UK Ministry of Defense explains why Putin halted assault on Azovstal
22.04.2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called off plans for the Russian military to storm the Azovstal plant because of the risk of significant casualties.
According to Ukrinform, the UK Ministry of Defense said this on Twitter.
"A full ground assault by Russia on the plant would likely incur significant Russian casualties, further decreasing their overall combat effectiveness," the statement said.
The ministry added that this is why Putin had decided to transfer part of his troops in Mariupol to other areas in eastern Ukraine.
"Despite Russia's renewed focus they are still suffering from losses sustained earlier in the conflict. In order to try and reconstitute their depleted forces, they have resorted to transiting inoperable equipment back to Russia for repair," the statement read.
Earlier, Putin called the proposed storming of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol inexpedient and ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to cancel it, telling him to instead block off the area.
Earlier, the commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Major Serhiy Volyna, who is defending the besieged city of Mariupol, asked world leaders to take the fighters and civilians of Mariupol to the territory of a third-party state. He said more than 500 troops were wounded. In addition, there are hundreds of civilians at the Azovstal plant. At the same time, Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, Captain Sviatoslav Palamar, said that Mariupol's defenders considered unacceptable Russia's proposal that they lay down their arms and surrender.
Putin failed to achieve his grand ambitions on battlefield in Ukraine - Biden
Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his grand ambitions on the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, US President Joe Biden wrote this on
"Putin has failed to achieve his grand ambitions on the battlefield. President Zelenskyy and his democratically elected government remain in power, and Ukrainian armed forces -- joined by brave Ukrainian civilians -- have thwarted Russia's conquest of their country," he wrote.
Biden also that Putin would never succeed in dominating and occupying all of Ukraine.
"Our unity at home and our unity with allies, partners, and the Ukrainian people is sending an unmistakable message to Putin: He will never succeed in dominating and occupying all of Ukraine. That will not happen," he said.
Biden on April 21 announced the allocation of an additional $800 million to help Ukraine strengthen its defense capabilities in the face of Russian armed aggression. The new aid package will include, among other things, heavy artillery weapons, including dozens of howitzers and ammunition, as well as tactical drones.
Shmyhal thanks Freeland for Canada's support to Ukraine
22.04.2022 09:17
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has held a meeting with Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland in the United States, during which he thanked the Canadian people for their great and warm support.
According to Ukrinform, Shmyhal reported this
"In the United States, I met with a true friend of Ukraine, Chrystia Freeland. We discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada the support for our state and the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invader," Shmyhal wrote.
According to him, Canada was the first country to transfer CAD 1 billion to the IMF's special administrative account, which was created to help Ukraine. "I personally thanked them for that. We feel extremely great and warm support from all the Canadian people," Shmyhal said.
Shmyhal is on a working visit to Washington on April 21-22.
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