Kyiv, Nikolaev – Anxiety in Odessa – Bombing in Donetsk, Mariupol, Kharkiv

LAST UPDATE 23:45

With Vladimir Putin giving the order to suspend exports of sugar, wheat, barley and corn for a few months, but also Volodymyr Zelensky to submit a bill for voting The 19th day of the war waged by the Russian president against the Ukrainian territory has ended in the Ukrainian parliament, which calls for the extension of the martial law until the end of April.

Humanitarian roads were opened in Mariupol

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday afternoon that the besieged city of Mariupol was “unblocked” and that the wave of evacuation of the city by civilians trying to escape for days had begun, according to the Russian Interfax news agency. .

An adviser to the mayor’s office in the city of Mariupol says civilians can finally leave the city via an evacuation corridor – and head for Zaporizhia, which is under Ukrainian control.

The official, Petro Andriusenko, said that from 13:00 local time “we have confirmation of the ceasefire regime” in an evacuation corridor for “private transport along the route: Mariupol – Melekine – Portovske – Mangus – Berdyansk – Zaporizhia”.

Berdyansk is under Russian control.

“Break” in conversations

The talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations were interrupted with a “technical break” on Monday, according to what was announced by the Ukrainian negotiator Mikhail Pontolyak. “Technical break in the negotiations until tomorrow. For additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions. The negotiations are continuing,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of “very difficult negotiations” in his new message, stressing that the Russians want to destroy Ukraine. The Ukrainian president noted that those fighting “bring closer the moment of victory” to add that “the Russians want to destroy Ukraine”, while Kyiv wants an “honest peace”.

It was preceded by a post by Pontoliak stating that the fourth round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will focus on achieving a ceasefire, troop withdrawal and security guarantees.

What is happening on the front

Russia has continued its invasion of Ukraine with forces attacking from the north and south of the country.

Donetsk: Pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine have announced today that Ukrainian strike caused the death of at least 16 people and the injury of more than 20 in downtown Donetsk. On its Telegram account, the Donetsk militia’s defense posted photos showing bloodied corpses lying in the street in the rubble, as well as a small bus with broken windows.

Kyiv: At least one person has been killed and 12 others injured when a car bomb exploded at an Iraqi police recruiting center at Kisak, killing at least 12 people. In particular, in its Telegram account, the emergency response service reported that an eight-storey building in the Obolon district in northern Kyiv became a possible target of “artillery”, resulting in a fire, which has been put under control by the fire brigade.

Mariupol: Ukraine’s key port is under “constant bombardment and some street fighting,” Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov told the BBC. Thousands of civilians have been trapped there for almost two weeks, surrounded by Russian troops firing rockets and shells, which have destroyed many buildings. City officials say there is a desperate need for food, water, medicine and electricity. The city is strategic because its occupation would allow Russia to link its forces to Crimea and the eastern Donbass region, controlling the coast.

The Russian Navy has cut off Ukraine from maritime trade by controlling its shores in the Black Sea, the British Ministry of Defense has announced.

Nikolaev: At least two people were killed and 10 others were injured in a bomb blast on Monday near the town of Snihurivka on the outskirts of Nikolaev, according to a Facebook post by the town’s community. Three civilians and seven soldiers were injured and are being treated in hospital, the United Territorial Community of Snihurivka added. The strategic naval city of Nikolaev has been witnessing a fierce battle against Russian aggression for days as they fight for control of the city. Both bridges leading to Nikolaev were erected on Monday morning, according to the CNN team in the city, closing the main routes inside and outside the city as the Russian presence is currently active in the northern and southeastern regions, effectively encircling it. The bridge leading west to Odessa has now been lowered.

Zaporizhia: Messages in the Telegram messaging service claim that Russian troops detonated ammunition in front of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, according to CNN. A further message from Ukraine’s nuclear power company, Energoatom, says it is not yet clear whether radioactivity levels have been affected since the explosion. Russia took control of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant on March 4 after being hit by bombing. The plant is located about 550 kilometers southeast of Kiev, on the banks of the Dnieper River and produces about 20% of total electricity in Ukraine.

Kharkiv: Three people were killed and another wounded in a Russian military bombing in Kharkov, local prosecutors said. The artillery fire “destroyed a building” while some others were damaged, the press office of the prosecutor’s office said. According to this source, there are two dead and one injured, the details of which have not yet been verified. Minutes later, prosecutors added that a 15-year-old man had been killed by a Russian gunman in a building housing young people in Chuhuif, 40 kilometers southeast of Kharkov.

More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine

As of Monday, more than 2.8 million people had fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, including 127,000 third-country nationals, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency.

“People continue to leave the war in Ukraine every minute,” the IOM wrote on Twitter on Monday, adding that they needed “continued support”.

According to UNICEF, the war in Ukraine has had a “devastating effect” on more than 7.5 million children.

Mass graves

Heavy Russian bombardment has forced residents of some Ukrainian cities and towns to bury dead civilians in makeshift mass graves – and many victims have not been identified: “We can not bury [τα θύματα] “in private graves, as they are outside the city and the perimeter is controlled by Russian troops,” the deputy mayor of Mariupol told the BBC.

For almost two weeks, Mariupol, a strategic port, has been hit daily by Russian missiles and shells. Thousands of residents, without food and water, are hiding in the basements.

In Bukha, a Russian-occupied suburb of Kiev, 67 bodies were buried in a ditch, a local lawmaker told the BBC. A doctor posted a video of the burial on Facebook.

The besieged Chernihiv in the north also uses a temporary cemetery, as fighting has made the main inaccessible.

About 500 Russian Marines practiced in Kaliningrad

About 500 Russian Marines held scheduled exercises in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania in the Baltic Sea, with exercises including repelling a paratrooper landing, the Russian Baltic fleet announced today, Reuters reported, citing the Russian news agency Interfax.

Extraordinary Summit of NATO Defense Ministers

Extraordinary meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels, The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Monday afternoon.

Russia says it will attack Ukrainian arms factories

Russia said Monday it planned to attack Ukrainian arms factories in retaliation for the Ukrainian attack on the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk and urged workers and residents of the area to stay away.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that Russia believed that Ukraine had used cluster munitions in a densely populated area of ​​Donetsk.

“Hunger Hurricane”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which could lead to a “famine” in many countries. “Ukraine is on fire” and “the country is being decimated in the eyes of the world,” he said. “We must do everything possible to prevent a famine and the collapse of the global food system,” he told a news conference in New York.

From his side, the IMF has estimated that Ukraine’s economy could shrink by up to 35% if the war swam and that the war endangered global food security.

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