Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news
Early in the morning of February 24, 2022, Russia launched missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine and launched a direct full-scale invasion. Ukraine repulses the enemy. As of April 28, 2022, more than 22800 russian servicemen, thousands of units of military equipment (187 planes, 155 helicopters, 970 tanks, 2389 armored vehicles, 1688 machines, 582 artillery / rocket artillery systems, 8 ships and more) have been eliminated.
Kharkiv. During the night, the city experienced several powerful air raids. The enemy continues to deliberately destroy the city's infrastructure and wipe out residential neighborhoods. As a result of numerous ground attacks and air strikes, more than 280 residential buildings, 26 schools and 23 kindergartens were destroyed. There are casualties among civilians, the National Police reported.
"We didn't know why we were coming here, but it turned here is a war. We didn't know why we were here." Another Russian conscript was taken prisoner - Nikolai Polshchikov, born in 2001.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny showed the jewelry work of the Ukrainian artillery on enemy tanks near the village of Borodyanka.
Mariupol. Images from the last few days. Read the translation of dialogues in the video below:
What people from besieged Mariupol say:
The woman: I don’t want to live in Russia, but in Ukraine. I don't want to have Russia here. Absolutely. At all.
The text: Mariupol, Ukraine. The city is under fire from russain troops. This are images taken on 6th an 7th of March.
Man behind the camera: they are firing at us from mortar
Women helping a grandmother:
-Tanya, she can’t go down to the basement
-So, what should I do now?
Woman crying: We have no electricity supply, no food, no medicines, we have nothing
Police officer:
-They are shelling the suburbs, everything is mined here. As of now, there was no success in our efforts to negotiate some safety for civilians. I am worried about this too, believe me, I have a family at home. But unfortunately, the safest option for now is to stay in the city, to shelter in basements and so on.
- Is there safe in the basement?
- It’s the safest option from all available for now.
Angry woman:
- Are you going to play with a ball now? Why do you steal it?
- Put it back
- Take your ball!
- Why did you even came here?
- Where are you going? Do you actually think we have some sort of giveaway point???
Military man:
Friends, just stand together, don't create the panic! Do not rob. You will live here anyway, it is your home! Why are you breaking windows, stealing from the stores?
Military man:
-First of all, women, children and seniors. Men, can you go and find water?
-Can we have water, can we have it?
- Yes, you can.
- Thank you, thank you so much.
A young man (to the guinea pig): Where are you running? I am saving you from hunger and cold.
Man: So should I take a sweater or not?
Woman (to the child) : Vanya, sit down please! Be quiet!
Man: We will get out, Lida.
Man:
-Don't cry.
- Why are you telling me not to cry! I want to go home, I want to go to work. I feel sorry for the city, for the people, for the children.
«Ну що «не плач»? Додому хочеться, на роботу хочеться... місто шкода, людей шкода, дітей шкода!»
— Радіо Свобода (@radiosvoboda) March 9, 2022
Шо розповідають люди з блокадного Маріуполя pic.twitter.com/mecajkZDNy
Sumy region. Okhtyrka after night shellings by the invaders looks like this:
The Armed Forces of Ukraine General Staff reports that the enemy has reduced the pace of the offensive, and its manpower are demoralized. The number of desertions and looting has significantly increased.
Adviser to the head of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko reported that according to a preliminary count, the number of people killed as a result of constant shelling by the invaders in the city has already reached 1,207, most of whom cannot be identified. The number of people who are now under the rubble remains unknown. Liquidation of the rubble, evacuation of the injured and collection of the dead is impossible due to the continuous direct military attack by the Russian army. It is impossible to establish the real number of the wounded for this reason. All hospitals are full. 2,500 beds were already occupied on the second day of shelling.
During each day of shelling and siege, Mariupol loses at least 150 residents. The first mass grave for 32 people. Photo 18+
One of the volunteers who came to fight for Ukraine is the son of a British MP, 30-year-old Ben Grant. He is a former Royal Marines commando with more than five years of service experience. His mother, Helen Grant, is a British Conservative MP and adviser to Boris Johnson, formerly Minister of Sports.
Cover of the British weekly Daily Mail. The photo shows the evacuation of an injured pregnant woman after the invaders shelled a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
Sumy region. The invaders keep shelling Okhtyrka.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that Ukrainian Marines destroyed four tanks and one Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Mariupol yesterday. Guardsmen of the Azov Special Operations Detachment destroyed and damaged 11 units of armored vehicles. They also destroyed an Infantry Command Vehicle.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published a list of companies that decided to stay in Russia, despite the cynical war crimes of Russians against Ukraine:
The Russian invaders continue looting. This time they were stealing chickens in the backyards of civilians. The General Staff has already repeatedly reported that Russian troops are demoralized, and that they had food supplies for several days because Putin was counting on a "blitzkrieg".
