[이데일리 방성훈 기자] Russia launched an onslaught in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. It seems that they are strengthening their offensive ahead of Victory Day on the 9th. Under these circumstances, some civilians successfully evacuated from the Azoustal factory in the southern port city of Mariupol.
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According to Archyde.com and CNN on the 30th (local time) of last month (local time), the Ukrainian General Staff said that Russia attempted to capture three regions: Liman in Donetsk, Sibierodonets and Popasna in Luhansk, but Ukrainian forces He said it was unsuccessful due to a blockade of defense. He added that the fighting was still going on.
Russia also claimed that the artillery had hit 389 Ukrainian targets overnight. In response, Luhansk Governor Serhi Gaidai countered that the Russian artillery fire did not pass through the defenses.
Russia also released a video of a cruise missile attack on Ukraine using a submarine in the Black Sea. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in a video speech that “Ukrainian forces have already destroyed more than 1,000 Russian tanks, nearly 200 Russian aircraft and about 2,500 armored vehicles.”
Russian forces also attacked Odessa, Ukraine’s largest port city. According to local media, at least one Russian fighter was seen in Odessa that day, and several explosions were heard around 6 pm. In response, the Ukrainian military announced that a Russian missile hit the airport in Odessa, destroying the runway and making it unusable. It was found that there were no casualties.
In fact, air strikes continued even in the Russian-occupied Mariupol. The Russian army attacked the Azoustal Works, where some Ukrainian troops and civilians were evacuated during the last standoff. According to satellite images released by US commercial satellite company Barracks Technologies, almost all of the buildings at the Azoustal Works were destroyed.
However, Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azou Regiment, informed through a telegram that 20 civilians, including six children, were successfully evacuated, including women and the elderly. “The evacuation, which was scheduled to begin at 6 a.m., only took place at 11 a.m.,” he said.
“The wounded in need of emergency treatment could not be evacuated,” Palamar said. “The question of taking them to a place under Ukrainian control is not currently being discussed,” he said. Foreign media estimated that hundreds of civilians were still hiding under the Azoustal.
Russian news agency TAS reported that 25 civilians, including six children under the age of 14, had escaped from the Azoustal Works. However, CNN explained that it has not been confirmed whether it is the same group as the group identified by deputy commander Valamar.
Meanwhile, Western intelligence authorities are speculating that Russia may abolish the term ‘special military operation’ and declare an all-out war on Ukraine on the anniversary of its victory.