KYIV, Reuters – Russian soldiers were killed in Ukraine. Their bodies were taken to a Kyiv railyard and stacked together with many others in a refrigerator train.

“Most of them were brought from the Kyiv region, there are some from Chernihiv region and from some other regions too,” Volodymyr Lyamzin, the chief civil-military liaison officer, told Reuters on Friday as stretcher-bearers in white, head-to-toe protective suits lifted bodybags into the box cars.

He stated that the grim same purpose was being carried out by refrigerated train stations in Ukraine’s other regions.

Even though there has not been a reliable estimate of Russia’s losses since the invasion, the scene Reuters filmed gave a stark taste of President Vladimir Putin’s current price.

Ukraine’s military had released photos from the sky of the abandoned and burned-out remnants of a Russian armored column, captured crossing a Donbas river. It was the Donbas that has now become the major battleground.

Reuters couldn’t verify the Ukrainian report. However, the British defense ministry stated that a pontoon bridge had been damaged at Siverskyi Donets River and part of an armored battalion was missing. Russian forces are trying to breach defences in other parts of the Donbas.

Oleksii Reznikov (Ukraine Defence Minister) said that they are now entering “a new and long phase in the war” on Facebook. He also predicted “extremely hard weeks” where Ukraine would be fighting alone an “enraged aggressor”.

The Ukrainian forces are making the fastest territorial gains in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Kyiv a month ago. They have driven their opponents from Kharkiv, the second-largest city.

This northeastern town, previously under heavy bombardment, is now quiet for around two weeks. Reuters journalists confirmed that Ukraine has territory to the Siverskyi Donets River about 40km (25 miles) east.

Moscow continues to bombard nearby villages including Dergachi which is about 10km (sixmiles) north of Kharkiv.

“I cannot call it anything other than a terrorist act,” Dergachi Mayor VyacheslavZadorenko said to Reuters following the attack on a building that distributes aid.

Russia denied targeting civilians.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims.

PROMOTION PRISONER SWAP

Putin’s biggest success was to capture the area along Russia’s southern coast linking the Crimean peninsula (which Russia took in 2014) with Donetsk/Luhansk, the regions where Russian separatists fought Ukrainian forces for decades.

His forces were trying to extinguish one last resistance bastion at Mariupol’s Azovstal facility in southern Mariupol.

Azov Regiment members make up a large portion of those who are still working in the steelworks. Sviatoslav Palmar, deputy commander of Azov Regiment, stated that Friday’s resistance would be continued as long and as necessary.

The enemy is supported by artillery and planes, so they continue to attack. “They continue their attack on our positions, but we continue repelling them,” he said in an online forum streaming on YouTube.

Ukraine offered to evacuate 38 severely injured defenders and release some Russian prisoner of war as a return.

“At the moment very complex negotiations are under way on the next phase of the evacuation mission – the removal of the badly wounded, medics,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a late night address.

Snake Island has been the focus of renewed fighting. This strategically placed islet controls important shipping lanes within the Black Sea.

According to the Kremlin, Ukraine’s invasion was a special military operation that was meant to “demilitarize a neighbor threatening its security.” Russia claims that Ukraine poses no threat and the destruction of towns and cities shows it is engaged in a war.

MORE MILITARY AID FOR UKRAINE

U.S. Defense secretary Lloyd Austin called Sergei Shoigu on Friday to discuss the situation. He sought an immediate ceasefire in the war and stressed the importance of maintaining open communication lines.

After Finland applied to NATO on the same day, Ann Linde (NYSE) was elected as Sweden’s Foreign Minister. However, NATO member Turkey had raised objections.

The two countries would lose the Cold War neutrality they maintained by joining the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the invasion of Ukraine was meant to end the 30-nation Western military bloc.

Foreign ministers of the G7 rich nation group backed Ukraine’s increased aid and arms. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s chief for foreign policy announced that 500 million more euros ($520million) worth of military assistance should be approved by EU member states next week.

Borrell stated confidence in the bloc’s ability to agree on an embargo against Russian oil. Hungary, however, is seeking compensation before they commit.