More than five weeks after the start of the war, Ukraine claims to have been able to liberate the entire capital region of Kiev. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said on Saturday evening that “the entire Kiev region is under control”. The Ukrainian authorities spoke of a “quick withdrawal” of the Russian invaders, but at the same time made serious accusations against them.
According to the Ukrainian army, about 30 villages around the capital have been recaptured.
Zelenskyj: “Russians have left mines behind”
However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the retreating troops had left mines behind. “They are mining this area. Houses are mined, equipment is mined, even corpses,” Zelenskyy says without providing any evidence.
Concerns over new Russian offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine
He also expressed fears that the withdrawal would only serve to increase military pressure on the east and south of the country. “Russian soldiers are being taken to the Donbass. The same in the direction of Kharkov,” he explained in a video speech on Saturday evening. “The situation in the east of our country remains very difficult.”
Russian army attacks airport
Meanwhile, the Russian army attacked a military airport in the Poltava region. The Russian Defense Ministry said in Moscow on Saturday that attack helicopters and planes had been destroyed. In addition, fuel and weapons depots were hit in the central region. The governor of Poltava confirmed that the runway and a fuel depot were attached to the attack.
Thousands of evacuations
Thousands of civilians managed to escape from battled cities on Saturday. 765 civilians had left the port city of Mariupol in the southeast of the country with their own vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Wereschuk said on the news channel Telegram. Nearly 500 civilians fled the city of Berdyansk. The target of the people of both cities is Zaporizhzhya. In addition, ten buses have started in Berdyansk. The evacuation should continue there on Sunday, Vereshchuk said.
Nearly 300 bodies buried in mass graves
Meanwhile, evidence has been found of a horrific war crime committed by the invaders in Bucha, a suburb in northwestern Kiev. Nearly 300 bodies were buried in a mass grave, authorities said. According to media reports, military-age men were targeted and killed by the Russian army in Bucha. “The Russian invaders killed the entire male population aged 16 to 60 in Bucha,” journalist Taras Berezovets wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
Corpses had gunshot wounds to the head
Some of the bodies had gunshot wounds to the head and their hands were tied behind their backs. An AFP reporter saw more than 20 bodies in one street. They all wore civilian clothes. One of the men had his hands tied. Another body was found to have a major head injury. The men’s lifeless bodies were scattered several hundred yards away on a residential street in the suburb.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
