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1.5 Million Flee Ukraine As Russia Hits Civilian Areas

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The United Nations says more than 1.5 million people have now fled Ukraine into neighboring countries as the country faces mounting attacks by some 200,000 Russian troops. The refugee crisis comes as Russian forces respond to Ukraine’s resistance by targeting “populated areas” in several cities, witnesses say.

Horrifying attacks continue despite mounting opposition against the war in Ukraine and Russia itself. A defiant Katya recently sang the Ukrainian anthem in a bombed-out Kyiv flat. She cleaned up the glass of the destroyed apartment of her mother, Oksana.

“Long live Ukraine,” she said, her voice trembling, her eyes full of tears.

The flat is among civilian sites that Russia has bombed since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than a week ago.

“I was sleeping,” recalled Katya’s mother, Kyiv resident Oksana Gulenko. “There was a sharp explosion. And I was thrown three meters or 10 feet from the room I was into the corridor. That was it. The glass shattered. Sounds were coming from the street. I got scared. I started crawling on the floor.”

The explosions came when her daughter’s pastry shop that she helps run was to celebrate a birthday party. Now there are tears.

Russian forces are increasingly targeting civilian sites. President Volodomy Zelensky said Sunday that a civilian airport in the city of Vinnytsia, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of the capital Kyiv was destroyed by Russian rockets.

FIGHTING ROCKING AREAS

So far, most of the fighting in Ukraine rocked areas in the north and east of the capital Kyiv and the country’s southern regions. A fresh attempt to evacuate civilians from the besieged southern city of Mariupol began Sunday.

But the city council said a temporary ceasefire would last only until nine o’clock in the evening. And even then, it was unclear if fighting had stopped in the area.

Authorities aborted an evacuation Saturday due to Russian attacks as frightened residents, including children, tried to escape the relentless shelling.

Russian forces faced stiff resistance, and many Russian vehicles were destroyed, including northwest of Kyiv. Additionally, thousands of foreigners have joined the fight.

Footage has been distributed of the apparent successes of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone in the Ukraine war.

The son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Selcuk Bayraktar, is the company’s chief technology officer.

Ukraine is believed to have at least scores of Bayraktar TB2 drones, with each having a wingspan of 12 meters (472 inches) equipped with four laser-guided bombs. The drones have reportedly disabled multiple launch rocket systems and taken out columns of armored tanks and personnel transporters from the air.

A lemur born in Kyiv zoo was even given the name Bayraktar in tribute to the drone, said the capital mayor and former world heavyweight champion, Vitaly Klitschko.

PUTIN VOWS REVENGE

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country’s military action will succeed and not stop until Moscow’s demands are met that Ukraine disarms and stays neutral outside the NATO military alliance.

He has also pledged to topple the pro-Western government.

His announcement came despite protests. Thousands of people were reportedly detained Sunday in Russian cities after jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny called for anti-war demonstrations.

Amid the clashes, Israel’s prime minister was in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War Two. Bennett then spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who suggested Jerusalem host peace talks.

For now, with many fleeing Ukraine and shelling continuing, reaching a peace deal in Jerusalem remains uncertain.