Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy known as the Russian strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol “the last word proof of genocide”. The youngsters’s hospital and maternity ward within the southern Ukrainian metropolis was destroyed by a Russian airstrike on Wednesday afternoon, Ukrainian officers mentioned. Zelenskiy mentioned children are buried under rubble and the regional governor mentioned 17 folks have been wounded. “A youngsters’s hospital, a maternity ward. How did they threaten the Russian Federation?” Zelenskiy added. The Guardian was unable to completely confirm Ukrainian officers’ accounts, however video printed by the Related Press confirmed a number of injured folks on the website of the hospital assault.
Western officers warned of their “severe concern” that Vladimir Putin may use chemical weapons on Kyiv. In an evaluation, they mentioned an “utterly horrific” attack on the Ukrainian capital could be unleashed as Russian forces try to beat the logistical points which have apparently plagued troops headed in the direction of Kyiv.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) mentioned the massive Russian column north-west of Kyiv has made “little progress in over per week” and suffers continued losses by the hands of Ukraine forces. In an replace on Thursday, the MoD mentioned there had been a noticeable drop in Russian air exercise in latest days, possible as a result of “surprising effectiveness” of the Ukraine resistance. It additionally mentioned Russia has deployed conscript troops regardless of assurances from Putin not to take action.
Britain is planning to produce Starstreak anti-aircraft weapons and “a small consignment” of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine as Russian forces shut in on Kyiv, the British defence secretary has mentioned.
Russian international minister Sergei Lavrov has landed in Turkey for the face-to-face talks on Thursday together with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the highest-level assembly between the 2 international locations since Russia invaded. Kuleba warned in a Fb video his expectations have been “restricted”. Up to now, the events have been engaged in lower-level talks in Belarus, largely over humanitarian points and involving solely Ukrainian officers.
Leaders of the 27-nation EU are to satisfy in Versailles on Thursday and Friday. A draft declaration ready for the summit mentioned: “Russia’s warfare of aggression constitutes a tectonic shift in European historical past.” The leaders are anticipated to debate decreasing the bloc’s power dependency on Russia, and Ukraine’s request to affix the EU.
Russia’s international ministry has confirmed using the TOS-1A weapon system in Ukraine, Britain mentioned. The UK’s ministry of defence mentioned the system makes use of thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects. Right here is an explainer on thermobaric weapons.
The US has seen indications that Russia is dropping “dumb bombs” – unguided munitions with no exact goal – on Ukraine, a senior US defence official mentioned. Officers added that the US was observing “increasing damage to civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties”.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of “holding 400,000 folks hostage” in Mariupol. The Ukrainian international minister, Dmytro Kuleba, mentioned town, the place situations are described as “apocalyptic”, was still being shelled by Russian troops regardless of an settlement to ascertain a protected evacuation hall for civilians.
Ukrainian authorities have mentioned the facility provide has been reduce to the defunct Chernobyl energy plant. The UN’s atomic watchdog mentioned the spent nuclear fuel stored there had cooled down sufficiently for it to not be an imminent concern. Nonetheless, the information is elevating issues {that a} lack of exterior energy to the positioning may compromise nuclear security.
Greater than 40,000 civilians have been evacuated from throughout Ukraine on Weednesday however authorities struggled to get folks away from battle zones across the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol, a Ukrainian negotiator said. Ukrainian authorities mentioned earlier that the corridors ought to permit residents of the closely bombarded cities of Mariupol, Enerhodar, Sumy, Izyum and Volnovakha, in addition to cities round Kyiv together with Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel, to depart, calling on Russian forces to respect an “official public dedication” to stop fireplace.
