Kyiv: Invading Russian forces have blocked Mariupol, announced city mayor today, as Moscow and Kyiv aim to hold the third round of talks. Laying done siege on Mariupol- in the second week after the invasion, Moscow now has control on Kherson and several other cities. Capturing the coastal city, Russians would rule 450,000 people and would deal a severe blow to Ukraine’s maritime access and connect troops coming from annexed Crimea and Donbas.
Russian forces striking down the city disrupted the electricity, food, water and heating and transportation in the depths of winter prompting comparisons to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad in WW II. Mayor, Vadim Boychenko calling for a ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor for food and medicine said, “For now, we are looking for solutions to humanitarian problems and all possible ways to get Mariupol out of the blockade.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian defence Dept has asked civilians to stay put and safe as the Russians escalated attacks on Sumy.
According to US intelligence, Russian are just 32 km away from the second largest nuclear plant in Ukraine. Russia on Friday, seized Europe’s largest nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia prompting nuclear devastation across continents. According to the UN, 331 civilians were killed and 657 injured since the invasion commenced on February 24th.
NATO on Friday, rejected Ukrainian calls to help its skies from Russian missiles and warplanes. US secretary of State Antony Blinken sided with NATO and rejected calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. He said a no-fly zone would mean sending NATO planes into Ukrainian airspace to shoot down Russian planes.
Ukraine President condemned NATO’s decision to not close the sky over Ukraine. “Today the alliance’s leadership gave a green light to the further bombardment of Ukrainian towns and villages, refusing to establish a no-fly zone (over Ukraine),” Zelensky said during his recent address, local press reported.