Kremlin claims 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid sent to DPR, LPR and Kyiv

Amid Russia's military offensive in Ukraine and the war has entered its day 22, the Kremlin claims more than 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian cargoes have been consigned to Donbas, comprising rebel regions - Donetsk and Luhansk and to Kyiv, since the inception of the war. Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations mentioned to TASS media agency that helpdesks offering essential services are operating at the border checkpoints in the Rostov region and 'more than 6,000 people have utilised their services'. 

"Since the beginning of the humanitarian operation, the Russian emergencies ministry has delivered more than 2,000 tonnes of aid to people in Donbas and in Ukraine. This week alone, more than 500 tonnes of humanitarian assistance were delivered from the Russian emergencies ministry's Noginsk and Don rescue centres to Donbas and several regions in Ukraine," the Russian Ministry said. 

Also, it was brought to the fore that nearly 400 refugees from Donbas travelled from Taganrog to Russia on March 16, while 13,000 people have been accommodated across 18 Russian regions since the evacuation began. 

103 children killed in Russia-led war on Ukraine 

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that at least 103 children have been killed in the war-torn nation since the start of the Russian invasion. In a video message on Facebook, Zelenskyy said, “Last night, Russian troops continued shelling Ukrainian territory, our peaceful cities, our citizens.” He went on to say that the troops bombarded Kharkiv and its surrounding area along with the Odesa region's shore.

The Ukrainian President added, “As of this morning, 103 children have been killed."  

Furthermore, he mentioned that the Russian troops have targeted the nation's capital, Kyiv with rockets, adding that Zaporizhzhia's civilian infrastructure is adversely impacted by shellings, which houses a nuclear power plant. 

'400 educational facilities damaged': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Apart from Zelenskyy, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Irina Venediktova has also confirmed the figure in a Telegram update which stated that nearly 103 children have been killed while 100 have suffered injuries amid the ongoing war, as per The Washington Post. Notably, her office stated that the children's death toll in Ukraine is likely to be far higher.

President Zelenskyy said Russian forces have inflicted "hundreds of times more damage" in Ukraine than on Donbas in eight years of conflict, CNN reported. He further noted that 400 educational facilities have been damaged in Ukraine so far, including 119 in the Donetsk area.  

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky recently shared that demining in combat zones after the Russia-led onslaught in Ukraine may take several years. He went on to say that the former Soviet nation will "inevitably" require assistance from other nations. 

Image: AP