E-Paper
Russia-Ukraine conflict in Maps: Moscow invades from ‘all directions’ as Kyiv fights on
Russia has attacked Ukraine from the north, east and south as the Russian army advances further on the third day.
Moscow on Saturday said it ordered the Russian army to advance into Ukraine “from all directions” after the war-torn country refused to come to sit on the negotiation table. On the third day of invasion, Russian forces pounded more Ukrainian cities with artillery and cruise missiles, while a defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fought to keep the capital Kyiv in the country’s hands.
Fight for Kyiv hits the streets
Russian troops advanced into the capital city of Kyiv on Friday, heading towards the city centre. A missile struck a high-rise apartment building on Kyiv's southwestern outskirts near one of its two passenger airports, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors, resulting in fighting on the streets. At least six civilians were injured in the attack.
Also Read | Zelensky says Ukraine halted Kremlin bid to capture Kyiv, curfew toughened
Earlier in the day, Britain's defence ministry said the Russian advance into Ukraine had temporarily slowed but was now just 30km from the city centre.
Here's a map showing Russia's advance into Ukraine as on Feb 26:
Melitopol
According to Russia's defence ministry, the Russian army has captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol. However, British armed forces minister James Heappey said they did not believe the claim.
Chernobyl
On Friday, Ukraine's nuclear energy regulator said higher than usual gamma radiation levels have been detected in the area around the Chernobyl nuclear plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear accident.
Watch here | Why Chernobyl nuclear plant's capture by Russia is key to Putin's Ukraine plan
Chernobyl was seized by the Russian military as it is one of the fastest land routes for invading forces. This is because Ukraine shares its northern border with Belarus, a key Russian ally, located just 10 miles from the site.
Strikes from south
Saturday's clashes on the streets followed two days of massive air and missile strikes by the Russian army as they moved in from the northern, southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.
Until Friday, Russia had intensified its efforts to invade from the southern border, in Kherson just north of Crimea, and in the Black Sea ports of Mykolaiv, Odessa and around Mariupol.
Here's a map comparing Russia's advance into Ukraine on Feb 24 and Feb 25:
The port city of Mariupol was eerily quiet on the streets as thousands of Russian naval infantry were seen moving ashore from the Sea of Azov. Mariupol is an industrial center in Ukraine and a key target for Russia to seize.
Attacks in northern and eastern parts
At the northeastern edge, a Russian missile launcher was seen in the city of Kharkiv and shelling was heard in the distance.
Earlier, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had sealed the cities of Sumy and Konotop in northeastern Ukraine. A bridge was destroyed at Ivankiv, about 60km northwest of Kyiv.
Ukraine's state security service (SBU), on the other hand, denied a report that Russian helicopters had landed in the Lviv region, a development that would have signalled a widening of the theatre of Moscow's invasion.
Moscow began its assault on Ukraine on Thursday as President Vladimir Putin called the neighbouring nation an illegitimate state carved out of Russia. The airspace over Ukraine has been shut since while thousands of citizens grapple to flee the war-torn country.
