It’s been three months since Russia invaded Ukraine. In that time, Russia’s troops have faced challenges in Ukrainian cities that have stiff defenses.
Battleground: Since the Feb. 24 invasion began, the fighting has moved east after Russia failed to seize Kyiv and instead got stalled on highways, draining its supplies and gas.
- However, Russia did manage to seize Mariupol, the biggest port city in south Ukraine.
- “The Russians are still well behind where we believe they wanted to be when they started this revitalized effort in the eastern part of the country,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Friday, adding that small towns and villages were changing hands every day in the Donbas, per The Associated Press.
- Fighting continues in Donetsk and Luhansk, regions of eastern Ukraine with significant territory under the control of Russian-backed separatists, according to BBC News.
- In recent weeks, Russia’s focus has shifted to the cities of Izyum and Severodonetsk in the east, where it is attempting to surround them from all sides.
- Ukrainian troops pushed Russian military away from the second-largest Ukrainian city, Kharkiv, in the north.
Aid: Western aid continues to flow into Ukraine, with a $40 billion U.S. aid package underway. NATO allies have agreed to “further strengthen and sustain support for Ukraine,” and Finland and Sweden may become a part of the alliance.
Humanitarian crisis: So far, 6,642,659 people have fled Ukraine, while over 8 million people have been internally displaced, according to BBC News.
The United Nations has said that 3,974 civilians have lost their lives and 4,654 have been injured, though the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that the death toll is likely higher, per CNBC.
Money: Economic sanctions against Russia have piled up past 10,000, according to a Times of India report. Many big chains, like IKEA and McDonald’s, have either suspended operations or left the country entirely.
- As for the Russian currency, the ruble found stability, even after it lost a lot of value earlier on during the invasion, according to The Associated Press. But the same can’t be said for economic activity.
- “We see deterioration in the economy now across a broad range of sectors. Companies are warning that they’re running out of inventories of spare parts. A lot of companies put their workers on part time work and others are warning to them they have to shut down entirely,” said Chris Weafer, a veteran Russia economy analyst at Macro-Advisory, per The Associated Press.
- “So, there’s a real fear that unemployment will rise during the summer months, that there will be a big drop in consumption and retail sales and investment,” he said.