Ukraine War: Slain Civilians and A “Murderous Horde” of Disillusioned Russian Troops — The Month-Long Occupation of Trostyanets

EA on Times Radio: The Next Phase of the Ukraine War

For Ukraine’s Women Refugees, Surviving Rape and Facing Poland’s Anti-Abortion Laws

Thursday’s Coverage: After Pullback from Kyiv, Russia Readies Assault on East

UPDATE 2142 GMT:

The Kremlin has stepped back from immediate implementation of Vladimir Putin’s threat to cut off gas supplies to Europe unless payment is made in roubles.

Officials said payments on deliveries from April 1 are due in the second half of this month and in May.

UPDATE 1750 GMT:

The mayor of Slavutych, where most of the workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant live, has given more information on withdrawing Russian forces taking captured Ukrainian troops with them (see 0749 GMT).

Yuri Fomichev said about 200 Ukrainian national guard members were taken as “prisoners of war”, with officials working on an exchange.

UPDATE 1746 GMT:

Ukrainian forces have reclaimed the town of Bucha near Kyiv.

Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk said Bucha was “liberated” on Thursday: “This day constitutes a day of joy and victory of our Armed Forces of Ukraine. And we expect such victories throughout all of Ukraine.”

UPDATE 1741 GMT:

Indian IT services company Infosys is shutting its office in Russia.

An Infosys employee said it is “in the process of urgently closing down its Russian operation” and “relocating staff to other countries”.

The decision came as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russian Foreign Ministe Sergey Lavrov in Delhi on Friday.

Modi had declined to meet other visiting Foreign Ministers, including the UK’s Liz Truss.

UPDATE 1735 GMT:

The UN cultural agency UNESCO says 53 Ukrainian historical sites, religious buildings, and museums have been damaged in the Russian invasion.

The list includes 29 religious sites, 16 historic buildings, four museums, and four monuments. It does not include information from the besieged city of Mariupol or the occupied city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

UPDATE 1725 GMT:

In contrast with an earlier report of evacuations from Mariupol in southern Ukraine, the Red Cross said it could not reach the besieged city today.

The agency said it will try again on Saturday.

The Mariupol City Council had said that about 2,000 civilians left on 42 buses and private vehicles (see 1145 GMT).

Without citing the ongoing siege by Russian troops, the Red Cross wrote, “For the operation to succeed, it is critical that the parties respect the agreements and provide the necessary conditions and security guarantees.”

Donetsk Regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on TV, “Humanitarian deliveries, despite all the agreements and promises of the Russian side, are not being carried out. The humanitarian corridor… is essentially not operational.”

UPDATE 1720 GMT:

Ukraine and Russia have carried out another swap of prisoners of war.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy chief of staff of the Ukrainian President, said: “The exchange has just taken place, 86 of Ukraine’s servicemen, including 15 women, are already safe.”

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk pledged pursuit of further exchanges: “I would like to address all our [people] who are still being held prisoner: We will fight for each of you! And will bring you home. Stay strong.”

UPDATE 1717 GMT:

Ukraine’s Security Council secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, denied the Kremlin’s claims that Ukrainian helicopters bombed a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, 40 km (25 miles) north of the border (see 1025 GMT).

“For some reason they say that we did it, but according to our information this does not correspond to reality,” Danilov said.

UPDATE 1700 GMT:

In “frank” exchanges with Chinese leaders on an online call, European Union counterparts have called on Beijing to help end the war in Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Today’s summit was certainly not business as usual.” She noted that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has “a very special responsibility”.

We also made very clear that China should, if not support, at least not interfere with our sanctions. It would lead to major reputational damage to China here in Europe.

European Council President Charles Michel added, “China cannot turn a blind eye to Russia’s violation of international law….We hope that our arguments have been heard by the Chinese.”

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China pursues peace talks on Ukraine in “its own way”. He carefully avoided criticizing the Russian invasion while setting out that Beijing advocates the safeguard of international law and international norms, including the territorial integrity of all countries.

“China opposes both a hot war and a cold war; it opposes division of blocs and taking sides,” Li added.

In a separate video cal, President Xi Jinping said he hopes European countries can form its view of China “independently”, an implicit call for detachment from the US.

