Ukraine digs in to fight Russia's looming eastern offensive
KYIV : Ukrainian forces dug in and Russia's military lined up more firepower Sunday ahead of an expected showdown in eastern Ukraine that could become a decisive period in a war that has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically.
POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR AN EASTER TRUCE Dope Francis opened Holy Week Sunday with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make rooin for
negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to make some sacrifices for the good of the pec ple." Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peter's Square for the first time since the par demie, Pope Francis called for "weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapon and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations. Francis did not refer direct ly to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear, and he has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.
Johnson visits Ukraine to pledge UK's support LONDON: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has travelled to the conflict-torn Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to demonstrate that the UK stands "unwaveringly" with Ukraine and offered fresh financial and military support to the country. During his visit on Saturday, he held in-depth discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on military and economic assistance and set out new military assistance of 120 armoured vehicles and new antiship missile systems, to support Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia. "Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century," said Johnson.
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Experts say a full-scale offensive in the east could start within days, though questions remained about the ability of Russia's depleted and demoralised forces to conquer much ground after Ukraine's inspired defenders repelled their push to capture the capital, Kyiv.
Britain's Defence Ministry reported Sunday that Russia's armed forces were trying to compensate for mounting casualties by boosting troop numbers with personnel who had been discharged from service since 2012. Ukraine has the bulk of its military forces in the east: estimates vary, but they are believed to number in the tens of thousands.
Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukrain since 2014 and control parts of the Donna's, a mostly Russian speaking. industrial region. Since Russia invaded Ukrain on Feb 24, it's tropps have bombarded government held territory. The anticipated offensive in the east and south could end up excising a vast swath of land from Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russian forces shelled Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, in the northeast and sent reinforcements toward Izyum to the southeast in attempts to break Ukraine's defences, the Ukrainian military command said. The Russians also kept up their siege of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for nearly 172 months.
A Russian Defence Ministry spokesman, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov, said Russia's military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraine's S-300 air defense missile systems in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv, a city not far from Kharkiv.
Russia's sea-launched cruise missiles also destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit stationed farther west in the Dnipro region, Konashenkov said. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military claims could be independently verified.
