As we speak, March 17, is the twenty second day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That is what it’s essential to know right this moment in regards to the warfare:
Kamikaze drones
Within the $800 million package of army assist help that US President Joe Biden introduced on Wednesday are 100 “tactical unmanned aerial techniques”. American media reports have recognized these as none apart from the Switchblade, a backpackable, handheld drone that’s really a missile, and was developed to be used by US forces in Afghanistan. Described as a “kamikaze drone”, the Switchblade has two variations, the 300, unveiled in 2011, and 600, which got here out in 2018.
Although it’s not clear which of those two is being despatched to Ukraine, the primary model was deployed in Afghanistan from 2012 to provide small platoons of American troopers immediate particular person firepower as an alternative of ready for reinforcements.
The Switchblade is 2 ft lengthy, weighs simply over 2.5 kg, and could be packed in a carrying case that may be tucked right into a soldier’s backpack. It’s launched out of a tubular casing, and carries a small warhead that flies immediately into its goal at nice velocity to blow up on influence.
Civilian casualties proceed to mount
Ukraine mentioned Russia had bombed a theatre within the south-eastern metropolis of Mariupol leaving a whole lot of civilians trapped and an unknown variety of casualties. Human Rights Watch has mentioned at the very least 500 individuals have been sheltered within the constructing. A US personal satellite tv for pc imaging firm, Maxar Applied sciences, distributed satellite tv for pc imagery that it mentioned was collected on March 14 and confirmed the phrase “youngsters” in Russian script painted on the bottom exterior the red-roofed constructing. The port metropolis has been repeatedly bombarded by Russia. Final week, a youngsters’s hospital was bombed.
This satellite tv for pc picture offered by Maxar Applied sciences reveals the Mariupol Drama Theater in Mariupol, Ukraine on Monday, March 14, 2022. (Maxar Applied sciences through AP)
The UN Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights mentioned civilian casualties have risen to 1,900 as of midnight of March 15. Of those, 726 killed have been killed and the remaining wounded. The UN company warned the numbers can be greater because the preventing is spreading to a number of new components of the throughout the nation.
In a brand new video on Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin mentioned Russian troops have been “doing every part” to keep away from civilian casualties. In the identical video, Putin mentioned the warfare was “going in line with plans”.
In response to US assessments, the other is true – Russian troops have gotten slowed down attributable to logistical causes and lack of troops, and for these causes haven’t been capable of occupy any of the large cities but.
The US-based Institute for the Research of Conflict says Russia is deploying reserves from Armenia and South Ossetia and forming new “battalion tactical teams” from remnants of items misplaced early within the invasion to compensate for fight losses. It reviews that Russian forces carried out a number of failed assaults northwest of Kyiv and no offensive operations northeast of Kyiv on March 16. Russian forces are persevering with to bombard civilian areas of Kharkiv, however have been unable to take over the second greatest metropolis in Ukraine.
In the meantime, the U.N. Safety Council is because of vote on Friday on a Russian decision calling for assist entry and civilian safety in Ukraine, Reuters reported, however diplomats have mentioned it could fail because the textual content doesn’t say something about an to the preventing or withdrawal of Russian troops.
‘Humanitarian parole’
The US-Mexico border is without doubt one of the world’s most highly-guarded peacetime worldwide borders. Regardless of the deployment of 1000’s of customs and border patrol personnel and even the Nationwide Gaurd It is usually the world’s busiest immigrant crossings. Not simply from Mexico, individuals from all around the world together with India, use the Mexico path to enter the US illegally. The numbers of such individuals has spiked sharply after pandemic restrictions eased and worldwide flights resumed in 2021.
Now, border officers have been authorised to grant “humantarian parole” to Ukrainians, in line with this report.
E-newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox
