A month into the Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 24)

By NPR Staff

Published March 24, 2022 at 4:28 PM CDT

A man with his bicycle walks between debris outside the destroyed Retroville shopping mall in a residential district, after a Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday.

It's been one month since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. As Thursday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are its key developments:

Russian troops have been unable to advance on the capital of Kyiv. To the east, Ukrainian forces pushed back some Russian soldiers; to the northwest, Russian forces are digging in to defensive positions, according to the Pentagon. In southern Ukraine, Russian troops had overrun Kherson and Melitopol, but face civilian protests. The key port city of Mariupol remains under siege. Russia's military continues to rely on artillery and bombs, including long-range attacks from ships.

The war has displaced more than half of Ukraine's children and a quarter of the overall Ukrainian population. Some 2.5 million children have had to relocate inside Ukraine, and more than 1.8 million more have crossed into other countries as refugees, according to UNICEF.

Almost 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The United States pledged to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians and other displaced people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

NATO and G-7 allies held an emergency meeting to discuss troop presence in Eastern Europe, more weapons for Ukraine and Russian sanctions. President Biden told reporters that allies would respond "in kind" if Russia uses chemical weapons against Ukraine, without further details. He also said Russia should be ejected from the G-20.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 10 prisoners of war each, according to Ukrainian officials, who called it the first full-fledged swap of the conflict. The countries also exchanged captured civilian sailors.

In-depth

Putin has accomplished something he never intended: a unified Europe.

Four reasons why social media can give a skewed account of the war in Ukraine.

A Russian journalist was killed by shelling while on assignment in Kyiv.

A Ukrainian pharma executive vows to continue production "until we win or we die."

Madeleine Albright had a lot to say about Putin — and she didn't mince words.

Ukrainian expats want the U.S. to do more for friends and relatives fighting Russia.

Earlier developments

You can read more news from Thursday here, as well as more in-depth reporting and daily recaps here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.