Russia has launched hundreds of missiles and artillery attacks on Ukrainian cities

Russia has launched hundreds of missiles and artillery¹ attacks on Ukrainian cities

Transcript²

The firepower has helped Russia make significant gains in the southern region of Ukraine, including capturing the city of Kherson. But it's advance on the capital of Kyiv has stalled.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

On Day 9 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, here's what we know. A fire at a Ukrainian nuclear plant is out. The plant is now largely under Russian control, according to Ukrainian officials. The plant's operator and the International Atomic Energy Agency say radiation levels are normal. Meanwhile, Russia's advance on the capital Kyiv appears to have stalled, though shelling continues in and around the capital and Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv. Joining us now from Ukraine to talk about what's happening on the ground is NPR's Tim Mak. He's in the Ternopil Oblast. Tim, let's start very quickly with what happened at that nuclear complex. That crisis has been averted³ for now - is that safe to say?

TIM MAK, BYLINE⁴: Well, it looks that way. The fire's out, as you mentioned. It wasn't at a critical part of the complex, just a building near the main gate. But of course, that's still alarming. It's the biggest complex of its kind in all of Ukraine and, in fact, all of Europe. Russian troops now appear to be in control of much of the complex after the fighting over the last 24 hours, and that's according to Ukrainian officials, but Ukrainian technicians are still staffing it.

MARTINEZ: OK, now what's happening on the battlefield?

MAK: Well, you know, Russian bombardments continue all throughout the country, but the military still seems to be stalled near the capital city of Kyiv. The Ukrainian military claims that Russians have withdrawn⁵ from the strategic airfield⁶ just west of the capital city. It's an airfield that's switched hands multiple times. It's absolutely critical piece of infrastructure⁷ for both sides. In the south, the Ukrainian military says they're preparing for a naval⁸ landing of Russian forces near the city of Odesa. And the Ukrainian government has said that residential⁹ areas continue to be hit with bombardments in this northeast city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border.

MARTINEZ: Ukraine had a growing and diverse economy before this war, not just agriculture but also tech sectors¹¹. And you've been spending some time talking with business owners in Ukraine. What are you hearing?

MAK: Well, you know, it's really remarkable¹² how you see just kind of overnight the private sector¹⁰ and the economy changed to support the war effort. So just in the last day, I visited a school that's now building - that's kind of served as a place for building camouflage¹³ nets and a veterans home that has turned into this logistics hub for military food supplies. I went to a milk production factory that just tossed out their business plan, and they're sending food to the front lines. We spoke¹⁴ to Igor. He owns this industrial business that focuses on building combines for tractors. We talked to him from his warehouse¹⁵ in Ternopil.

IGOR: The simple answer is Russian army came to us. We need to help anyway. So right now we're helping¹⁶ as we can. We understand that it could be times that we will have to take our guns. So we are defending our land.

MAK: So Igor, who once made agricultural equipment, now has his team hard at work welding these old railroad tracks together to make hedgehogs. You might remember those from the scene on Omaha Beach from "Saving Private Ryan" - those large anti-tank devices.

MARTINEZ: Yeah, I do remember that. Now, many Ukrainians are still trying to get out of the country, trying to get anywhere safe. Is that getting easier or more difficult for people?

MAK: Well, the refugee movements have greatly expanded. The U.N. refugee agency says that at least a million people have fled the country. It's becoming more difficult as people pile up near the border. You know, I was told despite all the suffering and the fear that's happening among civilians¹⁷ that I should look for some stories of joy - an aid worker told me to do that. And, you know, I think you can still see some of that. I saw a group of children who were playing and laughing by a foosball table at a safe house last evening.

MARTINEZ: That's NPR's Tim Mak. Tim, thanks a lot.

MAK: Thank you.

1 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

6 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

9 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

13 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。