Ukrainian forces announced on Tuesday they had reclaimed control over a suburb of Kyiv, the country’s capital.
The Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces pushed Russians out of Makariv, which allowed them to regain access and control of a key highway. It also hurts the Russians’ ability to come from the northwest. However, Russia was able to take partial control of various other suburbs, including Bucha, Hostomel, and Irpin, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. and U.K. officials have repeatedly said capturing Kyiv remains Russia’s primary objective, though they still remain miles away from the capital nearly four weeks after their invasion commenced.
US HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF ACTIVITIES AT UKRAINIAN BIOLABS ONCE SEIZED BY RUSSIA: OFFICIALS
Russian forces have not had a successful military campaign thus far. They’ve failed to capture Kyiv or many other population centers, and they haven’t gained air superiority, which had also been an objective.
Since the invasion began, more than 3 million people have fled from Ukraine, while nearly a thousand people have died and more than 1,500 have been wounded, according to the United Nations. Still, officials warn the numbers are likely “considerably higher.”
The Russians have bombed and bombarded different cities throughout Ukraine, turning once-thriving cities into desecrated shells with mass graves, scattered debris, bombed-out buildings, and collapsed structures. They’ve launched more than 1,100 missiles since their military campaign began, the Pentagon said on Monday.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters they “certainly see clear evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes,” though he didn’t specify which actions constituted war crimes.
Last week, President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” and the Kremlin called the characterization “unacceptable and unforgivable.” Russia later summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan to inform him the president’s remark “put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture.”
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Mariupol, a port city on the southern coast near the Sea of Azov that connects the eastern region of the Donbas with the Crimea peninsula, both under Russian control since 2014, has faced some of the most brutal attacks.
Russian forces shelled a local maternity hospital last week where at least 17 women and staff members were injured and five people died. Days later, they bombed a Mariupol theater that had served as a shelter, even though they had spelled out the word “children” in Russian in the front and back of the facility. Ukrainian authorities also said they bombed a school in Mariupol housing hundreds of people.
