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Latest Ukraine updates

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Disclaimer:

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While Independent Press takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. 

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Russia expels 40 German diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Moscow has said it was expelling 40 German diplomats in response to the “unfriendly decision” by Berlin to kick out Russian diplomats over the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow and handed him a note “declaring persona non grata forty employees of German diplomatic institutions in Russia”.

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US State Department backs ammunition sale for Ukraine

The US State Department has said it supported the approval of a possible sale of $165m worth of ammunition to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government had asked to buy various rounds of so-called non-standard ammunition, the department said in a statement, referring to ammunition that does not adhere to NATO standards.

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Russia claims Ukraine hired “Nazis” to kill pro-Kremlin journalist

Russia’s main intelligence service reportedly said that Ukraine hired “neo-Nazis” to “assassinate” outspoken pro-Kremlin television anchor Vladimir Solovyev.

The Federal Security Service claimed in a statement published by the RIA Novosti news agency that Russian members of the outlawed National Socialism/White Power neo-Nazi group were hired by Ukraine’s intelligence service to kill Solovyev.

The newsman is one of the most popular anchors on the Kremlin-controlled Rossiya 1 television network. He called critics of Putin “imbeciles” and said that Crimea’s 2014 annexation was an “act of justice”.

Jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation claimed in 2019 that Solovyov owned two luxurious villas in Italy.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv, Ukraine.

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Foreign services behind plot to murder Russian journalist: Putin

Russian President Putin said that Moscow’s security forces thwarted an assassination attempt against a Russian journalist. He also pointed at foreign special services, including the CIA, working in conjunction with Ukrainian forces to murder Russian journalists.

Putin also said that provocations against the Russian military using foreign media must be stopped.

He suggested that Western military support to Ukraine was a “strange diplomacy”.

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Russia investigates large oil depot fire in region near Ukraine

Russia said it would investigate the cause of a large fire that erupted in the early hours of the morning at an oil storage facility in the city of Bryansk, 154km (96 miles) northeast of the border with Ukraine.

Unverified social media footage showed what sounded like two explosions followed by a tower of flames, with one unverified video showing a fire raging around a giant fuel reservoir.

Russia’s ministry of emergency situations said nobody had been hurt in the incident.

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US State Department backs ammunition sale for Ukraine

The US Department of State supports the approval of a possible sale of $165m worth of ammunition to Ukraine, it said in a statement.

The Ukrainian government has asked to buy various rounds of so-called non-standard ammunition, which are those that do not adhere to NATO standards.

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Ukraine claims to have rebuffed attack in the east

Ukraine’s defence ministry said Russia was continuing to attack in eastern Ukraine, but was being pushed back.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said Russian forces had attempted to break through the defences of towns including Rubizhne, Popasna, Sievierodonetsk, Maryinka and Avdiivka, and were attempting to advance from the town of Izyum towards Barvinkove and Sloviansk.

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No agreement on Mariupol corridor

Ukraine has not reached any agreement with Russia on establishing a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from the southern city of Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshschuk said.

“It is important to understand that a humanitarian corridor opens by the agreement of both sides. A corridor announced unilaterally does not provide security, and therefore is not a humanitarian corridor,” Vereshchuk said, referring to a previous announcement by Russia that a safe route had been opened.

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Biden names Brink as US ambassador to Ukraine

United States President Joe Biden named Bridget Brink, who currently represents the US in Slovakia, as the new US ambassador to Ukraine, the White House said in a statement. The position must be confirmed by the US Senate.

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Russian shelling kills five in Donetsk: local authority

Five civilians, including two children, have died in a Russian attack in the southeastern Donetsk region, an official has said.

The children were aged five and 14 and lived in the village of Krasnohorivka, Donetsk defense chief Pavlo Kirilenko said late Sunday.

The three other victims were from the towns of Novoselivtsy and Novomikhailivtsy, he added.

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Five railway stations come under fire: Ukrainian state rail company

Five railway stations came under fire in western and central Ukraine on Monday morning, causing an unspecified number of casualties, Ukrainian television quoted state-run Ukrainian Railways as saying.

Oleksander Kamyshin, the company’s chief, said the attacks took place in the space of an hour and details were being checked.

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US wants Russia ‘weakened’ so it cannot invade again: Austin

The US wants Russia’s military capability weakened so that it cannot carry out another invasion, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told journalists after returning from a trip to Kyiv.

“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” Austin told a group of journalists in Poland.

Austin also said Ukraine can win the war against Russia if it had the right equipment.  “The first step in winning is believing that you can win. And so they believe that we can win,” he said. “We believe that we can win, they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support.”

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UK says Russia made minor advances in Ukraine after its shift to Donbas

Russia has made minor advances in some areas since shifting its focus to fully occupying the eastern Donbas region, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has tweeted. 

“Without sufficient logistical and combat support enablers in place, Russia has yet to achieve a significant breakthrough,” it said.

Ukraine’s defence of the southern city of Mariupol has also exhausted many Russian units and reduced their combat effectiveness, British military intelligence said.

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German company seeks approval to send military vehicles to Ukraine

The German defence company Rheinmetall has requested approval to export 100 old Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, a defence source told Reuters on Monday, confirming an earlier report by Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

The company is seeking an export licence for the vehicles in their current state for now, aiming to restore them over the coming months before shipping them to Ukraine, the source said.

The deal will have to be approved by Germany’s national security council, a committee chaired by Chancellor Olaf Scholz that meets in secret session.

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Russia downs two Ukrainian drones in Kursk: Governor

Russian air defence systems shot down two Ukrainian drones in Russia’s Kursk region which borders Ukraine, regional Governor Roman Starovoyt wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday.

He said there were no casualties.

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Explosions reported in Lviv as air raid sirens blare across Ukraine

Several explosions have been reported in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, with a large plume of smoke cited in an unknown location. Reports are being confirmed.

Air sirens were activated across Ukraine overnight, including in the Chernihiv, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.

Explosions were also reported in Vinnytsia.

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Putin’s actions in Ukraine ‘nauseating’: Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described Putin’s actions in Ukraine as “nauseating” during a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Johnson told Guterres on Sunday afternoon that the actions were a “blatant aggression, which is having devastating consequences for Ukraine’s people”, according to a statement from his office.

“They discussed their shared concerns on attacks in areas besieged by Russian forces, such as Mariupol and Kherson, and the need to secure a ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian efforts and allow civilians to leave,” the statement added.

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Russia trying to hide true death toll in Ukraine: UK

Russia’s defence ministry has proposed that compensation for families of deceased military personnel will be overseen by military rather than civilian officials, the latest briefing of the United Kingdom defence ministry says.

“This likely reflects a desire to hide the true scale of Russia’s losses from the domestic population,” the ministry adds.

It also noted that Russia had made only “minor advances” in some areas since it shifted its focus to occupying the eastern region of the Donbas.

“Without sufficient logistical and combat support enablers in place, Russia has yet to achieve a significant breakthrough,” it said.

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Entire region under heavy shelling: Luhansk governor

The entire Luhansk region is under “heavy shelling” on Easter Sunday, the region’s governor, Serhiy Haidai, has said in a post on Telegram, adding that three three high-rise buildings and four houses had burned down as a result.

He said several vehicles, including trucks, were involved in accidents. “Therefore, people were saved not only by sorting out the rubble, but also from under beaten vehicles.”

“The Russian army has hit the oil refinery in Lisichansk for the third time,” he added without mentioning any casualties.

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Russia attempting to save parts of sunken Moskva: Reports

Russia is using a special rescue ship to lift its sunken warship Moskva from the seabed, Ukraine’s news channel Espreso reports, citing the German newspaper Bild.

“Due to the size of the Moskva [187 metres in length], the 110-year-old Kommuna is unlikely to be able to lift the sunken cruiser from the depths completely, but there will be attempts to save the ship’s anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as secret documents and military equipment,” the Bild reportedly notes.

Other publications such as Forbes say the Kommuna is attempting to rescue only sensitive materials from the ship.

Kommuna, a submarine-salvage ship, was placed into active service in July 1915. It has served in the Russian Imperial, Soviet and Russian Federation navies, through the Russian Revolution and both world wars.

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Pentagon chief headed to Germany for talks with NATO ministers

After his trip to Kyiv to meet Zelenskyy, Austin, the Pentagon chief, will head to Ramstein, Germany, for a meeting of NATO defence ministers and other donor countries, The Associated Press news agency reports.

The discussion on Tuesday will look at battlefield updates from the ground, additional security assistance for Ukraine and longer-term defence needs in Europe, including how to step up military production to fill gaps caused by the war in Ukraine, officials told the AP.

More than 20 nations are expected to send representatives to the meeting.

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Russia may be preparing for renewed assaults on Azovstal: Think-tank

Russian forces have continued to bombard the remaining Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant and may be preparing for renewed assaults on the facility, according to a US-based think-tank.

The Institute for the Study of War said its latest analysis showed that the storming of the vast steelworks would likely lead to high Russian casualties.

The institute also noted that Russian forces had secured limited gains northwest of the city of Severodonetsk, which is in the Luhansk region, but remained “unlikely to be able to launch massive offensive operations”.

It added Russia was deploying additional forces to “reinforce unsuccessful attacks on the Izyum front”.

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Zelenskyy praises Ukraine’s resistance, thanks US for support

Ukraine’s president has praised his people for two months of bravely resisting Russian forces since Moscow’s invasion on February 24, and thanked the US for its support.

“Two months of heroic nationwide resistance of Ukraine to the Russian aggression have passed. I am grateful to @POTUS and the people of the US for leadership in supporting Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

He was responding to Biden’s tweet which honoured Ukraine’s resolve.

“Two months after [Russian President Vladimir] Putin launched an unprovoked and justified attack on Ukraine, Kyiv still stands,” Biden wrote, promising to continue to support Ukraine “in their right to defend their homeland”.

 

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Sanctions won’t ‘strangle’ economy: Russian senator

A Russian senator says Western sanctions against Moscow will not “strangle” its economy and that the European Union has revealed its inability to function without Russia’s fossil fuels.

Aleksey Pushkov told state newspaper Izvestia that the EU’s plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027 “is a recognition of the impossibility of ensuring the functioning of the economy of Germany and a number of other European countries without supplies from Russia”.

He said there were two reasons why Western sanctions will not work.

“The first is rise of hydrocarbon prices which will provide Russia with a record budget surplus. The second is the long-term nature of restrictions, which gives Russia enough time to adapt to new conditions. All this makes it impossible for the Russian economy to collapse.”

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Russia reports fire at oil depot in Bryansk

Russia’s TASS news agency has reported a fire at an oil depot in Bryansk, a city that lies 400km (248 miles) southwest of Moscow and borders Ukraine’s Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

“Tanks caught fire at an oil depot in Bryansk,” TASS said, citing city authorities as well as the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Earlier in the night, residents had reported hearing explosions and posted videos of a fire on the outskirts of Bryansk.

Russia has previously accused Ukraine of shelling the town of Klimovo in the Bryansk region and causing casualties.

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EU readying ‘some form of an oil embargo’ on Russia

The EU is preparing “smart sanctions” against Russian oil imports, The Times has reported, quoting the European Commission’s executive vice president, Valdis Dombrovskis.

“We are working on a sixth sanctions package and one of the issues we are considering is some form of an oil embargo,” Dombrovskis told the London-based newspaper.

“When we are imposing sanctions, we need to do so in a way that maximises pressure on Russia while minimising collateral damage on ourselves.”

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Civilians in Mariupol steelworks beg for aid

Ukraine’s Azov Battalion has released a new video showing Ukrainian children in an underground bunker receiving Easter presents.

One of the women in the video begs for help from world leaders. “We want to live in our city, in our country. We are tired of these bombings, constant air strikes on our land. How much longer will this continue?” she says.

Another woman says there are 600 civilians sheltering under the plant, without food and water.

Sviatoslav Palamar, the Azov Battalion’s deputy commander, said the video was shot on Sunday at the plant. Members of the militia are among hundreds of Ukrainian forces holed up at the Azovstal plant, the last remaining pocket of resistance in Mariupol.

Independent Press could not verify the authenticity of the video.

Ukrainian soldier from Azov Battalion and civilians on Orthodox Easter Sunday at Azovstal steel plant, where soldiers are holding out and civilians sheltering, amid Russia’s siege of Mariupol. April 24, 2022. Azov/Handout via Reuters

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Zelenskyy welcomes Macron’s election victory

Ukraine’s president has congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron on his victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff.

Writing on Twitter, Zelenskyy described Macron as a “true friend of Ukraine” and said he was convinced that they are “moving forward together towards new common victories. Towards a strong and united Europe!”

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Russian missiles hit infrastructure in Poltava: Governor

Nine Russian missiles have hit infrastructure facilities in the city of Kremenchuk in the eastern Poltava region, according to its governor.

Dmytro Lunin said the attacks took place on Sunday evening.

“We are clarifying the information about the victims and the destruction,” he wrote on Telegram.

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Russia blocking locals from leaving occupied territories: Military

Ukraine’s military says Russian forces are restricting “the rights and freedoms of civilians” in temporarily occupied territories, “in particular freedom of movement”.

It said in a Facebook post that the “settlements that are preparing for holding pseudo-referendums are closed for entry and exit”.

Ukrainian officials have warned of Russian plans to hold referendums for independence in the occupied southern city of Kherson, similar to the one held in annexed Crimea in 2014.

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Russians, Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Easter despite Moscow’s truce refusal

Ukrainians on Sunday marked a sombre Orthodox Easter two months into Russia’s invasion, with many braving bombardments for blessings and others mourning their loved ones. The Easter holiday, observed by Orthodox followers according to the Julian calendar, comes as nearly 5.2 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee the violence unleashed on their country by Russia’s invasion.

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Russia attempting to storm Mariupol’s Azovstal factory, last Ukrainian corner of resistance

Russian forces are attempting to storm the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol by land, backed up by aerial and artillery bombardment, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Sunday, where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters.

“Russian troops are trying to finish off the defenders of Azovstal and more than 1,000 civilians who are hiding at the plant,” Arestovych wrote on Facebook. He said on Saturday that troops in the steel complex were attempting counterattacks.

The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, which the Russians have otherwise occupied. Moscow has previously declared victory in the city and said it did not need to take the plant.

The evacuation of the southern port of Mariupol and of the Azovstal factory was at the core of discussions between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayip Erdogan, including the exchange of troops.

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 Mariupol humanitarian corridor fails, Ukraine blames Russian forces

No humanitarian routes were established out of the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, blaming Russian forces for not holding their fire.

Vereshchuk said that the Ukrainian side would try again on Monday to establish safe passage out of Mariupol. She called for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is scheduled to travel to Moscow before visiting Kyiv next week, to demand a ceasefire and open up humanitarian corridors from Mariupol.

“This is what Guterres should talk about in Moscow, if he is preparing to talk about peace,” Vereshchuk said.

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 Erdogan tells Zelensky that Turkey is ready to assist in Ukraine-Russia negotiations

Turkey is ready to give all possible assistance during the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone call, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday.

Erdogan said the evacuation of the wounded and civilians in Ukraine’s Mariupol must be ensured, adding that Turkey viewed the guarantor issue positively in principle. Ukraine has sought security guarantees from various countries during talks.

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UN calls for ‘stop’ in fighting to allow Mariupol evacuation

The United Nations Ukraine crisis coordinator, Amin Awad, called on Sunday for an “immediate stop” to fighting in Mariupol to allow the evacuation of trapped civilians in the battered city “today”.

“The lives of tens of thousands, including women, children and older people, are at stake in Mariupol,” Awad said in a statement. “We need a pause in fighting right now to save lives. 

“The longer we wait the more lives will be at risk. They must be allowed to safely evacuate now, today. Tomorrow could be too late.”

His call came after an attempted evacuation from Mariupol by Ukraine had failed Saturday, with Kyiv saying it was “thwarted” by Russian forces.

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Russia hits arms depots in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

Russia has said its high-precision missiles struck nine Ukrainian military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the Kharkiv region where artillery weapons were stored.

The defence ministry said its missile and artillery forces destroyed a further four such arms depots in the same region and hit a facility in Dnipropetrovsk region producing explosives for the Ukrainian army.

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Two children killed in shelling in Donetsk region

Two children were killed in shelling by Russian forces, the governor of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said, urging people to evacuate areas near the fighting.

Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that the children, girls aged 5 and 14, had died in the Ocheretynsk community after the building where they lived was destroyed.

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EU’s von der Leyen in India with Ukraine on agenda

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will press India over its neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict after arriving in the country for trade, security and climate talks.

She will meet Prime Minister Narender Modi on Monday as the latest in a stream of recent diplomatic visitors seeking to lure India away from Russia with pledges of security, defence and energy cooperation.

Ukraine was on the agenda when Modi hosted his British counterpart Boris Johnson this week, in a trip that culminated in the announcement of a new defence and security partnership.

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Ukraine marks Orthodox Easter with prayers for those trapped

Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in the capital Kiev with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them in places like Mariupol.

St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kiev was ringed by hundreds of worshipers with baskets to be blessed. Inside, a woman clutched the arm of a soldier, turning briefly to kiss his elbow. Other soldiers prayed, holding handful of candles, then crossed themselves.

Outside the cathedral, a soldier who gave only his first name, Mykhailo, used his helmet as an Easter basket. He said he didn’t have another. “I hope I’ll only have to use the helmet for this,” he said.

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Russia continuously shelling Mariupol: Ukrainian official 

Senior Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has that Russian forces were continuously shelling Mariupol and urged Moscow to agree a “real Easter truce”.

“Russia is continuously attacking the Mariupol Azovstal. The place where our civilians and military are located, is shelled with heavy air bombs and artillery,” Podolyak said on Twitter.

He urged Russia to “think about the remnants of its reputation” and called for “a real Easter truce in Mariupol” alongside an immediate humanitarian corridor for civilians and special round of talks to facilitate the exchange of military and civilians”.

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Ukraine has repelled numerous Russian assaults along the line of contact in Donbass this week, according to British military.

Despite Russia making some territorial gains, Ukrainian resistance has been strong across all axes and inflicted a significant cost on Russian forces, the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

“Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,” the update added.

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Swiss veto German request to re-export ammunition to Ukraine

Neutral Switzerland has held up German arms deliveries to Ukraine by blocking the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition used in Marder infantry fighting vehicles that Kiev would like to get, Swiss paper SonntagsZeitung has reported.

The news comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces growing criticism for his government’s failure to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks, even as other Western allies step up shipments.

The Marder, made by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall , uses ammunition manufactured in Switzerland, the paper said. Switzerland restricts the re-export of such war materiel to conflict zones.

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Russia deploys Iskander-M launchers near border: Ukraine

Russia has deployed Iskander-M mobile battlefield missile launchers within 60 km (40 miles) of the Ukrainian border, General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has said.

“Then enemy has increased the number of troops in the Belgorod region by transferring and concentrating additional units,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily morning update. “According to available information, Iskander-M launchers have been deployed 60 km from the border with Ukraine,” it said, without providing more detail on the location of the systems.

The Iskander, a mobile ballistic missile system codenamed SS-26 Stone by NATO, replaced the Soviet Scud missile. Its two guided missiles have a range of up to 500 km (300 miles) and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.

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Eight people die in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s Luhansk

Eight people have died in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, the region’s governor, wrote in a post on social media.

Guterres to visit Ankara before trips to Moscow and Kiev

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday will visit Türkiye, an important mediator seeking an end to Russia-Ukraine conflict, before heading to Moscow and Kiev, the UN said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General will visit Ankara, Türkiye, where, on 25 April, he will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the UN said.

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Kiev: Ukraine destroys Russian command post in Kherson

The Ukrainian military said it destroyed a Russian command post in Kherson, a southern city that fell to Russian forces early in the war.

The Ukrainian military intelligence agency posted a statement saying the command post was hit on Friday and two generals were killed and one was critically wounded.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in an online interview that 50 senior Russian officers were in the command center when it came under attack. He said their fate was unknown.

