Russia threatens to attack Western arms aid convoy in Ukraine

Lavrov said on March 18 on RT radio: “We have made it very clear that any shipment into Ukrainian territory, which we believe is carrying weapons, will become a target of a coordinated attack. France”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Photo: Politico

Russia’s top Russian diplomat was quoted by Tass news agency as saying that Russian and Soviet-made missile defense systems, which are already available in a number of NATO countries, cannot be transferred to third countries in a way. legal.

Earlier, speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on March 17, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that Russia almost every day reads information from Western countries about the attacks. transport new weapons aid to Kiev.

“Most recently, the US announced it would provide a $1 billion military aid package to Ukraine, as early as this week. They are only adding fuel to the conflict in the conflict,” Nebenzya stressed.

Despite British and American intelligence agencies assessing the Russian military’s advance due to fierce Ukrainian resistance, Moscow claims its forces are “tightening the encirclement” around the city. port town of Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine.

Mariupol officials estimate that up to 80% of houses in the city have been destroyed by intense Russian air strikes. About 1,000 people are still trapped in makeshift bunkers beneath a demolished theater.

High-rise buildings in Mariupol were destroyed while long lines of cars carrying evacuees asked the city to take refuge. Photo: Reuters

According to Reuters, fighting has spread to the heart of Mariupol, where 350,000 civilians are struggling to withstand a siege with little food and water left. According to the authorities, nearly 5,000 people were evacuated from here on March 18. Residents said they saw dead bodies along the way while fleeing the city.

In a new video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said authorities had rescued 130 people trapped in the basement of the theater that was flattened by Russian bombs two days ago in Mariupol. But rescue efforts have been hampered by the complete collapse of social services in the city and fear of future Russian bombardment. Moscow has denied that it intentionally attacked the theater and civilians there.

On the same day, eastern Ukraine continued to suffer new attacks of Russian forces. In the city of Kharkiv, local authorities said a high-rise school was hit by artillery fire, leaving one person dead, 11 injured and one trapped in the rubble.

The Russian missiles also hit an aircraft repair factory in the western city of Lviv, about 80km from the Polish border. Huge explosions rocked the city early in the morning, shortly after the sirens of air raids sounded.

Bombs fell on the city of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killing two people and injuring six others. While north of the capital Kiev, one person was killed and four others injured after fragments of a Russian rocket fell on an apartment building.

Kiev authorities say 222 people, including 60 civilians and four children, have been killed in the capital since Russia launched a military offensive in the neighboring country on February 24.

According to the United Nations, about 6.5 million people in Ukraine are displaced by the war, nearly double the number of people who have fled the country.

The European Union (EU) is considering creating a solidarity fund to support the basic needs of the Ukrainian people. The plan will be discussed at a meeting of the bloc’s leaders next week, an EU official said.

Ukraine’s interior minister told the AP that the country is expected to take years to find and neutralize any unexploded ordnance used by Russian forces.

US President Joe Biden (right) had an online video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 18. Photo: White House

In online video conferencinglasting 1 hour and 50 minutes with US President Joe Biden on the evening of March 18 (Vietnam time), Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that conflicts and confrontations such as those taking place in Ukraine “do not bring benefits for anyone”, and affirmed that the two great powers have a responsibility to ensure world peace.

The head of Beijing also opposes the imposition of sanctions on the grounds that they only make people suffer and can cause serious and “irreparable” crises for the global economy.

According to the White House, Mr. Biden also warned Mr. Xi of “consequences” if “material aid” was given to Moscow to attack the neighboring country. Leaders of the US government support a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Tuan Anh