Korean President Volodymyr Zelensky warned his people that the retreating Russian forces were creating a “complete disaster” by leaving landmines around houses and dead bodies. Ukrainian forces continued to advance against the withdrawal of Russian forces in the Kiev region, according to the British military intelligence services. However, Mr. Zelensky urged his people to be careful as he warned that Russia had “mined the entire territory” around the city. He said: “They are mining the whole territory. They are mining houses, military equipment and even the bodies of people who were killed. “There are a lot of travel cables, a lot of other dangers.”
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Russian forces have reportedly withdrawn from Hostomel Airport near the capital, which has been battling since the first day of the conflict, the Pentagon said in a statement. “In eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have secured a key route to eastern Kharkiv after heavy fighting,” the ministry added. Ukrainian forces also recaptured several villages along the eastern axis of the war, he said. Along the northwestern axis, efforts by Ukrainian forces to advance from Irpin to Bucha and Hostomel continue. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the besieged city of Mariupol has deepened, with Russian forces blocking evacuation operations for a second day in a row.
Russia-Ukraine crisis: Bombing and evacuation of Kiev The Kremlin has also accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil. Ukraine has denied responsibility for the blast, but if Moscow’s claim is confirmed, it will be the first known attack in the war in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace. “Certainly, this is not something that can be seen as creating comfortable conditions for the talks to continue,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov. “Russia has continued to withdraw some of its ground forces from areas around Kyiv after announcing earlier this week that it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv.” Donate here: Please donate as much as you can to the Evening Standard Ukraine appeal / IS Ukraine and its allies have warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to boost confidence at the negotiating table, as it claims, but is instead refueling and moving its troops to the east of the country. These moves appear to be preparing for an intense attack on the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass region in the east of the country, which includes Mariupol. Zelensky warned of difficult battles as the Russians redeploy troops. “We are preparing for an even more active defense,” he said. He did not say anything about the last round of talks, which took place on Friday via video. In talks earlier this week, Ukraine said it would be willing to abandon an effort to join NATO and declare neutrality – Moscow’s main demand – in exchange for security guarantees from many other countries. The invasion has left thousands dead and has displaced more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine. To donate to the men, women and children fleeing the fighting in Ukraine, go to: gofundme.com/eveningstandardukraineappeal
