# Russians bombard cities as losses force them back
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-03-30
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Russia intensifies bombardment in besieged Ukrainian city
Meta Description: Russian forces intensify bombardment in northern Ukraine despite promises to scale down operations, increasing pressure on besieged city of Chernihiv.
URL: https://financedigest.com/russians-bombard-cities-as-losses-force-them-backhtml

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By Natalia Zinets and Gleb Garanich

LVIV, Ukraine/KYIV OUTSKIRTS (Reuters) – Russian forces bombarded a besieged city in northern Ukraine on Wednesday, a day after promising to scale down operations there, and Kyiv and its Western allies dismissed a pullback near the capital as a ploy to regroup by invaders taking heavy losses.

Nearly five weeks into an invasion in which it has failed to capture any major cities, Russia said it would curtail operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv “to increase mutual trust” for peace talks.

But Chernihiv’s Mayor Vladyslav Astroshenko said Russian bombardment had only intensified over the past 24 hours, with more than 100,000 people trapped in the city with just enough [food and medical supplies](https://www.financedigest.com/russias-putin-indias-modi-to-discuss-trade-food-supplies-on-friday.html "Russia’s Putin, India’s Modi to discuss trade, food supplies on Friday") to last about another week.

“This is yet another confirmation that Russia always lies,” he told CNN in an interview. They actually have [increased the intensity of strikes,”](https://www.financedigest.com/ita-airways-averts-strike-after-wage-increase-accord-with-unions.html "ITA Airways averts strike after wage increase accord with unions") with “a colossal mortar attack in the centre of Chernihiv” on Wednesday wounding 25 civilians. Reuters could not immediately verify the situation there.

In an overnight address, [Ukraine’s President](https://www.financedigest.com/south-korea-has-not-supplied-lethal-weapons-to-ukraine-president-says.html "South Korea has not supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, president says") Volodymyr Zelenskiy made clear he took nothing Moscow said at face value.

“Ukrainians are not naive people,” he said. Ukrainians have already learned during these 34 days of invasion, and over the [past eight years](https://www.financedigest.com/big-banks-want-survive-past-next-10-years-need-adapt.html "If the big banks want to survive past the next 10 years, they need to adapt") of the war in Donbas, that the only thing they can trust is a concrete result.

Zelenskiy advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said Moscow was shifting some forces from [northern Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-promises-to-scale-down-operations-in-northern-ukraine.html "Russia promises to scale down operations in northern Ukraine") to the east, where it was trying to encircle the main Ukrainian force there. Some [Russians would stay behind near](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-rouble-nears-4-week-high-versus-dollar.html "Russian rouble nears 4-week high versus dollar") Kyiv to tie Ukrainian forces down, he said.

Russian forces also hit industrial facilities in [western Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-russian-gold-removed-from-some-western-funds-after-ukraine.html "Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine") in three strikes overnight, a regional governor said.

The past [week has seen Ukrainian](https://www.financedigest.com/ukrainian-volunteers-recount-three-weeks-in-russian-captivity-allege-beatings.html "Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings") forces make substantial gains, recapturing towns and villages on the outskirts of Kyiv, breaking the siege of the eastern city of Sumy and pushing back Russian forces in the southwest.

The Pentagon said [Russia had started moving very small numbers of troops away from positions](https://www.financedigest.com/pimco-cut-big-position-in-russia-cds-by-adding-bonds-in-q2.html "PIMCO cut big position in Russia CDS by adding bonds in Q2") around Kyiv, describing the move as more of a repositioning than a withdrawal.

We all should be prepared to [watch for a major offensive against other areas](https://www.financedigest.com/4-areas-of-finance-you-should-be-watching.html "4 Areas of Finance You Should Be Watching") of Ukraine,” spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing. “It does not mean that the threat to Kyiv is over.”

[Britain’s defence ministry said Moscow was being forced](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-says-it-is-committed-to-leading-a-nato-task-force-in-2024.html "Britain says it is committed to leading a NATO task force in 2024") to pull troops from the vicinity of Kyiv to Russia and Belarus, to resupply and reorganise after taking heavy losses. Russia was likely to compensate for its reduced ground manoeuvre capability through mass artillery and [missile strikes](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-leaders-arranging-emergency-summit-after-poland-missile-strike-kyodo.html "G7 leaders arranging emergency summit after Poland missile strike – Kyodo"), it added.

TACIT ADMISSION

[Russia says it is carrying out a “special operation”](https://www.financedigest.com/mcdonalds-to-sell-russia-restaurants-to-local-operator-rebrand.html "McDonald’s to sell Russia restaurants to local operator, rebrand") to disarm and “denazify” its neighbour. Western [countries say Moscow launched](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-launches-climate-shield-fund-some-countries-wary.html "G7 launches climate ‘Shield’ fund, some countries wary") an unprovoked invasion, which included a full-scale assault on the capital that was repelled by fierce Ukrainian defence.

Moscow has said in recent days that its main focus is now on southeastern Ukraine, a region called the Donbas, where it is trying to capture more territory to turn over to separatists it has supported since 2014.

