Ukraine ready for military unblocking of Mariupol, Zelenskyi says. To do that, Ukraine needs assistance from western allies, President Zelenskyi said at a joint press availability with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen Thursday. “There is a military path. We need to prepare ourselves for that. We need assistance from our partners. It would be difficult to handle that on our own,” Zelenskyi said.
There is also a quick diplomatic and humanitarian path. But there is no agreement to proceed down that path. Russia earlier said it will not storm Azovstal in Mariupol, but will blockade the stronghold of Ukrainian troops.
Russia readies mobilization, referendum in Kherson region. Russian forces announced mobilization of men in the occupied territory of Kherson region. They also plan to hold a so-called “referendum” and a “census”, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in an evening report. Russian forces plan to hold a “referendum” in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region on May 1. They plan a “census” between May 2 and May 10. Local residents are banned from moving between the villages.
On April 21, evacuation from Kherson region failed as Russians blocked evacuation buses and continued attacks. They also took captive the coordinator of the evacuation convoy.
Mayor of Kryvyi Rih Oleksandr Vilkul said on Facebook: “That’s a message of anger and worry. An evacuation corridor out of Kherson region pre-agreed by the government failed today. Russian forces stopped our ambulances and buses at their checkpoint near Osokorivka ahead of the “water melon” sign. Russians detained the head of Novovorontsovska hromada Volodymyr Marchuk who headed the convoy and whom they earlier greenlighted. Talks to free him are underway.”
People in private vehicles waited until 16:30 to no avail and turned back.
New Babyn Yar: in Manhush, Russian forces bury up to nine thousand Mariupol residents. New satellite images show an expanding mass grave site in occupied Manhush, 20 kilometers from Mariupol. Up to nine thousand Mariupol residents were possibly buried there, Mariupol city council said.
The images were matched against the photographs of a mass grave in Bucha where remains of 70 people were found. Maxar’s images made on April 9, show a mass grave site that is 20 times larger. Russian forces dug trenches and buried people there throughout April. The graves were filled in several layers, Mariupol’s city council said.
Russia killed 22 thousand people in Mariupol. Mariupol’s mayor Vadym Boychenko said: “[Russia] committed the biggest crime of the 21st century, a new Babyn Yar. Hitler used to kill Jews, Roma, and Slavs. Putin kills Ukrainians right now. He has killed tens of thousands in Mariupol. The world has to produce a strong reaction. We need to stop the genocide.”
Ukraine in Flames #42. Why “peace enforcement” between Ukrainians and Russians doesn’t work?
The idea of an independent and democratic Ukraine is repulsive to Russia. The very existence of Ukraine makes most of the Kremlin’s geopolitical delusions impossible. The neighbor that is building its political system on European values and integrating itself with the European Union and NATO existentially threatens Putin’s vision of a modernized Russian Empire. Victorious restoration of a ‘historical’ Russian world is the biggest dream and the only reason behind an eight-year war against Ukraine.
International isolation, legal and financial responsibility and national economic decline might not be persuasive enough for the Russian political elite. Putin has recently stated that the ‘special military operation’ would continue until Russia succeeded. “Now security requirements are one thing, and the issue of settling relations over Crimea, Sevastopol and Donbass is out of the scope of these agreements. That is, we are back in a stalemate,”- he again declined Ukraine’s positions in the negotiations.
A logical question arises, is an effective peace process between Russia and Ukraine possible at all? Can the world force Russia to peace? We will look for answers in Ukraine in Flames #42.
Speakers:
Vadym Karpyak, journalist and TV host
Halyna Herasym, researcher at Ukrainian center for law and crime research
Andriy Kovalyov, PhD in political science, historian, journalist