President Vladimir Zelensky has warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is just the beginning – and Moscow has ambitions to conquer other nations.
This comes after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the country intends to introduce new methods of warfare, with the conflict entering its 59th day.
The UK Ministry of Defense interprets these remarks as a “tacit acknowledgment” that the war is not going as Vladimir Putin intended.
War in Ukraine: Live Updates
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3:41 What happened on the 58th day?
British officials say it will take time for Russia to adapt its tactics – and for now “will probably continue to rely on the bombing as a means of trying to suppress the Ukrainian opposition.”
Speaking during a tour of India, Boris Johnson warned that there was a “realistic possibility” that the war in Ukraine would drag on for a long time.
And as the security situation in Kyiv improves, the prime minister adopted an assessment by Western intelligence that suggests the conflict will continue for most of 2022 and end in victory for President Putin.
On Friday, a Russian general said Moscow wanted to take over all of southern and eastern Ukraine as a new phase of the invasion began.
The plan includes capturing the entire Donbass region, connecting with the Crimean peninsula and controlling land that stretches as far as the Russian-occupied region of Moldova.
Ukraine’s chief prosecutor accuses Russia of plotting mass killings, torture and rape
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3:44 What is Russia’s plan of attack?
Key developments:
• The United Kingdom intends to reopen its embassy in Kyiv
• Moldovan Foreign Ministry calls on Moscow’s ambassador amid “deep concern” that the country’s Russian-speaking population is oppressed
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the urgent introduction of peace in Ukraine – and may visit Kyiv
• Russia’s Defense Ministry claims one sailor killed and 27 missing after cruise missile cruiser Moscow last week
Eyewitness: It is feared that Russia plans to “recruit Ukrainians” in Kherson to “fight against its own army”
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5:20 Why does Mariupol matter?
“Fighting, shelling, bombing do not stop”
The port city of Mariupol has been largely reduced to smoldering ruins after weeks of bombing.
Footage broadcast on Russian state television appears to show the flag of pro-Moscow separatists in Donetsk, hoisted at the city’s highest point, a television tower.
Another video claims to show the main building of the Azovstal steel plant on fire – the last known pocket of resistance in the city.
Approximately 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers remain hidden in the huge complex – outnumbered by Russian forces – along with 1,000 civilians.
Eyewitness: “Everything is destroyed” – Refugees describe the hell of the Mariupol attack
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3:25 Residents describe the hell of Mariupol
President Putin declared victory in the battle of Mariupol and ordered his forces not to storm the plant. Instead, he told them to seal it so that those inside had no choice but to surrender.
Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said Russian troops dropped several bombs on Azovstal every day, adding: “Fighting, shelling, bombing do not stop.”
It is estimated that more than 100,000 people are still trapped in Mariupol with little food, water or heat – and no humanitarian corridors were opened on Friday because it was too dangerous.
About 20,000 civilians have been killed there in the past two months, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk called on those who remain in Mariupol to be “patient” and “stay there”.
Explainer: What are Russia’s plans for its “second phase” of the war?
Image: Satellite images appear to show mass graves east of Mariupol. Photo: Maxar Technologies
Satellite images show new mass graves
New satellite images from Maxar have revealed the existence of a second cemetery east of Mariupol, which appears to have expanded in recent weeks.
It includes several long trenches that are – or are likely to be – new burial sites.
Local authorities shared a photo of a 45-by-25-meter mass grave, and expressed concern that it could hold the bodies of at least 1,000 people.
The discovery of mass graves has led to accusations that the Russians are trying to cover up the massacre of civilians in the city.
Earlier this week, satellite images surfaced showing rows of freshly excavated mass graves in the town of Manchush, west of Mariupol.
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