Some 200 pieces of Russian invaders’ military equipment have been wiped off the battlefield by Ukrainian forces in one sweep, according to sources including Mykolaiv-area governor Vitaliy Kim. As the Ukrainian news outlet Euromaidan Press explained it, “Mykolaiv Regional Administration head Vitaliy Kim wrote on Telegram that 200 pieces of Russian military equipment were encircled and destroyed near Melitopol, Zaporizhia Oblast.” Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry Adviser Anton Gerashchenko also apparently backed up the report, sharing (according to Euromaidan Press’s translation into English) that near “Vasylivka, Zaporizhya Oblast, all the Russian equipment amassed near Melitopol (some 200 vehicles) was completely smashed by our artillery.” Russian personnel manning the equipment were also apparently wiped out.
⚡️Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov: Russia may seize large Ukrainian cities.
As of March 14, Russian troops have seized only one Ukrainian regional capital – Kherson – but they are also trying to enter Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Mariupol.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 14, 2022
These reported losses add to the already considerable Russian military losses that have been reported out of Ukraine, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s forces recently invaded. So far, Russian military personnel have been held back from encircling the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, although Russian strikes have still been recorded in the area, putting local civilians in danger. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have already died amid the continuing conflict, including over 2,100 in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol alone, according to authorities there. Russian forces were able to essentially place Mariupol under siege, creating devastating conditions for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have been trapped there. It’s in Mariupol that a young child was recently reported to have died of dehydration after Russian attacks impacted the city’s water supply, and an individual affiliated with the medical outreach group Doctors Without Borders said people had died in the city due to a lack of the necessary medicines.
⚡️Ukraine's Defense Ministry: Russia has recruited more than 1,000 Syrian mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.
The ministry said that about 400 of them have arrived in Russia.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 14, 2022
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko outlined this weekend on CNN how Ukrainians were refusing to back down from their nationwide defense. As the mayor explained it, “[Russians’] target is Kyiv. And the Russians have had this target already two weeks long, and Ukrainian soldiers destroyed the plans of Russians, and they can’t make a circle around Kyiv. That’s why we are ready to fight — we defend our city, and right now, huge, huge patriotic waves, because of people who never ever expected to take weapons in hand right now to defend houses, children, and the future of our country.” According to weekend revelations from the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, “Kyiv has prepared a two-week supply of food products in case of a blockade – Kyiv City State Administration. This stock should be enough for two million Kyiv residents who have stayed in the city.” U.K. intelligence officials recently warned that Russian forces in Ukraine appeared to be preparing for a renewed offensive against Kyiv.
Kyiv has prepared a two-week supply of food products in case of a blockade – Kyiv City State Administration. This stock should be enough for two million Kyiv residents who have stayed in the city. #StopRussia #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/9S7ZndDvYM
— Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre) March 13, 2022
