Nearly complete the siege of Kiev, anti-aircraft sirens sound all over the country. Mariupol is exhausted and hopes that aid will pass today. Israel's diplomatic action continues, but no one believes it. Finally, a Russian court sanctions Peppa Pig
- Russian bombs also begin to fall on Lviv. The westernmost city in Ukraine, the gateway to Poland, where hundreds of thousands of refugees flock and where the embassies of Western countries have been transferred, has awakened under the salvation of Moscow's missiles. The Ukrainian website, always very well informed, Kyiv Independent, writes it
- At around three in the morning, the sirens of the anti-aircraft alarms rang out throughout most of Ukraine. For millions of people, however, it is another sleepless night and it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage despite official proclamations. For example, Mariupol has been under siege for days, without water and electricity, and hopes that today a convoy of humanitarian aid will be able to pass the control, and the robbery, of Russian soldiers. Yesterday the convoy was held for more than five hours at a Russian roadblock. Also in the south, Odessa also continues to prepare for an offensive by Russian soldiers, who are currently concentrating on the city of Mykolaiv about 100 km to the east.
- Not only in the south, but also in the east and north, the bodies of the dead litter the streets of towns and cities, the balance is impossible to verify and perhaps even useless to do. "About 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since February 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday, in the first official tally provided by Ukrainian authorities since the invasion began.
- The pressure of the Russian forces on Kiev is growing. The Moscow Defense Ministry speaks of "relentless push on the ground", reporting that Russian forces advanced 12 kilometers on "a broad front" yesterday, but without specifying exactly where. Ukraine promises a "fierce defense" of its capital. The mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said the capital is strengthening its defenses and stockpiling food and medicine. "We will not give up," added Klitschko in a video message. Both Ukrainian and Russian officials on Saturday described the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation as "catastrophic".
- Kherson remains a Ukrainian city and rejects the possible Russian referendum for independence. It is the content of the resolution passed by the regional council of the city, even if the Russians would like to create a people's republic similar to those of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, a new bombing raid this morning awakened the city. In a video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky observed how Russia aims to create "pseudo-republics" to divide the country. "The occupiers of the territory of the Kherson region are trying to repeat the sad experience of the formation of pseudo-republics. They are blackmailing the local authorities, they are looking for someone to bribe," Zelensky warned.
- Zelensky complained that "(Ukraine's) Western partners are not sufficiently engaged". Europeans and Americans refuse to get involved in the conflict, but have increased economic and trade sanctions against Russia and are providing Kiev with ever-increasing military support. Washington yesterday authorized $ 200 million in new aid and weapons for Ukraine, after initial aid of $ 350 million in military equipment, "ammunition, Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles". The new White House announcement comes after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov said he "warned the United States" that these "convoys" were becoming "legitimate targets" for the Russian military.
- Russia would be ready to hold new negotiations with Ukraine in Jerusalem: the Jerusalem Post reports citing a high-level diplomatic source. Russia's alleged opening comes after a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia has not rejected the idea of negotiations in Jerusalem, the diplomatic source said, but Israel "is not sure it wants to host the talks". "We know from our experience that negotiations that have no chance lead to a worse situation on the ground," added the diplomatic source quoted by the Jerusalem Post. "We have to see if we can really be useful, if there can be a breakthrough, we will do whatever it takes."
- Finally, Peppa Pig also enters the war. In retaliation for Western sanctions, a Russian court ruled that the image of the popular cartoon character can be used freely in Russia without fear of copyright infringement sanctions. In motivating his decision, the judge referred to "hostile actions by the United States and other foreign countries".