Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that Vladimir Putin is currently in a difficult situation in the wake of the Ukrainian resistance and that Moscow’s use of chemical weapons cannot be completely ruled out.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered its 18th day today with no signs of any short-term de-escalation. In fact, the latest missile strikes by Russia near the NATO border are seen as Vladimir Putin’s stance on the Kiev crisis. New attacks have been reported today from Kiev, Lyiv and other key parts of Ukraine. Here are 10 key developments related to the Ukraine-Russia war that you should know:
1: As many as 30 rockets attacked a military base near the NATO border today, killing 35 and injuring 57. According to the latest reports, the Yavoriv International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, which is just 25 km away from the Polish international border, was attacked by Russian forces today.
2: This is one of the largest military facilities in Ukraine. Previously, foreign instructors have worked at the site. However, no report suggests that a non-Ukrainian was present at the time of the attack.
3: Kremlin is tight-lipped about the attack in Lyiv. The missile strike seen so close to the NATO border has another escalation across Moscow.
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4: The western region of Ukraine was bombed by the Russian forces today. Apart from the rocket attack in Lyiv, an airport in Ivano-Frankivsk was hit. In the east, Moscow’s plan is to advance into Kharkov.
5: Ukraine has claimed that Russia is trying to take permanent control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. As of today, the Chernobyl plant is still undergoing repair work, with the Reuters report saying diesel generators provided backup power.
6: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security at home on Sunday. Official statement says the Prime Minister was aware of the latest status of Operation Ganga and India’s security preparedness. In a related development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Indian embassy in Ukraine will soon be moved to Poland. The MEA says this is a temporary measure and will be reassessed in the near future.
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7: Today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a statement on the number of soldiers killed in the conflict so far. He said 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the conflict that began on February 24 last month.
8: In the southern region, Mariupol is the worst affected city. After Saturday’s intense carpet bombing, the port city has no water or electricity supply. An AP report says about 1,500 residents have been killed since the siege of Mariupol began. Mykolaiv, another southern city near the Black Sea, was also attacked by Russia today. Nine people have been killed in the shelling, according to new reports. The city is close to Odessa, a crucial port for Ukraine.
9: A BBC report quotes Ukraine’s foreign minister as saying that the mayor of Dniprorudne, a city in southern Ukraine, has been kidnapped by Russian troops. Yevhen Matveyev is the second local official to be kidnapped by the Russians. The mayor of Melitopol was also ‘detained’ for this.
10: The head of the Kiev region said on Sunday that a journalist working for the New York Times was killed and another wounded by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Irpin. However, the newspaper issued a statement saying that the journalist was not cooperating with them, expressing its sadness at the writer’s passing.