Ukraine: reopening of humanitarian evacuation corridors after a suspension

Europe 1 with AFP 10:04 a.m., April 14, 2022

THE ESSENTIAL

Ukraine on Thursday announced a resumption of evacuations of civilians via nine humanitarian corridors, including from the besieged city of Mariupol in the south-east of the country, after a day of suspension due according to kyiv to Russian violations of the ceasefire. .

"Nine humanitarian corridors are planned today," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

The main information:

• Russian ship was 'severely damaged' by fire-caused ammunition explosion

• Since Wednesday, Moscow has been threatening to strike command centers in the Ukrainian capital, kyiv

• Joe Biden announced $800 million in new military aid to Ukraine

Russian cruiser on fire

The cruiser Moskva, flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was "severely damaged" by an ammunition explosion caused by fire, Russian state agencies reported Thursday, citing the Defense Ministry.

"Due to a fire, ammunition exploded on board the missile cruiser Moskva. The ship was badly damaged," according to the ministry quoted by the Tass and Ria Novosti agencies.

The crew was fully evacuated and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, he added.

Ukrainian authorities previously claimed that the Moskva was on fire after being hit by missiles.

"Neptune missiles protecting the Black Sea have caused significant damage to this Russian ship," said the Ukrainian governor of the Odessa region (south), Maxime Marchenko.

Moscow threatens to hit 'decision-making centers'

The Russian army on Wednesday threatened to strike command centers in the Ukrainian capital kyiv, which Moscow has given up for the time being, accusing Ukraine of shooting and sabotage on Russian territory.

>> READ ALSO -

 Ukraine: in Boutcha, the survivors are traumatized by the Russians

"If such events continue, strikes will be carried out by the Russian military on decision-making centers, including in kyiv, which the Russian military has refrained from doing so far," he said. the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry.

New American aid

The US president on Wednesday announced $800 million in new military aid to Ukraine, including heavy equipment.

According to the Pentagon spokesperson, these are 18 M777 Howitzer guns, latest-generation artillery pieces used until recently by the American army in Afghanistan, accompanied by 40,000 155mm shells, ten anti-artillery radars mobile AN/TPQ36 and two AN/MPQ64 "Sentinel" anti-aircraft radars.

This new tranche also includes 300 Switchblade "kamikaze" drones, as well as 500 Javelin missiles and "thousands of other anti-tank systems", to which are added 200 M113 armored personnel carriers and 100 Humvee light armored vehicles.

Ukraine, "a crime scene"

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the British Karim Khan, described Wednesday Ukraine as a "crime scene", during a visit to Boutcha, near kyiv.

>> READ ALSO -

 War in Ukraine: what does psychoanalysis say about the conflict?

“Ukraine is a crime scene. We are here because we have good reason to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court are being committed,” he said during a visit to this city. where hundreds of civilians, according to the Ukrainian authorities, were found dead after the Russian occupation.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, visiting kyiv, said Wednesday that Russia was not waging a simple war in Ukraine but was guilty of "terrorism" and "cruelty".

Zelensky's warning to Europe

The Ukrainian president on Wednesday called on Europe to act more quickly against Russia if it does not want to risk "losing all of Eastern Europe".

Surrender of soldiers in Mariupol, according to Moscow

The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered to Russian forces in the city of Mariupol, a strategic port besieged for several weeks.

However, Ukrainian President's military adviser Oleksiy Arestovitch said that units of the 36th brigade had joined the Azov regiment, thus regrouping Ukrainian forces in the city.

Tension between kyiv and Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday that he was not considering going to kyiv at this stage as requested by the Ukrainian president.

This invitation comes against a backdrop of tensions between Germany and Ukraine, after Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal on Tuesday to receive German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, criticized for his diplomacy of rapprochement with Russia when he was Minister of Angela Merkel.

kyiv has not received an "official" request from Berlin for a visit by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Ukrainian president later said.