Russian troops in northern Ukraine are slowly withdrawing
Ukrainian forces continue to take areas in northern Ukraine from retreating Russian troops. That is what the British Ministry of Defense said on Saturday morning, although it is not clear on what information the ministry is relying. Particularly on the northwestern side of the capital Kiev, near and towards the suburbs of Irpin and Butja, Ukrainian soldiers are said to be currently attempting to push back the Russians further. Russian soldiers are also said to have left the Hostomel airport near Kiev, where fighting has been going on since the start of the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his daily video message during the night from Friday to Saturday that Russian troops are slowly but surely withdrawing from the north. They would leave “a complete disaster” in those areas and place mines in many places. “They are laying mines all over the area, in houses, in equipment, even in the bodies of the dead,” Zelensky said. He warned residents of the recaptured suburbs and towns not to rush back to their homes and wait for the mines to be cleared and the danger over.
Despite the northern withdrawal, the situation in the east of the country is still very dire, Zelensky said. According to him, the Russians are preparing for new attacks in the Donbas region and in the eastern and second Ukrainian cities of Kharkov. According to the British Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian armed forces have conquered an important route towards Kharkov in recent days.
Overview: More than 3,000 people evacuated from Mariupol, US ramps up military support
These are the main developments from Friday evening and the night from Friday to Saturday:
- More than three thousand people are evacuated from Mariupol, the port city in southeastern Ukraine under siege by Russian military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this in the night from Friday to Saturday. The Red Cross will “try again to facilitate the safe passage of civilians” on Saturday, the organization said in a statement.
- It US Department of Defense provides an additional $300 million in military equipment to the Ukrainian military to help defend the country against Russian invasion. These include missile systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, panther vehicles and ammunition. The US has provided $1.6 billion in military aid since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
- Ukrainian authorities denied on Friday that they were responsible for a attack on an oil depot in the Russian city of Belgorod. Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry declined to confirm or deny involvement in the attack.
Zelensky: More than 3,000 people rescued from Mariupol
More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from Mariupol, the port city in southeastern Ukraine under siege by Russian military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this in the night from Friday to Saturday, AFP reports.
“Today (Friday) humanitarian corridors have been functioning in three regions: Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya. We managed to rescue 6,266 people, 3,071 of them from Mariupol,” Zelensky said in a video message.
The evacuations have taken place despite the fact that a Red Cross convoy bound for Mariupol on Friday was unable to reach the city. The Red Cross will “try again to facilitate the safe passage of civilians” on Saturday, the organization said in a statement.
A new attempt to evacuate civilians from the besieged port city, where tens of thousands of people are trapped without adequate access to food and water, is being made amid regrouping of Russian military personnel preparing for new attacks in southeastern Ukraine.
Zelensky called the situation in the east of the country “extremely difficult.” According to him, Russia is preparing new attacks in the Donbas and on the city of Kharkov. Zelensky said Russian troops are withdrawing “slowly but noticeably” from northern Ukraine.