Accompanied by concerns about a possible expansion of the Russian war of aggression, the large-scale evacuation operation in the southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol has been completed.
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According to Ukrainian information, the last civilians trapped under catastrophic conditions at the site of Azovstal steelworks were rescued on Saturday with international aid.
Russia’s army had promised a temporary ceasefire for this – but apparently continued to attack with great harshness in other parts of southern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kiev was preparing for a solidarity visit by Federal President Bärbel Bas (SPD) on Sunday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also been invited to the Ukrainian capital – but it is still unclear if and when he wants to come.
According to the Ukrainian government, all women, children and the elderly were led out of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian troops. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Saturday. Numerous civilians had sought protection in the industrial complex, where Ukrainian soldiers are also detained.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in the evening that a total of 51 people had been rescued from Azovstal since last Thursday – this completes the evacuation of all civilians. On Saturday, there was only one person left who was now in good health.
Ukraine had recently repeatedly stated that about 200 civilians were still in the facility. In addition, more people have to endure in other parts of Mariupol, where more than 400,000 people lived before the war.
The most recent evacuation mission came with the help of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since Thursday, Russia’s military has secured several hours of daily fire breaks in the completely devastated city on the Azov Sea. The last one was to end Saturday night.
Observers assume that the Kremlin wants to occupy Azovstal as soon as possible so that it can announce the conquest of Mariupol next Monday – the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Hitler’s Germany.
© REUTERS / Alexander Ermochenko
If the steelworks were to fall as well, the Russians would have completely taken over the strategically important port city, which would become an important military success for Moscow. So far, Kherson is the only important Ukrainian city that is completely under Russian control. Moscow’s stated goal is to establish a land connection to the annexed Black Sea peninsula Crimea and to completely conquer the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
New missile attacks on Odessa
In another southern Ukrainian region, Russia’s attacks have already continued in earnest. According to Ukrainian sources, at least four Russian rockets were fired at the port city of Odessa. Local media showed thick smoke flags over the urban area. According to reports, a military airfield was hit. Authorities initially did not provide any information on possible victims. From the Russian side, there was no confirmation in the afternoon.
© via REUTERS / Instagram / @ pigra_will_tell
Explosions – some from air defense – were also reported from neighboring Mykolayiv Oblast, central Ukrainian Poltava and western Ukrainian Khmelnytskyi. At least one person was injured in an airstrike in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy near the border.
Ukraine reports shooting down of Russian landing craft
In the Black Sea region, the Ukrainian military claimed success: “In the waters of the Black Sea, an enemy landing craft of the type Serna was destroyed,” said the press chief of the Odessa military administration Serhiy Brachuk on his Telegram channel.
He also released a video to show the ship being shelled with a drone. However, it was not possible to verify that the recordings were genuine.
The ship is said to have been sunk near Snake Island, according to Ukrainian sources. The day before, Ukrainian journalists had reported that a Russian frigate had been shelled in this area and caught fire – which was not officially confirmed by either Kiev or Moscow.
It was initially unclear whether the reports from Friday and Saturday actually referred to two different Russian jet skis, or whether the same could possibly be meant.
Solidarity with Ukraine: Federal President Bas is expected in Kiev
At the invitation of the Ukrainians, the President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, travels to Kiev on Sunday. She could possibly also meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy there. Bas’ visit coincides with the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
In an interview with SWR, the SPD politician said: “And of course it is also my wish that we draw the parallels to this war from then to today, ie that war only knows losers, and that we should come to a ceasefire and avoid escalation. “
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Also on Sunday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is planning a televised speech on the war in Ukraine, which will be broadcast in the evening. Whether and when the chancellor, whom Zelenskyy invited to May 9, wants to travel to the Ukrainian capital remains unclear.
There had been disagreements between Kiev and Berlin for weeks because a visit by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Ukraine had not been requested in the meantime. Steinmeier and Selenskyj got rid of the irritations in a phone call last week.
Göring-Eckardt: Moldova needs a European perspective
The small ex-Soviet republic of Moldova – a neighbor of Ukraine – is also worried that the Russian war may escalate. During a visit to the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, the Vice-President of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, emphasized the importance of the prospect of EU membership.
Moldova needs quick help, the green politician said after a meeting with Moldova’s Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita from the German press agency. “The stability of Moldova is very central to the conflict we are currently experiencing in Europe.”
In the Transnistrian region, which has broken up from Moldova, pro-Russian separatists have been reporting alleged attacks for several weeks – most recently there were explosions on Saturday night. Moldovan and Ukrainian observers, on the other hand, accuse Russia, which has troops stationed in Transnistria, of deliberately provoking there to destabilize the situation. (dpa)