Summary of the Events of the Day
Russia continues to reposition its troops to the Eastern Donbas region and is calling up reserves. The fighting in the Donbas is about to become even more intense. But the world can no longer sit back and wonder if Russia is committing war crimes after the carnage they left behind in the Kyiv suburbs is revealed.
Battle for Kyiv (including Chernihiv)
What do we know about the slaughter of innocent civilians in the once Russian-occupied now liberated town of Bucha? Bucha was a peaceful community of 37,000 under twenty miles west of Kyiv. It was occupied by Russian forces on February 26, the third day of the war, and was held for just over a month with the shelling finally coming to an end last Thursday and Ukrainian forces entering just a few days ago. The residents were trapped in their homes and in the basements of churches without water, heat, or electricity. Those who emerged in search of food and water for their starving families are the ones who were killed execution style. 22 of them were found lying on the street where they were shot, one mangled in his bicycle next to food provisions he had found and was bringing back to his family. One even had his hands tied behind his back. Many of the corpses were waxy showing that they had been lying there for days. Another 280 were found in mass graves, 57 alone buried behind a church in a shallow mass grave, some shot execution style. The official confirmed casualty count in the region has reached 410. President Zelensky made a trip today to witness the carnage.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy)
The missile attacks on Kharkiv continue with another seven civilians killed and 34 wounded over Sunday night. The nearby town of Derhachi was also attacked with another three killed and seven wounded. In Rubizhne a hospital was struck killing three civilians and wounding three others. In other parts of the Donbas six people were killed and one injured over the night of missile attacks.
Fighting continues to be fierce over Mariupol, the number one objective for Russia to establish a land bridge between Russia and Crimea. Ukrainian forces remain in control of the city.
The fight for the Donbas is going to get harder for Ukraine to hold as Russian forces that had surrounded Kyiv have repositioned themselves in the east, and Russian reserves are being called up and prepared to join in the attack. The fiercest fighting is over the strategic town of Izyum that controls all traffic east to west and north to south. Russian and Ukrainian forces are inside the city with the Siversky Donets River between them. Ukraine destroyed a pontoon bridge Russia tried to assemble to cross the river. Without Izyum, Russian forces must move along roads within striking distance of Ukrainian forces defending Kharkiv. The Russian 59th Tank Regiment tried to do just that but was heavily damaged by Ukrainian forces from Kharkiv.
The other hot spot is the Popasna-Severodonetsk-Rubizhne pocket which is under attack from Russian forces on all sides. The defenders held their ground all day Monday, with a major Russian assault on Rubizhne repulsed.
Battle for the Black Sea (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa)
Mykolaiv came under missile attack over Sunday night killing a civilian and injuring 14 others. Odesa was also the recipient of missile attacks. Casualties there have not been reported.
Russian warships off the coast of Odesa fired missiles destroying an oil depot that was used to supply the troops defending Mykolaiv. Ukraine did manage to shoot down two of the missiles. An AWAC air traffic control plane was shot down and several of the ships were damaged as they came in close for the attack.
Other News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the images of bodies strewn on the streets of Bucha and buried within mass graves, most of them shot execution style and some with their hands tied behind their back. 410 bodies have been discovered in the area. He has called for an independent investigation. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union have all called for an investigation of war crimes by the International Court in the Hague. Russian President Putin denies the accusation claiming that not one civilian was harmed during their occupation and that Ukraine has created a media propaganda production. As someone who is housing survivors of Bucha, one of which is the Baptist pastor of this community, my response to Putin is “you can go to hell.” Don’t misunderstand me – If he were to repent and give his life to Christ, I would be the first to welcome him into the kingdom.
President Zelensky made a surprise taped address to the Grammy Awards Ceremony calling on artists not to remain silent about the Russian atrocities in Ukraine, but to honor Ukraine in song.
The hacker group Anonymous has released the personal information on 120,000 Russian soldiers involved in the genocide of Ukraine. All these soldiers will be held accountable for war crimes when this is over.
The number of Ukrainian refugees that have fled the country has risen to 4.2 million nearly reaching 10% of the population.
Hungarian President Viktor Orban, the only friend Russia has in the EU and NATO, won his fourth term as President. Putin called to congratulate his friend.
President Zelensky continued his personal appeals to the world’s legislators with an address to the Romanian Parliament.
The United States and Britain announced plans to seek Russia’s expulsion from the UN Human Rights Council after evidence of its atrocities on the residents of Bucha have been shown to be true. Currently, Russia holds the rotating council leadership of the Council.
Peace Negotiations
Russia threatens to end peace negotiations with Ukraine if the West continues to accuse them of war crimes in the aftermath of the Bucha genocide.
International Support
Germany seizes the Russian-owned German subsidiary of Gazprom.
Lithuania expels the Russian ambassador over the slaughter of innocent people in Bucha.