A Russian soldier patrols in a street of Mariupol on April 12, 2022, as Russian troops intensify a campaign to take the strategic port city, part of an anticipated massive onslaught across eastern Ukraine, while Russia鈥檚 President makes a defiant case for the war on Russia鈥檚 neighbor. AFP
KRAMATORSK 鈥� Russian troops aimed to take control of the city of Mariupol on Tuesday, part of an anticipated massive onslaught across eastern Ukraine, as defending forces tried desperately to hold them back.
Russia is believed to be trying to connect occupied Crimea with Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas, and has laid siege to the strategically located city, once home to more than 400,000 people.
鈥淚t is likely that in the future the enemy will try to take control of the city of Mariupol, capture Popasna and launch an offensive in the direction of Kurakhove in order to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk region,鈥� the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook.
The Russian defence ministry said it army had thwarted an attempt to break the siege with 鈥渁irstrikes and artillery fire鈥� at a factory in a northern district of the city.
But the Ukrainian army insisted that 鈥渢he defence of Mariupol continues鈥�.
鈥淭he connection with the units of the defence forces that heroically hold the city is stable and maintained,鈥� the Land Forces of Ukraine wrote on Telegram.
In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky made another plea to his allies for more weapons to boost the defence of the city.
鈥淲e are not getting as much as we need to end this war sooner. To completely destroy the enemy on our land鈥� in particular, to unblock Mariupol,鈥� he said.
He made a similar appeal for military assistance to South Korea鈥檚 National Assembly earlier in the day, telling lawmakers Russia had 鈥渃ompletely destroyed Mariupol and burned it to ashes鈥� killing 鈥渁t least tens of thousands of people鈥�.
Chemical weapons allegations
Late Monday, Britain said it was trying to verify reports that Russia had also used chemical weapons in the city.
Western officials have previously expressed concerns that as the conflict drags into its seventh week, Russia could resort to such extreme measures.
Ukrainian lawmaker Ivanna Klympush said Russia had used an 鈥渦nknown substance鈥� and that people were suffering from respiratory failure.
But deputy defence minister Ganna Maliar said the purported chemical attack was more likely phosphorous munitions.
鈥淥fficials conclusions will be made later,鈥� she told Ukrainian television.
Eduard Basurin, a senior official in the separatist area of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, has spoken of the possibility of such arms being used in Mariupol but insisted on Tuesday that 鈥渘o chemical weapons have been used鈥� in the city.
Elsewhere in the east, heavy bombardment continued as civilians were urged to flee ahead of an expected Russian troop surge in the region.
Russian forces are reinforcing around the Donbas region, notably near the town of Izyum, but have not yet launched a full offensive, Pentagon officials said Monday.
They reported a Russian convoy had been observed heading for Izyum, an hour鈥檚 drive north of Kramatorsk, saying it appeared to be a mix of personnel-carriers, armoured vehicles and possible artillery.
President Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia鈥檚 own security was at stake in Donbas, after talks at the Russian spaceport in Vostochny with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
鈥淲hat we are doing is helping people 鈥� rescuing them on the one hand and on the other taking measures to assure Russia鈥檚 security,鈥� he said, according to Russian news agencies.
Ukraine鈥檚 defense ministry said it believed a major assault would happen soon.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know precisely when, but the preparation is almost over,鈥� spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a briefing on Monday.
鈥楲ogic of war鈥�
Such signs of a build-up in Donbas suggest hopes of an imminent diplomatic solution remain slim.
After a meeting with Putin on Monday, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he was 鈥渞ather pessimistic鈥� of such efforts succeeding as Putin had 鈥渕assively entered into a logic of war鈥�.
Ukraine鈥檚 allies are trying instead to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Moscow 鈥� but EU foreign ministers鈥� discussions on a sixth round of sanctions on Monday came up dry.
鈥淣othing is off the table, including sanctions on oil and gas,鈥� said Josep Borrell, the European Union鈥檚 top diplomat. 鈥淏ut today, no decision was taken.鈥�
In an effort to shore up wider support for Kyiv, US President Joe Biden held virtual talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi just weeks after saying New Delhi had been 鈥渟haky鈥� in its response to the invasion.
Meanwhile the toll on towns previously occupied by Russian forces during their month-long offensive to take Kyiv was still coming to light.
AFP saw the bodies of three men in civilian clothes exhumed from gardens in Andriivka, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital as relatives gathered to learn the fate of their kin.
The UN Security Council 鈥� which on Monday held a session on the plight of women and children in Ukraine 鈥� will hold another meeting next week on the humanitarian situation there, in a bid to keep pressure on Russia despite its veto power over the body, diplomats said.
聽鈥楻ape and sexual violence鈥�
At Monday鈥檚 UNSC meeting, officials called for an investigation into violence against women during the conflict.
鈥淭his war must stop. Now,鈥� Sima Bahous, director of the UN women鈥檚 agency, told the Council.
鈥淲e are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability.鈥�
More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country, the United Nations refugee agency said 鈥� 90 percent of them women and children.
The war has displaced more than 10 million people overall.
One of those was Tatyana Kaftan, just weeks away from giving birth to her first child, who spoke to AFP at an aid distribution point in the western city of Lviv.
Her husband, who is waiting to be called up to the army, stood by her side.
鈥淲e left everything at home,鈥� said the 35-year-old travel agent, who drove with her husband all the way from Mykolaiv to escape Russian shelling.
鈥淲e have nothing.鈥�
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