The Russian military did not comment on the claim, which could not be confirmed.

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Ukraine asks ‘equipment’ to operate nuclear power plant

Ukraine has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency for “a comprehensive list of equipment” it needs to operate nuclear power plants during the fight with Russia, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

This includes radiation measurement devices, protective material, computer-related assistance, power supply systems and diesel generators, he said in a statement.

“We will coordinate the implementation of the assistance that the IAEA and its member states will provide, including by delivering required equipment directly to Ukraine’s nuclear sites,” he said. “The needs are great and I’m very grateful for the considerable support that our Member States have already indicated they will make available.”

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Zelensky says he will meet top US officials Blinken, Austin in Kyiv

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Kyiv Sunday, the day the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will also visit, Zelensky told reporters. It will be the first official visit by US government officials since the February 24 invasion.

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 UN’s Guterres to visit Ankara Monday before trips to Moscow and Kyiv

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday will visit Turkey, an important mediator seeking an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, before heading to Moscow and Kyiv, the UN said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General will visit Ankara, Turkey, where on April 25, he will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the UN said late Saturday.

Guterres will then head to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a trip Thursday to Kyiv in an effort to mediate an end to Russia’s invasion, which has killed thousands and driven over 10 million Ukrainians from their homes since February 24.

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Ukraine negotiator says Russia continuously shelling Mariupol

Senior Ukrainian negotiator and presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said that Russian forces were continuously shelling Mariupol and urged Moscow to agree a “real Easter truce”.

“Russia is continuously attacking the Mariupol Azovstal. The place where our civilians and military are located, is shelled with heavy air bombs and artillery,” Podolyak said on Twitter.

He urged Russia to “think about the remnants of its reputation” and called for “a real Easter truce in Mariupol” alongside an immediate humanitarian corridor for civilians and special round of talks to facilitate the exchange of military and civilians.”

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Christian Orthodox spiritual leader calls for an end to ‘fratricidal war’ in Ukraine

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, has called overnight for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, where he said “an indescribable human tragedy is unfolding”.

“We call once again for an immediate end to the fratricidal war, which, like any war, undermines human dignity,” Bartholomew said.

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Ukraine says Russia deploys Iskander-M launchers near border

Russia has deployed Iskander-M mobile battlefield missile launchers within 60 kilometres (40 miles) of the Ukrainian border, according to Ukraine’s military.

“Then enemy has increased the number of troops in the Belgorod region by transferring and concentrating additional units,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily morning update.

“According to available information, Iskander-M launchers have been deployed 60 km from the border with Ukraine,” it said, without providing more detail on the location of the systems.

The Iskander, a mobile ballistic missile system codenamed SS-26 Stone by NATO, replaced the Soviet Scud missile. Its two guided missiles have a range of up to 500 km (300 miles) and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.

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Poland’s defence aid to Ukraine tops $1.6bn

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says his country has supplied Ukraine with more than $1.6bn worth of weapons since the Russian invasion began.

Ukrainians “are fighting for us, for Europe, for freedom, for peace in Europe. And let everyone be aware of that”, he told reporters.

Polish media reports say the package includes 40 tanks and about 60 armoured cars.

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Britain says ‘poor Russian morale’ hindering advance in Donbas

Despite Russia making some territorial gains, Ukrainian resistance has been strong across all axes and inflicted a significant cost on Russian forces, the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

“Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,” the update added.

 

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Swiss veto German request to re-export ammunition to Ukraine: Report

Switzerland has held up German arms deliveries to Ukraine by blocking the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition used in Marder infantry fighting vehicles that Kyiv would like to get, Swiss paper SonntagsZeitung has reported.

The Marder, made by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, uses ammunition manufactured in Switzerland, the paper said. Switzerland restricts the re-export of such war materiel to conflict zones.

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Ukraine says over 200 children killed in Russian invasion

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed 213 children and injured another 389, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has said.

The toll does not take include causalities in areas where the conflict is active, the office said on Twitter.

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Ukrainian fighter jet shot down in Kharkiv region: Russia

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces had shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet and destroyed three MI-8 helicopters at an airfield in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine regarding the Russian claims.

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Ukraine says will try to evacuate Mariupol civilians from noon

Ukraine will make a new attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, the heavily destroyed city largely controlled by Russian forces, at noon on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

“Today we will again try to evacuate women, children and the elderly,”  Vereshchuk said on Telegram, calling for people to gather on the motorway close to the Port City shopping centre in the city. “If everything happens as planned, we will start the evacuation around noon.”

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US will “absolutely” reopen embassy in Kyiv at some point: Ukrainian PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says he expects the United States to eventually re-open its embassy in Kyiv, but stopped short of predicting when that will happen.

“It will happen, absolutely, but we will wait,” Shmyhal told reporters at a conclusion of a visit to Washington, when asked whether he had received assurances from Washington that it would re-open its embassy.

Britain announced on Friday it would reopen its embassy in Kyiv next week, joining other European countries that have announced such plans after Russian forces withdrew from the country’s north in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance.

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UK says Russia has made ‘no major gains’ in last 24 hours

Britain’s defence ministry has released its latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine.

It says Russian forces have made “no major gains” in the past 24 hours “despite increased activity”.

The assessment also questions Russia’s claims that it has control of Mariupol.

“Heavy fighting continues to take place frustrating Russian attempts to capture the city further slowing their desired progress in the Donbas,” it said.

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Ukraine says will try to evacuate Mariupol civilians from noon

Ukraine will make a new attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol at noon, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says.

“Today we will again try to evacuate women, children and the elderly,” Vereshchuk said on Telegram, calling for people to gather on the motorway close to the Port City shopping centre in the city.

“If everything happens as planned, we will start the evacuation around noon.”

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Putin to meet with UN chief Guterres in Russia next week: Kremlin

Putin will next week hold talks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Kremlin said.

“On Tuesday, April 26, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti.

“He will also be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

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UN chief to visit Ukraine next week

The UN chief Antonio Guterres is to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv next week.

The UN says Guterres will arrive in Ukraine on Thursday and will also meet foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Guterres will be in Moscow on Tuesday, where he will hold talks with Putin.

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Russians seek to ‘starve out’ Azovstal plant holdouts in Mariupol: ISW

In its latest update on the war in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War says the Russians are seeking “to starve out” civilians and soldiers in the Azovstal steel plant.

The ISW said they were “unlikely” to allow the trapped civilians to leave.

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Zelenskyy warns residents against giving information to Russian forces

Zelenskyy has warned residents in the south of Ukraine to “be very careful” as Russian forces might attempt to register them to hold and falsify a “so-called referendum” on the status of the region.

“I urge residents in the southern regions of Ukraine – the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions – to be very careful about what information you give the invaders. If they ask you to fill out some questionnaires, put your passport details somewhere, then know that this is not to help you,” Zelenskyy said.

“This is actually in order to falsify a so-called ‘referendum’ on your land, if Moscow gives the order to organise such a show. This is possible. Be careful,” he said.

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Canada says it has provided heavy artillery to Ukraine forces

Canada says it has provided heavy artillery to Ukrainian security forces, following up on a pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week to send more artillery to Ukraine in the face of a Russian assault on the country’s east.

Canada has now delivered a number of M777 howitzers and associated ammunition to Ukrainian forces, the defence ministry said.

It added that it is finalising contracts for commercial pattern armoured vehicles that it will send to Ukraine as soon as possible.

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Zelenskyy says allies finally delivering weapons Kyiv asked for

Zelenskyy has said Ukraine’s allies were finally delivering the weapons that Kyiv had asked for, adding the arms would help save the lives of thousands of people.

Zelenskyy also said comments by a Russian commander

about the need to link up with Moldova showed Moscow wanted to invade other countries.

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Pentagon seeking information from US industry on Ukraine-ready systems

The Pentagon is looking for new avenues for US industry to accelerate production and build more capacity for proven, effective weapons that require minimal training and can be rapidly exported to Ukraine, according to a government website posting.

The Department of Defence posted a request for information on SAM.gov that had an initial response deadline of May 6.

It sought information on weapons or commercial capabilities related to air defence, anti-armour, anti-personnel, coastal defence, counter-battery, unmanned aerial systems, and communications like radios or satellite internet.

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Russia opens criminal case against activist over ‘fake’ news on Ukraine

Russia has opened a criminal case against a prominent opposition activist on allegations of spreading false information about Moscow’s military campaign, his lawyer has said.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was detained outside his home in Moscow on April 11, hours after CNN aired an interview in which he criticised Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

“Vladimir Kara-Murza is now at the main investigation Department of Russia’s Investigative Committee,” Prokhorov wrote on Facebook. “A criminal case has been opened … for ‘public dissemination of deliberately false information about Russia’s armed forces.’” Prokhorov did not say when precisely the case had been opened.

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Mariupol mayor: Russians “filter” Ukrainian men

The mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol that has almost completely been taken over by Russian forces said that local men are  “filtered” to be jailed, forced to enlist or hide the evidence of Russia’s atrocities.

“Men are divided into three categories. The first ones, state employees and municipal workers, are thrown in jails where they are tortured,” Vadym Boychenko said in televised remarks on Friday.

Other men are coerced to join separatist or Russian military units, and the rest are herded to bury thousands of people killed by Russian shelling and to remove the debris of destroyed buildings, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that his forces “liberated” most of Mariupol after almost two months of shelling that killed thousands of civilians.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv.

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Russians force  Kherson businessmen to start trade with Crimea: activist

Russian servicemen in the occupied southern region of Kherson that borders Crimea force Ukrainian businessmen to transport goods from the annexed peninsula, an activist said on Friday.

“People are blackmailed and threatened with the killing and torture of their family,” Denys Savchenko, who heads the SOS Crimea non-profit group, said in a web-posted statement.

“Perhaps, that is how they are shipping local goods and loot, and to import Russian goods to Kherson,” he said.

He added that de facto authorities in Crimea also force businesses there to start trade with Kherson.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv.

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Russia “finalises to regroup” its forces in Ukraine: intelligence

A top intelligence official in Ukraine said that Moscow is “finalising to regroup its forces” for an offensive in Ukraine’s east.

All Russian units withdrawn to Moscow-friendly Belarus from the northern Ukrainian regions of Chernihiv and Sumy and from around Kyiv are currently deployed to eastern Ukraine, Vadim Skribitsky of the defence ministry’s main intelligence department said in televised remarks.

“In all directions, the enemy is trying to identify the most vulnerable places of Ukraine’s armed forces in order to begin the wide-scale offensive and to boost its success, mostly in the Donetsk region,” he said.

The unusually chilly weather in mid-April and frequent rains that made farmland impassable for Russian tanks and armoured vehicles stall the offensive, analysts say.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Kyiv.

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US Says To Do Best To ‘Hold Russia To Account,’ But Not Via Direct Military Confrontation

The United States is ready to do everything, except for a direct military confrontation, to hold Russia to account for the Ukraine crisis, Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh told CNN.

“Well, we’re gonna we’re gonna have time to hold these people to account for what they’ve done, but our measures are going to take time to work. We’re not going to commit to a military direct military confrontation with Russia. The President’s been clear about that, but everything short of a direct military confrontation with Russia, we will do and will do with our allies and will intensify it for as long as it takes,” Singh said.

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Moscow Not Negotiating Security Guarantees For Ukraine With Anyone – Lavrov

Moscow is not negotiating security guarantees for Ukraine with anyone, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

“We are not negotiating with anyone on this topic,” he said, answering which countries Moscow sees as guarantors of security for Ukraine, and with whom it was negotiating on this matter.

Russia is not against the countries proposed by Ukraine to guarantee its security, Lavrov added

Moscow will not tolerate ultimatums from Ukraine, he said, commenting on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement about the termination of negotiations with Russia in the event of the elimination of Ukrainian forces at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

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UK PM says Ukraine war could last until end of 2023

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said there may be no swift end to the conflict in Ukraine because of the stiff resistance to Russia’s offensive.

Asked if he agreed with defence intelligence assessments that fighting could drag on until the end of next year, he told reporters: “The sad thing is that is a realistic possibility.”

Johnson added that Russia’s Vladimir Putin had made a “catastrophic blunder” in ordering the attack, saying “The only option he now has really is to continue to try to use his appalling grinding approach.”

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Erdogan to discuss peace talks with Ukrainian, Russian leaders

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he plans to call his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts and discuss the holding of peace talks at the leadership level in Türkiye.

Talking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine yielded “positive” results so far, but not exactly as it should have been.

Noting that the negotiation process will get better, he said: “We are not hopeless.”

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Putin tells EU’s Michel Ukraine is being ‘inconsistent’ at talks – Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told European Council President Charles Michel that he will only hold direct talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy if ongoing discussions between the two countries produce concrete results, the Kremlin said.

Putin told Michel that Kiev was showing that it was not ready to seek mutually acceptable solutions and accused the Ukrainian side of being “inconsistent” in negotiations.

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UK to reopen embassy in Kiev next week

The UK embassy in Kiev, shut earlier this year due to Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, will reopen next week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“We will very shortly, next week, reopen our embassy in Ukraine’s capital city,” he said on a two-day visit to India.

London moved its main diplomatic mission in Ukraine from Kiev to the western city of Lviv in February, shortly before Russia ordered in its troops.

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Russian actions in Ukraine ‘may amount to war crimes’: UN

The United Nations has accused Russia of taking action in Ukraine “that may amount to war crimes”, including indiscriminate bombing that killed civilians and destroyed schools and hospitals.

“Russian armed forces have indiscriminately shelled and bombed populated areas, killing civilians and wrecking hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, actions that may amount to war crimes,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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Russia seeks full control of Donbass: Russian general

The Russian army will aim to take full control over eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian news agencies quotes a top general as saying, a day after Moscow announced the “liberation” of Mariupol.

“Since the start of the second phase of the special operation… one of the tasks of the Russian army is to establish full control over the Donbass and southern Ukraine,” Major General Rustam Minnekaev said, adding that this would create a “land corridor” to annexed Crimea.

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Over 21,000 Russian troops killed so far: Ukraine

More than 21,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched attacks on its western neighbour, the Ukrainian military has claimed.

In a statement, the Ukrainian General Staff said that the Ukrainian army has destroyed 176 Russian aircraft, 153 helicopters, 838 tanks, 2,162 armoured vehicles, 397 artillery systems , and eight boats.

Russian forces also lost 138 multiple rocket launcher systems, 76 fuel tanks, 69 anti-aircraft warfare systems, and 172 unmanned aerial vehicles, the statement said.

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Sweden to help repair Ukraine’s power network

Sweden is helping Ukraine to rebuild “a secure electricity supply” by sending equipment to repair electricity networks destroyed during the conflict.

Swedish Energy Minister Khashayar Farmanbar said “a secure electricity supply is necessary to maintain socially important activities in Ukraine.”

Svenska kraftnat, the authority responsible for Sweden’s electricity transmission system, received a request from Ukraine via the European Network of Transmission System Operators to contribute equipment for repairing electricity networks.

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Ukrainian soldiers getting trained in UK: Johnson

Ukrainian soldiers have travelled to Britain to learn how to use UK-supplied armoured vehicles to aid in their war against Russia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

“A couple of dozen” troops arrived last week to train on the 120 Mastiff, Wolfhound and Husky armoured vehicles being supplied to Kiev, an official confirmed.

“I can say that we’re currently training Ukrainians in Poland in the use of the anti-aircraft defences and actually in this country (the UK) in the use of the armoured vehicles,” he told UK media during a visit to India.

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Russia, Ukraine trade blame over rising food prices

Russia and Ukraine have squared off at the UN over whether Russia’s offensive is to blame for rising food prices and hunger around the world.

Between them, the two countries account for nearly a third of global wheat and barley exports and millions of people in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia depend on them for affordable bread and noodles. Ukraine also is a major corn supplier and the biggest exporter of sunflower oil.

“As long as Russia persists in its efforts to invade Ukraine, the threat of hunger will be looming over many countries throughout the globe,” Ukrainian counsellor Natalia Mudrenko said at an informal UN Security Council meeting to discuss conflict and hunger.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Chumakov argued that sanctions, trade wars, the coronavirus pandemic and Western economic policies were shaking up the global food, energy and financial markets.

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Zelenskyy thanks US for $800M in military aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the United States for the new package of $800 million in military aid, which he said was “just what we were waiting for.”

The latest military aid, announced by President Joe Biden, includes heavy artillery, ammunition and drones for the escalating battle in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.

“The occupiers continue to do everything possible to give themselves a reason to speak about at least some kind of victory,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation. 

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Mayor appeals for ‘full evacuation’ of Mariupol

The mayor of Mariupol has made a new appeal for the “full evacuation” of the southern Ukrainian city which President Vladimir Putin says is now controlled by Russian forces.

“We need only one thing – the full evacuation of the population. About 100,000 people remain in Mariupol,” Mayor Vadym Boichenko said on national television.

Boichenko, who is no longer in Mariupol, did not provide any update on any fighting in or around the city on the Sea of Azov. But he said, without giving details, that Russian forces’ “mockery” of those left in Mariupol continued.

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Kremlin: no change to timetable on rouble payments for gas

There are no changes to Russia’s timetable for making foreign companies pay for gas in roubles, to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said,

Peskov said all the timings for the payments were set out in Putin’s presidential decree at the end of March, and settlements should be carried out in line with that order.

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Avoiding escalation is ‘top priority’: Scholz

There is no rule book which states when Germany could be considered a party to the war in Ukraine, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz when asked about Germany’s decision to not deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine.

“That’s why it is all the more important that we consider each step very carefully and coordinate closely with one another,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with Der Spiegel. “To avoid an escalation towards NATO is a top priority for me,” he said.

“That’s why I don’t focus on polls or let myself be irritated by shrill calls. The consequences of an error would be dramatic.”

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Russia says it plans to take full control of Donbas and Southern Ukraine

Russia plans to take full control of Donbas and Southern Ukraine as part of the second phase of the military operation, the deputy commander of Russia’s central military district said, the Interfax news agency reported.

Commander Rustam Minnekayev was also cited as saying that Russia planned to forge a land corridor between Russia-annexed Crimea and Donbas.

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About 1,000 civilians stuck in Azovstal steel plant: official

Ukraine deputy prime minister Vereshchuk has urged the opening of a humanitarian corridor for about 1,000 civilians who are stuck in the Azovstal steel plant, along with Ukrainian fighters.

Vereshchuk said that the Russian have provided a corridor for the military to surrender, but have refused to open one for civilians to evacuate “cynically pretending” that the two are the same, she said on her Telegram channel.

“We call on world leaders and the international community to take every effort immediately to open humanitarian corridor from Azovstal for women, children and the elderly,” she added.

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President Macron warns over the risk of a new iron curtain

EU nations must not allow a new iron curtain to fall across the continent, French President Emmanuel Macron told France Inter radio, adding that it was important to take account of differing views within the bloc towards Russia and the war in Ukraine.

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Russian losses exceed 21,000: Ukraine’s military

Russia has lost some 21,200 soldiers since war started, Ukraine’s military says.

Ukrainian forces also destroyed 838 tanks, 2,162 armored vehicles, 176 planes and 153 helicopters, the General Staff of Armed Forces said on Facebook, adding that such figures are being verified due to ongoing hostilities.

Russia has rarely acknowledged casualties among its soldiers. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted “significant losses” in early April, while the Russian ministry of defence said in late March that 1,351 soldiers have been killed in combat. It has provided no update on military casualties since then.

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No humanitarian corridors on Friday

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says no humanitarian corridors will be open across Ukraine on Friday “due to the danger on the routes today”.

“I appeal to everyone who is waiting for the evacuation: be patient, please hold on!” she wrote on Facebook.

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Blockade of Azovstal likely a strategy to free up Russian troops: UK

Putin’s decision to blockade the Azovstal steel plant “likely indicates a desire to contain Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol and free up Russian forces to be deployed elsewhere in Ukraine,” the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence reports.

