Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

A Russian soldier was heard saying on a radio call saying, “We don’t know who to shoot, they all look like us.” Reports ABC News

Day 1 (24 February 2022)

• Russian troops invaded Ukraine from the north, east and south, shelling more than a dozen cities and destroying military targets. At least 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
• Russian forces moved swiftly toward Kyiv, the capital, and “have every intention of decapitating the government,” the Pentagon said.
• President Vladimir Putin warned other countries against interfering and said Russia remains a powerful nuclear state.
• After waking up to explosions, tens of thousands of Ukrainians fled west.
• President Biden announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s banks, its elites and technology exports.
• Oil prices jumped. Stocks in Europe and Asia fell.

Day 2 (25 February 2022)

Russian forces enter outskirts of Kyiv and – according to the US – launch amphibious assault from Sea of Azov

Day 3 (26 February 2022)

Western intelligence reports indicated that the Russian advance had been slowed, if only for the moment. The Russian priority remained the capture of Kyiv.

Day 4 (27 February 2022)

• EU’s Borrell (High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) pledges to work with allies to ‘cripple the Russian financial market’ following other sanctions announced earlier in the day
• EU moves follow Putin’s order for nuclear forces to be on alert in response to ‘unfriendly economic actions against our country’

Day 5 (28 February 2022)

The bombardment of a residential area of Kharkiv signaled a potentially intensifying turn on the fifth day of Russia’s invasion, which has sparked a nationwide resistance in Ukraine, forced half a million refugees to flee the country and left Moscow increasingly isolated from the world. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine called for an international tribunal to investigate Russia for war crimes. Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow failed to make progress in Belarus.

Day 6 (1 March 2022)

The President of the United States says, “The United States of America stands with the Ukrainian people.” However, we won’t stand too close. You do the fighting and we will watch. How brave!