In cities that have come under Russian control, residents do not reconcile themselves.
The Ukrainian capital is empty. Half of the population of the Kiev agglomeration would have fled with the start of the Russian invasion, said its mayor Vitali Klitschko. “According to our data, today there are just under two million inhabitants,” he said. Before the start of the conflict with Russia, Greater Kyiv had 3.5 million inhabitants. However, it does not provide for surrender, on the contrary. “Kyiv has turned into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint is fortified.”
The evacuation of civilians from war zones has become a growing problem as the number of cities under siege or with no safe way out increases. Efforts continued on Thursday to secure humanitarian corridors and give residents the opportunity to take shelter, but it is not known whether evacuations actually took place.
City of martyrs
Thus, on Wednesday, several civilians finally managed to escape, the Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of obstruction. Seven corridors have been identified, one of which is designed to serve the 400,000 people still stranded in Mariupol. The port on the Sea of Azov, deprived of water, heating and more and more food, turned into a martyr city. Symbolic of this was Wednesday’s aerial bombardment of a children’s hospital and its maternity hospital, which killed four people, including a little girl, causing outrage around the world. Ukrainian authorities reported on Telegram on Thursday that from the start of the Russian invasion through March 10, 71 children have been killed and more than 100 injured.
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In cities that have come under Russian control, residents do not reconcile themselves. Demonstrations against the occupiers followed one after another, especially in Kherson, where 400 arrests were registered. Thursday’s video also showed mass protests by civilians holding the Ukrainian flag in the nearby city of Melitopol.
Kyiv turned into a fortress
Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv
During an interview with his government, Vladimir Putin assured that Western sanctions against Russia are illegitimate, but Russia will calmly solve this problem. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was more irritated, seeing arms shipments to Ukraine as “dangerous.” “These countries pose a colossal danger, including to themselves.”
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After a long delay, London has decided on sanctions against seven wealthy and powerful Russians close to the Kremlin, including Oleg Deripaska, founder of aluminum giant Rusal, CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft, and Igor Sechin, president of VTB Bank. – the second largest bank in Russia – Andrey Kostin and Roman Abramovich. The latter, 55, now faces an asset freeze, a ban on transactions with British individuals and companies and a travel ban. The sale of the Chelsea club, which he has owned since 2003, which he announced last week, citing the “current situation”, has been put on hold.
The British government said it was “very concerned” about Russia’s possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. “That would be a serious mistake that would add to the serious mistakes Putin has already made,” said Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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Le Figaro Fig Data