The Russian Defense Ministry announced the complete blocking of the exit of Ukrainian troops to the Sea of Azov
The Ukrainian military completely lost access to the Sea of Azov, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The ministry reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit 1235 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine. The Ministry also decided to strike at the SBU facilities in Kiev. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that all major cities of the country are blocked. The DPR claims that on March 1, the encirclement of Mariupol will be completely completed.
The exit of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Sea of Azov has been completely blocked since March 1, said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Major General Igor Konashenkov.
According to him, the advanced detachments of the People's Militia of the DPR reached the administrative border of the Donetsk region and joined with the military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which took control of the regions of Ukraine along the coast of the Sea of Azov.
Konashenkov said that the LPR troops have advanced to a depth of 61 km since the beginning of the operation, and the DPR troops have advanced 19 km over the past day.
"The settlements of Novoborovoye, Barykino, Klimovka, Bulgakov, Golubovka have been taken under control. The troops of the Donetsk People's Republic conducted successful offensive actions, taking control of the settlements of Ivanovka, Talakovka, Starodubrovka, Berestove, Belotserkovka," the representative of the Ministry of Defense said.
"Of these: 43 control points and communication centers of the Ukrainian armed forces. 395 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 59 multiple rocket launchers, 179 field artillery and mortars, 286 units of special military vehicles were destroyed," Konashenkov said.
He added that Russian troops struck with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons. As a result, two airfields and three radar air defense posts were hit.
The Ministry of Defense noted that since the beginning of the military operation, the number of information attacks on Russian state institutions has increased.
The agency stated that the attacks are organized by the 72 main center for information and psychological operations of the Armed forces of Ukraine together with the units of cyber operations of the SBU.
The Ministry decided to strike high-precision weapons at the technological facilities of the SBU and the 72nd main PSO center in Kiev and called on Ukrainian citizens living near the relay nodes to leave their homes.
Major cities are blocked
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that all major cities of the country are now blocked.
Zelensky stressed that the events taking place in Ukraine are a great tragedy.
"We are fighting for our rights, freedom and life. And now we are fighting for our survival. We are fighting to be full members of Europe. Today we show that we are such [Europeans]. The European Union will be very useful to us. Ukraine will be lonely without you. We have shown our strength, we have shown that we are like you, show that you are with us," the Ukrainian president said.
Encirclement of Mariupol
Eduard Basurin, a representative of the People's Militia of the self- proclaimed DPR, said that the encirclement of Mariupol by the republic's troops with the support of the Russian military will end on March 1.
According to him, two humanitarian corridors will be organized from the surrounded Mariupol.
"For all civilians who have expressed a desire to temporarily leave for a safe place, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with the Department of the People's Militia of the DPR, are organizing two humanitarian corridors," Basurin said. The corridors will be in operation until March 2.
"We guarantee the safety of movement on the sections of the E58 highway, in the directions both towards the Zaporozhye region and to the territory of the Russian Federation: in the western direction: Mariupol - Mangush, in the eastern direction: Mariupol - Bezymennoye," Basurin said.
The military operation in Ukraine continues for the sixth day. On February 28, negotiations were held in the Gomel region of Belarus with the participation of Russian and Ukrainian delegations. According to Vladimir Zelensky, the Ukrainian side did not get the desired result from them.
Daria Klester
