Silinsky: Reinforcement of Russian forces in Mariupol

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the situation in southern Ukraine and in the eastern Donbass region remains very difficult. Last night, he reiterated that Russia is strengthening its forces near the besieged city of Mariupol. “There will still be battles. We still have to go down a very difficult path to achieve everything we want.”

Moscow today announced an evacuation campaign for the coastal city. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow said today that a humanitarian corridor to Zaporizhia, 220 kilometers away, will be “re-opened” at 10:00 am (local time, 9:00 am CET). The action follows a “personal appeal” from German Chancellor Olaf Schulz (Social Democratic Party) and French President Emmanuel Macron to Kremlin President Vladimir Putin.

“To ensure the success of this humanitarian work, it is proposed to implement it with the direct participation of representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” the statement said. The ICRC had previously said it was ready to “manage” the evacuation from Mariupol, provided that it received guarantees about the security situation.

City Leader: Better situation in Kyiv

In Kyiv, on the other hand, according to the city commander, it is likely that the situation has softened somewhat. “Thanks to the steadfast defense and heroic actions of our troops, the situation around the city is improving,” General Mykola Chernov said in a published statement. However, fighting continues on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.

Cherno emphasized that civil infrastructure has been repaired, affecting businesses as well as commercial and service facilities. “The Ukrainian army and branches of the state rescue service are cleaning and removing mines from the liberated areas,” Zhirnov said. Despite the progress, residents called for caution. You must continue to respond to airborne alert signals.