Kyiv rejects Russian ultimatum on Mariupol – Ammonia leak at chemical plant in Sumy

LAST UPDATE: 08.19

“There is no question that the Ukrainian armed forces should lay down their arms and leave the besieged Mariupol to the Russian army,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Verestsuk said today.

“There is no case for any surrender or surrender of weapons,” Ms. Verestsuk was quoted as saying by Ukrainian Pravda. “We have already informed the Russian side about this,” the deputy prime minister added.

He spoke in support of the US Alliance, but said that maintaining some independence was not the answer.

Yesterday, the Russian Ministry of Defense, in an eight-page letter, demanded that the Ukrainian forces in Mariupol “lay down their arms” and “a written response” to its ultimatum before today at 07:00 (Greek local time and time), in order to be saved, as the inhabitants and the infrastructure of the port of strategic importance in the Sea of ​​Azov.

“We urge the Kiev authorities to show restraint and revoke their previous orders, which required the fighters to sacrifice themselves and become ‘witnesses of Mariupol,'” said Russian Lt. Gen. Mikhail Mizinchev.

“Lay down your weapons,” said the top Russian official. “A terrible humanitarian catastrophe is underway (…). All those who lay down their arms will be guaranteed a completely safe departure from Mariupol.”

According to Lieutenant General Mizinchev, Russia and Ukraine have agreed on the route that the residents of Mariupol should take to go to safe territories controlled by Kyiv later today. “From 10:00 Moscow time (…) Russia will keep the humanitarian corridors open from Mariupol to the east and, following an agreement with the Ukrainian side, to the west,” he added.

The Russian Ministry of Defense sent a message via Telegram earlier yesterday to the authorities of Mariupol: “You have a historic choice (in front of you) – either you will stand by your people, or you will go with the criminals.”

“The occupying forces continue to behave like terrorists,” Irina Verestsuk told Telegram. “They say they agree (to open) a humanitarian corridor and in the morning, they bomb the evacuation area. The government is doing everything possible. The most important thing for us is to save the lives and health of our citizens.”

She added that in her response to the Russian side he called on her “instead of wasting her time writing eight-page letters just to open the corridors”.

Mariupol, a predominantly Russian-speaking city, is one of the main targets of what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” launched three and a half weeks ago. It is practically besieged from the beginning. According to Petro Andriushenko, an aide to the mayor, more than 3,000 civilians are believed to have been killed.

Corpses are lying in the streets of the city, while negotiations between delegations of the warring parties have not yielded results so far.

At least 10 of Ukraine’s 44 million citizens have fled their homes to escape the war, according to the United Nations. At least 3.4 million have crossed the border, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Ammonia leak “at a chemical plant in the Sumi region

Extremely toxic ammonia has been leaking since the morning at a chemical plant in the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, according to local authorities.

Local authorities have called on Novoselitsa residents to seek refuge from the chemical, especially in basements and on the ground floor, and to avoid being exposed to it – amid ongoing fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Dmitry Zivicki, the governor of Sumy, said that all residents within five kilometers of the Sumykhimprom plant, which produces various types of chemical fertilizers, should take protection measures. Ammonia, a substance with a particularly strong odor, is lighter than oxygen.

Mr Zivicki did not specify how the leak was caused. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed yesterday that “Ukrainian nationalists” had “trapped” the ammonia and chlorine storage facilities of the Sumichibrom industry with explosives in order to “cause mass poisoning” in case Russian units enter the city.

Sumi, 350 kilometers east of Kiev, a city of about 250,000 inhabitants before the war broke out, is not directly threatened by ammonia at the moment due to the direction of the winds, according to him.

It is impossible to verify this information independently.

The Russian Defense Ministry recently accused the Ukrainian authorities of plotting to carry out a chemical weapons attack on civilians and to blame Russia. Western countries, mainly the United States, have returned the allegation, arguing that Russia is lying and that it intends to use chemical weapons.

Britain: The bulk of Russian forces are more than 25 km from the center of Kiev

Russian forces coming to Kyiv from the northeast have stopped and the bulk of their forces remain more than 25 kilometers from the city center, the British military intelligence service said today, according to Reuters.

“Fierce fighting continues north of Kiev,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “Forces coming from the direction of Hostomel to the northwest have been repulsed by strong Ukrainian resistance.”

Meanwhile, at least four people were killed in Russian bombings that hit homes and a mall in the Podilsky district late Sunday night, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the city’s emergency services.

“According to the information we have so far, several houses and a shopping center were hit,” the mayor said via Telegram. He assured that the fire brigade is trying to put out a large fire in the mall.

The Kiev Emergency Management Agency reported four dead.

It is impossible for this information to be verified independently.

Increased activity of Russian UAVs in Odessa

In the strategically important port of Odessa in southern Ukraine, increased activity of Russian remote-controlled drones was recorded yesterday Sunday, said an official of the Ukrainian armed forces.

“There is calm, however, no attacks,” the official, Maxim Martchenko, told the Ukrainian newspaper Pravda.

The air defenses opened fire on enemy UAVs and “I can confirm that some were shot down,” he added.

It is impossible for this information to be verified independently.

Odessa, “the pearl of the Black Sea”, has remained – comparatively – intact since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

Britain: Russian forces are still trying to bypass Mykolaif

The British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that Russian forces advancing from Crimea are still trying to bypass Mykolaif, as they try to move west towards Odessa, adding that these forces made little progress last week.

“The blockade of the Ukrainian coast is likely to worsen the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, preventing vital supplies from reaching the Ukrainian population,” the ministry said in a Twitter post.

The Russian Air Force has changed tactics, according to the Ukrainian military

The Russian Air Force has changed its tactics in the Ukrainian war after the losses it has suffered so far, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“In 25 days, the Russian occupation forces have suffered heavy losses on the ground and in the air – they have lost 96 planes, 118 helicopters and dozens of cruise missiles and UAVs,” said a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force. Ignat, last Sunday night, according to Ukrainian Pravda.

Reacting to these losses, Russia’s new tactic in the last two days is to use more UAVs in a reconnaissance role and to verify the results of the missile attacks it launches, according to him.

This information cannot be independently verified.