Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 55 of the invasion | Russia

Russia’s expected offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine has begun. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a “significant part” of the Russian army was now focused on taking control of eastern Ukraine. “Now we can already state that the Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” he saidYou can also send a video message.

Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak called it “the second phase of the war”He assured Ukrainians their forces would withstand the attack. “Believe in our army, it is very strong,” Yermak said.

There are now 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in the Donbas region of Ukraine and in the country’s southeast, An official of the US Defense Department. said. Over the past few days, eleven of these groups have been added.

The first shipments of a new US military aid package have arrived at Ukraine’s bordersA senior Pentagon official said. The United States announced last week a $800 million tranche of equipment for Ukraine. Helicopters, howitzers and armoured personnel carrier.

Strikes in Lviv’s western city claimed the lives of seven people.Maksym Kozytskyy is the governor of Lviv. saidInitial reports indicated that there were four strikes, three of which were on military warehouses and one on a car service station. “It was a barbaric strike at a service station, it’s a completely civilian facility,” he told a news conference.

Russian forces have not captured Mariupol, the southern port city. US officials said. “Our assessment is Mariupol is still contested,” the Pentagon official said. If Russian forces are able to take full control of Mariupol it could allow for the release of nearly a dozen tactical battalions that can be used elsewhere in Donbas.

Around 1,000 civilians are believed to be hiding underground under the Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol.According to the city council. It is believed that most of the civilians are elderly and women with children.

Shelling in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region killed four people, regional governor, Pavlo Kirilenko, said.

On Tuesday, the US president Joe Biden will hold a conference call with his allies to discuss Ukraine’s crisisThe White House provides information on how to coordinate with Russia in order to hold them accountable. said.

Despite Zelenskiy’s pleas, Biden has not made any plans to travel to Ukraine.Jen Psaki is White House press secretary saidIt also said that security reasons meant that no details would be given if the decision was changed.

Families of sailors who were onboard the Russian warship Moskva demand answers. The ministry is trying to hide information about the ship and its estimated 510 crew members.
The state has not released the total number of missing, injured and dead. A variety of families have spoken out to say that their sons are missing or cannot be found.

Two British fighters were captured by Russian forces in Ukraine and paraded before Russian state TV, asking Boris Johnson to free them. This was a dramatic escalation for the propaganda war. Footage showed Shaun Pinner, Aiden Aslin calling upon the British prime minister for help in exchanging Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk.

Ukraine hopes to get candidate status for the European Union in the next few weeks. Zelenskiy said. The European Union’s ambassador in Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, saidZelenskiy sent him a completed questionnaire within 10 days of Kyiv’s document being delivered. “Extraordinary times take extraordinary steps and extraordinary speed,” he tweeted.