War in Ukraine – UPDATE

Russia pushes its westward offensive, civilians trapped in Mariupol, WHO warns about possible Covid resurge

Vlad Palcu, 14.03.2022, 07:06

Shelling of major
cities in Ukraine continued in the early hours of Monday, on the 19th
day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The majority of Russian troops are amassed
around the capital-city Kyiv. The situation is critical in Mariupol, a city
currently surrounded by heavy equipment, where citizens are virtually trapped
ant can’t leave the city. The Red Cross has called on both parties to agree on
an urgent solution to prevent a worst-case scenario and ensure safe passage
for civilians.

After Russian
airstrikes hit a large military base near the western city of Lviv, close to
the Polish border, killing 35 people and leaving more than 130 in hospital, president
Volodymyr Zelensky warned NATO in a recent video address that it is only a
matter of time before Russia attacks NATO members.

Late on Sunday,
the WHO issued a press release, stating that the war in Ukraine could
deteriorate the pandemic context across the globe. Ukraine’s vaccination rate
is low, and while the infection rate isn’t particularly high, there is a
considerable risk Ukraine could see more infections and deaths over the coming
period. According to its report, some 791 thousand infections and 8 thousand
related fatalities were reported in Ukraine and in surrounding countries over
March 3-9.

A new round of
Ukraine-Russia negotiations is expected to take place on Monday