Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened on Day 6 of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine (Published 2022) (2024)

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Russia moves to encircle and capture critical cities in Ukraine.

If captured, Kherson would be the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russia since President Vladimir V. Putin launched his invasion last Thursday. Russian forces were also bearing down on several other cities, including Kyiv, the capital, where blasts were reported overnight and Russian forces appeared to be moving closer toward encircling the city. Here are the latest developments:

• Russian troops are steadily moving to surround key cities in Ukraine’s south and east, with attacks reported on hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure. They continued to lay siege to central Kharkiv, where a government building was hit by an apparent rocket strike on Wednesday morning, and where supplies of food and water are running low in the city of 1.5 million.

• More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have died during the first 160 hours of the war, the country’s emergency services agency said in a statement, though that number could not be independently confirmed.

• Overnight, Russian troops surrounded Mariupol, a port city in the southeast. More than 120 civilians were being treated for injuries in hospitals, the mayor said. Residents baked 26 tons of bread to help withstand the coming onslaught, according to the mayor.

• President Biden predicted that the invasion of Ukraine would “leave Russia weaker and the world stronger” during a fiery State of the Union address on Tuesday night. He said the United States planned to bar Russian planes from American airspace and that the Justice Department would try to seize the assets of oligarchs and government officials allied with Mr. Putin, part of a global push to isolate Russia.

• A second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine was scheduled to take place on Wednesday after a meeting on Monday failed to make progress in ending the fighting.

Turkey says Russia will comply with its request not to send warships into the Black Sea.

For now, at least, it appears to have threaded the needle.

Turkey asked Russia in recent days not to send three warships to the Black Sea. Russia has now withdrawn its request to do so, the country’s top diplomat said late Tuesday.

“We, in a friendly way, told Russia not to send the vessels,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the broadcaster Haber Turk. “And Russia told us that the vessels would not pass through the straits.”

The demand from Russia, which came on Sunday and Monday, concerned four warships, Mr. Cavusoglu said. Only one was registered to a Black Sea base and was therefore eligible to pass, according to the information Turkey had.

But Russia withdrew its request for all four vessels, and Turkey officially informed all of the parties to the 1936 Montreux Convention — under which Turkey regulates passage via two straits from the Mediterranean Sea into the Black Sea — that Russia had done so, according to Mr. Cavusoglu.

He emphasized that Turkey would apply the treaty’s rules for both sides of the Ukraine conflict, as the accord demands.

“Right now there are two parties to the war, Ukraine and Russia,” he said. “Neither Russia nor others should be offended here. We will apply Montreux today, tomorrow, as long as it stands.”

The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also trying to assess the potential damage to its own economy caused by Western sanctions on Russia. The country has urged Moscow to stop its aggression against Ukraine but has not issued sanctions of its own.

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An Indian student was killed while getting food for others sheltering in Kharkiv.

As of late Tuesday, about 8,000 Indian citizens, mostly students, were still trying to make it out of Ukraine, according to India’s Foreign Ministry. The evacuation process has been complicated by active fighting, with the students struggling to make it to jammed border crossings.

“Many of my friends were on the train last night to get out of Ukraine. It was scary, as the Russian border is barely 50 kilometers from our place and Russians were firing to capture territory,” said Stuti Kashyap, a second-year medical student who made it back to India on Feb. 21.

As the conflict has intensified in recent days, Indian students have walked miles in freezing temperatures to cross into neighboring countries. Many posted videos from their underground bunkers and hostel rooms, pleading for help. Other students accused security forces at the borders of racism, saying they were made to wait longer only because they were Indians.

India has a huge young population and an increasingly competitive job market. Seats in Indian government-run professional colleges are limited, and degrees at private universities are expensive. Thousands of students from the poorer parts of India pursue professional degrees, particularly in medicine, in places like Ukraine, where the cost can be half, if not less, of what they pay in India.

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Russia claims to control Kherson, a strategic city, but Ukraine says the battle for it isn’t over.

If Russia does take Kherson, it would become the first major Ukrainian city captured by Russia during the war.

