Ukraine
As of today, March 14, the strategic situation on all parts of the frontline remains unchanged. The Russian forces have decided to direct their attacks on the area of the Joint Forces Operation (Donbas), Mariupol (southeast Ukraine) and Mykolaiv (southern Ukraine). Elsewhere, in Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv, the situation is more stable and calm, with the enemy redeploying part of its forces from these cities to southern Ukraine.
On March 11, an airfield in the city of Lutsk (northwest Ukraine) came under a Russian air attack for the first time, along with Ivano-Frankivsk (western Ukraine) and Dnipro (central Ukraine). For this purpose, Russians used at least six strategic bombers Tu-95MS and at least 10 cruise missiles. In Dnipro, air strikes hit a residential area, particularly near a kindergarten.
Especially prominent attacks include a strike on the Yavoriv military range yesterday, where 35 people were killed, Zhytomyr and Zhytomyr region, where Russians have not deployed their ground forces, but murdered 14 civilians in a fortnight, including 4 children with missiles, and a psycho-neurological care home in Kyiv region. Today in the morning, an apartment building in northern Kyiv was also hit, casualties are reported. On a side note, Zhytomyr region is of strategic importance for the transportation of humanitarian cargo from the West.
In Mariupol, the total death toll among civilians has already reached 2,187 people. Over 24 hours on March 13, the city was bombed at least 22 times, with nearly 100 air bombs dropped. Russians are deliberately and cynically targeting residential buildings, places with big groups of people, chidren’s hospitals and city infrastructure. A green corridor for evacuees and humanitarian cargo is already operating. Some 160 people are on their way from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, 90 tons of foodstuffs and medicines are being transported to the city. At the moment, cessation of hostilities along the entire corridor is reported. This is the fifth attempt to resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in the city.
One of SD Platform and Progresylni activists, Tetiana Konovalenko, is taking part in rallies in Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia region), against the Russian occupiers, which have overtaken the city. She is a professor and dean of the Philological Department of the Melitopol State Pedagogical University. Russian militaries from the Federal Security Service are kidnapping the most active fighters against the occupation, including the city mayor and other activists. Also in Zaporizhzhia region, in Vasylivka, Russians have demolished municipal wastewater treatment facilities, which will pollute the waters of the Dnipro river.
At the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the occupiers have blown up a number of explosives and plan to continue with new terrorist acts.
According to official estimates from the President of Ukraine, the total death toll among Ukrainian troops has climbed to 1,300 people.
Today also marked the continuation of talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives. The sides have reported about a pause until tomorrow.
Today, March 9, passed without active attempts by Russian forces to advance on key strategic directions, namely Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Mykolaiv. The enemy is taking time to regroup its units, whilst also facing strikes from Ukrainian artillery and aircraft.
Earlier on, the Ukrainian and Russian sides agreed on setting up 6 humanitarian corridors for evacuating civilians from Energodar, Sumy, Mariupol, Volnovakha, Izium and Kyiv region. Part of them are operational, a detailed report thereon will be made available later by the Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories. According to the current information, around 40,000 people have been evacuated on March 9 from all over Ukraine. The town of Izium (Kharkiv region) is practically wiped off the ground, with just 250 people evacuated and 5,000 more in need of leaving the locality.
The most atrocious move committed by Russian troops so far took place in Mariupol, where the invader bombed a hospital and a maternity ward. No casualties have been reported as yet, 17 women are wounded. In general, the city authorities state that around 1,300 civilians have died in Mariupol during the war. Elsewhere, in Zhytomyr, the Russian forces hit a boiler house, leaving around 30% of the city without heating.
Today activists of SD Platform from different regions of Ukraine held a meeting to discuss their experience in volunteering activities in Chernivtsi, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi and Transcarpathia; share insights on enhancing the work of volunteers and speeding up processes; speak about such areas as humanitarian aid, military gear, logistics, transportation, translation, information technologies, media activities and work in social networks.
