Over 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed after Russian strike on military base in Okhtyrka
March 1, 2022, 9:31 am

Over 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed after Russian strike on military base in Okhtyrka

They went to war when Russia pushed further into Ukraine. They believed in Freedom and the right to live and work in their God-given land (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

The Guardian reported that more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, after a Russian strike on a military base.

The region’s head, Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, posted photographs on Telegram of the charred shell of a four-storey building and rescuers searching rubble following Monday’s strike.

According to some reports, shelling or missiles hit a building being used as a base by the Ukrainian military as well as fuel tanks, with one local official claiming a fuel air explosive had been used although that could not be independently confirmed. Video from the time of the attack showed a column of thick black smoke above the town.

In a later Facebook post, Zhyvytskyy said many Russian soldiers and some local residents died in the bombardment too.

Okhtyrka mayor Pavlo Kuzmenko posted on Facebook, saying: “Again, the enemy is waging a vile war. A fuel-air bomb was dropped on an oil depot, oil tanks were blown up.”

Russian invasion against Ukraine (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

The news came amid reports on Tuesday morning that Russian soldiers had entered the southern city of Kherson.

Meanwhile a Russian convoy of armoured vehicles, tanks and other military equipment about 40 miles long (64km) was approaching Kyiv on Tuesday, satellite images suggested, as lawmakers in Washington voiced fears of a “long and bloody” fight ahead.

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US senators sounded the warning after receiving classified briefings on Monday night that brought to life the spectre of a protracted battle over the capital and “street to street combat” in Kyiv against Russian forces who have been frustrated by a fierce resistance and their own logistical failures.

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The Russian armoured convoy was 17 miles (25km) from the centre of the Ukrainian capital, a city normally home to three million, according to the US satellite company Maxar. Its photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus, amid concerns its president, Alexander Lukashenko, could send troops to help Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces in the next 24 hours.

Source: theguardian

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.