“The city is not experiencing shortages in food and essential goods,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “Negotiations are ongoing between the Russian command, the administration of the city and the region to address issues of maintaining the functioning of social infrastructure facilities, ensuring law and order and the safety of the population.”

Russia has sought to portray its military assault as one that is welcomed by most Ukrainians, even as the invasion touches off enormous human suffering.

Oleksiy Arestovich, a military adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, said that fighting for Kherson, which provides strategic access to the Black Sea and is near a Soviet-era water canal leading to Crimea, was continuing.

Mr. Arestovich also said that Russian forces were attacking the city of Kryvyi Rih, about 100 miles northeast of Kherson. The city is Mr. Zelensky’s hometown.

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A family in Kyiv prepares for battle with Russia.

Half a mile away, her son, Hlib Bondarenko, and her husband, Oleg Bondarenko, were stationed at a makeshift civilian checkpoint, inspecting vehicles and searching for possible Russian saboteurs.

Hlib and Oleg are part of the newly formed Territorial Defense Forces, a special unit under the Ministry of Defense that is arming civilians to help defend cities across Ukraine.

“I don’t get to decide if Putin is going to invade or to launch a nuclear weapon,” Hlib said. “What I get to decide is how I’m going to react to the situation around me.”

Across the country, people are being forced to make split-second decisions in light of Russia’s invasion: stay, flee or take up arms to defend their country.

“If I sit at home and just watch the situation unfold, the cost is going to be that the enemy might win,” Hlib said.

At home, Ms. Novak was preparing for the possibility of a long battle. She had taped her windows, drawn her curtains and filled her bathtub with an emergency supply of water. The silence around her was regularly punctured by sirens or explosions.

Despite her worst fears, Ms. Novak supports her family’s decision to fight.

“I am the mother of my son,” she said. “And I don’t know if I will see him again or not. I can cry or feel sorry for myself, or be in shock — all of it.”

She added: “But we’re past this phase. There are more important things in front of us now.”

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Biden says Putin ‘badly miscalculated’ by invading Ukraine.

As had been widely expected, Mr. Biden announced several new moves to further punish Mr. Putin, including a ban on Russian aircraft in U.S. airspace and the creation of a task force inside the Justice Department to aggressively identify, locate and seize the assets of Russian oligarchs and officials in Mr. Putin’s inner circle.

“We’re joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets,” Mr. Biden said. “We’re coming for your ill-begotten gains, and tonight I’m announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy.”

Mr. Putin, the president added, “has no idea what’s coming.”

Mr. Biden was repeatedly interrupted by applause from members of both parties as he addressed the crisis during the opening moments of his speech.

But the Republican cheering dissipated when he warned Americans to expect economic blowback in the form of higher energy prices resulting from the sanctions. To cushion that blow, he said the United States, in conjunction with 30 allies, would release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves, with half coming from domestic supplies.

“We’re going to be OK,” he said.

What Mr. Biden did not say was equally noteworthy.

He made no mention of the nation’s nuclear deterrence capabilities in response to Mr. Putin’s menacing references in recent days to putting Russia’s arsenal on a war footing. He also did not offer any clear way out of the crisis, or even a possible offramp for an increasingly bellicose and isolated Mr. Putin, short of pulling Russian troops out of Ukraine immediately.

While Mr. Biden committed to providing Ukraine with enough weaponry, supplies and humanitarian assistance to “fight for freedom,” he said again he was not prepared to directly confront Russian troops by moving NATO forces into Ukraine or imposing a no-fly zone, as some Democrats have suggested.

“Let me be clear: Our forces are not engaged and will not engage with the Russian forces in Ukraine,” he said.

“Our forces are not going to Europe to fight Ukraine but to defend our NATO allies in the event Putin decides to keep moving west,” Mr. Biden added. “For that purpose, we have mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons and ships.”

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A Ukrainian soldier recited a Persian love poem on the eve of battle. It went viral.