In its latest intelligent briefing, the ministry says that storming the plant would “likely incur significant Russian casualties” and Russia is still suffering from its losses earlier in the war.

“>Heavy shelling and fighting continues in eastern Donbas “as Russia seeks to advance further towards settlements including Krasnyy Lyman, Buhayivka, Barvinkove, Lyman and Popasna as part of their plans for the region”, the ministry adds.

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Russia says its air force struck 58 military targets

Russia’s defence ministry said it had struck 58 military targets in Ukraine overnight, including sites where troops, fuel depots and military equipment were concentrated.

The ministry said it had also struck three targets using high-precision missiles in Ukraine, including an S-300 air defence system and a large concentration of Ukrainian troops with their equipment.

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WTA says ‘very disappointed’ with Wimbledon decision, evaluating next steps

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has said it is “very disappointed” with the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s Wimbledon tournament.

In a statement, the organisation said it was now “evaluating its next steps and what actions may be taken regarding these decisions”.

The ATP, which runs the men’s tour, has also criticised the decision from tournament organisers, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).

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Zelenskyy denies Russian claim of having offered negotiated peace

Zelenskyy has denied receiving a proposal for a negotiated peace from Russia.

“I have heard nothing, I have seen nothing. I am convinced that they have handed us nothing,” Zelenskyy said at a press conference.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a “clear and elaborate” proposal for a negotiated peace had been submitted to Ukraine.

“It seems to me that he is playing football with himself,” Zelenskyy said regarding Peskov’s comment.

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Russia finance minister urges G20 not to politicise dialogue between members: RIA

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has urged the Group of 20 not to politicise dialogue between member states and warned them of the risk of undermining confidence in the global monetary and financial system, RIA news agency has reported.

Top finance officials from the UK, the US and Canada walked out of a meeting when Russian representatives spoke, UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said earlier.

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EU’s Michel tells Ukrainians: ‘History will not forget’

European Council President Charles Michel has pledged European solidarity with Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv.

Ukraine suspects that Russian troops carried out atrocities in Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv and Bucha, another town near the capital. Moscow denies targeting civilians and has described the allegations as fabricated by Kyiv to justify more sanctions against it.

“There are no words… to explain what I feel. These are atrocities, these are war crimes. It must be punished. It will be punished,” Michel told a joint news conference with Zelenskyy.

He said separately on Twitter: “History will not forget the war crimes that have been committed here. … There can be no peace without justice.”

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West warns of Russian cyberattacks on critical infrastructure

Western governments have jointly warned about a potential threat of increased malicious cyber activity by Russia against critical infrastructure.

The cybersecurity agencies of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – which together form the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance – said the war could expose organisations everywhere to cyber crime.

“This activity may occur as a response to the unprecedented economic costs imposed on Russia as well as materiel support provided by the United States and US allies and partners,” the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a statement on its website.

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Mariupol evacuation corridor didn’t work as planned, Ukraine’s deputy PM says

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has said that an agreed humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol had not worked as planned, blaming Russian forces for not holding their ceasefire.

Iryna Vereshchuk also said Russian-organised buses failed to deliver evacuees on time to the point where Ukrainian buses and ambulances were waiting.

Ukrainian officials estimated that about 1,000 civilians were sheltering underneath the vast Azovstal steel plant, which is the last Ukrainian stronghold in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.

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US imposes new Russia-related sanctions

The United States has imposed sanctions on a Russian commercial bank, an oligarch and dozens of individuals, according to the Treasury Department website.

The targets include Russia-based units of virtual currency mining firm Bitriver, the website said.

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US starts training of some Ukrainian troops on howitzer artillery

The US military has started training a small number of Ukrainian troops on using howitzer artillery, a senior US defense official has said, adding the training was being conducted outside of Ukraine and would take about a week.

“It’s a smallish number of Ukrainians, a little bit more than 50,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Ukraine has not received whole aircraft from allies, only parts: Pentagon

The US Defense Department has said that Ukraine has received parts for their aircraft from allies but not complete warplanes, correcting its earlier statement that built-up aircraft had been delivered.

While fixed-wing aircraft have been offered by an unidentified country to bolster Kyiv’s fight against Russia, “they have not received whole aircraft from another nation,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

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EU to hold donors conference to ensure ‘victory of Ukraine’

The European Union will hold an international donors conference on May 5 to ensure “the victory of Ukraine,” European Council President Charles Michel has said in Kyiv.

“We are determined to do everything we can in order to support Ukraine because we want the victory of Ukraine,” Michel said during a press conference alongside Zelenskyy.

Michel said the conference is to be organised with the support of the European Commission, all 27 EU member states and the support of other international actors.

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Russian ICBM test ‘routine’ and ‘not a threat’: Pentagon

Russia’s test of a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile is not seen as threatening to the US and its allies, the Pentagon has said.

Moscow “properly notified” Washington of the test under its nuclear treaty obligations and “it was not a surprise,” Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said.

The Pentagon “has not deemed the test to be a threat to the United States or its allies,” he told reporters.

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UN chief requests meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has asked to meet with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine in their respective capitals, a UN spokesman has said.

As the war in Ukraine rages, Guterres made the request in letters that were sent Tuesday to Putin and Zelenskyy, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

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Ukraine’s membership in EU a ‘priority’: Zelenskyy

European Union membership is a “priority” for Ukraine, Zelenskyy has said during a joint press conference with visiting EU chief Charles Michel.

“Regarding our future membership in the EU, it is a priority for our state, for the strength of our people, those who are ready to defend our land against Russian invaders even without arms,” Zelenskyy said.

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Putin ‘will not succeed’ in dividing EU on response: Michel

Putin will not succeed in dividing the EU in its response to the war in Ukraine, EU chief Charles Michel has said on a visit to Kyiv.

“The Kremlin’s goal is to destroy the sovereignty of Ukraine, it’s also to divide the European Union, and he will not succeed,” Michel said at a press conference with Zelenskyy.

“In recent weeks we have demonstrated even in difficult circumstances that the 27 member states, we were systematically able to take decisions all together by unanimity,” he said.

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Germany commits to ending oil imports from Russia by the end of 2022

Germany will stop importing oil from Russia by the end of the year, the country’s foreign minister has said.

“We will halve oil by the summer and will be at zero by the end of the year, and then gas will follow, in a joint European road map, because our joint exit, the complete exit of the European Union, is our common strength,” Annalena Baerbock said after a meeting with her Baltic counterparts.

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Beijing tells US not to use Ukraine conflict to ‘smear or pressure’ China

China’s defence minister has told his United States counterpart that Washington should not “use the Ukraine issue to smear, frame, threaten or pressure China”, following criticism of its perceived backing of Russia’s invasion.

Wei Fenghe spoke by phone with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday, according to a statement by China’s defence ministry.

China has not publically condemned Moscow’s offensive and has refrained from hitting Russia with any sanctions over its actions. The US has warned Beijing’s unwillingness to roll out any such measures could affect its relations with other economies.

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Putin says Russia seeking to ‘help our people living in Donbas’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow aims to “help our people living in Donbas” with its offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region.

“The tragedy that was happening in Donbas, including the Luhansk People’s Republic, forced Russia to start this military operation everyone knows about now,” Putin said at a meeting with members of a state-funded non-profit group, citing one of two breakaway republics in the area.

He added Russia will “act consistently” to make sure that life in the region “normalises and will change for the better”.

Russia-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces in Donbas since the separatists seized a swathe of territory there in early 2014.

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CNN Appeals To Russia To Not Apply Law On Fakes To CNN Reporters – Source

Senior CNN officials have appealed to the Russian authorities with a request to give their journalists in Russia written guarantees of protection from prosecution regarding, in particular, the law on the spread of fake news about the Russian special operation, a diplomatic source told Sputnik on Wednesday.

“Recently, senior CNN officials suggested that the Russian authorities provide their journalists with written guarantees of protection from law enforcement agencies. In particular, they specifically wished to officiate in such a ‘document’ the removal of CNN employees from the new legislation on responsibility for disseminating false information about the course of the special operation in Ukraine,” the source said.

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UN: Over 5M Ukrainians fled country amid Russia’s assault

Over five million Ukrainians have now fled their country following the Russian onslaught, United Nations figures have showed, in Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 5,034,439 Ukrainians had left since Russian attacks began on February 24. 

When the number reached 4 million on March 30, the exodus exceeded the worst-case predictions of the Geneva-based UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

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EU warns history will not forget ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine

EU chief Charles Michel has said there must be justice for “war crimes” committed by Russian forces as he toured the devastated town of Borodianka on a visit to Ukraine.

“In Borodianka. Like Bucha and too many other towns in Ukraine. History will not forget the war crimes that have been committed here. There can be no peace without justice,” European Council head Michel wrote on Twitter.

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Finnish MPs open debate on joining NATO

Finland’s parliament Wednesday will open a debate on whether to seek NATO membership, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a surge in political and public support for joining the military alliance.

Despite Russia warning of a nuclear build-up in the Baltic should Finland and neighbouring Sweden join the military alliance, Finland’s prime minister said that her country would now decide quickly on whether to apply for membership.

“I think it will happen quite fast. Within weeks, not within months,” Prime Minister Sanna Marin said last week.

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Ukrainian forces stop Russian advance towards Sloviansk, presidential aide says

Ukrainian troops have held up an advance by Russian forces from the northeastern city of Izyum towards nearby Sloviansk, Oleksiy Arestovych, a Ukrainian presidential advisor said on Wednesday.

“They have focused their forces there, that is where they are trying to advance, but so far they are not succeeding,” he said in a video address.

Arestovych also said that Ukrainian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol have been holding out, despite persistent Russian attacks on the Azovstal steel plant.

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More than 5 million Ukrainians have fled war, UN says

More than five million Ukrainians have now fled their country following the Russian invasion, the United Nations said Wednesday, in Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 5,034,439 Ukrainians had left since Russia invaded on February 24 — an increase of 53,850 over Tuesday’s total.

“Eight weeks into the conflict, we are at five million and counting, with five million unique stories of loss and trauma,” said deputy UNHCR chief Kelly T. Clements.

More than 2.8 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland. Three-quarters of a million have gone to Romania.

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EU working to provide alternatives to Russian oil amid German scepticism

The EU Commission is working to speed up the availability of alternative energy supplies to try to cut the cost of banning Russian oil and persuade Germany and other reluctant EU nations to accept the measure, an EU source told Reuters.

Some EU countries are also pushing for other new restrictions nearly eight weeks after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

These include excluding Russia’s top lenders Sberbank and Gazpromneft from the SWIFT banking system, halting imports of nuclear fuel from Russia, banning more Russian news channels, suspending visas for Russians, and blacklisting additional individuals and companies linked to the Kremlin, diplomats said.

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UK’s Johnson to offer India alternatives to Russia ties on visit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will offer to help India cut reliance on Russian oil and defence equipment when he begins a two-day visit this week that will test his diplomatic skills and provide brief respite from a row raging at home.

On his first trip to India as prime minister, starting on Thursday, Johnson will discuss strengthening security co-operation in meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a spokesperson for the British leader said.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western allies have called for India to speak out against the war. India, which is the world’s biggest buyer of Russia’s weapons and imports its oil, abstained in a United Nations vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.

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EU Council’s Michel makes surprise visit to Kiev

European Council President Charles Michel has made an unexpected visit to Kiev, following a trip to the Ukrainian capital by the head of the EU’s executive earlier this month to show support for the nation fighting a Russian offence.

“In the heart of a free and democratic Europe,” Michel, head of the European Council that represents the European Union’s 27 member states, said in a tweet with a photograph of him at a train station.

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Kremlin says reported Wimbledon ban is ‘unacceptable’

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a reported ban on Russian players taking part in this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament in London would hurt the tournament itself given Russia’s tennis prowess and was unacceptable.

A report on sports industry news site Sportico on Tuesday said Russian players would be banned because of Moscow’s decision to send troops into Ukraine in February.

“Given that Russia is a strong tennis country the competitions (which take this decision) will suffer from this,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

“To make sports people hostages of political intrigue is unacceptable. I hope the players won’t lose their fitness.”

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Norway sends air defence systems to Ukraine

Norway will donate about 100 air defence systems to Ukraine, with the Scandinavian country’s defence minister saying that “the country is depending on international support to resist Russian aggression.”

Bjørn Arild Gram said Norway had donated French-made Mistral short-range missile systems, which currently are being phased out by the Norwegian Armed Forces, “but it is still a modern and effective weapon that will be of great benefit to Ukraine”.

The weapons have already left Norway, which previously has donated 4,000 anti-tank missiles, protective equipment and other military equipment to Ukraine, he added.

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Russia claims to have hit 1,053 targets in Ukraine overnight

Russian forces hit 1,053 Ukrainian military facilities overnight, destroying 106 firing positions, the country’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

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Kremlin accuses Ukraine of changing tune during peace talks

The Kremlin accused Ukraine on Wednesday of going back on commitments it had made during peace talks and said this was having bad consequences for the negotiations.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the pace of talks left much to be desired and the ball was in Kyiv’s court after Russia handed a document to the Ukrainian side. He said Moscow was waiting for a response.

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 Liberal Russian radio station loses appeal against being taken off air

A Moscow court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy, one of the leading current affairs channels in Russia, against the authorities’ move to take it off air over its coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ekho Moskvy stopped broadcasting last month after the prosecutor general’s office demanded that access to the station be restricted. It also ordered that its website be blocked for spreading what it called “deliberately false information” about Russia’s military operation.

The station, which has rejected the charges, later shut down under pressure from the authorities.

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 Family of captured British fighter says Moscow breaking Geneva rules

The family of a captured British man fighting in Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of breaking the Geneva Convention after it broadcast a “distressing” video of him.

Russian state TV aired a video on Monday of Aiden Aslin and another captured British fighter identified as Shaun Pinner asking to be exchanged for Viktor Medvedchuk, a wealthy Ukrainian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin.

“The video of Aiden speaking under duress and having clearly suffered physical injuries is deeply distressing,” Aslin’s family said in a statement released by his local MP Robert Jenrick. “Using images and videos of prisoners of war is in contravention of the Geneva Convention and must stop.”

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 Norway gives Ukraine French-made anti-air missiles

Norway has given Ukraine around 100 French-made Mistral anti-air missiles, the government said on Wednesday.

The Mistral launchers and missiles, which have already been delivered, had until now been mounted on Norwegian navy vessels, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Built from the end of the 1980s by defence group Matra, which later merged with European missile developer MBDA, the Mistral is a very short-range surface-to-air missile. It can be used on vehicles, ships and helicopters, or be portable.

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 Western allies to provide more military support to Kyiv

“The allies agreed on the need to continue their support for the Ukrainians, whether it’s economic, humanitarian or military – and also the agreement that they need to continue holding Russia accountable,” FRANCE 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani reported from Washington DC.

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Growing majority of Swedes back joining NATO, opinion poll shows

A growing majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, a poll showed on Wednesday, as policy-makers in both Sweden and Finland weigh up whether Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should lead to an end to decades of military neutrality.

The poll by Demoskop and commissioned by the Aftonbladet newspaper showed 57 percent of Swedes now favoured NATO membership, up from 51 percent in March. Those opposed to joining fell to 21 percent from 24 percent, while those who were undecided dipped to 22 percent from 25 percent. The March poll was the first to show a majority of Swedes in favour of joining NATO.

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EU Council’s Michel makes surprise visit to Kyiv

European Council President Charles Michel made an unexpected visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, following a trip to the Ukrainian capital by the head of the EU’s executive earlier this month to show support for the nation fighting a Russian invasion.

“In Kyiv today,” Michel, head of the European Council that represents the European Union’s 27 member states, said in a tweet with a photograph of him at a train station. “In the heart of a free and democratic Europe.”

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Ukraine says corridor agreed for women, children, elderly to leave Mariupol

Ukraine has reached a preliminary agreement with Russia on establishing a humanitarian corridor to evacuate women, children and the elderly from the besieged city of Mariupol on Wednesday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

“Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Mariupol, this is where we will focus our efforts today,” she wrote on Facebook.

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Italy seeks African gas to end dependence on Russia

Italian ministers head to central Africa Wednesday in an urgent quest for new energy deals as Italy scrambles to break away from Russian gas over the Ukraine war. Prime Minister Mario Draghi is looking to add Angola and the Congo Republic to a portfolio of suppliers to substitute Russia, which provides about 45 percent of Italian gas.

“We do not want to depend on Russian gas any longer, because economic dependence must not become political subjection”, he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera daily published on Sunday. “Diversification is possible and can be implemented in a relatively short amount of time – quicker than we imagined just a month ago,” he said.

Draghi, who has tested positive for Covid-19, is sending in his stead Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani, who will travel to Luanda on Wednesday and Brazzaville on Thursday.

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Marine in besieged Mariupol says ‘maybe facing our last days, if not hours’

A commander for the Ukrainian marines fighting in the last stronghold of Mariupol said his forces were “maybe facing our last days, if not hours” and appealed for extraction in a Facebook post published early Wednesday.

“The enemy is outnumbering us 10 to one,” Serhiy Volyna from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade said, sheltering at the besieged Azovstal factory, adding: “We appeal and plead to all world leaders to help us. We ask them to use the procedure of extraction and take us to the territory of a third-party state.”

It is not possible to verify information given by either side given the scale of the fighting and lack of communications in Mariupol.

Russian forces are believed to have gradually pushed their way into the city and some Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that a hospital near the Azovstal plant was hit.

Volyna said the Russians had the “advantage in the air, in artillery, in their forces on land, in equipment, and in tanks”.

“We are only defending one object – the Azovstal plant – where in addition to military personnel, there are also civilians who have fallen victim to this war,” he added.

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Russia issues new surrender deadline in Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters refuse to lay down arms 

Russia gave Ukrainian fighters still holding out in Mariupol a fresh ultimatum to surrender on Wednesday as it pushed for a decisive victory in its new eastern offensive, while Western governments pledged more military help to Kyiv.

Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages were advancing in what Ukrainian officials have called the Battle of the Donbas.

Russia’s nearly eight-week-long invasion has failed to capture any of Ukraine’s largest cities, forcing Moscow to refocus in and around separatist regions.

The biggest attack on a European state since 1945 has, however, seen nearly 5 million people flee abroad and reduced cities to rubble.

Russia was hitting the Azovstal steel plant, the main remaining stronghold in Mariupol, with bunker-buster bombs, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said late on Tuesday. Reuters could not verify the details.

“The world watches the murder of children online and remains silent,” adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

After an earlier ultimatum to surrender lapsed and as midnight approached, Russia’s defence ministry said not a single Ukrainian soldier had laid down their weapons and it renewed the proposal. Ukrainian commanders have vowed not to surrender.

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US preparing new $800 mn military aid package for Ukraine

The United States is set to approve another $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, less than a week after announcing a package of the same amount, US media reported Tuesday.

Details of the new package are still being worked out, according to CNN, which cited three senior officials in President Joe Biden’s administration.

NBC News reported that the new assistance is expected to include more artillery and tens of thousands of shells to help Kyiv combat Russia’s invasion, as fighting escalates in the east of Ukraine.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Biden and other world leaders had participated in a call during which they discussed providing additional ammunition and security aid to Ukraine.

Biden on April 13 had unveiled an $800 million package of equipment for Kyiv, including helicopters, howitzers and armoured personnel carriers.

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US aid package to Ukraine ‘won’t make a significant difference’: Expert

The latest US military aid package to Ukraine – an $800m bundle that includes additional helicopters and, for the first time, 155mm howitzer cannons – are “really no more than barely keeping up with what has been lost by the Ukrainians up to this point,” retired US army general Mark Kimmitt has said.

“They have lost probably 140,000 rounds of ammunition – that would be good to keep them moving on the ground,” Kimmitt told Al Jazeera.

