Russian general says Moscow aims to control all of southern Ukraine

By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV/MARIUPOL (Reuters) -Moscow needs to take full management over southern Ukraine, a Russian common mentioned on Friday, a press release Ukraine mentioned gave the mislead Russia’s earlier assertions that it had no territorial ambitions.

Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central army district, was quoted by Russian state information companies as saying full management over southern Ukraine would give it entry to a breakaway, Russian-occupied a part of Moldova within the west.

That may reduce off Ukraine’s whole shoreline and imply pushing a whole lot of miles west past present traces, previous the key Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa.

Moscow says it’s conducting a “particular army operation” to demilitarise Ukraine and liberate its inhabitants from individuals it calls harmful nationalists. Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia’s invasion is an unjustified warfare of aggression.

“They stopped hiding it,” Ukraine’s defence ministry mentioned on Twitter. Russia had “acknowledged that the aim of the ‘second part’ of the warfare shouldn’t be victory over the legendary Nazis, however merely the occupation of jap and southern Ukraine. Imperialism as it’s.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to remark when requested if Russia had expanded the objectives of its operation and the way Moscow noticed the political way forward for southern Ukraine.

A senior EU official mentioned the following couple of weeks have been more likely to be decisive.

“This isn’t a fairy story with an imminent completely satisfied ending. I believe we’re more likely to see a really important improve within the depth of Russian army assaults within the east, I believe we’re more likely to see an intensification of Russian army assaults alongside the coast,” the official instructed reporters.

Ukraine’s common workers mentioned Russian forces had elevated assaults all alongside the frontline within the east and have been making an attempt to mount an offensive within the Kharkiv area, north of their most important goal, the southeastern Donbas area.

In Kharkiv metropolis, Russian shellfire hit the primary Barabashovo market. Ambulance companies mentioned there had been casualties however no particulars have been accessible but. A marriage corridor and a residential constructing have been additionally struck.

In Geneva, the United Nations human rights workplace mentioned there was rising proof of Russian warfare crimes in Ukraine, together with indiscriminate shelling and abstract executions. It mentioned Ukraine additionally appeared to have used weapons with indiscriminate results.

Russia denies concentrating on civilians and says, with out proof, that indicators of atrocities dedicated by its troopers have been faked.

COLLECTING BODIES

Russia mentioned on Thursday it had gained the warfare’s largest battle – the battle for the primary port of the Donbas, Mariupol – after an almost two-month siege. President Vladimir Putin mentioned he had determined to not attempt to root out 1000’s of Ukrainian troops nonetheless holed up in an enormous metal works there, however to barricade them inside as an alternative.

Washington dismissed the announcement.

“Actions, not phrases. I believe we’ve got to observe and see what the Russians really do right here,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby instructed CNN. “We nonetheless assess that Mariupol is contested, that it hasn’t been taken by the Russians and that there is nonetheless an lively Ukrainian resistance.”

In a Russian-held part of the town, the weapons had largely fallen silent and dazed-looking residents ventured out into streets on Thursday to a background of charred condo blocks and wrecked vehicles. Some carried suitcases.

Volunteers in white hazmat fits and masks roved the ruins, gathering our bodies from inside residences and loading them on to a truck marked with the letter “Z”, image of Russia’s invasion.

Maxar, a industrial satelite firm, mentioned pictures from house confirmed freshly dug mass graves on the town’s outskirts. Ukraine estimates tens of 1000’s of civilians have died within the metropolis throughout Russia’s bombardment and siege.

Kyiv says 100,000 civilians are nonetheless inside Mariupol and wish full evacuation.

The United Nations and Crimson Cross say the civilian toll continues to be unknowable however no less than within the 1000’s. Russia says it has rescued Mariupol from nationalists.

In Zaporizhzhia, the place 79 Mariupol residents arrived within the first convoy of buses permitted by Russia to go away for different elements of Ukraine, Valentyna Andrushenko held again tears as she recalled the ordeal below siege.

“They (Russians) have been bombing us from day one. They’re demolishing every part. Simply erasing it,” she mentioned of the town.

Kyiv mentioned no new evacuations have been deliberate for Friday. Moscow says it has taken 140,000 Mariupol residents to Russia. Kyiv says many have been deported by pressure in what could be a warfare crime.

RESISTANCE

Western nations consider Putin is determined to show a victory after his forces didn’t seize the capital Kyiv.

In a late-night deal with, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned Russia was doing all it might “to speak about no less than some victories”.

“They’ll solely postpone the inevitable – the time when the invaders must go away our territory, together with from Mariupol, a metropolis that continues to withstand Russia no matter what the occupiers say,” Zelenskiy mentioned.

Minnekayev, the Russian common, mentioned Russian audio system have been oppressed in Transdnistria, a Russian-occupied breakaway a part of Moldova on Ukraine’s southwestern border. Moldova and Western leaders say that’s unfaithful.

Moscow gave the identical justification for its 2014 annexation of Crimea and backing of separatists in Donbas. Ukraine says it fears Moscow would possibly attempt to organise pretend independence votes in southern areas because it did within the east and Crimea.

British army intelligence reported heavy preventing within the east as Russian forces tried to advance on settlements, however mentioned the Russians have been affected by losses sustained early within the warfare and have been sending gear again to Russia for restore.

America licensed one other $800 million in army support for Ukraine on Thursday, together with heavy artillery and drones, citing a “crucial window” within the battle .

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv, Reuters journalists in Mariupol, Issam Abdallah in Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandr Lapshyn in KharkivWriting by Peter Graff and Philippa Fletcher; Modifying by Angus MacSwan and Gareth Jones)