In Mariupol, 5,000 people killed, 170,000 remain trapped. As 150,000 people escaped from Mariupol, around 170,000 people remain trapped in the city. Almost 5,000 people were killed, the mayor said Sunday.
Mariupol has been under siege for 28 days, since March 1. At least 5,000 people have been killed including around 210 children. It is not possible to compile the exact number of casualties.
Up to 140,000 Mariupol citizens left before the siege. As the siege began to unfold, 150,000 evacuated, of which 71,235 headed to Zaporizhzhia, others to nearby towns. Russia forcibly took 30,000 Ukrainians to the occupied territories in the east or to Russia.
As Russian forces stall, Ukrainian troops liberate Irpin. Russian forces are largely stalled in several parts of Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official is quoted as saying by CNN. There have been no changes to the situation in Mariupol, Chernihiv, Mykolayiv or Kharkiv, the official said. Russian forces “have not been able to take Mariupol,” he added. There has been no change to the airspace or maritime environment.
Russian forces “aren’t making any advances on Mykolayiv over the course of the weekend,” the official said, “so they are outside the city.”
The official noted that Russian forces have conducted more than 1,370 missile launches in Ukraine since the invasion began.
“Irpin was liberated today, there’s a ‘clean-up’ going on now,” Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said. He thanked the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Territorial Defense Force, National Police, and the Main Intelligence Department.
He warned the citizens against returning to Irpin which he said is still dangerous. The Ukrainian troops secure new positions.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich presented Putin with handwritten note from President Zelenskyi outlining peace terms, Putin erupted with fury. Putin’s initial response was: “Tell him I will trash them,” the Times quotes unnamed sources.
Failure of Putin’s initial plan and his hatred toward Zelenskyi hold him back from a peace settlement, the Times said.
Ukraine in Flames #18. How many more weapons does Ukraine need?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e4L3gkxpNsE
According to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine is running out of the weapons it needs to destroy Russian aircraft and tanks fast. The defending forces are far surpassing western expectations by pushing back the Russian Army’s advance and preventing it from overtaking Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolayiv and Mariupol. As Head of President office Andrii Yermak suggested, Ukraine needed offensive weapons, like medium-range missiles, for deterrence, and a lend lease program. A balanced and realistic proposal for further military support for Ukraine would consist of modern air defence systems, cruise missiles or shells for heavy rockets, tougher oil embargo and closed ports for Russian ships around the world.
Speakers: Kostiantyn Hryhorenko, journalist from Izium, Kharkiv oblast Mykola Beleskov, military expert, expert of the National Institute for Strategic Studies Ihor Kozii, military expert of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
Ukraine in Flames #16. NATO, G7 and EU summits on war and sanctions
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDzoE8QQJc
NATO leaders held an emergency meeting to strengthen the alliance’s presence along its eastern flank and increase national defense spending. The Alliance has announced four new battlegrounds in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Latvia and Estonia insisted that combat-ready defense was arranged in the Baltics as soon as possible. The SG Stoltenberg and individual heads of state and government noted that NATO was going to provide support for Ukraine, including advanced air defense systems, anti-tank weapons and ammunition. The US President Joe Biden recognised the real risk that Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine and that NATO would respond if it happened. Nevertheless, the alliance’s long-standing opposition to sending in troops or enforcing a Ukraine-requested no-fly zone remained solid. G7 leaders discussed sanctions Western allies have imposed and would impose on Russia over the war in Ukraine. EU leaders debated the measures to control gas prices and what further sanctions on Russia’s energy sector. A temporary oil and coal embargo is a realistic decision currently discussed by the EU leaders of states.
Ukraine in Flames #17. How do Ukrainian refugees settle in Western host communities?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7aAKCTVz9w
