UK claims Moscow trying to encircle Ukrainian forces from Kharkiv and Mariupol

As the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine entered the third week, the UK Defence Ministry on Sunday claimed that Russian troops are attempting to encircle Ukrainian soldiers in the east of the country as they move from Kharkiv in the north to Mariupol in the south. Earlier in the day, the Ministry shared a Tweet, stating that the Russian forces moving from Crimea are aiming to avoid Mykolaiv as they head west toward Odesa. However, the Ministry also noted that Russia is paying a high price for each move, as the Ukrainian armed forces continue to resist the Russian troops throughout the war-torn country.

It is to be noted that Kharkiv and Mariupol are two of the prime targets of Russian forces as the two cities have been continuously attacked ever since the onset of the Russian invasion on February 24. Oleh Synehubov, who is the head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, in a Telegram post, stated that around 50 artillery and mortar attacks on residential areas in Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, Izium, and Rohan were fired by the invading Russian forces last day.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities stated that Russian troops destroyed a mosque in Mariupol, which was reported to have sheltered 80 civilians. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed that the mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders, which sheltered over 80 adults and children, including Turkish nationals.

Vladimir Putin welcomes 16,000 volunteers, mostly from the middle east

Earlier, it was claimed by the UK Defence Ministry that as the number of casualties surged, Russia is compelled to rely on alternate sources to bolster its already overstretched regular forces. It also stated that Russia was planning to help the invasion by deploying seasoned mercenaries from Russian Private Military Companies. Earlier yesterday, the Ministry stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed 16,000 volunteers, most of them from the middle east, to support the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine war

President Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale attack on the country on February 24. Artillery, MLRS, and ballistic missiles are used by Russian troops to shell and destroy infrastructure in Ukrainian cities and towns. Soon after the onset of the invasion, Ukraine declared martial law in the country and has called for a nationwide mobilisation.

Image: AP