Russia intensifies hostilities in Donbass
As Ukrainian citizens and individuals have been freed, Russia stepped up its offensive against Ukrainian manufacturing last Friday, using artillery, rocket launchers and aircraft in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, destroying homes in residential areas and killing several global residents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the situation in Donbas “hell” and said the region has been “completely destroyed” by Russia’s invasion. He accused the Russian force of seeking to destroy the Ukrainians as much as possible and complicate the situation with serious severity.
Donbass was again in the center of attention of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his troops failed to capture the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv in the first days of the war.
Those in Mariupol Between the captures was the most bloody siege of the entire time of this war. From the “bastion” of Ukrainians in this southern port city – the metallurgical plant “Azovstal” – the remaining wounded soldiers of the Ukrainian branch, seconded by their commander, were evacuated.
The commander of the Ukrainian regiment “Azov” also said that measures were being taken to evacuate the dead.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters stockpiled weapons and were taken out of the plant.
New support for the G7
G7 finance ministers pledged to “send $19.8 billion in financial support to Ukraine during the period of Russia’s military intervention,” they said in a statement released on Friday.
The leaders of the countries highlighting the economies of the world – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – said that these funds will be allocated to help Ukraine “cover the budget deficit and provide basic services to the Ukrainian people.”
“By meeting the humanitarian and other material needs of Ukraine, we will thus immediately provide substantially short-term funding for the Ukrainian state,” the G7 country said in a statement.
On Thursday, the US Senate faced a new $40 aid package. The House of Representatives voted for this weight package.
It is expected that US President Joe Biden will sign this document in the very near future.
Ukrainian President Zelensky called the US aid package a “show of leadership” as well as a “necessary contribution to the defense of freedom.”
In addition, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a statement that the Biden administration will authorize the allocation of $100 million to Ukraine for needs. The aid package “includes 18 more howitzers and 18 vehicles to transport them, as well as three more anti-artillery radars,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Russia said it would cut off gas supplies to Finland on Saturday. The move came after Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO for security reasons against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has announced that it is building up its forces on the country’s western border, stressing that steps taken by Finland and Sweden to enter the fort strengthen international defenses for Russia.