March 1 2022
PM Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Chris Luxon debate the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Parliament as casualties rise and a humanitarian crisis looms.
Ukraine's defence ministry has shared an infographic with instructions on how ordinary civilians can tackle Russian tanks, highlighting the weakest points that can be targeted with Molotov cocktails.
A civilian response has formed a significant part of Ukraine's defence against Russian forces, with videos emerging claiming to show citizens in action against invading forces.
Tens of thousands of civilians have joined the army, including high-profile sports stars and politicians such as the Klitschko brothers.
Men and women have volunteered in droves and stood in long lines to get weapons and learn how to defend their country. Some even returned from abroad to join the resistance.
As Russian troops surrounded the country this month, ordinary citizens received basic combat training in everything from handling guns, to making incendiary Molotov cocktails and tossing grenades.
And now they are releasing information on how everyday citizens can single-handedly take down Russian tanks.
So I've been asked what my advice would be to civilian resistors in Ukriane, especially Kyiv. Someone with no military training but wanting to resist. Here are a few things #Kyiv#UkraineUnderAttack :
In a post to Twitter, the official account of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted images showing where to throw Molotov cocktails in a bid to hit Russian vehicles at their weakest points.
They want citizens to target the windshield, the engine and the tyres with their homemade weapons, as well as laying sharp objects on roads to flatten tyres.
On tanks they ask those with Molotov cocktails to throw them at the command hatch, the air intake radiator, and the gun mantle, along with other areas.
A local resident prepares to use a Molotov cocktail against a wall during an all-Ukrainian training campaign "Don't panic! Get ready!". Photo / AP
Citizens are also bombing the asphalt and main roads to stop the Russian advancement.
Kyiv still stands
The Kyiv Independent is reporting that the situation in Kyiv is under Ukrainian control.
"All Russian efforts to occupy it have failed," a statement from Ukraine's Armed Forces says.
At least two other Ukrainian cities – Berdyansk and Kakhovka – have been lost to Russia, with the nation's military reporting it had claimed air superiority over the defenders.
However, Ukraine says Russian troops have slowed down "the pace of the offensive" as Russia's military begins its fifth day of operations in the country. "The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive, but are still trying to develop success in some areas," Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers posted to Twitter on Monday.
The UK Defence Ministry reported "logistical failures and staunch Ukrainian resistance continue to frustrate the Russian advance", with the bulk of Putin's forces still 30km north of Kyiv.
At least 11 civilians have been killed in Russian shelling on Ukraine's second most populated city Kharkiv on Monday, the regional governor said, adding dozens more had been injured.
"The Russian enemy is bombing residential areas," Oleg Sinegubov, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, saying that: "As a result of the bombardments that are ongoing, we cannot call on the emergency services ... currently there are 11 dead and dozens wounded".
An instructor trains a woman to shoot with a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a shooting range near Kharkiv. Photo / AP
Ukraine asks world for help
Despite civilians rallying to take on Russia, Ukraine's representative to the UN has told the world: "Do not listen to Russia's lies, listen to Ukraine's cries. We need your help."
The plea came during an emergency meeting of the UN's Security Council in which the scale of the humanitarian crisis was revealed and as claims emerge that Russia has dropped a devastating bomb on Ukrainian territory.
Sergiy Kyslytsya spoke on the last day of Russia's tenure as President of the Security Council in a meeting when member states claimed that Russia was using illegal cluster munitions.
UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi issued a warning over the scale of the growing refugee crisis, commending those countries admitting refugees but saying he was concerned that the exodus was only "the beginning".
Local residents train close to Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP
He said the UNHCR was making plans based on up to four million Ukrainians crossing borders in the coming days and weeks.
He called on world governments to donate to the relief effort, to add to nearly US$40 million in private donations made in recent days.
Reuters reports that Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, has claimed that Russia used a vacuum bomb during the conflict.
Vacuum bombs are thermobaric weapons that create mass destruction by sucking oxygen from the air to create a high-temperature explosion.
The weapons, often referred to as the "Father Of All Bombs" are banned by the Geneva Convention and cause devastating injuries, literally sucking the air from the lungs of anyone nearby and causing a huge shock wave.
