Amid Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s unfolding invasion of the smaller country, Ukrainian civilians recently helped capture 29 Russian soldiers in one sweep in the Sumy area of Ukraine, according to information shared by sources including the Ukrainian news outlet called The Kyiv Independent. As the Independent’s reporting explained it, “According to the National Police, residents reported seeing a group of suspects in a military uniform to the police. The Russian soldiers are now in the hands of law enforcement agencies.” A separate report indicated that the incident unfolded “near” the Ukrainian city called Romny. The circumstances further sketch out a portrait of Russian invaders in Ukraine who are substantially vulnerable to Ukrainian defenses — although not without devastating impacts on the people of Ukraine from the rampaging Russian army.
Overall, reported losses for the Russian military have been steep. Ukrainian personnel have claimed to have killed over 12,000 Russian troops amid the invasion — an obviously huge number. Western officials have tentatively supported the notion that thousands of Russian troops have been killed, although exact numbers are difficult to conclusively determine under current circumstances. Ukraine also says that they’ve one way or another wiped out 57 Russian planes, 83 helicopters, over 350 tanks — and even a warship from the invaders’ side. As for the losses that have been suffered by Ukrainians, officials (who went anonymous in this instance) recently pinned the death toll in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol — and just Mariupol — at some 1,300, according to a CNN report. That’s the city where Russian forces recently bombed a maternity hospital, leaving at least 3 dead from that particular incident. Residents there have been essentially trapped under continuing Russian attacks without utilities such running water. A young child was reported to have died of dehydration in the city.
⚡️Melitopol mayor allegedly abducted by Russian occupiers.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted by Russian forces, according to preliminary information.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 11, 2022
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president who’s garnered acclaim from those opposing Russia’s anti-democratic ambitions, is standing by the defense of his country — and insisted in recent remarks that the course of the war is moving in Ukrainians’ direction. As he put it, “We have already reached a strategic turning point. We are already moving towards our goal, our victory… We need time, patience, our wisdom, energy, we need to do our job to the best of our abilities.” Putin has been reported to have fired around eight top military leaders (and counting, presumably) amid the apparent breakdown of his government’s plans for Ukraine, although obviously, no amount of discord within Vladimir Putin’s regime is going to somehow make up for the thousands of civilians who’ve lost their lives; for now, it’s not an equally destructive situation here. Ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman recently suggested, though, that outrage over the numerous military deaths that Russia has sustained could help lead to Putin’s downfall.
