Russia said on Thursday that the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet had been seriously damaged and that all crews were evacuated after what Russia said was an explosion and what Ukrainian officials said was a missile attack.
Russian state media quoted the country’s defense minister as blaming a fire that detonated ammunition aboard the guided missile cruiser Moscow.
The governor of Odesa said two cruise missiles hit the ship.
The White House on Wednesday reinforced US President Joe Biden’s surprise statement on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could commit genocide in Ukraine.
Latest developments in Ukraine: 14 April
Biden also announced that Washington is sending another $ 800 million in weapons, ammunition and other aid to Ukraine.
“The president spoke to what we all see, what he feels is clear about the atrocities that are happening on the ground,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said of the genocide remark.
“As he also noted yesterday, there will of course be a legal process taking place in the courtroom, but he spoke to what he sees, has seen on the ground, what we have all seen in terms of the atrocities on earth.”
She added, “Whatever you call it, what our goal now is – as evidenced by the huge package of military aid we are launching today – is to continue to help and assist the Ukrainians in this war, one in which we see atrocities happening every day. . ‘
EXPLANER: Why the term “genocide” is important in the Ukraine War
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Biden’s description, saying, “We think this kind of attempt to distort the situation is unacceptable. This is hardly acceptable from a president of the United States, a country that has committed well-known crimes in recent times.”
Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the new broadcast in an hour-long phone call on Wednesday. He later said in a statement: ‘The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we provide with devastating effect. The United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capacity to defend itself. ‘
New weapons, renewed Russian push
The Pentagon said the new range of weapons includes 500 Javelin missiles, 300 Switchblade drones, 300 armored vehicles, 11 helicopters, chemical, biological and nuclear protective equipment and 30,000 sets of armor and helmets.
The United States also provides an unknown amount of anti-personnel mines, which are configured to be detonated only manually.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said US defense officials wanted to supply this equipment while Russia regrouped its forces, including helicopters and artillery systems, in Belarus.
“They are not quite ready for this renewed push because they want to deploy Donbas,” he said. ‘We realize that, and we use every day, every hour to get this as fast as we can. … We have a good feeling for Russia’s efforts to supply and strengthen.
Biden’s agreement to send more weapons to Ukraine, along with additional helicopters, came after a video call from Zelenskyy.
“Freedom must be better armed than tyranny,” said the Ukrainian leader. “Without additional weapons, this will turn into an endless carnage that will spread misery, suffering and destruction.”
The United States is sending $ 800 million in new military aid to Ukraine
Biden said the West’s supply of weapons to Ukraine “has been crucial in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion. It has helped ensure that Putin failed in his first war goal of conquering and controlling Ukraine. We can not rest now.
Also on Wednesday, the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – all NATO countries bordering Russia – visited Kyiv to show support for Ukraine a day after Putin promised to continue Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine until “completed”.
The leaders of the four countries, all worried that Russia could attack them if Ukraine fell, traveled by train to the Ukrainian capital to meet Zelenskyy.
While failing to capture Kyiv and large parts of Ukraine, Russian forces have bombed many cities, killing thousands of Ukrainian civilians and destroying homes and hospitals.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths recently traveled to Moscow and Kyiv to seek a ceasefire. But UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Wednesday that it did not look like it was possible right now.
Guterres said, however, that there are “a number of proposals that have been put forward, and we are awaiting a response from the Russian Federation in relation to these proposals – including various mechanisms for local ceasefire, for corridors, for humanitarian aid, evacuations and various other aspects such as can minimize the dramatic impact on civilians that we are witnessing. ‘
Guterres said the UN also proposed the creation of a mechanism involving Russia, Ukraine, the UN and potentially other humanitarian units, to help ensure the evacuation of civilians from areas where fighting is taking place and to ensure humanitarian access.
Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Source: sn.dk
