Chernihiv, Lugansk, Donetsk, Irpin, Gostomel bombed – Dozens of rockets and shells hit Kharkov

LAST UPDATE 16:58

Fierce fighting between Russian forces, pro-Russian fighters and paramilitaries, innocent amid artillery shelling and crossfire, cruise missiles by the Russian navy, ruined cities on the shores of the Black Sea, millions of displaced people displaced, displaced Russian President Vladimir Putin without NATO openly engaging in war. This is an idea of ​​the image that prevails in Ukraine and the rest of the world because of Ukraine, as for the 29th day the Russian forces are destroying the territory, the resources, the population and in general the existence of Ukraine.

More than 250 airstrikes in Ukraine, some 60 more than the previous one, were recorded today in airstrikes in Ukraine. The targets of the Russian Air Force were mainly located in and around Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv.

In the diplomatic section, world leaders are in Brussels for an emergency NATO summit as they try to align their responses to Russia’s brutal invasion. The European Council and G7 Summit will also take place on Thursday. Several sources told CNN that significant time would be devoted to discussing how the alliance should respond if Russian President Vladimir Putin used chemical or biological weapons against Ukrainian civilians. President Joe Biden is expected to announce new sanctions on Russian politicians and oligarchs, while the United Kingdom is set to announce a “significant new military support package” for Ukraine.

The US government has officially stated that members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cited “credible reports” of deliberate targeting of civilians and indiscriminate attacks, including the destruction of apartment buildings, schools and hospitals. A top Russian diplomat has denied that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the UK Department of Defense, in its morning intelligence report, claimed that Russian forces had “almost certainly suffered thousands of casualties” during their invasion, adding: “Russia is now likely to seek to mobilize the reserve and “Its manpower, as well as private military companies and foreign mercenaries, to make up for these significant losses. It is unclear how these groups will be integrated into Russian ground forces in Ukraine and the impact this will have on combat effectiveness.”

The same time, without justification the Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine resigned.

More than 1,000 civilians were killed

The death toll in Ukraine has risen to more than 1,000 since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday, warning that “the real figures are significantly higher”.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide range of impacts, including heavy artillery bombardment and multi-launcher missile systems, as well as rocket and air bombardment,” according to the OHCHR.

In a statement, the UN body described the 1,035 civilian deaths as “214 men, 160 women, 14 girls and 28 boys, as well as 48 children and 571 adults whose gender is still unknown”.

The situation in Ukrainian cities

Ivano-Frankivsk: According to the mayor, the Ukrainian forces of the city were trying to shoot down Russian drones that were patrolling around the city.

Izium: Fighting continues around the besieged city of Izium, the General Staff of the National Defense of Ukraine informed via Facebook today. Almost all of Irpin has returned to the hands of Ukraine, according to the mayor of Kiev.

Chernobyl: Several fires in the blockaded area of ​​the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant have now been extinguished, but others have not yet been brought under control, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced last night. According to the head of the organization, Rafael Grossi, four fires were extinguished.

Kyiv: Battles are also unfolding in the north. Russian artillery shelling was reported in the cities of Kalinivka, Gorinka, Romanivka and in the northeastern suburbs of Kiev. Russian troops are increasingly discouraged, according to Western intelligence, and are in danger of being surrounded on the outskirts of Kiev.

The first month … # Kiev. pic.twitter.com/d0wnVYDQyo

– UKRAINE 🇺🇦 (@ukr_insider) March 24, 2022

Chernihiv: Fighting continues in and around the city. As it was announced yesterday, the amount of ammonia released into the air after the Russian attack is not at abnormal levels and according to the scientists is not a cause for concern. The mayor of Chernihiv said that the cemetery of the northern Ukrainian city can not withstand all the dead, as the Russian attack affects the civilian population. Severely damaged buildings lined the streets with rubble, and fires that were still burning filled the air with heavy smoke, according to a new video by Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko.

Kharkiv: In Kharkov, to the east, where heavy fighting continues, Russian forces are still 15 to 20 kilometers from the city center and face “very strong” resistance from the Ukrainians. Nevertheless, according to the local administration, in the last 24 hours alone, the city received 44 shots from tanks, howitzer and mortars and another 140 shots from MLRS and Kalibr missiles.

Donetsk: In the Donetsk region (east) most Ukrainian units come under fire, Ukrainian generals said. The suburb of Bahmut was bombed. Russian artillery fired on the city of Ocheretine.

Lugansk: In the neighboring Lugansk region, fighting is concentrated in Rubizne (60,000 inhabitants), Severodonietsk (100,000) and Popasna (20,000). In Rubizne, in particular, the Russian army used incendiary ammunition, killing four people and wounding nine others.

Mariupol: Russian forces continue to bombard and blockade Mariupol, where residents have run out of water and food, and it is estimated that 90% of the city’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

Authorities in the besieged city of Mariupol announced today that some 15,000 civilians had been abducted and illegally displaced in Russia following the capture of parts of the city by Russian military forces. Russian news agencies reported that buses carrying hundreds of people whom Moscow called refugees from Mariupol had crossed the border into Russia in recent days.

Berdyansk: In the port that is a landing point of the Russian forces, a Ukrainian attack dismantled an Alligator class landing (project 1171 Tapir). As a result, Russian ships are reportedly beginning to move away from the port of Berdyansk.

Odessa: The US Department of Defense does not see any change around Odessa. While several missiles were fired at Russian positions in Odessa earlier this week, this did not happen again on Tuesday or Wednesday, the US official said.

It was agreed to open 7 humanitarian corridors

An agreement has been reached to set up seven humanitarian corridors today to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian cities, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister has said. Irina Verestsuk added that civilians trying to leave Mariupol, the port city in southern Ukraine besieged by Russian forces, would find transport inside nearby Berdyansk. However, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine made it clear that Russia does not allow the creation of a safe corridor for the passage of civilians to or from the center of Mariupol.

The Russians do not pick up the phones

Senior Russian military leaders have rejected calls from their US counterparts before the invasion of Ukraine began, a Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday.

“Last month, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of the Armed Forces Mark Milli called for and continue to seek telephone calls from their Russian counterparts. “We believe that the commitment of US and Russian defense leaders is crucial at this time,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

CNN previously reported that the last known time Austin last spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was on February 18. Milli last spoke with Russian Chief of General Staff General Valery Gerasimov on February 11.