By Nysa Gandhi
It is estimated that up to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the past month alone as they continue to move into Ukraine. There have been 64 attacks so far on health care facilities in Ukraine, as confirmed by WHO officials.
Ukrainian forces are currently fighting to take back territory, launching counterattacks in the north and west regions of Kyiv, effectively pushing Russian troops back 25-35 kilometers. They appear to be making headway in this area and have regained control of Makariv, a territory located west of the capital.
Satellite images have shown extensive flooding in the Irpin River, a development that is detrimental towards the Russian advance toward Kyiv, because if the Russians cannot cross it, they cannot take Kyiv from the west. While it is unclear whether the flooding was an intentional move from the Ukrainian military or not, it has been a significant help in slowing the Russian invasion from the west.
Ukrainians are also fighting to take back the southern city of Kherson, which was taken over by Russia early on in the conflict. Along with that, there have been efforts to push back Russian forces in the northeast part of Mykolaiv, which has forced Russia to reposition the city, further draining some of their resources.
However, the siege on Mariupol by the Russian military has been unrelenting, where fires and destruction are rife throughout the city. Recently, there have been barrages of airstrikes coming in from the bordering sea on the city as they brace for the worst.
A ceasefire seems far from possible as President Macron of France and President Zelenskyy continue to attempt to hold dialogue with members of the Russian foreign ministry, calling the conversations “distressing.”
It is believed by the US and other NATO countries that it is possible that Belarus may join the war, given its close ties to Russia.
The US government has finally formally declared that Russia's military has committed war crimes in Ukraine as of Wednesday, March 23rd. Us Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has sent a bill to the Senate to ban all oil imports from Russia.
President Biden is expected to announce new sanctions targeting Russia’s economy and, more specifically, the Russian Oligarchs. He arrived in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday, March 23rd, and will join other NATO countries, the G7 and the EU, in a conversation about the recent conflict.
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