British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called Ukraine's resistance to the Russian invasion the country's 'finest hour'. 9News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has echoed the words of World War II leader Winston Churchill, calling Ukraine's resistance to the Russian invasion the country's "finest hour".
Mr Johnson said that "Ukraine will win, Ukraine will be free", despite its military being outnumbered by Russian troops, in what he called a struggle of "right versus wrong ... good versus evil". "The enemy is trying to storm the Azovstal plant with significant forces using armoured vehicles. Our fighters are repelling all attacks," said Denys Shlega, a brigade commander with the Ukrainian National Guard who was at Azovstal.
He added that throughout the night, the plant was hit with naval artillery fire and airstrikes. Two civilian women were killed and 10 civilians were wounded, he said. The arrival of buses and ambulances was a rare glimmer of good news in the nearly 10-week conflict that has killed thousands, forced millions to flee the country, laid waste to towns and cities, and shifted the post-Cold War balance of power in Eastern Europe.
Mariupol has come to symbolise the human misery inflicted by the war. The Russians' two-month siege has trapped civilians with little access to food, water and electricity, as Moscow's forces pounded the city to rubble. The plant has particularly transfixed the outside world. Mariupol lies in the region, and its fall would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, allow Russia to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, and free up troops for fighting elsewhere in the Donbas.
Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in the east has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels fighting in the east have introduced tight restrictions on reporting.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Boris Johnson’s ‘out of touch’ comments on cost of living crisis anger Tory MPsPM’s interview on Good Morning Britain causes concern about party’s performance in upcoming local elections
Read more »
Denmark accused of racism after anti-ghetto law adapted for UkrainiansChange to controversial legislation will allow Ukraine refugees to move into housing emptied of ‘non-westerners’
Read more »
‘It symbolises resistance’: Ukrainians get tattoos to back war effortTattoo artists in Kyiv raise funds for the fight against Russia with designs capturing Ukraine’s spirit
Read more »
Elon Musk’s free speech pledge for Twitter will backfire: expertsElon Musk’s Twitter deal: Tesla CEO’s free speech pledge will backfire, say experts
Read more »
Ukrainian band collaborates with Ed Sheeran from the frontlineUkrainian band Antytila collaborate with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, to release a music video while fighting Russia's invasion.
Read more »