“There are no magic bullets in that aid package … It won’t make a significant difference on this upcoming battle,” he said, referring to a new offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

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Biden, allies consult on Ukraine including aid

US President Joe Biden and allied leaders discussed ongoing efforts on Ukraine on Tuesday including the need to provide economic and humanitarian aid, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said.

Psaki, briefing reporters, said Biden and the allies also discussed efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine.

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Russian media say 120 civilians left besieged steel plant in Mariupol

About 120 civilians living next to the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol have left via humanitarian corridors, the Interfax news agency reported, quoting Russian state TV.

Interfax said a TV correspondent quoted the Russian-backed separatist administration of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as saying, however, that no Ukrainian fighters had accepted a Russian ultimatum to surrender their arms and leave the factory in return for a promise to spare their lives.

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Italy says Western leaders agreed to step up pressure on Moscow

Western leaders agreed on the need to put more pressure on Russia and to increase Moscow’s international isolation, an Italian government statement has said.

The leaders – including Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – shared “deep concern” for the prolonged hostilities in Ukraine and said a swift ceasefire was needed.

“There was broad consensus on the need to step up pressure on the Kremlin, including by adopting further sanctions, and to increase Moscow’s international isolation,” Rome’s statement said after a video call among the leaders.

It added that they reiterated a commitment to diversify energy supplies in order to decrease dependence on Russia.

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Putin bears responsibility for ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine: Scholz

Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for war crimes in Ukraine that have already left thousands of civilians dead, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains a blatant breach of international law. The killing of thousands of civilians as we have seen is a war crime for which the Russian president bears responsibility,” Scholz told reporters following talks with Western leaders on the conflict.

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Britain to send more artillery weapons to Ukraine

Britain will give more artillery weapons to Ukraine as the conflict with Russia moves into a new phase, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“This will become an artillery conflict, they need support with more artillery, that is what we will be giving them… in addition to many other forms of support,” Johnson told lawmakers.

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World Bank, IMF leaders to meet with Ukraine ministers to discuss further aid

World Bank President David Malpass will host a meeting on Thursday with Ukraine’s prime minister and finance minister to discuss needed assistance beyond the initial funding provided through the bank and the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank has said.

The meeting will include Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Malpass told an event at the IMF meetings.

Malpass said that Ukraine’s debt burden “has to be worked through and reduced substantially” given the pressures from Russia’s invasion.

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Russia pours in more troops for eastern Ukraine offensive: Pentagon

Russia has added two more combat units, known as battalion tactical groups, in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to a senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s assessments of the war. That brought the total number of units in the country to 78, all of them the south and the east, up from 65 last week, the official said.

That would translate to about 55,000 to 62,000 troops, based on what the Pentagon said at the start of the war was the typical unit strength of 700 to 800 soldiers. But accurately determining Russia’s fighting capacity at this stage is difficult.

A European official, likewise speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military assessments, said Russia also has 10,000 to 20,000 foreign fighters in the Donbas. They are a mix of mercenaries from Russia’s private Wagner Group and Russian proxy fighters from Syria and Libya, according to the official.

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Fall in Russian gas flows to Europe through Ukraine

Russian gas deliveries to Europe through Ukraine fell on Tuesday morning, in line with customer requests, while flows to Germany through Nord Stream 1 were steady and increased eastbound into Poland from Germany through the Russia-EU Yamal pipeline.

Daily nominations for Russian gas deliveries to Slovakia via Ukraine fell on Tuesday, data from Slovakian operator TSO Eustream showed.

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 Ukrainian presidential adviser says new Russian offensive will fail

Russia’s new offensive in eastern Ukraine will fail because Moscow’s forces lack the strength to break through Ukrainian defences, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

“The battle for Donbas, which was announced and apparently began yesterday, is under way and is going very cautiously. The battle will not go in Russia’s favour,” presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.

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Russia ‘attacked 1,260 targets in Ukraine overnight’

Russia’s defence ministry says Russian missile and artillery forces struck 1,260 targets in Ukraine overnight.

Russian anti-aircraft forces also downed a Ukrainian MiG-29 jet in the Donetsk region, the ministry said.

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China-Russia cooperation is resilient: Diplomat

China has told Russia it will continue to increase “strategic coordination” with it regardless of international volatility, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng gave this assurance to Russian ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, on Monday, the statement said.

Le cited the almost 30 percent increase in China-Russia trade in the first three months of this year as evidence of “resilience and endogenous power” of the cooperation between the two countries, according to the statement.

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UK unlikely to get involved in prisoner swap

A British minister has said that the United Kingdom is not going to be looking at how to help Russia when asked about the prospect of swapping a pro-Russian  politician from Ukraine for two British fighters who were captured in the country by Russian forces.

The Britons appeared on Russian state TV on Monday and asked to be exchanged for Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities.

Asked on Sky News whether a possible swap was something the government would get involved with, the UK’s Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’re actually going through the process of sanctioning people who are close to Putin regime, we’re not going to be looking at how we can help Russia.”

Lewis said he did not want to comment on the specific situation of the two men, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

“We always have responsibility for British citizens, which we take seriously. We’ve got to get the balance right in Ukraine and that’s why I say to anybody: do not travel illegally to Ukraine,” Lewis said.

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 Greece seizes Russian tanker as part of EU sanctions

Greece on Tuesday seized a crude oil Russian tanker off the island of Evia as part of European Union sanctions against Russia, a Greek shipping ministry official said.

The Russian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized near the coastal city of Karystos in Evia.

“It has been seized as part of EU sanctions,” a shipping ministry official said.

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 China to increase coordination with Russia, senior Chinese diplomat says

China told Russia it will continue to increase “strategic coordination” with it regardless of international volatility, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng gave this assurance to Russian ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, on Monday, the statement said.

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 US seeks to seize superyacht in Fiji from suspected Russian owner

The United States is seeking to seize a superyacht suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch that is docked in the Pacific island nation of Fiji, according to an application for a restraining order filed on Tuesday by Fiji’s public prosecutor.

The luxury vessel the Amadea is widely believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, sanctioned by the United States and European Union.

The vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific. Police are investigating.

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 Russia forces attacking along broad east front, Ukraine says

Russian forces attacked along a broad front in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as part of a full-scale ground offensive to take control of the country’s eastern industrial heartland in what Ukrainian officials called a “new phase of the war”.

Ukraine’s General Staff said early Tuesday that Russian forces are focusing their efforts on taking full control of the Donbas region.

“The occupiers made an attempt to break through our defenses along nearly the entire frontline,” the General Staff said in a statement.

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 EU planning Russian oil embargo, says France’s Le Maire

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday that an embargo on Russian oil at a European Union level was in the works, adding that France’s President Emmanuel Macron wants such a move.

“I hope that in the weeks to come we will convince our European partners to stop importing Russian oil,” Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.

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 Ukraine says no safe corridors agreed for civilians for third successive day

Ukraine was for the third successive day unable to secure Russia’s agreement on establishing any humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians trapped in cities and towns, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Tuesday.

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 New Zealand imposes new sanctions on Russian banks

New Zealand unveiled new sanctions on Tuesday targeting Russia’s largest banks and financial institutions, in its response to the invasion of Ukraine.

“We are deeply concerned at the reports of brutality from Russian forces,” Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement after the measures were announced.

“New Zealand continues to condemn Putin’s war and supports the International Criminal Court’s investigations into the atrocities committed against the citizens of Ukraine.”

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 UK not looking to help Russia, minister says on swapping Putin ally for captured Britons

Britain is not going to be looking at how to help Russia, a senior minister said on Tuesday when asked about the prospect of swapping pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk for two British fighters who were captured in Ukraine by Russian forces.

The Britons appeared on Russian state TV on Monday and asked to be exchanged for Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities.

Asked on Sky News whether a possible swap was something the government would get involved with, Britain’s Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’re actually going through the process of sanctioning people who are close to Putin regime, we’re not going to be looking at how we can help Russia.”

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 Russian official says Ukraine strikes village near border

Ukrainian forces have struck a village near Russia’s border with Ukraine, wounding one resident, the governor of the Russian province of Belgorod said on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear whether the strike on the village of Golovchino that figured in posts by governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on messaging app Telegram was carried out by artillery, mortars, missiles or was an aerial attack.

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US, allies to meet over Ukraine as conflict escalates in east

US President Joe Biden will convene a meeting of allies to discuss the Ukraine conflict Tuesday, the White House said, after Kyiv announced Russia had launched a major new offensive in the east of the country.

The meeting, announced on Biden’s schedule, “is part of our regular coordination with allies and partners in support of Ukraine,” an official told AFP, without naming who would be included on the video call.

It will also cover “efforts to hold Russia accountable,” the White House said.

The meeting comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia, which invaded its pro-Western neighbor on February 24, had launched a large-scale offensive in the eastern Donbas region, a move predicted by Kyiv for weeks.

Fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine after Russia withdrew troops from the region around the capital Kyiv and refocused its efforts in Donbas, which pro-Moscow separatists have partly controlled since 2014.

The United States and Western allies have heaped pressure on Moscow via sanctions, while supporting Ukraine through military and other aid. 

Asked Monday whether new measures would soon be announced, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington would “continue to escalate our financial sanctions and other economic measures against the Russian Federation until and unless Moscow relents in its campaign against Ukraine.”

“We have not yet seen that, and we’ll continue to raise the costs.”

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Turkish, British, Italian defence ministers to discuss Ukraine in Istanbul

The defence ministers of Turkey, Britain and Italy will meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and security ties between the three NATO allies, the Turkish Defence Ministry said.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini will visit Istanbul at the invitation of their Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.

“At the meeting, where an exchange of views will be carried out on defence and security relations between the countries and on regional issues, developments in Ukraine are also expected to be discussed,” the statement said.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and has taken a mediating role in the conflict. It has so far hosted peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers and negotiators, and has been working to arrange a meeting of their presidents.

Turkey and Italy have also increased engagement since a NATO summit last month, where the leaders of Turkey, Italy and France discussed ways to revive the SAMP-T air defence system project by the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium.

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Biden has ‘no plans’ to visit Ukraine, says White House

President Joe Biden is not planning to visit Kyiv, despite Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky urging him to demonstrate US support for the fight against Russia by traveling to the embattled capital, the White House said Monday.

“There’s no plans for the president to go. Let me just reiterate that,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

A string of European leaders have made the trip to Kyiv and met with Zelensky.

However, a Biden visit would present a more complex security challenge. The Biden administration has said it instead wants to send a high-ranking official, most likely Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Last week, Biden said “we’re making that decision,” although he muddied the waters by responding “yeah” when asked by a reporter whether he might go.

Psaki made clear Monday that “if anyone were to go… we wouldn’t outline from here or anywhere from the government who, if and when for security reasons.”

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US seeks to seize superyacht linked to Russian billionaire in Fiji

The US is seeking to seize a superyacht suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch that is currently docked in Fiji, according to an application for a restraining order filed by the Pacific nation’s public prosecutor.

The luxury vessel, the Amadea, is widely believed to be owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, sanctioned by the US and European Union.

The vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific.

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No civilian evacuations for third day: Official

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says there will be no humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians in the country for a third consecutive day.

“Intense shelling continues in the Donbas. In Mariupol, the Russians refuse to provide a corridor for the exit of civilians in the direction of Berdyansk,” Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

“We’re continuing the difficult negotiations for humanitarian corridors in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions”, in the south and east respectively, she added.

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Ukrainian mayor describes ‘hard’ interrogation by Russian captors

The mayor of the occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol has described hours of “hard” interrogations when held for almost a week by Russian forces last month.

“It was a dangerous six days because I understood that for Russians my life and the lives of civilians were worth zero,” Ivan Fedorov told Reuters in Rome on Sunday, a month after his release.

“They came to me at night with five or seven soldiers and spoke for about four or five hours, hard dialogue,” Fedorov said in an interview. “They wanted to make an example of me about what would happen if we did not agree to what the Russians wanted.”

Fedorov was released as part of a prisoner exchange with Kyiv.

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Japan to send gas masks and hazmat suits to Ukraine

Japan will send gas masks, hazmat suits and drones to Ukraine amid growing concern about the use of chemical weapons by the Russian military.

Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said Japan is sending the anti-chemical-warfare equipment at the request of the Ukrainian government.

Japan last month provided bulletproof vests, helmets and other nonlethal arms equipment to Ukraine as an exception to Tokyo’s ban on arms exports to countries in conflict. The shipment has raised controversy in Japan, whose pacifist constitution renounces war.

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IMF, World Bank leaders discuss food crisis

Leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are meeting in Washington, DC to grapple with how Russia’s war on Ukraine is affecting food insecurity and prices.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will convene a Tuesday morning meeting with leaders from the IMF, World Bank, Group of Seven and Group of 20 global organisations to “call on international financial institutions to accelerate and deepen their response” to countries affected by food issues exacerbated by Russia’s aggression, the Treasury Department said.

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Mariupol still contested: US official

The port city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine was still contested as Russia appeared to have sent reinforcements into Ukraine in recent days, a senior US defence official has said.

“Our assessment is Mariupol is still contested … (it) remains under threat from the air but both from missile strikes as well as bombs from the air but even of course artillery,” the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters, according to Reuters news agency.

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UN proposes plan for Russia, Ukraine to discuss humanitarian issues

The United Nations’ humanitarian affairs chief has said he proposed to Russian and Ukrainian officials, during his visit to Kyiv and Moscow, an arrangement by which the two sides could meet “on a virtual or actual basis at any time to discuss humanitarian issues”.

“Maybe ceasefire monitoring, maybe safe passages … maybe humanitarian priorities,” Martin Griffiths told reporters during a press briefing.

Griffiths said Ukraine had “agreed to most of the proposals we are making” while adding that “we have yet to get the same response” from Russia.

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US set to start training Ukrainians on artillery system: Defence official

The United States military is expected to start training Ukrainian trainers on using the howitzer artillery system in coming days, a senior US defence official said on Monday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the training would take place outside Ukraine, Reuters news agency reported.

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Putin says Western countries have hurt themselves with sanctions

Putin has said that Western countries have hurt themselves by imposing sanctions on Russia over its offensive, claiming the measures had led to a “deterioration of the economy in the West”.

Speaking to top economic officials in a televised video call, the Russian president said that domestic inflation was stabilising and that retail demand in the country had normalised.

He added the “strategy of the economic blitz has failed” after Russia “withstood the unprecedented pressure” brought about by the sanctions. Putin said Russia’s currency, the rouble, had strengthened and that the country recorded a historic high trade surplus of $58bn in the first quarter of the year.

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Around 40,000 deported from Mariupol to Russian regions, mayor says

The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol said that about 40,000 civilians had been forcibly moved to Russia or Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.

“Unfortunately I have to declare that as of today they are forcibly deporting” residents, Vadym Boichenko told Ukrainian television. “We have verified through the municipal register that they have already deported over 40,000 people.”

It was not possible for Reuters to independently confirm the allegation. Russia has denied targetting civilians in Ukraine.

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 Russia says foreign-made weapons destroyed in Lviv

Russian air forces carried out air strikes at a logistics centre of the Ukrainian army near Lviv and destroyed a large number of foreign-made weapons stored there, TASS news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.

The Russian forces have also destroyed a repair centre for Tochka U ballistic missiles in the city of Dnipro, the ministry said.

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 Russia has started new offensive in east: Ukraine security council 

Russia appears to have started its anticipated new offensive in the east of Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s top security official.

“This morning, along almost the entire front line of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, the occupiers attempted to break through our defences,” Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said in televised comments.

“They began their attempt to start the active phase this morning,” he said.

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 Ukraine ‘sees signs’ of Russia starting new eastern offensive

Ukraine’s armed forces command has observed signs that Russia is starting its anticipated new offensive in the east of the country, increasing the intensity of attacks in parts of the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

In a post on Facebook, the armed forces command also said that Russia’s main military force was concentrating on taking control of the entirety of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It said battles were ongoing in Mariupol, where it said Russia was attempting to storm the city’s seaport.

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 Ukraine needs ‘much heavier weapons’ and ‘in a sustained way’

As the war in Ukraine enters a dangerous new phase, with Russia focused on an offensive in the eastern region, FRANCE 24’s international affairs commentator Douglas Herbert says Kyiv will need a “sustained pipeline of weapons” for its forces.

Despite President Joe Biden’s recent announcement of an additional $800 million US military aid, Herbert explains that in a conflict such as the war in Ukraine, “weapons go through very quickly” and the arms coming in from the US and its allies will not be enough.

Ukraine needs heavy weapons, Douglas explains, but there are logistical challenges for nations supplying these arms.

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Captured British nationals ask Johnson to exchange them for Ukraine’s Medvedchuk

Two British mercenaries captured by the Russian military in Ukraine are apparently asking UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exchange them for Viktor Medvedchuk, an opposition Ukrainian politician.

In a video message aired by Russian state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin said they would be grateful if Johnson helped to free them. 

Addressing their relatives, they said they are being treated well in captivity and asked that their appeal be given to Johnson. 

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Yellen to call for increased economic pressure on Russia: official

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this week will call on her counterparts to ramp up the economic pain on Moscow over its attacks in Ukraine, a senior Treasury official said.

Yellen will participate in the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, as well as gatherings of finance officials from the G7 and G20 nations, where the fallout from the war will be a key topic of discussion.

“The secretary believes the Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the need for the world’s largest economies to stand together to defend international order and protect peace and prosperity,” the official told reporters.

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Putin honours brigade accused by Ukraine of ‘war crimes’

Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine of “war crimes” and mass killings in the town of Bucha.

The announcement was made on the 54th day of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, with thousands killed and 12 million people fleeing their homes or country in the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

A decree signed by Putin gave the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title of “Guards” for defending the “Motherland and state interests” and praised the “mass heroism and valour, tenacity and courage” of its members. 

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Russia expels Bulgarian diplomats in retaliatory move

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it summoned Bulgarian Ambassador Atanas Krastin and handed him a note about the expulsion of Bulgarian diplomats from Moscow.

In a statement, the ministry said that the step was taken in response to the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats from Sofia.

On March 18, Bulgaria declared 10 Russian diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of “activities incompatible with diplomatic status.” 

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German bosses, unions jointly oppose boycott of Russian gas

Germany’s employers and unions have joined together in opposing an immediate European Union ban on natural gas imports from Russia over its attacks in Ukraine, saying such a move would lead to factory shutdowns and the loss of jobs in the bloc’s largest economy.

“A rapid gas embargo would lead to loss of production, shutdowns, a further de-industrialization and the long-term loss of work positions in Germany,” said Rainer Dulger, chairman of the BDA employer’s group, and Reiner Hoffmann, chairman of the DGB trade union confederation, in a joint statement Monday on Germany’s DPA news agency. 

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Zelenskyy answers EU member questionnaire

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally submitted Ukraine’s answers to a questionnaire from the European Union, the first step in his campaign to obtain accelerated EU membership.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said when presenting the questions to Zelenskyy in early April that a preliminary decision on Ukraine’s candidacy could come in weeks.

Ukraine’s drive to join the bloc has been a provocative issue with Russia for years. Zelenskyy told the EU’s envoy on Monday that the people of Ukraine are united by their goal to become an equal part of Europe.

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Russian forces strike in Ukraine’s west, mass in east

Russian missiles have hit the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, killing at least seven people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow’s troops stepped up strikes on infrastructure in preparation for an all-out assault on the east. 

Plumes of thick, black smoke rose over the city after a series of explosions shattered windows and started fires. 

Lviv and the rest of western Ukraine have seen only sporadic strikes during almost two months of conflict and have become a relative safe haven for people from parts of the country where fighting has been more intense.

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Detained Ukrainian politician calls for his exchange with people in Mariupol

Detained Ukrainian pro-Russia opposition party leader Viktor Medvedchuk called on Ukrainian and Russian leaders to exchange him for civilians and troops in Mariupol, the besieged southeastern port city.

