Summary of the Events of the Day
Ukrainian forces survived another day holding territory. But without heavy weapons, Ukraine will not be able to retake territory occupied by Russia.
Battle for the Skies
Ukraine shot down another bomber, drone, and missile over the skies of Ukraine. The missile was heading towards the city of Poltava.
Battle for Kyiv (including Chernihiv)
More and more war crimes are being discovered in cities around Kyiv that were occupied by Russian forces. In Gostomel, eleven bodies were found in a basement who were victims of Russian sniper target practice. Crews have begun digging through the rubble in Borodyanka where 21 of the 29 high-rise apartment buildings were damaged by Russian forces – eight of them completely reduced by rubble. Already bodies are being discovered buried beneath the rubble.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy)
President Zelensky warned Ukrainian citizens living in the East to evacuate now before the Russian onslaught begins and they are trapped. Russian forces are bombing the trains evacuating citizens from Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Russia’s two main targets are Mariupol in the south and Izyum in the north. Taking these two cities will allow Russian forces to converge on the Contact Line (in light blue on the map below). Izyum is important as it will allow Russian forces break through the lines and attack the Contact Line from the rear.
Russia has begun firing heavy artillery against Ukrainian forces all along the Contact Line, but the line held throughout the day. Battles have begun against Vuhledar and Maryinka on the southern flank, with heavy artillery and bombing attacks on Novomykhailivka. Toretsk, in the middle, is under intense artillery and mortar attack. If they can punch through the middle, they can then roll through the line on all flanks. On the northern flank, Russian forces attempted to take Novotoshkivske but were repulsed by Ukrainian forces. A hospital was destroyed in Severodonetsk as well as several homes in Lysychansk.
Kharkiv and Lozova homes are still under constant missile, artillery, and mortar attack. 500 strikes alone on Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.
The Battle for the Black Sea (Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson)
Ukrainian forces continue their advance on Russian-occupied Kherson from Kryvyi Rih in the north and Mykolaiv in the west. Ukrainian forces are now within 15 miles of Kherson with Russian forces bunkered down to defend the city. Ukraine will need heavy weapons for the final assault to retake Kherson. Meanwhile, behind the line, Russia is unable to pay their soldiers and so Russian soldiers are looting the homes of Ukrainians and selling the wares at markets in Crimea. Russian forces are even dragooning Ukrainian citizens to fight in their militias against their own countrymen.
Other News
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his addresses to the parliaments of the world with an address to Spain and Ireland.
The European Union is funding Russia’s genocide against Ukraine. Since the Russian escalation of war against Ukraine started on February 24, the EU has provided almost $1 billion in aid to Ukraine. But in that same time, the EU has paid Russia $35 billion for oil and gas. In other words, the EU provides 35 times more support to Russia than it provides to Ukraine. The European Parliament voted for a non-binding resolution calling on all EU member states to impose an immediate ban on all coal, oil, and gas imports from Russia.
German intelligence reported that they have intercepted communication from Russian forces that suggest the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian civilians in Bucha are being carried out in other occupied and besieged cities of Ukraine.
International Support
The UK announces new sanctions which includes cutting of all Russian coal and oil imports by the end of the year and prohibiting any investment into Russia.
Hungary, Russia’s only ally in the European Union and NATO, has finally urged Russia to declare an immediate ceasefire.
The UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council for invading Ukraine. Russia sent threatening notes to all delegates that voted against Russia.
Russian and Belarusian citizens have been banned from participating in the Boston Marathon.
The U.S. Senate unanimously brought back the Lend-Lease Program that was used during World War II to quickly supply allies with weapons and equipment in the fight against the Fascist and Imperialist forces of Germany, Italy, and Japan. This will allow for the quick transfer of military aid to Ukraine bypassing all the bureaucratic tape. The program stipulates that Ukraine will reimburse the U.S. later.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announces that NATO will drop the differentiation between defensive weapons and offensive weapons as it applies to the Russian war against Ukraine. Up until now, Western countries have been providing light weapons to Ukraine to defend itself, but has been holding back heavy weapons, such as tanks and planes, noting that they were offensive. But since Russia has invaded Ukraine, even heavy weapons are now considered defensive. This will allow Western countries to begin sending heavy weapons to Ukraine.
The G7 foreign ministers and the EU condemned Russia for its war crimes committed against Ukraine as revealed by the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers against the civilian populations around Kyiv that were occupied by Russian forces.
The U.S. is providing 5000 Starlink stations to Ukraine which will provide uninterrupted internet services to Ukraine despite what Russia does to its infrastructure on the ground. The US is also providing ten anti-tank missiles for every one Russian tank in Ukraine.
The FBI has gained control of thousands of routers and firewalls virtually shutting down the activity of Russian hackers.