(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces had begun a new campaign to conquer the Donbas region in the east of his country, as the remaining defenders of Mariupol were encircled by the Kremlin’s forces but haven’t surrendered the key port city.
The U.S. is looking to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Ukraine as soon as possible in a show of support. Washington is preparing to train some Ukrainians outside the country on howitzer artillery pieces in the coming days to help them fight back at home.
President Vladimir Putin asserted the “economic Blitzkrieg” of international sanctions on Russia had failed, citing the recovery in the ruble to prewar levels. That recovery, however, came after Russia imposed tight capital controls. He also gave a special elite designation to an army unit that Ukraine and others have accused of committing war crimes in the northern town of Bucha.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- Yellen to Attend G-20 Sessions as U.S. Retreats on Boycott Idea
- Russia Has Found No Place Yet to Invest Reserves After Sanctions
- Putin Decorates Army Unit That Ukraine Blames for Bucha Deaths
- Bomb Threats Can’t Stop One of Russia’s Last Air Links to Europe
- World Bank Cuts 2022 Global Growth Outlook on Russia Invasion
All times CET:
Japan to Provide Gas Masks, Kyodo Says (2:27 a.m.)
Japan’s government plans to provide Ukraine with drones, gas masks and protective gear against chemical weapons, Kyodo News reported, citing an unidentified person. Japan previously sent bullet-proof vests, helmets and other supplies to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
Zelenskiy Says Russia Starts Donbas Assault (11:10 p.m.)
Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address Monday, said “It can now be stated that Russian troops have begun the battle for Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time.”
“In the east and south of our country, the occupiers are recently trying to attack in a little more thought-out manner than before,” Zelenskiy said. “They are putting pressure, looking for a weak spot in the defense of our state to go there with the main forces.”
Russian forces were already shelling the area heavily. Russia has been assembling large numbers of troops in eastern Ukraine for weeks even as it pulled out of areas near Kyiv. Moscow has not announced the start of a major offensive.
U.S. Says It Wants to Send Diplomats Back But Not When (8:45 p.m.)
The U.S. wants to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Ukraine as soon as possible, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Washington. But he didn’t say when that could happen, citing the safety of American diplomats as a priority.
“When the security situation allows it, and not a second later, I can assure you that we will have a re-established diplomatic presence on the ground in Ukraine,” Price said.
Spain plans to join European Union allies in reopening its embassy in Kyiv soon, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told Antena 3 television. The European Union reopened its mission in Kyiv just over a week ago after Russian troops retreated from the region, though the capital has come under fire again in recent days.
Russia Says It Destroyed Weapon Storage Near Lviv (7:56 p.m.)
The Russian military said it destroyed a facility in the Lviv region that held weapons shipped to Ukraine from the U.S. and other countries, according to Interfax. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters he couldn’t immediately confirm that such an attack occurred.
Also Monday, four missiles hit Lviv, killing seven people, the first civilians killed in the western city, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said. Eleven others were injured.
Yellen to Attend Some G-20 Events Even If Russia Takes Part (6:41 p.m.)
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen won’t automatically boycott meetings of the Group of 20’s finance ministers this week in Washington if Russian officials attend, the U.S. said Monday.
Yellen will avoid some sessions but will participate in others focused on the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month Yellen had said U.S. officials wouldn’t take part in some G-20 meetings this year in which Russia is allowed to participate.
Russia Has Added Forces, U.S. Official Says (6:32 p.m.)
Russia has sent reinforcements to eastern Ukraine for renewed offensive in the region, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters. Russia has added about 11 battalion tactical groups, bringing its total in the country to about 76, the person said.
The U.S. is preparing to train some Ukrainians outside the country on howitzer artillery pieces in the coming days, the official said. The official contended that sanctions have limited Russia’s ability to restock and resupply components for some of its military systems including precision-guided missiles.
Putin Decorates Army Unit That Ukraine Blames For Bucha (5:36 p.m.)
Citing “mass heroism and valor” but making no mention of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the decree Putin signed awarded the 64th Motorized Infantry Brigade the honorary title of Guards.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry previously identified the unit as one involved in war crimes during the occupation of Bucha, a town outside Kyiv that has drawn international attention for reports of Russian atrocities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
READ: Putin Decorates Army Unit That Ukraine Blames for Bucha Deaths
Moscow Mayor Says 200,000 Jobs At Risk (5:15 p.m.)
Sergei Sobyanin cited the impact of foreign companies shutting down operations in Russia in a post on his blog Monday, and pledged special subsidies for those affected.
Over 750 foreign companies have curtailed or suspended operations in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, according to economists at Yale University.
Putin Sees Russian Economy Stabilizing (3:45 p.m.)
Russia’s economy has withstood unprecedented sanctions pressure and the situation is stabilizing, Putin said. In a televised meeting with officials, the Russian leader highlighted the rise in the ruble and said fiscal policy must actively support the economy by maintaining liquidity.
According to Bloomberg Economics, capital controls have steadied Russia’s financial sector and propped up the ruble, but a recession triggered by the sanctions is likely to be deep and prolonged.
Sales of ‘Snake Island’ Stamps Surge (1:30 p.m.)
Ukraine’s postal service said it has sold almost half a million stamps featuring a soldier on the tiny Black Sea outpost known as Snake Island who became a symbol of resistance to Russia’s invasion on the day it began.
According to the story, guards on the island swore at the Moskva — Russia’s flagship missile cruiser that later caught fire and sank — and another ship when ordered to surrender. An audio recording of the exchange spread on social media and unleashed patriotic memes. The total number of available stamps — which went into issuance last week — is 1 million and no additional issues are planned, the postal service said on Facebook.
READ: Sunken Russian Warship Was a Symbol of Ukrainian Defiance
Putin Ally Offers Himself in Troop Swap (12:30 p.m.)
Viktor Medvedchuk, a businessman and politician seen as one of Putin’s top allies in Ukraine, has agreed to offer himself in a swap for troops and residents in Mariupol, according to the State Security Service in Kyiv.
After Medvedchuk was detained this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed swapping him for prisoners of war. He had gone missing around the start of the war after being placed under house arrest last year. Separately, a Ukrainian troop commander in Mariupol wrote to Pope Francis asking him to help rescue trapped civilians, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.
Bomb Threats Impede Serbia-Russia Flights (11:41 a.m.)
Air Serbia will maintain flights to Moscow even as frequent bomb threats wipe out potential profit from the service, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.
Almost every flight from Belgrade to Moscow has received an anonymous bomb threat since other European carriers stopped flying to the Russian capital, causing delays or requiring the plane to return to its airport of origin for security checks, Vucic told Pink TV.
Russia Targets Sites Around Ukraine (11:36 a.m.)
Four missiles hit the western city of Lviv, including a strike on a car repair shop that killed seven people and injured 11, Mayor Andriy Ivanovych Sadovyi said. Several rockets targeted the Dnipro region, with some hitting infrastructure, the regional governor said.
Shelling of Kharkiv was reported throughout the night.
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