“Exchange me with the residents and defenders of Mariupol who are deprived of their right to a safe-exit through humanitarian corridors,” he said in a video published by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).

Medvedchuk is the leader of the pro-Russian Ukraine’s Opposition Platform, For Life party, and was put under house arrest in May 2021 on suspicion of treason. 

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Ukraine calls for humanitarian corridor from Mariupol steel plant 

Ukraine called for Russia to facilitate a humanitarian corridor for evacuees from the besieged port city of Mariupol and one from the steel plant that is the city’s last significant area of Ukrainian resistance.

“We demand an urgent humanitarian corridor from the territory of the Azovstal plant for women, children and other civilians,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a post on the Telegram messaging service.

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Sanctions against Russia would cost Serbia dearly – President Vucic

Imposing sanctions on Russia would cost Serbia dearly, Aleksandar Vucic, the country’s president who recently won a second term, said.

In a statement to TV Pink, Vucic said his personal views on Russia-Ukraine conflict differ from the official view of the Serbian state.

“Russia has been supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity since 2001. Whether Serbia imposes sanctions on Russia or not, it costs Serbia dearly. I believe that we will get Russian gas at a more affordable price compared to other countries in Europe,” he added.

Russian Defense Ministry warns of provocations for Orthodox Easter in Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Ukrainian special services are planning to shell Orthodox churches and temples on Easter night, Saturday.

As part of measures against possible provocations, over 70 mobile groups in vehicles equipped with mortars are formed in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, the ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a daily briefing in Moscow. 

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Ukraine says Russian forces have entered Kreminna city

Russian forces have entered the Kreminna city in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, an official said.

“The Russians entered Kreminna. Street fights began. Evacuation is not possible,” Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk Oblast, said on Telegram.

He said that the Russian forces entered Kreminna with many tanks and armoured vehicles and that the civilians have been stuck in the city. 

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Ukraine: Several killed in Russian missile strikes on Lviv

Six people have been killed and eight wounded in missile strikes on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, regional governor Maksym Kozystkiy has said. 

Three missiles hit military infrastructure facilities, he said, while one struck a car tire replacement facility. Oleksandr Kamyshin, the chairman of the Ukrainian rail service, said the strikes hit near railway facilities.

The city’s mayor, Andriy Sadovy, wrote on social media that emergency services were at the site in Lviv, which has been spared much of the worst violence since Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24.

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Kiev halts evacuations for second day over Russian shelling

Ukraine has said it was halting for a second consecutive day the evacuation of civilians from frontline town and cities in the east of the country, accusing Russian forces of blocking and shelling escape routes.

“Unfortunately, today, April 18, there will be no humanitarian corridors,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media.

“In violation of international humanitarian law, the Russian occupiers have not stopped blocking and shelling humanitarian routes,” she added.

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Russia plans legal action over frozen assets

Russia plans to take legal action over the blocking of gold, forex and assets belonging to Russian residents, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina has said.

He said such a step would need to be painstakingly thought through and legally justified.

Foreign sanctions have frozen about $300 billion of around $640 billion that Russia had in its gold and forex reserves when it launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

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Ex UK army chief expects ‘gruesome end’ in Mariupol

The former head of the British Army has said Ukraine’s fight to retain Mariupol will have a “very gruesome” end as Russian troops encircle the port city.

Richard Dannatt told British broadcaster Sky News since Ukrainian troops are unable restock ammunition “it’s only a matter of time before Mariupol completely falls under Russian control.”

There is an unwillingness on both sides to give up after suffering major fatalities, Dannatt said, especially once Russia secures the land corridor through Mariupol from Crimea to the Donbass region.

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200,000 risk losing jobs in Moscow over sanctions

Around 200,000 employees of foreign companies in Moscow could lose their jobs due to sanctions over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, the city’s mayor has said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a blog post that authorities had last week approved a $41-million programme to support employment in the Russian capital.

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Ukraine claims 20,600 Russian troops killed in conflict

Some 20,600 Russian soldiers have been killed since the attacks began in Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian military said.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 167 Russian aircrafts, 147 helicopters, 155 unmanned aerial vehicles, 790 tanks, 2,041 armoured vehicles and 381 artillery systems, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s latest update.

Some 130 Russian multiple rocket launcher systems, 1,487 vehicles, 76 fuel tanks, 67 anti-aircraft systems and seven boats have also been destroyed, it added.

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Spain to reopen Kiev embassy in coming days

Spain will reopen its embassy in Kiev in the coming days, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said in an interview with the Antena3 TV network.

The Spanish embassy in Ukraine’s capital was evacuated on February 24 when Russian troops attacked the country.

The move comes after several other European countries, including France, recently announced they would move back their embassies to Kiev. 

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TASS: Russia says it destroyed four arms depots in Ukraine

Russia’s defence ministry says it has destroyed four arms and military equipment depots in Ukraine overnight with Iskander missiles, the TASS news agency has reported.

Russian forces had hit 315 Ukrainian targets in total overnight, TASS cited the ministry as saying on Monday.

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Russian Media Regulator Urges Google To Restore Access To VGTRK Branches’ YouTube Channels

Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has demanded that Google immediately lift restrictions on the YouTube channels belonging to the branches of the Russian state-owned VGTRK broadcaster, the media watchdog said on Sunday.

“Roskomnadzor has demanded Google LLC to immediately restore access to YouTube channels of the VGTRK branches that belong to Russian state regional media,” the regulator said on Telegram.

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Russian Aviation Authority Extends Ban On Flights In Southern Regions Until April 25

The temporary flight restrictions in southern and southwestern Russia have been extended until April 25 and airlines are advised to use alternative routes, the Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) said on Monday.

“The temporary flight restrictions regime was extended until 03:45 a.m. (00:45 GMT), April 25, 2022, in 11 Russian airports: Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol, and Elista. Russian airlines were advised to organize the transportation of passengers via alternative routes through airports of Sochi, Volgograd, Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol, and Moscow,” Rosaviatsiya said on its website.

The authority noted that other Russian airports, including the international ones, continue to operate normally.

Rosaviatsiya also advised passengers to check air carriers and airports’ websites for changes in flights schedule.

The restrictions went into effect on February 24 due to safety concerns over Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

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Kyiv halts evacuations for second consecutive day over security concerns

Ukraine has said it is halting the evacuation of civilians from conflict-affected areas for a second consecutive day due to concerns over Russian attacks.

“For security reasons, it was decided not to open humanitarian corridors today,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a post on Facebook.

“In violation of international humanitarian law, Russian occupiers do not stop blocking and shelling of humanitarian routes,” she added.

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Spain to reopen Kyiv embassy in coming days

Spain will reopen its embassy in Kyiv in the coming days, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said in an interview with the Antena3 TV network.

The Spanish embassy in Ukraine’s capital was evacuated on February 24 when Russian troops invaded the country.

The move comes after several other European countries, including France, recently announced similar moves.

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Italy’s Draghi says ‘it’s useless’ to talk to Putin

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has complained in a newspaper interview that Western diplomatic efforts to persuade Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine have so far led nowhere.

“I am beginning to think that those people are right when they say ‘It is useless to talk to him, it’s just a waste of time’,” Draghi told the daily Corriere della Sera, adding Putin’s goal appears to be “to annihilate the Ukrainian resistance, occupy the country and entrust it to a friendly government”.

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Russian forces planning a false-flag attack on Kherson: Official

A Ukrainian official says Russian forces are planning a false-flag attack on Kherson to lay the groundwork for a referendum for independence in the port city.

“Kherson residents report that Russian invaders are preparing a provocation in the city. This should be the reason to ‘save’ the city by holding a ‘referendum’ there,” Serhiy Bratchuk, the speaker of the Odesa regional military administration, wrote on his Telegram channel.

Kherson, a largely Russian speaking city, has been occupied by Russian forces for more than two weeks and Ukrainian officials warn Russia may stage an independence referendum in the port city, similar to the one held in the annexed Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

 

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Russia’s Central Bank considers more flexible forex sale rules for exporters

Russia’s Central Bank is considering making the sale of forex proceeds by exporters more flexible, Governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Monday.

She said Russia’s economy was entering a difficult period of structural changes related to international sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine.

The Russian central bank earlier in April cut its key interest rate to 17% from 20%, flagging a challenging economic environment and a slowdown in inflation. 

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Spain to reopen Kyiv embassy in coming days, PM says

Spain will reopen its embassy in Kyiv in the coming days, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an interview with the Antena3 TV network on Monday. The Spanish embassy in Ukraine’s capital was evacuated on Feb. 24 when Russian troops invaded the country. The move comes after several other European countries, including France, recently announced they would move back their embassies to Kyiv.

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Russia says it destroyed four arms depots in Ukraine overnight

Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday it had destroyed four arms and military equipment depots in Ukraine overnight with Iskander missiles.

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Regional governor says six killed in missile strike on Ukraine’s Lviv

Six people were killed and eight wounded in a missile strike on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Monday morning, regional governor Maksym Kozystkiy said. Three missiles hit military infrastructure facilities, he said, while one struck a car tire replacement facility.

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Ukraine says five ‘powerful’ missile strikes hit western city of Lviv

Five “powerful” Russian missiles hit Lviv on Monday, according to its mayor. The city, located in the west of Ukraine, has so far been spared much of the fighting since Russia invaded nearly two months ago. A Lviv resident told AFP they could see thick clouds of grey smoke in the sky above some blocks of flats. The city’s mayor, Andriy Sadovy, wrote on Telegram that rescue services were at the site. 

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Zelensky: Russia will ‘destroy’ the eastern region of Donbas

Moscow is pushing for a major victory in the southern city as it works to wrest control of Donbas and forge a land corridor to already-annexed Crimea.

But Ukraine has pledged to fight on and defend the city, defying a Russian ultimatum Sunday that called on the remaining fighters inside the encircled Azovstal steel plant to lay down their arms and surrender.

Ukrainian authorities have urged people in Donbas to move west to escape a large-scale Russian offensive to capture its composite regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

“Russian troops are preparing for an offensive operation in the east of our country in the near future. They want to literally finish off and destroy Donbas,” Zelensky said in an evening statement.

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Zelensky discusses post-war reconstruction with IMF managing director

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he spoke with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva about Ukraine’s financial stability and the country’s post-war reconstruction.

“Discussed with IMF Managing Director Georgieva the issue of ensuring Ukraine’s financial stability & preparations for post-war reconstruction. We have clear plans for now, as well as a vision of prospects. I’m sure cooperation between the IMF & Ukraine will continue to be fruitful,” Zelensky said in a tweet.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said earlier he will attend the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington this week and will seek more financial assistance for Ukraine.

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Russian Forces Down 2 Ukrainian Fighter Jets In Kharkiv Region

Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian fighter jets MiG-29 in the northeastern Kharkiv Region on Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

“The Russian air defense shot down two Ukrainian planes MiG-29 in flight near the towns of Fedorivka and Zavody in the Kharkiv Region,” Konashenkov told journalists.

Russian aerospace forces have also destroyed another 44 objects of Ukrainian military infrastructure, he said.

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Mariupol ‘extremely decisive’ for Russia: Military expert

Editor of the Swiss Military Review Alexandre Vautravers has told Al Jazeera that for Russia controlling Mariupol was “extremely decisive” for its “territorial continuity”.

“Therefore, during the negotiations and agreements that will … take place at the end of hostilities, it will be absolutely indispensable for Russia to gain this territorial continuity in order to be able to break off the secession republics from Ukraine,” he said speaking from Geneva.

“And it is very it is extremely difficult to be able to bring more supplies and more weapons to people who are … defending Mariupol because of course the Russian pressure is not only exercised on the city itself, also all of the access that would allow for any reinforcements to get to Mariupol.”

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Russian navy commander meets Moskva crew

Russia’s Defence Ministry has released video which it says shows Russian Navy commander-in-chief Nikolay Yevmenov and other members of high command meeting with the crew of the sunken Moskva missile cruiser.

The Moskva sank on Thursday after it was heavily damaged.

“They [Azov] were saying that a paramedic had died earlier in the day. From what we understand, a number of Ukrainian forces along with members of this Azov regiment are holed up in the Azov steel factory which is a bit south of the city,” she added.

“The Russians are surrounding them. It is a very difficult battle.”

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Macron invited to see evidence of ‘genocide’: Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president said he has invited the French president to visit his country to see for himself evidence that Russian forces have committed “genocide”.

“I talked to him yesterday,” Zelenskyy told CNN broadcaster on Sunday.

“I just told him I want him to understand that this is not war, but nothing other than genocide. I invited him to come when he will have the opportunity. He’ll come and see, and I’m sure he will understand.”

Macron has so far avoided using the term genocide to describe atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

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Situation in Mariupol could be ‘red line’ in talks: Ukraine minister

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said the situation in the port of Mariupol, which he described as “dire”, may be a “red line” in the path of negotiations.

Moreover, Ukraine “didn’t really have any contacts with Russian diplomats in recent weeks at the level of foreign ministries”, Kuleba told US media outlet CBS.

“The only level of contact is the negotiating team that consists of the representatives of various institutions and members of parliament. They continue their consultations at the expert level but no high-level talks are taking place,” he added.

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Zelenskyy calls on Biden to visit

Ukraine’s leader Zelenskyy has called on US President Joe Biden to visit his country.

“I think he’s the leader of the United States and that’s why he should come here to see,” Zelenskyy said during an interview with US outlet CNN.

“It’s his decision, of course,” Zelenskyy said, adding that any plans would depend on the security situation in Ukraine.

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Russia should declare ceasefire, withdraw: UK Bishop

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in his Easter sermon has called for Russia to declare a ceasefire and withdraw from Ukraine.

The leader of the Anglican church said Easter is a time for peace and not “blood and iron”.

Noting that the Eastern Orthodox church followed by many in Russia and Ukraine Sunday marks the start of Holy Week – the week leading to Easter – he said ”let this be a time for Russian ceasefire, withdrawal and a commitment to talks.”

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Ukraine resistance ‘heroic’: Italy PM

Italian Premier Mario Draghi has said Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion is “heroic,” depriving Russia of what it expected to be a rapid victory and setting the stage for a “prolonged” war.

Draghi told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera in a published interview that “what awaits us is a war of resistance, prolonged violence with destruction that will continue. There is no sign that the Ukraine population can accept a Russian occupation.”

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Ukrainian PM says forces in Mariupol have not surrendered

Ukrainian forces that remain in the besieged city of Mariupol are still fighting and have not surrendered, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told a US news outlet.

“The city still has not fallen,” Shmyhal told ABC’s This Week programme, adding that Ukrainian soldiers continue to control some parts of the city.

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Russia calls increased NATO military activity in the Arctic worrying

Russia is worried about the increased activity of NATO forces in the Arctic and sees risks of “unintended incidents”, Russian ambassador-at-large Nikolay Korchunov reportedly said.

“The recent increase in NATO’s activity in the Arctic is a cause for concern. Another large-scale military exercise of the alliance was recently held in northern Norway. In our view, this does not contribute to the security of the region,” Korchunov said.

According to the diplomat, such activity raises the risk of “unintended incidents”, which, in addition to security risks, can also cause serious damage to the Arctic ecosystem. He did not specify what type of incident he might be referring to.

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‘Easter of war’: Pope urges halt to hostilities

Pope Francis has called on world leaders to hear calls for peace during an “Easter of war”, including conflict-ravaged Ukraine.

“May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged,” the pontiff said during his traditional Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi address in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

“Our eyes, too, are incredulous on this Easter of war,” he said. “May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace.”

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Russia says it has ‘freed hostages’ from Mariupol’s mosque

Russia says it has freed a number of hostages that were allegedly held in captivity in a mosque in Mariupol.

Russian defence ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov said the operation was done at the request of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He added that “29 militants, including foreign fighters”, were killed.

Reports from early March indicated that a number of Turkish citizens were in the mosque not as captives, but to shelter from Russian shelling.

Konashenkov added though that the “hostages” were from one of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

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Ukraine asks G7 for $50bn to cover budget deficit

Ukraine has asked G7 nations for $50bn in financial support and is also considering issuing 0 percent coupon bonds to help it cover a war-linked budget deficit over the next six months, the president’s economic adviser, Oleh Ustenko, said.

Speaking on national television, Ustenko said these options were being actively discussed.

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Civilians’ evacuation from the east halted

There will be no humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from the east of the country for the day, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said, as Ukrainian and Russian forces have failed to commit to a ceasefire.

“As of this morning, April 17, we have not been able to agree with the occupiers on a ceasefire on the evacuation routes,” she said in an online post. “We are working hard to get the humanitarian corridors back on track as soon as possible,” she added.

Vereshchuk urged the opening of corridors to allow civilians, especially women, children and wounded soldiers, in the southern city of Mariupol to flee violence.

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Civilian evacuations paused in east due to lack of agreement with Russia, says Ukraine

Ukraine said on Sunday it was pausing the evacuation of civilians from the war-scarred east of the country for a day because of a failure to agree terms with Russian forces.

“As of this morning, April 17, we have not been able to agree with the occupiers on a ceasefire on the evacuation routes. That is why, unfortunately, we are not opening humanitarian corridors today,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote in a statement on social media, referring to Moscow’s forces.

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EU to allocate $54m in humanitarian aid

The European Union is allocating 50 million euros ($54m) in humanitarian aid to support people affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Most of the funds will be directed to projects within Ukraine, while $5m is destined for Moldova, read a statement published by the EU commission.

The money “will help people in hard-to-reach areas who are cut off from access to healthcare, water and electricity, and those who have been forced to flee and leave everything behind”, said the bloc’s commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic. This funding adds to the approximately $154.6m allocated by Europe in response to the war.

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EU announces €50 million boost in humanitarian aid for people affected by war in Ukraine

The EU has announced plant to allocate a further €50 million in humanitarian aid to support people affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Of this, €45 million will go towards humanitarian projects in Ukraine and €5 million for Moldova, the EU said in a statement. This brings the EU’s total humanitarian aid funding in response to the war to €143 million. 

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Ukrainian minister for defence tweets Easter hope for peace

Ukrainian Defence Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has tweeted an Easter message saying he hopes for “light to prevail over darkness” in Ukraine.

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Missile attack causes damage in city near Kyiv, says mayor

A missile attack in early hours of Sunday damaged infrastructure in the city of Brovary, near Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, Igor Sapozhko, mayor of Brovary said in an online post.

There were no details on the extent of the destruction and potential casualties.

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UK says Russia committed to turning Ukraine away from the West

Russia is committed to compelling Ukraine to abandon its Euro-Atlantic orientation and asserting its own regional dominance, even as Moscow’s operational focus has shifted to the east of its neighbouring country, British military intelligence said on Sunday.

Russian forces were continuing to redeploy combat and support equipment from Belarus towards eastern Ukraine, including to locations close to Kharkiv and Severodonetsk, the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

Russian artillery continues to strike Ukrainian positions throughout the east of the country where Russia plans to renew its offensive activity, the bulletin added.

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Blasts heard in Kyiv 

Explosions were heard in the early hours on Sunday in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, local media reported.

Overnight, air raid sirens were going off over nearly all of Ukraine.

There was no official explanation for the explosions and Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.Russia has renewed its attack on the capital over the weekend, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has advised residents who fled the city earlier in the war not to return.

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 No word from Mariupol as surrender window nears closure

Russia on Saturday night issued Ukrainian troops in Mariupol with an ultimatum: surender in the next seven hours or die. The seven-hour surrender window is now nearing closure.

Remaining Ukrainian troops are holed up in the city’s industrial steel making district, FRANCE 24’s Leo McGuinn reports.

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Mariupol ‘completely cleared’ of Ukrainian forces: Russia

The entire urban area of Mariupol has been cleared of Ukrainian forces and only a few fighters remain on its outskirts, Russia’s defence ministry says.

As of Saturday, Ukrainian forces in the port city lost more than 4,000 fighters, RIA news agency quoted the ministry as saying. No immediate reaction was available from Kyiv to the statement.