Post: Russian invaders are stealing and waging war against chicken. Nothing unusual, just the "brave second army of the world".
Bellingcat investigative journalist Christo Grozev in the interview to Alesia Batsman expressed his forecasts about the further development of Russia's war against Ukraine. According to Grozev, there will be a period when "it will be unclear whether the war is over or not". In a week or 10 days, according to him, the Russians may "freeze" the war, because that would be to their advantage amid the exhaustion of their own resources.
Four hours before the shelling of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that "Ukrainian nationalist forces equipped firing positions in the maternity hospital".
Video. Maria Zakharova, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative. "In Mariupol, Ukrainian nationalist forces kicked the patients and the staff out of the maternity hospital to set their firing positions".
Post: Iryna Herashchenko. "The shelling of the maternity hospital in Mariupol was not an accident. Four hours earlier, an animal from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a briefing called pregnant Ukrainian women nationalist forces, and maternity wards - firing positions. This is how fascist ideologues justified concentration camps and gas chambers. Russia must be denazified, demilitarized and isolated".
Russian authorities are "cruelly starving Ukrainian cities". Secretary of State Anthony Blinken compared the siege of Ukrainian cities (particularly Mariupol) by the Russian invaders to the Seige of Leningrad during World War II.
Every Russian has learned about the Siege of Leningrad during World War II. Sadly, history has repeated itself—but now it’s the Russian government cruelly starving Ukrainian cities. pic.twitter.com/wjG3IgwAzH
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 9, 2022
Canada will send an additional batch of military aid as well as humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help resist Russian aggression. This was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a telephone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Canadian Minister of National Defence Anita Anand stressed that Canada will provide "an additional $50 million in lethal & non-lethal military aid, including Canadian-made cameras used in military drones and other specialized equipment".
As @JustinTrudeau announced today, Canada will provide Ukraine with an additional $50 million in lethal & non-lethal military aid, including Canadian-made cameras used in military drones and other specialized equipment.
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) March 10, 2022
We stand with Ukrainians fighting to defend their country. pic.twitter.com/iSdYNze7z9
Important information for Ukrainian refugees in Poland! The Polish Senate voted for a law giving Ukrainian refugees access to housing, medical care, education and legal employment for the next year and a half.
Organizations and people who provide refugees with shelter and food will receive a monthly allowance of 1,200 zloty ($277), according to the law. Each refugee will receive a one-time payment of 300 zloty (about $70).
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said that sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have "no expiration date", CNN quotes.
"We're in this for the long haul, and our allies are in this for the long haul. We’re in it to win it and our allies are too.” Raimondo stressed.
Raimondo emphasized that the White House is willing to stick with the sanctions "for as long as it takes."
"This is going to be messy and probably extremely long term,” she predicted.
According to the head of the Sumy military administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi on Telegram, 3 "green corridors" are planned for March 10 in the Sumy region. The meeting places will be announced in the morning. The beginning of the ceasefire and the movement of the convoy is provisionally scheduled for 9:00.
→ Sumy-Poltava: Sumy - Holubovka - Olshana - Nedryhailiv - Korovyntsi - Romny - Andriashivka - Lokhvytsia - Lubny - Poltava
→ Trostyanets-Poltava: Trostyanets - Sumy - Holubovka - Olshana - Nedryhailiv - Korovyntsi - Romny - Andriyashivka - Lokhvytsia - Lubny - Poltava
→ Krasnopillia-Poltava: Krasnopillia- Verkhnia Syrovatka- Sumy - Holubovka - Olshana - Nedryhailiv - Korovyntsi - Romny - Andriyashivka - Lokhvytsia - Lubny - Poltava
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has decided to provide emergency financial assistance in the amount of $1.4 bln to Ukraine. This is reported by the press service of the IMF.
The money should meet Ukraine's immediate financing needs and mitigate the economic consequences of the Russian invasion, the Fund explained. Ukraine's need for financing may increase as the Russian aggression continues, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva added.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in recent days has lost data transmission from its safeguard systems not only at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, but also at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which had been seized by the Russian invaders. This was announced by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, according to a press release from the agency.
The safeguard systems remotely monitor nuclear material and activities at the nuclear power plants when IAEA inspectors are not there. Both plants have large amounts of nuclear material present in the form of spent or fresh nuclear fuel, the IAEA said.
UN Secretary General António Guterres, after the attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol, called on Russia to stop the war and to end the bloodshed.
Today's attack on a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, where maternity & children's wards are located, is horrific.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 9, 2022
Civilians are paying the highest price for a war that has nothing to do with them.
This senseless violence must stop.
End the bloodshed now.
Yesterday in London, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Ukrainian Cultural Center, where volunteers collect aid for Ukraine. First lady Olena Zelenska writes about it on Facebook.
