Day 97 of the invasion: there are already more than 4,000 Ukrainian civilians dead

Day 97 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: While the fighting continues, there are already more than 4,000 Ukrainian civilians dead and almost 5,000 wounded, according to the latest figures from the United Nations.

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The heaviest fighting continues to take place in the city of Severdonetk, in the Lugansk region (east), a third of which is already controlled by the Russians and where street-by-street fighting is taking place. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the situation “extremely difficult.”

Meanwhile, in the south, Ukrainian troops have launched some counterattacks, in Brussels, European leaders reach an agreement to veto “almost all Russian oil” and the president of the United States says in Washington that he will not send Ukraine weapons that could reach Russian territory. .

These are the keys and the latest events of the 97th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

ON THE TERRAIN

More than 4,000 dead civilians: The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has already caused a total of 4,074 dead among the civilian population and 4,826 wounded in this country, according to data released this Tuesday by the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights.

According to these data, updated as of May 30, among the deceased there are 1,540 men, 1,014 women, 93 girls and 100 boys, as well as 69 minors and 1,258 adults whose sex is still unknown. The UN also estimated that among the injured there are 971 men, 653 women, 112 girls and 137 boys, as well as 166 minors and 2,787 adults of still unknown sex.

The situation in Donbas remains “extremely difficult”: The Ukrainian president, Zelensky, has insisted in his nightly speech that the situation in Donbas “remains extremely difficult” and that the Russian army is trying to muster “overwhelming forces in certain areas to put more and more pressure on our defenders. There, in Donbas, the maximum combat power of the Russian army is now concentrated.

According to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (USA), Russian forces have continued to gradually capture areas of Severodonetsk, but have not yet completely surrounded the city, while advancing on Slovyansk, a city they will try to storm in the coming weeks, “although they are likely to make decisive gains.”

Ukrainian counterattack in the south: The Ukrainian Army has launched some counterattacks in the south of the country, in areas controlled by Russian troops, and have managed to recapture some small villages, the Ukrainian Southern Operational Command reported Tuesday.

“In the south of Ukraine, the situation remains dynamic and tense. The (Russian) occupiers have intensified shelling, including (affecting) civilian neighborhoods, but as a result of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the area, panic is spreading among the invaders,” the Southern Command said.

According to Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky, “The struggle for the Kherson region continues. Step by step, we are liberating our land and gradually approaching the point where Russia will have to lay down its arms, count all its dead, and move on to diplomacy.”

Zelensky speaks of Russian blackmailing Asia and Africa with food: Russia uses the inhabitants of Asia and Africa as “exchange currency” by blocking the export of grain from Ukraine, which stores 22 million tons of grain in its warehouses, he denounced. this Monday the Ukrainian president.

“Russia’s blockade of our exports is destabilizing the situation on a global scale. As a result, food is becoming more and more expensive in different countries. Consequently, there is a threat of famine. In Africa, in Asia, in some European countries ·, Zelensky said in his usual evening speech to his compatriots.

PENALTIES AND WEAPONS

I veto “almost all” Russian oil: The oil that Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic buy from Russia by pipeline will be left out of the sixth package of sanctions from the European Union (EU) to the Kremlin, as demanded by the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, for his country to accept the veto on Moscow crude.

The EU Heads of State and Government agreed to include a “temporary exception” for the crude that transits through the Druzhba pipeline to those three countries, but the text of conclusions does not specify any time limit for this derogation and limits itself to saying that will be addressed “as soon as possible”.

Therefore, the embargo will veto all imports of Russian oil by ship, which account for two thirds of the total, before the end of the year. Germany and Poland, for their part, have agreed not to buy crude oil that transits through the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, which in practice means that 90% of purchases are covered by the agreement.

US doubts about weapons: The president of USA, Joe Biden, assured this Monday that his Government will not send long-range missiles to Ukraine capable of reaching Russian territory, as requested by the Ukrainian authorities. Asked by reporters at the White House if he plans to send such weapons to Ukraine, Biden responded that he will not send “missile systems that can reach Russia”.

Source: Elcomercio

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