Summary of the Events of the Day
Both sides were at a standstill on Thursday as Russian forces have chosen to hide behind their artillery and continue to shell Ukrainian forces. Russia has also intensified their missile attacks on all regions of Ukraine to slow down the arrival of Western weapons to the Donbas.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
For the most part, Russian forces are relying on artillery fire and are too afraid to face Ukrainian soldiers in person on the battlefield. No ground was lost by Ukrainian forces, but neither was any ground gained. It has become a standstill. Ukraine is preparing for a massive counterattack on Izyum which Russia has based most of their armaments for the taking of Kramatorsk. Ukrainian forces have already taken most of the bridges over the Siversky Donetsk River preventing the Russian forces in Izyum from being resupplied.
Russian forces continued their attack on the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol with heavy artillery, tanks, planes and even ships off the coast, for the third day. They managed to take control over the ground-level buildings of the steel mill with the few remaining Ukrainian defenders with hundreds of civilians hiding below in the reinforced tunnel systems under the plant. Russia announced that over the next three days during daytime hours, a ceasefire will be honored to allow civilians, including thirty children, to evacuate the premises.
Battle for Southern Ukraine (Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhia)
Ukrainian forces made some progress in liberating more villages in the Kherson region.
Russian forces shelled a residential building in Zaporizhia killing one woman.
Battle for Kharkiv
Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian forces out of artillery range of Kharkiv. The city which was averaging 50 attacks a day by artillery fire, had their first peaceful day, relatively speaking as Russia still fires rockets and conducts aerial bombing over the city. Only a no-fly zone imposed over Ukraine will save Ukraine from such attacks. A Russian counterattack to retake Stary Saltiv was repelled. Russian forces are now cut off from resupply.
Other Regions
Late Wednesday night, Russia fired nearly 40 mortars against communities in the Sumy region. There were no casualties.
Details have finally been released on the first missile attack on Zakarpattia that occurred on Tuesday evening. Heavy missiles filled with highly explosive fragments meant to destroy not just buildings, but kill people, were dropped on the peaceful mountain hamlet of Volovets. Volovets is 50 miles from our home in Barvinok. Homes within a radius of 300 meters were damaged. The target was an electric substation which has already been repaired.
Russia fired missiles on the Dnepropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions as part of their campaign to slow down the arrival of Western weapons on their way to the Donbas.
Other News
Russia expelled seven Danish diplomats after Denmark expelled fifteen Russian diplomats.
Most of the artwork by the likes of Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, and Monet were returned to Russia after a showing in Paris. But two key paintings were held back due to Western sanctions against Russia.
Okean Elzy, one of the leading Ukrainian rock groups, released a tribute to the defenders of Mariupol which you can listen to here.