Lviv, 17 March 2022 (TDI): In a recent escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, on March 13, Russia launched a number of missile attacks outside the city of Lviv, 15 miles away from the Polish border ostensibly as (claimed by the Russian government) to destroy a large number of weapons supplied by Western powers for arming Ukraine.
During the attacks, 35 people were killed and 134 wounded. Significantly, the strikes were conducted during the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security. The attack on the border of Poland (a NATO member since 1999, and a member of the European Union since 2004) could have wide-ranging repercussions as it brings the Russia-Ukraine war to NATO’s doorsteps.
The attack on Lviv was disquieting as the city is not only close to Berlin and it also serves as an important weapon supply route to Ukraine. In addition, it is also an important pathway for Ukrainian refugees.
Thereafter, after negotiations, Poland struck a deal with the US to transfer all its Russian-made MIG 29 Fighters Jets immediately to the US base in Germany, a likely harbinger to Jets being delivered to Ukraine.
It also requested the US to provide them with used aircraft with equal operational capabilities. This was in response to Russian warnings that delivering the Jets to Ukraine would be deemed as a provocation.
As expected, the US, Britain, and its European Allies reacted harshly to the Russian attack on NATO’s territory and resolved to give a befitting reply to Russia by defending every inch of NATOS territory .
US National Security Adviser, Sullivan said ‘any attack on NATO territory would trigger a full response by the Alliance. The aftermath of this intensified attack on the besieged city of Mariupol and escalation on the Polish border was followed by worldwide condemnation.
On March 13, Peter Maurer, President of the International Commission on Red Cross (ICRC) tweeted that hundreds of thousands of Mariupol residents were facing extreme shortages of basic necessities i.e. food, water, electricity, medicines.
Scattered dead bodies were rotting. He pleaded for an end to this humanitarian crisis.
The UN estimated that till March 13, nearly 2.7 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring counties during the conflict.
In Russia, thousands of people took to the streets chanting anti-war slogans, despite heavy police deployment which led to a number of arrests. Resultantly, Russia agreed to open more than ten human corridors from the besieged city of Mariupol.
Another positive highlight was that Russia and Ukraine negotiators signaled progress in their ongoing talks for defusing the crisis.