The video went viral. Shared across social media platforms like Telegram and Twitter, mostly by Iranians and Ukrainians, it touched a common nerve, a reminder that literature, particularly poetry, has the power to bond people.

Everyone it seemed, was impressed that Mr. Perepeitsa resorted to poetry — and to a poem in a language other than his native tongue — to capture the mood of the moment. His choice of poem was also poignant. It is a Persian poem by Hamid Mosadegh addressing a lover and titled, “Who will tell you the news of my death?”

Mr. Perepelitsa is a resident of Kyiv, a husband and a father of a little boy. He is a businessman who until last week was working in exports. He had lived in Tehran for a year and half and studied Persian, according to Alex Lourie, an American photographer in Ukraine who recorded the video.

Mr. Lourie said in a telephone interview that he had been shooting photographs of soldiers in the outskirts of Kyiv when he and Mr. Perepelitsa started chatting. They both realized they spoke a little Persian and were familiar with Iranian culture and poetry.

Out of the blue, Mr. Perepelitsa broke out reciting poetry. Mr. Lourie filmed it to share with his Iranian friends. He posted it on his Instagram page, tagging Mr. Perepelitsa, who has since told him that he is getting flooded with messages from Iranians in support and solidarity.

The last post from Mr. Perepelitsa’s Instagram page, a landscape photograph of Ukraine, had 1,468 messages written Tuesday after the video went viral. Nearly all of them are from Iranians. “Love and prayers from Iran,” said one. “Iranians love you,” said another, “I wish you victory,” and “Our hearts are with you.”

“It’s pretty weird for an American and Ukrainian to be speaking Farsi in the middle of an invasion by Russia,” Mr. Lourie said. “He was such a smart and kind guy.”

Here is the poem translated into English:

At times I wonder
Who will tell you the news of my death?
The moment when you hear of my death, from someone
I wish I could see your beautiful face
Shrugging your shoulders, carefree
Waving your hands — it’s no matter
Nodding your head, “Wow! He died! How sad!”
I wish I could see it
I ask myself
Who would believe
Your love burned to ashes
The jungle of my soul

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Here’s what Biden had to say about the war in Ukraine.

He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined.

He met the Ukrainian people.

From President Zelensky to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world.

Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland.

In this struggle as President Zelensky said in his speech to the European Parliament, “Light will win over darkness.” The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States is here tonight.

Let each of us here tonight in this chamber send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world.

Please rise if you are able and show that, yes, we the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people.

Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they cause more chaos.

They keep moving.

And the costs and the threats to America and the world keep rising.

That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War II.

The United States is a member along with 29 other nations.

It matters. American diplomacy matters. American resolve matters.

Putin’s latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and unprovoked.

He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy.

He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And he thought he could divide us at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready. Here is what we did.

We prepared extensively and carefully.

We spent months building a coalition of other freedom-loving nations from Europe and the Americas to Asia and Africa to confront Putin.

I spent countless hours unifying our European allies. We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsely justify his aggression.

We countered Russia’s lies with truth.

And now that he has acted, the free world is holding him accountable.

Along with 27 members of the European Union, including France, Germany, Italy, as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others, even Switzerland.

We are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever.

Together with our allies — we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions.

We are cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system. Preventing Russia’s central bank from defending the Russian ruble, making Putin’s $630 Billion “war fund” worthless.

We are choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.

Tonight, I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime, “No more.”

The U.S. Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs.

We are joining with our European allies to find and seize their yachts their luxury apartments their private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.

And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy. He has no idea what’s coming.

The Ruble has lost 30 percent of its value.

The Russian stock market has lost 40 percent of its value, and trading remains suspended. The Russian economy is reeling, and Putin alone is to blame.

Together with our allies, we are providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom. Military assistance. Economic assistance. Humanitarian assistance.

We are giving more than $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine, and will continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and help ease their suffering.

But let me be clear: Our forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.

Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO Allies — in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west.

For that purpose we’ve mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, and ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

As I have made crystal clear: The United States and our allies will defend every inch of territory of NATO countries with the full force of our collective power. Every single inch.

