Russia sends reservists to take Shevyerodonetsk

Overview: War in Ukraine could ‘take years’, says NATO chief

These are the main developments from Saturday evening and the night from Saturday to Sunday:

• According to NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, the war in Ukraine will last for years† That’s what he says in the German newspaper Image am Sonntag† He added that the Donbas could potentially come back into Ukrainian hands if modern weapons are delivered to the Ukrainian military. “We must not give up our support for Ukraine,” he said. “Not even when the costs rise; not only the cost of military support, but also rising food and energy prices.”
• 568 Ukrainian citizens in chemical shelters Azot factory in Shevyerodonetsk do not want to be evacuated, according to the governor of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, Sergei Gaidai. “There is constant contact with them. They have been offered evacuation several times, but they don’t want that,” Gaidai said on television. Russia announced a humanitarian corridor earlier this week, but into territory controlled by Russia. This creates mistrust on the Ukrainian side.
• According to a senior officer of the Russian Defense Ministry, since the beginning of the war, almost two million people to Russia brought. The Kremlin says it is “evacuating” residents from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where there is heavy fighting. According to Kiev, there is actually talk of a ‘deportation’. The Russians would prevent people from fleeing to areas under Ukrainian control.

Russia sends reservists to take Shevyerodonetsk

Russia sends large groups of reservists to Shevyerodonetsk in an attempt to completely take the eastern Ukrainian city. Governor of the Ukrainian region Luhansk Serhij Hajdaj reported this on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported. The troops are being withdrawn from other areas where fighting is currently taking place.

Most of Shevyerodonetsk is already in the hands of the Russian armed forces, but a small part is still being fought over. It is the last major city in Luhansk province not yet fully occupied by Russia. Previously, the Kremlin lowered its war goals towards completely conquering the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

A large group of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are holed up in the Azot factory in Shevyerodonetsk. On Thursday, the United Nations called the humanitarian situation in Shevyerodonetsk in particular very worrying.

EU foreign chief: Russia puts world in danger of famine

Russia’s actions in Ukraine may lead to famines in various parts of the world. That’s because the Kremlin is blocking grain exports from Ukraine and has also restricted its own exports since the war. That writes EU foreign chief Josep Borrell Saturday on his blog†

This could jeopardize the food supply at multiple locations, Borrell said. This will be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. The politicians will also talk there about sanctions against Moscow.

“The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine threatens to trigger a global wave of hunger,” Borrell writes. He called on Moscow to immediately allow the export of grain from Ukrainian ports again. According to Borrell, Russian troops in Ukraine are attacking farmland and facilities, further sabotaging grain production in the ‘breadbasket of Europe’, as Ukraine is also known. The war also drives up food prices, which causes serious problems, especially in poorer countries.

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The World Food Program (WFP) has been warning for some time about an increase in the number of malnourished people. Before the corona pandemic, this was still about 132 million people, at the beginning of 2022 that number was more than double: 276 million. The counter now stands at 323 million people who suffer from malnutrition. If the war and Russian practices continue longer, “hundreds of millions” of people are at risk, Borrell writes.

Zelensky visits frontline in southern Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has honored Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines in the south of the country with a visit. Zelensky announced that on Saturday through his Telegram accountwithout going into exactly when the visit took place.

The president presented medals to soldiers stationed in the Mykolaiv region and posed for selfies with the troops. The footage appears to have been shot in an underground bunker. Zelensky praised the courage of “our brave men” and said they work hard. “We will definitely win,” said the head of state.

The Russian armed forces reached the outskirts of the provincial capital Mykolaiv in early March, not long after the start of the invasion. They were then driven back to the southern and eastern borders of the region of the same name, where fighting continued.

Zelensky’s office said the president also visited the city of Mykolaiv and inspected damage to damaged and destroyed properties. He also visited a hospital and presented awards to the mayor of Mykolaiv and the governor of the region.

Asscher becomes European advisor for the reception of Ukrainian refugees

Lodewijk Asscher becomes the new European Commission adviser on the reception of Ukrainian refugees. The former leader of the PvdA will “soon” work as a special adviser to the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, who is said to have asked him to do so. Asscher confirms that on Saturday NRC after reporting by the NOS†

Read the entire news item here: Asscher becomes European advisor for the reception of Ukrainian refugees

Overview: RT distributes images of two missing Americans and Zelensky calls Ukraine valuable to EU

These are the main developments from Friday evening and the night from Friday to Saturday:

• The Russian state medium RT has distributed images in which two americans who are missing in Ukraine, reports AFP news agency. The men are said to have fought with Ukrainian fighters as volunteers and were captured by Russian soldiers. US President Joe Biden said Friday he did not know where the two missing Americans are.
• Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would be of great value not only to Kiev, but also to Brussels and all member states, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily video message. “This is the biggest contribution to the future of Europe in many years.” According to Zelensky, the EU needs Ukraine to ensure its power and independence.
• The Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday evening that it had no objection to Ukraine’s possible accession to the EU. Russia has “no objection” because the EU is “not a military bloc,” Putin said during a speech at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, according to Reuters news agency. According to him, every country has the right to join an economic alliance.