Morning after Russia accepted to de-escalate, Ukrainians wake up to find their food warehouse levelled, corpses booby-trapped, mines planted

Russian officials announced there would be a military de-escalation around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv on Tuesday; but Wednesday orning was as bad as all other days during the war.

A senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday there were “no areas without sirens” overnight in Ukraine.

“There was an air alarm throughout the country during the night,” said Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister. “In fact, there were no areas without sirens. In the morning they were repeated. In particular, in Donbas — Kramatorsk, Bakhmut — the city ​​of Kyiv, Kyiv region, etc. There was shelling of Chernihiv. There was shelling in Khmelnytsky region. In Kyiv, several rockets were shot down over the capital.”

According to CNN, Denysenko described the situation in the besieged cities of Chernihiv and Mariupol as “difficult.” Around the capital, there were reports of fighting near the western suburb of Irpin overnight, he said.

“So there is no need to say so far that the Russians are reducing the intensity of hostilities in Kyiv and Chernihiv directions,” he said.

“We can say that, yes, indeed, certain units and equipment are moving to the territory of Belarus. But it seems to be more like rotation and licking of wounds than a real cessation of hostilities,” he said.

In Irpin, Ukrainian forces had discovered many mines and booby traps — including booby-trapped bodies — as they cleared the area, Denysenko said. That claim could not be immediately verified.

“Therefore, a huge request to all who want to return to their homes, please wait,” Denysenko said. “It will be officially announced when you can enter the city.”