As of 14 March 2022, the majority of Russian troops encamped near the capital Kyiv are positioned about 25 km (15 mi) from the city center. Russian forces resumed missile attacks on the capital on 14 March following the arrival of reinforcements and a reorganization of troops already on the outskirts of the city. Heavy shelling and fighting were reported in Irpin, located approximately 20 km west of central Kyiv. Additionally, Russian forces launched missiles at a residential building in the capital, resulting in two casualties and severe damage to the building. Kyiv remains the primary target for the Russian military, but troops continue to launch offensives in the southern Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions as well as in northern Ukraine. Russian troops in the Crimean Peninsula are moving toward the city of Odesa, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, Russian naval fleets erected a blockade on the Black Sea, which cuts off Ukraine from maritime trade and travel.
On 13 March Russian forces fired several ballistic missiles at the Yavoriv military range, located near the western city of Lviv, approximately 20 km (10 mi) from the Poland-Ukraine border. The governor of Lviv stated that at least 35 people were killed and 134 were injured due to the blasts. The shelling follows an announcement by Russian representatives the previous day, which stated that humanitarian aid shipments to Ukraine would be considered military targets. National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and U.S. instructors are frequently sent to the base to train Ukrainian troops, while Ukrainian officials use the base for humanitarian aid shipments from Poland. In related developments, Russian troops launched a third strike at Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport (UKLI/IFO), located in western Ukraine near the Hungary-Ukraine border. The airport was destroyed; however, no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials accuse Russian soldiers of kidnapping the mayors of the southeastern cities of Dniprorudne and Melitopol.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that approximately 2.7 million people have so far fled Ukraine. Additionally, the U.N. reported that at least 1,663 civilians have been killed since 24 February. However, actual casualty figures are likely to be much higher than reported.
