WAR IN UKRAINE: March 12, 2022
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: Day 17
At least 13 evacuation corridors from different Ukrainian cities, including the besieged eastern city of Mariupol, will be open on Saturday for civilians, said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. “Today, a convoy with humanitarian cargo and buses for the evacuation of people (...) is departing from the city of Zaporizhzhia to the city of Mariupol, Donetsk Region, through the following populated localities: Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol, Vasylivka, Berdyansk, Mangush, Mariupol, with mandatory mine sweeping along the entire route,” Vereshchuk said Saturday in a video message. “I very much hope that today will be a success, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will adhere to the ceasefire obligations it took on,” Vereshchuk added.
Shelling intensified in Kyiv suburbs as an all out Russian assault appears more likely. Telegram channels show heavy shelling in Makriv - just a one hour drive west of Kyiv.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Vladimir Putin did not show any willingness to end the war in Ukraine during a 75-minute phone call between the French, German and Russian leaders. Meanwhile, Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned the West that arms convoys delivering weapons to Ukrainian fores could become "legitimate targets" for Moscow's troops (BBC)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells a news conference that 1,300 Ukrainian troops have died in the conflict so far. He says that around 500-600 Russian troops surrendered to Ukrainian forces on Friday, but the BBC cannot verify his claims
President Zelensky: “All of Ukraine should be considered a frontline”
At least 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24. According to the United Nations refugee agency, an estimated 4 million people may flee Ukraine. The majority of refugees have escaped to Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. At the Polish border, UNHCR staff reported lines that were miles long. In Romania, people were waiting up to 20 hours to enter, according to agency staff. Many regions in Poland close to the Ukrainian border have become overwhelmed. Several national railway networks in Europe are offering free tickets migrants who’ve fled Ukraine.
Caption: Show this photo to those who say you can’t take them with you: the old, lame German Shepherd was carried by its owner 17kms to the border with Poland (many neighbouring countries have loosened rules to allow Ukrainians fleeing the violence to bring their pets with them).