Summary of the Events of the Day
No ground was lost by Ukraine yesterday as they continue to inflict heavy damage on Russian troops. Missiles again were being dropped on Kyiv in retaliation of the sinking of Russia’s flagship Moskva.
Battle for the Skies
It was a good day for Ukraine in the Battle for the Skies. Ukraine shot down one plane, one helicopter, three drones, and two missiles. Ukrainian planes have also retaken to the skies and are bombing positions of Russian soldiers.
Battle for Kyiv
Kyiv was brought back into the fray as Russian missiles struck a factory they claim was where the missiles that had struck their flagship Moskva were made in the early morning. But wait – Russia also claimed that the Moskva was not sunk by Ukraine but was the result of an accident on board. So, which is it? Then later in the day they struck another military factory in Kyiv (I heard and felt that one while delivering humanitarian aid in nearby Bucha). There was one casualty. I had planned on visiting a friend whose husband was killed while in the Kyiv region, but with Russia attacking Kyiv again, even threatening with tactical nuclear warheads, we decided not to enter the city and headed back to Uzhhorod after dropping off our humanitarian aid.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
22 Russian battalion tactical groups have arrived in Izyum, the only hole punctured into the Ukrainian line of defense. Forays have been made down to Barvinkove but have been repulsed so far. The goal is for these troops to punch through to Slavyansk and attack the Donbas Contact Line from the rear. One hundred civilians from Izyum were forcibly removed to Belgorod, Russia.
Another hole is being attempted at Slobozhanske from Russian troops that have besieged Kharkiv. Ukrainian troops are holding on here.
Russian troops continue to pound the Luhansk Contact Line overnight at the two ends of Popasna and Rubizhne, and in the center at Severodonetsk in preparation for an offensive. The heaviest attacks in the early morning were on Popasna. In the afternoon, a gas pipeline was destroyed cutting off gas to Severodonetsk which is already without water. Another gas pipeline was hit in Lysychansk, but with less serious consequences. Civilians in the two cities, as well as nearby Kreminna, also suffered attacks. A vocational school was hit in Kreminna killing one person. Three women were injured in Lysychansk, and the downtown shopping area of Severodonetsk was heavily hit. After agreeing to allow a corridor for citizens along the Contact Line to evacuate, Russian forces fired on those civilians who had gathered at the agreed upon point for departure.
On the Donetsk Contact Line Toretsk received some shelling as Russian troops focus on the taking of Avdiivka. No ground was lost by Ukrainian troops.
The defenders of Mariupol continue, but their situation is critical. Russia has announced that they will close Mariupol and removed all men still in the city to an internment camp being set up in Novoazovsk.
Battle for Kharkiv
Kharkiv continues to be shelled by Russian forces. Eight fires were being battled in the early morning hours as residential buildings came under attack in the night. Nine civilians were killed and more than 50 injured in the bombings. Then in the evening more attacks were made on Kharkiv against civilians resulting in one death and two injuries.
Battle for Kherson (Kherson, Mykolaiv)
Russian forces are resupplying their troops in Kreschenivka, Lyubymivka and Petrivka for an attempt to take back territory of Kherson that Ukraine has liberated. Russian missiles struck the airport in Oleksandriya in the Kirovohrad region to prevent its use to defend against this planned offensive.
A Russian missile struck the main post office in Mykolaiv. No one was killed in the attack. Several residential buildings were also struck resulting in five deaths and 15 injuries.
Battle for the Black Sea (Odesa)
39 Russian warships have come together at the Sevastopol port.
Other Regions
A poultry farm was struck by a missile in the Poltava region resulting in the death of one guard.
Economic structure were hit by missiles in the Dnipropetrovsk region. No details yet.
Four missiles fired from Belarusian territory heading towards Lviv were shot down by Ukrainian anti-missile defenses.
International Support
Germany was shamed into pledging $1.1 billion in military equipment to Ukraine.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has called on Russia to provide them unimpeded access to deliver food to starving Ukrainian civilians, especially to the city of Mariupol. So far, the WFP has brought food to 1.4 million Ukrainians.
France has reopened its embassy in Kyiv and French Ambassador Etienne de Poncins returned to Kyiv immediately from the temporary embassy that had been set up in Lviv.
British Special Air Force troops have returned to Kyiv to continue training Ukrainian troops. In response, Russia has declared UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several high UK officials as persona non grata in Russia.
Members of the Georgian Parliament arrived in Kyiv to show their support for Ukraine despite their governments pro-Russian stance.
Other News
Russia threatened the United States with “unpredictable consequences” if they continued to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. They also threatened Sweden and Finland if they went through with their plans to join NATO.
Five million Ukrainians have fled the country since the Russian escalation of the war on February 24. But nearly one million have returned.
Ukraine government officials reported that Russia has 700 Ukrainian POWs, which is about the same number of Russian soldiers that Ukraine is holding. But Ukraine is concerned about the 1000 civilians that Russia has captured and has called for their immediate release under the Geneva Conventions.
President Zelensky said that 2500 – 3000 Ukrainian servicemen have died fighting Russian invaders since February 24. Another 10,000 have been wounded and it is not sure how many of them will not survive. President Zelensky claimed that in comparison, Russia has lost around 20,000 soldiers.