Today, the Defense Secretary L.A told CBS Face the Nation that Russia’s invasion to Ukraine has essentially stalled. He described V.P is moving his forces into quote, “wood chipper of Ukrainian resistance.” But invasion now entering its fourth week, it’s a disaster for Ukraine. This is the city of Mariupol, or what’s left of it. And today Ukrainian President V.Z invoked the Holocaust when speaking to Israel’s parliament. He accused Russia of wanting to impose Nazi style final solution on Ukraine. The United Nations now estimates more than ten million people have been forced to leave their homes, that’s over twenty percent of the country’s population. In Rome, Pope Francis visited Ukrainian refugees at this children’s hospital. He said they are suffering quote, “shakes of conscience.” Tonight, Russian forces are intensifying their attacks in the southeast as they continue to dig in elsewhere.

Russia’s ground forces may have stalled, but its air and sea assault on southern Ukraine is only intensifying causing horrific damage. These apocalyptic scenes of devastation stretch as far as the eye can see. This is the southeastern city of Mariupol, once home to nearly half million people, now, a wasteland. Even the corpses here remain unburied as Russian forces encircle the strategically important seaport on the Azov Sea. Those afforded the dignity of a burial are put in graves marked only with crude wooden crosses. While for the living, the situation is desperate, with little food, no power or medical supplies. The fall of Mariupol would mark a major win for Moscow, it would allow Russian forces stationed across southern Ukraine to connect with the soldiers in the east of the country. But if this is meant to be a spoil of war, it’s now just the hollowed-out husk of a once great city.

:::tip invoke

• : to petition for help or support. 恳求

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