NATO fears harder war, Mariupol fears destruction of port city

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NATO fears harder war

NATO fears that the war in Ukraine will worsen if Russia does not withdraw. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warns of “more deaths, more suffering and more destruction”. From the port city of Mariupol, this is already feared in the short term: mayor Vadym Boychenko states that his city will soon be destroyed if military aid is not provided quickly.

Developments follow each other in quick succession. We therefore list the most recent events for you several times a day. Subscribe to the ‘Ukraine update’ tag to be notified when we post such an overview again.

Mariupol does not have to count on concrete military aid from NATO , it became clear this afternoon at a specially scheduled meeting. 

Ukraine hopes that NATO will close airspace over Ukraine, but a so-called no-fly zone would lead to war with Russia, Stoltenberg emphasized.

Military personnel are needed to enforce a no-fly zone. If they come into contact with Russian troops, the war could quickly worsen. The NATO chief called the rejection of Ukraine’s request for aid a painful decision.

However, the alliance does everything it can to defend its own territory. For example, there are now 140 military fighter jets and 200 ships along the border with Ukraine. 

The panic of the mayor of Mariupol follows a day-long encirclement of the port city and very heavy bombardments. There would be almost no food left in the city, while residents already had no access to water and electricity.

Mayor Boychenko hopes to evacuate residents soon. Ukraine and Russia agreed on Thursday to seek ceasefires around flight routes. Earlier this week, the Russians are said to have blocked evacuation attempts.

Fighting in northwestern Kiev has reignited , British intelligence officials said. Ukrainian armed forces are currently trying to get a strong hold on the military airport Hostomel.

The Ukrainian capital was again ravaged by rocket attacks on Friday. In the nearby village of Markhalivka, seven people, including two children, were said to have been killed in air raids on Friday.

The huge Russian convoy – which stretches for about 40 miles and is on its way to Kiev – is said to have made little progress in the past four days, the British know. The Russians are probably dealing with logistical problems and the convoy barely moved for four days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned NATO that Russia might want to extend the offensive to nearby countries.

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