Troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter: Russia) continue to launch airstrikes across the Ukrainian territory, with an emphasis on eastern and southern regions. Notable damage has been inflicted on settlements located in Chernhiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts.
Hostilities have damaged a total of 324 hospitals, out of which 24 have been destroyed.
An exchange of prisoners of war has taken place today and 30 Ukrainian combatants have been liberated.
The Ukrainian parliament (hereinafter: Verkhovna Rada) has adopted a resolution recognizing the Russian invasion and the actions of the Russian military as a genocide. Furthermore, the Verkhovna Rada has suspended the activities of the pro-Russian party “Opposition Platform – For Life” for as long as martial law is in effect.
Ukrainian parliamentarians are yet to vote on the controversial bill seeking to punish individuals subject to military service who have not returned to Ukraine despite the introduction of martial law and the implementation of the general military mobilization on February 24th.
Several steps demonstrating political support for Ukraine have been taken by Moldovan officials. The Moldovan parliament has adopted a bill banning the use of symbols that are known to demonstrate support for Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. These symbols include the ribbon of Saint George and the letters Z and V. Furthermore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Nice Popescu, has accused Russia of attempts to recruit Moldovans into its troops fighting in Ukraine.
According to the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, preparations are being made to accommodate Russian warplanes in the territory of Transnistria. These planes are expected to be used in hostilities targeting Ukraine.
Russian forces continue to conduct hostilities against residents in the territories it controls, and Russian
troops have been reported to have attempted to forcibly draft Ukrainian men into their army.
The Russian educational curriculum is being imposed in Ukrainian schools in the territories Russia controls. According to reports, children and students will be handed Russian graduation certificates upon the completion of the semester.
Russian forces continue to conduct hostilities and inflict abuse on residents in the territories under its control. Cases of looting and the targeting of civilians has been reported especially in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Furthermore, Russian troops have been reported to have sought to forcibly draft Ukrainian men for the army.
Car drivers have reportedly been forced to attach the ribbon of Saint George onto their vehicles and civilians have been forced to wear the white strip distinctive to Russian troops in Melitopol. The symbols risk making civilians targets of the Ukrainian army.
The Ombudsman for Human Rights in Ukraine, Lyudmyla Denisova, has reported several issues faced by Ukrainians who have been deported to Russia and wish to return to Ukraine. These issues include confiscated passports and lack of clear processes.
Ukrainian forces have been accused of shelling Russian border checkpoints twice today, on Thursday:
The governor of the Bryansk oblast, Alexander Bogomaz, claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had shelled the village of Klimovo. Several injuries were reported.
The governor of the Belgorod oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, made a statement claiming that the Ukrainian army had shelled a village in the oblast. No casualties from the attack have been reported.
Russia continues to release videos of the humanitarian aid distributed in the Sumy oblast. However, some of the videos have contained aid deliveries with Ukrainian text and markings on them.
Russian officials continue to deepen collaboration among the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, a meeting among the Military Committee of the CSTO was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence, Valeriy Gerasimov. As per the ministry, the committee agreed to continue the coordination of joint actions against threats posed to military security.
Russian sources have barely reported on the destruction of the flagship “Moskva” of the Russian Black Sea fleet. The fact that may testify to the Ukrainian army having sunk the ship is not mentioned in the Kremlin’s official statements.
Information regarding the involvement of the United States in the development of chemical weapons in Ukraine is being spread across the Russian media landscape. The Russian Minister of Defence has claimed to have identified the names of the American and European researchers working at the Ukrainian Scientific and Technological Centre within the framework of an American military and biological program. The research is allegedly being carried out in a village in the Kharkiv oblast.
Russian sources are actively spreading information about the humanitarian law violations committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian officials have, for example, claimed that Ukrainian troops shelled civilian facilities in Melitopol.
The Russian information space has seen a broad range of posts and articles regarding the positive advances made by Russian troops in Ukraine. Information spread includes, for example, news about the manifold increase of casualties suffered by Ukrainian nationalists in Donbas. Russian troops are reportedly currently killing 1000 Ukrainian combatants per day.
Russian sources continue to disseminate narratives that justify the operation to “denazify” Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been likened to historical fascist leaders. Furthermore, official sources continue to promote narratives about “occult propaganda” that has cemented into Ukrainian society which, in effect, is under western control.
This Ukraine Situation Report is prepared in the framework of the project “Building Resilience in Conflict Through Dialogue” funded by the European Union
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