EDITOR’S PICK
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukraine marked 100 days since Russia’s invasion on Friday with fighting raging across the east of the country, where Moscow’s forces are tightening their grip on the Donbas.
After being resisted from around the capital, President Vladimir Putin’s troops have set their sights on capturing eastern Ukraine, prompting dire warnings the war could drag on.
While their advance has been much slower than Moscow expected, Russian troops have expanded their control beyond the 43,000 square kilometres (16,600 square miles) taken when Russia seized Crimea and parts of the Donbas in 2014.
Following White House talks with US President Joe Biden, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday that Ukraine’s allies needed to brace for a gruelling “war of attrition.”
“We just have to be prepared for the long haul,” Stoltenberg said while reiterating that NATO does not want direct confrontation with Russia.
“Today, about 20 percent of our territory is under the control of the occupiers,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to Luxembourg lawmakers.
Since Russia’s February 24 invasion, thousands of people have been killed and millions forced to flee, with Ukraine’s east now bearing the brunt of Russia’s assault, which Zelensky said was killing up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers every day.
On the ground, street battles were raging in the industrial hub of Severodonetsk in Lugansk, part of the Donbas.
The strategic city is a key target for Moscow, which already controls 80 percent of the area, but Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday vowed Ukrainian forces would fight “until the end”.
FURTHER READING:
Severodonetsk’s Azot factory, one of Europe’s biggest chemical plants, was targeted by Russian soldiers who fired on one of its administrative buildings and a warehouse where methanol was stored.
Meanwhile, The United States and its allies have vowed to hold Russia accountable for “war crimes” committed by its military forces since they entered Ukraine on February 24, completing 100 days of fighting that has killed thousands and displaced millions of Ukrainians.
Click to watch our video of the week:
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors…
Two men have been killed in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State,…
Six men connected to Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba are set to stand trial…