The Russian military is continuing to bombard civilian targets across Ukraine. The latest attack on Mariupol is on an art school where 400 people were taking shelter. Mariupol is a port city besieged by the Russian army and has become a symbol of the deteriorating situation in the country. The unrelenting Russian siege on Ukraine will be etched in the memory of future generations. Mariupol officials have said that there have been two attacks on public buildings in less than a week. The first was on Wednesday. On Wednesday, a theater was also targeted.
Russian forces launch long-range attack on two military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk
The newest images from Russia are a picture of destruction and death: satellite images of a large Russian artillery battalion firing across Ukraine’s western border reveal homes being leveled and impact craters carved into buildings. In Moschun, a town near Kiev, residents clamber over crumbling walls and flapping metal strips to reach shelter.
Besides destroying civilian infrastructure, Russian airstrikes have hit three strategically important Ukrainian cities. Lutsk’s airfield was destroyed. Dnipro’s residential district was struck, along with a military airfield. The attack also targeted the strategic city of Dnipro, which sits on the Dneper River. Moreover, Ukrainian tanks were deployed near Kyiv, causing a significant reduction in the number of supplies reaching their units.
Meanwhile, the Russian Army has failed to make any significant advances in the east of Ukraine, despite the presence of a large fleet near the port city of Odessa. The ISW is now limited to attacking Mariupol, though an attack on Zaporizhzhia appears unlikely until the Russian army receives reinforcements. Further, the Russian troops are facing logistical problems and will take a long time to conquer Kyiv.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dramatically changed the face of the world. Millions of people have fled the country, and a new Iron Curtain is grinding into place. As the conflict escalates, civilian casualties and the economic war deepen. In the meantime, the Russian military continues to build their arsenal in an effort to sabotage Ukrainian civilians.
Since the Russian invasion on Ukraine on Feb. 24, nearly 2.5 million civilians have fled the country. Another 2 million people have fled to neighboring Poland. In response to the airstrikes, the city’s mayors have warned that they will not be able to handle the influx of refugees. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of disrupting the evacuation of civilians from the western city of Mariupol. The Ukrainian government reports that seven hundred and forty residents survived the attack.
While the United Nations has estimated 900 civilian deaths, the number is likely higher, as reporting is delayed. It has been suggested that the casualties are caused by explosive weapons, such as missiles and multi-launch rocket systems. The Russian military has also let fires burn in Mariupol and Lutsk.
Russian forces fire more than 30 rockets at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center
A salvo of more than thirty rockets from Russian jets hit the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv, a Ukrainian city located about 15 miles from the Polish border. The missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems. The BBC was able to verify video of the attack which shows a large crater at the site and thick smoke billowing from a nearby building. The attack has left at least 35 people dead. The attacks have drawn widespread condemnation in the West, with NATO and US officials warning against any attacks on NATO territory.
In addition to the rocket attacks on the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, several Russian aircraft have also bombed civilian infrastructure in the town of Avdiivka and hit a residential district in the town’s center. The Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses in Izium and Novopavlivs’k areas. Russian forces also shelled the community of Lyman and Vuhledar. The shelling damaged a school and a building and damaged a coke plant. The casualties in Avdiivka and Vuhledar are still unknown.
A new report by Human Rights Watch details the incident in Ukraine. It cites repeated rape, two cases of summary execution, as well as other instances of unlawful violence and threats against civilians. The United States has closed its airspace to Russian jets. Some airlines have canceled flights or turned around due to the restrictions. FedEx has halted flights to and from Russia.
While NATO and the United States have increased the number of their troops in Poland and a US air force presence in Ukraine, they have no personnel on the ground. The attack on the International Peacekeeping and Security Center came just a few miles from the border with Poland. Several civilians and military personnel were killed. At the same time, the attack triggered a humanitarian aid convoy to the besieged city of Mariupol with more than 100 tons of food, water and medicine.
On Sunday, Russia fired a missile attack on an international peacekeeping and security center in Lviv, killing 35 people and injuring at least 80 others. The strikes came after Russian threats to target foreign weapons shipments. The European Union, Ukraine, and the United States are all working to de-Nazificate their neighbor. However, the Ukrainian government is still holding the line against the Russian attack.
Russia’s defense ministry says “offensive operations” have resumed in the area
After promising a ceasefire to allow residents of Mariupol to leave, Russia has continued to shell eastern Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry has also drafted 134,500 new conscripts. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denied the decree had anything to do with the “special military operation” in Ukraine. He also said the newly-drafted would not be sent to “hot spots.”
While Russian forces continue to hold positions east and west of Kiev, the government of Ukraine has announced a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. The humanitarian corridor will open at 10 a.m. local time Friday. Thousands remain trapped, and more are expected to arrive as the cease-fire is lifted. But the situation is much more complex than that.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that Russian forces will not withdraw from Ukraine. But he says they will keep up pressure on Kyiv. But further offensive actions will only increase the suffering. While the United States and NATO have both said that no cease-fire is possible until the Ukraine and Russia reach a settlement, Draghi told Putin at a news conference that “the conditions haven’t yet improved.”
Russian military casualties in Ukraine
The number of Russian military casualties in the Ukraine war is in dispute. Reports vary widely, with Ukrainians claiming as many as 15,000 dead and US intelligence agencies stating up to 7,000. The Defense Ministry has confirmed the death of 498 Russian soldiers in the region on March 2, but has not reported any additional casualties since then. Experts say the number is likely close to the actual figure. However, the precise number will never be known, as death tolls in war zones are nearly impossible to measure.
A recent NYT report stated that 15,000 to 21,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the conflict. Ukrainian and NATO officials also claim to have suffered significant casualties. The Biden administration and the White House have blamed a low morale level of the Russian troops and their equipment. According to the NYT, the Russian military is abandoning equipment in Ukraine and not training. The newspaper also published photos of destroyed Russian military equipment.
The number of dead and wounded Russian soldiers in Ukraine is alarming. Nearly as many Russian troops are killed in one month as in a decade-long Soviet war in Afghanistan. The United States and other Western democracies had expected a higher toll in those two regions, but it seems that the scale of the casualties has surprised everyone. The deaths and injuries are clearly having a detrimental impact on the combat capabilities of Russian units.
As the fighting continues, the Ukrainian military has reclaimed control of the town of Volnovakha, in the Donetsk Oblast. The town has been ravaged by heavy fighting, and nearly all of the town’s food supplies have been destroyed. In addition, local authorities have been asking residents to close their windows and avoid the blasts. The casualties in Volnovakha could be a good sign that the Ukraine is preparing for EU membership.
