Aggressors hide behind "forcibly mobilised" people from Donbas – Zelenskyy

Denys Karlovskyi –  Thursday, 2 June 2022, 23:48

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed out that the Russian invaders have been forcing residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to fight on Russia's side against Ukraine while they hide behind them.

Source: Presidential video address

Quote: "The situation in Donbas has not changed significantly over the past 24 hours. We have achieved some success in the battles in Sievierodonetsk. However, it's too early to tell. The situation there is the hardest now, just like in the towns and communities nearby – Lysychansk, Bakhmut and others. Many cities are facing a powerful Russian attack.

The Russian army uses all its armed capabilities and does not consider people at all. It is especially cynical that in the first line of an offensive, the aggressors very often put people who were recruited into their army in the previously occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian soldiers often just hide behind these so-called ‘mobilised people’.

The longer the war lasts, the more vile, shameful and cynical things Russia will have inscribed in its history forever.

The absolutely senseless shelling of our border northern oblasts, in particular Chernihiv Oblast, from Russian territory continues. Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast have been shelled. The entire temporarily occupied territory of our state is now a total disaster zone, for which Russia is fully responsible."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that the Ukrainian authorities have been actively working with their partners to develop new sanctions packages against Russia for all the crimes it is committing against Ukraine and the civilian population.

In particular, European Union leaders have almost completed the approval of the sixth package of sanctions, which include a partial embargo on Russian oil and petroleum products. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Western countries are already preparing to switch to oil from other countries, which is cleaner and easier to produce.

The Ukrainian President signed another decree on the evening of 2 June awarding honours to 223 Ukrainian defenders, 72 of which are posthumous.

Background:

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European politicians that the amount of time spent on agreeing on the sixth package of EU sanctions is unacceptable.

The Ukrainian President said that about 100 Ukrainian soldiers die every day in Donbas, and another 500 are injured.