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Writer's pictureBelinda McMartin
Apr 6, 20223 min read

Following the Crisis in Ukraine, Week 5

Now over a month into the conflict in Ukraine the violence we see each night on the news only seems to be increasing. The previous week was no different.


Day 34. Tuesday 29th March 2022

Negotiators from both sides met in Istanbul, Turkey and Ukraine proposed taking a neutral stance if it meant an end to the war. Ukraine also proposed that all territory return to pre-invasion status while a 15-year plan for the annexation of Crimea to Russia be agreed to. Russia also announced a reduction of military activity in Kiev and Chernihiv.


Despite this fighting continued and in Mykolaiv a government building was hit in a Russian airstrike killing at least 35 people. The attack was said to have been directed at the Governor, Vitaliy Kim who has become popular online during the conflict by uploading videos providing coverage of the conflict. He would have been in the building at the time of the attack however he had overslept. His good humour, despite the situation has added to his popularity. (See photo of Kim below)

Mykolaiv Building bombed by Russian Forces, 29 March 2022

It was reported that Ukrainian troops had bombed a Russian military camp on the outskirts of the Russian city of Belgorod.


Day 35. Wednesday 30th March 2022

Despite the previous days announcement Chernihiv is reported to have been heavily shelled as were most other areas now under Russian control.


In Luhansk Russian troops tightened their control but surprisingly (given the history of the region, see blog #2 Click Here) they have less control in Donetsk.


Day 36. Thursday 31st March 2022

Air strikes continued around Kiev, Chernihiv and the Donbas however on the ground Russian troops were said to have withdrawn from the Chernobyl nuclear plant.


Ukrainian troops managed to recapture a number of towns including some in the Chernihiv region, but experts warned that this wasn’t necessarily a win for Ukraine with Russian troops re-grouping, not stopping the fight altogether.


Humanitarian supplies bound for Mariupol were seized by Russian troops and the evacuation of civilians was further delayed due to limitations on humanitarian corridors.

This illustrates where Ukrainian forces have taken back many of the regions that had fallen to the Russian's (BBC World Service)

Day 37. Friday 1st April 2022

The city of Izium fell to Russia while near Belgorod in Russia, Ukrainian forces hit a fuel storage depot.


Day 38. Saturday 2nd April 2022

Russian troops pulled back from Kiev with it announced later in the day that Ukrainian forces had now regained control of the entire Kiev Oblast.


Russia conducted a missile attack on Poltava and Kremenchuk.


Day 39. Sunday 3rd April 2022

With the withdrawal of Russian troops Ukrainian troops re-enter the Kiev warzones. They uncover numerous massacre sites where it appears citizens were tortured before being killed. It appears war crimes have indeed been committed by Russian troops and in fact this may have happened in the early days of the conflict but also as the Russian’s pulled back from the towns.

A street in Bucha features destroyed Russian tanks as a result of a Ukrainian advance. With the withdrawal of Russian troops it is seen for the first time (BBC World News)

Day 40. Monday 4th April 2022

In response to the mounting devastation in Kiev and the discovery of Russian atrocities Ukraine call for stronger action from the West. In support the USA push for Russia to suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council.


In response to claims of war crimes, Russia counters by saying the Bucha massacre*, which has been the centre of most of the claims, is a staged performance and fake news.

*Bucha Massacre has seen at least 20 civilians confirmed dead and a mass grave fo around 280 bodies found since Ukrainian troops reclaimed the city.


Also, on Monday 4th President Zelensky addressed the Grammy’s in a pre-recorded message calling for support of Ukraine.

Vitaliy Kim, Governor of Mykolaiv has become a popular figure during the current conflict (The Time UK)

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Further Reading (A selection):


*This blog has been put together with multiple current news sources such as the BBC World News Podcast, local nightly news and media outlets such as News.com


Articles and Websites:


Disclaimer: The observations and comments made in this blog are made after reflecting on the news stories and histories I read. History plays a big part in how I understand the present so my comments largely take into account history and the role it has in the present. After all, those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.

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