Russia denounces G7 as 'retaliatory' attacks on Ukraine

[Washington = Yukihiro Sakaguchi, Berlin = Takero Minami] The leaders of the seven major countries (G7) held emergency online consultations on the 11th. "We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks on civilian facilities and civilians," the statement said, referring to the large-scale missile attacks carried out by Russian forces in various parts of Ukraine on the 10th and 11th. He once again warned that there would be "grave consequences" if Russia decided to use nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

The statement reaffirmed its unity by stating, "We will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is necessary." It also included reconstruction support with a view to utilizing confiscated assets from Russia. After the emergency talks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters about the possibility of Russia's use of nuclear weapons, saying, "The situation is unpredictable. We must watch it seriously." During the talks, he emphasized that "Ukraine must not become another place where atomic bombs have been hit." He also said that 90 Russian individuals and entities were subject to a new asset freeze.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended. After the talks, he took to social media to accuse Russia of targeting Ukrainian energy facilities. He wrote that he "needs a strict price cap on Russian oil and natural gas" to prevent Russia from financing the war. Putin's government, which is in a predicament due to the inferiority of the war, lost face with the explosion of the Crimean Bridge, a symbol of the control of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine. On the 10th, they indiscriminately attacked infrastructure such as power plants and non-military facilities such as houses.

According to the Institute for War Research, a U.S. think tank, missile attacks on the 10th hit more than 20 cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv (Kyiv) and western Lviv. Russian forces fired 84 missiles and Ukrainian forces intercepted 43, Zelensky said. It is believed to be the largest missile attack launched by Russia since the invasion began on February 24. Attacks continued on the 11th in several cities, including Lviv and southern Zaporozhye. According to Ukrainian media, in Zaporozhye, homes and medical facilities were destroyed by missile impacts.

Japan and the United States called on their citizens to evacuate immediately. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were about 50 Japanese residents in the country as of March 10.

U.S. President Biden said on Thursday that he had "renewed the brutality of Putin's illegal war against the Ukrainian people." On the same day, he had a telephone conversation with Mr. Zelensky and promised to continue to provide the country with necessary support for self-defense, such as advanced air defense systems. He said he would impose a price on Russia and its allies, and hold them accountable.

Completed in 2018, the Crimea Bridge connects Russia with Crimea, which Russia unilaterally declared annexation in 2014. Part of the road collapsed in the explosion on the 8th. It has restricted the passage of trucks, which could hinder the supply of Russian troops in southern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has not disclosed any involvement. Putin called the blast a "terrorist act on Russian territory" at a security conference on Wednesday and threatened "fierce retaliation" if Ukraine continued its attacks.

On the 12th, the US government will host an international conference in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where the defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries will discuss additional military aid to Ukraine.

At a press conference on the 11th, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg explained that Ukraine urgently needs air defense systems and anti-tank weapons, and how to increase supplies to Ukraine at the Defense Ministers' Council from the 12th. He said he would discuss how to train. He also said he was considering holding a NATO summit.

Putin declared the unilateral annexation of four eastern and southern Ukraine provinces on September 30, but the country's reversal offensive continues to withdraw from the occupied territories including the four provinces.

At the start of the invasion, Russia is said to have deployed about 150,000 to 200,000 troops, but a senior Pentagon official said in August that the number of casualties among Russian soldiers was 70,000 to 80,000. had clarified. In order to make up for the shortage of soldiers, the government decided to issue a partial mobilization order, causing social turmoil such as protest demonstrations and young people fleeing the country.

According to the War Research Institute, Putin was also trying to "pleasure" the domestic hardliners in the missile attack on Wednesday. Noting that he said future retaliation measures would be "commensurate with the level of threat", he said he suggested a careful step-by-step escalation of tensions.

A total of about 7,000 Russian weapons have been destroyed or handed over to Ukraine, 3.8 times more than the Ukrainian military, according to the private military information website Oryx, as of Thursday. It is also pointed out that the country is facing a shortage of weapons and ammunition, partly due to the inability to obtain parts due to Western economic sanctions.

Belarusian President Lukashenko said on Thursday that he had agreed with Putin to form a joint military force with Russia in preparation for a possible attack from NATO. It could be part of a move to make up for Russia's troop shortage.

The United Nations General Assembly held an emergency special session on Thursday to discuss Russia's declared "annexation" of four provinces in Ukraine. A resolution condemning Russia's annexation attempt as "illegal and void" will be voted on Wednesday.