As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, a satellite image shared by @detresfa – a global researcher with The Intel Lab, which features deep analysis by geopolitical intelligence experts – provides an example of how the war has devastated the eastern European country. Posted on Twitter, the image shows miles of farmlands riddled with ‘burn and impact scars caused by skirmishes and shelling’ and homes that seem to be on fire.
Home to over 43 million people, Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on February 24, with Moscow advancing steadily, if slowly, towards capital Kyiv. Explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight while fighting continued in areas outside the city, including Bucha, Ispin and Hostomel, CNN was cited in a report by The Kyiv Independent. Russia has captured the port city of Kherson and a few small towns, including Melitopol, as well as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the derelict plant at Chernobyl.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy and other officials said Russian forces had abducted Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol. Taking to Twitter, Ukraine’s parliament said ‘a group of 10 occupiers kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov. He refused to cooperate with the enemy’. Russian forces have also surrounded towns like Mariupol and unleased multiple rocket and missile strikes that have hit civilian centres, including hospitals.
Three people, including a child, were killed, and several others injured in an airstrike in Ukraine’s Mariupol (on what date). Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this attack a ‘war crime’. According to the Mariupol city council, the strike caused ‘colossal damage’.
The United Nations Security Council met Friday at Russia’s request to discuss Moscow’s claims that the United States is funding “military biological activities” in Ukraine. The US hit back by accusing Russia of using a UNSC meeting to ‘spread disinformation’ as part of a potential false-flag operation for its own use of chemical or biological agents in Ukraine.
This comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin could “fabricate allegations about chemical or biological weapons to justify its own violent attacks against the Ukrainian people”.