Russian soldiers captured as Ukraine fights back
Several Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner as Ukraine’s military fought back against invading forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday morning (local time) ordered military action in Ukraine.
There were explosions reported in Donetsk and Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv in the hours that followed. Ukrainian officials said their forces were battling Russians on multiple fronts, and had lost control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook it had also lost Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, south of the mainland.
“Infrastructure of Zmiiniy Island was destroyed after shelling by ship artillery,” it said.
Russia captures airfield, destroys Ukrainian airbases
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said Hostomel airfield, northwest of the capital, had been captured by Russian forces. Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said it would enable them to fly in extra hardware including light armoured vehicles to intensify the assault.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had destroyed 83 land-based Ukrainian targets and had achieved all its goals, according to Interfax news agency.
It confirmed the loss of one of its Su-25 attack jets, blaming “pilot error,” and said an An-26 transport plane had crashed because of technical failure, killing the entire crew. It did not say how many were aboard.
However, several Russian forces have been captured.
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“Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted.
Russian soldiers captured as Ukraine responds 'promptly'
Two Russian soldiers were taken prisoner in Kyiv by Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanised Brigade, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence. The official Twitter page for Ukrainian Ground Forces shared a photo of four Russian soldiers captured following a battle near Luhansk near the border with Dubnas.
They said "heavy battles" were fought but "Ukrainian units responded promptly to the situation".
The town of Shchastya was also attacked but ground forces said they repelled Russian invaders and it remains under Ukrainian control. The defence department said two Russian tanks were also destroyed in battle and a ZU-23-2, an anti-aircraft cannon, was also seized after combat in Glukhov.
Ukraine's Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said one of the platoons of the 74th motorised brigade from Kemerovo Oblast has also surrendered. It is not clear how many soldiers are members of the brigade.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova said the brigade "didn't know that they were brought to Ukraine to kill Ukrainians", The Hill reported.
"They thought they were doing something else there," she said.
'Be very bold and resolute'
The US estimated Russia had more than 150,000 troops massed around Ukraine's borders on the eve of the invasion, plus tens of thousands of Russian-backed fighters in breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.
The number of Ukraine's total active armed forces is 196,600, according to the authoritative IISS Military Balance report released last week.
But while highly motivated to defend the country, and newly equipped with Turkish drones and US and British anti-tank missiles, analysts say they are gapingly vulnerable, in particular to air and missile attack. Ukraine's navy is limited to one major warship and a dozen patrol craft, against the might of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
"To prevail against Russia, the Ukrainian forces are going to have to display a very high standard of tactics, be very bold and resolute and have a campaign plan that is superior to Russia's," Mr Barry said.
"The one advantage the Ukrainians have got is they're fighting for their own country on their soil. Secondly, it appears large numbers of civilians are volunteering to fight alongside the armed forces, and that may make any Russian attacks on urban areas more difficult."
Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said 57 Ukrainians have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion, and 169 more were wounded.
The UN refugee agency said an estimated 100,000 Ukrainians had fled their homes. Thousands were crossing into neighbouring countries, including Romania, Moldova, Poland and Hungary.
In the southeastern port of Mariupol, near a frontline held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, local authorities said 26 people were wounded in shelling.
Residents packed bags.
"We are going into hiding," a woman said.
with Reuters and The Associated Press
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