“The entire urban area of ​​Mariupol has been completely cleared … remnants of the Ukrainian group are currently completely blockaded on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant,” the ministry said. “Their only chance to save their lives is to voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender.”

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Head of Russian navy meets crew of sunken missile cruiser: Tass

The head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, has met with crew members from the sunken missile cruiser Moskva and said they would continue to serve in the navy, Tass news agency said.

Russia said on Thursday the Moskva had sunk after an ammunition explosion. Ukraine said it hit the vessel, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, with a missile.

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‘Precision long-range weapons’ used in Ukraine attacks

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov says an armoured vehicle plant was among the infrastructure targeted. He did not specify where the plant is located, but there is one in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district.

As the US and European nations send new arms to Ukraine, the strategy could be aimed at hobbling Ukraine’s defences ahead of what is expected to be a full-scale Russian assault in the east.

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Russians strike 8 Ukrainian cities

Ukraine’s presidential office reported Saturday that missile strikes and shelling over the past 24 hours occurred in eight regions: Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv in the east, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Kirovohrad in the central Ukraine and Mykolaiv and Kherson in the south.

The strikes underlined the whole country remained under threat despite Russia’s pivot toward mounting a new offensive in the east.

The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is still holding out, but the situation there is critical.

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One killed, 18 wounded in missile strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv – governor

One person was killed and 18 wounded when a Russian missile hit one of the central districts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor has said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

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Another 40,000 Ukrainians flee conflict: UN

Many of the nearly five million people who have fled Ukraine will not have homes to return to, the United Nations has said as another 40,000 fled the country in the last 24 hours.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 4,836,445 million Ukrainians had left the country since the Russian invasion on February 24, a number up 40,200 on Friday’s total.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) says nearly 215,000 third-country nationals, largely students and migrant workers, have also escaped to neighbouring countries, meaning more than five million people in all have fled Ukraine since the war began.

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Russians strike empty refinery in east

Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai has said the Russian forces shelled an oil refinery in the city of Lysychansk, and a large fire erupted on its territory.

Haidai said it wasn’t the first time the refinery was targeted and accused the Russians of trying to “exhaust” local emergency service. He underlined that there was no fuel at the refinery at the time of the attack and “the remains of oil sludge” were burning.

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Kiev military factory targeted in Russian strikes

A military hardware factory in the Ukrainian capital Kiev was hit by strikes, a day after Russian forces bombed a missile unit outside the city.

Smoke rose from the area and there was a heavy police and military presence after Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on social media there had been explosions in the capital’s Darnyrsky district.

Russia’s defence ministry said Moscow’s forces had used “high-precision long-range” weapons to hit facilities at an armaments plant in Kiev.

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One killed, 18 wounded in missile strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region: Governor

One person was killed and 18 wounded when a Russian missile hit one of the central districts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

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Switzerland wants sanctions on Russian, Belarussian sports officials

Switzerland wants the exclusion of Russian and Belarussian officials from top posts in international sports federations, according to a letter from the Swiss Minister of Sport and Defence, Viola Amherd, to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In view of the war in Ukraine, it is no longer sufficient to exclude athletes from the two countries from international competitions, the letter says.

Several sports associations, including the IOC, football governing body FIFA, European football ruling body UEFA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), have their headquarters in Switzerland.

They are usually organised as private businesses, but the Swiss government believes that the IOC could put pressure on the associations, such as by threatening to exclude them from the Olympic family, according to the spokesperson for the Federal Office of
Sport.

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Kyiv mayor says one killed, several wounded in missile strikes

Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, says one person was killed and several wounded in missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

“Kyiv was and remains a target of the aggressor,” he said.

 At least two die in Russian attacks across Ukraine: Officials

Local officials say at least two civilians have been killed and four others wounded in Russian attacks across Ukraine.

One person was killed and three wounded in shelling in the eastern region of Luhansk, Governor Serhiy Gaidai said in an online post. A gas pipeline was damaged in Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, which was without gas and water, Gaidai said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

“Evacuate, while it is still possible,” Gaidai said in a subsequent post, adding that buses were ready for those willing to be evacuated from the region.

One person died and one was injured in an overnight attack on a small village near Poltava, the capital of the central Poltava region, Governor Dmytro Lunin said on Telegram.

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Moscow bars entry to Russia for UK PM Johnson

Russia’s foreign ministry says it has barred entry to the country for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and 10 other British government members and politicians.

The move was “in view of the unprecedented hostile action by the British Government, in particular the imposition of sanctions against senior Russian officials”, the ministry said in a statement, adding that it would expand the list soon.

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UK says deliberate destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure hampering aid

UK’s defence ministry says deliberate destruction of Ukrainian road infrastructure by retreating Russian forces is hampering the provision of humanitarian aid to formerly occupied areas.

“Russian troops have exacerbated this by destroying bridges, employing land mines and abandoning vehicles along key routes as they withdrew from northern Ukraine,” the ministry said in a tweet.

Only one pedestrian bridge across the Desna River is left standing in Chernihiv, which had some 285,000 residents before the war began.

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Russia raids armoured vehicle plant, military repair facility: Interfax

Russia has destroyed production buildings of an armoured vehicle plant in Kyiv and a military repair facility in the city of Mykolaiv, the Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s defence ministry as saying.

The raids were carried out by high-precision long-range weapons, it said.

Russia also downed one Ukrainian SU-25 aircraft near the city of Izyum in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine, Interfax added, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

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German minister: Delivering tanks would not be entry into war

The delivery of heavier weaponry to Ukraine such as tanks, would not constitute an entry into the war against Russia, Germany’s justice minister says.

“So if [Ukraine] exercises its legitimate right of self-defence, supporting it by supplying weapons cannot lead to becoming a party to the war,” Marco Buschmann said in remarks seen by the DPA news agency.

He said this was not only his personal view, but that of the German government.

German politics has been consumed since the start of the conflict at the end of February by the question of what kind of weaponry to give Ukraine, and how fast to deliver it.

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 Military hardware factory in Kyiv hit by strikes

A military hardware factory in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was hit by strikes early Saturday, an AFP journalist said, a day after Russian forces bombed a missile unit outside the city. 

Smoke rose from the area and there was a heavy police and military presence after Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on social media there had been explosions in the city’s Darnyrsky district.

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 Nine humanitarian evecuation corridors agreed for Saturday

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said nine humanitarian corridors had been agreed for Saturday to evacuate civilians, including from the besieged city of Mariupol by private cars.

Vereshchuk said in a statement that five of the nine evacuation corridors were from Ukraine’s Luhansk region in the east of the country, which local officials have said is under heavy shelling.

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 Rescuers and medics onsite following Kyiv explosion

Rescuers and medics were working on the site of an early Saturday blast on the outskirts of Kyiv, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said in an online post.

The explosion took place in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, Klitschko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. It is the southeastern district of Kyiv, on the left bank of Dnipro river.

Klitschko added that information on wounded is being confirmed.

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2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have died in war, says Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday told CNN that between 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have died so far in the war with Russia and another 10,000 have been injured.

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Missile factory attacked in Kyiv produced weapons that sank Russian warship, says Ukraine

Russia pounded a Ukrainian rocket factory following the sinking of its Black Sea flagship, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said his allies could shorten the war by delivering the weapons he had requested.

The Vizar factory, near Kyiv’s international airport, was seriously damaged in the overnight strikes, an AFP journalist saw on Friday.

Russia said it had used sea-based long-range missiles to hit the plant, which Ukraine’s state weapons manufacturer says produced Neptune cruise missiles — the projectiles both Kyiv and Washington say were used to sink the Moskva warship. 

“There were five hits. My employee was in the office and got thrown off his feet by the blast,” Andrei Sizov, the 47-year-old owner of a nearby wood workshop, told AFP.

“They are making us pay for destroying the Moskva,” he said.

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Germany to release more than 1bn euros in military aid to Ukraine

The German government has said it plans to release more than one billion euros ($1.08bn) in military aid for Ukraine, amid complaints by Kyiv it is not receiving heavy weapons from Berlin. The funds will feature in a supplementary budget for this year.

In total, taking into account all countries, Germany has decided to increase its international aid in the defence sector “to two billion euros” with “the largest part being planned in the form of military aid in favour of Ukraine”, a government spokeswoman told the AFP news agency.

This envelope of two billion euros ($2.16bn) “will go mainly to Ukraine”, Finance Minister Christian Lindner confirmed on Twitter.

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Russian journalists, political scientist declared ‘foreign agents’

Russian authorities have declared prominent Kremlin critics including documentary filmmaker Yuri Dud and political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann as “foreign agents”.

The Russian justice ministry said in a statement that it had added nine individuals to its “foreign agents” list, including 35-year-old Dud, Schulmann, 43, and caricaturist Sergei Yelkin, 59.

Also now on the list are prominent journalists Roman Dobrokhotov, 38, and Karen Shainyan, 40.

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Toronto mural dedicated to Ukrainian children

An artist in the Canadian city of Toronto has turned his frustration over the conflict in Ukraine into a mural that he hopes will raise awareness about the plight of civilians.

The mural, which spans several sides of a building in the city’s downtown area, features depictions of children.

“I chose to use kids as my main subject … because they represent purity. Kids have no hate or greed in them,” Mayhar Amiri said.

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Pro-Russia Serbs protest in support of Russia

Thousands of Serbs waving Russian and Serbian flags and carrying pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin have marched through Belgrade to the Russian embassy to protest the Serbian government’s attempt to distance itself from Moscow.

Throngs of people, many from ultranationalist organisations, joined the march from the city centre to the nearby Russian embassy, where they fired signal flares, played Russian and Serbian anthems, and hailed the two countries as brotherly nations.

“I came to this rally to support Russia and to say a loud and clear ‘no’ to policies of authorities in Belgrade who made a shameful decision to vote against Russia in the UN,” said Mladen Obradovic, a protester.

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Wife of Putin ally held in Ukraine accuses authorities of abuse

The wife of one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top allies in Ukraine has said he was beaten by the Ukrainian security service while being interrogated in detention.

At a news conference in Moscow, Viktor Medvedchuk’s wife Oksana Marchenko said that one of two photos released by Ukraine this week showed he had been beaten.

Ukraine said this week that it had captured Medvedchuk, posting a photo of him in handcuffs, wearing a Ukrainian army uniform.

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Russian crowd mourns Black Sea flagship after sinking

Dozens of people have gathered in the Crimean city of Sevastopol to mourn the sinking of the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva.

Some embraced and others laid flowers in memory of the missile cruiser at a monument to the 1696 foundation of the Russian navy in the centre of Sevastopol.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday that the Moskva was badly damaged by a fire and sank in a storm as it was being towed to port.

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More than 900 civilian bodies found in Kyiv region: police chief

More than 900 bodies of civilians were discovered in the Kyiv region following the withdrawal of Russian forces, according to the regional police chief. 

At a briefing in the Ukrainian capital,  Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv’s regional police force, said the bodies were abandoned in the streets or given temporary burials. He cited police data indicating that 95 percent died from gunshot wounds.

“Consequently, we understand that under the (Russian) occupation, people were simply executed in the streets,” Nebytov said.

More bodies are being found every day, under rubble and in mass graves, he added.

Many of the people were killed in Bucha, a town outside the Ukrainian capital, where reports of mass atrocities have shocked the world. “The most victims were found in Bucha, where there are more than 350 corpses,” said Nebytov.

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Russia used long-range bombers on Mariupol; 1st time in war – Ukraine

For the first time since the start of its military campaign, Russia used long-range bombers to attack the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk has said.

Motuzyanyk said Russia was concentrating its efforts on seizing the cities of Rubizhne, Popasna and Mariupol.

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Russia warns of ‘consequences’ if Finland, Sweden join NATO

Russia’s foreign ministry has warned of unspecified “consequences” should Finland and Sweden join the US-led NATO defence alliance, as Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine have sparked a dramatic U-turn in the two Nordic countries over long-held policies of military non-alignment.

“The choice is up to the authorities of Sweden and Finland. But they should understand the consequences of such a step for our bilateral relations and for the architecture of European security as a whole,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

She added that the non-alignment policy of the two countries “provided a reliable level of security”, while membership in the alliance is “not capable of strengthening their national security” as “They will automatically find themselves on the NATO frontline.”

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Pope suggests Ukrainian refugees are treated differently than others

Pope Francis has hinted that racism was behind the fact that many countries have been more welcoming to refugees from war-torn Ukraine than to those from other parts of the world.

“The refugees are divided. First class, second class, by skin colour, whether you come from a developed country or a non-developed one,” he said while speaking to Italian television station RAI.

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Finland ‘likely’ to submit application to join NATO: Minister

A Finnish cabinet minister has said it was “highly likely” that Finland would apply for NATO membership, despite Russia’s warned of unspecified “consequences” should FInland and Sweden join the military organisation.

Finland’s prime minister said Wednesday that Nordic nation would decide whether to apply for NATO membership “within weeks”, and Sweden is also discussing joining the alliance.

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Moscow: 18 members of EU mission must leave Russia

Moscow has said that 18 members of the EU mission in Russia have been told to leave the country and blamed Brussels for destroying ties.

“Eighteen employees of the EU Delegation to Russia have been declared ‘persona non grata’ and will have to leave the territory of the Russian Federation in the near future,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The measure came after 19 Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the EU on April 5.

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Russia says it thwarted ‘terrorist attack’ on military facility: TASS

The FSB security service of Russia said it had detained four members of an armed group in the Kaluga region south west of Moscow and said one was preparing a “terrorist attack”, the TASS news agency reported.

The four were members of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group, the local media outlet said.

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Russian strikes hit Kharkiv residential area, 7 killed: governor

Russian strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed seven people and injured 34 others on Friday, according to the region’s governor.

“The occupiers fired on a residential area in Kharkiv. Unfortunately, 34 people were injured, including three children. Seven people died; one among the dead was a child,” Oleg Synegubov said on social media.

Meanwhile Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that 2,864 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on Friday, including 363 people from Mariupol who used their own transport.

In a statement on Telegram, Vereshchuk said the evacuees also included 370 people from the Luhansk region in the east and 2,131 people from cities in the Zaporizhzhia region.

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 CIA chief says US cannot ‘take lightly’ threat of Russian use of nuclear weapons

The threat of Russia potentially using tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons in Ukraine cannot be taken lightly, but the CIA has not seen a lot of practical evidence reinforcing that concern, according to CIA Director William Burns. 

In a speech at Georgia Tech, Burns referred to the “potential desperation” and military setbacks that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government have suffered since Russian forces moved into Ukraine.

For those reasons, “none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons,” Burns said.

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Russian regulator says French radio RFI’s website blocked

Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor blocked access to the website of French radio station RFI, saying it had violated a law banning the dissemination of false or “extremist” information.

The RFI website appeared in Roskomnadzor’s database of blocked websites and AFP journalists in Moscow were unable to access the station’s English, French or Russian-language websites.

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Ukraine denies attack on Russian soil

The Ukrainian security service SBU has denied firing on Russian territory, calling Moscow’s accusations false.

“The incident was planned by Russia as a provocation,” the intelligence service said in a Facebook post.

The comment came a day after Russia said Ukrainian forces had shelled a village in the western Russian border region of Bryansk, wounding seven civilians including a small child. Moscow said the Ukrainian troops had attacked the area with helicopters.

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More than 1,500 explosive devises neutralised: Ukraine

About 1,564 explosive devises, including two aerial bombs, were found and neutralised by pyrotechnic units in the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s emergency service (SES) has said on Telegram.

Most of the work was done in the regions of Kharkiv, Mykolayiv and Kyiv, it added.

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Nine humanitarian corridors agreed

Nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed to evacuate civilians from cities in the east, including from Mariupol and Berdyansk, said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

Evacuations from “Luhansk region will operate provided that the shelling by the occupying forces ceases”, she added on her Telegram channel.

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Russian deputy PM says several buyers agree to pay in roubles for Russian gas

Several buyers of Russian gas have agreed to switch to payments in roubles, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday. “We expect the decision (to switch to roubles) from other importers,” he added, in comments published in the ministry’s in-house magazine. He did not disclose the identities of customers who had already switched.

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Ukraine says swapped captured soldiers with Russia

Ukraine said Friday it swapped several captured soldiers with Russia in the south of the war-scarred country, where Moscow’s invading forces have solidified their greatest gains. “After tense negotiations, we managed to reach agreements on a prisoner exchange near the village of Posad-Pokrovskoye, where four Russian military personnel were exchanged for our five,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said.

Russian troops have captured the city of Kherson, which is the administrative capital of the eponymous region where Friday’s declared swap took place. The exchange followed an announcement from Kyiv on Thursday of a fourth swap of prisoners since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said a total of 30 people on the Ukrainian side were involved in that exchange. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky this week offered to swap pro-Kremlin tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, one of the richest people in Ukraine and who was arrested by Kyiv after escaping house arrest, for Ukrainians captured by Russia.

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Russia says killed up to 30 ‘Polish mercenaries’ in Ukraine

Russia said on Friday that it has killed up to 30 Polish mercenaries fighting for Ukrainian forces in the war-torn country’s northeastern region of Kharkiv.

The Russian defence ministry said its strategic rocket forces “eliminated up to 30 Polish mercenaries” in a strike on the village of Izyumskoe, not far from the city of Kharkiv.

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Moscow warns attacks on Kyiv ‘will intensify’

Russia’s defence ministry warned Friday it would intensify attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in response to strikes on Russian soil, after accusing Ukraine of targeting Russian border towns.

“The number and scale of missile strikes against targets in Kyiv will increase in response to any terrorist attacks or sabotage committed by the Kyiv nationalist regime on Russian territory,” the ministry said in a statement. Russia hit a “military” factory outside Kyiv late Thursday using Kalibr sea-based long-range missiles, it added.

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Russia says it has captured Mariupol steel plant

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had also completely taken control of the Ilyich Steel Plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol.

Russia said on Wednesday that 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, had surrendered near the steel plant. Mariupol, which has been encircled by Russian troops for weeks, has seen the fiercest fighting and the most comprehensive destruction since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

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Ukraine says 5 dead in Russia strikes near Kyiv

Ukraine said Friday that Russian strikes had killed five people in the east of the country after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s forces were aiming to “destroy” the region.

In a report issued by the presidency, Kyiv said two people had been killed and two more wounded in the eastern Lugansk region while another three had been killed and seven wounded in the neighbouring Donetsk region.

The presidency said “fighting was continuing along the entire front line” in Donetsk. In a late-night address Thursday, Zelensky said that “Donbas is the main target for Russia.” 

“It’s Donbas that Russia wants to destroy. It is the Lugansk and Donetsk regions that Russian troops are destroying so that only stones remain and so there are no people left at all”. The statement Friday added that explosions were heard in the Vasylkiv area outside the capital and that according to initially available information air defences had been activated. Since Russian troops began withdrawing from regions of the capital last month, air sirens have been heard less frequently. They have instead focused on gaining control of the eastern Donbas region.

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Ukraine missile manufacturing site outside Kyiv hit by Russian strike

A Ukrainian military factory outside Kyiv that produced missiles allegedly used to hit Russia’s Moskva warship was partially destroyed by overnight Russian strikes, an AFP journalist at the scene confirmed Friday.

A workshop and an administrative building at the Vizar plant, which lies near Kyiv’s international Zhuliany airport, were seriously damaged. Russia had earlier announced it had hit the factory.

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Russia says buildings, school damaged by Ukrainian shelling in border region 

More than 20 buildings and a school were damaged as a result of Ukrainian shelling of a Russian village in the Belgorod region on Thursday, TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing regional authorities.

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Russia blocks The Moscow Times website

Russia’s communications watchdog has blocked access to the website of The Moscow Times, an English language newspaper that has covered Russia for three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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Russia set to expand use of rouble

Russia wants to expand the use of the rouble for energy exports, the Kremlin has said, adding that it was too early to talk about details.

