Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 7: Russian forces unleashed new bombardments across the country ahead of Victory Day festivities in Moscow as Ukraine tried to evacuate more civilians from a besieged Mariupol steel plant on Saturday.
Ukraine’s defence minister said Russian forces had resumed their assault on the Azovstal steel mill site, despite earlier talk of a truce to allow trapped civilians to flee the complex. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said rescuers would try to evacuate more civilians on Saturday. The Azovstal steel mill is the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the devastated port city and its fate has taken on a symbolic value in the broader battle since Russia’s invasion in February.
Fighting continues on many fronts, and Ukraine’s defence ministry said it had destroyed another Russian warship — a Serna-class landing craft — in the Black Sea. “The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island — at the bottom of the sea,” the ministry added. Russia did not immediately confirm the incident.
The United Nations Security Council has for the first time since Russia’s military action in Ukraine “unanimously” issued a statement expressing “strong support” for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts to find a peaceful solution to the “dispute” in Ukraine.
Ukraine and its western allies say that after failing to seize the capital Kyiv, Russian forces have made slow progress in their revised aim of capturing the country’s east and south, but may also plan to involve Ukraine’s western neighbour, Moldova.
Claiming that it had destroyed another Russian warship, Ukraine defence ministry said in a statement an armed drone had destroyed a Serna-class landing craft and a missile defence system at the small island under Russian control. It released grainy over-head footage on social media showing in black and white what appeared to be an explosion over a light craft with debris spilling outwards. The military said in a separate statement on social media that the Bayraktar drone strike had also destroyed Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system being delivered to the island.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will celebrate the World War II Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a traditional Victory Day parade. According to Russia’s defence ministry, 77 aircraft will conduct a flypast, including the rarely-seen Il-80 Doomsday plane that can withstand a nuclear attack.
Eight Mig-29 fighter jets will fly over Moscow’s Red Square forming the letter “Z” — the mark of Russia’s military assault in Ukraine. The campaign has run into tough resistance — and provoked Kyiv’s western allies into slapping massive economic sanctions on the Russian economy and Putin’s inner circle.
But with Victory Day fast approaching, Ukrainian officials fear more intense missile and artillery bombardments and renewed assaults as Moscow scrambles for symbolic wins. The Ukrainian rescue service said a missile hit a technical college in Kostiantynivka, in the eastern region of Donetsk, causing a fire and at least two deaths. Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said there had been “massive bombardments” along the frontline. Strikes were also reported in the north of Ukraine near the city of Kharkiv and in the southern city of Mikoleyev, a key Russian target.
Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive of their own. According to the defence ministry, Russian troops were forced to demolish three road bridges near Tsyrkuny and Ruski Tyshky outside Kharkiv, to slow the Ukrainian advance.
According to British intelligence, Ukrainian forces equipped with high-end weaponry by the western allies, have been able to destroy at least one of Russia’s most advanced tanks, the T-90M. “The conflict in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll on some of Russia’s most capable units and most advanced capabilities,” UK Defence Intelligence said. “It will take considerable time and expense for Russia to reconstitute its armed forces following this conflict,” it said, warning sanctions on advanced components would make it harder for Russia to re-arm.
The west, meanwhile, is stepping up arms deliveries to Ukraine’s defenders. The U.S. President Joe Biden signed a 150 million dollar weapons package on Friday providing additional artillery munitions, radar and other equipment in the latest in a series of transfers to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion. This brings the total value of US weaponry sent to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began to $3.8 billion.
Biden had urged Congress to approve a further $33 billion package, including $20 billion in military aid, “to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.” The G7 leaders, including Biden, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky are to meet in videoconference on Sunday to discuss Western support for Kyiv.
The UK government said on Saturday it would give Ukraine 287 mobile generators in addition to 569 generators it has donated earlier. The new generators, which are enough to power nearly 8,000 homes, will be used for hospitals, shelters and other essential services in the face of ongoing destruction in eastern Ukraine, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said in a statement. The government has also relaxed rules on support for overseas fossil fuels to boost supply of vital energy to Ukraine, the statement added.
Dozens more civilians were rescued Friday from the tunnels under the besieged steel mill where Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol have been making their last stand to prevent Moscow’s complete takeover of the strategically important port city.