Invasion of Ukraine Direct: Governor Mariupol says Russia has wiped the city off the face of the earth

The 51st day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has begun New figures on evictions in cities hit hardest by the Kremlin troops. Further Five million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasionAccording to figures released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on February 24.

Tensions have been rising in Eastern Europe for several days. Due to the threat of Russia, it will attack Q with more force after the sinking Of the Moscow warship.

For his part, the President, Volodymyr Zhelensky called on his US envoy, Joe Biden, to directly appoint Russia as a state supporter of terrorism.One of the most powerful and damaging sanctions on the U.S. arsenal.

Next, minute by minute of the Russian invasion of Ukraine(Ukrainian time, GMT +3):

Saturday, April 16:

11:15 am: A tank manufacturing factory in the suburb of Q is the target of an explosion this Saturday.Verified by a journalist from the news agency AFP.

In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a military factory in Que, A day after authorities warned he would intensify his attacks against the Ukrainian capital. “Ground weapons from long-range, high-precision winds destroyed buildings at an arms factory in Kiev.The ministry said in a statement on the Telegram Network.

10:00: Moscow has announced it will block the entry of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several top officials of his government.In response to sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

“The move is in response to unbridled information and political propaganda aimed at deliberately isolating Russia, weighing our country and strangling our economy,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

8:35: Ukraine’s Attorney’s Office for Minors at least condemned it More than 200 children have been killed and more than 360 injured since the start of the Russian invasion.Last February 24, until this Saturday.

The majority of children accounting for deaths and injuries were 121 in the capital region of Q, 115 in Donetsk, Kharkiv (88), Chernikov (54), Mikholev (40) and Kerson (29). , Zaporizhia (22), Yitomir (15) and Sumi (16).

Also, the public prosecutor It condemned that 1,018 educational institutions have suffered material damage since the beginning of the invasion95 of which are completely extinct.

7:48: More than six weeks after the invasion, Russia appears poised to capture Mariupol, the governor of the Donetsk region of Ukraine, when Ukrainian troops are in control of the strategic port city. Mariupol “wiped off the face of the earth” by Russia.

Governor Pavlo Grilenko said CNN What Troops still “bravely guard Mariupol” against Russian forces They bombed the city in the Sea of ​​Azov and left it in ruins.

“The enemy cannot capture Mariupol. The land that was Mariupol could be captured by the enemy, but the city of Mariupol is no moreKrilenko said. “The city of Mariupol was destroyed by the Russian Federation from the face of the earth, by those who can never recover it.”

06:30: Ukrainian Armed Forces warn of increasing threat of missile attacks on security and logistics infrastructure. From Russian warships in the Black Sea armed with missiles.

“The main efforts of the enemy are focused on the reorganization and strengthening of troops, the siege of the city of Kharkiv and the continuation of its artillery shelling,” they said in a recent statement on the day’s activities released this Saturday.

Army officials say they have repulsed 10 enemy attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the last 24 hours.Destroyed three tanks, an armored carrier, two cars and three artillery systems.

“In the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov, the enemy naval team continues to besiege the port of Mariupol and provide fire support in the coastal direction,” the report added.

5:43: Sent by Russia this week A formal complaint warning the US government of the “unintended consequences” of increased military aid to Ukraine, According to the media.

With a diplomatic note, Moscow has warned the US and NATO against sending “high-sensitivity” weapons to Ukraine. According to the newspaper, military equipment was set on “fuel fire” and ruled to have “unintended consequences”. Washington Post.

The warning comes as US President Joe Biden pledges $ 800 million in new military aid to Ukraine, including carriers of helicopters and armored personnel carriers.

4:30: Russian warship sinks this week in the Black Sea A senior U.S. defense official confirmed Friday that two Ukrainian-made anti-ship missiles had struck., The relentless Russian offensive in the east continued. Mariupol, a southern port city that had withstood shelling for weeks, appeared ready to fall to Russian ground forces.

Ukrainian satisfaction with the successful sinking of the guided missile ship Moscow was mitigated by the situation in Mariupol and the Russian warning that it would intensify attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Explosions were reported outside kyiv on Friday, with Russian forces reportedly launching missiles. In retaliation for what they said, Ukrainian attacks on border cities within Russia were attempted against a suburban factory producing Ukrainian defense weapons.

03:14: Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denise SchmidtAnd top finance officials from his country will visit Washington next week during the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, sources familiar with the plans said Friday.

Shmihall, Minister of Finance, Serhii MarchenkoAnd Governor of the Central Bank, Kyrilo ShevchenkoIt is planned to hold bilateral talks with the financial authorities of the two countries A group of seven And others, and participate in a round table in Ukraine World Bank On Thursday, those sources said.

02:29: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky insisted.Remarkable“Victories against the Russian armyEven if he admits to a situation. “Very difficult“In the South and East, announcing a planting campaign across the country and re-establishing some rail links.

“The victories of our Armed Forces on the battlefield are truly remarkable. Of historical significance. But, this is not enough to clear our land from the invaders. We’re going to beat them more, ”Zhelensky said in a video this Friday night.

01:36: Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Irina VereshkukIt has confirmed that 2,864 civilians were evacuated by humanitarian routes on the last day.

Specific, 2,494 people They have traveled on their own transport routes ever since Like Mariupol Y Berdyansk Towards the city Zaporizhia, Under Ukrainian control. Of these, 363 came from the besieged Mariupol, and the other 2,131 came from the cities of Berdyansk, Pologi, Melitopol, and the Saporizhia region of Vasilyevka.

01:07: The German government has announced that it wants to open more than one billion euros in military aid to Ukraine. Complains that whose government did not receive weapons from Berlin.

Overall, Germany has decided to increase international assistance in the field of defense “Up to 2,000 million euros”Told the company AFP A government spokesman. “Most of them will be in the form of military aid to Ukraine.”He added.

A collection of 2,000 million euros “Most will go to Ukraine”Finance Minister Christian Lindner confirmed on Twitter that the guarantee was worth over 1 1 billion.

00:42: The Pope Francisco He prayed in Rome this Friday for peace in the world during the night crucifixion surrounding the Roman Colosseum, marked this year by the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“The Lord (…) disarms the arm of the brother who rises up against another brother, so that reconciliation may flourish where there is hatred”, The Pope cried at the end of the ceremony.

00:07: Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Ilya TorciashviliPromised to his Ukrainian representative, Dimitro GulebaRussia should not be allowed to circumvent sanctions imposed by the majority of the international community in response to the Ukraine invasion.

Guleba said on his social media network that the two ministers spoke on the phone this Friday. He vowed that Torzhiashvili would shift his support to Kiev and praised the security of Ukrainian troops and civilians.

“He assured me of Georgia’s continued support for Ukraine. I thank you for assuring Georgia that Russia will not and will not allow sanctions to be breached, “Guleba said on his Twitter profile.

News in development …

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