6:30 a.m.: The Battle of Donbass looms
While Moscow has made the total conquest of the Donbass its priority objective, kyiv has announced that it expects, in the short term, a major offensive in this region, bordering Russia, part of which has been controlled since 2014 by separatists. prorussians.
"According to our information, the enemy has almost completed its preparation for an assault on the east. The attack will take place very soon," warned Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandre Motouzianik.
In Washington, a senior Pentagon official confirmed that Russian forces are strengthening around the Donbass, and in particular near the strategic city of Izium.
Analysts believe that Vladimir Putin, mired in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, wants to secure a victory in this region before the May 9 military parade in Red Square marking the Soviet victory over the Nazis.
2:04 am: UK verifies claims of chemical attack in Mariupol
"There are reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the population of Mariupol. We are urgently working with our partners to verify the intelligence," British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said on his Twitter account.
Any use of such weapons "would constitute a brutal escalation in this conflict and we will hold (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his regime to account", she added.
With AFP
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