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By Express News Service
Russian troops continued to advance through major Ukrainian cities for the third day running on Saturday but capital Kyiv hasn’t fallen yet. A defiant president Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed his forces have ‘derailed’ Russia’s invasion plan, adding that the real fight is still unfolding.
Russia’s fight for Kyiv is likely to be protracted with Ukraine set to get emergency supplies of arms and ammunition from allies. On Saturday, the Czech Republic said it will donate machine guns, assault and sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition valued at 7.6 million euros ($8.6 million). Czech defence minister Jana Cernochova said the consignment would comprise 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns, several dozen sniper guns and a million cartridges.
Explosions were heard in and around Kyiv on Saturday as residents of the city braced to spend a second night in bomb shelters and underground metro stations. In a video message posted on Saturday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of hitting infrastructure and civilian targets. Moscow maintained that it was only hitting military targets, but bridges, schools and residential neighborhoods have been hit ever since the invasion began on Thursday, accompanied by air and missile strikes.
According to Ukraine’s health minister, 198 people, including three children, have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded. It is, however, unclear if the figure includes both military and civilian casualties.
Associated Press reported that a Russian missile struck a high-rise in the southwestern outskirts near one of Kyiv’s two passenger airports, leaving a hole of ravaged apartments over several floors. A rescue worker said six civilians were injured.
The conflict has driven thousands of Ukrainians from their homes in search of safety. According to UN officials, more than 120,000 Ukrainians have left the country for Poland, Moldova and other neighbouring nations.
Russia started its militray action against Ukraine after massing up to two lakh troops along the country’s borders. In a televised address last week, he claimed the West failed to take seriously Russia’s security concerns about NATO, the Western military alliance that Ukraine aspires to join.
Make in India, don’t go abroad
Noting that Indian students have been going to other countries for medical education, PM Narendra Modi has urged the private sector to help set up medical colleges so that students don’t go abroad.
The ‘Tank Man’ of Ukraine
A video has gone viral. It shows a man standing in front of a column of Russian tanks in order to block their path, most possibly in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It reminded viewers of the famous photo from China’s Tiananmen Square, where a person had stood before tanks deployed to quell a protest in 1989.
Not going down without a fight
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been putting up a brave front. He has turned down an offer from the US to evacuate. “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride,” he said, according to a report.
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