Russian military troops intensified their bombardment on civilian areas of Ukraine’s major cities on Wednesday, as the country’s authorities vowed to oppose the invaders and citizens joined the military struggle to preserve their damaged homeland.
In a video message delivered early Thursday local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “We are a people who have shattered the enemy’s plans in a week.” “There will be no tranquilly here for them.” They won’t be able to eat. They will not have a single calm minute here.”
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly voted 141-5, with 35 abstentions, to call on Russia to end the conflict. The vote occurred after the assembly’s 193 members held their first emergency session in 25 years.
On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor launched an inquiry into whether Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, had committed war crimes. One week into the conflict, Zelenskyy rallied his people and lauded them for their resolve in a televised speech to the country. “We have actually been one throughout this period,” Zelenskyy remarked. “We were able to forgive each other.” We began to adore one other. We assist one another. We’re all concerned about each other.”
Russian soldiers appear to have taken control of Kherson, a port city in southern Ukraine with a population of about 300,000. The combat in Kherson continued, according to Zelenskyy’s office, although Mayor Igor Kolykhaev declared there were no Ukrainian soldiers remaining.
A massive Russian military convoy, reported to be 40 miles long, is still stalled outside Kyiv due to heavy Ukrainian opposition and supply issues, preventing it from reaching the capital city.
Mayor Igor Terekhov of Kharkiv, which is surrounded in the northeast, said the relentless assault has resulted in “vast destruction.” According to Ukraine Emergency Services, a rocket strike targeted the regional police headquarters, killing four persons and injuring numerous more.
The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor opened an investigation Wednesday into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Ukraine, dating back to 2013, but also covering the current conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion, as requested by a coalition of 38 countries led by the United Kingdom.
Following a state party referral by the ICC’s biggest coalition of nations, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was allowed to continue to an investigation without the necessity for court permission.
“Russia’s indiscriminate use of force against innocent people in its illegitimate and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine amounts to war crimes,” the UK Foreign Office stated in a statement.
“An inquiry by the International Court Of justice into Russia’s appalling crimes is urgently needed, and it is right that those involved be held to account,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in the statement.” To ensure that justice is delivered, the United Kingdom will work closely with allies.”
In the midst of contradictory reports over whether the Russians had taken over the southern port city of Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration stated combat is still going on and that it couldn’t say further since the war was still going on.
Russian officials, on the other hand, claimed to be in “full control,” and Kherson Mayor Igor Kolykhaev said the war was finished when Russian military entered the municipal administrative building. According to Kolykhaev, he requested that they not kill people and instead allow them to collect the dead from the streets.
