Ukraine's Resistance Standing Up To Putin

Ukraine is holding firm against the Russian army after nearly four weeks of war.
Resistance is critical for Ukraine's survival as a nation.
Russian artillery is heavily bombarding Ukrainian cities, causing widespread destruction.
Thousands have been killed, and millions have fled the country.

The initial challenge is navigating checkpoints into the suburbs.
In late February, Kyiv appeared to be at risk of being surrounded.
The team was advised to leave due to increasing danger.
The outskirts of Kyiv experienced intense fighting, preventing the Russians from entering the city.

The road to the front line is marked by chaos as thousands flee the fighting.
Checkpoints are tense and dangerous.
Massive tailbacks of refugees are trying to leave Ukraine, carrying essential belongings.

Odessa, Ukraine's third-largest city and a key strategic port on the Black Sea Coast, is preparing for potential attacks.
Founded by Russian Empress Catherine the Great, Odessa holds historical and cultural significance for both Russians and Ukrainians.
The city is being fortified with barricades.
Capturing Odessa would be a major strategic victory for the Kremlin, enabling control over the sea.
Former Ukrainian defense minister, Andrei Zaharadnuk, emphasizes the symbolic importance of Odessa and its role in controlling the sea.

Alina Drozdova, a long-time resident of Odessa originally from Russia, highlights the division among families due to conflicting narratives about the war.
Some relatives in Russia believe Putin's claim of a "special military operation" to liberate Ukraine.
Putin's strategic objective is to control the entire Southern Coast, imposing a stranglehold on Ukraine.

Russian forces attacked and took control of Kherson, located 20 miles from Odessa.
Local resistance fighters, armed with Molotov cocktails and light weapons, were quickly killed.
Kherson is now cut off from the rest of Ukraine, leading to shortages of medicine, water, and food.
Despite the occupation, the people of Kherson continue to demonstrate defiance, protesting with flags and insults.

The spirit of resistance among Ukrainians is growing stronger.
Initially, Russian forces appeared hesitant to confront unarmed protesters but later fired warning shots.

The beaches of Odessa are mined to prevent amphibious landings.
Air raid shelters are being used to protect residents from missile strikes.
False alarms and real attacks cause significant stress and hardship for the population.

People escaping the Russian bombardment arrive at Odessa's train station, seeking safety in the west.
Nicole and her mother, Yulia, are fleeing Mykolaev, a frontline city under fire, hoping to reach Germany.
The war has created a massive humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 3 million refugees and 2 million internally displaced people.
Approximately 12 million people inside Ukraine are in need of support.

Irina and her family are escaping from Mykolaiv, which is now the last line of defense before Odessa.
Their apartment block was bombed, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.
Mykolaiv, a city of nearly half a million people, is under curfew and total blackout every night.
Mayor Alexander Senkevich is leading the city's defense, recognizing the strategic importance of Mykolaiv in preventing Russian access to Odessa and the sea.
Other mayors have been targeted, abducted, and killed by Russian forces.

Mykolaiv is facing increasing Russian fire, including cluster bombs.
Mikhail's wife was killed in a cluster bomb attack.
The situation in Mykolaiv is deteriorating, with the city potentially facing encirclement.

Mariupol, located 300 miles east along the coast, is enduring the worst of the war.
Pavel Gomzyakov, a photographer who escaped Mariupol, reports widespread destruction and a catastrophic loss of life.
The estimated death toll is in the thousands and increasing.
The city's infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving residents without electricity, water, and sanitation.
Local journalist Atiyam Popov describes dire conditions, with people lacking food and water.
Russia is bombing the city and targeting civilians daily.
Taking control of Mariupol is crucial for Putin to connect Russia with Crimea.

When faced with resistance in Mariupol, Russian forces resorted to destroying the city, starving the population, and committing war crimes.
The maternity hospital and historic theater have been bombed.
The war is causing deep and lasting trauma to civilian populations, especially children and women.

Maria Butina, a Russian MP, denies that Russian forces are killing civilians or bombing civilian objects, promoting disinformation.
There are fears of a major tragedy in Mariupol, potentially affecting 400,000 people.

Presidents Zelensky and Putin have not yet met, but negotiators are engaged in talks.
The end of the war will require a deal, with the timeline depending on Russia's willingness to compromise.
Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of Russian forces from the entire country and rejects Putin's claims on Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine has conceded it's unlikely to join NATO.

Ukrainian forces have achieved military successes, such as pushing the Russians out of Voznyasinsk.
The bodies of dead Russian soldiers were collected and placed on a mortuary train.
Russia has underestimated the Ukrainians and overestimated their own capabilities.
The Russians will likely learn from their mistakes.

Russian tanks are in Mariupol, but the city's leaders are refusing to surrender.
An army barracks in Mykolaiv has been destroyed.
The war is getting closer to Odessa.
Nothing remains certain for long.