“The president has set a methodical and step-by-step approach to expanding the use of national currencies”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

His comment came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the role of national currencies in export deals should rise, amid Russia’s stated desire to switch to roubles in payments for its gas supplies, mainly to Europe.

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Governor of Luhansk region urges residents of 6 towns to evacuate

The governor of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, on Friday urged residents of six towns to evacuate, adding that one person had been killed and five wounded in Russian shelling of the town of Kreminna. Gaidai wrote on the Telegram messaging app: “Don’t hesitate and leave while that possibility remains. … Choose life, buses are waiting for you at the pickup points. As are trains, of which there are enough.”

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Tough to find alternatives for Russian thermal coal, says Japan utilities group head

Alternatives for Russian thermal coal are difficult to find as the market is getting tighter, the head of a group representing Japanese utilities said on Friday.

“We want the government to provide maximum support (on the issue),” Kazuhiro Ikebe, the chairman of Japan’s federation of electric utilities, told a news conference. The Japanese government said earlier this month that it would ban coal imports from Russia in a broad escalation of sanctions after gradually reducing imports while looking for alternative suppliers.

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Zelensky hails Ukrainians’ resolve 50 days into invasion

On a day that saw Moscow suffer a stinging symbolic defeat with the loss of its Black Sea fleet flagship, Ukraine’s president hailed his people for their resolve since Russia invaded in February and for making “the most important decision of their life — to fight.” 

In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainians late Thursday that they should be proud of having survived 50 days under Russian attack when the invaders “gave us a maximum of five.”

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Russia warns of ‘consequences’ if Finland, Sweden join NATO

Finland and Sweden “should understand the consequences” of joining NATO, Russia’s foreign ministry has warned.

“The choice is up to the authorities of Sweden and Finland. But they should understand the consequences of such a step for our bilateral relations and for the architecture of European security as a whole,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

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Sinking of warship a ‘big blow’ to Russian fleet, says Pentagon

The sinking of the warship Moskva after it was engulfed in an inferno was a “big blow” to Russia’s naval strength in the Black Sea, the Pentagon said Thursday.

“This is a big blow to the Black Sea fleet, this is…a key part of their efforts to execute some sort of naval dominance in the Black Sea,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN.

“This is going to have an effect on their capabilities.”

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Ukraine says seven killed in Russian attack on evacuees

Ukraine said Friday that seven people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a Russian attack on buses ferrying civilians from the war-torn east of the country.

“On April 14, Russian servicemen fired on evacuation buses carrying civilians in the village of Borova in the Izium district. Preliminary data shows seven people died. Another 27 people were injured,” the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general said in a statement on social media.

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More than 4.7 million Ukrainians flee in 50 days: UN

More than 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled their country in the 50 days since the conflict began, the United Nations said, in Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said 4,736,471 Ukrainians had fled since Russia’s assault began on February 24, a figure up 79,962 on Wednesday’s update.

Women and children account for 90 percent of those who have left Ukraine, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up and unable to leave.

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Turkish FM working on organising Zelensky, Putin meeting

Turkey is still working on organising a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said.

Speaking to the Turkish news channel NTV, Cavusoglu said Turkey continues to approach talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents with “cautious optimism”, adding:

We know critical topics will be decided at leader level, so we will try to bring leaders together.

He acknowledged that recent events of alleged war crimes in the Ukrainian towns of Bucha and Irpin have “created a negative atmosphere on the Ukrainian side”.

Despite all those challenges, President Zelensky said talks may continue… But it takes two leaders to say yes. Especially President Putin.

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Putin: Russia will direct energy eastwards as Europe shuns Russian gas

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow will re-direct its energy eastward, as European countries try to reduce reliance on Russian exports.

“EU countries talk of cutting off energy supplies from Russia, driving up prices and destabilising the market”, Putin said.

“Unfriendly countries are admitting that they cannot do without Russian energy resources”, Putin said.

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Kremlin critic Navalny called for an “information front” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Alexei Navalny has called for an “information front” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the jailed opposition leader asserted that poll results showing 75% of Russians support the conflict were a “Kremlin lie”.

In an extended series of tweets, Navalny called on western leaders to support a massive social media ad campaign in order to break through Kremlin propaganda regarding the invasion.

“We need ads. Lots of ads,” wrote Navalny. “A huge national anti-war campaign will start with an advertising campaign. Two hundred million impressions a day to reach every Russian internet user twice. Stories, posts and prerolls. Across Russia, in cities and villages. On every tablet and every phone.”

 

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Ukraine conflict ‘severely affecting’ eurozone economy: ECB’s Lagarde

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine is “severely” impacting the eurozone economy, with surging energy costs, supply chain disruptions and weaker consumer confidence weighing on growth, European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde has said.

“The war in Ukraine is severely affecting the euro area economy and has significantly increased uncertainty,” Lagarde said in a virtual press conference.

“The impact of the war on the economy will depend on how the conflict evolves, on the effect of current sanctions and on possible further measures.”

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Russian subs fire missiles in Sea of Japan amid tension

Russian submarines in the Sea of Japan have fired cruise missiles during exercises, the defence ministry has said, at a time of tension with Tokyo over its support for Ukraine.

The ministry announced two submarines off far eastern Russia, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the Volkov, fired Kalibr cruise missiles from underwater at a target.

It posted video footage of the missiles rising out of the sea as the submarine crews simulated coming under missile attack.

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Russia says destroyed 7 army facilities in Ukraine in the past 24 hours

Russian aviation has destroyed seven military facilities in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, including an artillery missile depot, Interfax news agency quoted Russian defence ministry as saying.

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ICC will keep asking Russia to engage with Ukraine war crimes probe

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan has said he would keep trying to get Russia to engage with his war crimes investigation in Ukraine.

Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv after visiting a town in the region where Ukraine says atrocities were committed against civilians under recent Russian occupation, Khan said: “I’ll keep trying to approach, for the third time, the Russian Federation.”

Russia has dismissed allegations its troops committed war crimes in Ukraine since the February 24 invasion as fake news.

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Village in Russia’s Belgorod region comes under Ukrainian fire, governor says

A second village in Russia’s Belgorod region has come under fire from Ukraine, the regional governor has said, the latest in what Russian authorities say have been a series of cross-border attacks.

“Our village of Zhuravlyovka was fired on from Ukraine,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on the Telegram messaging service. He said residential buildings were damaged and that he did not know if anyone had been injured.

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Biden says US deciding on sending envoy to Ukraine

President Joe Biden has said that top US officials are deciding soon whether to send a senior official to Kyiv in a show of support for Ukraine.

“We’ll be making that decision soon,” Biden told reporters as he prepared to leave for a trip to North Carolina. A source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday that it is possible Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin or Secretary of State Antony Blinken might go, but that Biden is unlikely to do so.

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Ukrainian parliament calls Russian army’s actions ‘genocide’

Ukraine’s parliament has backed a resolution recognising the actions of the Russian military in the country as “genocide”.

“The actions committed by the armed forces of Russia are not just a crime of aggression, but pursue the goal of the systematic and consistent destruction of the Ukrainian people, their identity and the deprivation of their right to self-determination and independent development,” the text approved by a majority of 363 lawmakers said.

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Canada to deploy military personnel to Poland

Canada will deploy up to 150 military personnel to Poland to support Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war and address a growing refugee crisis, Defence Minister Anita Anand has said.

Most of those military personnel will assist with the immediate care and processing of Ukrainian refugees at reception centers across Poland, Anand said.

“Our people will provide general support, spiritual services and limited medical care enabled by Ukrainian-speaking Canadian Armed Forces personnel,” Anand told reporters.

The Canadian Armed Forces members would also support a Polish led task force for humanitarian assistance, and help resettle Ukrainians in Canada.

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Dutch government to instruct firms not to pay for Russian gas in roubles

The government of the Netherlands will instruct companies not to pay for Russian gas in roubles as Moscow has proposed, as doing so would violate European Union sanctions.

A Ministry of Economic Affairs spokesperson said the country had adopted that position following a decision by the European Commission on Wednesday and that it was being communicated to energy companies.

“What has changed is that the (European) Commission has concluded yesterday that paying in roubles would violate sanctions, and so would the construction with Gazprombank,” the spokesperson said.

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Russia says fire on the Moskva missile cruiser is contained

Russia’s defence ministry has said that sailors have contained a fire on board the Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and that measures were being taken to tow it back to port.

The ministry said the cruiser’s main weaponry had not been damaged and that its crew had been evacuated onto other ships in the Black Sea.

Moscow has claimed the blaze broke out after ammunition blew up on board, while Kyiv said it had been hit by two Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles.

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Russia already has nuclear weapons in the Baltic region, says Lithuania

Russia already has nuclear weapons in the Baltic region, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Thursday.

Anusauskas told Lithuania’s BNS wire that nuclear weapons have been deployed in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea since before the current crisis.

“The current Russian threats look quite strange, when we know that, even without the present security situation, they keep the weapon 100 km from Lithuania’s border,” the minister was quoted by the wire on Thursday.

“Nuclear weapons have always been kept in Kaliningrad … the international community, the countries in the region, are perfectly aware of this … They use it as a threat,” he was quoted.

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Russia says Ukraine fired mortars at Bryansk border post

A border post in the Bryansk region has been fired at with mortars from Ukraine, Russia’s security service has said, in the latest of a series of reported cross-border attacks.

No one was injured in the incident but some vehicles were damaged, a spokesman for Russia’s FSB security service told state television.

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said in a post on the Telegram messaging service that something “fell and caught fire” at a military facility in Bryansk near the border.

The post did not explicitly deny Ukraine was responsible. Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that the continuation of “sabotage and attacks” by Ukrainian forces could trigger strikes on Kyiv.

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Dutch government to instruct firms not to pay for Russian gas in roubles

The government of the Netherlands will instruct companies not to pay for Russian gas in roubles as Moscow has proposed, as doing so would violate European Union sanctions.

A Ministry of Economic Affairs spokesperson said the country had adopted that position following a decision by the European Commission on Wednesday and that it was being communicated to energy companies.

“What has changed is that the (European) Commission has concluded yesterday that paying in roubles would violate sanctions, and so would the construction with Gazprom Bank,” the spokesperson said.

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Four civilians killed, 10 wounded in shelling in Kharkiv: Governor

The governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Oleh Synyegubov, says four civilians have been killed and 10 wounded during Russian shelling of the city of Kharkiv.

In a statement, the governor also urged residents of some towns to evacuate as military operations were expected to take place in the area.

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Russia warns NATO over Sweden and Finland membership

Russia on Thursday warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the military alliance then Russia would have to bolster its defences and that there could be no more talk of a “nuclear free” Baltic.

“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to,” Medvedev said.

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Irish foreign minister to visit Kyiv

Irish foreign and defence minister Simon Coveney is to travel to Kyiv on Thursday, his office said, where he will meet his two Ukrainian counterparts.

Coveney’s visit is the first by a foreign minister from a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion began.

His talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov will focus on “how Ireland can continue to provide political, security and humanitarian support to Ukraine,” a statement said.

The ministers will also discuss how Ireland can “assist Ukraine in its application for EU candidate status, take forward further EU sanctions on Russia and hold Russia to account for its brutal and unjustified invasion.”

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Mariupol mayor denies Russian reports that port has been taken

The mayor of the heavily embattled city of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, has told German broadcaster ARD that “Mariupol was, is, and will continue to be a Ukrainian city.”

Boichenko called the Russian reports that the port of the city had been taken and that more than 1,000 Ukrainian fighters had surrendered “fake news”.

The city, on the banks of the Sea of Azov, has been under siege by Russian troops and pro-Russian separatists for weeks.

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 Lithuania says Russian threat to increase military in the Baltic region is ‘nothing new’

Russia’s threat to increase military in the Baltic region, including nuclear, is “nothing new”, Lithuania’s prime minister Ingrida Simonyte has said.

“That Russia threatens, it is nothing new,” she told reporters. “Kaliningrad is a very militarised zone, has been for many years, and it is in the Baltic region”.

Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, on the shore of the Baltic Sea, is sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland.

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Russia opens criminal cases into alleged torture of its soldiers by Ukraine

Russia’s Investigative Committee has said it is opening criminal cases into Ukrainian servicemen’s alleged torture of their Russian counterparts.

The committee, which probes major crimes, said some Russian soldiers had been captured by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions and held illegally by Ukraine’s security service.

“Russians were subjected to physical violence and torture in order to force them to give false explanations about the actual conditions of their illegal detention on the premises of the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as on (Russia’s) special military operation,” it said in a statement.

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Ukrainian towns Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka likely to be Russian targets, UK says

The Ukrainian towns of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka are likely to be targeted by Russia for levels of violence seen in other urban centres since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February, British military intelligence said on Thursday.

In an update on the war, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that “widespread missile and artillery strikes and efforts to concentrate forces for an offensive” showed a reversion to traditional Russian military doctrine.

The MoD added that Ukraine’s continued defence of Mariupol was currently tying down significant numbers of Russian troops and equipment.

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Ukraine investigating almost 6,500 alleged war crimes

The prosecutor’s office has said it is investigating almost 6,500 alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.

A total of 6,492 cases have been reported and 197 children have been confirmed to have been killed, the office said on Twitter.

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European Space Agency stops cooperation with Russian lunar missions

The European Space Agency has ended cooperation with Russia on three missions to the Moon due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, following a previous decision to do the same for a Mars mission.

“As with ExoMars, the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the resulting sanctions put in place represent a fundamental change of circumstances and make it impossible for ESA to implement the planned lunar cooperation,” the ESA said in a statement.

The ESA said it would “discontinue cooperative activities” on Luna-25, 26 and 27, a series of Russian lunar missions on which the European agency had aimed to test new equipment and technology.

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IT firm Infosys moves out of Russia

Global IT firm Infosys is moving business out of Russia “to an alternate location” amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the Times of India reports.

This comes after other IT companies such as Oracle Corp also announced they were suspending all operations in Russia.

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Australia levels new sanctions on Russia, targeting 14 companies

Australia has imposed a new set of sanctions on 14 state-owned enterprises of “strategic and economic importance to Russia”, according to a statement from defence minister Marise Payne.

Included in the sanctions are defence-related transportation companies Kamaz and the United Shipbuilding Corporation. Sanctions also extend to Ruselectronics, “which is responsible for the production of around 80 per cent of all Russian electronics components” and Russian Railways, “one of the largest single contributors to Russia’s GDP”.

“By preventing dealings with these important sources of revenue for the Russian government, we are increasing the pressure on Russia and undercutting its ability to continue funding Putin’s war”, Payne’s statement says.

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Ukraine says restarting civilian evacuations

Ukraine said Thursday it was reopening humanitarian corridors allowing for the evacuation of civilians from war-scarred regions after a day-long pause that Kyiv attributed to Russian violations.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media that nine routes in the east and south of the country would be operating a day after they were shut because routes, she had said, were “too dangerous”.

“Humanitarian corridors in the Lugansk region will be run under the condition of cessation of shelling by the occupying forces,” Vereshchuk said Thursday.

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Ukraine wants as many security guarantors as possible 

Ukraine wants as many countries as possible to act as security guarantors, but Russia does not want their number to increase, a Ukrainian negotiator in peace talks with Russia, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday in televised comments.

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Expert team works to clear Kyiv region of landmines

Our colleagues at France 2 meet the team working to defuse thousands of undetonated explosives across a broad swath of territory around the Ukrainian capital:

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US says it has additional sanctions it can impose on Russia

The United States has a wide variety of additional sanctions that it can impose on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Psaki said secondary sanctions and the targeting of additional financial firms are among a range of potential actions remaining that could be aimed at Russia.

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‘This is not war, this is terrorism’: Polish leader in Kyiv

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has branded Russia’s war on Ukraine “terrorism” as he visited Kyiv with his counterparts from the Baltics.

“This is not war, this is terrorism. If someone sends planes and soldiers to bomb residential areas and kill civilians, that is not war. It is cruelty, banditry, terrorism,” Duda said at a press conference with Zelenskyy.

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Zelenskyy calls Macron’s refusal to talk of ‘genocide’ in Ukraine ‘painful’

Zelenskyy has denounced French leader Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to call killings in Ukraine “genocide” and his reference to Russians as a “brotherly” people.

“Such things are very painful for us, so I will definitely do my best to discuss this issue with him,” Zelensky said at a press conference.

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Russia slaps sanctions on 398 members of US Congress

Russia has said that it had introduced sanctions against 398 members of the US Congress in retaliation against Washington’s punitive measures over Ukraine and said more sanctions would follow.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a separate statement that it had introduced sanctions against 87 members of the Senate of Canada.

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Top US official urges China to pressure Russia to end war

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called on China to pressure Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine, saying Beijing risked losing its standing in the world if it does help end the “heinous war”.

Yellen said she “fervently” hoped that China would make something positive out of its “special relationship” with Russia.

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Putin says Russia can redirect energy exports away from the West

Russia can easily redirect exports of its vast energy resources away from the West to countries that really need them while increasing domestic consumption of oil, gas and coal, Putin has said.

Speaking at a meeting with officials to discuss development in the Russian Arctic, he said Moscow had suffered from an absence of cooperation amid sweeping Western sanctions imposed on the Kremlin but claimed the situation had also created new possibilities.

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US warns it ‘will not be indifferent’ to those who undermine Russia sanctions

Countries that are seeking advantage by failing to condemn Russia’s “heinous war” against Ukraine are being short-sighted and will face consequences if they undermine Western sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said.

The United States and its partners “will not be indifferent” to actions that undermine the sweeping measures they have imposed on Moscow over the invasion, she warned in wide-ranging remarks prepared for an event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank.

Yellen said the war had redrawn the world economic outlook and the Biden administration was resolute in its commitment to “to push Russia further towards economic, financial, and strategic isolation” over its “horrific conduct” and alleged violations of international law.

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Ukraine’s president says Russian forces using phosphorous bombs

Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of using phosphorous bombs in Ukraine.

In an address to Estonia’s parliament, the Ukrainian president said Moscow was using “terror tactics” against civilians. He did not provide evidence for his claim about the use of phosphorous munitions.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using such bombs, a charge Moscow denies. International law bans their use in areas where they may endanger civilians.

Zelenskyy also accused Russia of forcibly deporting Ukrainians and called for further sanctions on Moscow, arguing such measures were the only way to force Putin to agree to a peace deal.

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Areas northwest of Kyiv ‘completely devastated’: AJE correspondent

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Kyiv, says areas northwest of the capital that were until recently occupied by Russian forces, such as Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel, have been “completely devastated”.

Local authorities have warned it will take “years” to rebuild the areas as residents begin to cautiously return, Khan said.

“People are going back, and a lot of them are finding their houses completely, completely destroyed,” he added.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said on Tuesday that more than 870,000 people who fled abroad in the wake of Russia’s invasion have since returned to the country.

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US has ‘credible’ info Russia may use ‘chemical agents’ in Ukraine

The US has “credible information” that Russia “may use … chemical agents” in its offensive to take the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The top US diplomat said he was “not in a position to confirm” recent allegations that Moscow used chemical weapons in Mariupol.

But he continued, “We had credible information that Russian forces may use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents that would cause stronger symptoms to weaken and incapacitate entrenched Ukrainian fighters and civilians, as part of the aggressive campaign to take Mariupol.”

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Mayor calls Mariupol killings ‘genocide’

The mayor of Mariupol says more than 20,000 civilian residents of the port city have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion.

In televised comments, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said it was difficult to calculate the exact number of casualties since street fighting started.

He said, “We know and there is evidence that bodies disappear from the streets. We know that there are so-called ‘concentration places’ where they hide bodies and they then plan to destroy the evidence of tortures they committed in the city of Mariupol. We call it ‘genocide’, we call it ‘war crime’.”

Pope condemns ‘abominable actions’ in Ukraine

Pope Francis has said that the war in Ukraine is marked by “the forces of evil” because it was leaving in its wake abominations such as the massacre of civilians.

“The present moment leaves us deeply troubled, because it is marked by the forces of evil,” he said in a message.

