Despite the two sides meeting for ceasefire talks, Putin said on TV that the Ukraine advance was “going to plan”.
Meanwhile, Ukraine appealed for more Western military aid as Putin displayed no signs of ending hostilities.
Here’s the latest update on what’s going on with the Russo-Ukraine war.
Putin Intends To Keep Fighting
Despite mounting international pressure, Putin doesn’t seem like he’s ending hostilities anytime soon.
He reiterated that Russia was rooting out “neo-Nazis” during the opening of a national security council meeting that was televised. He also emphasised that he’ll never give up on his belief that Russians and Ukrainians are one people.
I mean, this war is claiming both Russian and Ukrainian lives, so if he truly was a leader for the people as he had claimed… This all seems to be counterproductive, isn’t it? (Spoiler alert: he isn’t.)
Putin had also previously told French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow “intends to continue the uncompromising fight against militants of nationalist armed groups”.
With Russia’s unyielding aggression, Ukraine has responded in turn by asking for help.
Zelensky’s Call For Weapons and Humanitarian Aid
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested the West to give more military assistance. This came after the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) said that they won’t enforce a no-fly zone, in fears of starting a direct war with Russia.
His call of “If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!” has been met with support. The European Union offered fighter jets, and the German government is apparently planning to deliver an additional 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine.
But Zelensky didn’t just ask for weapons. As a true leader for his people, he has requested humanitarian aid to help his civilians.
The EU had agreed to approve temporary protection for all refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Which, BTW, is a lot. The UN estimates them to amount to over a million.
At talks by Ukrainian and Russian delegates on a possible ceasefire on Monday (28 February), Ukraine had also insisted on the need for humanitarian corridors. This is to get necessities into cities and get trapped civilians out.
However, the talks yielded no results.
UN emergency relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, had also urged Russia to allow relief workers to help Ukrainian civilians.
Russia Under Investigations For War Crimes, Struck Civilian Areas
The United Nations has owned investigations into alleged war crimes. This comes after Russian forces started hitting residential areas including schools and apartment blocks in northern Ukraine. 33 people had died from the attack on Thursday (3 March).
The Russian military has also been bombarding cities in Ukraine with shells and missiles, forcing Ukrainian civilians to hide in basements.
Ukrainian authorities also said that residential and other areas in the city of Kharkiv have been “pounded all night” by shelling. This could also be a possible war crime.
Fatalities Are Mounting Up
Zelensky has claimed that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s initial invasion. However, Moscow said on 2 March that it has lost 498 troops. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Putin praised the soldiers’ sacrifice.
Russian troops seized Kherson, a city of 290,000 people, through a three-day siege that left civilians without food or medicine.
Russian armoured columns from Crimea pushed deep into the region around the city, which led to fighting that left at least 13 civilians and nine Ukrainian soldiers dead.
Russian troops are also trying to seize the port city of Mariupol, which currently has no water or electricity. The mayor of Mariupol has likened Russians’ actions to the historical Leningrad blockade, where Hitler blocked off all necessities and basically waited for the city to starve to death.
If that’s really the Russians’ strategy, you can see why this is ringing so many alarm bells. We really don’t need a repeat of Hitler.
Perhaps even more alarming is the news that Russia has been taking action at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, including the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Russia to cease all actions at those facilities.
If they’re really messing with nuclear facilities, the impacts would be so severe that they could affect future generations as well. Just look at the impacts of Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi.
Russia’s Isolation Brings Severe Impacts
Russia is now the subject of relentless sanctions, that had the ruble swinging into free-fall on Thursday (3 March).
With Russia’s foreign reserves frozen in the West, their central bank has imposed a 30% tax on all sales of hard currency.
The increasing financial costs led to rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s slash Russia’s sovereign debt to “junk” status. Basically means that Russia’s financial situation is really, really dire right now.
But the financial impacts aren’t just limited to Russia. European stocks have also slid, and oil prices have increased to almost US$120 per barrel.
Additionally, Russia has also been the subject of sporting isolation. It lost the right to host Formula One races, and the International Paralympic Committee has also banned Russians and Belarusians from the Beijing Winter Games.
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A War Not Even The Russians Want
Russian authorities have enforced a media blackout on the war. Two Russian liberal media groups, Ekho Moskvy radio and TV network Dozhd, said they were halting operations.
Despite the media blackout, Russians have turned to the streets to get their voices heard. There have been large anti-war protests across Russia, risking mass arrests to directly challenge Putin.
Additionally, almost 7,000 Russian scientists, mathematicians and academics had signed an open letter strongly protesting Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Major domestic firms have started to speak out against the invasion as well. One of the first to do so was Russian oil giant Lukoil, who on 3 March called for fighting in Ukraine to cease immediately.
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- FIFA Banning Russia from World Cup Until Further Notice
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