As the Russia-Ukraine war enters day 64, the United States is considering listing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said to lawmakers on Wednesday. However, officials are stil deliberating whether Moscow’s actions in Ukrainr qualify it for the label on a legal basis yet. Ukrainian foreign minister had already pushed for the same in strong words five days ago:
The only aim of Russian missile strikes on Odesa is terror. Russia must be designated a state sponsor of terrorism and treated accordingly. No business, no contacts, no cultural projects. We need a wall between civilization and barbarians striking peaceful cities with missiles.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 23, 2022
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham asked Blinken: “Are you pursuing Russia being a state sponsor of terrorism?”, and Blinken replied: “We’re looking at that… There’s no doubt in my mind, senator, that the Russians are terrorizing the Ukrainian people. The question is this—and again, this is something that the lawyers are looking at—to make sure that we actually meet the statutory requirements of that designation”.
Graham then raised the role of Russia in Syria and said “I don’t know what more you have to do as a country to be a state sponsor of terrorism. They have decimated Ukraine and they are all over Syria dropping barrel bombs on people… I would encourage you to look at it and act upon it.”
UN Chief Visits Kyiv Two Days After Moscow Stop, Calls War ‘Evil And Absurd’
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Ukraine after visiting Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. He visited Borodianka, a town outside Kyiv, to survey the effects of the war, and termed it as “evil” and “absurd in the 21st century”: “I imagine my family in one of those houses that is now destroyed and black. I see my granddaughters running away in panic. The war is an absurdity in the 21st century. The war is evil. There is no way a war can be acceptable in the 21st century”
I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 27, 2022
We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support & secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones.
The sooner this war ends, the better – for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world.
Russian Attacks In Ukraine’s East And South
The following map depicts the main areas of attack by Russia, as per Ukrainian media. Most of the attaks are concentrated in the east of the country. the Azov Battalion of the Ukraine armed forces alleged that phosphorous bombs were dropped on their hideout in the Azovstal steel plants and urged evacuation for their fighters and the civilians with them.
#RussiaUkraine War: Picture Of 217 Children's Toys Lined Up In Kamianske, Dnipro, To Represent #Children Killed In Conflict.
— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) April 28, 2022
Photo: Dnieper OVA pic.twitter.com/97BnA6PSKI
Ukrainian media sources also said on Telegram that Russian X-55 air-to-ground missile hit targets in Zhaporizhzhia, killing 3 civilians including 1 child. The head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi has also called for access to the nuclear plant in the city, the largest in Europe, which is presently under Russian occupation.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that it would be “legitimate” under international law for Ukraine to strike logistics infrastructure in Russia, to which Moscow responded by saying that London is ‘provoking’ Ukraine to attack its territory. The Russian news agency TASS also reported that air defence systems have been activated in Belgorod, which borders conflict-ridden Ukraine provinces of Luhansk, Sumy, and Kharkiv.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence posted this intelligence update on the ongoing situation:
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 28 April 2022
— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) April 28, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/kGpbSP2o7L
???????? #StandWithUkraine ???????? pic.twitter.com/PKEHRgHGJ6
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