Why Russia is shifting its strategy in Ukraine

Plus, racism against non-Ukrainian refugees and what Ontario's new COVID rules mean for the GTA [The Star] First Up [By Lex Harvey] By Lex Harvey Good morning. Here’s the latest on racism against Indian and African refugees at the Polish border, why Russia is pivoting its Ukraine strategy and what Ontario’s new COVID rules mean for the GTA. DON’T MISS Wojtek Radwanski/AFP fleeing ukraine [Indian and African refugees accused Ukrainian officials of racism]( In Medyka, one of eight border crossings through which Ukrainian refugees are entering Poland, people fleeing war are whisked away to their next destination: a city in Poland or as far off as Estonia or Germany. But for refugees from India and Africa, getting over the border has been a degrading experience. “They treat us not like humans,” one Tunisian medical student told Johanna Chisholm of the Ukrainian authorities, while one Indian refugee said an official hit him with the barrel of his gun because he reached for a water bottle. [Here’s what we know](. - Context: Videos of African refugees being held back from trains escaping Ukraine sparked uproar on social media in recent days. Critics accused politicians and journalists of [perpetuating a double standard between white refugees from Ukraine and those fleeing war in other parts of the world](. - More: Ukraine’s former deputy general prosecutor David Sakvarelidze told the BBC Saturday, “It’s very emotional for me because I see European people with blond hair and blue eyes, children being killed every day with Putin’s missiles and his helicopters and his rockets.” Pavel Dorogoy/AP Photo War [Why Russia appears to be pivoting its Ukraine strategy — toward killing more civilians]( Once a hulking postmodern rectangle that hosted productions in four languages, the Kharkiv opera house has been reduced to rubble. Its bombing, which killed at least nine people, is indicative of what experts warn could be a shift in Russia’s tactics toward inflicting more widespread damage in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Alex Boyd reports. Russia has shifted from deploying mostly ballistic missiles to using less precise artillery, hitting more civilian infrastructure. [Here’s what weapons Russia is using and why it matters](. - Go deeper: “The initial campaign was really predicated on this idea that the Ukrainian government would fall quickly. They thought that they would get a friendly reception from a significant section of the people, so they were trying to not hit civilians,” said an expert on Russian foreign politics and military. That, of course, didn’t happen. - Context: Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was putting his nuclear forces on “special alert,” but a nuclear policy expert said the use of nuclear weapons “is neither probable nor likely given where things are.” - Watch for: Experts say Russia’s strategy shift could make it harder for Ukraine to hold out against its Goliath neighbour for much longer. - On the front lines: Rosie DiManno spoke to Ukrainians with a plea for NATO: [enforce a no-fly zone over the country](. Paige Taylor White/The Star covid rules [Ontario scrapped vaxports and capacity limits. Here’s what that means in the GTA]( As of Tuesday, proof-of-vaccination and capacity rules are over — but the province will leave it up to individual businesses if they want to keep enforcing them. While larger venues like Cineplex movie theatres and Scotiabank Arena won’t require proof of vax (masks are still required), some restaurants and independent theatres will keep checking vaccine certificates. “At the end of the day I want to make sure the regulars coming here feel comfortable and safe, and that’s why we did what we did,” said the owner of a Toronto coffee shop. [Olivia Bowden has the latest on reopening](. - By the numbers: According to the Ministry of Health’s latest data, there are 278 Ontarians in the ICU with COVID-19 — 162 of them on ventilators. There are 914 people in the hospital who have tested positive for the virus. - Go deeper: Many restaurant staff and owners are “angry” that the province has left it up to businesses to make the call on public health measures. “The restaurants are being put in a position where they have to justify their rules … the chance of confrontation is back,” said the vice-president of Restaurants Canada. - Have your say: [Will Ontario lifting vaccine passport rules change how you'll visit businesses?]( WHAT ELSE More than 100 Canadian business leaders vow to [sell off Russian investments]( — and call on other investors to do the same. Canadian businesses with employees in Ukraine are [scrambling to account for workers]( amid escalating conflict. [Biden denounced Putin]( and vowed to tackle inflation at the state of the union address. [“We’re one big family.”]( Raptors fans and staff reunited at Scotiabank Arena. [Citing discredited anti-vax sources]( an Ontario judge ruled a couple’s kids should not be vaccinated. A senior wanted to die at home, so her family made an unusual deal: [she sold her house but remained its tenant](. ICYMI Richard Lautens/The Star [As Ontario lifts restrictions, immunocompromised and other vulnerable people feel left out of the party.]( CLOSE-UP Wojtek Radwanski/AFP PRZEMYŚL: Ukrainian refugees sleep in their temporary accommodation in a sports hall in eastern Poland on Monday. More than half a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded last week, with most heading to Poland. Thanks for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_109410). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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