Kiev ready for special talks with Moscow in Mariupol

The secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, stated that Russia’s expected large-scale offensive in the eastern part of the country has not yet begun. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of the «battle for Donbas» on Monday.

Attacks are indeed being reported along all front lines in Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv since Tuesday morning, Mr. Danilov said during an interview he gave to a Ukrainian radio station yesterday, Wednesday, though they are likely «test» attacks.

He said that Moscow will likely continue to build up its forces, supplies, and reserves over the next two to four weeks.

Mr. Danilov also cautioned against the notion that the battle for Donbas would be the final and decisive one in this war. «I wouldn’t be so optimistic; we may have many different challenges ahead of us,» said the National Security Council official.

Kyiv Is Ready for Special Talks with Russia in Mariupol

On Wednesday, Ukraine proposed to Russia a “special round of negotiations” in Mariupol to rescue “civilians and soldiers,” according to two Ukrainian negotiators.

Kyiv is ready to hold a “special round of negotiations” with Moscow in the besieged city of Mariupol without preconditions, said Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Pontoliak in a message on Twitter.

Pontoliak clarified that the talks could be “face to face. Two-on-two. To save our children, (the battalion) Azov, the soldiers, the civilians, the children, the living, and the wounded,” wrote the negotiator and advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We are ready to come with Michael Pontoliak at any time for these negotiations, as soon as we receive confirmation from the Russian side,” said David Arakhamia, head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, on Telegram.

After weeks of fighting, the city appears to be falling into the hands of Russian forces, which have intensified their attacks, according to one of the Ukrainian military commanders under siege in Mariupol.

“The enemy has ten times our forces,” said Sergei Volina of the 36th Marine Brigade.

According to President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian soldiers holed up in the massive Azovstal steelworks—the last pocket of resistance in the city— “are protecting, at the cost of their own lives, (…) nearly a thousand civilians, women, and children.”.

The 80% in Luhansk, under Russian control

Russian military units are now in control of the 80% area in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, regional governor Serhiy Haidai reported via Telegram late last night.

According to him, the towns of Rubizhne and Popasna have «partially» fallen into the hands of the Russian army following fierce fighting in recent weeks. The shelling has intensified, according to the same official.

When the war began on February 24, the separatists of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic controlled about 30% of its territory.

According to Regional Governor Haidai, approximately 70,000 residents remain in the area. He noted that if a ceasefire is declared ahead of Orthodox Easter on Sunday, it will be used as much as possible to evacuate civilians and distribute aid.

Kyiv accuses the Red Cross of being an «accomplice» of Russia

A Ukrainian official accused the International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday, Wednesday, of failing to cooperate with her country to determine the fate of Ukrainian refugees in Russia, alleging «collusion» in the «displacements»—a claim the ICRC categorically denied.

«The UNHCR is not fulfilling its mission» with regard to refugees who, as he said, are being transported against their will and by force to Russia by Russian troops.

The allegations were made by Lyudmila Denisova, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner, during an appearance on Ukrainian television.

«I suspect he is an accomplice» of Russia, she said after her meeting with an official from the Ukrainian Red Cross committee.

«It’s been a month since I’ve been trying to meet with the president of the DEES to discuss with him the displacement of our citizens to Russia. I’ve been trying to do so ever since the president of the DEES said he would open a representative office in Rostov-on-Don (ed. a city in southern Russia, near the border with Ukraine) and would encourage the reception of Ukrainians on the territory of the aggressor state,» Ms. Denisova concluded.

«Today I met with the representative of the Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross, to whom I had written 120 letters regarding the search for our citizens. I have not received any response,» he added.

He cited UN figures, according to which there are 550,000 Ukrainian refugees in Russia, including 121,000 children.

«Where are they? In camps? Aren’t these temporary shelters? There are testimonies from people who took them» to Russia, he insisted.

Ms. Denisova also emphasized that she had asked her Russian counterpart, Tatiana Mashalkova, to send her lists of the names of Ukrainian refugees in Russia, so that Kyiv could cooperate with the OSCE on their repatriation: «There has been no response from her or from the OSCE.».

When asked by Agence France-Presse about the Ukrainian official’s statements, the EU «categorically rejected these false accusations,» reiterated once again that it does not «carry out forced displacements,» and noted that «it facilitated the voluntary passage of civilians and the wounded, in complete safety,» to various Ukrainian cities.

He confirmed that he «had considered opening an office in Rostov-on-Don» in order to «alleviate the suffering of people affected by the armed conflict.».

«Engaging in dialogue with all parties to a war is essential, so that we can reach all affected people and ensure the necessary security guarantees for our teams providing vital assistance,’ the ICRC emphasized.

The organization confirmed that it had a «positive and constructive» meeting yesterday with the Ukrainian official and that it provided Ms. Denisova «responses to the authorities» concerns regarding these issues on a bilateral and confidential basis.”.

Ukrainian authorities frequently accuse the Russian military of forcibly deporting civilians to Russia against their will.

Russian forces are advancing from their assembly areas toward Kramatorsk (British Ministry of Defense)

Russian army units are advancing from staging areas in Donbas toward Kramatorsk, which continues to be subjected to rocket attacks, according to a brief update from the British Army on developments in the war in Ukraine.

At the same time, the Russian Air Force continues to maintain a high level of activity, as it seeks to provide close air support for ground operations in eastern Ukraine and to destroy Ukraine’s air defense systems, according to assessments by the British Army’s intelligence service.

«Russia likely wants to show that it has achieved significant successes» in the war in Ukraine ahead of «the annual Victory Day celebration on May 9,» adds the briefing note posted by the British Ministry of Defense on its Twitter account. «This may affect how quickly and vigorously (Russian forces) will attempt to conduct operations.».

Reuters notes that it is unable to verify this information.