Videos have emerged of a strong Russian naval force in the Black Sea, sparking fears of an amphibious assault. They were posted by Rob Lee, whose Twitter profile says he’s a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, an American think tank. 

Lucas Tomlinson of Fox News also noted on Twitter that Russian warships have already left Crimea and are headed to Odesa. He added information supposedly from US officials, saying, “An amphibious assault on Ukraine’s third-largest city could come as soon as Thursday”.  

London based LBC News has already reported people in Odesa placing sandbag fortifications on the beach to try and stave off a Russian attack. The city on Ukraine’s southern coast has nearly a million residents, and thus far, hadn’t been attacked due to bad weather. 

Russia is pressuring Ukraine despite not being able to capture the capital, Kyiv. It has made significant progress already in severing Ukraine’s connection to the Black and Azov Seas. This began with the fall of Kherson, and currently, Mariupol is under siege, with the situation being described as critical. 

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Meanwhile, the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian diplomats are underway, after the first talks failed. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained staunch in his belief that Ukraine will hold off a Russian attack and has announced the arrival of 16,000 foreign fighters to bolster the existing Ukrainian troops. He himself has refused offers from the US to evacuate, saying he needs ammo, not a ride. 

On the other side, Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained determined about his goals for Ukraine. It must demilitarize and take a neutral stance when it comes to NATO. 

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The situation in Ukraine has prompted various countries in the world to impose sanctions on Russia and ask for a ceasefire. However, there have been no signs of Russian troops slowing down, since they entered Ukraine claiming to want to “denazify” the country.