Ukrainian officials sound alarm on Mariupol horrors elsewhere in Donbas

Ukrainian officials sound alarm on Mariupol horrors elsewhere in Donbas

Officials in Ukraine are appealing for additional assistance from the west as the Donbas region risks a potential repeat of horrors seen in the city of Mariupol in recent months.

Qazet.az reports that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also appealed for additional forces in his nightly address on Friday, as Moscow-backed separatists have pounded the country’s industrial region in recent days.

He said the attacks could leave communities in ashes, accusing Moscow of pursuing “an obvious policy of genocide” through mass deportations and killings of civilians.

He took a harsh tone when discussing the response from the European Union, which is locked in discussions on a deal to invoke a sixth round of sanctions one currently being blocked by Hungary, one of Moscow’s closest allies in the EU.

Mariupol has been left in shambles after a sustained siege, with hundreds killed and survivors forcibly deported to Russia.

EU leaders have attempted to negotiate changes to ease the global food crisis in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said Friday little progress has been made.

“If you are asking me if there are openings for peace, the answer is no,” Italian Premier Mario Draghi said told reporters of the talks.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also stated that he has engaged with Putin on a prisoner exchange, stating the Russian president indicated efforts to arrange one would be “intensified”.