UPDATE 1250 GMT:

Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko says Russia has shelled and destroyed the oncology ward of a hospital in the city in northern Ukraine.

Atroshenko said three people have “heavy injuries”.

Despite Russia’s declaration this week that it has “drastically reduce” operations near Chernihiv, 100 miles north of Kyiv, it has continued attacks.

UPDATE 1145 GMT:

The Mariupol City Council says the Red Cross and Ukrainian emergency services were able to evacuate about 2,000 civilians from the besieged city today.

The evacuees, in 42 buses and several private cars, are en route from Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia, 136 miles northwest of Mariupol.

UPDATE 1025 GMT:

The Kremlin is claiming a Ukrainian attack on a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, saying that it does not create “comfortable conditions” to continue Ukraine-Russia talks.

The regional governor earlier declared that two Ukrainian military helicopters struck the depot Belgorod, 40 km (25 miles) north of the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine Foreign Minister said, “I can neither confirm nor reject the claim that Ukraine was involved in this simply because I do not possess all the military information.”

Defense Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk echoed, “Ukraine is currently conducting a defensive operation against Russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine, and this does not mean that Ukraine is responsible for every catastrophe on Russia’s territory….I will not confirm or deny these allegations.”

However, analyst Maria Avdeeva, a specialist on security and disinformation, asserts, “This is Russian false flag attack on its own cities to justify escalating the war, to intimidate citizens and organize mobilization in Russia.”

UPDATE 0917 GMT:

As Russian forces break their latest pledge over a “humanitarian corridor” (see 0800 GMT), the Red Cross says “top-level authorities” of Russia and Ukraine have agreed on an evacuation plan for Mariupol’s besieged civilians.

The Red Cross said 54 buses are involved. However, the Russians have blocked any delivery of aid.

No destination has yet been decided for the evacuees, but it will be in Ukraine.

UPDATE 0852 GMT:

Following a US lead, Japan has imposed sanctions on four Russian companies and three individuals over violations of sanctions against North Korea.

The sanctions list includes six North Korean citizens living in China and Russia. Restrictions include freezes on bank accounts and assets.

The US Government said the sanctioned Russian entities had assisted North Korea in procurement of “components for illegal missile systems”.

UPDATE 0845 GMT:

Russian forces have struck towns in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine with “heavy shelling”.

The targeted towns inclue Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Lysychansk, Kreminna, and Ivanivka.

Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said:

Two people died in Severodonetsk, residents of Lysychansk and Toshkivka were injured, four people were rescued.

There is no centralized water supply in Rubizhne, Popasna, Severodonetsk, part of the Hirske community and in Lysychansk. Twenty-eight settlements remain without gas supply and 22 without electricity.

UPDATE 0815 GMT:

The death toll has risen to 24 from Tuesday’s Russian strike on the regional administration building in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine.

The Internal Affairs Ministry said 23 bodies were removed from the rubble, and one person died in hospital.

UPDATE 0800 GMT:

An aide to Mariupol’s mayor says Russia has broken its latest pledge for evacuation of civilians from the besieged port city.

The Russian military had proclaimed a “humanitarian corridor” at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), but Petro Andryushchenko said the city is still blockaded: “The city remains closed to entry and very dangerous to exit with personal transport.”

Andryushchenko reiterated that Russian forces are still preventing any assistance from reaching the 160,000 civilians: “Since yesterday the occupiers have categorically not allowed any humanitarian aid – even in small quantities – into the city.”

UPDATE 0749 GMT:

Ukraine State nuclear agency Energoatom says Russian troops, leaving the area of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the north of the country, took captive Ukrainian servicemen hostage.

A Russian column reportedly withdrew to neighboring Belarus after troops suffered radiation poisoning when the offensive moved through and set up trenches in a radioactive forest near the plant, which suffered a catastrophic meltdown in April 1986.

Energoatom said in a statement, “It is not surprising that the occupiers received significant doses of radiation and panicked at the first sign of illness. And it manifested itself very quickly.”

UPDATE 0745 GMT:

Following Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s appeal to the Australian Parliament on Thursday (see Original Entry), Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Canberra will send armored Bushmaster vehicles to Kyiv.

UPDATE 0708 GMT:

UK military intelligence says Russia is moving forces from Russian-occupied areas in Georgia to reinforce the flagging offensives in Ukraine.

