Ukraine war: Russia moves troops close to Kyiv; over 2,000 civilians killed in attacks

In an update to the Russia-Ukraine war, more than 2,000 civilians have been reported dead as the conflict intensified seven days after the start of the invasion. Ukraine's emergency service informed that defence forces, women, and children are losing their lives every hour. 

As per the mayor of the southern city of Kherson's statement, Russian military forces have entered the city and making their way into the council building. While Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday said that its armed forces have captured Kherson. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that nuclear weapons would be involved if a third World War were to take place. Lavrov added that Russia, which launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, would face a "real danger" if nuclear weapons were acquired by Kyiv. 

On March 2, Russian Ministry of Defence spokesperson Igor Konashenkov had confirmed that 498 Russian military personnel were killed since the invasion of Ukraine and 1,597 were injured, as per the Guardian reports. While according to Ukraine’s presidential adviser, about 7,000 Russian troops are killed since February 24. 

Ukraine crisis

On March 3, the war between Russia and Ukraine entered the seventh day, with a huge convoy of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles on a road to Kyiv, a city of nearly 3 million people and intensified fighting was witnessed in other big cities too. According to the Ukrainian army, there were immediate clashes after Russian airborne troops landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had informed that on Tuesday, a Russian missile strike that appeared to target a TV tower in Ukraine’s capital also hit the nearby Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial. While five people were reported dead in an attack by Russian forces. Responding to the attack on Babyn Yar Museum, Volodymyr Zelensky said, "History repeating".

Tuesday’s strike was viewed as the latest example of what human rights groups repeatedly described as the 'indiscriminate attacks by Russian forces'. Though Moscow assured to target only targeting military infrastructure, missiles and artillery shells have attacked residential areas in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and across Ukraine.

(Image: AP)