Russia had told Ukrainian forces stationed at a chemical plant in the devastated city to stop “horse resistance and lay down arms” on Wednesday morning, pushing its advantage in the battle for control of eastern Ukraine. Moscow has announced plans to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians trapped in the plant, which has been halted by Ukrainian bombings, Russian-backed separatists have said, according to RIA Novosti. The separatists had planned to transport civilians to territories under their control. Ukraine says more than 500 civilians are trapped next to soldiers inside the Azot chemical plant, where its forces have been resisting Russian bombardment for weeks, destroying much of Severodonetsk. The Azot bombing echoes the previous siege of the Azovstal steel plant in the southern port of Mariupol, where hundreds of fighters and civilians fled the Russian bombardment. Those inside were handed over in mid-May and detained in Russia. CLOCKS Ukrainian troops continue to face heavy artillery fire from Russia:
Ukrainian soldiers are struggling to cope under increasing pressure
Ukrainian soldiers are finding ways to continue under increasing pressure and heavy losses. The extensive ammonia plant was established under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Those inside were rescued from water from wells, generators and imported food supplies, but the situation remains critical, said Oleksandr Stryuk, mayor of Severodonetsk. Strike said after the deadline expired early in the morning that Russian forces were trying to invade the city from many directions, but Ukrainian forces continued to defend it and were not completely cut off. “We are trying to push the enemy towards the city center. This is an ongoing situation with some successes and regular retreats,” he said on television, without referring to the ultimatum. “Escape routes are dangerous, but there are some.”
“Unbearable conditions” in Donetsk: UN
Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region containing Severodonetsk, said the army was defending the city and holding Russian forces from Lysychansk, Ukraine’s twin city on the opposite bank of the Siverskyi Donets River. “Nevertheless, the Russians are close and the population is suffering and the houses are being destroyed,” he posted on the internet. Luhansk is one of the two eastern provinces claimed by Moscow on behalf of the separatist proxies. Together they form the Donbas, an industrial Ukrainian region where Russia has focused its attack after failing to occupy the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in March. In Donetsk, the other province, UN envoy Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Tuesday that homes, schools, hospitals and markets were attacked last week, causing a water shortage that made life “almost unbearable”.
NATO meeting in Brussels today
Western nations have pledged weapons in line with NATO standards – including advanced US missiles. However, their development takes time and Zelensky said that Ukraine does not have enough anti-missile systems, noting that “there can be no excuse for delays.” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he receives a daily message from Ukrainian defenders saying, “We are left, just say: when should we wait for the weapons?” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefed the media in Brussels on Wednesday, saying the alliance remains committed to providing Ukraine with the support it needs. (Olivier Matthys / The Associated Press) He said this was the same message he had for NATO leaders. “We are extremely focused on strengthening support,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting in Brussels led by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. This is the third time the group of nearly 50 countries – including Canada – has met to coordinate aid to Ukraine. In May, the US Senate passed a bill to provide $ 40 billion in additional aid to Ukraine and promised longer-range missile systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced artillery. The meeting comes as the Russian military claimed on Wednesday that it had used long-range missiles to destroy a warehouse in western Lviv, Ukraine, where ammunition was stored for NATO-supplied weapons. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian forces had used high-precision Kalibr missiles to destroy the depot near the town of Zolochiv, in the Lviv region near the border with NATO member Poland. Konashenkov said M777 shells, a type supplied by the United States, were stored there. He said Russian airstrikes had also destroyed Ukrainian “air equipment” at a military airport in the southern Mykolaiv region.
Romania has difficulty moving grain
The conflict has sent grain prices soaring and Western sanctions against Russia have pushed up oil prices. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was due to open on Wednesday without the usual high-level Western participation. With Ukrainian seaports blocked since the start of the war more than three months ago, the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter has been forced to send shipments by train across its western border or through its small ports on the Danube River in Romania. French President Emmanuel Macron addresses reporters Wednesday during a visit to Mihail Kogalniceanu air base near Constanta, Romania, where some French troops are stationed for NATO. (Daniel Mihailescu / AFP / Getty Images) However, the grain shipped by barges, trains and trucks to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta amounts to about 3 per cent of the 20 million tonnes needed to move before the new harvest, which begins in late July, to avoid bottlenecks and avoid a global food crisis. “As far as the transfer of grain from Ukraine to world markets is concerned, it is clear that we are facing a logistical challenge of epic proportions,” said Romanian President Klaus Ioannis after talks with French President Emanuel Macron, who is paying an official visit to Russia.
In other developments
Zelenski spoke to both houses of the Czech parliament via video link, calling for more EU sanctions against Russia – there have been six rounds so far – and another proposal for EU membership. The European Commission is expected to announce a decision on its request. Ukraine for candidate status this week ahead of next week’s summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation on Wednesday that all parties must work to resolve the crisis in Ukraine “responsibly,” state-run CCTV television reported.