“Between 1,200 and 2,000 of these Russian troops are being reorganised into 3x Battalion Tactical Groups,” the Defense Ministry summarized. “It is highly unlikely that Russia planned to generate reinforcements in this manner and it is indicative of the unexpected losses it has sustained during the invasion.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Under economic pressure and facing the heavy losses of the Russian military in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin threatens to cut gas supplies to Europe.

In a news conference on Thursday, Putin renewed his demand that foreign buyers pay in roubles for Russian gas, saying he will suspend contracts from Friday if his condition is not met.

To purchase Russian natural gas, they must open rouble accounts in Russian banks. It is from these accounts that payments will be made for gas delivered starting from tomorrow.

If such payments are not made, we will consider this a default on the part of buyers, with all the ensuing consequences. Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity either – that is, existing contracts will be stopped.

The announcement appeared erratic and possibly desperate. On Wednesday, Putin had told both German Chancellor Mario Draghi and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Wednesday that he was withdrawing the demand.

He did not refer to those statements in his news conference, instead blustering that Europe’s purchases of liquid natural gas from the US will lead to millions of job losses.

US, UK, and European diplomats and analysts assess that Putin has been misinformed about Russian military failures because advisors are too frightened to tell him the truth.

The Western diplomatic and intelligence agencies say the Russian leader underestimated the strength of Ukrainian resistance and the Western response, and thus the ability of the Russian military to complete his Plan A for the capture of Ukrainian cities such as the capital Kyiv and the toppling of the Zelenskiy Government.

Speaking in a forthcoming episode of the Kremlin File podcast, Russian analyst Andrei Soldatov explains:

The guy in the Kremlin believes he is the best intelligence officer in the world. And he believes that he knows better than anyone else what is going on in Ukraine.

So if you’re going to challenge him, that would be risky for you.

Putin has very strong opinions about Ukraine, including that if the Russian military invades, this disfunctional state will collapse immediately.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, added his own bluster on Friday: “We will only be supplying food and agriculture products to our friends. Fortunately we have plenty of them, and they are not in Europe or North America at all.”

Medvedev said the agricultural supplies will be purchased in roubles and in national currencies in agreed proportions.

Russian Military Tries to Regroup

Russian officials announced on Tuesday that they are pulling back from the areas of Kyiv and Chernihiv, 100 miles to the north. They covered up the effective surrender of their initial objectives by claiming that “Phase 1 objectives” had been completed.

Ukrainian and Western officials foresees an attempt by the Russian military to seize territory in the east, near areas held by Russian proxies in the Donbas. However, they also warn that the Russians are not ceasing the shelling near the capital and may be regrouping for another group assault.

In his late-night video address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s forces are preparing for fresh Russian attacks on the Donbas. He added that while Russian troops are leaving the north, it is a tactical withdrawal.

In addresses to the Australian, Dutch, and Belgian Parliaments on Thursday, Zelenskiy appealed for more weapons and tougher sanctions on Moscow.

He also pressed for Kyiv’s accession to the European Union.

We need to know that Ukraine will be in the European Union because if we are, [Russia] will lose. But if we lose, if we lose Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities there will no longer be a strong European Union because tyranny will come and take away from you that which you have and you are proud of. This is not a threat, this is reality.

Russians Again Block Evacuation from Mariupol

The Russian military yet again blocked an attempt for evacuation of civilians from besieged Mariupol in southern Ukraine.

On Thursday, 45 buses assembled for the transfer of some of the 160,000 residents enduring a five-week siege. However, the convoy was held up at a Russian checkpoint between Zaporizhzhia, 136 miles to the northwest, and Berdyansk.

The Red Cross said it will try to enter Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, on Friday. The Russian Defense Ministry said a humanitarian corridor will be opened from 10 a.m. after “a personal request from the French President and German Chancellor” to Putin; however, it did not say if buses would be allowed into the city to deliver aid or to evacuate civilians.

Zelenskiy told the Belgian Parliament:

More than 90% of all the buildings in the city have been completely destroyed by artillery, rocket attacks, and tanks from the Russian army. Thousands are hiding in the basements of multi-story buildings or whatever is left of them….

Today, this is the worst place in Europe. It is hell. It is a catastrophe there.