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Oil tank on fire, gas pipeline blown near Kiyv as Russia continues missile attacks in Ukraine | VISUALS

February 27, 2022
Bharat Times English News

Even after three days of fighting, Ukrainian forces continue to put up fierce resistance to slow the advance of the larger and more powerful Russian military closing in on the capital.

The United Nations on Saturday confirmed at least 240 civilian causalities. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been throwing up some harrowing videos of the military conflict.

Russia’s attack on Kyiv continued on Sunday morning, with two large explosions lighting up the night sky south of the Ukrainian capital. While one detonation appeared to be approximately 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles, from the city centre, the second explosion rocked the southwestern part of Kyiv just before 1 am (local time), CNN reported.

Russian forces also blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection warned that the explosion, which it said looked like a mushroom cloud, could cause an “environmental catastrophe” and advised residents to cover their windows with damp cloth or gauze and to drink plenty of fluids.

However, at the same time, the Telegram channel of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection warned against misinformation, saying this was not a nuclear strike, although the explosion was visually similar to that.

Heavy shelling was reported in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday.

Russian missiles even hit the Ukrainian town of Vasylkiv southwest of Kyiv, setting an oil terminal ablaze. Photographs and video posted online showed large flames rising in the night sky.

Soon after, a radioactive waste disposal site near Kyiv was also hit by an airstrike, but the storage facilities were not damaged, Ukraine’s nuclear agency said. However, there was no evidence of a leak.

The incident happened at about 1:20 am (local time) on Sunday when a radioactive waste disposal site of the State Specialized Enterprise “Radon” was hit by missiles.

NRIU said the automated radiation monitoring system at the site had failed, but measurements taken with portable devices in Kyiv found that radiation levels were normal. There is no threat to the public.

However, the State Emergency Service refuted the report by State Special Communications Service that the projectile allegedly hit the burial place of radioactive substances.

On Saturday, a clip emerged on social media which showed a tank running over a moving car in Kyiv. Luckily, the driver survived the crash. The video opens with a car moving on a near-deserted street and moments later, a military vehicle is seen approaching the vehicle from the other direction. And it smashes the vehicle head-on.

A column of the Chechen Russian Guard was also destroyed near Hostomel, which was officially confirmed by the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, there are reports of several Russian military tanks running out of fuel, food and stranded on Ukrainian highways.

As per a video posted by Liveuamap and further retweeted by Max Seddon – Moscow bureau chief at the Financial Times, Russian troops can be seen next to a large tank as a man in a car spots them on the side of the road and engages in a conversation. Their banter seems friendly and has taken the social media by surprise.

Victor Kovalenko, a former Ukrainian journalist, tweeted a translation of the exchange. The man in the car, a Ukrainian national, stops and asks the soldiers whether the tank broke down. The Russian troopers say they are “waiting for diesel”.

The driver jokes: “I can tow you back to Russia!” which is followed by laughter.

In the latest video shared by the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, a Russian war tank can be seen blowing up in smoke on the side of a road. “Distribute this and other videos so that as many Russians as possible understand what awaits them on our land. Let’s defend Ukraine together!” read the English translation of the tweet put out by the Ukrainian army.

Fighting on the city’s outskirts suggested that small Russian units were trying to clear a path for the main forces. Small groups of Russian troops were reported inside Kyiv, but Britain and the US said the bulk of the forces were 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the city’s center as of Saturday afternoon.

Russia claims its assault on Ukraine from the north, east and south is aimed only at military targets, but bridges, schools and residential neighborhoods have been hit.

A missile struck a high-rise apartment building in Kyiv’s southwestern outskirts near one of the city’s two passenger airports, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors. A rescue worker said six civilians were injured.

Though the Russians claim they are advancing towards the capital while taking control of all tactical locations, Ukraine is not ready to bow down.

(With inputs from AP, agencies)