- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warns of a “new stage of terror.
- Latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
As the mayor of Mariupol said, more than 10,000 citizens have perished so far in the Russian siege of his city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed concerns that Russian forces are preparing “a new stage of terror” in Ukraine, which might include the deployment of chemical weapons.
“Today, the invaders published a fresh statement, indicating that they are preparing for a new stage of horror against Ukraine and our defenders,” Zelesnkiy stated early Tuesday. “One of the occupiers’ mouthpieces claimed that chemical weapons could be used against Mariupol’s defenders. We are taking this very seriously.”
On Monday, Andriy Biletsky, the commander of the Azov volunteer regiment, stated that three persons in the southern port city had been poisoned by warfare chemicals, but that there had been no disastrous effects. A chemical assault had not been proven, according to Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, who stated that officials were “waiting for official confirmation from the military.”
“Any deployment of such weapons would be a cruel escalation in this conflict, and we will hold [Vladimir] Putin and his administration to account,” UK foreign minister Liz Truss said.
John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said he was aware of the stories but couldn’t corroborate them. “If true, these reports are highly disturbing, and they mirror our fears about Russia’s propensity to use a variety of riot control agents in Ukraine, including teargas laced with chemical agents,” he said.
Western officials have previously expressed concerns that if Russia’s invasion of its neighbor on February 24th turns into a protracted conflict, it may resort to more drastic measures, such as using chemical weapons.
Since the beginning of March, Russian troops have been besieging the city on the Sea of Azov. The area under Ukrainian control has gradually decreased to just a few central districts. The remaining marines have taken up residence in the Azovstal iron and steel fortress.
On Monday, the last Ukrainian soldiers defending Mariupol announced that they had “ran out of ammo” and that they anticipated to be killed or taken prisoner by Russian forces encircling the city soon.
Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boychenko, told the Associated Press on Monday that more than 10,000 residents had died in his city, with the death toll likely to rise to 20,000 as a result of weeks of attacks and starvation that have left the bodies of Mariupol’s citizens “carpeted through the streets.”
Boychenko reportedly accused Russian forces of blocking aid convoys from entering the city for weeks in order to hide the bloodshed from the outside world.
Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has been subjected to some of the war’s most heinous assaults.
Boychenko clarified previous charges made by Ukrainian officials that Russian soldiers had deployed mobile cremation equipment to dispose of the bodies of the siege victims. “Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: you open it, and inside there is a pipe, and these remains are burned,” he explained.
According to him, Russian authorities have moved numerous dead to a large retail mall with storage facilities and refrigerators.
According to the mayor, around 120,000 residents are in desperate need of food, water, warmth, and communication. Only residents who have been through the Russian “filtration camps” are allowed to leave the city, according to Boychenko.
Those who did not pass the “filtering” were held in improvised prisons, while at least 33,000 individuals were deported to Russia or rebel areas in Ukraine, he claimed.
On Monday, Eduard Basurin, a Russia-allied separatist official, appeared to advocate the use of chemical weapons, urging Russian state television that Russian-backed forces should seize a massive metals facility in Mariupol by first closing all exits. “After that, we’ll smoke them out with chemical troops,” he warned.
Ivanna Klympush, a Ukrainian politician, said Russia used a “unknown material” in Mariupol, causing respiratory failure, but she didn’t know if chemical weapons were used.
According to the UN Children’s Agency, nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children – 4.8 million – have abandoned their homes since Russia’s invasion began. The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of 142 children, however the figure is very certainly far higher, according to the organization.
It comes as the United Nations has become increasingly aware of rape and sexual assault in Ukraine, and has asked for an investigation into violence against women as well as improved protection for Ukrainian children. “The combination of widespread displacement with the massive pressure results of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated against Ukrainian people has raised all red flags,” UN Women executive director Sima Bahous told the UN Security Council.
According to the New York Times, Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman said she had documented horrendous instances of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including one example in which women and girls were held in a basement for 25 days. According to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, nine of the victims are now pregnant.
According to the UN Children’s Agency, nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children – 4.8 million – have abandoned their homes since Russia’s invasion began. The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of 142 children, however the figure is very certainly far higher, according to the organization.
It comes as the United Nations has become increasingly aware of rape and sexual assault in Ukraine, and has asked for an investigation into violence against women as well as improved protection for Ukrainian children. “The combination of widespread displacement with the massive pressure results of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated against Ukrainian people has raised all red flags,” UN Women executive director Sima Bahous told the UN Security Council.
Other recent developments include:
- According to the UN Children’s Agency, nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children – 4.8 million have abandoned their homes since Russia’s invasion began. The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of 142 children, however the figure is very certainly far higher, according to the organization.
- It comes as the United Nations has become increasingly aware of rape and sexual assault in Ukraine, and has asked for an investigation into violence against women as well as improved protection for Ukrainian children. “The combination of widespread displacement with the massive pressure results of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated against Ukrainian people has raised all red flags,” UN Women executive director Sima Bahous told the UN Security Council.
- Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has said he urged Putin during tense discussions that “all those responsible” for war crimes must be brought to account and warned that western sanctions would intensify as long as people remained dying in Ukraine.
- Sweden’s ruling party has started debating whether the country should join Nato, and Finland expects to make a decision in the coming weeks, despite Moscow’s warning that the Nordic countries’ membership would “not bring stability” to Europe.
