LIVE. War in Ukraine: “difficult” as declared a week ago, warns Zelensky

Currently, Russian troops are concentrating their efforts on artillery in the Bakhmut region of Donbass, where there are heated disputes. Tanks, mortars, guns, rockets are used en masse.

The government of Ukraine will ban the export of firewood, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said on Telegram.

Wood has become the main source of heat in many regions after power cuts.

Shymgal also said that he will continue his efforts to increase the import of transformers and high-voltage equipment to restore the country’s electricity grid.

According to the Ukrainian military, yesterday Russian forces fired four large rockets at civilian buildings in Rozumivka, Zaporozhye region, and Musiyivka, Dnepropetrovsk region.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that the Russians are preparing to transfer separate parts of their troops from Belarus to the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Belarus continues to support Russian aggression, notably by allowing Russia to host trained binational troops on its soil. Kyiv also accuses Minsk of allowing Russian forces to launch missiles from the ground and from the air.

Petro Kotin, president of the Energoatom company, assured yesterday that he had seen signs indicating that Russian troops were preparing to leave the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye. “Many publications began to be published in the Russian press that the plant might be submitted to the IAEA for inspection,” he explained. At the same time, he recalled that the Russians “gathered everything they could in the territory of the factory, including military equipment, personnel, and trucks, probably with weapons and explosives.”

In the long text of the petition launched yesterday, the Russian mothers do not seriously call for an end to the war, which could put them at risk. They explain that even if the state wants them to have children, there are almost three guarantees of living below the poverty line, which has been lowered by inflation fueled by international sanctions. They claim to live a decent life without fear of their children. And accusing: “The state sacrifices our children for its ambitions.”

“The huge amount of money spent on military operations every day can be invested in our welfare. Instead of new kindergartens, maternity homes, schools, and hospitals, there are endless empty conversations about our “success” and “greatness” on television, they complain.

In his daily address last night, President Zelensky warned: “Next week could be as difficult as last week,” he said, referring to massive strikes on power infrastructure that knocked out much of Russia’s power and electricity on Wednesday. water supply, the temperature has dropped sharply.

Calling on his people to unite, he asks “not to leave the people you can help without help”. And pay close attention to weather warnings this week.

Russian troops may have withdrawn from Kherson since November 10, but they are still shelling the southern Ukrainian city. 16 civilians were killed and 37 were injured as a result of the strikes of the Russian artillery in recent days. Ukrainian authorities have started evacuations.

On Mother’s Day in Russia, a group of mothers of Russian soldiers joined activists demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine through an online petition. As of yesterday, it has collected more than 4,100 signatures on Change.org. Addressed to Russian parliamentarians.

“The so-called special military operation has been going on for nine months now, bringing destruction, grief, blood and tears,” the petition reads. “Regardless of our nationality, religion and social status, we – Russian mothers are united by one dream: to live in peace and harmony, to raise our children in a peaceful environment and not to fear for their future.” They claim that many families have had to pay for equipment to protect their soldiers, even bulletproof vests.

The text also claims that wives, sisters and mothers of Russian soldiers organize strikes, submit petitions, sign collective appeals for peace, but “no one hears them.”

Since the partial mobilization began, Russian mothers have been trying to make their voices heard. To quell the anger on Friday, the Kremlin organized a women’s round table around Vladimir Putin. The word was very calibrated and the words of the women who were there were not broadcast.

In the northeast of the country, Ukrainians hope to capture the main highway serving the cities of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk. These two industrial cities were taken by the Russians after a brutal summer campaign in which both sides lost many soldiers.

Military experts say that since the icy roads are now covered with mud, the pace of fighting could soon increase.

Ukrainian authorities are gradually restoring power, helped by the reconnection of the country’s four nuclear power plants, but millions are still without heat and electricity after the war’s most devastating Russian airstrikes. Network operator electricity meets almost 80% of the country’s consumer demand.