Ukraine Urges Residents To Flee East
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KYIV (Worthy News) – Ukraine’s government urged civilians on Saturday to flee the eastern regio Luhansk immediately after dozens of people were killed in a suspected Russian missile strike.
The appeal came as European leaders showed solidarity with Ukraine following Friday’s attack on a train station in Kramatorsk that killed at least 52 people and injured more than 100.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv — the capital city Russia failed to capture and where troops retreated days ago.
Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pledge further military assistance, including 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems. “It is because of President Zelensky’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s monstrous aims are being thwarted,” Boris Johnson said.
Zelenskyy noted the increased support but expressed frustration when asked by reporters if Western weapons and other equipment were sufficient to shift the war’s outcome.
He and other Ukrainian authorities remain concerned about Russia’s firepower, including in eastern Ukraine. In the eastern Donbas region, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai warned Russia is “amassing forces for an offensive” after withdrawing from other areas.
Moscow was also believed to have reorganized its military leadership in Ukraine, with General Alexander Dvornikov given overall charge. Western officials say the general has extensive experience of Russian operations in war-torn Syria, where Russia supports President Bashar al-Assad.
Despite the new military realities, Ukrainian officials said ten humanitarian corridors to evacuate people from regions being besieged by Russian forces were agreed to on Saturday.
The corridors include one for people escaping the shattered port city of Mariupol, whereas many as 160,000 residents are reportedly trapped amid relentless Russian attacks.
Though fighting continued, the European Union said it had reopened its embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, after temporarily moving it to Poland after Russia invaded Ukraine.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell announced the plans during a visit to Ukraine on Friday. Italy says it also wants to reopen its embassy in Kyiv immediately after Easter.
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