THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

SITUATION

2022-03-15

Five civilian casualties as Russian forces hit residential areas to the north, east and west of Kyiv city centre.  All five were killed in residential areas in Kyiv when the city was shelled on Tuesday morning. Reportedly has at least four buildings in residential areas across Kyiv been hit by Russian airstrikes.

The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are travelling on Tuesday to Kyiv on a European Union mission to show support for Ukraine as Russia’s invasion intensifies.

In a live address to Western leaders this morning, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned the Russian “war machine” will target them if it is not stopped. Europe must protect its own security by helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia. Zelenskiy also thanked countries that have “taken a moral stance” against Russia. Concluding that Ukraine is thankful for all the support given to them, but they need more to defend themselves.

About 2,000 cars leave Mariupol after days of failed evacuation attempts, city council says. The departures took place despite the ongoing failure to formally establish humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, which has been besieged since March 1. The planned humanitarian aid that was supposed to arrive on Sunday had still not reached the city as of Tuesday morning.

Russian state TV employee in court on trial over anti-war protest. The woman who interrupted a live news programme on Russian state TV last night is currently on trial at Moscow’s Ostankino Court. BBC News reported that, the Chanel One employee, Marina Ovsyannikova is being charged with “organising an unauthorised public event,” an administrative charge which could result in a fine of up to 30,000 roubles (£200), community service or up to 10 days in jail.

Russian and Belarusian forces increased their activity near the Ukrainian border, during the last 24 hours, in a likely effort to pin down Ukrainian forces. Yet, they likely do not have the capability to open a new axis of advance into western Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff reported Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly conducting reconnaissance of settlements near the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in western Ukraine. In the near future, the Kremlin likely seeks to pressure Belarus to join the war in 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 2022-03-15, 13:50 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.