Rome, May 22, 2022 – La war in Ukraine lives his day number 88. After the resa of the fighters of the Azovstal steel mill, in Mariupol, the prisoners knot now remains. The Russian negotiators deny that they have opened up to the possibility of one exchange between the soldiers of the Azov battalion and the pro-Russian oligarch Medvedchuk. Moscow’s intention is to try the fighters. The positions remain distant and a meeting point is sought, while Zelensky makes it clear that without certainty about the fate of the military-heroes there will be no peace negotiations. He would also have reiterated this to Prime Minister Draghi, in an interposed telephone call yesterday, explaining that Kiev is not yet ready to negotiate.
Meanwhile, Polish President Duda has arrived in Ukraine: he will speak in Parliament. Moscow has published a list of 963 US citizens who are banned from entering Russia: among them also President Biden, Mark Zuckerberg and actor Morgan Freeman.
Phone call Zelensky Dragons
In yesterday’s telephone conversation, on the initiative of Draghi, Zelensky thanked the Italian premier above all for his “unconditional support for the path” of his country towards the EU. The two leaders had last heard each other less than a month ago, on April 27, and on that occasion the Italian premier reiterated that Rome was on the side of Kiev against Russian aggression. Concept reaffirmed yesterday, with the support of Rome channeled along three lines: the sixth package of EU restrictions, the unblocking of Ukrainian ports, to restart grain exports, and support for Kiev for entry into the European Union.
Zelensky “thanked” his Italian colleague for his “unconditional support for Ukraine’s journey towards the EU”. Supporting the European perspective of Ukraine is one of the tracks on which Italy is moving to resolve the crisis. The other, parallel, is that of trying every diplomatic path for a peace between Moscow and Kiev, which also involves a channel of communication that is always open with the Russians. Draghi also reiterated this on his recent trip to Washington, inviting Joe Biden to call Vladimir Putin. Also in the United States, in recent days, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio presented a peace plan, handing it over to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The fights
The General Staff of the Ukrainian army fears “missile and air attacks on the territory of Ukraine from the territory of the Republic of Belarus”. The threat, he reports, would be concrete. Kiev believes that the Russians have deployed launchers of the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system in the Belgorod region. The Moscow army is also increasing the system of logistical bases and repairs. The Russians would be preparing to resume the offensive towards Slovyansk. They would carry out artillery bombardments in the areas of the settlements of Vernopil, Dibrivne and Dovhenke.
According to British intelligence, Russia has probably deployed its only counter-tank operational unit of Bmp-T Terminator vehicles on the Severodonetsk axis of the Donbass offensive. “Their presence suggests that the Center Force Group, the only formation fielding this vehicle, is involved in the attack,” the bulletin continues, “the Center Force Group had previously suffered heavy casualties in the attempt. of failed to break through in the eastern part of Kiev in the first phase of the invasion “. “Russia developed the Terminator after observing the need to provide specific protection to the main battle tanks used during the Afghan and Chechen wars”, explain the London 007.