Ukraine round-up: 100 days of war and some Russians refuse to fight

President Volodymyr Zelensky

Office of the President of Ukraine
Zelensky and im advisers take dis foto on di 100th day as reminder ti similar one wey dem take just afta Russia invasion

Zelensky bin dey tok outside di presidential palace for Kyiv, wia im key advisors gada around am inside one video.

Im say Ukraine troops don “do wetin bin be like say e dey impossible” and stop “di second army of di world”.

Later, di Ukraine leader write for Telegram say Russia neva fit “achieve any strategic goal” and instead im try to shift im bin try “shift im powerlessness to civilian infrastructure and pipo”.

Kremlin tok tok pesin Dmitry Peskov hit back, insist say “dem don achieve some results” and claim di “liberation” of some regions from wetin im call “pro-Nazi armed forces of Ukraine”.

Several Western world leaders used di 100-day mark to praise Ukraine resistance, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, wey say di “bravery of Ukraine pipo commands our respect and our admiration”.As 100 day of Russia invasion of Ukraine dey near, President Volodymyr Zelensky don hail di efforts of im military, wey im say push back Moscow attack.


Defiance in Kyiv 100 days on

Kyiv no feel like city bracing wey dey ready imsef for attack from 150,000 Russian soldiers for January, BBC James Waterhouse reports.

“All na bluff” and “we dey war already” na di most common responses wen you ask pipo weda dem dey worry about bin dey like di unthinkable at di time.

Of course, within five weeks all dat change.

Some for di West predict say Kyiv go fall within 72 hours.

Over di period of 100 days di city don go from stubborn normality, through complete darkness, and now e de yenta some kain calm.

E still far from wetin e bin be before di war, but still na picture of defiance.


Di Russia soldiers wey refuse to fight for Ukraine

Some Russia soldiers dey refuse to return to fight for Ukraine becos of dia experiences for di front line for di beginning of di invasion, according to Russia human rights lawyers and activists.

One soldier spend five weeks fighting for Ukraine earlier dis year. Im tell BBC im no wan to return to Ukraine to “kill and be killed”.

Russian servicemen stand guard near the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant near Kherson, southern Ukraine. Photo: May 2022

EPA
Russian servicemen near Kherson, southern Ukraine

Im now dey im house for Russia, aft aim take legal advice to avoid going back to di front line. Im na just one of hundreds of Russia soldiers wey we understand say demd ey try to get dat kain advice.

“I bin tink say we be di Russia army, di most super-duper for world,” di young man say bitterly. Instead dem expect us to operate without even basic equipment, like night vision devices, im tok.

Pro-Russian forces fire a rocket targeting Ukrainian positions in Yasynuvata, Donetsk

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Pro-Russian forces fire rocket targeting Ukrainian positions for Yasynuvata, Donetsk

How Russian TV dey report di conflict

Since di war for Ukraine begin, Russian authorities don clamp down on di kontri media.

Di story line na seriously pro-war TV stations we glue stubbornly to Kremlin narrative.

For beginning of di invasion, dis stations refuse to call Vladimir Putin invasion, war.

Now, di talk shows wey dominate di schedules say repeatedly say Moscow dey face World War Three wit di West.


Damage and stealing for Chernobyl nuclear site

Ukraine say di Russia army steal or damage more an 1,000 computers for Chernobyl nuclear power station and steal trucks and radiation dosimeters.

But Chernobyl information director Vitaliy Medved say dem no damage nuclear equipment and “regarding radiation safety everything dey OK”.

Wreckage left behind by Russian troops at Chernobyl, 28 May 22

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Damage wey Russian troops leave behind for Chernobyl

For di exclusion zone, however, e get some radiation hotspots wey Chernobyl managers blame on di Russia military activity, as troops dig trenches and dia motor blow dust.

Yevhen Kramarenko, head of di exclusion zone agency, say thousands of Russia motor including tanks don drive through di zone.

Im say Russia bin base more dan 1,000 soldiers for Chernobyl.