The U.K. has warned of increased civilian casualties as the war in Ukraine drags on. Intelligence updates from the Ministry of Defense show that Russia will likely “continue to use its heavy firepower to support assaults on urban areas.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a direct appeal to Moscow and the people of Russia, claiming 14,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began. Zelenskyy also warned of dire consequences if ongoing ceasefire talks with Russia fail.
And, according to Mariupol’s city council, Russian bombs fell on an art school in the city where about 400 residents were in hiding.
10 Million Ukrainians have fled their homes
The war in Ukraine has caused 10 million Ukrainians to flee their homes, including those who have left the country and others who remain within the border, the head of the U.N.’s refugee agency said.
“Among the responsibilities of those who wage war, everywhere in the world, is the suffering inflicted on civilians who are forced to flee their homes,” Filippo Grandi said on Twitter.
More than 3.3 million people have fled the country as of Saturday, according to data from the U.N. The bulk of those have sought refuge in Poland, with others travelling to neighboring countries such as Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia.
The U.N. had initially predicted 4 million people would leave Ukraine to escape the violence.
Pope appealed again to Russia to stop the “senseless massacre
Pope Francis called Russia’s attacks on Ukraine a “senseless massacre where every day there is a repetition of slaughter and atrocities.
“There is no justification for this! I plead with the international community to truly commit to ending this abhorrent war,” the Pope tweeted in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
“This week again missiles and bombs have fallen on civilians, the elderly, children, and pregnant mothers. All this is inhuman!,” he said. “Indeed, it is also sacrilegious because it goes against the sacredness of human life, and this comes before any strategy!”
U.S Senator says the U.S. is moving too slowly on Ukraine military aid
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse accused the Biden administration of moving too slowly on providing weapons to Ukraine as it tries to fight off Russian attacks.
“We don’t need to have fighter pilots in the air. We don’t need to have boots on the ground inside Ukraine because Ukrainians have the will to fight,” Sasse, a Republican and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday.” “We need to have the will to rearm them constantly.”
Sasse defended his vote against an omnibus legislation that included Ukraine aid, saying the aid totaled less than 1% of the package.
At least 902 Ukrainians killed, 1,459 injured
Russian forces have killed at least 902 civilians, including 75 children, since it began its invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations.
At least an additional 1,459 people have been injured, including 98 children, from Feb. 24 through March 19, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The majority of casualties recorded have been caused by the use of explosive weapons with a “wide impact area,” the agency said. That includes shelling from heavy artillery and air strikes.
The agency said it believes the actual number of casualties are “considerably higher,” since information from areas with intense fighting is delayed and some reports are being corroborated.
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