One week ago, on Thursday, at 5 am local time, Kyiv woke up from the first missile explosions. They were soon followed by many more across Kyiv and other cities.
Optimism in times of war. A recent sociological survey shows 88% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine will be able to repel Russia’s attack. 76% of Ukrainians now support the country’s accession to NATO, 86% – to the European Union. Support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO is the highest in the history of Ukrainian polling. Just within a couple of days, approximately $200 million were donated to the National Bank of Ukraine.
Negotiations. Russia has announced their readiness for another round of negotiations with Ukraine. However, no details are known yet. Previously, President Zelenskyi informed that the negotiations will be possible only when the bombing stops. Meanwhile, Ukraineโs fugitive ex-President Yanukovych was spotted in Minsk. Ukrainian intelligence says Kreml considers reinstating Yanukovych as the โPresident of Ukraineโ. Such a decision rather shows that Russia lacks the understanding of the local Ukrainian context and how much he is hated in Ukraine.
International community. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitฤ called NATO to support Ukraine. She underlined the weakness of the decision to โnot get involved in a conflictโ, when there are lessons learnt from Syria, Libya, Africa, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Shzolz rules out military intervention in the Ukrainian war by NATO – and Germany in particular – explaining that Germany already provides a lot of economic and financial support. The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on Aggression against Ukraine with 141 votes calling on the Russian government to immediately stop the aggression, withdraw its troops and abide by the rules of the UN Charter. War crimes court, ICC, received referrals from 39 states parties and proceeded with opening of an investigation on the crimes against Ukraine.
Security leaks. Ukrainian intelligence has managed to reveal some of the Russian documents and spies. Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation obtained planning documents of one of the Russian divisions, which they left in a panic. According to the documents, Russia planned to start the war on Feb 20th and to finish it by March 6th. The assistant to the Head of the Security Services of Ukraine has been caught for treason. He leaked information to Russians about military units in Kherson and adjusted the targets during the attacks on the city’s critical infrastructure. In Ivano-Frankivsk, an artillery observer has been detained after leaking information about the location of the regional airport during the air raid on the first day of the war.
Shelling continues. President Zelnskyi in his daily speech informed that the most difficult situation is currently in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Southern regions, in Volnovakha. In Kyiv, Russian terrorists launched several airstrikes According to preliminary data, air objects were shot down by the Air Defense of Ukraine. In Energodar, Zaporizhzhia oblast local citizens blocked the road to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant preventing Russian troops from taking it over. Kharkiv continues to be under heavy shelling. On March 2nd, missile hit the premises of the City Council; Russian troops also tried to destroy Kharkiv TV Tower with a banned vacuum bomb. Izyum, Kharkiv region was bombed during the night, killing 8 people. In Kherson, the mayor demands to launch a โgreen corridorโ to evacuate civilians and injured. Meantime a deal has been concluded between both parties to ensure following curfew and food supply. A massive airstrike hit Sumy early in the morning, injuring 5 people, Powerful missile strike was made on the territory of Ukrainian 27th artillery brigade, the military department of the Sumy State University, and the cadet corps. In Chernihiv an oil depot plant has been hit with a missile. 6 fuel tanks of oil, 5000 cubic meters each, are on fire.
Humanitarian crises. Volnovakha is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. 500 women and children were evacuated after 5 days without water, electricity, gas supplies and after being under constant shelling. A similar situation is in Mariupol where there is no water supply and electricity in a number of areas. The Red Cross distributed humanitarian aid and food to the citizens of Bucha, Kyiv region, after days of active shelling in the city. More than 200 people were evacuated in Borodianka, Kyiv region from the basement of the destroyed building, after being stuck there for 2 days. Russian troops hide bombs in childrensโ toys and leave them around in the cities.
March 3, 2022 – https://sharethetruths.org/ Violation of airspace. Four Russian fighter aircraft violated Swedish airspace east of Gotland โ two Su-27 and two Su-24. The Swedish Prime Minister has already called it unacceptable.
Closure of business. More than 70 international businesses exit the Russian market or significantly limit their operations there. Among them are Apple, Audi, Coca Cola, Nestle, etc. EU has already disconnected VTB, Rossiya and Otkrytie banks, as well as Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank and VEB from SWIFT
Disinformation. Russia continues to intimidate the population with alleged โUkrainian Nazisโ and nationalists. They say that Ukrainian armed groups are forcibly detaining more than 60 people, half of them women and children, in the basement and school premises in Mariupol. In addition, Russian media are actively spreading the myth that Ukrainian soldiers use people (more specifically, foreigners) to protect themselves, in particular they assure that Ukrainian authorities are forcibly detaining a large group of Indian students in Kharkiv to use them as human shields. Russia is also trying to hide its real losses in the war. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, only 498 Russian soldiers were killed in Ukraine between February 24 and March 2. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of February 24, the Russian army has lost 5,840 people.
Russia is preparing a deepfake with President Zelenskyi as if he is announcing Ukraine’s surrender on camera. The Russian parliament proposes to introduce a penalty for โdisinformationโ. In simple terms – the Russian parliament wants to silence the media from telling the truth about their war against Ukraine. In fact, they do not even want it to be called โwarโ, but a โspecial operationโ. During the day, Russian media had claimed that Russian troops managed to establish full control in Kherson, which is a lie.
Stories from the ground. Ukrainians document their daily war experience. Listen to the podcasts: – The day we survived that includes stories of people leaving their cities at the beginning of the war; War. Stories from Ukraine cover stories of daily life and how it feels to be under the shelling.
Statistics:
- More than 836,000 people fled from Ukraine in 7 days, according to the UN.
- More than 15 000 civilians are constantly hiding from the shelling in the Kyiv metro.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of theRussian military as of 6 a.m., March 3, 2022: Personnel โ over 9000; Tanks โ 217; Armored fighting carriers โ 900; Cannons โ 90; combat vehicles โ 42; Air defense systems โ 11; Aircraft โ 30; Helicopters โ 31; Vehicles โ 374; Multiple launch rocket systems โ 60; Ships/boats โ 2; Tankers โ 60; UAV (unmanned aircraft) โ 3. (Data is being updated constantly. It is difficult to calculate because of the high intensity of hostilities)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has launched a website about the war in Ukraine (verified sources, main messages, how to support).
- Every action matters, no matter how small!
- ะกall the EU to pass Emergency Law to help UA refugees.
- Find the next march or protest near you. Here are steps to organise Stop Putin Events.
- Do you need a poster for the protest – see here.
- Call your decision-makers and international organizations to join Ukraine indeputinizing the world: ending Putinโs influence in politics, diplomacy, business, sports, culture, research & other spheres around the world.
Thank you for supporting Ukraine! Slava Ukraini! Glory to Ukraine!
Update prepared by representatives of Ukrainian NGOs and experts in human security and democracy, who are in cities all over Ukraine right now. NGOs: Institute for political and information research NGO, World of Communities, Kyiv educational center Tolerspace, U-Cycle NGO (Kyiv Cyclists Association), OpenSpace.Works Cooperative. Experts: Sofia Oliynyk, Maryana Zaviyska, Sofia Bela (culture heritage block), Taras Tymchuk, Marianna Semenyshyn, Uliana Movchan (Disinformation block).
