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Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities are under siege, with the Russians, forced by an unplanned delay due to Ukrainian resistance, to indiscriminately bombing even apartment buildings.
Now the bombing of the capital Kiev seems to be becoming more systematic and approaching the city center, targeting apartments, a subway station and other political venues yesterday. Speaking overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the blasts hit four high-rise buildings and killed dozens.
“> Damage in #Kharkiv after another night of heavy Russian strikes on the citypic.twitter.com/IDaW8DSOdH
– marqs (@MarQs__) March 16, 2022
Damage in #Kharkiv after another night of heavy Russian strikes on the citypic.twitter.com/IDaW8DSOdH
– marqs (@MarQs__) March 16, 2022
However, a senior US defense official said that while Russian forces were using long-range missiles to strike Kyiv, their ground forces had made little or no progress in the country.
The Russian troops remain about 15 kilometers from the center of the capital – showing little to no movement since yesterday. The official added that the United States has seen indications that Russia may need more troops and supplies than it has at its disposal in Ukraine and is considering how to obtain more resources.
At the same time The UK Department of Defense has released its latest information report on the situation in Ukraine, saying that Russian forces “are struggling to overcome the challenges posed by the territory of Ukraine” and have stopped advancing. The report states:
“Russian forces are struggling to overcome the challenges posed by the territory of Ukraine. Russian forces have remained largely tied to Ukraine's road network and have shown a reluctance to maneuver off-road. The destruction of bridges by Ukrainian forces has also played a key role in halting Russia's advance.
Russia's continued failure to gain control of the air has severely limited its ability to use air maneuvers effectively, further their choices.
The tactics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have skillfully exploited Russia's lack of maneuvering, hindering Russian advance and inflicting heavy losses on the invading forces. “
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Russia continued failure to gain control of the air has drastically limited their ability to effectively use air maneuver, further limiting their options.
– Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 16, 2022
The Ukrainian military also says 13,800 Russian soldiers have been killed since Russia launched an offensive in Ukraine on February 24. According to the report published by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, another 430 tanks, 1375 armored vehicles, 190 artillery systems and 108 helicopters have also been destroyed.
Relentless bombing
According to ERT, early in the morning four “Cruz” missiles hit the northwest of Kiev with the Ukrainian media talking about wounded after the explosions. According to the Guardian, a 12-storey residential building collapsed after being hit by Russian bombardment in the Shevchenkivsky district of Kiev this morning.
Ukraine's state emergency services said they received a report at 6:16 a.m. confirming that shell fragments had fallen on the building, causing it to collapse on the top floor and cause damage. in a nine-storey building next door.
The agency said the building caught fire, but the fires were extinguished at 7.45am. without burning in the neighboring building. Two people were injured and 37 were evacuated from the building, he added. The attack comes as residents plunged into a new two-day curfew across the city and were chased into warehouses, underground shelters and their homes.
Meanwhile, videos are circulating on social media showing a building in Kyiv has been hit by a rocket and engulfed in flames, while so far it has not been known whether it is a government building or an apartment building. There is a 35-hour curfew in Kyiv due to Russian raids.
In Kiev, a state-sponsored attitude led to a 12-year-old і a 9-year-old in the Shevchenkiv region https://t.co/qDXNMagNKX pic.twitter.com/ZgatKlVAL1
16, 2022
At the same time, more than 600 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second most populous city, since the Russian invasion began. “Schools, nurseries, hospitals, clinics were destroyed. “The Russian army is constantly bombarding us from land and air,” the mayor said in an interview.
# Kharkiv after another night of active #Russian shelling. pic.twitter.com/UOaHXTfzQf
– NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 16, 2022
“As a result of an artillery attack on high-rise buildings “In the Nemyshlyansky district of Kharkov, many apartments in two residential buildings were destroyed,” the Ukrainian emergency services said in a statement this morning.
Rescuers worked to put out the blaze, rescuing four people from the collapse of a building but failing to save two others killed in the attack, the agency added. A school was also reportedly attacked around 3 a.m. with part of a building destroyed.
Zelensky sees more “realistic” positions in conversations
Along with a new sermon and optimism, Zelensky appeared optimistic about the course of the talks that continue today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists on an optimistic view of negotiations with Russia and said in a nightly speech that the positions of the two sides sound more realistic, but “it will take time, effort and patience until Kieu's demands are met.” As he noted “we all want peace and victory as soon as possible.” “Every war ends with an agreement,” Zelensky said, assuring that negotiations would “continue.” a series of speeches to Western leaders as he works to boost support for his besieged nation.
Zelensky is expected to once again call on the United States to “close the skies” over Ukraine. He is also likely to push for fighter jets to be supplied to him by NATO allies so that Ukrainian pilots can fly against the Russian air force and impose tougher financial sanctions in the face of an advanced Russian attack.
Source: protothema .gr
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