100 days of Ukraine war leave 5.2 million children in the lurch

Over 100 days, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has left behind a trail of devastation, misery and destitution even as Moscow continues its redirected offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine.

Children, in particular, are the most affected, with more than two children getting killed and more than four injured every day in the war-torn nation. According to UNICEF, while 262 children have been killed and 415 injured in the attacks, the war has left 5.2 million children in need of humanitarian assistance.

While the fatalities rise as we talk, the United Nations has pegged civilian casualties in Ukraine since February 24 at 4,113; 4,916 have been injured in the war. The invasion has also forced 6.8 million Ukrainians to leave their homeland, causing the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. At least 262 children have been killed and 415 injured in attacks since 24 February.

As per UNICEF, hundreds of other schools across the country have also been damaged. Conditions for children in eastern and southern Ukraine where fighting has intensified are increasingly desperate.

Russia has already announced that the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia will fall under its territory.

The US, EU, Japan and the UK have imposed a raft of economic and financial sanctions against Russia with the latest being the EU’s decision to scale down on Russian oil imports.

Here’s is a timeline of key events that have unfolded so far:

February 24

• Russia invades Ukraine in the wee hours after President Vladimir Putin announces “special military operation” to “demilitarise” and “de-Nazify” Ukraine.
• Russia launches missile strikes across Ukraine while its army makes way for Kyiv through Senkivka and from Crimea toward Kherson.
• Russian paratroopers land from the Azov Sea to attempt taking over Mariupol.
• Attempts are made to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

February 25

• Ukrainian army puts up a strong resistance against the marching Russian army.
• President Zelenskyy announces that he will stay put in Kyiv and fight off Russia forces with his people.

February 28

• First round of peace talks begin between Russia and Ukraine on the Belarus-Ukraine border. Ukraine demands immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory.
• Russia demands recognition of its sovereignty over Crimea, “demilitarisation” and “de-Nazification” of Ukraine and the promise that Ukraine will not join NATO. The talks, however, fall through.

March 2

• Russian forces surround the strategic port of Mariupol, resorting to incessant shelling on the city.
• Mariupol’s mayor accuses Russia and pro-Russian fighters of cutting off food supplies, and basic amenities like water, electricity and heating to the port city.

March 3

• Russian soldiers take control of the city of Kherson even as representatives of both the countries meet for a second round of peace talks.
• Both sides agree to open humanitarian corridors to help in civilian evacuation. Both Russia and Ukraine firmly stand by their earlier demands.
• The occupation of Kherson gives Russian forces access to the “land bridge” between Crimea, and Donetsk.

March 6

The main road bridge across river Irpin and a dam on the river are destroyed, causing flooding in western part of Kyiv, thwarting Russian advance into the capital.

March 7

• Russian news service Tass reports that the Vladimir Putin government has passed a new law to curb the spread of “fake news” about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
• Russia and Ukraine participate in a third round of parleys with “some small positive shifts regarding logistics of humanitarian corridors.”

March 10

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey’s Antalya for the first high-level meet between the two countries after the invasion.
• Ukraine demands a 24-hour ceasefire to provide aid and evacuate civilians, but to no avail. Airstrikes continue in the port city of Mauripol.

March 11

Pentagon reports that a 40-mile column of Russian forces in the north-west of Kyiv faces resistance from Ukrainian forces after moving into firing positions.

March 14-17

Amid the fourth round of talks, Zelenskyy says a 15-point plan discussed with Russia was “realistic” to end the war.

March 16

• Around 300 people are killed after Russian airstrikes raze a theatre in Mariupol where around 1,000 people including women and children had taken refuge.
• Moscow denies any role in the attack and puts the blame on Ukraine’s Azov battalion.
• Ukrainian President invokes Pearl Harbour while making an appeal to the US for military aid to fight the Russians.

March 21

After both the sides fail to reach a consensus, Zelensky demands for direct talks with Putin to end the war. Lavrov, however, says that would be possible only after both sides inch closer to an agreement on the demands.

March 22

Ukraine says that the 40-mile Russian column has stopped due to scarcity of supplies.

March 29-30

• During talks with Ukraine in Turkey, Russia says that it will “radically reduce military activity” near Kyiv and Chernihiv.
• Russia also announces ceasefire to allow evacuation of civilians from Mauripol to Zaporizhzhia.
• Moscow begins the operation to redirect its forces towards eastern Ukraine

April 2 and 3

• Ukrainian forces entering Bucha, after the retreat of Russian soldiers, find corpses scattered on the street or buried in mass graves.
• Russia rubbishes the accusation, saying the photographs are fake

April 8

• Moscow shifts its focus from Kyiv to Donbas region.
• UK’s defence ministry claims that Russian forces have “fully withdrawn” from northern Ukraine while some will be diverted to fight in eastern Ukraine.

April 14

In a major win for Ukraine, US media reports that Ukrainian forces have sunk Moskva, Russia’s flagship Black Sea missile cruiser. While Russia says the ship sank due to fire and rough sea conditions, Ukraine claims that it hit the cruiser with a Neptune anti-ship missile.

April 18

Ukraine sounds alert about a fresh spate of offensive launched by Russia in the east with fighting reported in Izyum and Donetsk.

April 21

Putin announces the “liberation” of Mariupol, while ordering Russian forces not to storm but seal the Azovstal steelworks in such a way that not even a fly can escape.

May 13

Ukrainian forces foil plans of the Russian military to encircle them using a pontoon bridge to cross the Siverskyi Donets river near Izyum.

May 18

Finland, Sweden apply to NATO, reversing decades of military-neutral stand.

May 19

• Around 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers including 80 injured, surrender at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, and are taken prisoners. Russian soldiers pat them on the back and call their resistance “heroic”.
• While Ukraine says they will be brought back during prisoner swap, Russian officials say that many of them may be put on trial for war crimes.

June 2

• On the 101^st day of the war, a Ukrainian official said that Russian forces have taken control over 80 per cent of Severodonetsk even as the Ukrainian military continues to fight.
• Taking control of Severodonetsk will give Russia de-facto control of Lugansk, a portion of the Donbas region.