Russia claims Mariupol has been “liberated”, but the West welcomes Ukraine’s resistance

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Thursday to “liberate” the flattened city of Mariupol after nearly two months of fighting, but said he would stop the last bloody attack on Ukrainian defenders who were confused there. I signaled.

The fate of the besieged harbor became a totem as Russia fought to complete an overpass over the already controlled Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean crisis.

On the west, the day after the European Council leader Charles Michel came and vowed that Ukraine would do “everything possible” to win the war, the Prime Ministers of Spain and Denmark visited Kyiv and Volodymyr Zelen.・ We performed another show in support of President Zelensky.

Zelensky said Ukraine still does not have enough weapons, despite billions of western military aid that forced Russia to refocus its attacks from Kieu to the east of the country.

The morgue around the capital has kept the bodies of about 1,020 civilians after the Russian troops withdrew from the area, Deputy Prime Minister Orgaste Fanicina told AFP.

The bodies of nine civilians showing signs of torture were found in the town of Borodianka on the outskirts of Kyiv, said Andriy Niebytov, police chief of the area.

“Russian troops deliberately shot civilians who did not show resistance,” he added, adding that one of the victims was a 15-year-old girl.

-Biden’Pride’-

The West is nervous about igniting a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, but US President Joe Biden has been “surprised” by Ukraine’s resistance since the invasion began on February 24. “.

“They are tougher and more proud than I thought,” he added, adding that “weapons and ammunition are flowing every day” in the West.

The Pentagon said Ukraine was receiving fighters to strengthen the Air Force, but later said that only aircraft parts were delivered.

However, the flow of hardware, including anti-tank missiles, does not prevent Russia from paving the way for destruction throughout Ukraine, especially in Mariupol on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov in the southeast.

“Mariupol has been released,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin at a video conference. “The rest of the nationalists have evacuated to the industrial area of ​​the Azofustari factory.”

According to Shoigu, there are about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers left in the huge steelworks, and the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance was hidden in a network of underground tunnels.

According to Ukrainian officials, thousands of civilians are believed to have died in the attacked city, with up to 2,000 people evacuating to factories without access to drinking water or food.

Putin said Mariupol’s “liberation” was a “success” for Russian troops, but ordered Shoigu to stop the planned industrial assault and dismiss it as “unrealistic.” ..

“You don’t have to climb these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities. Blockade this industrial area so that even flies can’t escape,” Putin said.

-Heaps of bodies-

Ukrainian defenders have refused to surrender, but said they are seeking security.

“We are collecting the bodies of the dead and begging civilians to quietly leave Azov Battalion,” said Captain Sviatoslav Paramar, deputy commander of the far-right Azov Battalion. ..

The humanitarian corridor was reopened on Wednesday, and Ukrainian officials reported that four buses had left Mariupol to carry women, children and the elderly.

Residents were still upset for several weeks after Russian troops withdrew from the area around Kieu, further away from the front lines.

At Bucha’s morgue, the family carefully searched for a body bag, examined the corpse, and searched for a missing loved one.

Since the Russians withdrew on March 31, 400 bodies have been found there. Local police chief Vitaly Lobas told AFP. About a quarter of them have not yet been identified.

-International Snab-

Meanwhile, Russia’s international isolation has deepened.

At a G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Washington, the United States led a strike on its Western allies, as Russian officials said.

Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted, “Despite the ongoing invasion of Russia and war crimes, democracy in the world will not be lazy.”

In London, the organizers of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament have banned Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 event in response to the invasion.

Tennis officials around the world have criticized the announcement. This especially affects Daniil Medvedev, the world’s second-largest Russian man, and Arina Sabalenka, the world’s fourth-largest Belarusian woman.

However, the All England Lawn Tennis Club said it is acting to “limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest possible means.”

According to the United Nations, in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II, more than 5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the invasion of Russia.

However, returns have accelerated in recent weeks to over one million, according to a Kyiv border spokesman.

Returnees often have to take great risks. Olena Klimenko said Ukrainian soldiers had demined her devastated village of Moschun.

“I found a booby trap in the yard. It looks like it’s disarmed. I don’t know,” said Klimenko, whose house was destroyed. “Still, we need to look for ours.”

-“I will never forget history”-

Many have fled to Russia. Ukraine has accused the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of working “in cooperation” with Moscow to manage refugees who claim to have been deported.

Citing UN data, Lyudmyla Denisova of Ombuzwoman said that about 550,000 Ukrainians, including 121,000 children, were taken to Russia during the war.

“Where are they? At the filtration camp? At the temporary facility?” Denisovan asked. “The International Red Cross is not fulfilling its mission.”

The ICRC has rejected Kyiv’s accusations of conspiracy with Moscow.

President Putin said he has launched a “military operation” to save Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine from the “genocide” by the “neonazi” administration.

But his army faced allegations of war crimes-most recently from EU Michelle, who toured the devastated town of Borodianka on Wednesday.

“History will not forget the war crimes committed here,” Michelle wrote on Twitter.