Ukraine: Local authorities call on civilians to leave Donetsk

Authorities in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region again urged civilians to leave the area on Wednesday as Russian troops stepped up shelling and attacks.

“Russia has turned the whole of Donetsk into a danger zone for civilians as well,” Ukrainian regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said. “I urge everyone to leave immediately! Evacuations save lives!”.

The mayor of the city of Sloviansk, Vadim Liach, announced that buses and trains were ready to transport civilians to the western part of the war-torn country. “Don’t risk it at all! Pack your bags!”.

A total of 17 civilians have been killed and another 67 injured after Russian troops began shelling Sloviansk, he added. “Yesterday we had two dead and seven injured,” he added.

Russian troops have taken over the entire Lugansk region and are now aiming to do the same in Donetsk, bringing under their control all of Donbas – eastern Ukraine – part of which was already in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

Russia destroyed ammunition depot near Solentar

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said yesterday that a large ammunition depot was destroyed a short distance from the Ukrainian city of Solentar (east), near the front.

The warehouse contained about 1,500 artillery shells of various calibers and more than 100 anti-tank missiles “produced abroad”, according to Mr Konasenkov.

According to the spokesman, moreover, a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter of the Russian Air Force shot down two Mi-24 attack helicopters and an aircraft from the Sukhoi Su-25 close support aircraft of Ukraine during air combat in the southern part of the Ukrainian territory.

Moscow claims its forces have shot down 232 Ukrainian aircraft and 137 helicopters since the war began on February 24. However, according to information published in the media, the Ukrainian Air Force had about one hundred aircraft and ninety helicopters before the war.

Lithuania sends armed Turkish-made UAV

Lithuanian authorities on Wednesday unveiled a Turkish-made armed unmanned aerial vehicle they are preparing to send to Ukraine to help in its war with Russia, after raising 5.9 million euros to buy it thanks to a mobilization of the country’s citizens.

“This weapon will be sent to Ukraine immediately after its presentation to the public,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvindas Anousauskas said during a press conference at the Siuli Air Base (North).

Of course, a remote-controlled drone “will not change the course of the war”, it is a “symbolic gesture of the Lithuanian nation to the Ukrainians”, Mr Anousauskas said.

The Lithuanians raised 5.9 million euros in three and a half days after a public campaign was launched to buy a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAV for Ukraine, before the manufacturer announced it would offer it for free.

Part of the amount raised was decided to be used to buy weapons for this drone, while the rest will be allocated to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainians.

“We showed the world what a small country can do,” said Andrus Tapinas, founder of the online television station Laisvės TV, which took the initiative.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Lithuania, Petro Besta, praised the “leadership” shown by the Baltic country of 2.8 million people at the European level and the “synergy of the company and state authorities”.

“Creative solutions and initiatives like this can help us win the war,” he said.

Thanks to Ankara, the Turkish UAVs at Kyiv’s disposal began operating in the early hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, at least according to the Ukrainian staff, proved to be an extremely feared weapon in this war. Ukraine had bought more than 20 TB2s in previous years and ordered another 16 on January 27. This batch was delivered in early March.

Last week, Baykar, their manufacturer, announced that it would donate three more TB2s to Ukraine, after a crowdfunding campaign raised enough to buy “several” .

The Bayraktar family founded the company that manufactures these aircraft in 1980. Haluk Bayraktar succeeded his father in running it along with his brother Selcuk—the husband of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s daughter.

TB2 has been exported to 22 countries.

Zelensky accuses Russia of destroying a university in Kharkiv

The Pedagogical University in Kharkiv (north-east) was destroyed by Russian missile strikes on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced in his evening speech.

The main building of the higher educational institution, lecture halls, its museum and scientific library were hit by missiles, Mr. Zelenskiy listed.

This bombing “characterizes the Russian invasion 100% accurately. When it comes to the definition of barbarity, this strike more than fits the description,” he insisted.

Also, the head of the Ukrainian state welcomed the fact that the weapons received by the forces of Kiev from Ukraine’s partners are “very powerful” and praised their accuracy. The Ukrainian military is using them to destroy warehouses and other targets that are important from a supply point of view for Russian troops, he added.

“This reduces the ability of the Russian army to continue the offensive. The losses of the occupation forces will continue to increase every week, as well as the difficulty in resupplying them,” assured the Ukrainian president.

SOURCE: APE-ME