Mykolaiv, Ukraine — Vladimir Putin's forces are pummeling Ukraine's southern port cities. Mykolaiv was hit once more by shelling early Tuesday morning. As CBS Information correspondent Chris Livesay reviews, it is a metropolis that stands at a crossroads between Odesa, Ukraine's greatest port that Russia desperately desires, and Mariupol, a metropolis Russia has already encircled.
In each Mariupol and Mykolaiv, Livesay says individuals are doing every part they will simply to outlive what Ukrainian officers name a battle of annihilation by Russia's chief.
Aerial video surfaced on Monday displaying the horrific destruction of besieged Mariupol. Smoke rises from the charred carcasses of house buildings. The as soon as thriving port metropolis has been left in ruins. Officers say greater than 2,000 civilians have been killed there alone.
"An elementary faculty was right here," mentioned resident Dima, pointing to an area devoid of something however rubble. "There have been no navy at this faculty."
Video launched by Ukraine's Nationwide Guard reveals its armored autos going toe to toe with Russia's, zigzagging via residential streets which have turn into a concrete battlefield.
The brutal city warfare has left a whole lot of 1000's of civilians trapped within the freezing chilly with out warmth, water, meals, or electrical energy.
And whereas the bombing is chillingly indiscriminate, additionally it is by design: One after the other, Putin's forces are terrorizing Ukraine's main ports as they grind slowly towards their objective of capturing Odesa. To get there, nevertheless, they first should get via, or round Mykolaiv.
Not if the native governor, Vitaly Kim, has something to say about it. He is taken to social media to point out off captured Russian navy hardware, and his common, charismatic movies on have gone viral in Ukraine.
@kimukraine Добрий день! МИ З УКРАЇНИ! Теперь у меня есть свой собственный трофейный «тигр» #україна#перемога#война#кім#віталійкім#украина♬ оригінальний звук - Доброго вечори, ми з України
Requested what he is discovered about Russia as a navy foe over the past week, Kim laughed and mentioned he needed to be taught every part from scratch, as a result of simply two weeks in the past, he knew "nothing about battle."
Now he is aware of all of it too nicely. Mykolaiv has been shelled relentlessly for days. Over the weekend at the very least 4 folks had been killed whereas hiding in a bomb shelter beneath a college.
Governor Kim has requested residents to donate previous tires, to pile up and set on fireplace in a bid to disorient the enemy in case of a full-on invasion. His residents responded, and there are mounds of tires and different barricades throughout town now.
Kim even has just a few Ukrainian tanks of his personal, which he proudly reveals off in his movies.
The charisma of Ukraine's leaders has been wielded as a robust weapon, and Russia is aware of it. Ukraine says it is why Russia has kidnapped at the very least two of its cities' mayors already, with the objective being to interchange them with pro-Russian puppets.