The war in Ukraine continues as the United Nations look to meet with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia and resolve the conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He is hoping that diplomatic talks could deescalate the ongoing war.
As fighting continues in the eastern region of Ukraine, Russia has its eyes on the southern cities of Ukraine. According to Russian state news outlets, Russia’s goal in the second phase of its invasion is to impose “complete control” over southern Ukraine and the eastern Donbas region. It also wants to build a land connection between Russia and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Heavy fighting is reported in the eastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, with “intensified” shelling in the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian officials. Russian forces are preparing for a new onslaught by sending troops to reinforce captured sites, according to Ukrainian military sources. Meanwhile, new drone footage taken on Friday shows a number of homes demolished in Moschun, a small village north of Kyiv that played a key role in deterring Russia’s march on the capital.
According to Russian state media TASS, Russia’s Defense Ministry recognized deaths from the sinking of its battleship the Moskva for the first time on Friday, stating at least one person was killed and another 27 are missing. The guided-missile cruiser Moskva sank on April 14, albeit the cause is still unknown.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated on Friday that normal life is returning to places that have been liberated from Russian rule. Many towns have been de-mined, and humanitarian supplies, as well as medical and educational services, are now available, he said.