Both warring parties are keeping exact figures on casualties among military personnel secret. US estimates from summer 2023 put 70,000 dead Ukrainian and 120,000 dead Russian soldiers. In mid-February, the US Department of Defense estimated the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded at 315,000.
Rally at the Brandenburg Gate against Russian war of aggression
5:06 p.m.: A protest rally will take place at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Saturday from 1 p.m. The occasion is the second anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine, which took place on February 24, 2022. The Ukrainian exile organization Vitsche and more than 50 other German and Ukrainian associations have called for the event; they expect more than 5,000 participants.
The demonstration, at which, among others, Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner wants to speak, has the motto “Victory for Peace”. Vitsche leader Iryna Shulikina called for more international support so that Ukraine can defend its right to be a free country against Russia. The supporters of the demonstration include the climate protection initiative Fridays for Future, the Center for Liberal Modernity and the Society for Threatened Peoples.
War crimes: Ukraine investigates 122,000 cases
1:40 p.m.: The Ukrainian authorities are now investigating suspected war crimes by Russian military personnel in more than 122,000 cases. Attorney General Andrij Kostin said at a conference at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Berlin that 511 suspects had been identified so far, 80 of whom had already been convicted, but most of them in absentia.
Unicef: Many Ukrainian children were in bunkers for around 200 days
13 o’clock: Children near the war front in Ukraine have spent months in basements, bunkers or holes in the ground to protect themselves from attacks, according to the UN children’s fund Unicef. Spending up to 200 days like this within two years is difficult to imagine and endangers mental health, says Unicef spokesman James Elder in Geneva on the second anniversary of the start of the Russian war of aggression.
“Seeking safety from missiles and drones comes at a high price for these children,” he says. “The psychological scars on the children are deep. And they are getting worse day by day.” Half of 13 to 15 year olds have sleep problems. One in five people are repeatedly tormented by memories of bad events. Parents reported that children and adolescents experienced more anxiety and sadness and lost interest in previous activities. Even though they needed a lot of emotional support time for their children, they struggled to support their families.
USA imposes 500 new sanctions against Russia
12.40 p.m.: The US announces more than 500 new sanctions against Russia. The reason is the ongoing war and the death of dissident Alexei Navalny, the US presidential office said. The punitive measures were aimed at people linked to Navalny’s imprisonment, the Russian financial industry and the military-industrial complex.
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