Representatives of the royal family prayed for Ukraine, and the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II "made a private contribution to help Ukraine".
Post: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Ukrainian Cultural Center in London, where volunteers collect and sort humanitarian aid for affected Ukrainians. The whole of Britain - from ordinary citizens to the royal family - supports Ukraine. In another moving footage, the Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, pray for our country at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London. They brought sunflowers. Special thanks to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain who made a private contribution to help Ukraine. Such support does not only heal and warm thousands of fates, it brings us closer to victory.
Photo and video: Kensington Palace
The chain of hotels Hilton and Hyatt made a smart thing as describes Bloomberg. Companies will suspend the development of their business in Russia because of the aggression of Kreml regime in Ukraine. But those hotels which already work won't be closed. However, all profit is going to be donated to Ukraine as well as 1 million room nights will be donated to Ukrainian refugees.
UNICEF is horrified by the attack of the Russian troops on a children's and maternal hospital in Mariupol where little children and women in labour were buried beneath the rubble of the destroyed buildings. It was written on the site of the organisation.
“This attack, if confirmed, underscores the horrific toll this war is exacting on Ukraine’s children and families. In less than two weeks, at least 37 children have been killed and 50 injured, while more than 1 million children have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries," was reported there.
The organisation asked Russia to stop attacking Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as to ensure that humanitarian actors can reach those who are in need.
Sony halts all PlayStation sales in Russia because of the aggressor's invasion in Ukraine, CNBC reports. The company decided to go ahead with it after two weeks of the war. In addition to suspending sales, the company will not release Gran Turismo 7 in Russia. PlayStation Store will also be unavailable there. Moreover, the company donated $2 million to the UN Refugee Agency to help Ukraine.
During the call with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that London was working on providing “military equipment” to Ukraine, the statement on the British government’s website reads. The leaders were openly indignant about Russia’s cynical attack on the children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol, as well as the breach of the ceasefire agreement by the Russian Federation forces in humanitarian corridors.
Johnson promised Zelenskyy to ratchet up sanctions to impose “maximum economic cost” on Russia. He also expressed his support to Ukrainians and emphasized that “Zelenskyy had earned the admiration and love of the British people.”
Провів чергову розмову з Прем'єр-міністром @BorisJohnson. Обговорили посилення санкційного тиску на РФ, подальшу підтримку в боротьбі з агресором, зокрема оборонну допомогу. Ціную лідерство у протидії злочину, який скоює Росія на українській землі. #StopRussia
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 9, 2022
Russian aircraft bombed Sumy, Okhtyrka, and the village of Bytytsia today at 12:40 AM, Head of Sumy Regional Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi wrote on his Telegram channel.
In Okhtyrka, the invaders shelled residential quarters again, also hitting a gas pipeline. The details are being clarified.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated Derhachi, Kharkiv Region, from the invaders and assumed complete control over the territory, Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synehubov informs.
“Russian occupiers tried to surround the city. However, our military repelled their offensive and went on to counter-attack,” he emphasized.
According to Synehubov, the invaders lost two tanks and two armoured vehicles. Ukrainian defenders were unscathed.
Yesterday, Russian citizen Vasiliy Vasilishin burned his passport in Dnipro’s Maidan Heroes Square and urged other Russians to do the same, Informator reports.
“I call on Russian citizens living in Ukraine to do the same [and burn their passports]. To those living in Russia, I say: don’t listen to Putin—he is senile. I need not be saved from anything. I have never experienced any discrimination as to my speaking Russian,” he said.
The man said he had been living in Ukraine since 1996. He holds a permanent residence permit and intends to get Ukrainian citizenship soon. Also, he has no plans to return to Russia.
In its 9 March update, General Staff informs that Ukrainian defenders valiantly fight off the enemy, holding the charge of Russian invaders from all directions. The occupiers have partially lost their combat effectiveness. They involve reserves, drawing their forces to the Ukrainian border in other strategic directions. Belarus supports them by providing fuel and lubricants as well as access to its railroad and airfield infrastructure.
The status update also highlights sabotage at military and civilian installations as a major threat. Invaders still aim to capture Kyiv.
From the Slobozhanshchyna direction, the enemy pushes toward Izyum, Petrovske, Hrushuvaha, Sumy, and Oktyrka. Also, the invaders are trying to break through from the Donetsk, Tauric, and Mykolaiv directions.
In the Black Sea and Azov Sea zones, the occupiers keep isolating the areas of hostilities, with the Russian Navy positioned near Cape Tarkhankut and Lake Donuzlav.
Following the UK, the USA warned about Russia’s potential use of chemical weaponry in Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote about it on Twitter. She believes Russia has purposely made false claims about the alleged development of American chemical weapons in Ukraine.
“Now that Russia has made these false claims, and China has seemingly endorsed this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them,” she wrote.
