Ukraine war in the blog | Russia partly pushed back after attacks in Bakhmut

Day 431 since the beginning of the war: During the night there was a new wave of Russian attacks. A Ukrainian missile depot was also hit. All information in the blog.

3:25 p.m.: Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has contradicted the advice of Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets that Ukrainians in the occupied territories should accept Russian passports if necessary. “Who said that the Russians would be in the temporarily occupied areas for a long time?” Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram on Monday. In her opinion, it is impossible to make Russians out of Ukrainians. Deportations of Ukrainians from the Russian-controlled areas are also impossible due to the lack of “humanitarian corridors”.

The 43-year-old asked Moscow and the International Red Cross to allow a regulated exit to the Ukrainian-controlled area. In addition, the Minister’s recommendations for the people in the occupied territories remained in place. “Don’t accept Russian passports, don’t cooperate with the occupying forces, leave the country if possible, wait for the Ukrainian armed forces,” Vereshchuk said.

Previously, Lubinets had approved of accepting Russian citizenship, since survival was the main thing for Ukrainians in the areas. After its invasion more than 14 months ago, Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, controls almost a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. A new decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin has set a deadline of July 2024 for residents of the areas in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed last year to become Russian citizens.

2:49 p.m.: The Russian armed forces are receiving an unusual form of support from the company Avikomp: the Russian plastic bag manufacturer is donating one ruble (0.01 euro) each to members and families of the Russian armed forces with a “special version” of its garbage bags.

The symbols “ZOV” are printed on the garbage bags, which were used by the Russian soldiers as a sign of identification in the Ukraine war. The garbage bags cost a total of 156 rubles (1.78 euros) and are available on the Russian online portal Wildberries.

11:52 a.m.: The Ukrainian military reports that in the city of Bakhmut, which has been fought over for months, Russian troops have had to give up some positions after Ukrainian counterattacks. This was stated by ground forces commander Olexandr Syrskji on Telegram. Russian attempts to break through the Ukrainian defenses have failed. But the situation remains difficult.

Russia is constantly bringing new units to the city, including paratroopers and mercenaries from the Wagner group. “But the enemy is unable to take control of the city.” Ten Russian soldiers were taken prisoner by Ukrainian troops.

11.30 a.m.: According to the local governor, a freight train derailed in an explosion in a region bordering Russia with Ukraine. In the Bryansk region, an unidentified explosive device detonated along the Byransk-Unetcha railway line, Governor Alexander Bogomas said via Telegram. Images on social media showed several tank wagons lying on their sides and dark gray smoke rising.

According to the Russian Railways, the locomotive and seven freight cars derailed. The locomotive caught fire. According to Russian authorities, there have been several attacks by pro-Ukrainian sabotage squads in the region in the more than 14 months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

11:02 a.m.: Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has advised Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories to accept Russian passports. “Survive, that’s the main thing,” said the 41-year-old on television, as local media reported on Monday night. The government would react sympathetically to this, since naturalizations are taking place under pressure. Lubinets spoke out “categorically” against criminal prosecution of Ukrainians who had accepted Russian citizenship for “survival”.