The bodies of 1,150 civilians have been recovered in Ukraine’s Kyiv region since Russia’s invasion started, Kyiv regional police chief Andriy Nebyton said Wednesday. the bodies reportedly surfaced during a clearing operation by investigative agents. The majority of casualties are from the Bucha region, he said adding that “50-70% died of firearm wounds, shot with automatic rifles.”
A Ukrainian commander in the besieged city of Mariupol said there are more than 600 injured civilians and fighters in the Azovstal steelworks. Serhiy Volyna, acting commander of the 36th marine brigade, said hundreds of civilians including children were living in unsanitary conditions and running out of food and water.
On the other hand, Russia said it will respond harshly to strikes by Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian territory, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said during a press briefing on Thursday.
President Joe Biden on Thursday, signed a $33 billion request for supplemental funding for Ukraine from Congress as Russia’s invasion takes on a new, critical phase. The funding request is expected to support Ukraine through this fiscal year, or about five months, and includes $20.4 billion in military assistance.
In the south, an official said that the US has seen some Russian forces departing the besieged city of Mariupol and heading to the northwest towards Zaporizhzhia, despite the fact that Mariupol still has not fallen to Russia as indicated by continued Russian strikes against the city. The official said that Russia has now launched more than 1,900 missiles against Ukraine since the beginning of the February invasion.