We took note of Russia’s false claims about alleged U.S. biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine. We’ve also seen Chinese officials echo these conspiracy theories.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) March 9, 2022
Kharkiv was restless yesterday evening as the sounds of shelling and air raid sirens were heard.
Shell explosions were reported by the residents of Saltivka, the central part of the city, and other districts. Blasts were heard outside the city limits, too. For the sake of their safety, Kharkiv residents are recommended to stay in shelters at night.
One of the shells hit Nikolskyi mall, and fire broke out. Emergency response teams cannot combat the fire because of the threat of shelling.
American actor and director Sean Penn had a call with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak about the delivery of fighter jets by NATO countries to Ukraine. He believes that the aircraft so desperately needed by Ukraine is stuck somewhere in the bureaucratic chain between the USA and Poland.
I JUST got off a call with President Zelensky’s Chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Somewhere in the bureaucratic chain between our White House & the Polish Gov., the desperately NEEDED jets are not yet delivered to Ukraine. Public outcry may find the bottleneck. pic.twitter.com/jFfRQTuT1K
— Sean Penn (@SeanPenn) March 9, 2022
Today, Russian invaders cynically shelled non-combatants trying to leave Chernihiv on foot, Ratan Akhmedov, the mayor of Koriukivka, Chernihiv Region, informs. Mostly women and children attempted evacuation. They came under fire, and some of them were killed or injured.
According to Akhmedov, a young man going to Koriukivka with his mother died. The mayor added that invaders demonstrated again how they provided humanitarian corridors for civilians.
President Zelenskyy’s address: "Everything the occupiers are doing to Mariupol is already beyond atrocity. Europeans! Ukrainians! People of Mariupol! Today we must be united in condemning this Russian war crime, which reflects all the evil that the occupiers have brought to our land."
Dmytro Kuleba and the foreign minister of the aggressor country, Sergey Lavrov, arrived in Turkey's Antalya for tomorrow's trilateral talks involving Turkey. The delegations will stay in different hotels (Anadolu).
Interior Affairs Ministry of Ukraine: On 8 March, at 9:30pm, Russian aviation hit the village of Peskivka in the Buchany district. The enemy dropped bombs on residential buildings of the peaceful settlement. A 20-year-old girl died, 2 people were wounded and 9 houses were destroyed.
Lyapis Trubetskoy frontman Siarhei Mikhalok, who hails from Belarus, addresses his compatriot service members. Caution, explicit language.
Full post by Anton Herashchenko, advisor to Minister of Internal affairs:
Siarhei Mikhalok of Lyapis Trubetskoy fame, an ethnic Belarusian, has recorded an emotional address to his fellow Belarusians and Russians.
It is a must-hear for everyone!
UK fears that Russia may prepare a pretext to use chemical weaponry in Ukraine after the Kremlin officials made unfounded claims that the USA allegedly “supports biological weapon development in the country”.
In about a week, the Diia app will get the functionality to document the information about the property damaged and destroyed by war.
Ukrzaliznytsya has published the departure timetable of evacuation trains from Kiev, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhya, Vinnitsa, Kramatorsk, Kryvyy Rih and Odessa on 10 March.
Radio Svoboda journalists have found friends and families of several more service members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation captured in Ukraine.
Captain Azangruev. Came to Ukraine allegedly on a mission to "pick up and take away conscripts". He was taken hostage.
The Ministry of Culture has announced the collection of information on the damage and destruction of cultural heritage objects committed by the Russian occupation troops on Ukrainian territory.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: "Today, the portable anti tanks guided missile (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_missile) (ATGM) units attached to one of the brigades of the Ground Forces from the Kyiv Territorial Defence Forces brigade and one of the special purpose brigades destroyed six tanks and one nfantry fighting vehicle of the occupants in a battle for the capital. The units were armed with Stugna and Korsar exported ATGMs, which were transferred from the Luch Design Bureau to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Arestovych reacted to the enemy’s airstrike on the Mariupol maternity hospital.: “Now that you have struck at Mariupol maternity hospital, a whole new kind of war begins, you scum.”
In the Russian Federation, "about eight generals were removed from their positions because they did not fulfill their assignment, and new ones were appointed," said Oleksii Danilov, National Security and Defense Council Secretary in an all-Ukrainian marathon broadcast on the Rada channel.
Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko:
“This war crime will be punished, and the perpetrators will burn in hell. I have no doubts about it. However, I ask the international community to help and close the sky over Ukraine.” “I am convinced that the time will come, and all these invaders will be put on trial in The Hague.
This war crime will be punished, and the perpetrators will burn in hell. I have no doubts about it. However, I ask the international community to help and close the sky over Ukraine. Our spirit is unbroken. We will stand till the end. We have motivated soldiers and officers to protect our country. However, we need support now.
Ukraine is our country, and we love it. Glory to Ukraine!” - Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko said.