War in Ukraine: Zelensky calls for worldwide protests, 4 fires extinguished in Chernobyl region

Hundreds of civilians have been killed, hundreds more injured and more than three million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia began invading on February 24 to stop its pro-Western agenda.

At least four people died, including two children, and six others were wounded in Russian strikes on the town of Roubijné, near Lugansk, in eastern Ukraine, the governor of the region, Sergei Gaidai, said on Thursday.

NATO estimates that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine. These figures are based on information provided by Ukraine, information released in Russia and information from intelligence services, a senior defense official said on condition of anonymity Wednesday.

Several fires in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine have been extinguished, but some are still burning, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Ukrainian parliament said earlier this week that seven fires were burning in the zone, covering two square kilometers, and that they were likely caused by Russian bombing or arson.

Russia's media regulator (Roskomnadzor) has restricted access to the online service News.Google, accused of providing access to false information about the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Wednesday night for citizens around the world to take to the streets to protest against Russia's invasion of his country.

The Russian military has retreated more than 20 miles east of Kiev in the past 24 hours and has begun establishing defensive positions on several fronts in Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said Wednesday.