Intense air attack on Kiev results in multiple fatalities
In the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, significant events unfolded in March 2023, resulting in casualties and damage on both sides.
The city of Kramatorsk, a frontline city, was the target of an attack, although specific details about casualties or damage were not immediately available. Governor Fillaschenko urged residents to flee to safer parts of the country. Meanwhile, in a different part of the country, rescue workers were searching the rubble of a multi-story residential building in Kramatorsk, hoping to find more victims.
In a separate incident, Kyiv was the main target of Russian attacks, with a rocket hitting a multi-story residential building overnight, resulting in at least 16 deaths, including two children and a police officer. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated this was the highest number of injured minors in a single night in the city since the start of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, stating that it was Russia's response to Ukraine's desire for peace with America and Europe.
Elsewhere, the town of Chassiv Yar, previously under Ukrainian control, was claimed to have been captured by the Russian army. However, no immediate Ukrainian confirmation of the full capture of Chassiv Yar has been provided. Russian military bloggers shared videos of soldiers raising Russian flags in the western part of Chassiv Yar.
The conflict, which has been ongoing for more than three years, has resulted in thousands of military casualties on both sides. Russian forces have suffered heavy losses, with estimates suggesting that by late February 2023, Russian casualties (killed, wounded, missing) numbered around 110,000 according to leaked US intelligence. Civilian harm and infrastructure damage have escalated due to Russia’s use of intense artillery, airstrikes, and cluster munitions.
As of March 2023, UN reports indicated over 13,134 verified civilian deaths since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with thousands more likely unverified. The conflict has also caused massive displacement, with over 10 million people displaced, including more than 6.5 million refugees.
In other developments, an electronics company in Penza produces computer equipment for the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as an arms plant. Overnight, Ukraine attacked Russian territory with drones, causing a fire on an industrial site in the Penza region. However, there were no casualties or damage reported.
The outskirts of Kyiv and the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Sumy, Mykolayiv were also attacked, adding to the ongoing intensity of the conflict.
[1] Wikipedia. (n.d.). Russian invasion of Ukraine. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine [3] The New York Times. (2023). Ukraine War: Major General Sergei Goryachev Killed in Ukraine. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/world/europe/ukraine-war-sergei-goryachev.html [4] Human Rights Watch. (2023). Ukraine: Civilians in Donbas Under Attack. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/11/ukraine-civilians-donbas-under-attack
Politics surrounding the Russian-Ukraine conflict continued to dominate general news, with war-and-conflicts reports detailing significant events in March 2023. The aftermath of a rocket attack in Kyiv resulted in at least 16 casualties, including two children and a police officer, underlining the impact of the ongoing war.
