Ukraine war: ‘New phase of war’ as Russia’s offensive in east begins, Ukrainian officials say
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Russian forces have begun a new offensive in the east of Ukraine after their retreat from the capital region and other parts of the country.
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff noted that “a new phase of war” began when troops attempted to break through defences in the eastern regions.
Here are the latest updates on the war in Ukraine.
Latest updates:
- The Russian offensive on eastern Ukraine has begun on Monday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video address.
- The Ukrainian military’s General Staff noted that a “new phase of war” began when “the occupiers made an attempt to break through our defences along nearly the entire frontline in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions.”
- Russia has Mariupol surrounded and has been fighting a bloody battle to seize it.
- Mariupol has been effectively wiped off the map, says Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Powerful explosions reported along Donetsk frontline
On Tuesday morning Ukrainian media reported a series of explosions, some powerful, along the front line in the Donetsk region, with shelling taking place in Marinka, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, according to Reuters, although the news agency was not immediately able to verify the reports.
Blasts were also heard in Kharkiv in the northeast, Mykolaiv in the south and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast, with air raid sirens going off in main centres near the front line, it said.
Ukraine’s top security official, Oleksiy Danilov, said that Russian forces were attempting to break through Ukrainian defences “along almost the entire front line of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions”.
Russia focuses on Donetsk, Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff said Tuesday that Russian forces are focusing their efforts on taking full control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east.
It noted that a “new phase of war” began Monday when “the occupiers made an attempt to break through our defences along nearly the entire frontline in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions.”
It said in a statement issued early Tuesday that “the Russian military has continued to blockade and shell Mariupol and to deal missile strikes on other cities.”
