Russia captures Izium, announces ceasefire Tuesday
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The meeting, though leaving Russia dissatisfied, may bear its fruits on Tuesday.
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Ukrainian soldiers at an army checkpoint near Sloviansk (Petr Shelomovskiy/Demotix/Corbis)
On Monday evening, Russia announced a ceasefire in several cities in Ukraine, which will take effect at 7:00 GMT, tomorrow, Tuesday.
This news comes especially after multiple attempts, particularly from Ukrainian "nationalists", to block humanitarian corridors, breaching ceasefire agreements.
A few hours ago, the head of the Russian delegation participating in negotiations with the Ukrainian side in Belarus, Vladimir Medinsky, said that "Russia and Ukraine were able to find points of understanding on some issues." This comes despite Moscow's dissatisfaction with the negotiations.
Read more: Russian delegation 'disappointed' by third round of negotiations
However, on his part, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, Mykhailo Podolyak, said there was some small progress in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine.
Intensive consultations continued on the main political block of the settlement along with a ceasefire and security guarantees, Podolyak added.
Medinsky, furthermore, pointed out that the core issue which has been resolved is providing safety to civilians to evacuate from the area, noting that "representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry agreed on humanitarian corridors for the exit of the civilian population."
Earlier today, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia had told the Ukrainian side that it could end the military operation at any moment if Kiev accepted the Russian conditions.
Read more: Peskov: Ukraine must recognize Crimea, DPR & LPR
"We really are finishing the demilitarization of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military activity. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot," he said.
"They should make amendments to their constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc. We have also spoken about how they should recognize that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognize that Donetsk and Lugansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment," Peskov added.
Two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the reasons behind the military operation in Ukraine, explaining that "the decision to start the military operation in Ukraine was difficult," stressing that "Ukraine must have a neutral status in order to prevent it from joining NATO."
Russia captures Izium
Today, Monday, Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that Russian forces have taken control of the city of Izium, southeast Kharkov.
Local sources say that the control of Izium blocks the supply routes for the Ukrainian forces in Donbass, opening the way to Kharkov from the southeast.
"The control of Azium allows the Ukrainian forces in Donbass to be divided into two groups and encircle them," the sources said.
Earlier today, General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters that since the beginning of the special military operation, the Russian armed forces have destroyed 2,396 military facilities in Ukraine.
Konashenkov added that among these facilities are "82 control points and communication centers of the Ukrainian armed forces, 119 S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as 76 radar stations," he mentioned.
Bioweapons
In a related context, the Russian Defense Ministry announced today that bio-laboratories in Lvov were experimenting with plague and anthrax bacteria under a military biological program.
"The list and excessive amount of biopathogens are clear evidence experiments under military-biological programs had been staged there," he stressed.
"The analysis of disposal acts indicates experiments were staged with pathogens of plague, anthrax and brucellosis at a biolaboratory in Lvov and with pathogens of diphtheria, salmonellosis and dysentery at laboratories in Kharkov and Poltava," he said
Furthermore, today, Monday, Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical, and biological defense of the Russian armed forces, reported that Russian forces found 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine, possibly used to develop biological weapons.
"The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly drawn attention to the military biological programs that are being implemented by the Pentagon in post-Soviet countries, including on the territory of Ukraine, where a network of more than 30 biological laboratories has been formed, which can be divided into research and sanitary-epidemiological ones," Kirillov said.
