Live – War in Ukraine: Moscow announces ceasefire to oust Azovstale, Kiev denies

Russian intelligence services (FSB) said on Monday they had arrested “members of a neo-Nazi group” who allegedly plotted to assassinate Vladimir Soloviev, the Kremlin’s chief propagandist.

Russia’s investigative team has arrested Russian citizens, members of the National Socialism / White Power group who plotted to assassinate politician and star journalist Vladimir Soloviev, the FSB said.

Moscow announced a ceasefire this Monday for a “no deal” for a humanitarian walkway from Azovstal to Mariupol, while allowing civilians with Ukrainian fighters at the besieged Azovstal metallurgical complex in Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. , To vacate the premises.

“Unfortunately today I declare officially and publicly that there is no agreement on the humanitarian route from Azovstal,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vareshchuk wrote in a telegram.

Russia announced a ceasefire on Monday in the strategic port of the southeastern part of the country, allowing civilians to leave the Azovstal metallurgical base, Ukraine’s closest ally.

According to Ukrainian civil servants quoted by Agency France, Russian forces continued to bomb with missiles and artillery, the vast metallurgical complex of Azovstal in Mariupol, the last pocket of resistance established by the last Ukrainian fighters, but nearly 1,000 civilians. -Press (AFP).

The Pentagon chief said Monday that the United States, which provides significant military assistance to Ukraine, wants to see Russia “weaken” to the point of not being able to carry out attacks such as an invasion of Ukraine. Lloyd Austin.

“We want to see Russia weakened to the point where it can no longer do things like invade Ukraine,” he said in eastern Poland, returning from a visit to Kiev. “He has already lost a lot of military skills and a lot of troops need to be transparent and we do not want to fill those skills quickly,” he told reporters.

Russia on Monday shot down two Ukrainian drones near the Ukrainian border where Moscow has been conducting a military offensive for more than two months, local officials said.

Anti-aircraft security guards shot down two Ukrainian drones at 4:15 a.m. (3:15 p.m. Paris time) in the Rilsk district on the Ukrainian border, Kursk regional governor Romain Strovoy told the Telegram. Damage.

• தி War in Ukraine Entered this Monday His 61st day, Since the beginning of the Russian invasion. This weekend, strikes by invaders concentrated in the east and south of the country, especially in the strategic ports of Odessa, Kharkiv and Dinibro.

Secretary of State Anthony Blingen And Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Kiev on Sunday, the first visit by US leaders to Ukraine since the outbreak of war. Both officials announced the gradual return of the US diplomatic presence in Ukraine and an additional $ 700 million in direct and indirect assistance.

⁇ “The first thing to succeed is to believe that you can succeed. And they firmly believe that they can succeed.”, Pentagon President Lloyd Austin later said. “If they have the right equipment, the right support, they can succeed,” he added.

⁇ A fire broke out at a Russian fuel depot near the Ukrainian border, Sunday to Monday night. Russian officials have not said what caused the fire.

Pentagon President Lloyd Austin said after Ukraine’s return to kyiv with US Secretary of State Anthony Blingen that the war against Russia could be won if it had the right equipment.

“The first thing to do is to believe that you can win, and that they are convinced that they can win,” Lloyd Austin told reporters about the Ukrainians. After the two ministers met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky, he said, “With the right equipment, with the right support, they can succeed.”

A large fuel depot caught fire in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border on Monday, Russian officials said, without specifying the cause of the fire.

Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has reported that a fire broke out at the Transneft Bryansk-Trushpa fuel depot in Bryansk, 150 km from the Ukrainian border, and is serving as a logistical base for Moscow’s military offensive in the country. News organizations.

Preliminary reports did not say what caused the fire.

A local branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said firefighters and firefighters were dispatched to the scene at around 2am local time (Monday 1pm Paris time) in the Fokinsky district of the city of Bryansk.

US diplomats and defense leaders Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, with Washington announcing additional military assistance to Ukraine and announcing the return of US diplomats to the country.

The two officials announced the gradual return of the US diplomatic presence in Ukraine and an additional $ 713 million in direct and indirect military assistance.

Secretary of State Anthony Blingen and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Kiev on Sunday, with US officials confirming that this was the first visit by US leaders to Ukraine since Russia’s hostility.

During their visit, both officials announced the gradual return of a US diplomatic presence in Ukraine. The two ministers returned to Poland on Monday morning, when US officials first confirmed the visit.

“Congratulations on the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, a true friend of Ukraine!” President Volodymyr Zhelensky tweeted that he had met the French president several times since the Russian invasion on February 24. According to the French president, he greeted him directly over the phone.

“I wish him further success for the benefit of the people. I appreciate his support and I am convinced that we are moving forward together towards new common victories. Towards a stronger and united Europe!” He writes.

Ukraine announced its presidency on Sunday after holding talks with Russia next to the vast Azovstal metallurgical complex in Mariupol (southeast), where Ukrainian militants and civilians are still entrenched in a Russian-controlled city.

“We have invited the Russians to hold a special meeting near the Azovstale site,” Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser Oleksiy Arestovitch told a conference that he was “waiting for a response from the Russian delegation.”

The meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Gelensky, US Diplomatic Leader Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin took place in Queue on Sunday evening, the Ukrainian Presidential Office said.

“Americans are in kyiv today. They are now talking to the president,” Oleksiï Arestovitch, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said in an interview aired on Youtube in the evening.

This is the first meeting between representatives of the US administration in Ukraine and Volodymyr Zhelensky since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.