Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv today. Photo / AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv today. Photo / AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again urged Russian soldiers to surrender to Ukrainian forces in his latest public address.
"They still can't recover, but have begun to realise they won't achieve anything by war," Zelenskyy told Ukrainians.
"Their soldiers know it. Their officers understand it. They flee from the battlefield, leaving behind their vehicles and equipment. We take the trophies and use them for defence.
"Russian forces have de facto become a supplier of equipment for our army. They couldn't have imagined it in a nightmare."
"You won't be able to take anything from Ukraine. You will take lives - you are many - but yours will be taken too.
"What are you dying for? I know you want to survive. We hear in your intercepted calls what you really think of this war, of this shame, and of your state. Your conversations with each other, your calls home to your families, we hear everything. We know who you are.
"That is why I offer you a choice: if you surrender to our forces, we will treat you as humans have to be treated, with dignity. The way you have not been treated in your army. And the way your army doesn't treat our people. Choose."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv today. Photo / AP
The Sun reports that captured pilots slammed Vladimir Putin's "treacherous invasion" during an emotional press conference on Sunday.
Seven army reconnaissance officers were shot down from Ukrainian airspace last week.
One of the soldiers was Galkin Sergey Alekseevich. The 34-year-old apologised and begged Putin to stop the war.
"I apologise for myself, for my squad to every home to every street to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children for our invasion of these lands," he said.
"I gravely apologise for our treacherous invasion.
"To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us."
An elderly man walks outside an apartment block which was destroyed by an artillery strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 14. Photo / AP
'It's a race': General gives Russia 10-day deadline
Retired US army General Ben Hodges, who served as commander of United States Army Europe for three years, has predicted Russian forces will be unable to continue their assault on Ukraine 10 days from now – if Ukraine can hold out that long.
He highlighted three key deficiencies holding back the Russian military.
"Russia's decision to transition to a war of attrition – they're smashing cities, putting civilians on the road because of fear of being murdered – they need three things to do this. And they don't have those three things," Hodges told MSNBC.
"They don't have the time, they don't have the manpower, and I don't think they have the ammunition. So, in about 10 days, in my assessment – and this is assuming that we, the West, not only continue but accelerate the delivery of the capabilities Ukrainians need to destroy Russian long-range artillery and rocket launchers and missile sites – assuming we do that, then I think within the next 10 days, Russia is going to culminate.
"That means they won't be able to continue the attack. So it's kind of a race, actually. If we give the Ukrainians enough, where they can outlast Russia until Russia culminates, then in my assessment, unless something dramatically different happens, it's about 10 days."
He said essentially the same thing on CNN as well. For the sake of thoroughness, here are those quotes.
"I believe that we are probably about 10 days away from Russia culminating. In other words, running out of time, running out of people, and running out of ammunition," he said.
"Kyiv is a huge city. I was there five weeks ago, met President Zelenskyy there. It is a very large city, very complex urban terrain, separated by one of the biggest rivers in Europe. I do not believe that the Russians have the numbers, actually, to encircle it, let alone capture it.
"They're having ammunition shortages already because of the poor planning they've done. They have serious manpower shortages, which is why they're recruiting Syrians to come and fight. Numerous accounts of mutiny, desertion, low morale.
"Now is the time for us to pour on the gas, to make it clear that we are in for the long haul. President Zelenskyy is right, Ukraine is going to win this thing, but the next 10 days are going to be decisive."
🇺🇦 "I believe that we are probably about 10 days away from Russia culminating. In other words, running out of time, running out of people, and running out of ammunition." @general_ben tells @LauraAJarrett & @ChristineRomans that Russia does not have the manpower to take Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/VIv9GLxfqo
Vladimir Putin has signed a law that gives Russian airlines the right to seize foreign-owned planes, so they can then be redeployed for domestic flights.
This is a response to Western sanctions, which threaten to completely cripple Russia's aviation industry. Multiple nations have closed their airspace to Russian airliners, and some have gone further, banning the operation of planes for the benefit of Russian citizens.
A group of people fleeing Ukraine stand in a line after arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, on March 14. Photo / AP
Kyiv leader 'ready to fight'
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko (who is also a former professional boxer) has declared he's not scared of being kidnapped by Russian forces and is ready to fight for his city.
During an interview with Fox News, Klitschko was asked what he'd do if the Russians did try to kidnap him, as they've reportedly done with leaders in other parts of the country.
"This will not be easy, to do that. Nobody is safe. Nobody feels safe in our country right now in this very difficult situation. But everyone is ready to fight, ready to defend our city.
"And I am not worried about kidnap. I am ready to fight, that's why I have weapons. It's my hometown, and I want to defend the interests of my citizens, my home, my family."
Klitschko also condemned Russia for targeting civilians.
"War has rules," he said.
"Never touch children, never touch women, never touch civilians. But Russia doesn't want the rules. What they want is the symbol of the city, symbol of community. They can't stop the mood of the city, and that's why they kidnap."
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting in Moscow on March 10. Photo / AP
Zelenskyy thanks brave Russian protester
Zelenskyy has urged Russians to "fight" against their government's disinformation, and personally thanked the state TV employee who protested during a live broadcast today.
"I'm thankful to those Russians who don't stop trying to deliver the truth, who are fighting against disinformation and tell real facts to their friends and families, and personally, to that woman who went in the studio of Channel One with an anti-war poster," he said.
"Those who aren't afraid to protest. As long as your country isn't completely closed off from the rest of the world, turning into a huge North Korea, you have to fight. You don't have to miss your chance."
Apparently, a woman just ran onto the stage during a Russian state television news broadcast with a sign that said, “Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They’re lying to you here!” pic.twitter.com/nn5XWsh4Wn
You can read about the TV employee, Marina Ovsyannikova, here. Her brave protest has landed her in police custody and could lead to a lengthy prison sentence.
Nato leaders consider holding summit
CNBC reports Nato leaders are discussing holding a meeting in Brussels late next week, to be attended by heads of state, including US President Joe Biden.
We should stress that the plans have not yet been finalised or formally announced.
This follows reporting from a few hours ago that the White House was considering a trip to Europe for Biden, with the goal of rallying Nato and reassuring the alliance.
US Vice President Kamala Harris visited Poland and Romania last week, though a full-fledged summit involving heads of state would obviously be a bigger deal.
