Russia begins a new phase of the war in Ukraine

Sergey Lavrov

Moscow announced Tuesday that it had "launched dozens of strikes on eastern Ukraine, which it intends to liberate," while the Russian Foreign Minister indicated the start of a "new phase" in the two-month war.

A day after Kyiv announced a new large-scale Russian army offensive in the region, the Ukrainian forces confirmed that the Russians had "intensified their offensive" along the front line in the east of the country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a "new phase of the Russian military operation" had begun.

"I am convinced that this will be a very important moment for this special operation," he added.

For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that he "followed the plan for the liberation of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (eastern Ukraine) drawn up by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recognized their independence."

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian Air Force targeted 13 sites of the Ukrainian army with high-precision missiles, calling for the surrender of all Ukrainian soldiers.

The local authorities called on the residents to flee this hell, despite the lack of humanitarian corridors.

According to a senior US official in the Ministry of Defense, Russia has strengthened its military deployment in eastern and southern Ukraine with "11 battalions", bringing the total of battalions fighting in the country to 76.

AFP reporters saw buses transporting Ukrainian soldiers heading towards Kramatorsk in the Donbass, while local authorities called on civilians to evacuate the area.

"It's hell," said the Ukrainian governor of the Luhansk region, Sergey Gaidai. "The attack that has been reported for weeks has begun," adding that battles are taking place without interruption in several cities.

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