Ukraine takes back Kyiv suburb as Russia continues long-range attacks

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced Ukrainian troops have taken back control of Makariv, a suburb just northwest of Kyiv, from Russia’s control. Russia already has partial control of several other Kyiv suburbs, including Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin. However, regaining control of Makariv allowed Ukraine to regain control of a key highway, blocking Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

Russia’s inability to hold the Kyiv suburb highlights a trend of ineffective ground attacks on Ukraine. Similar attacks in other parts of Ukraine have moved slowly, if at all.

“Russians have been flummoxed, they’ve been frustrated, they have failed to achieve a lot of their objectives on the ground,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at a Monday press briefing. “And because they are essentially still stalled outside Kyiv, outside Kharkiv, outside Chernihiv and so many other places, that they are stepping up…what we in the Pentagon here call long-range fires, bombardment from afar.”

Kirby added the long-range attacks are “resulting in more civilian casualties, more damage to residential areas, hospitals, schools and innocent victims at greater rates and at greater numbers.”

Russians are carrying out long-range attacks in Mariupol, Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Mariupol city council announced two more bombs had fallen on the city that has been sealed off for weeks.

“Once again it is clear that the occupiers are not interested in the city of Mariupol. They want to level it to the ground and make it the ashes of a dead land,” the council said in a statement.

In a video address to the Italian parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added “there is nothing left there.”

Despite Russia’s continued long-range attacks, the United Nations’ Secretary-General declared the war “unwinnable” for Russia on Tuesday.

“Even if Mariupol falls Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house,” Antonio Guterres said. “The only outcome to all this is more suffering, more destruction and more horror as far as the eye can see.”