Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 29 of the invasion
Biden to join leaders at Nato, G7, EU summits a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
A damaged school in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. Photograph: Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images
Maanvi Singh
Samantha Lock
Thu Mar 24 2022 - 08:18
Thursday marks one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, called for citizens around the world to unite in global rallies in protest against the war. "Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard. Say that people matter. Freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters."
Russian forces have been accused of taking hostage the people of the besieged Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, as local officials imposed drinking water rationing on trapped civilians. About 150,000 people are stuck in the northern city with little hope of aid after Russia cut them off from the capital, Kyiv.
The port of Berdyansk, a city in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southeast Ukraine, was on fire on Thursday, according to local Ukrainian media outlets and a senior adviser in the country's interior ministry.
Ukraine is increasing pressure on Russian forces northeast of Kyiv while carrying out successful counterattacks against Russian positions in towns on the outskirts of the capital, the UK defence ministry has said. Russian forces had "almost certainly" suffered thousands of casualties, it added. It would now likely look to mobilise reservist and conscript manpower – as well as private military companies and foreign mercenaries – to replace considerable losses.
Western nations will warn the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday that his country will pay "ruinous" costs for invading Ukraine during an unprecedented one-day trio of Nato, G7 and European Union summits that will be attended by the US president, Joe Biden. Zelenskiy hoped for "meaningful steps" at the round of summits, noting they would reveal "who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money".
Ahead of the summit, Nato has announced it will double its troops along the alliance's eastern flank. "The first step is the deployment of four new Nato battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, along with our existing forces in the Baltic countries and Poland, " said the alliance's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Nato countries are also expected to agree at Thursday's meeting to provide special kit to help protect Ukraine against chemical, biological or nuclear attacks launched by Russia.
Britain will provide 6,000 defensive missiles and extra funds to support the Ukrainian military, as well as to BBC journalists providing news coverage in the region.
The US government has said it believes war crimes have been committed in Ukraine based on its assessment of evidence that civilians have been deliberately targeted.
Between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war, Nato estimates. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years in Afghanistan, the Associated Press has reported.
The Russian climate envoy Anatoly Chubais has stepped down and left the country in protest against Putin's war in Ukraine. He is the highest-level official to break with the Kremlin over the invasion.
The US said it would announce a package of Russia-related sanctions against political figures and oligarchs on Thursday. A US state department spokesperson confirmed that the US embassy had received a list of diplomats from Russia considered "persona non grata" by the Russian foreign ministry.
Israel has blocked Ukraine from buying Pegasus spyware, fearing Russia's anger. The revelation, after a joint investigation by the Guardian and Washington Post, offers new insight into the way Israel's relationship with Russia has at times undermined Ukraine's offensive capabilities – and contradicted US priorities.
Putin has said Russia plans to demand payment in roubles for its gas sales to "unfriendly" countries. The announcement sent European futures soaring over concerns the switch would exacerbate a looming energy crisis by jamming up deals that run to hundreds of millions of dollars every day. – Guardian
