Tonight, nearly a month after invading Ukraine, Russian forces are on their heels in some areas of the country. Ukrainian forces launched an aggressive counteroffensive in the south today and have retaken a strategically important town just outside the capital of Kiev. Russian troops responded with a barrage of airstrikes on civilian targets in several cities. A senior defense official tells CBSN that the US now has evidence that Russia is deliberately and intentionally targeting civilians including hospitals and evacuation shelters. Ahead of President B’s trip to meet with our NATO leaders on Thursday, the President says V.P’s back is against the wall, however, Ukraine’s resistance and Russia’s slow progress are raising concerns that Putin may resort to using chemical or biological weapons to regain the upper hand.

Three people were killed when this hospital was decimated by a Russian missile strike yesterday according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s government says ten hospitals have now been completely destroyed in this invasion. There is carnage in this country, civilians killed in their homes and on the streets. The US says it’s seen clear evidence the Russians are committing war crimes. Yet Russia’s ground forces have made surprisingly slow progress. Ukraine’s military says it recaptured this strategically important town of Makariv just outside the capital Kiev yesterday, and now fighting to wrest back control of the city Izyum and Kherson according to a senior US defense official. The Ukrainians are massively outgunned but with the anti-tank missile supply by the US and its allies, they destroyed hundreds of Russian armored vehicles and they killed up to nine thousand Russian soldiers according to the US official. Across Ukraine, ordinary people have mobilized to defend towns and villages.

:::tip barrage

• : artillery fire laid on a line. 枪林弹雨

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:::tip decimate

• : to cause great destruction or harm to. 摧毁

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