The poor efficiency of Russia’s armed forces throughout its invasion of Ukraine seems to have led to a shakeup in command, the British Defense Ministry stated Sunday.
Gen. Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov, who had been charged with total command of the operation in Ukraine, was faraway from his submit final week, the ministry stated. General-Colonel Aleksandr Zhuravlev, who had commanded Russia’s Western Military District since 2018, was absent from Russia’s Navy Day in St Petersburg every week in the past and has possible been changed, the ministry stated in its assessment of the war.
Another common was relieved of command of Southern Grouping Forces, the ministry stated.
“These dismissals are compounded by at least 10 Russian Generals killed on the battlefield in Ukraine,” the evaluation stated. “The cumulative effect on consistency of command is likely contributing to Russian tactical and operational difficulties.”
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Latest developments:
►U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken started his three-nation tour of Africa on Sunday in South Africa, one in every of a number of international locations within the continent which have remained impartial concerning Russia’s warfare in Ukraine. In current weeks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron have additionally visited Africa, in search of to achieve help for his or her positions on the warfare.
►Five civilians have been killed in current Russian and separatist assaults on cities within the Donetsk area, the a part of Donbas nonetheless below Ukrainian management, regional governor Serhiy Haidai reported.
►The metropolis of Mykolaiv, an necessary shipbuilding heart near Ukraine’s largest port in Odesa, is now going through day by day Russian bombardments, native officers say.
►The Russian invasion that began Feb. 24 “is about to enter a new phase” through which the preventing would shift west and south alongside a 217-mile line that extends from close to the town of Zaporizhzhia to Russian-occupied Kherson, Britain’s Defense Ministry stated.
Senators press Biden to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism
One distinguished senator from every social gathering is pushing the Biden administration to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism over its invasion of Ukraine, they usually’re collectively taking their case to the airwaves.
Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, each with greater than a decade within the Senate, advised CNN on Sunday that if President Joe Biden does not get behind the designation, they’d work towards getting Congress to move a invoice issuing one. Typically such designations are made by the State Department.
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Six extra grain shipments roll out of Ukraine ports
Six extra ships carrying agricultural cargo held up by the warfare in Ukraine have acquired authorization to depart the nation’s Black Sea ports, carrying greater than 236,000 tons of grain.
The physique overseeing a world deal supposed to get 20 million tons of grain out of Ukraine to feed folks in Africa, the Middle East and elements of Asia stated the loaded vessels have been cleared to depart Sunday. Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations agreed final month to create a sea hall that might permit cargo ships to journey safely from Ukraine’s southern coast.
The course of has moved slowly, and the ship that left Ukraine final Monday with nice fanfare as the primary below the deal had its scheduled arrival in Lebanon delayed Sunday, Lebanese officers stated. The motive was not instantly clear.
The shipments are thought-about a hopeful first step however removed from the answer to a world meals disaster that has been exacerbated by the warfare.
Ukraine nuclear plant below Russian hearth
Ukraine’s nuclear energy plant operator, Energoatom, reported that Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant, positioned in southeast Ukraine, got here below Russian hearth late Saturday. Shelling on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station broken three radiation screens and injured one employee.
Russian forces have occupied the station for months. Rafael Grossi, director common of the International Atomic Energy Agency, not too long ago stated he was anxious the way in which the plant was being run and the preventing going down round it posed grave well being and environmental threats.
“Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated” on the plant, Grossi stated.
Ukraine’s Amnesty International chief resigns in protest
The head of Ukraine’s Amnesty International chapter has resigned after the human rights group launched a report claiming Ukrainian forces put civilians in hurt’s approach by basing themselves in populated areas. In a Facebook submit, Oksana Pokalchuk accused Amnesty International of failing to acknowledge the realities of warfare in Ukraine and ignoring the recommendation of employees members, who urged the group to revise its report.
The report, which drew the ire of high Ukrainian officers and Western students of worldwide and military legislation, alleged that Ukrainian forces violated worldwide humanitarian legal guidelines by organising bases and working weapons programs in colleges, hospitals and different populated areas.
Pokalchuk claimed that Ukraine’s Defense Ministry was not given ample time to reply to the findings, calling the report a “tool of Russian propaganda.” Russian forces have defended assaults in civilian areas by suggesting that Ukrainian fighters arrange firing positions on the focused places.
Contributing: Ella Lee, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
