In recent days, many Ukrainians fleeing bombardments and attacks by the Russian army have taken refuge in the industrial city of Dnipro, in the center of the country, which this conflict had hitherto spared. However, three airstrikes fell on Friday “on a kindergarten, an apartment building and a shoe factory” in the city, according to the Ukrainian emergency services, which reported at least one death. in these air raids.
Russia also carried out attacks on the airport in the city of Lutsk on Friday, while other areas of western Ukraine, who had been spared until now, fell prey to Russian bombs and attacks on Friday.
“Russia is progressing quietly, but probably more slowly than the Russian authorities would have liked”, explains to the Homework Associate Vice-Rector for Research at the Royal Military College of Canada, Pierre Jolicoeur. The latter also notes that Russia is relying mainly on “urban environments” in its invasion of Ukraine, which increases the risk that “blunders” and “war crimes” will be committed against civilians.
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At the same time, the Russians continue their maneuver to encircle Kiev. After reaching its suburbs, they seek to eliminate the defenses in several localities to the west and north of the capital to “block” it, the Ukrainian general staff said.
“Kiev is a symbol of resistance” which is preparing for a “relentless defense”, proclaimed in a video Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nearly 20,000 people were evacuated from the capital and its surroundings on Wednesday and Thursday. During these two days, a total of some 100,000 people left from all areas affected by the fighting in Ukraine.
A growing balance sheet
According to the United Nations (UN), at least 564 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of this conflict, while 982 others have been injured. The organization recognizes, however, that its assessment is only partial, since it is difficult to collect such information on the ground at present.
In Mariupol, where bombings have destroyed a pediatric hospital and residential buildings in the past few days, the city council said on Friday that it had identified 1,582 civilians so far who had “been killed by Russian occupation forces” since the beginning. of the “blockade” in this city in the south of the country, which is also experiencing an unprecedented food crisis.
A facility for disabled people near Kharkiv, the country’s second city, was also hit on Friday, while shelling continued in the city of Mykolaiv, west of Mariupol.
So far, more than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the Russian invasion to neighboring countries, including Poland.
Economic isolation
The United States followed Canada on Friday in stripping Russia of “most favored nation” status as a trading partner in the World Trade Organization (WTO), paving the way for the imposition of high customs tariffs. President Joe Biden has also decreed a ban on imports in “key sectors of the Russian economy”, such as “seafood, vodka and diamonds”.
“We now have to see if the other WTO countries will follow suit,” noted Mr. Jolicoeur. If so, “Russia would be more economically isolated than ever,” he adds.
The European Union for its part on Friday banned luxury goods exports to Russia, while threatening tougher sanctions — such as a cut in imports of Russian oil and gas — if the conflict in Ukraine were to continue. to gain momentum.
foreign fighters
Thousands of foreign fighters have traveled to Ukraine over the past few days to take part in the resistance against the Russian invasion in that country, including Canadians and Americans. A situation which on Friday raised the concern of the spokesman of the American State Department, Ned Price.
“American citizens who travel to Ukraine, particularly to fight alongside Ukrainians, face significant risks, including real risks of kidnapping or death,” he warned during a melee of hurry. The Kremlin for its part said on Friday that it was considering sending Syrian volunteers to fight in Ukraine.
“If true, it would represent an even greater escalation in the brutal and premeditated aggression by Russia that is the war against Ukraine,” Mr. Price continued on this subject.
The threat of chemical weapons
Russia has accused Washington and Kiev of producing biological weapons in Ukrainian laboratories, a claim that was strongly contradicted by the United States on Friday during a meeting of the UN Security Council. US President Joe Biden also said on Friday that Russia “will pay a high price if it uses chemical weapons” in Ukraine.
With Agence France-Presse
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