Russian bombings continue in Ukraine despite Kremlin promises: the map of the last 24 hours

Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing the city of Chernihiv, despite Moscow's announcement that it would “radically” reduce its military activity , received with skepticism by Kiev and its Western allies.

The Russian announcement, made after negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul, generated hope after more than a month of war that has left thousands of people dead and has led the number of Ukrainian refugees to exceed four million, mainly women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Pouring a jug of cold water to those hopes, Russia assured on Wednesday that there is nothing “promising” after negotiations with Ukraine. “At the moment, we can't report anything very promising or a breakthrough. There is a lot of work to be done,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov told the press.

On the ground, the “situation does not change”, according to Ukrainian authorities. “Chernihiv was bombed all night” with artillery and airplanes, said Governor Viacheslav Chaus, who said that the town was still without water or electricity. This city, which had 280,000 inhabitants before the war, is “without communications and we can no longer repair them,” he added, mentioning that there were also attacks on Nizhyn, in the same region.

After Mariupol in the south, Chernihiv is the city hardest hit by the bombing since the start of the war launched by Moscow on February 24.

“In the past 24 hours, Russians have shelled the inhabited areas and civilian infrastructure of the Kiev region 30 times,” said the region's governor, Olaxander Pavliuk, on Telegram, noting that the areas of northern Kiev were the most affected (Bucha, Irpin, Vyshgorod, Brovary).

In Irpin, which Ukrainians announced on Monday that they had “liberated”, explosions were heard on Wednesday morning, AFP journalists noted.

In the east, the Ukrainian army said it had regained control of a strategic highway.

“Since the afternoon and throughout the night, there have been numerous warnings of air strikes throughout the territory of Ukraine. However, the night was quiet in most regions,” the presidency said in a statement.

“We'll see if they comply”

Russia had committed on Tuesday, at the end of the Istanbul peace talks, to “radically” reduce its military activity around Kiev and Chernihiv. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky called the signs “positive”, but clarified that “they do not put out Russian explosions or gunfire.”

The Ukrainian General Staff was very skeptical. The so-called “troop withdrawal” is probably a rotation of individual units aimed at deceiving the military command of the Ukrainian armed forces.

“At the moment, we cannot see, unfortunately, that the Russians are reducing the intensity of hostilities in the direction of Kiev and Chernihiv,” said Vadim Denisenko, adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, on Wednesday.

For US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby, it would only be a “repositioning” and not a “real retreat.”

“It is very likely that Russia will seek to divert combat forces from the north to its offensive in the (separatist) regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east,” the British Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

This was confirmed by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Russia has achieved its goal: “The military potential of the Ukrainian armed forces has been significantly reduced, allowing attention and efforts to be focused on the main objective, the liberation of Donbas.”

For Ukraine's Western allies it will be necessary to judge on the ground.

“We will see if they comply with what they propose,” said US President Joe Biden after talking with the rulers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, who promised to maintain sanctions.

The UK said it will judge “Putin and his regime by their actions, not by their words”, and will hold a donor conference on Thursday to mobilize more weapons for Ukraine.

Even so, the face-to-face meeting in Istanbul was the first sign of progress in discussions to end the conflict. According to Ukraine, there are “sufficient” conditions for Zelenski to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Evacuated maternity hospital in Mariupol

Some 20,000 people reportedly died in the conflict, according to Zelenski, although the number of casualties could not be independently verified. On Wednesday, the mayor's office of Mariupol denounced the forced evacuation to Russia of more than 70 people - women and medical personnel - from a maternity hospital.

In total, more than 20,000 inhabitants of Mariupol have been evacuated “against their will” to Russia, according to the municipality, which claims that the Russians confiscated their documents and redirected them “to remote Russian cities.”

Zelensky declared on Tuesday that the Russian attacks on Mariupol were “a crime against humanity.”

According to the UN, two of the six civilian hospitals in Mariupol were destroyed and three were damaged, while the other centers continue to have limited activity and lack personnel and lack water, electricity and equipment. The bombing destroyed at least 65 buildings and damaged 126, according to the same source.

Some 160,000 civilians are still trapped in the battered and besieged Mariupol and are facing a “humanitarian catastrophe”, living in shelters without electricity and lack food and water, according to testimonies collected by AFP from those who fled that city.

Russian forces have surrounded the city and their constant and indiscriminate bombardment has left at least 5,000 dead, although there could be 10,000, according to a Ukrainian senior official.

France, Greece and Turkey tried to organize a massive evacuation of civilians from that city, but Tuesday's talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Putin ended without agreement.

(With information from AFP)

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