War in Ukraine Rages On

How the situation has progressed since February 2022

by Elaine Thimyan, Reporter

Friday, February 25, 2022, 5:45 p.m.

Over the last 24 hours, Russia has officially invaded Ukraine Here’s everything you need to know.

Early Thursday morning Russia started firing missiles and advancing into Ukraine. As of now, the European Union has frozen Putin’s assets and earlier today President Biden said the US will be joining in cutting off their sanctions. These sanctions include cutting off Russia’s largest bank from the US.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has spoken saying that he thinks his family is the next target. He also said about an hour ago that tonight will make or break the future of the capital, Kyiv, saying “… the fate of Ukraine is being decided right now.” As thousands have started to flee to neighboring countries, Zelensky put a ban on military-aged men from crossing the borders. The US believes that Kyiv will fall within a matter of hours or weeks and Russia will take regime control.

Sunday, March 13, 2022,11:44 p.m.

It’s been reported that 35 are dead and hundreds are injured after Russian warplanes fired 30 cruise missiles at the Ukrainian military base in Lviv. This base happens to be a little too close for comfort near the Poland border. If even a shelling of a missile were to land in Poland it would activate article five of the NATO treaty ‘an attack on one is an attack on all.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 10:20 a.m.

Russian forces have begun to deescalate their advances on Ukraine. They announced two plans for de-escalation including reducing military activity in Kyiv and talking with President Zelensky. Though the US doesn’t necessarily believe that Russia is serious about its talks with Ukraine.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “There is what Russia says, and then there’s what Russia does, we’ll take the latter.”

Monday, April 4, 2022, 10:32 a.m.

Russian soldiers made their way out of Bucha, a Ukrainian city, and as Ukrainian soldiers made their way into the town they found a mass grave and people lying in the street. Nations of the world are calling for war crimes charges.

Mariupol is also on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. They’ve been trying to reach the city since Saturday but have so far been unsuccessful.

While the fighting at the capital may have been abated, eastern Ukraine is starting to prepare for heavy fighting. Putin seems to be sending lots of troops to the Donbas region. It’s become clear that Russian forces are trying to cut off their fuel dumps having targeted another fuel dump in Ukraine.

Friday, April 22, 2022, 12:24 p.m.

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified more than 5,200 civilian causalities since February 2022. According to High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, 92.3 percent of these casualties took place in government-controlled territories.

Monday, May 16, 2022, 7:25 p.m.

After more than 80 days of camping out inside the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, more than 260 soldiers were evacuated into Russianoccupied territory. The plant has been heavily bombed by Russian forces to pressure civilians to surrender the plant. The arrangement between the two sides for the evacuation was made with aid from the United Nations.

February 25, 2022: Russian forces launched attacks on eastern Ukraine in the form of missile fire in Kyiv. February 27, 2022: A Ukranian gas-line in Kharkiv was bombed. Firefighters were unable to fight back against the inferno. March 15, 2022: Ukranian President Zelensky asserted that Ukraine was not seeking to join NATO at any time.