Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, has called on displaced residents to wait “at least another week” before returning to the suburbs. After the withdrawal of the Russian troops, the authorities have found numerous explosives and further rocket attacks are possible. Kiev and Moscow have accused each other of sabotaging civilian escapes for weeks.
“Initially, there is a 24-hour curfew in several districts of the Kiev region,” Klitschko said late Monday night. After the withdrawal of the Russian troops, the authorities found “a large number of explosives that could pose a great danger”. Therefore, the mayor of Kiev asks the people to wait a little longer and not to come back for the time being.
Red Cross arrested
On Tuesday, seven escape corridors will be set up to evacuate civilians. However, residents of the besieged port city of Mariupol could only get out in private cars, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, according to the Ukrinform agency. She accused the Russian troops of continuing to block access to Mariupol for aid convoys, contrary to their promises. Kiev and Moscow have accused each other of sabotaging civilian escapes for weeks. Red Cross employees are said to have been arrested and released in the meantime. On Tuesday, the aid organization plans another attempt to take people to the city of Zaporizhzhya by buses.
disappointment?
The Russian armed forces announced last week that they would massively reduce their activities around the capital. However, the Ukrainian armed forces warn that it could be a hoax. After the Russian withdrawal from some suburbs of Kiev, Ukrainian troops found numerous bodies, especially in Bucha. Western government leaders therefore accuse the Russians of war crimes. Moscow denies the charges.
Defense Ministry spokesman Olexander Motusyanyk said Russian troops are currently preparing to take the besieged city of Kharkov in the east of the country. Russian troops also received reinforcements in other areas of eastern Ukraine. According to British intelligence, important regions in the north have been recaptured by the Russians. There had been a retreat in the regions around Chernihiv and north of Kiev.
POW since 2014
About 600 Russian soldiers are currently held captive in Ukraine, Vereshchuk reported. Ways are being sought through the Red Cross to reach Ukrainians in Russian captivity. Russia must be persuaded to release them. In the areas of the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, some people have been in Russian captivity since 2014.
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.
