Zelensky denounces Russian strikes on Orthodox Palm Sunday

Zelensky denounces Russian strikes on Orthodox Palm Sunday

President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Russian air strikes coinciding with the observance of Orthodox Palm Sunday, together with an assault that killed a father and daughter at residence within the metropolis of Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine‘s navy reported Russian assaults and shelling all through the entrance, with the heaviest combating nonetheless targeted on two cities in japanese Donetsk area — Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Russian forces have been besieging Bakhmut for months within the longest battle in additional than a 12 months of struggle.

Ukraine’s State Emergencies Service mentioned a 50-year-old man and his daughter, 11, have been killed after Russian forces struck a residential constructing in Zaporizhzhia, within the southeast.

A girl recognized because the spouse and mom of the victims was pulled from underneath the rubble.

“This is how the terrorist state marks Palm Sunday,” Zelensky mentioned in his nightly video deal with. “This is how Russia places itself in even greater isolation from the world.”

The president praised a number of models defending positions within the east and mentioned he hoped Palm Sunday subsequent 12 months “will take place with peace and freedom for all our people”.

The majority of Ukraine’s 41 million individuals are Orthodox Christians who have a good time Easter per week from now.

Pope Francis, who has been important of Russia’s struggle, prayed for peace throughout Easter occasions within the Vatican: “Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.”

Russia‘s Defence Ministry mentioned its forces had destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of gas close to Zaporizhzhia. It additionally mentioned Russian forces had destroyed Ukrainian military warehouses storing missiles, ammunition and artillery in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk areas.

RUSSIAN ATTACKS REPELLED

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces mentioned greater than 40 enemy assaults had been repelled over the previous 24 hours.

It mentioned Russian forces had launched unsuccessful advances on areas west of Bakhmut, now largely destroyed however with a pre-war inhabitants of 70,000. At least 10 cities and villages had come underneath Russian shelling.

The report mentioned Russian forces additionally made no headway in assaults on Avdiivka, a second focus of combating within the east, and reported widespread Russian shelling in northern areas. Officials within the south mentioned Russian plane had used guided bombs in opposition to cities in Kherson area.

The navy have mentioned Ukrainian forces will maintain defending Bakhmut in opposition to repeated Russian assaults, although Zelenskiy final week acknowledged that if troops risked being encircled they may very well be pulled again.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s japanese navy command, mentioned on nationwide tv: “The enemy is making an attempt to take our city-fortress at any value.

“Although it is extremely difficult, we are still in control of the situation. Our units are holding back the enemy and inflicting a maximum of damage.”

Ukrainian navy analyst Oleh Zhdanov mentioned Russian forces managed the centre of Bakhmut, with a lot of their actions now specializing in town’s railway station.

Source: www.anews.com.tr