It’s 2 p.m. in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know

News Desk March 27, 2022 in EUROPE, UKRAINE WAR, WORLD Tagged Russia, Ukraine, War - 3 Minutes

Lviv fire at a fuel plant due to Shelling

Ukraine has reclaimed several villages from Russian forces in a series of counterattacks, including to the east of Kharkiv and northwest of Mariupol, after Russian missiles struck the western city of Lviv on Saturday.

Here are the latest developments in the war on Ukraine:

Ukrainian counterattacks: Kharkiv’s regional administrator said a number of villages around Malaya Rogan were retaken by Ukrainian forces. Video verified by CNN shows Ukrainian troops in control of Vilkhivka, one of the settlements roughly 20 miles from the Russian border. The success of Ukrainian forces around Kharkiv has been mirrored further north, near the city of Sumy, where Ukrainian troops have liberated a number of settlements. A separate counterattack in the south also led to the liberation of two villages from Russian forces northwest of Mariupol, according to the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration.

Lviv strikes: The Russian military on Sunday confirmed strikes on fuel depots on Lviv and outside of Kyiv Saturday, saying it had targeted fuel supplies for Ukrainian troops. At least five people were reportedly injured after at least two missiles struck Lviv, a city in western Ukraine that had been previously spared the worst of Russia’s brutal onslaught.

Biden speech: The US President said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” during a speech in Poland Saturday. The White House followed up, saying that it was not a direct call for regime change. Biden is now back in DC.

Zelensky calls for more aid: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeated his plea to international partners for stronger military assistance, saying his country is only asking for 1% of NATO’s tanks and planes. In a video message posted to social media Saturday, Zelensky said the need to strengthen common security in Europe was raised during his two conversations with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Red Cross deportation claims: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has categorically denied Ukrainian claims it has opened an office in the Russian city of Rostov on Don and is thereby facilitating the deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia. The ICRC, which generally keeps a low public profile, issued the statement following what it called “false information circulating online” that it was helping Russia move tens of thousands of people out of the country.

Evacuations: More than 5,200 people escaped through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said two seriously injured children and an infant with pneumonia were among 4,331 residents who fled the besieged city of Mariupol, reaching the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. The evacuations came amid reports from Ukrainian authorities Saturday that bus convoys were being held by Russian forces, as part of what they called a pressure campaign to force some residents to Russia.

Captured city: The Ukrainian president also said Russia will not “subdue” Slavutych after Russian forces entered the city Saturday following days of fighting. The city was built to house workers of the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Hundreds of residents congregated in its main square to protest the arrival of troops. Russian forces briefly detained the city’s mayor but eventually released him, a statement from Ukrainian political party Sluha Narodu said.