Black Sea will be Odessa.

Russia has stated in unusually clear terms why one of its major military objectives is to occupy Mariupol in southern Ukraine. The capture of the city will create a secure land connection to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula of the Black Sea in Crimea, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deputy envoy for the Russian Federation in southern Russia.

There are reports of 100,000 people trapped in Mariupol, without water, food or medicine.

The suburbs of Kiev, Kharkiv and other major cities are also targeted. Diplomatic contacts have not borne fruit, while Ukrainian President Zelensky is requesting a meeting with Russian President Putin for the umpteenth time.

The Ukrainian army announced the death of the commander of the 810th Marine Brigade, known as the Zhukov Brigade, Colonel Alexei Sarov, in Mariupol. This brigade is located in the Crimea. Sergei Bratsuk, a spokesman for the Odessa RMA Operations Headquarters, announced the death of his commander. A brigade of Marines was supposed to invade Odessa, but the invaders were transported directly to Mariupol and Nikolaev, where they were killed by the Ukrainian army.

Ukraine “hit” an area in Belgorod

Blind “hit” of Ukraine in the Belgorod region of Russia, complain local officials, referring to “victims”, the number of which is not specified. According to the governor of the region, Vladimir Perchev, at noon, a shell from Ukraine “hit” a village around Belgorod. “A shell exploded in a village, there are casualties and damage to houses,” Perchev said. According to the same reports, an emergency was declared in the villages of Zuravlevka and Nakotevka, with the residents being transported to Belgorod for safety.

What is happening on Ukrainian soil

Throw: Three rocket attacks on Rivne, in the western Ukrainian province of Lviv, took place this morning.

Kyiv: Almost the entire city of Irpin, in which fierce fighting has taken place in recent weeks, is in the hands of Ukraine, said the mayor of Kiev. Earlier in March, thousands of residents fled Irpin, crossing the remains of a blown-up bridge as Russian artillery and air strikes hit the area. Vitali Klitschko told reporters that Ukrainian forces had repulsed troops there and also in the town of Makariv, west of Kiev.

Sumi: Sumi is almost surrounded, says a member of the city council. “Our city is almost surrounded, we have an exit to Poltava from which women and children leave and medical supplies are transported,” Andrii Baranov told the BBC.

Trostjanec: North of Kharkov, Russian attacks last night caused widespread fires in the city

Kharkiv: The Ukrainian army says it has repulsed an attack by Russian troops in Kharkov in the east of the country, with the Russian side launching a helicopter attack.

Lugansk: Kyiv alleges that the Russians used white phosphorus bombs in Kramatorsk and bombed a pediatric clinic in the Luhansk region. Allegations have also surfaced that the Russians have abducted 2,389 children from Donbas.

Donetsk: Images of disaster further north in the city of Mainka in the Donetsk region. Soldiers say the Russians are using all kinds of weapons, despite the civilian population remaining in the city.

Melitopoli: The mayor of Melitopol in southern Ukraine has accused the Russian occupation forces of occupying businesses as the living conditions of the citizens deteriorate. Mayor Ivan Fedorov was arrested on March 11 but released five days later in a prisoner exchange. Commenting on Wednesday, Fedorov said that “the situation is difficult because the Russian soldiers have stated that they are the authorities, but of course, they do not care about the people and their problems, they only care about taking money from businessmen,” to understand their businesses “.

Mariupol: New satellite photos show the absolute destruction in Mariupol. The city is at the mercy of Russian bombing. Families who managed to escape the city describe images of horror with the dead lying unburied in the streets while most of the city has been leveled.

Hersonissos: Concern is also expressed about the Russian-occupied Kherson. 300,000 residents see food and medicine supplies depleted as residents continue to protest. In the city of Voznesens, Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge in order to stop the advance towards Odessa.

Nikolaev: Russian forces bombarded Ingul province with artillery, destroying buildings.

Odessa: In Odessa, the concern is growing that the war will reach the city as well. Army and civilians fortify the city amid explosions, as concerns about anti-aircraft fire and explosions grow. Hundreds of refugees are leaving the city, while buses from Nikolaev are transporting refugees to the city.

Russia destroys Chernobyl radioactivity monitor, Ukraine says

Russian forces looted and destroyed a laboratory near the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was used to monitor radioactive waste, according to the Ukrainian government, according to CNN.

The site of the worst nuclear disaster in the world fell to the Russians in the first week of the Russian invasion, sparking fears that safety standards within the buffer zone could be jeopardized.

According to a Ukrainian government agency, the laboratory was part of a European Union-funded effort to improve radioactive waste management through on-site analysis of radioactive waste samples.

Russian journalist killed in bombing in Kyiv

A Russian journalist was killed today in a bomb blast in Kyiv, according to the independent news website she worked for. Oxana Baulina was killed by a rocket while filming the damage caused by a previous blow to a shopping center in Pontil, in the northwestern suburbs of the Ukrainian capital, according to the announcement of The Insider. Another civilian was killed and two others accompanying the journalist were injured in the bombing.

Prior to joining The Insider, Bowlina worked for an anti-corruption organization in her home country. The institution was described as an “extremist organization” by the Russian authorities and the journalist was forced to leave Russia. She continued to address the issue of corruption in her new employer. She had gone to Ukraine as a correspondent and covered many issues in Kyiv and Lviv. The site expressed its condolences to her family and friends. “We continue to cover the war in Ukraine and Russian war crimes, as well as indiscriminate bombings in residential areas leading to the death of civilians and journalists,” the website added.

The Insider was founded in 2013 by journalist and activist Roman Dobrochotov, now based in Riga, the capital of Latvia.

Five journalists have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24.

Sweden will provide Ukraine with another 5,000 anti-tank weapons

Sweden will supply Ukraine with an additional 5,000 anti-tank weapons, the TT news agency reported, citing the Swedish Defense Minister on Wednesday. Sweden has already sent 5,000 anti-tank weapons, along with other military equipment, to Ukraine.