Civilians Flee From Eastern Ukraine As Battle Rages For Besieged City Of Mariupol

Ukraine, allies looking into reports Russia may have used chemical weapons in Mariupol. Putin arrives in Russian Far East for Ukraine talks with Belarusian leader. Zelensky says Ukraine needs more weapons from the West. UN official cites growing reports of rape, brutality against Ukrainian civilians.

Civilians were fleeing from areas of Eastern Ukraine on Tuesday ahead of an anticipated Russian offensive, while Kyiv said it was checking reports that Russian forces had used chemical weapons in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The battle for Mariupol was reaching a decisive phase, with Ukrainian marines holed up in the Azovstal industrial district. Should the Russians seize Azovstal, they would be in full control of Mariupol, the lynchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east. The city has already been laid waste by weeks of Russian bombardments that have killed possibly thousands of civilians. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the government was checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons while besieging Mariupol. “There is a theory that these could be phosphorous munitions,” Malyar said in televised comments. President Volodymyr Zelensky had said on Monday night that Russia could resort to chemical weapons as it amassed troops in the eastern Donbas region for a new assault on Mariupol. He did not say if they had actually been used. Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a house after a Russian attack in Kharkiv on Monday. (Felipe Dana / The Associated Press)
The United States and Britain said they were trying to verify the reports. If Russia had used chemical weapons, “all options were on the table” in response, British Junior Defense Minister James Heappey said in London. Chemical weapons production, use and stockpiling is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Although condemned by human rights groups, white phosphorous is not banned under the CWC.

Russians redoubling efforts in east

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. Russian-backed separatist forces in the east denied using chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Interfax news agency reported. But should it prove to be the case, it would mark a dangerous new development in a war that has already left a trail of death and destruction since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops over the border on Feb. 24. About a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble and thousands of people have been killed or injured – many of them civilians. A relative reacts after the body of a civilian was exhumed from a shallow grave near the village of Andriivka on Monday. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP / Getty Images)
Putin calls the action a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine but it has drawn condemnation and alarm in the West, which has imposed a wide range of sanctions to squeeze the Russian economy. After their troops got bogged down in the face of Ukrainian resistance, the Russians abandoned their bid to capture the capital Kyiv for now. But they are redoubling their efforts in the east and Ukrainian forces are digging in to face a new offensive. The governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, urged residents to evacuate using five humanitarian corridors agreed to for the east. “It’s far more scary to remain and burn in your sleep from a Russian shell,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Evacuate, with every day the situation is getting worse. Take your essential items and head to the pickup point.” In all, nine humanitarian corridors had been agreed to for Tuesday, including one for private cars from Mariupol, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. WATCH | Mariupol at risk of falling to Russians:

Experts probe possible war crimes in Bucha, Mariupol at risk of falling to Russia

WARNING: This video contains graphic footage | Searching through rubble in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, investigators are beginning the difficult work of gathering evidence on possible war crimes committed by Russia. Further south, the besieged city of Mariupol is expected to fall into the hands of Russian troops within days. 2:44

Zelensky pleads for more weapons

In its morning briefing on the conflict, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that aside from trying to take control of Mariupol, Russian forces were also intent on capturing Popasna, a town more than two hours’ drive west of Luhansk, and were set to launch an offensive in the direction of Kurakhove, in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military said its troops had repulsed attacks in both the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Zelensky pleaded for more weapons from the West to help it end the siege of Mariupol and fend off an expected Russian offensive in the east. “Unfortunately we are not getting as much as we need to end this war faster … in particular, to lift the blockade of Mariupol,” he said. The departure of Russian forces from the outskirts of Kyiv has brought to light accusations of war crimes including executions and rape of civilians. Moscow dismisses the allegations as Ukrainian and Western provocations and has also accused Ukrainian forces of sexual violence. A man walks with a bicycle next to a truck that carries black bags with corpses of people killed during the war with Russia and exhumed from a mass grave for investigations in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. (Rodrigo Abd / The Associated Press)
Senior UN official Sima Bahous told the Security Council on Monday that while all allegations must be independently investigated, “the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians has raised all red flags.” “We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence,” she said. Russian deputy UN ambassador denied the allegations and accused Ukraine and allies of “a clear intention to present Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine’s government was being directed by the United States to sow false evidence of Russian violence against civilians despite what it cast as Moscow’s “unprecedented measures to save civilians.”

