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A30 world news
Diamars 19 aPriL 2022

Russia hits Lviv, prepares for assault in eastern Ukraine

fighting in other parts of the largest city, was hit by shell- is waging a “softening-up”
country was also badly dam- ing that killed at least three campaign ahead of the Don-
aged, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi people, according to Associ- bas offensive.
said. The city has seen its ated Press journalists on the
population swell with elderly scene. One of the dead was a “We are doing everything to
people, mothers and children woman who appeared to be ensure the defense” of east-
trying to escape the war. going out to collect water in ern Ukraine, Zelenskyy said
the rain. She was found with in his nightly address to the
“The nightmare of war has a water canister and an um- nation on Sunday.
caught up with us even in brella by her side.
Lviv,” said Lyudmila Tur- A senior U.S. defense official,
chak, who fled with two chil- Military analysts say Rus- speaking on condition of an-
dren from the eastern city of sia is increasing its strikes on onymity to discuss the Penta-
Kharkiv. “There is no longer weapons factories, railroads gon’s assessments of the war,
anywhere in Ukraine where and other infrastructure said there are now 76 Russian
we can feel safe.” ahead of an expected assault combat units, known as bat-
on the Donbas, Ukraine’s talion tactical groups, in east-
(AP) — Russia bombard- thousand Ukrainian troops, Lviv, the biggest city and a mostly Russian-speaking in- ern and southern Ukraine,
ed the western city of by Russia’s estimate, re- major transportation hub in dustrial heartland in the east. up from 65 last week.
Lviv and numerous other mained holed up at a mam- western Ukraine, is about 80 The Kremlin has declared
targets across Ukraine on moth steel mill in Mariupol, kilometers (50 miles) from the capture of the Donbas its That could translate to
Monday in what appeared the last known pocket of Poland, a NATO member. main goal since its attempt to around 50,000 to 60,000
to be an intensified bid to resistance in the devastated storm Kyiv failed. troops, based on what the
grind down the country’s southern port city. Russia has strongly com- Pentagon said at the start of
defenses while building plained about the increasing Moscow said its missiles the war was the typical unit
up its own forces for a ma- And Ukrainian President flow of Western weapons struck more than 20 military strength of 700 to 800 sol-
jor ground offensive in the Volodymyr Zelenskyy sub- to Ukraine and warned that targets in eastern and central diers, but the numbers are
east. mitted a filled-out question- such aid could have conse- Ukraine in the past day, in- difficult to pinpoint at this
naire in the first step toward quences. On Russian state cluding ammunition depots, stage in the fighting.
At least seven people were obtaining membership in the media, some anchors have command headquarters and
reported killed in the missile European Union — a desire charged that the supplies groups of troops and vehicles. The official also said that
strikes on Lviv, a city close that has been a source of ten- amount to direct Western en- four U.S. cargo flights ar-
to the Polish border that has sion with Moscow for years. gagement in the fight against It also reported that its ar- rived in Europe on Sunday
seen only sporadic attacks Russia. tillery hit an additional 315 with an initial delivery of
during almost two months The Russian attack on Lviv Ukrainian targets and that weapons and other materials
of war and has become a ha- hit three military infrastruc- A powerful explosion also warplanes conducted 108 for Ukraine as part of a $800
ven for civilians fleeing the ture facilities and an auto rocked Vasylkiv, a town south strikes on troops and military million package announced
fighting elsewhere. To the shop, according to the re- of the capital of Kyiv that is equipment. The claims could by Washington last week.
Kremlin’s increasing anger, gion’s governor, Maksym Ko- home to an air base, accord- not be independently veri- And training of Ukrainian
Lviv has also become a major zytskyy. He said the wounded ing to residents. It was not fied. personnel on U.S. 155 mm
gateway for NATO-supplied included a child. immediately clear what was howitzers is set to begin in
weapons. struck. Gen. Richard Dannatt, a for- the next several days.
A Lviv hotel sheltering mer head of the British Army,
In other developments, a few Ukrainians who had fled the Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second- told Sky News that Russia

Gaza militants fire rocket into Israel as tensions soar

(AP) — Palestinian mili- based outside the Palestin- stone-throwing and that they Jordan and Egypt, which Jordan’s King Abdullah II
tants fired a rocket into ian territories, said threats to were committed to ensur- made peace with Israel de- discussed the violence with
southern Israel for the tighten an Israeli-Egyptian ing that Jews, Christians and cades ago and coordinate Egyptian President Abdel
first time in months on blockade on Gaza imposed Muslims — whose major with it on security matters, Fattah el-Sissi, agreeing on
Monday, in a potentially after Hamas took power in holidays are converging this have condemned its actions “the need to stop all illegal
major escalation after 2007 “can’t silence us from year — could celebrate them at the mosque. Jordan — and provocative Israeli mea-
clashes at a sensitive holy what’s happening in Jerusa- safely. Palestinians view the which serves as custodian of sures” there, according to a
site in Jerusalem and a lem and the occupied West presence of police at the site the site — summoned Israel’s statement. Jordan planned to
wave of attacks and mili- Bank.” as a provocation. charge d’affaires on Monday convene a meeting of other
tary raids elsewhere. in protest. Arab states on the issue.
Palestinians and Israeli po- Prime Minister Naftali Ben-
Israel said it intercepted the lice clashed over the week- nett said Monday, ahead of
rocket, and there were no end in and around the Al- the rocket fire, that Israel has
immediate reports of casual- Aqsa Mosque compound in been the target of a “Hamas-
ties or damage. Israel holds Jerusalem, which has long led incitement campaign.”
Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers been an epicenter of Israeli-
responsible for all such pro- Palestinian violence. It is the The latest tensions come
jectiles and usually launches third holiest site in Islam and during the confluence of the
airstrikes in their wake. It was the holiest for Jews, who re- Muslim holy month of Ra-
the first such rocket fire since fer to it as the Temple Mount madan and the week-long
New Year’s Eve. because the mosque stands Jewish holiday of Passover.
on a hilltop where the Jew- Christians are also celebrat-
Hours earlier, the leader of ish temples were located in ing their holy week lead-
the Islamic Jihad militant antiquity. ing up to Easter, and tens of
group, which boasts an arse- thousands of visitors have
nal of rockets, had issued a Protests and clashes there last flocked to Jerusalem’s Old
brief, cryptic warning, con- year eventually led to an 11- City — home to major holy
demning Israeli “violations” day Gaza war. sites for all three faiths — for
in Jerusalem. the first time since the start of
Police said they were re- the coronavirus pandemic.
Ziad al-Nakhala, who is sponding to Palestinian