Chris Lange, FISM News
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Save the Children has confirmed that more than 1000 children have been killed or injured as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The humanitarian group said that at least 372 children have been killed and 635 wounded in the war, citing verified United Nations data. Their analysis further shows that, since February 24, an average of five children have been killed or injured in Ukraine each day.
“This grim milestone marks another dark day in this senseless war. Innocent children are being injured and killed nearly every day in Ukraine,” Sonia Khush, Save the Children’s Country Director in Ukraine, said in a press release Monday.
“Ruthless violence, including the use of explosive weapons in urban areas, has taken a big toll on children over the past six months. This is on top of eight brutal years of conflict in the east of the country,” Khush continued.
“Our teams inside Ukraine continue to witness the devastating impact this war is having on children and families who have endured more than eight years of conflict. The world must act now.”
Save the Children is urging all parties in the conflict to abide by international and humanitarian human rights laws, including the cessation of attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure.
Kyiv remains tight-lipped about counteroffensive
Recent military activity continues to suggest that Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces. While Ukrainian officials have been tight-lipped about any such efforts, Reuters reported on Wednesday that several witnesses and military bloggers have reported fighting in the town of Blakliia in Eastern Ukraine in social media posts. Blakliia is situated between Kharkiv and Russian-held Izyum, the site of a massive railway hub used by Moscow to supply its forces.
Information about developments in southern Kherson region has also been limited. Kyiv has barred journalists from the frontline and has been providing only limited reports in order to “preserve the element of surprise,” according to the news service.
Western military experts cited by Reuters said that it appears that Ukraine’s objective is to “trap thousands of Russian troops on the west bank of the wide Dnipro River and cut them off by destroying their rear supply lines.”
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that “Ukraine has launched an offensive in and around Kherson Oblast,” and that “there are indications that the Ukrainian military is pushing forward.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said his forces shot down five Russian cruise missiles on Tuesday, most of them in the south.
“This morning alone, five of six Russian X-101 missiles were downed,” Zelenskiy said in an evening address. “This is a costly loss for Russia, and it saves many Ukrainian lives. Four of these missiles were downed by the “South” district of the air command.”
Pentagon confirms Russia requested ammunition from N. Korea, Iran
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday acknowledged reports that Moscow “has approached North Korea to request ammunition.”
“I’m not able to provide any more detail than that at this point in time, but it does demonstrate and is indicative of the situation that Russia finds itself in, in terms of its logistics and sustainment capabilities as it relates to Ukraine,” Ryder said. The Defense Department also confirmed that Russia purchased unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran.
UN Chief calls for demilitarization around nuclear power plant
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday echoed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for the demilitarization of the area around the beleaguered Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine where two United Nations nuclear inspectors are to remain permanently following a risk assessment carried out last week.
Speaking to the U.N. Security Council, Guterres said that a “demilitarized perimeter” must be established around the site. “Specifically, that would include a commitment by Russian forces to withdraw all military personnel and equipment from that perimeter and a commitment by Ukrainian forces not to move into it.”
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia balked at the suggestion, telling reporters ahead of the council meeting, “if we demilitarize then the Ukrainians will immediately step in and ruin the whole thing.” Nebenzia insisted that Russian forces were defending the station.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear inspectors reported finding extensive damage at the plant Tuesday and said that unless a safe perimeter around the plant is agreed upon, the risk of a massive radiation leak will be further exacerbated.
“While the ongoing shelling has not yet triggered a nuclear emergency, it continues to represent a constant threat to nuclear safety and security with potential impact on critical safety functions that may lead to radiological consequences with great safety significance,” the IAEA report said.