Summary of the Events of the Day
Russia has been primarily targeting rail lines in Ukraine to slow down the deployment of weapons being brought to the front line from Western nations. Five railway stations were hit in Central and Western Ukraine delaying 30 passenger trains.
Battle for the Skies
Ukraine defenses were able to shoot down two missiles and an SU-34 fighter jet over Kharkiv.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
Russia made some small progress on their attacks along the Donbas Contact Line. They expanded the territory they control in Rubizhne which they had entered several days ago and is currently being contested by both sides with street fighting. Then they were able to get a foothold in Zarechne on Sunday, claiming to have captured it on Monday. Russia also claimed to have taken Novotoshkivske on Monday, but Ukraine claims they still have troops in the village. Russian troops have also entered Popasna, the worst hit city on the Contact Line. Russia is reportedly running low on ammunition and is not able to press their progress.
Novotoshkivske was completely destroyed by Russian forces who entered a basically abandoned city.
But other Russian attacks on Yatskivka, Lyman, Vremivka, Novomykhailivka, Avdiivka, and Marinka were all repulsed with heavy losses to Russian forces. Russia reportedly lost 21 tanks, 32 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 armored cars, 22 trucks, 8 artillery systems and 4 fuel tankers in 19 separate attacks along the Contact Line.
The oil refinery in Lysychansk was hit for the third time. Seven homes were destroyed in the shelling of Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, and Horske.
Battle for Southern Ukraine (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, and Odesa)
Up until this point, Russian forces have been attacking Vasylivka, the westernmost point of the Zaporizhian Defense Line. But now they have shifted to Hulyaipole on the easternmost side.
Ukrainian forces liberated another five settlements on their drive to retake Kherson.
Two missiles were fired on Odesa. One missed and the other was shot down by Ukrainian defenses.
Other Regions
Missiles landed in the Vinnitsa region destroying two train stations and killing five civilians.
More missiles fell on Kremenchug in the Poltava region hitting a thermal power plant and an oil refinery. One person was killed and another seven injured.
Missiles were fired on residential neighborhoods in the Dnepropetrovsk region along the border with Kherson region. There were no casualties.
Other News
Russia is forcing Ukrainian prisoners-of-war to donate blood to wounded Russian forces.
Two oil depots near the Russian city of Bryansk near Ukraine’s border were on fire. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have commented on what caused the fire.
U.S. President Joe Biden rejected calls to include Putin’s wife on the list of sanction afraid of angering Putin further.
International Support
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv today in support of Ukraine. They are the first US senior officials to visit Ukraine since the escalation began on February 24. The U.S. pledged another $700 million in military assistance. They also announced that the US embassy in Kyiv would reopen soon.
The UK encouraged France and Germany to do more in support of Ukraine.