Chris Lange, FISM News
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Russia continued its indiscriminate attack on crowded cities as darkness fell on Ukraine Tuesday night. Reports indicate that Kharkiv, Kyiv, and the city of Kherson are now almost completely encircled by the invading forces as the war on Ukraine enters its seventh day. Russian forces also advanced their assault on other towns and cities, including Odessa and Mariupol, strategic ports in the south.
Meanwhile, a massive convoy of Russian infantry, armor, and weaponry has briefly stalled on its march toward the capital of Kyiv as residents are using everything at their disposal in an effort to slow the approach. A recently circulated image showing piano in the middle of a roadway serves as a heartbreaking testament to the determination and desperation of citizens now trapped in Kyiv with no way out.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said it had seen an uptick in Russian air and artillery strikes on populated urban areas over the past two days, according to an AP report. Military experts say they believe Russia has altered tactics and now plans to exact punishing air assaults in order to obliterate entire cities and break the resolve of Ukrainians determined to continue to fight for freedom and their own survival.
Russian faces multiple setbacks
A senior U.S. defense official said Russian forces have been hampered by logistical and supply problems, slowing military progress. Some Russian military cavalcades are also running out of food and gas while numerous reports indicate that troop morale is flagging.
While neither Russia nor Ukraine have provided death toll numbers, it is believed that Russia has suffered human casualties in the thousands amid reports that some Russian troops have surrendered to Ukrainian forces. Russian military objectives have also been stalled by continued fierce resistance on the ground and Moscow’s surprising inability to completely dominate Ukraine’s airspace.
“Prove that you are with us”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation from world leaders Tuesday after he delivered an impassioned speech to the European Union.
The most deserved standing ovation in the history of the EU @ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/k4tq7KHIsD
— Scott Galloway (@profgalloway) March 1, 2022
During the emergency session of the European Union (EU) parliament Tuesday, Zelenskyy pleaded with the 27-nation alliance to grant Kyiv membership and view Ukraine as a nation that stands “equal” to its European allies.
“We have proven that at a minimum, we are exactly the same as you are,” he said looking directly at the camera as he addressed the assembly from a bunker in Kyiv dressed in military fatigues.
“Prove that you are with us. Prove that you will not let us go. Prove that you indeed are Europeans,” he urged, adding, “Life will win over death, and light will win over darkness.” The rousing speech came one day after Zelenskyy formally applied for EU membership, asking the European allies to hasten Ukraine’s admittance.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the support of the EU but said he “didn’t want this unity at this price.”
“Thousands of people killed, two revolutions, one war, and five days of a full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said, as his interpreter struggled to maintain control of his own emotions. “We are fighting for our rights, for our freedoms, for life. We’re fighting for survival.”
Zelenskyy and members of Ukraine’s parliament have repeatedly pleaded with the U.S. and its NATO allies to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine to thwart Russia’s brutal and unrelenting air assault on its cities. That plea has been rebuffed on the grounds that such action would be tantamount to a declaration of war with Russia.
While Western allies have worked in concert to deliver punishing financial sanctions on Russia, they have avoided taking steps that could interrupt access to Russian natural gas and oil, which Ukraine says directly funds the Kremlin’s war machine.
Did you know that European, American, British companies still make $700m daily by trading with Russia? Write to an international company of your choice: oil and gas, car manufacturers, investment funds, retailers etc. Demand them to cut all ties with Russia. More: @Boycott_RU pic.twitter.com/kQM8TkqFl3
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) March 1, 2022
Condemnation grows as Russia targets civilians
As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to unfold, much of the world has been watching with horror as Moscow has shifted from its initial tactic of seizing or destroying strategic military sites and infrastructure to deliberately targeting residential areas including schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings.
https://twitter.com/OstapYarysh/status/1498906055534952449
The U.N. Security Council on Monday accepted Zelenskyy’s request that it investigate Russia for war crimes following reports that Kremlin forces are inflicting tremendous suffering on the Ukrainian people through its use of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, weapons designed to cause maximum suffering that have been widely condemned by numerous international organizations. Amnesty International has accused Russia of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine as civilians huddled inside for shelter.
In other developments, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the U.S. will join the EU and Canada in closing airspace to Russian-operated aircraft. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the EU are considering additional sanctions on Moscow.