Läget i Ukraina

THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

SITUATION

2022-03-11

Russian forces launched multiple missile attacks early Friday on a wide range of targets across Ukraine, causing substantial damage in and around the central city of Dnipro, and attacking airports in the far west of the country, which had previously been spared from the conflict. There was substantial damage to the military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankovsk in north-western Ukraine, some 70 miles from the Polish border.

Russian forces could be moving towards Kyiv, according to satellite images from Maxar, which has been monitoring the invasion from above. Fighting has intensified to the northeast and east of the capital, after the Ukrainians successfully intercepted and attacked an advancing Russian tank column on Thursday. According to Maxar, the Russian column that had sat for nearly two weeks outside Kyiv has now dispersed and appear to be regrouping. It is likely that the Russian forces are preparing for another offensive against the capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said today that he wants to allow volunteers to fight against Ukrainian forces and approved handing over captured Western missile systems to Russian-backed rebel fighters. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were ready to come to fight with Russian-backed forces. According to media reports, Russia has offered to pay Syrian fighters, many of whom possess expertise in urban combat, which will come in handy to support their military campaign in seizing control of Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Friday to discuss Ukraine and western sanctions. The two counterparts appeared to shrug off the economic sanctions placed on them by Western nations, as they began their meeting in Moscow. The Russian leader added that there had been ”certain positive shifts” in the talks with Ukraine, and that those negotiations were continuing on a daily basis.

The fear of the war spreading causes a state of emergency in neighbouring countries, and other territories affected by the invasion. Since 24 February, an estimated 4.2 million people have been forcibly displaced during the Ukraine crises. This includes 2.3 million refugees who have fled to other countries, as reported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Even though the global community has been supportive in all means, the administration of this immense outflux of Ukrainians has proved to be challenging. International companies are, at an increasing rate, retracting employees and closing operations in neighbouring countries, primarily in Russia, while countries such as Lithuania has imposed a stricter state of emergency on Thursday in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

SRS SERVICES

SRS has personnel stationed in the city of Lviv.  SRS can assist with on-site security coordination, as well as assistance with evacuation, planning and contact with Swedish authorities.

For more information, contact SRS via ukraine@srsgroup.se or +46 (0)8 440 90 70.


Situational Map and Border Crossings of Interest

Situational Map (last updated 2022-03-11, 14:40 CET). Source: UK Ministry of Defence.

Situational Map (last updated 2022-03-11, 14:40 CET). Source: UK Ministry of Defence.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Due to recent military development and the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries, SRS recommends that expat staff and their families in Russia or in countries aligned with Russia in this conflict to i) register with the Swedish Embassy at se or ii) evacuate to an EU-member state.

COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS

  • If your business is in one of the impacted or neighbouring countries (e.g., Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania or Latvia), SRS recommends updating emergency response plans and security instructions. Prepare evacuation of staff, secure and/or shred sensitive documents and back-up of key information and IT-systems.

PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS

  • Be aware of false information and news sources. Learn more about source criticism at se.
  • SRS also recommends visiting the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) website (msb.se) to learn more about recommendations and safety precautions in times of crisis.