On February 23, a tank driver in the Russian army called his family and said he would be home soon, as his unit was about to finish its military drills. Russia invaded Ukraine the next day, and nobody has been heard from since. The soldier in the video apologized for taking part in the invasion. He had no idea they could send him to Ukraine, his brother said in a phone interview. The New York Times has a morning newsletter. Russia is seeing the reality of war. The death toll for Russian service members in the conflict was announced for the first time by the Russian Defense Ministry. While casualty figures in wartime are notoriously unreliable, the number of Russian dead in the seven days of fighting is the largest in any of its military operations since the war in Chechnya. Even as the Kremlin gets more aggressive in trying to shape the narrative, Russians are realizing that their country is fighting a deadly conflict. The last free press in the world faced extinction, as its slow-motion crackdown on freedoms has become 888-282-0465 888-282-0465. Lawmakers proposed a 15-year prison sentence for people who post fakes about the war, and there are rumors about martial law. The war against Ukraine was described in a video lesson as a liberation mission by the Education Ministry. In Moscow, the regional office of the Committee of Soldiers has been getting 2,000 calls a day. Alexander Latynin, a senior committee official, said that the parents first question was "What happened to my child?" The Russian military did not acknowledge the fact that many young Russian soldiers were dying or being taken prisoner until Sunday, the fourth day of the war. The bodies of Russian soldiers were strewn on streets and fields, and videos of Russian prisoners of war saying they had no idea they were about to be invaded were published by the Ukrainian government. Some Russians are being reached by the videos. One of the videos featured a friend of Yevgeniya A. Ivanova's, Viktor A. Golubev. Golubev said he feels guilty for his actions on Ukrainian soil and called on Putin to find a compromise to avoid war. The toll in human lives is a reason enough for some Russians to oppose the war, and OVD-Info, an activist group that tracks arrests, has counted at least 7,359 Russians in jail during protests in scores of cities across the country. In the third decade of the 21st century, we are watching news about people burning in tanks and bombed-out buildings. The Russian elite continued to speak out. There are stray dogs gnawing on dead Russian soldiers in Ukraine, according to a member of Russia's upper house of Parliament. Narusova doesn't identify herself with those who speak out in favor of the war. They are following orders. The Russian International Affairs Council published an article by an expert who described the war as a strategic debacle. Ivan Timofeev said that Ukrainian society would see Russia as an enemy for a long time. Those who look for traitors sooner or later become victims. The discontent showed no sign of affecting Putin's campaign, as Russia's assault on Ukraine widened, with heavy fighting reported for the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. The government signaled that it would intensify its fight against the war's critics, including those who called it a war. Vasily Piskaryov is a senior lawmaker in Putin's party. His punishment was 15 years in prison. The law will be taken up by the Parliament on Friday. It was feared that Putin could go even further in his suppression of dissent. It was more than logical for lawmakers to approve martial law this week in order to block the open internet, ban all protests and restrict Russians from online activities, wrote a scholar who has studied Putin. Increasing numbers of Russians have left the country due to speculation about how quickly the Kremlin was moving to block access to individual news media outlets. The flagship liberal-leaning radio station in Russia was taken off the air on Tuesday for the first time since 1991. Dozhd, Russia's only remaining independent television channel, had access to its website blocked and leading staff members left the country on Wednesday. Tikhon Dzyadko, the channel's editor-in-chief, wrote that the personal security of some of them was under threat. Even though the war took many Russians by surprise, significant numbers came to accept it as unavoidable or forced upon Russia by an aggressive NATO. The economic crisis that hit the West reinforced that narrative for some. The ruble plumbed new lows on Wednesday as more companies announced they would reduce their operations in Russia and as the central bank ordered the Moscow stock exchange to remain shut for the fourth straight day. Two young people lined up for cash at an ATM at a Moscow shopping mall and said they opposed the war. They said that the way the world was punishing them was not fair because the United States had fought its own wars without being hit with international sanctions. Maksim Filatov, 25, who manages a hookah bar, said that he can criticize Western countries just as he can criticize the government. According to Latynin, the Committee of Soldiers Mothers, despite being a witness to the tragedy of the war, decided to support it. He echoed the words of Putin, who last week described his special military operation as self-defense. It was impossible to go on like this, and this was a necessary step. The New York Times Company. Russian troops took the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Wednesday, with the mayor urging residents to not fight back. On Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis declared a day of prayer and fast for the people of Ukraine. The attacks by the Russian military were condemned by Francis. The best movies show societies in a state of suffering or injustice. This aircraft was designed to counter an armored assault in Europe. The current Russian force is similar to the ones that proved effective in Desert Storm. One of the Russian president's closest allies is the head of the Russian energy giant. Boebert said it was never wrong to speak out for the mothers and fathers who lost their children. One day, all it would take to get your point across would be 280 characters. Three Republicans voted against the resolution to declare support for Ukraine. Russian fossil fuels are heavily relied on by the continent. Plans to transition to cleaner energy sources could be derailed if that relationship is severed. In California, gas prices are already above $4 per gallon, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine puts oil prices on a tear. Few know that Amazon has millions of Prime subscribers. Russia is being exposed on social media for its aggression against Ukraine. According to the New York Times, Russian troops have taken over Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city they have taken over. It is terrible to see the lives that are being lost over there. Take a look at the finest cars of the golden age. The House panel investigating the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol said Wednesday that it has evidence that shows crimes may have been committed by former President Donald Trump and his associates. The House committee said in a court filing that Trump and his associates engaged in a criminal conspiracy to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's victory in the Electoral College. The panel said that Trump and his associates spread false information about the outcome of the election and pressured state officials to overturn the results. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Al Jazeera that specific types of strike weapons must be identified which will never be used in Ukraine. Nicks spoke out against Russia and in favor of Ukraine during the international crisis. Enjoy this stunning graphics and deep game-play. Anosmia, the abrupt loss of smell that has become a well-known hallmark of the disease, is one of the many peculiarities of COVID-19. It's not unusual for chronic patients to lose their sense of smell and taste even without a nose. Scientists are beginning to understand the biological mechanisms that allow the odors to be detected. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is not a war that can be won, according to retired Gen. David Petraeus. The hosts took Colorado representative, Lauren Boebert to task for heckling President Biden during his first State of the Union address. They saw that it worked. Almost every house in the neighborhood has it. I get a lot of thanks for my method. After a short hearing that she attended virtually, KimKardashian was ruled legally single yesterday by Los Angeles County Superior. A Jet Blue pilot was removed from a plane in Buffalo on Wednesday morning after a Transportation Security Administration officer told authorities. Russia's Foreign Minister warned NATO not to intervene in Ukraine a day after peace was restored. The Ukrainian defense ministry confirmed the arrival of Russian airborne troops on Telegram.