KYIV, Ukraine. — Ukraine is suffering even more destruction, eight weeks after Russia invaded.
It’s being reported missiles hit a thousand military targets overnight and troops have now taken control of another town. This comes as Ukraine’s leader asks the European Union to issue a sixth round of “truly painful” sanctions.
The U.S. served up more punishment to Russia yesterday, targeting a key bank and a network of Russian nationals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to call off plans to storm the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine.
Putin said he wants to continue the secure blockade of Mariupol. The last Ukrainian fighters in the city are sheltering in the huge steel plant, reportedly with about a thousand civilians who are living in desperate conditions.
Through all the intense fighting over the last few days, there have been no major territorial gains in the new Russian offensive in Ukraine’s Donbas region. That’s according to two senior U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation.
Russian forces have launched probing attacks, but the frontlines have remained largely the same.
Meanwhile, a new $800 million weapons package is being delivered to help Ukrainian forces with the battles expected to come. That shipment is specifically focused on artillery.
The U.S. has also asked “many” NATO allies to contribute to this latest round of defensive aid.
