Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20220330

A29
world news Diaranson 30 Maart 2022

After Russian forces pull back, a shattered town breathes

(AP) — The bodies of two Rus- es went, under what circumstances
sian soldiers lie abandoned in they fled or whether the town will re-
the woods. Ukrainian forces main free of them in the days ahead.
piled atop a tank flash victo- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in
ry signs. Dazed people line up his overnight address emphasized
amid charred buildings to reach that the situation remains tense in
for aid. These are the sights in a Ukraine’s northeast around Kharkiv,
Ukrainian town that has seized the nearest large city, and other areas.
back control from Russian forces,
at least for now. But the returned presence of Ukrai-
nian forces in Trostyanets is a relief
Arriving in Trostyanets shortly af- to a country that hopes some Russian
ter Ukrainian forces announced the forces, under fierce resistance, are
northeastern town near the Russian pulling back.
border had been retaken following
weeks of Russian occupation, The A senior U.S. defense official said
Associated Press on Monday saw a ci- Washington believes the Ukrainians
vilian landscape that has seen some of have retaken Trostyanets. The offi-
the worst of war. cial, who spoke on condition of ano-
nymity to discuss U.S. intelligence
The hospital was damaged, its win- assessments, said Russian forces
dows jagged with broken glass. The largely remained in defensive posi-
train station had been shot up. Res- tions near the capital, Kyiv, and were Unexploded ordnance littered the stole our pickles, potatoes, lard and
idents stepped carefully, wary of making little forward progress else- square in front of the train station. cucumbers,” said one resident who
mines. They rode their bicycles past where in the country. Trenches and berms lined the square didn’t give her name.
craters in the road and past the ru- in a sign that Russian forces tried to
ins of homes. It is not yet clear how Late last week, with its forces stalled defend their position. In a bunker She called the Russians “orcs,” or
many civilians have been killed. in parts of the country, Russia seemed under the station, with thick walls goblin-like creatures. Militias from
to scale back its war aims, saying its and door, rooms were full of army the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Russian tanks lay burned, twisted, left main goal was gaining control of the uniforms and boots. were there as well, she said. The en-
behind like the soldiers in the woods. Donbas in the east. tire town had been occupied.
One of the soldiers had a red band On the walls were patriotic mes-
around his leg. The other had an arm In Trostyanets, after weeks of occupa- sages including drawings signed by Now, for residents, there is some
flung over his head as if napping on tion and intense fighting, some resi- children in Russian reading “Thanks space to breathe. In line for aid, they
the leaves in the late afternoon light. dents appeared to have lost all sense for the peace, soldier.” Another room waved to passing Ukrainian tanks.
A Ukrainian soldier nudged him with of normal. had been used as a clinic, with un-
his toe. used drips ready and desks turned “As you can see, there were battles
“Personally, I have not seen much,” into beds, although there was no sign here over the past month. Projectiles
A red “Z” marked a Russian truck, said one resident, Vitali Butski. And of blood. were flying over, and people were
its windshield fractured, near stacked yet three missiles struck his home. saying they were frightened,” said
boxes of ammunition. Hundreds of Many buildings beyond the railway Packets of Russian food rations were Evgeni Kosin with the emergency
the boxes, including ones with artil- station are damaged, he said. seen amid the debris. But residents services. “They were left without
lery shells, had been stacked around indicated that the soldiers were still food and water. There was a horrible
the town. Curious residents peered Bundled up against the freezing hungry. humanitarian situation. Now that
into an open box of shells. wind, he and others ventured out to there are no flyovers or shelling in
see what had been left behind. “In the evenings they came to us, to the last three days, perhaps it is get-
It is not clear where the Russian forc- our houses and our basements, and ting better.”

Peru’s president survives 2nd impeachment effort in 8 months

(AP) — Pedro Castillo, stantiated. objective definition and that private secretary, whose cor-
Peru’s embattled presi- Castillo, a political neophyte Congress has used six times ruption investigation led the
dent, avoided joining the who shook the country when The votes of at least 87 of the since 2017 to try to remove prosecutor’s office to find
South American nation’s he defeated the political elite 130 lawmakers were need- presidents. $20,000 in a bathroom of the
list of impeached leaders to become president, sur- ed to remove the president. presidential palace.
as opposition lawmakers vived his second impeach- Fifty-five voted in favor, 54 While Castillo remains in of-
Monday night failed to get ment attempt. He character- against and 19 abstained. fice, the latest move against The debate in Congress last-
enough votes to remove ized the accusations against him will add to Peru’s politi- ed several hours.
him from office eight him as speculation and ar- The lawmakers seeking to cal turmoil and weaken the
months into his term. gued that none could be sub- remove Castillo had noted president, who won office Peru’s unicameral Congress
he is the subject of three pre- with just 44,000 more votes is deeply fragmented among
liminary investigations into than his opponent in a runoff 10 political parties and rarely
possible corruption, which election. He was an underdog can come to any consensus
under Peruvian law cannot when he entered the race last on passing legislation. Cas-
proceed until he is out of of- year and initially campaigned tillo’s party is the biggest fac-
fice. There is also a separate on promises to nationalize tion, but it has only 37 seats,
accusation from a would-be Peru’s crucial mining indus- and opposition members lead
collaborator who alleged he is try and rewrite the constitu- key committees.
part of a criminal group that tion.
receives money in exchange The government invited
for public works. From the start, Castillo, a ru- three officials from the Or-
ral schoolteacher in a poor ganization of American
The lawmakers accused Cas- Andean district, has been States to witness the debate.
tillo of “permanent moral in- handicapped by his Cabinet Lawmakers allowed them to
capacity,” a term incorporated choices, a number of whom watch it from a nearby build-
into Peruvian constitutional have been accused of wrong- ing.
laws that experts say lacks an doing. So has his former