March: Russia’s Forces in Ukraine kill 5 Ukrainian Soldiers & Wound 41

On Ukraine’s eastern front, the month of March is playing out to be a bloody one.
From March 2nd to the daylight hours of today, March 17th, Russia-led forces have killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers & wounded 41. Header pic shows a Ukrainian soldier holding fragments from a recently fired Russian mortar shell. 

Along with casualties due to increased mortar fire, many were sustained during the deliberate targeting of supply trucks and transport vehicles. Posing no military threat whatsoever, Russian anti-tank rockets hit several trucks. Not content with that, they’re are also targeting ambulances. March 9th, on Ukraine’s southern coast, near the city of Mariupol, Russia’s forces used a UAV to drop two grenades on the below ambulance. Despite the plethora of large red cross signs, two explosions punctured the ambulance’s metal roof. Thankfully, on this occasion, the medics remained unharmed.

So, it’s obvious Russia’s seeking to liven things up on the front line. Easy to do, when its occupation soldiers are viewed as expendable cannon fodder, with no right of redress should any of them get killed and injured in these on-going, futile provocation attacks.

March 12th video. Ukrainian soldiers talk about the recent heavy fighting.

Six years on and with a heavily populated front line, Ukrainian civilians are still bearing the brunt of the fighting. With far more Russian shells and bullets flying through the air in 2020, the increased likelihood is some will find their mark and hit civilians and their property. In this recent round of heavy shelling, there’s good evidence pointing to Russia-led forces again deliberately targeting civilian populated areas.

OSCE report March 13th: A moving civilian car was hit by small arms fire in Ukraine held Marinka, opposite the occupied city of Donetsk. Report link.

March 12th: a young Ukrainian woman holds fragments of a Russian shell.
Via the below video, people living in the village of Verkhnotoretske, close to the occupied city of Donetsk, talk about recent shelling of their village by Russia-led forces.

Always worth repeating this. The Ukrainian army does return fire, and after six long years of practice, they’ve gotten rather good at it. Russia’s forces lighter, small arms fire is on the whole ignored, but more substantial fire from mortars and anti-tank rockets, etc. will be ruthlessly suppressed. And so it goes on. Every week Russia’s dead get shoved in a hole and buried without honours or reward, and fresh cannon fodder takes their place.