And we remain cleareyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days, weeks and months will be hard on them.

Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield, he will pay a continuing high price over the long run.

And a proud Ukrainian people, who have known 30 years of independence, have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backward.

To all Americans, I will be honest with you, as I always promised I would be. A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world.

And I’m taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russia’s economy. And I will use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers.

Tonight, I can announce that the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world.

America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels from our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And we stand ready to do more if necessary, unified with our allies.

These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. And I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming.

But I want you to know that we are going to be OK.

When the history of this era is written, Putin’s war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger.

While it shouldn’t have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what’s at stake, now everyone sees it clearly.

We see the unity among leaders of nations, a more unified Europe a more unified West. And we see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world even in Russia to demonstrate their support for the people of Ukraine.

In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.

This is a real test. It’s going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people.

To our fellow Ukrainian Americans who forge a deep bond that connects our two nations we stand with you.

Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people.

He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world.

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Boeing and Ford suspend operations in Russia.

Boeing employs several thousand people in Russia, Ukraine and a handful of former Soviet states, an operation that includes a major design center in Moscow. The company also runs a flight training campus and research and technology center in the city and has a joint venture in Russia with VSMPO-AVISMA, Boeing’s largest titanium supplier.

Boeing has been trying to diversify its titanium supply in recent years, and it said it had enough of the metal on hand to keep making commercial aircraft in the near term.

Ford, which once had three plants in Russia, is suspending its remaining operations in the country indefinitely because of the invasion. The automaker is part of a joint venture that makes small delivery vans at a plant in Yelabuga, more than 600 miles east of Moscow. It also works with a distributor that sells imported Ford vehicles.

“Ford is deeply concerned about the invasion of Ukraine and the resultant threats to peace and stability,” the company said in a statement. “The situation has compelled us to reassess our operations in Russia.”

Ford shut down its three plants in Russia in 2019 as part of an effort to turn around its struggling European operation.

Videos verified by The Times show devastated apartment buildings in a town just northwest of Kyiv.

Ukrainian news media outlets did not immediately report fatalities or numbers of injured. But witnesses in the videos said they were searching for survivors after hearing voices under rubble. Witnesses and Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister said that the damage was the result of Russian airstrikes.

Other videos and photos posted on social media on Tuesday showed heavy fighting throughout Borodyanka. In a roundabout next to the devastated apartment buildings, other structures were damaged, and a vehicle identified by open source researchers as a Russian Tornado-G multiple rocket launcher sat burning. And shelling from tanks hit another apartment building half a mile away.

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Russian aircraft will be banned from American airspace, U.S. officials say.

It was not clear how quickly the ban, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, will be put in place. Mr. Putin has already retaliated against the European ban by canceling flights from European airlines over Russian territory.

The ban would prevent Aeroflot, Russia’s national airline, from making flights to the United States, or from traveling over the United States on its way to other destinations.

But the effect of the ban could be limited. Aeroflot is the only Russian airline that flies between that country and the United States, according to flight information from Cirium, an aviation data provider. Last year, Aeroflot operated 761 flights from Moscow into the United States, to airports in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and the Washington, D.C., region. The airline had 55 flights scheduled into the United States for March.

Russian airlines also have little need to traverse the skies over the United States to get to other destinations.

Russia is widely expected to retaliate with a reciprocal ban, as it has with flight bans imposed by dozens of other countries, according to experts. That, too, will have limited effect, experts say.

American Airlines, which had used Russian airspace en route to India, started rerouting flights before the war began. United Airlines, which was similarly exposed, said on Tuesday that it had temporarily stopped flights to India and will avoid Russian airspace. Cargo carriers UPS and FedEx had already stopped deliveries to Russia, though a ban on flying over the country could slow some shipments as flights are rerouted.

The move is the latest in a series of steps Mr. Biden has taken to punish Mr. Putin after similar actions by his counterparts in Europe and Canada. The president issued sanctions on a Russian-owned natural gas line last week, days after Germany took a similar action.