The area includes Mariupol, a port of 400,000 people which has been lain to waste after a [month of Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-services-activity-shrinks-for-third-month-running-in-dec-pmi.html "Russian services activity shrinks for third month running in Dec -PMI") siege, and where the United Nations believes thousands of people may have died.

On Wednesday, Russian forces were [shelling nearly all cities along the front line](https://www.financedigest.com/shelling-damages-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plants-backup-power-line-iaea.html "Shelling damages Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s backup power line -IAEA") separating Ukrainian government-controlled territory from areas held by the separatists in the region, the Donetsk governor said, and heavy fighting was reported in Mariupol.

The British defence ministry, in an intelligence briefing, said the [announcement that Moscow was now focusing on the southeast was “likely a tacit admission that it is struggling to sustain more than one significant axis of advance”](https://www.financedigest.com/lumen-research-and-tvision-announce-global-partnership-for-advanced-attention-first-measurement-and-media-buying.html "Lumen Research and TVision Announce Global Partnership for Advanced Attention-First Measurement and Media Buying").

Around a quarter of Ukrainians have been driven from their homes by the [biggest attack on a European country since](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-retreats-headed-for-biggest-weekly-loss-since-mid-january-bitcoin-down.html "Dollar retreats, headed for biggest weekly loss since mid-January; bitcoin down") World War Two. The United [Nations said on Wednesday that the number who have fled the country had risen above 4 million](https://www.financedigest.com/imf-and-the-national-bank-of-belgium-sign-sdr-350-million-borrowing-agreement-to-support-lending-to-low-income-countries.html "IMF and the National Bank of Belgium Sign SDR 350 million Borrowing Agreement to Support Lending to Low-Income Countries"). More than half of those refugees are children and the rest mostly women.

‘FIND ROUBLES’

Russia and [Ukraine held their first face-to-face peace talks](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-ukraine-agree-to-launch-talks-to-upgrade-2008-trade-accord.html "U.S., Ukraine agree to launch talks to upgrade 2008 trade accord") in nearly three weeks at a palace in Istanbul on Tuesday. Ukraine presented a peace proposal under which it would accept neutral status with international guarantees to [protect it from future](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-protect-your-wealth-for-future-generations.html "5 Ways to Protect Your Wealth for Future Generations") attack. The proposal called for a ceasefire, and would postpone discussion of Russia’s territorial demands.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday it was good to have the Ukrainian proposal in writing but there was no indication yet of a breakthrough. Russia could not negotiate over Crimea, which it seized and annexed in 2014, he said.

Western sanctions have isolated Russia from [world trade to a degree never before visited on such a large economy](https://www.financedigest.com/world-bank-warns-global-economy-could-easily-tip-into-recession-in-2023.html "World Bank warns global economy could easily tip into recession in 2023"). But [Russia is still a major supplier of oil](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-unleashes-rockets-after-mariupol-ceasefire-eu-eyes-oil-sanctions.html "Russia unleashes rockets after Mariupol ceasefire, EU eyes oil sanctions") and gas to Europe, and Moscow has been trying to press that leverage.

Last week Moscow told Western [buyers of its gas that they would now have to pay](https://www.financedigest.com/asian-buyers-will-pay-more-for-your-property-true-or-false.html "Asian buyers will pay more for your property: True or False?") with roubles, a demand rejected by the G7 group of industrialised democracies.

On Wednesday, Germany, Russia’s biggest gas customer, declared an “early warning” of a possible emergency if [Russia were to cut off supplies](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-kazakh-mcdonalds-shut-outlets-temporarily-after-halting-supplies-from-russia-sources.html "Exclusive-Kazakh McDonald’s shut outlets temporarily after halting supplies from Russia – sources").

Economy [Minister Robert Habeck urged](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-will-not-urge-public-to-cut-energy-use-minister-says.html "UK will not urge public to cut energy use, minister says") consumers and companies to reduce consumption, saying “every kilowatt-hour counts. Supplies were safeguarded for the time being, but “nevertheless, we [must increase precautionary measures to be prepared for an escalation on the part](https://www.financedigest.com/engine-parts-makers-must-cross-valley-of-death-to-reach-ev-era.html "Engine parts makers must cross ‘valley of death’ to reach EV era") of Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said the shift to payment in roubles would take time and would not be imposed immediately. Russia’s gas monopoly and [central bank](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-china-central-bank-under-pressure-to-ease-is-hemmed-in-by-inflation-fed-jitters.html "Analysis-China central bank, under pressure to ease, is hemmed-in by inflation, Fed jitters") are meant to propose plans on Thursday for rouble payments.

In a [social media](https://www.financedigest.com/saudi-snitching-app-turns-citizens-into-social-media-police.html "Saudi snitching app turns citizens into social media police") post, the speaker of Russia’s parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, said: Europe should not resist rouble pricing.

“If you want gas, find roubles,” he said.

Volodin proposed extending the [demand for rouble payments to other exports](https://www.financedigest.com/turkeys-economy-grew-7-6-in-q2-driven-by-domestic-demand-exports.html "Turkey’s economy grew 7.6% in Q2 driven by domestic demand, exports"), such as oil, grains and metals. Peskov called this a good idea that would be studied.

(Reproting by Natalia Zinets and Gleb Garanich; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)


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