War in Ukraine, day 93: Nine people were killed in Kharkiv, including a baby. Heaviest battles are on the eastern front

On the 93rd day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the heaviest battles are on the eastern front of the country, where the invaders seem to be advancing more and more, as Ukrainian officials admit. Russian forces resumed their attack in the second largest Ukrainian city after a break.

While Zelensky accuses Vladimir Putin’s troops of genocide in the Donbas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the Kyiv leader does not want to negotiate and that the West supports the position.

Leaders of various states are in talks with China and Russia, but hopes for peace in the near future are almost zero.

Russians bombed several towns and villages in the eastern region. Nine people were killed in Kharkiv, including a 5-month-old child. Oleh Synyehubov, head of the Kharkiv region military administration said that in addition to those killed, 19 people were injured, among them a nine-year-old child.

Among those killed was “a family just walking down the street – a man holding his five-month-old baby, who died holding him. “The baby’s mother was seriously injured and is now in hospital,” said Synyehubov.

He also described the artillery used and said that targeting residential areas in Ukraine’s second largest city could only be for the purpose of “terrorizing” locals.

“The enemy shelled with MLRS SMERCH and URAGAN and with artillery, the modification of which is now being created by our military experts. According to available data, the shelling was carried out from the north of the region, where our troops are holding their positions and slowly pushing the enemy towards the borders. “This was a residential area only, so the purpose of this shelling could only be to terrorize the locals,” he added.

Blasts were heard all night until Friday morning in the Dnipropetrovsk region, says Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, quoted by Ukrinform. According to him, rescuers are dismantling the remains and looking for survivors

60% of houses in Severodonetsk are destroyed

At least 1,500 dead are in the city, says the city leader UPDATE 10:50 “60% of Severodonetsk’s residential buildings have been destroyed, 85-90% of the city’s buildings are damaged and will need major reconstruction,” said Oleksandr Struk, the city’s leader. According to him, there are at least 1,500 dead in the city, Nexta reports.

"60% of #Severodonetsk's housing stock has been destroyed, 85-90% of the city's buildings are damaged and will need major reconstruction," says Oleksandr Struk, head of the city.

According to him, there are at least 1,500 dead in the city. pic.twitter.com/FNQimvuu4q

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 27, 2022

British Defense Ministry: Russians try to surround Severodonetsk and Lysiceansk

The British Defense Ministry reports in its analysis of Friday morning’s war that Russian ground forces are continuing their attempt to surround the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysiceansk, recently conquering several villages northwest of Popasna. London says Russia is pushing for the capture of Severodonetsk, although Ukraine retains control of several of the city’s defense sectors. The British also say that the Ukrainian army refuses to cede full control of the Donbas to Russia.

The British government also points out that the group of southern Russian forces (SGF) is likely to remain in charge of occupying the southern territory of Ukraine. In recent days, Russia has moved 50-year-old T-62 tanks to the SGF’s area of ​​responsibility. The T-62s will almost certainly be particularly vulnerable to the anti-tank weapons of the Ukrainians, and their presence on the battlefield highlights the lack of Russia to have modern military equipment, ready for battle, notes the British Ministry of Defense.

Zelensky to the West: “Stop playing with Russia”, end the war 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the West to stop playing with Russia and impose tougher sanctions to end Ukraine’s “senseless war” and said his country would remain independent, the only question being be the price his people will pay in their struggle for freedom.

Zelensky’s criticism of the West has intensified in recent days as the European Union moves slowly toward a possible Russian oil embargo, as thousands of Russian troops conduct a siege and siege of the last two major cities. from the Lugansk region which they did not occupy.

“Ukraine will remain an independent state and will not be defeated. The only question is what will be the price that our people will have to pay for their freedom and what will be the price that Russia will pay for this senseless war against us,” Zelenski said in a speech on Thursday night.

“The ongoing catastrophic events could still be stopped if the world treated the situation in Ukraine as if it were going through the same situation, if the great powers did not play with Russia and really try to stop the war,” Zelensky added.

The Ukrainian president complained about disagreements within the EU over the forthcoming sanctions against Russia and asked why some states were allowed to block the plan to impose measures. “How many more weeks does the European Union need to agree on the sixth [sanctions] package?” asked the Ukrainian president. “Pressure on Russia is practically a life-saving issue. Every day of procrastination, weakness, various disputes and proposals to ‘reconcile’ the aggressor to the detriment of the victims only means that more Ukrainians are being killed. “