Early Reports on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Despite dire predictions in advance of the Russian invasion, Ukraine appears to be digging in for a long fight. Civilians are being instructed on how to make Molotov cocktails, and weapons are being handed out on the streets. If Kyiv falls, it is not going to go down without a fight.

Even as Russian forces move in along the west and north sides of Kyiv, there are still reports that Russian armored units have been held up between Kyiv and the border with Belarus. Some of this delay comes from bridges that Ukraine deliberately took out along the Russian route, but there continue to be reports of active military engagements north of Kyiv, pinning down portions of the Russian advance.  Over 120,00 Ukrainians have left the country in the last 24 hours, and pictures have been tweeted of a Kyiv apartment building that was hit by a Russian rocket overnight-- reports are that at least six have been injured in that attack.

In the south, reports of large amphibious assaults are coming from areas west of Mariupol in the east, as air attacks have been made on Odessa in the west. Some reports are suggesting that increased use of amphibious assaults may be a Russian attempt to bypass defensive positions where Ukrainian troops have halted columns moving in from Russia.  

The Interior Ministry of Ukraine published photos of Russian saboteurs detained in Kyiv who disguised themselves in the uniform of the Ukrainian military.  Midday Friday, Russian troops fired at the center of Kharkov--they hit a blood Center and a school.  A Russian military attack on the Kyiv thermal plant resulted in five explosions, but the plant is still operating-- Kyiv still has power.  Ukraine's ground forces managed to stop Russian occupying forces near Konotop, destroying forty enemy vehicles in the process.  Multiple sources later confirmed the Ukrainian victory at Konotop, and indications are that Russian forces outran their supply lies and found themselves short on both ammo and fuel.   A Russian military convoy was ambushed close to Hlukhiv in the Sumy region-- Ukrainian soldiers targeted the vehicles with javelin missiles, inflicting some heavy damage.  Amnesty International is cataloging the war crimes that Russia is committing in Ukraine, as reports come in that Russia intends to threaten the families of Ukrainian soldiers. 

And now the internet is humming with news of a viral moment when a brave Ukrainian woman confronted heavily-armed Russian soldiers hours after they invaded, demanding to know what they were doing in her country.  The furious woman shouted: "What the fuck are you doing in our land?" and told them they would "die" if they remained in Ukraine.  Twitter users across the globe hailed her courage after footage of the confrontation went viral:

One thing that has absolutely died in the last 24 hours: any perception that Russia is holding back, or trying to avoid civilian targets. Russia is attacking indiscriminately--  and Ukraine is simply putting up a helluva fight.  It is becoming clearer that the invasion is not going the way Putin expected-- Ukraine is a nation the size of Texas with a population as large as California.  Russia may have surrounded it with 190,000 troops, tanks, and planes, but that’s not enough to defeat and subdue Ukraine. Not when Ukraine is willing to stand and fight.