Russia now occupies 20% of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky says

Russia has occupied 20 per cent of Ukraine, mentioned the nation’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, talking because the invasion entered its one centesimal day.

“We have now to defend ourselves in opposition to nearly your entire Russian military,” Mr Zelensky advised lawmakers in Luxembourg’s parliament in a video convention on Thursday. “All combat-ready Russian navy formations are concerned on this aggression.”

He advised lawmakers that the frontlines within the battle now prolonged to greater than 1,000km, and urged them to think about what could possibly be unfolding there.

He mentioned practically 300,000 sq. km of Ukraine was riddled with landmines and unexploded ordnances and practically 12 million folks had been internally displaced.

In his deal with, Mr Zelensky mentioned Ukrainian forces have had “some success within the battles in Sievierodonetsk” within the japanese Donbas area.

The general navy state of affairs within the area the place Russian forces have been intensifying assaults, nonetheless, has not modified, he mentioned.

The remarks got here after UK defence officers confirmed Russia had captured most of Sievierodonetsk and made “regular native positive aspects, enabled by a heavy focus of artillery”.

The British protection ministry additionally mentioned Ukraine is struggling important setbacks in components of the east amid stories of road combats between troopers in Sievierodonetsk.

Updating concerning the state of affairs on the large Azov chemical plant, Mr Zelensky mentioned some 15,000 civilians had been trapped within the metropolis and plenty of have taken shelter on the plant the place officers raised fears of harmful chemical leaks.

“Given the presence of large-scale chemical manufacturing in Sievierodonetsk, the Russian military’s strikes there, together with blind air bombing, are simply loopy,” Mr Zelensky had mentioned in an earlier video message.

The US has agreed to ship superior rocket launch programs to Ukraine after an preliminary reluctance to ship superior medium-range missile programs amid warnings from Russia in opposition to upsetting it by such deliveries.

The missiles, generally known as Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket Methods (Himars), can hit targets at distances of as much as 80km (50 miles).

Mr Zelensky thanked the US for agreeing to ship superior rocket programs to Ukraine and mentioned it anticipated to obtain extra weapons from the nation and its allies sooner or later.

“These weapons actually can save the lives of our folks and defend our land,” the Ukrainian president mentioned.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, nonetheless, accused the US and its allies of deliberately prolonging the struggle. He mentioned the international locations serving to Ukraine are “including gasoline to the hearth” with such deliveries.

In the meantime, US treasury division officers introduced new sanctions in opposition to Russia on Thursday.

The sanctions focused officers and enterprise leaders and contain the posh property of elites, together with a few of Vladimir Putin’s shut associates and the cash supervisor of his offshore wealth.

At the least 5 Russian businessmen who’ve hyperlinks to Mr Putin and overseas ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova can have their property within the US frozen and can be barred from doing enterprise with US corporations.

The UK will ship subtle medium-range rocket programs to Ukraine, a call coordinated carefully with a US choice to ship Himars to Ukraine, mentioned UK defence secretary Ben Wallace.

He added that the nation will ship an unspecified variety of M270 launchers, which may ship precision-guided rockets as much as 80km (50 miles).

The US and its allies need to maintain Russia accountable for struggle crimes its forces have been accused of committing in Ukraine.

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