War in Ukraine: massive offensive planned by Russia, new sanctions under consideration… news of the conflict

– Mariupol prepares for “one last battle”, the latest message from the Navy Brigade

The Ukrainian army said Monday, April 11 to prepare for “a final battle” in Mariupol given the number of ammunition and men who remain on site.

The Ukrainian Navy Brigade present in the port of Mariupol published a final message on Facebook indicating

“It will be death for some of us and captivity for others. We are slowly disappearing. We don’t know what will happen, but we really ask you to remember our existence with kindness.”

– For the Russians, no halt to the offensive, but no halt to the talks either

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday April 11 that Russia would not suspend its “special military operation” in Ukraine until the next round of talks between Moscow and kyiv.

He said he saw no reason to stop talks with Ukraine.

– Zelensky speaks of tens of thousands of deaths in Mariupol

Several tens of thousands of people were probably killed in the Russian assault on Mariupol, in the south-east of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday April 11.

“Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead but even despite this, the Russians do not stop their offensive,” said the Ukrainian president in a video-transmitted speech to South Korean parliamentarians.

The city of Mariupol has been besieged and shelled since the early days of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, launched on February 24.

– The European Union is working on a possible Russian oil embargo

The European Commission is in the process of drawing up a proposal on a possible embargo on Russian oil, even if this option is not yet unanimous among the 27 countries, said this Monday April 11 the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Irish, Dutch and Lithuanian.

“They are currently working to ensure that oil is included in the next round of sanctions,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said as he arrived in Luxembourg for a council of foreign ministers from the 27 countries. , who are to discuss the Russian offensive against Ukraine in particular.

“The European Union is spending hundreds of millions of euros to import Russian oil, and this undoubtedly contributes to the financing of the war. We must dry up this financing, the sooner the better,” he said. added.

His Lithuanian and Dutch counterparts also said the EU executive was looking for ways to target Russian oil – which accounts for nearly a quarter of Europe’s crude imports – in an attempt to pressure Russia to stop bombing Ukrainian cities.

“We are examining all the others (sanctions) including targeting energy,” said Dutchman Wopke Hoekstra, echoing the words of the European Union’s High Representative for External Affairs, Josep Borrell, who considered that a European embargo was to intervene “sooner or later”.

The European Parliament adopted last Thursday by an overwhelming majority a resolution calling for an “immediate total embargo”, but this text is not binding.

– Russia destroys S-300 missile systems donated by European country

Russia has destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems supplied to Ukraine by a European country, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday (April 11th).

The ministry said that Russian Kalibr missiles, launched from the sea, destroyed this Sunday April 10 four S-300 launchers hidden in a hangar on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

According to Russia, 25 Ukrainian soldiers were affected by this attack. Russia did not specify which European country supplied the S-300 systems.

Slovakia, which donated its S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine last week, said on Sunday April 10 that it was not the latter and called the information Russian lies.

Russian forces also shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 planes near the town of Izium and destroyed two ammunition depots, including one near the southern city of Mykolaiv, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. Defense.

– Zelensky fears that Russia is preparing “large-scale operations”

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed fears by declaring that Russia was preparing “larger-scale operations”.

Worried, he confided that this week “will not be less important than this one or than the previous ones.”

– New sanctions against Russia still on the table

Additional European sanctions against Russia are still possible, said Monday, April 11 the High Representative of the European Union for External Affairs, Josep Borrell, when he was asked about the possibility that the Twenty -Seven are considering an embargo on Russian oil.

“Sanctions are still on the table,” the head of European diplomacy told journalists on his arrival in Luxembourg for a council bringing together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Twenty-Seven, who will discuss in particular the Russian offensive against the Ukraine.

“Ministers will discuss the next steps,” he added.

– For the Chechen leader, Russian forces will seize kyiv

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday (April 11) that Russian forces would carry out an offensive not only against the port of Mariupol, but also against kyiv and other cities in Ukraine.

“An offensive will be carried out, not only against Mariupol but also in other places, in other towns and villages,” said Ramzan Kadyrov in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

“Luhansk and Donetsk will be fully liberated first, then kyiv and all other cities will be taken.”

– Is Germany preparing for a possible attack?

Germany has started to stockpile, to think about fallout shelters, to install alarm sirens…

Read also: War in Ukraine: alarm sirens, crisis stocks, shelters… is Germany preparing for an attack?

– Societe Generale ceases its activities in Russia

Societe Generale announced on Monday April 11 to cease its banking and insurance activities in Russia, hit by sanctions from Western countries following its military offensive in Ukraine.

The French banking group announces in a press release “the signing of an agreement to sell its entire stake in Rosbank as well as its insurance subsidiaries in Russia to Interros Capital, the previous shareholder of Rosbank”, which will allow it to withdraw “in an effective and orderly manner from Russia, ensuring continuity for its employees and customers”.

Societe Generale specifies that the impact of the sale of its banking and insurance activities in Russia on its CET1 capital ratio should be approximately 20 basis points based on the asset value as of December 31, 2021.

With this disposal, the group should record in its results a depreciation of the net book value of the activities sold of around two billion euros and an “exceptional non-cash item with no impact on the group’s capital ratio” of around 1.1 billion euros.

Societe Generale nevertheless confirms its entire distribution policy for the 2021 financial year, i.e. the proposal for a dividend of 1.65 euros per share at the general meeting of shareholders scheduled for May 17 and the share buyback announced for an amount of approximately 915 million euros.

– Austrian Karl Nehammer, first European leader to visit Russia

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is going to Moscow on Monday 11 April. He thus becomes the first European leader to visit Russia since the beginning of the conflict.