It comes after more than 1,000 soldiers defending the besieged city were forced to surrender when ammunition and vital supplies ran out. Russia has resumed bombing Kyiv with long-range missiles in retaliation for Ukrainian forces sinking its Black Sea flagship, Moskva. Here are the latest developments in the conflict.
1. The “elimination” of the last troops of Mariupol would end the peace talks
The elimination of the last Ukrainian troops trapped in the besieged port of Mariupol would put an end to talks with Moscow, Zelensky said in an interview with the Ukrainska Pravda news website on Saturday. “This will be a stalemate as we are not negotiating with either our territories or our people,” he said. The strategic port of Mariupol has been hit hardest by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
2. Russia launches new missile attacks on Kyiv
Russia stepped up airstrikes in Kyiv on Saturday, killing at least one person at a tank factory a day after Moscow warned it would resume attacks after two weeks of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, said at least one person had been killed and several others injured in the attack. Smoke rose from the Darnyrsky area southeast of the capital after “high-precision long-range” strikes on the armaments plant, Moscow said. “Our forces are doing everything possible to protect us, but the enemy is insidious and ruthless,” Klitschko said. “It is no secret that a Russian general recently said that they were ready for a rocket attack on the Ukrainian capital. And, as we see, they are carrying out such bombings.”
3. “Hundreds dead” after Ukraine sank Russia’s flagship
Hundreds of sailors are believed to have died on the Russian ship Moskva after being sunk by Ukrainian missiles. Reports indicate that only a few dozen of the 510 crew managed to escape. It took the Russian military almost a day to admit the embarrassing loss of its Black Sea Fleet pride after being hit in the early hours of Thursday. Initially, the Kremlin insisted it had caught fire after an explosion and was being towed back to land. However, the United States has since confirmed that the warship was hit by two Ukrainian hits, believed to be Neptune anti-ship missiles.