Putin meets with Belarusian president

Speaking on a visit to the Vostochny space launch facility in Russia Far East, Putin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies that Moscow had no other choice but to act to protect Russia and that a clash with Ukraine’s anti-Russian forces had been inevitable. He said that Moscow’s military operation would undoubtedly achieve what he said were its “noble” objectives. Putin’s visit to Vostochny marked his first known trip outside Moscow since Russia launched military action in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Putin toured space facilities together with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with workers as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, third from right, and Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin, second from right, look on during his visit to the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region on Tuesday. (Yevgeny Biyatov / Sputnik / AFP / Getty Images)
Belarus is a key staging area for Russian forces, and news agencies in Russia and Belarus reported that the two leaders were meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Western sanctions. Putin said Russia has no intention to isolate itself and said that foreign powers would not succeed in isolating it. He said that “it’s certainly impossible to isolate anyone in the world of today, especially such a huge country as Russia.” Putin noted that “we will work with those of our partners who want to co-operate.”

title: “Civilians Flee From Eastern Ukraine As Battle Rages For Besieged City Of Mariupol " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-27” author: “John Pinto”

Biden refers to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “genocide” for the first time since the start of the war. The Ukrainian mother describes the “painful” decision to write on her little one’s body as they left. Putin says Russia will achieve “noble” goals in Ukraine, denies the impact of sanctions. A pro-Russian Ukrainian politician with ties to Putin has been arrested, officials say. A UN official cites growing reports of rape and barbarism against Ukrainian civilians.

Civilians fled eastern Ukraine on Tuesday in the wake of an impending Russian attack, while Kyiv said it was checking reports that Russian forces had used chemical weapons in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The battle for Mariupol reached a decisive stage, with the Ukrainian Marines stationed in the Azovstal industrial area. If the Russians occupied Azovstal, they would have full control of Mariupol, the link between Russian-controlled areas to the west and east. The city has already been devastated by weeks of Russian bombing that has killed thousands of civilians. A woman passes in front of a damaged theater and near a pro-Russian armored vehicle in Mariupol on Sunday. (Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters)
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the government was checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons while besieging Mariupol. “There is a theory that these could be phosphorus munitions,” Malyar said in a televised comment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech early Wednesday morning that it was not possible to draw 100 percent safe conclusions about whether Russian forces had used chemical weapons in Mariupol, noting that a proper investigation could not be carried out there. Zelensky said repeated threats by some in Russia to use chemical weapons meant that the West had to act now to prevent the development of such weapons. He did not give details. Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky’s adviser, wrote on Twitter that the Ukrainian troops defending Mariupol were running out of supplies. “Our soldiers remain stranded and have problems with supplies,” Podolyak wrote, noting that Zelensky and the Ukrainian General Staff are working “to find a solution and help our children.” He did not provide details, citing business reasons. If the Kremlin hates more than 🇺🇦, it must be the word – @ Podolyak_M

The United States has not been able to confirm the reports, says Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to reports of the use of chemical weapons coming from Mariupol. “We are not in a position to confirm anything, I do not think the Ukrainians are either,” Blinken told reporters. “But let me say that we had reliable information that Russian forces could use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, to weaken the strongest symptoms, impotence … Ukrainian fighters, civilians part of the offensive campaign “in Mariupol. Blinken said the United States had shared that information with Ukraine and other partners. “We are in direct conversation with the partners to try to determine what is really going on,” he said. CLOCKS Why this resident of Kiev decided to stay in Ukraine:

A resident of Kiev says why he lives in Ukraine

Olga Serdyuk describes her daily struggles from the Russian invasion and shares why she decided to stay in the Ukrainian capital. “It’s hard to explain how much pain each of us has inside,” he says at 7:35
The production, use and storage of chemical weapons is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Although condemned by human rights groups, white phosphorus is not banned under the CWC. Earlier, the United States and Britain said they were trying to verify the reports. If Russia had used chemical weapons, “all options were on the table” in response, British Defense Secretary James Hippe said in London. CLOCKS Mariupol is in danger of falling into the hands of the Russians:

