The war in Ukraine is now in its 19th day and has already caused hundreds of deaths and destruction in several cities, as well as a new refugee crisis in Europe – the United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 2.8 million refugees people have already left the country.
The Russian army was unable to conquer the capital Kiev or other important cities such as Kharkiv and Mariupol. This second one is going through a “humanitarian crisis”, as the Ukrainian authorities classify it, due to the siege by Russia.
Lourival Sant’anna, International Analyst at CNNexplained the advance of Russian troops on Ukraine and the main points of conflict in the country. (See full explanation in the video above)
Advances in the North, South and East
Russia managed to advance through the southern regions – going up through the Crimea and the Sea of Azov – and east, starting from the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. The Russians, however, were unsuccessful in their attempt to capture the port city of Mariupol, where the days-long siege causes a lack of water and fuel. According to Ukrainian authorities, there are already more than 2,200 dead in the region.
Two other resistance points are Mikolaiv and Odessa, also to the south.
Odessa is a very important port city, giving access to the Black Sea. Without conquering Mikolaiv, it has not yet been possible to advance into this region by land.
The invading army also advanced through the northern part of Ukraine, although it also did not achieve any conquest of more significant cities in the region. Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, for example, suffers from intense bombing but remains under Ukrainian control.
Kiev resists
The Ukrainian capital was also not dominated. In recent weeks, information from a Russian convoy with more than 60 kilometers in length warned of the imminence of a possible “final enterprise” in the region. Still, that didn’t happen.
That military grouping dispersed and was largely redistributed, according to the company Maxar Technologies, which has provided satellite images of the conflict.
This Monday (14), at least two people died and three were hospitalized after a residential building in a suburb of the capital was hit by bombing.
Russia uses cruise missiles
On Sunday (13), the Yavoriv training center, near Lviv, killed dozens of people and injured many more.
Lourival Sant’anna explained that the bombing took place from Russian territory, with a cruise missile. This artifact can travel up to 1,000 km.
The Russian government says it killed 180 mercenaries. Ukraine, meanwhile, claims that 35 people have died.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky again warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that Russia could attack the bloc’s countries that are in the region, as this Sunday’s case took place near the border with Poland.
Two other airfields near Lviv were also destroyed by precision strikes.
These facilities are critically important to the Ukrainian war effort, as airspace is still a hotbed of contention — something acknowledged by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
If Russia gains air superiority, it is possible that bombings in key cities will intensify, with even more precision and aiding ground troops. This could lead to another attack on Kiev.
Kherson is dominated
The city of Kherson is admittedly dominated by Russian troops by both the Ukrainians and the Russian government.
The city’s mayor was arrested last week.
“Campaign is far from over”
As diplomatic talks between the two countries fail consecutively, the armed clashes drag on for a third week.
Sant’anna analyzes that, looking at Russia’s objectives and the difficulties faced, the military campaign is “far from over”.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
