Summary of the Events of the Day
Ukraine has taken back much territory in the Kherson region liberating 15 communities. The Donbas Contact Line continues to hold with Russian forces using the hole they punched through at Izyum to attempt to attack the line from the west. Most of the Ukrainian Marines defending Mariupol were captured or killed trying to escape the city, while a few joined their brothers of the Azov National Guard to make their final stand at the steel mill in Mariupol.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, and Kharkiv)
The Ukraine 36th Marine Brigade defending the center of Mariupol split into two groups. One group numbering around 1000 troops tried to escape Mariupol to friendly troops through the Russian Forces, but it seems they were not successful as all contact with them has been lost. Russia claims they laid down their arms and surrendered. The other few hundred decided to stay and defend Mariupol and successfully broke through Russian forces to join the Azov National Guard Regiment that has bunkered down in the Azovstal steel mill on the edge of Mariupol. Our brave soldiers of Mariupol, that had once numbered 10,000, are still 1500 strong and willing to die for the defense of Mariupol.
Russian forces continue their attacks on the contact line from Vuhledar in the Donetsk region to Rubizhne in the Luhansk region. In Donetsk the heaviest hit cities were Avdiivka, Marianka, Vuhledar where several homes were destroyed with the death of one civilian and injury of three others. In Luhansk the main attacks were against Lysychansk, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, Kreminna, and Novodruzhesk. Ten apartment buildings were hit resulting in at least one death.
Battle For Kharkiv
Kharkiv continues to be battered from the air killing seven civilians. The Russian column that had reached Izyum yesterday continues its march south to attack the Ukraine Contact Line in the Donbas from the rear. They fired on civilian homes in Barvinkove killing four and injuring 17.
Battle for the Black Sea (Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa)
Ukrainian forces have advanced far into the Kherson region retaking 15 communities that have been occupied by Russian forces for a week to a month. The residents are telling horror stories of atrocities committed by Russian forces. Food and medicine have been delivered to civilians who have not eaten well during their occupation and have been denied medical attention. Water is also being restored to the region.
Other Regions
Missiles were fired against infrastructure targets in Zhytomyr and Poltava regions.
Other News
The US and UK are gathering information and evidence of the Russian use of chemical weapons used against Ukraine. They both threaten dire consequences if they find concrete evidence of its use.
The body count in Bucha has risen to over 400 dead.
International pressure is being applied to Germany to up its game in defense of Ukraine. Ukraine refused to receive German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier who was planning on making a visit to Kyiv with other European leaders. Steinmeier was known for his support of Russia over Ukraine when he was German Foreign Minister, and a “peace” plan that was attempted to be forced on Ukraine that favored Russia was even called the Steinmeier Plan. And as world leaders travel to Kyiv to show their support, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to only travel to nearby Poland which was considered a snub to Ukraine.
President Zelensky offered to exchange pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk, who was captured as a traitor to Ukraine as he attempted to escape Ukraine, for Ukrainian POWs. Medvedchuk is the godfather to Putin’s children.
Almost 20% of Ukrainians who fled Ukraine have now returned to their homes as fighting in Kyiv and Sumy has come to an end.
UNICEF Emergency Program Director Manuel Fontaine along with other human rights organizations made a special report to the UN General Assembly of war crimes committed against the children of Ukraine documenting the deaths of 142 children and the injury of 229. They also reported nine incidences of rape against twelve children. Fontaine described her testimony as “just the tip of the iceberg” of atrocities committed by Russian troops.
International Support
US President Joe Biden referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “dictator” and called Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as “genocide” stating that Putin’s goal is to erase Ukraine as a legitimate country. President Zelensky telephoned Biden to thank him for his support of Ukraine calling him a “true leader”.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, Estonia President Alar Karis, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, and Latvian President Egils Levits traveled to Kyiv via train to show their support of Ukraine. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also arrived in Poland to board the train but was not welcome to travel on to Ukraine because of his history of siding with Russia over Ukraine.