Air Raid Sirens Heard Across Ukrainian Cities, Russian Warplanes & Artillery Widen Attack | Top Developments

President Joe Biden announced that the US will downgrade its trade status with Russia and also ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds

File Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Air raid sirens were reportedly heard across most Ukrainian cities early on Saturday morning urging people to seek shelters

According to local media, sirens were heard in the capital city of Kyiv, the western city of Lviv in Odessa, and Kharkiv, Cherkasy, as well as in the Sumy region in northeast of the country.

Meanwhile, intensifying the attack on Ukraine, Russian airplanes and artillery on Friday targeted airfields in the west and a major industrial hub in the east.

Offering assessment of the Russian air campaign, the American defense officials estimated that invading pilots are averaging 200 sorties a day, compared with five to 10 for Ukrainian forces.

According to news agency AP, new commercial satellite images have shown to capture artillery firing on residential areas between Russian forces and the capital.

The images from Maxar Technologies showed muzzle flashes and smoke from the big guns, as well as impact craters and burning homes in the town of Moschun, outside Kyiv, the company said.

Humanitarian Corridors

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukrainian forces had reached a "strategic turning point," though he did not elaborate. "It's impossible to say how many days we will still need to free our land, but it is possible to say that we will do it," he said on a video message from Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said authorities were working on establishing 12 humanitarian corridors and trying to ensure food, medicine, and other basics get to people across the country. Thousands of soldiers on both sides are believed to have been killed in the invasion, along with Ukrainian civilians.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said several humanitarian corridors including from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia are open on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Ukraine Alleges Abduction Of Melitopol Mayor

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Friday for kidnapping the mayor of the city of Melitopol, equating it to the actions of "ISIS terrorists."

Zelenskyy accused Russia of kidnapping the mayor of one city, Melitopol, calling the abduction a new stage of terror. The Biden administration, citing American intelligence but no evidence, warned before the invasion of Russian plans to detain and kill targeted people in Ukraine. Zelenskyy himself would be a likely top target.

So far, the Russians have made the biggest advances on cities in the east and south while struggling in the north and around Kyiv.

Bioweapon Conspiracy

On the other hand, a Russian conspiracy theory about US-funded biological research in Ukraine is catching on in the US. Even as the White House, Pentagon, independent scientists and leaders in Ukraine have disputed the claims, false allegations about US-run biological warfare labs have spread on social media and are being amplified by cable news personalities.

Widening Sanctions Against Russia

On the economic and political front, the US and its allies moved to further isolate and sanction the Kremlin. President Joe Biden announced that the US will downgrade its trade status with Russia and also ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds.

The move to revoke Russia's most favored nation status was taken in coordination with the European Union and Group of Seven countries.

Meanwhile, Russia's forces are trying to regroup and regain momentum after encountering heavier losses and stiffer resistance than anticipated over the past two weeks. Britain's Ministry of Defense said Russia is trying to re-set and re-posture its troops, gearing up for operations against Kyiv.

Russian airstrikes also targeted Dnipro, a major industrial hub in the east and Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about 1 million people. One person was killed, Ukrainian officials said.

With the invasion in its 16th day, Putin said there had been certain positive developments in Russia-Ukraine talks, but gave no details, as per AP.