Russian troops stand in front of the destroyed administrative building of the Azovstal Ironworks
(Reuters)
Russian forces are attacking a steel plant, the last Ukrainian fortress in the city of Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said.
Alexei Arestovich, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said at a briefing on Saturday that Russian forces had resumed air strikes on the Azovstal plant and were trying to storm it.
“The enemy is trying to completely suppress the resistance of the defenders of Mariupol in the Azovstal region,” Mr Arestovic said.
On Thursday, Putin ordered the Russian military not to storm the plant after his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, announced that all of Mariupol, with the exception of Azovstal, had been “liberated” by the Russians.
Instead, the Russian president called for a blockade of the area in an attempt to stifle the remaining pockets of resistance there.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that about 2,000 of their troops are inside the plant, along with about 1,000 civilians – including women and children – sheltered in the facility’s underground tunnels, which stretch four square miles.
Mr Arestovich says Ukrainian fighters are still holding out despite renewed attacks and are even trying to counter them.
Key points
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Breaking: Russian forces attack steel plant in Mariupol
Russian forces are attacking a steel plant, the last Ukrainian fortress in the city of Mariupol, said a Ukrainian official
Aisha Rimi23 April 2022 12:28
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Putin’s “nuclear blackmail” likely to increase international demand for nuclear weapons, warns expert
Fiona Hill, a British-born Russian expert and former White House intelligence adviser, said Vladimir Putin’s “nuclear blackmail” during the conflict in Ukraine is likely to increase international demand for nuclear weapons.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, the former vice president’s aide when Donald Trump was in office said: “The nuclear issue is something that everyone should be concerned about worldwide because it [Mr Putin] essentially saying to each side: You need nuclear weapons.
“So the whole idea of non-proliferation is basically out of the window, because it’s very clear that the reason we’re not pursuing Russia with everything we have is because they have nuclear weapons, and he says they’re ready to use.
“And everyone is watching this now and thinking, ‘Well, well, if I want to deal with my neighbor, I need a nuclear weapon,'” Putin actually tells us.
“Conversely, everyone thinks, ‘If I want to be in a good defensive position, I can’t count on anyone else to help me, I need nuclear weapons.’
“So we are in a whole new territory that we weren’t even in during the Cold War, and that’s why it requires really stable diplomacy.
She continued: “If you are Japan and South Korea, for example, you are really rethinking your nuclear-free position and relying on the United States. Putin put everything in danger. “
Aisha Rimi23 April 2022 12:17
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Russia will arm the military with nuclear-capable missiles
Russia will deploy its first military unit armed with Sarmat ballistic missiles with nuclear capacity this year, the head of the country’s space agency said.
Dmitry Rogozin, who runs the Roscosmos news agency, said by then he would be based in Uzhhorod, just under 2,000 miles from Moscow, according to the Tass news agency.
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 11:50
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Supermarkets restrict purchases of cooking oil after supplies were affected by the war in Ukraine
British supermarkets have limited the amount of cooking oil that customers can buy due to supply chain problems caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 11:30 a.m.
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Zelensky warns that Russia has ambitions to invade other countries: “Who will come next?”
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions end with Ukraine.
My colleague Namita Singh looks at other countries that Russia may have in mind:
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 11:10
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Russian shelling of Luhansk is intensifying, the regional governor said
Russia’s constant shelling of Ukrainian-controlled cities in Luhansk province is intensifying, the region’s governor said.
Speaking on television, Sergei Haidai confirmed that some Ukrainian forces were leaving settlements to regroup, adding that this was not a critical failure.
Russia continues to deny targeting civilians in its war in Ukraine, despite evidence to the contrary.
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 10:50
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A Ukrainian plane was shot down in the Kharkiv region, Russia claims
Russian troops shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet and destroyed three MI-8 helicopters at an air base in the Kharkiv region, the Kremlin said.
Ukraine has not yet responded to Russian reports.
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 10:30 a.m.
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Nearly 22,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, Ukraine said
The Ukrainian military estimates that 21,600 Russian soldiers have been killed since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24.
A total of 854 Russian tanks and 177 Russian planes were destroyed, it is said.
Here are the latest Ukrainian ratings:
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 10:10
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The evacuation in Mariupol will begin this afternoon, said the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister
The evacuation from the besieged city of Mariupol was to begin at noon local time (9 am GMT), said the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister.
“Today we will try again to evacuate women, children and the elderly,” Irina Vereshchuk said in an online post.
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 09:50
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War in Ukraine in photos
Here are some of the latest images that appear from Ukraine:
A metal cross stands among the ruins of a church in a village in northern Ukraine
(AP)
A recently released satellite image from March 29 shows new graves being dug in Vinogradne near Mariupol.
(Maxar Technologies / Reuters)
Cemetery workers dig graves to bury civilians killed in Bucha
(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Men were photographed in front of a badly damaged building in Mariupol
(Reuters)
Rory Sullivan April 23, 2022 09:30
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