The army of Ukraine is preparing for a possible new attack by ground troops of Russia from Belarus in the direction of the capital Kiev. “To this end, defensive positions in the north of the country have already been prepared and strengthened,” said Kyiv defense chief General Oleksiy Pavlyuk. “In order to prevent the Russian units from rapidly advancing tanks,” he said, “larger minefields have been laid at all points accessible to tanks. If the attackers fail to overcome these barriers, it will be easier for the ‘Ukrainian Artillery Shoot Down Troop Concentrations’.
At the very beginning of the Russian war in February last year, Ukrainian forces repulsed an advance of Russian troops out of Belarus and into Kiev. A many kilometers long column of Russian tanks and vehicles has been decimated in the dense forests north of Kiev and forced to retreat. The Ukrainian leadership fears another attack by the Russian army, which it has been deploying units along the border with Ukraine in Belarus for several weeks.
ZELENSKY’S MESSAGE – “New stage of our diplomatic marathon”, meanwhile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in the usual evening video message on Telegram. “I spoke to the leaders of European states about the situation on the battlefield: the difficult conditions in the Donetsk region, the constant Russian attacks, the fact that Russia does not count its victims, does not spare the locals and does not stop at to any criminal action”.
“The only defense can be given only by modern military equipment that Ukraine can get from partners. I thank all the leaders who help us for understanding that now is the time for new decisions. The free world has everything it takes to stop Russian aggression and bring the terrorist state to a historic defeat. It is important for global democracy, for all who value freedom. I thank all those who help us defend Ukraine and freedom, fight for independence and they work to strengthen Ukraine,” he added.
THE CIVIL VICTIMS – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed that 6,952 people have been killed and 11,144 civilians injured in Ukraine following the full-scale invasion of Russia. The UN stressed that the actual death toll is much higher because there are delays in receiving information from some places where fighting is ongoing and many reports have yet to be confirmed. “This applies, for example, to the settlements of Mariupol, Izyum, Lysychansk, Popasna and Severodonetsk, where, according to reports, there have been numerous cases of civilian deaths or injuries,” the organization adds.