Evacuations stall and Russia's southern aims emerge

What did the war look like on 22 April 2022? It was a day of blocked escape routes, a widened Russian stated objective and a treason charge against a local mayor.

In Luhansk region, Russian shelling disrupted an attempt to evacuate civilians from Rubizhne, where heavy fighting was under way, according to regional governor Serhiy Haidai. A bus was unable to reach the city. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said there were no open evacuation corridors through Russian-controlled territory because of danger on the routes. Ukraine also said it would not allow residents to leave Mariupol that day, citing concerns that the route was too dangerous.

The European Council president, Charles Michel, and the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They strongly urged an immediate and safe humanitarian exit from Mariupol and other besieged cities.

Southern aims stated

Russian Major General Rustam Minnekayev said the goal of the military operation was now to seize territory in southern Ukraine, creating a land corridor from Crimea to Ukraine's border with Transnistria. Transnistria is a pro-Russian breakaway territory internationally recognised as part of Moldova.

The day before, on 21 April, Putin had told his troops not to storm the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol, calling the plan impractical and ordering a blockade of the area instead. On 20 April, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak had said Kyiv was ready to hold a special round of talks in Mariupol to save Ukrainian fighters, civilians and children.

Treason charge

Also on 22 April, Ukrainian authorities charged the mayor of Balakliia, in Kharkiv region, with treason for accepting aid from Russian occupation forces. He was believed to have fled to Russia with his family.