Experts investigate possible war crimes in Bucha of Mariupol that are in danger of falling in Russia

WARNING: This video contains graphic material Investigating through ruins in the Ukrainian city of Bukha, researchers begin the difficult task of gathering evidence of possible war crimes committed by Russia. Further south, the besieged city of Mariupol is expected to fall to Russian troops within days. 2:44
The governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Pavlo Kirilenko, said he had seen reports of possible use of chemical weapons in Mariupol, but could not confirm them. “We know that last night around midnight, a drone dropped a hitherto unknown explosive device and the people inside and around the metal factory in Mariupol, three people, began to feel unwell,” he told CNN. They were taken to hospital and their lives were not in danger, he said. Asked about the total number of dead in Mariupol, Kirilenko said: “At the moment we are talking about 20-22,000 dead”, adding that the number should be checked very carefully.

The Russians are redoubled their efforts in the east

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. Russian-backed separatist forces in the east have denied using chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Interfax news agency reported. But if that proves to be the case, it would mean a dangerous new development in a war that has already left its mark on death and destruction since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to the border on February 24. About a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million people have been forced to flee their homes, cities have been reduced to rubble and thousands of people have been killed or injured – many of them civilians. CLOCKS Woman from Toronto raises money for rescue mission in Ukraine:

A woman from Toronto raises money for a rescue mission at the base in Ukraine

Ivanka Sochocky shared her story of raising money to help people escape the Russian-occupied city of Kherson in southern Ukraine. He is raising funds for two friends in Kherson who say they have helped more than 3,000 people leave the city. 10:45
Putin has called the move a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “de-escalate” Ukraine, but has sparked condemnation and alarm in the West, which has imposed a wide range of sanctions to strain Russia’s economy. After their troops marched in front of the Ukrainian resistance, the Russians for the time being abandoned their attempt to occupy the capital Kyiv. But they are redoubled their efforts in the east and Ukrainian forces are digging in to face a new attack. The governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, urged residents to evacuate using five humanitarian corridors agreed for the east. “It’s a lot scarier to stay awake in your sleep than a Russian shell,” he wrote in the Telegram messaging app. “Evacuate, with each passing day the situation is getting worse. Take your basic items and head to the pick-up point.” A total of nine humanitarian corridors were agreed for Tuesday, including one for private cars from Mariupol, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. A man hugs his wife, who is about to board a train at Slovyansk Central Station in Donbas on Tuesday. Ukrainian leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Donbas have called on civilians to evacuate west in response to an impending Russian offensive to occupy the eastern part of the country. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP / Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a strike hit a cooking school near the airport in Ukraine’s second largest city on Tuesday, destroying the building and causing damage to others nearby, according to Associated Press reporters at the scene. It was not clear what hit the building in Kharkov, with witnesses describing a loud hum following an explosion. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

A pro-Russian Ukrainian politician has been arrested

Ukrainian officials say fugitive Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, who is also a former pro-Russian opposition leader and a close ally of Putin, has been arrested in a special operation by the country’s SBU secret service. Ivan Bakanov, head of Ukraine’s national security service, told the agency’s Telegram channel that Medvenchuk had been arrested. The statement came shortly after Zelensky posted on social media a photo of Medvedchuk sitting in handcuffs and wearing a camouflage uniform with a Ukrainian flag patch. Medvedchuk was the former leader of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life party. He was held under house arrest before the start of the war and disappeared shortly after the outbreak of hostilities. Putin is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s youngest daughter. Earlier, Zelensky called for more weapons from the West to help end the siege of Mariupol and repel an impending Russian attack in the east. “Unfortunately, we are not getting as much as we need to end this war faster … specifically, to lift the blockade of Mariupol,” he said. The withdrawal of Russian forces from the outskirts of Kiev has brought to light allegations of war crimes, including the execution and rape of civilians. Moscow denies the allegations as Ukrainian and Western provocations and has also accused Ukrainian forces of sexual violence. French medical examiners, who arrived in Ukraine to investigate war crimes in the midst of the Russian invasion, stand next to a mass grave in the city of Bukha, on the outskirts of Kiev, on Tuesday. (Wladyslaw Musiienko / The Associated Press)
Senior UN official Sima Bachus told the Security Council on Monday that while all allegations should be …