Ukrainian civilians have paid a heavy price in the first week of war, as the Russian invader continues to advance in the east and south of the country, where he tries to build a land corridor between Donbas and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
“Nazism is born of silence. That is why we have to shout about the murder of civilians, about the murder of Ukrainians”, assured the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Russian bombings are beginning to take their toll on the civilian population, especially in the Russian-speaking regions, which are offering much more resistance than expected by the Vladimir Putin regime, when it announced its intention to “denazify” the neighboring country and protect the Russian population.
More than two thousand dead civilians
As a result, in the seven days of conflict more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians would have died, according to the State Emergency Service (DSN), a death toll that did not reach half a thousand just two days ago.
“During the seven days of the war, Russia has destroyed hundreds of transport infrastructure, homes, hospitals and nurseries. In this time more than 2,000 Ukrainians have died, not counting our defenders”, indicates the official statement.
Among them, 21 children have died and 55 have been injured, according to Liudmila Denísova, Ombudsman, who advocated creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine, considering that it would save many lives.
“The Russian Armed Forces continue to violate the basic rights of children”, he denounced.
And he highlighted the birth of triplets under the bombings in the city of Chernigov: “As long as those angels continue to be born in Ukraine, we will be invincible.”
Kharkiv Hell
Once again, government buildings and military academies in Kharkov were the epicenter of Russian bombing. At least four people died this Wednesday, three policemen and a civilian.
From the early hours of the morning, the enemy aircraft pounded the center of the city. Russian bombs destroyed the building of the tank academy, the Air Force university and the headquarters of the national police.
It also damaged the building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), one of the priority targets of the Russian army during this military campaign.
During the early morning Russian airborne forces landed in the city, taking control of the train station and the river port, according to the mayor, Igor Kolijáyev.
The day before, according to the City Council, 21 people died in Kharkov, mostly in the bombing of the central square and a residential building.
In addition, the Russian troops increased the pressure in the siege on Mariúpol, a strategic city located in the Donetsk region and bathed by the Azov Sea coast, as is the case with Nikolayev, while they already control Melitopol, in the Zaporozhye region.
The Russian-speaking East-South rebels
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin was given bad advice by someone. He believed that Eastern Ukrainians would welcome Russian tanks with flowers.”, commented Artyom Frankov, a well-known Ukrainian journalist from Kharkov. He underlined that “one can be a patriot and not speak Ukrainian, but Russian”.
“Now we are at war. It is a matter of life or death. That is above ideologies, languages or other problems. History says it, the Slavs do not accept the imposition of a foreign power”, he commented.
In fact, hundreds of citizens and employees of the Zaporozhie nuclear power plant, also in the east of the country, prevented this Wednesday with barricades and tanker trucks the advance of a column of the Russian Army.
“We explained to them (the Russian military) our position, that the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and the city are under secure protection. The inhabitants will not let them take a single step in the city”, declared the mayor of the city, Dmitri Orlov.
The assault on Kiev will have to wait
Meanwhile, Kiev prepares for a Russian siege and subsequent assault. In the city center there are checkpoints on almost every corner. No one is spared check-ups, whether they are passers-by, drivers, delivery men or reporters.
“Don’t bother! Tonight we have arrested many people. We can’t let a single infiltrator pass”, explains a member of the police special forces.
The flames are still burning in the buildings adjacent to the television tower, which was hit by a missile on Tuesday.
Local authorities insist that they control the situation, and that their inhabitants “are determined to defend their land at any cost.”
“The enemy column is 50 kilometers away. The town prepares a reception for him that he will not forget. The Kievites will never let you leave the city alive.”, explained Sergei Batiuk, deputy of the municipal assembly, about the Russian convoy destined to storm Kiev.
The deputy stressed thatrussian soldiers are demoralized”, which is shown in that when faced with some resistance from Ukrainian artillery and assault drones, “They drop their weapons and run into the woods.” “That is no longer an army. it’s scum”, he asserts.
Source: Gestion
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