More than 220 dead, including 60 civilians, in Kiev in three weeks

More than 220 dead, including 60 civilians, in Kiev in three weeks (authorities) Kiev, 18 Mar 2022 (AFP) - Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago, 222 people, including 56 civilians, and of these, four children, have died in Kiev, said Friday the city council of the Ukrainian capital. city since the start of the offensive on February 24 a total of 889 people, including 241 civilians, local authorities said in Telegram.Among the injured were 18 children, three ambulance drivers and an emergency doctor, according to the city council, who also reported damage to 36 residential buildings and ten schools. Russian troops have taken control of some areas around the capital, which they hope to completely surround eventually, although for the time being their advance has stalled, according to the Ukrainian army. Kiev accuses Russian forces of carrying out almost daily attacks on residential areas of the capital, most often at dawn, a tactic denounced by the Ukrainian authorities as aimed at terrorizing the population and demoralizing those who defend the city.Kiev had about 3.5 million inhabitants before the war, but almost half have left the city since the beginning of the invasion, according to estimates by the Ukrainian authorities.ant/bur/lpt/aoc/eg