The danger of prolonged war in Ukraine

Russia continues air strikes

CNN on April 15, citing European officials, revealed that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told allies that Washington believes the Russian campaign in Ukraine could last until the end of 2022. Many officials also emphasized that it is not easy. to predict the end of the campaign, but Russia’s goals may not change and Kremlin unlikely to pursue diplomatic negotiations unless suffering defeat military.

This information comes after the cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, on April 15 was confirmed by Russia to have sunk while being towed to Sevastopol for repair. Reuters reported that a US defense official on April 15 said that the Moskva ship was hit by two Neptune missiles from Ukraine before sinking and the incident caused casualties, contrary to the announcement made by Russia earlier. The Russian Defense Ministry said a fire broke out on board the ship on April 13, causing an explosion in the arsenal of the battleship Moscow. Russia also denied that the Moscow ship was hit by a Ukrainian missile.

Pro-Russian forces on the road to the city of Mariupol, Ukraine on April 15 Reuters

On the same day, April 15, Russia announced the destruction of the Vizar Neptune missile factory on the outskirts of Kyiv and warned that it would increase Kyiv air strikes in response to attacks on Russian territory. According to AFP, this is Russia’s first major air strike on the capital city of Kyiv Ukraine in the past 2 weeks. Reuters reported that explosions continued to sound in Kyiv and the city of Lviv in the early morning of April 16 while rescuers continued to busy at Vizar Factory. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on April 16 that it had destroyed an armored vehicle factory in Kyiv and a military repair facility in the city of Mykolaiv.

Accusing each other

Ukraine’s military said on April 16 that the presence of Russian warships armed with missiles in the Black Sea indicates the growing possibility of Moscow using them to target Ukraine’s logistics infrastructure and defense industry. . Ukraine also said that the Russian navy is being deployed in the Sea of ​​Azov to blockade the port of Mariupol.

Ukrainian soldiers exercise in Kyiv province, Ukraine on April 15 REUTERS

On land, fighting was also fierce. Ukraine announced that its forces were trying to break the Russian encirclement around the port city of Mariupol. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said on April 15 that Russia used long-range bombers for the first time to bomb Mariupol. Moscow has not commented on the allegation. Mr. Motuzyanyk also asserted that Russia did not fully control the city.

Meanwhile, TASS news agency reported that Russia accused the 19th Missile Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces of trying to launch Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles at refugees at a train station in Lozovaya, a city in Kharkiv province in northeastern Ukraine, to blame Russia for war crimes. Ukraine has not yet responded to the allegation. The Russian military also announced on April 15 that it had intercepted two Ukrainian missiles launched at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in Kherson province to cause flooding.

After more than seven weeks of fighting, the conflict in Ukraine has taken its toll on both sides.

In an interview with CNN on April 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said between 2,500-3,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10,000 wounded. Zelensky also said 19,000 to 20,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting. Russia has not confirmed this information. Last month, Moscow announced 1,351 Russian soldiers were killed and 3,825 wounded.

Russia warns the West

In a related development, the newspaper The Washington Post On April 15, it was reported that Russia had sent a note to the US to protest against Washington’s military aid to Ukraine. In the note, Moscow warned NATO and the US of “unforeseen consequences” if advanced weapons continued to be shipped. CNN quoted a source as saying that sending this note means Moscow is ready to take a tougher stance.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted sources on April 15 as saying that Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and financial officials next week will visit Washington (USA). They are scheduled to meet bilaterally with financial officials from the G7 and other countries, and participate in a roundtable on Ukraine led by World Bank held on April 21.