People fleeing war from neighboring Ukraine carry their belongings at the border crossing in Palanka, Moldova, Friday, March 11, 2022.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have entered their 17th day, as the US continues to impose tough sanctions on Russia in response to its offensive inside Ukraine. Russia stepped up its offensive in Ukraine on Friday, attacking airfields in the west and a major industrial city in the east, while a huge armored column that had been stalled for more than a week outside Kyiv appears to have spread near the capital. . Military analysts were divided on whether the maneuver by the Russian convoy signaled the imminent start of the Siege of Kyiv or was an attempt to disperse some vehicles to more protected positions. The war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine, while others seek refuge in basements, subway stations and underground shelters. More evacuations were expected, although repeated attempts to allow people to escape from the besieged port city of Mariupol to the south have failed under continued Russian shelling. Russia said it used high-precision long-range weapons to “put out of action” military airfields in both cities. Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said four soldiers were killed and six others were wounded.