Summary of the Events of the Day
I have never been more ashamed of being an American after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his nation and ceded to one of Russia’s demands that Ukraine not join NATO. He questioned why Ukraine would want to join an alliance that watched their friendly neighbors massacred from the skies and did nothing to protect them from the genocide. He questioned why Ukraine would want to sign a security agreement with the US or the UK when they did not even honor a previous security agreement they made with Ukraine in 1994 when they signed the Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine. Zelensky said, “We must search for security guarantees elsewhere… We need absolute concrete, written guarantees, so that in the future, we don’t hear the excuses that we’re hearing now, when we turn to those, who signed the Budapest Agreement, and ask them to do something to stop the Russian invasion.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an international hero for his brave stand in Kyiv with bombs dropping all around him. Three other world leaders wanted in on that publicity. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša visited Zelensky in Kyiv today to show their support for Ukraine.
Battle for Kyiv (including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, & Zhitomir)
Two residential areas were struck with missiles in Kyiv today killing two civilians. As the bombing of the capital worsens, and half of its 3.5-million pre-war population has fled, a 35-hour curfew has been imposed. The curfew is also meant to protect the lives of the three world leaders visiting Kyiv.
Three rockets slammed into Kharkiv hitting the central market and a pediatric hospital.
Much attention has been given to the besieged citizens of Mariupol on the shores of the Azov Sea, but the city of Izyum is not any better. Surrounded on three side, with the fourth constantly under artillery fire, the city is also under siege. The citizens are without food, water, electricity, heat, or medicine and are dying of starvation and disease. A humanitarian corridor is needed to bring in aid and evacuate civilians.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk & Luhansk regions)
Mariupol was under intense fighting all night, but when dawn came Ukraine was still in full control. Ukrainian forces claimed to have killed 150 Russian soldiers and destroyed two tanks, 8 armored personnel carriers. They showed pictures of the evidence of their victories which included the body of a dead major general. Aside from the 60 cars of civilians allowed to leave on Monday, approximately 200,000 – 350,000 people remain inside the besieged city with no food or water.
Battle for Black Sea (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odessa)
Russian rockets rained down upon the village of Radsad just south of Mykolaiv damaging homes and a school.
Other Regions
The Dnipro airport suffered massive destruction after being shelled by Russian forces. The runway and a terminal were badly damaged.
Other News
Russian television news editor Marina Ovsyannikova became a hero of Ukraine when she jumped in front of the screen during a newscast holding a sign that read “No War” in English and then in Russian below it read, “Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you.” And then finally in English again, “Russians against the war.” She is now in jail facing a 15-year prison sentence.
Power has again been restored to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Russian forces are particularly targeting members of the press to suppress objective coverage of their genocide against the genocide of Ukrainian people. 35 journalists have been confirmed killed by Russian forces, including the American Brent Renaud which has now been confirmed that he was shot at a Russian checkpoint into Irpin by Russian soldiers.
Peace Negotiations
President Zelensky was optimistic about the peace talks yesterday. He said that the Russian attitude had changed and that they now realize they cannot win on the ground. The next round will be held tomorrow.
International Support
The UK has imposed further sanctions on 370 Russian and Belarusian citizens, 51 of them oligarchs close to President Putin. Ironically, though, polls in Russia are showing the sanctions are having the opposite effect and creating more support for Putin as the Russian people, fooled by the false media propaganda, are digging in and willing to suffer to defeat the West.