From sanctions to shelling: Key moments in two months of Ukraine war
Two months after invading Ukraine, Russia says its aim is full control of the Donbas region in the east as well as the south of the country. Here are key moments of the Ukraine War.
The war between Russia and Ukraine entered its third month on Sunday with no end in sight to Moscow’s aggression in the war-torn nation. Despite being accused of war crimes, killing civilians and facing severe economic sanctions from the western nations, the Russian troops have again renewed their attack in Mariupol on Sunday.
Key moments of the Ukraine War:
1. The beginning of war - The Ukraine war began on February 24 when the Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine for a "special military operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted, "Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself."
The Ukrainian forces started battling the Russian invaders in the north, east and south as war-torn city witnessed heavy bombing.
2. Chernobyl plant captured - Just a day into the Ukraine war, Chernobyl - the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in April 1986 - came under Russian control.
3. First round of peace talks, Ukraine applies for EU membership- The first round of “peace talks” between the two sides took place four days after the aggression. However, no breakthrough was achieved. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially signed an EU membership application for Ukraine on the same day.
4. Sanctions against Russia begin - The European Union placed a ban on transactions with Russia’s central bank- the first of the several sanctions that followed during the course of war. The EU also approved a 500-million-euro ($554m) support package for the Ukrainian military the first of many.
5. Attacks on Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson - On the following days from March 1, Russia launched a full scale attack on the key cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol, and Kherson in the south. The Russian forces bombard the southern port of Mariupol for 14 hours and stopped civilians leaving, officials alleged.
6. Russia gags media- Amid growing criticism, the Kremlin then blocked Twitter, Facebook. Access to news platforms such as Voice of America, the BBC and Deutsche Welle – among other media platforms – was also reportedly blocked as March began. Vladimir Putin signed a law criminalising “fake news”, which could give offenders up to 15 years in prison.
7. Humanitarian corridors set up - Russia and Ukraine agreed to set up the first humanitarian corridors for fleeing civilians after ten days of war. More than a million Ukrainains had already fled the war-torn country within the first few days.
8. Zaporizhzhia NPP hit, humanitarian corridor bombed - In an event that kept the world on edge, the Russian forces seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - one of Europe's biggest nuclear power plants - on March 4. Russian forces also bombed an evacuation corridor on March 10, preventing humanitarian supplies from reaching Mariupol, Ukraine said.
Meanwhile, NATO rejected Ukraine's appeal for no-fly zones, saying it would escalate the conflict.
9. Russian shelling intensifies - In the following week, Russian troops bombed a maternity hospital, and later a theatre in the port city Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering. Russia also fired missiles at a base in Yavoriv close to the border with NATO member Poland.
10. Ukraine drops NATO plan, Biden warns China - On March 15, Zelensky accepted that his country will not become a member of NATO, one of the demands made by Russia in a bid to lay grounds for further negotiations.
Days later, US President Joe Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping of “consequences” should China offer Russia “material support” in the conflict.
11. Focus shifts on pro-Russian eastern region - On March 25, Moscow signalled that it will be scaling back its ambitions and will focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the east as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns outside Kyiv.
12. Peace talks take place in Istanbul - On March 29, the two countries held another round of peace talks by the time more than 4 million people have fled Ukraine.
13. Bucha killings surface - In the first week of April, Ukraine recaptured more territory around Kyiv from Russian soldiers. Ukraine also accused Russia of war crimes after a mass grave and bodies of people shot at close range were found in the recaptured town of Bucha.
14. Moscow claims “Mariupol liberated” - On April 14, Russia's lead warship in the Black Sea, the Moskva, sank after an explosion and fire that Ukraine said was caused by a missile strike. A week later, Putin declared the southeastern port of Mariupol "liberated" as Moscow claimed to have taken “complete control” of the strategic port city. But Ukraine said it would till the end.
With inputs from Reuters