“The suffering inflicted on so many frail and defenceless persons; the many civilians massacred and the innocent victims among the young; the desperate plight of women and children … All this troubles our consciences,” he added.

Pope Francis
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French forensic experts in Bucha to help investigate possible war crimes

French forensic experts have arrived in Bucha near Kyiv to help Ukraine authorities establish what happened in the town where hundreds of bodies have been discovered since Russian forces withdrew.

Ukraine says the people were killed by Russian forces during their occupation of the area. Moscow has denied responsibility and dismissed allegations its troops committed war crimes as fake news.

The discovery of so many slain civilians in Bucha after the Russian withdrawal has provoked a global outcry.

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IMF staff agrees to boost Moldova funding to cover war-related cost surge

The International Monetary Fund has said it reached a staff-level agreement to boost funding for Moldova by $267m for it to deal with a surge in costs related to the war in Ukraine.

The agreement, which must still be approved by the IMF’s board, would bring total IMF funding to about $815m, the international organisation said.

The IMF said Moldova faced an estimated $1.7bn in urgent balance of payments needs arising from the escalating shocks in 2022-2023, including surging food and energy prices.

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About 21,000 civilians killed in Mariupol, mayor says

Mariupol’s mayor says the latest estimate of civilian casualties there stands at about 21,000 people.

In televised comments, Vadym Boichenko said it had been difficult to calculate the exact number due to fighting in the city.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

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Kyiv says negotiations with Russia ‘extremely difficult’

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has described talks with Russia about ending the conflict as “extremely difficult” after Putin accused Kyiv of derailing the discussions by shifting its demands.

“The Russian side adheres to its traditional tactics of public pressure on the negotiation process, including through certain public statements,” Podolyak said in written comments to reporters.

Talks about ending Russia’s nearly two-month assault on Ukraine have continued since early in the fighting but offered no concrete results as of yet.

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US says it cannot confirm whether chemical weapons were used in Mariupol

The United States cannot currently confirm whether Russian forces used chemical weapons in Mariupol, a senior US defence official has said.

The official told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on condition of anonymity that Washington did not have information to confirm any movement of chemical agents by Russia in or near Ukraine.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said earlier on Tuesday that Kyiv was checking unverified information that Russia may have used such weapons while besieging Mariupol.

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German president says offer to visit Ukraine ‘not wanted’ by Kyiv

Germany’s president says his offer to visit Ukraine with other European Union leaders has been rejected by Kyiv.

“I was prepared to do this, but apparently, and I must take note of this, this was not wanted in Kyiv,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters during a visit to Warsaw.

Steinmeier, a former foreign minister, was long an advocate of Western rapprochement with Russia prior to its invasion. He has since expressed regret for taking such a position.

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WFP warns of ‘multiyear problem’ for global food supplies due to war

The world is facing “a multiyear problem” in the food supply as the war in Ukraine drives global prices higher and disrupts the production of staple crops, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

David Beasley, WFP’s executive director, issued his warning at a news conference in Rome after French and EU officials met there to discuss a food security initiative in response to the conflict.

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Ukraine says more than 870,000 who fled war have returned

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says more than 870,000 people who fled abroad in the wake of Russia’s invasion have since returned to the country.

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the service, said between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian nationals were now returning each day, including a growing number of women, children and the elderly.

“They say they see that the situation is safer, especially in the western regions,” Demchenko told a news briefing. “They are ready to return to the country and stay here.”

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What did Putin say?

Putin has spoken extensively on the conflict in Ukraine at a joint news conference with Lukashenko. Here are some of his claims:

  • Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in a bid to make it change course have failed, the Russian president said, adding the “blitzkrieg on which our foes were counting on did not work”.
  • He blamed Ukraine’s “inconsistency” for derailing talks between the two sides, suggesting the discussions had reached “a dead end”.
  • Putin also said Ukrainian allegations that Russian servicemen killed civilians in Bucha were false.
  • In a bleak comparison, he said the Bucha allegations evoked what he called staged chemical weapons attacks in Syria aimed at incriminating the country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad.

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 Russia to ‘calmly’ continue Ukraine offensive: Putin

Putin has said Moscow will press ahead with its plan for what it refers to as its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“Our task is to fulfil and achieve all the goals set, minimising losses. And we will act rhythmically, calmly, according to the plan originally proposed by the General Staff,” Putin said during the joint televised news conference with Lukashenko.

He added Moscow’s goals were “clear and noble”.

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Mayor of Ukraine’s Bucha says 403 bodies found so far

The mayor of Bucha says that authorities in the Ukrainian town, near Kyiv, have so far found 403 bodies of people they believed were killed by Russian forces during their occupation of the area.

Anatoliy Fedoruk said during a news briefing that the number was growing and warned it was too early for residents to return to the town, from which Russian forces retreated late last month.

Independent Press could not independently verify the figures provided by Fedoruk.

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Ukraine says it thwarted Russian cyberattack on power grid

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian hackers of attempting to launch a destructive cyberattack on the country’s electricity grid.

The group, dubbed “Sandworm” by security researchers and previously tied to destructive cyberattacks attributed to Russia, deployed destructive and data-wiping malware on computers controlling high voltage substations in Ukraine, the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) said in a statement on its website.

“The victim organisation suffered two waves of attacks. The initial compromise took place no later than February 2022. The disconnection of electrical substations and the decommissioning of the company’s infrastructure was scheduled for Friday evening, April 8, 2022,” the CERT-UA statement said.

Officials managed to prevent the attack from taking place, it added. The statement did not say which Ukrainian energy provider was targeted. Russia has consistently denied accusations it has launched cyberattacks on Ukraine.

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World Bank says it is preparing $1.5bn aid package for Ukraine

The World Bank is preparing a new $1.5bn support package for Ukraine, including a $1bn payment from the development lender’s fund for the poorest countries, its president has said.

Speaking in Warsaw, David Malpass said the package was enabled by Monday’s approval by donor and recipient countries of $1bn in International Development Association aid, as well as a $100m payment to neighbouring Moldova.

He added the bank’s support, which has already seen it marshal nearly $923m in loans and grants for Kyiv, was helping Ukraine to provide critical services, including paying wages for hospital workers, pensions and social programmes.

 

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Six people found killed in basement near Kyiv: Ukraine’s prosecutor general

Six people have been found shot dead in the basement of a building on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine’s prosecutor general says.

The prosecutor general’s office said in a statement that the killings took place in the city of Brovary, 25km (15.5 miles) northeast of the capital, and alleged they were carried out by Russian forces who took control of the area at the beginning of Moscow’s invasion.

It also published an image of what it said was the scene of the discovery with several bodies in a dark, concrete hole lit by a flashlight.

There was no immediate reaction to the claim from Moscow. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the prosecutor general’s report.

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Poland arrests Russian man suspected of spying

Poland has arrested a Russian citizen and charged him with espionage, a spokesman for the Polish minister coordinator of special services says.

The man had been living in Poland for 18 years, the spokesman said in a statement. He was arrested on April 6 and will be held in custody for three months.

“The evidence gathered by the Military Counterintelligence Service indicates that the man, instructed by the Russian special services, collected information concerning the military readiness of the Polish Armed Forces and of NATO troops,” the spokesman added.

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Mahsa Kamali, a member of Iran’s national futsal team was eliminated from the national team for showing her support for Ukraine by wearing a “Stop War” shirt. The clerical regime in Iran has supported the Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Image

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Russian-backed separatists deny chemical weapons use

Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the Russian-backed separatists that have seized control of Donetsk, denied allegations that chemical weapons had been used against Ukrainian troops.

Basurin told Russian state-run Interfax that Moscow-backed proxy forces “haven’t used. Any chemical weapons.”

On Russian state television Monday, Basurin said separatists will use “chemical troops” against Ukrainian forces at a giant steel factory in Mariupol “to smoke them out of there.”

Ukrainian forces in Mariupol claimed a drone had dropped a poisonous substance.

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Nokia announces exit from Russian market

Finnish company Nokia has announced it will pull out of the Russian market. On Monday, rival Ericsson decided to suspend its operations in Russia indefinitely.

Hundreds of mostly Western companies have announced they are suspending business in Russia or will depart the Russian market following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. 

The telecoms sector is exempt from some sanctions on humanitarian or similar grounds, though Nokia said quitting Russia was its only choice.

In an interview, CEO Pekka Lundmark said, ” We just simply do not see any possibilities to continue in the country under the current circumstances.”

Nokia said it halted deliveries to Russia in early March and “can now announce that we will exit the Russian market.”

In 2021, Russia accounted for less than 2% of Nokia’s net sales.

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Russian forces prepare offensive in eastern Ukraine

Russian troops aim to seize the southeastern port city of Mariupol, home to 400,000, on Tuesday. Operationally, Russia hopes to connect occupied Crimea with Moscow-backed separatist territories in Donetsk and Luhansk.

The Ukraine force’s General Staff said Tuesday morning that Russia will seek to also capture Popasna, a small town in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine and launch an attack on the town of Kurakhove from there. Russian forces are also currently amassing in the Belgorod and Voronezh regions of Russia on Ukraine’s border.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian forces are “surrounded and blocked,” Zelenskyy’s advisor Myhaylo Podolyak said. However, Ukraine’s army said, “the defense of Mariupol continues.”

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Russia says it destroyed ammunition depots

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its missiles destroyed ammunition depots in the Khmelnytskyi and Kyiv regions.

Russian forces struck an ammunition depot and airplane hangar at the Starokostiantyniv airbase in Khmelnytskyi region and an ammunition depot near the town of Havrylivka north of Kyiv, the ministry said on Tuesday.

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Nine humanitarian corridors open in eastern Ukraine

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, said nine humanitarian corridors are open Tuesday for civilians, including from Mariupol which has been under siege for weeks.

In a statement, Vereshchuk said five of the nine corridors were from Luhansk in the country’s east, which officials have said is under heavy shelling.

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WTO gives bleak outlook

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has projected world trade growth could almost halve this year. 

The WTO said the war was a “severe blow” to the global economy which in the longer term could even mean a disintegration of the world’s economy into separate blocs.

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Japan imposes new sanctions

Japan is freezing the assets of 398 Russian figures, after the policy was endorsed by the cabinet.

The individuals targeted by the sanctions reportedly include Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters and the wife of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Japan also intends to reduce its coal imports from Russia as a step towards a complete Russian coal embargo in the future.

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Seven bodies found in Borodyanka, near Kyiv

Ukraine’s state emergencies service said Monday that authorities discovered the bodies of seven people who died in the town of Borodyanka, which lies near Kyiv. The bodies were found under the rubble of two destroyed high-rise apartment buildings.

Hundreds of rescue workers are looking for missing citizens in the region after Russian forces pulled out of areas near the capital last month. The search is still ongoing. 

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UN: Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine’s children displaced

The UN’s children agency UNICEF said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes since the beginning of Russia’s attack in late February. 

UNICEF Director for Emergency Operations Manuel Fontaine said 4.8 million of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have been displaced. He also said that in 31 years of humanitarian work, he had never seen such a rapid relocation of so many young people.

“They have been forced to leave everything behind — their homes, their schools and, often, their family members,” he told the UN Security Council. “I have heard stories of the desperate steps parents are taking to get their children to safety, and children saddened that they are unable to get back to school.” 

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Russian Humanitarian Aid For Zoos Of Ukraine, Donbas Arrives In DPR

The first batch of humanitarian aid from Russia has been delivered to the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to assist the zoos of Donbas and Ukraine, the Moscow Zoo said on Monday.

“On April 9, the first batch of humanitarian cargo within the #MiVmeste (We Are Together) initiative to help the zoos of Donbas and Ukraine arrived at the Pridorozhnoye Zoo in the DPR.

The humanitarian aid includes compound animal feeding, dry feed, dehydrated milk, and veterinary medicines,” the statement said.

In addition to the cargo, the Russian humanitarian aide included a comprehensive veterinary examination of animals at the Pridorozhnoye Zoo.

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Prominent Putin critic detained by police in Moscow

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. has been taken into police custody in Moscow, his lawyer said Monday. 

The reasons for his arrest have not been made clear. Kara-Murza, a journalist, has frequently criticized Russia’s assault on Ukraine. 

Kara-Murza received medical care for poisoning symptoms in 2015 and 2017. He nearly died of kidney failure in the first incident.  

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German Military Airlifts Injured Ukrainians From Polish Border

The German air force sent a military jumbo jet to the Polish border with Ukraine on Monday to fetch Ukrainian civilians who were severely injured in the armed conflict.

“All the wounded civilians are on board. The A310 Medevac plane is already on the way back.

The Medevac crew of the Bundeswehr medical service will take care of the patients until the landing in Germany,” the air force said on social media.

The so-called flying clinic, equipped with hospital plane beds and life-support systems, flew from the western German city of Cologne to the Polish border city of Rzeszow, which hosts thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

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Germany sees ‘massive indications’ of Russian crimes in Ukraine

Germany sees massive indications of “war crimes” in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

“We have massive indications of war crimes,” she told reporters before a meeting with fellow European ministers in Luxembourg.

“In the end, the courts will have to decide, but for us, it is central to secure all evidence.”

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Ukraine claims Russian material, troop losses continue to soar

Ukraine has claimed that Russian material and troop losses continue to soar.

At least 19,500 Russian soldiers have so far been killed, said the Ukrainian General Staff in a statement on Facebook.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 154 Russian aircraft, 137 helicopters, 119 unmanned aerial vehicles, 725 tanks, 1, 923 armoured vehicles, and 347 artillery systems, the statement added.

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New Zealand announces $13M additional aid for Ukraine

New Zealand has announced an additional $13 million in the military and legal aid for Ukraine including deployment of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to Europe.

In a statement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the cabinet has approved providing $7.5 million to the UK to procure weapons and ammunition for Ukraine’s armed forces from the additional $13 million aid.

The remaining amount will be provided to Ukraine to support commercial satellite access for their defence intelligence, the statement added.

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Ireland: EU working on possible oil embargo on Russia

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has said that the European Commission was working on details of an oil embargo on Russia as part of a possible next sanctions package, but that nothing has been decided.

He said he hoped it could be agreed by the EU’s 27 states as soon as possible but gave no further details.

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Ukraine: nine humanitarian corridors agreed for Monday

Nine humanitarian corridors to evacuate people from Ukraine’s besieged eastern regions have been agreed between Kiev and Moscow, including five in the Luhansk region, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

The planned corridors include one for people evacuating by private transport from the city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk said.

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Ukraine: 1,200 bodies found near Kiev, east braces for attacks

Ukraine has found more than 1,200 bodies in the Kiev region, the scene of atrocities allegedly committed by Russian troops, as residents in the country’s east braced — or fled — ahead of an expected massive attack.

Heavy bombardments hammered Ukraine through the weekend, adding to mounting casualties since Russia’s operation in Ukraine began six weeks ago

Shelling has claimed two lives in northeast Kharkiv, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said, the day after 10 civilians, including a child, died in bombings southeast of the city.

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Austrian leader heads to Moscow

Austria’s chancellor will become the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia’s operation in Ukraine, as Kiev prepares for Russian attacks in the country’s east.

Karl Nehammer said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and is expected to raise concerns over alleged crimes in devastated areas around Kiev, including the town of Bucha.

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Russia’s Gazprom continues gas exports to Europe via Ukraine

Russian state-owned gas producer Gazprom has continued to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.

Requests stood at 95 million cubic metres for April 11, Interfax news agency reported, citing Ukraine’s gas pipeline operator.

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SocGen agrees Rosbank stake sale as it prepares Russian exit

French bank Societe Generale will halt activities in Russia and signed a deal to sell its stake in Rosbank and the group’s Russian insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, it has said.

The transaction still requires regulatory approval, the French lender said in a statement.

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UK: Russian shelling continues in Donetsk and Luhansk

Russian shelling has continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with Ukrainian forces repulsing several attacks resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has tweeted in a regular bulletin.

Russian forces prior use of phosphorous munitions in the Donetsk region also raises the possibility of their future employment in Mariupol as fighting for the city intensifies, British military intelligence said.

The report said that Russia’s continued reliance on unguided bombs decreases their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes and greatly increased the risk of further civilian casualties.

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Ukraine: 2,824 more people evacuated

A total of 2,824 Ukrainian civilians were evacuated on Sunday to safe areas through humanitarian corridors, the country’s deputy prime minister has announced.

“During the day, 2,622 people reached the city of Zaporizhia from Mariupol by personal vehicles and sent buses. Of them, 213 were evacuated from the city of Mariupol, and the rest from the cities of Polohy, Vasylivka, Melitopol and Berdyansk,” Irina Vereshchuk said in a video message.

She added that despite “constant cease-fire violations by the occupiers” in the Luhansk region, 202 people were evacuated from the cities of Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Popasna and Kreminna.

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Moscow-backed rebel forces to ‘intensify’ battle in eastern Ukraine

The Russian-backed leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine says the rebel republic will “intensify” its battle against Ukrainian forces in the region.

“The more we delay, the more the civilian population simply suffers, being held hostage by the situation. We have identified areas where certain steps need to be accelerated,” Denis Pushilin was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.

Pushilin also said more than 5,000 civilians may have been killed in Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have attempted to hold off a relentless Russian attack since Moscow launched its invasion.

Mariupol lies between eastern areas of Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

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German paper hires Russian journalist after anti-war stunt

German newspaper Die Welt says it has hired Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who protested against Moscow’s offensive during a prime-time news broadcast on state television.

Ovsyannikova, 43, “is now a freelance correspondent for Die Welt, reporting from Ukraine and Russia, among other places”, the newspaper said in a statement.

Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia’s Channel One television, barged onto the set of its flagship evening news programme in March holding a poster reading “No War” in English.

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Zelenskyy says tens of thousands killed in Mariupol

Ukraine’s president says tens of thousands of people have been killed in Russia’s assault on the country’s southeastern port city of _______________________________________________________________________________________________________Mariupol.

“Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers.

Independent Press could not independently verify his claim.

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Russia claims to have hit missile systems

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces have destroyed a shipment of air defence missile systems provided to Ukraine by the West.

The ministry said that Russian sea-launched Kalibr missiles hit the four S-300 anti-aircraft launchers on Sunday. It alleged the missile systems were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The ministry added that 25 Ukrainian troops were hit in the attack.

It did not say which European country had supplied the S-300 systems. There was no immediate reaction to the claims from Kyiv.

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Norway extends Lithuania troop deployment

 creased in February by about 50 troops, to a total of 200 overall, on a three-month basis. It has now been extended by a further three months.

Norway said it also plans to contribute troops to the eFP beyond August but did not say how many would be deployed.

INTERACTIVE--NATO-in-Europe-map-updated

 

‘Massive indications’ of war crimes in Ukraine, German minister says

Germany’s foreign minister has said there are “massive indications of war crimes” having been committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

“In the end, the courts will have to decide, but for us, it is central to secure all evidence,” Annalena Baerbock told reporters before a meeting with fellow European Union ministers in Luxembourg.

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US says Russian general put in charge of Ukraine to orchestrate brutality

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he expects Russia’s newly appointed general overseeing Ukraine, Alexander Dvornikov, to orchestrate crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians.

Sullivan did not cite any evidence. He said targeting civilians “lies at the feet of the Kremlin” during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

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Dnipro airport ‘destroyed’ by Russian shelling

The airport in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro has been completely destroyed in fresh Russian shelling, a local official said.

“There has been another attack on Dnipro airport. There is nothing left of it. The airport itself and the infrastructure around it has been destroyed. Rockets keep flying and flying,” the head of the city’s military administration, Valentin Reznichenko, said on Telegram.

He added that authorities were seeking to clarify information about the victims.

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UN says 4.5 million refugees fled Ukraine

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has updated the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine since the war started, bringing the total to some 4.5 million.

About 2.6 million of those fled at least initially to Poland and more than 686,000 to Romania, the UN said.

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Russia’s Orthodox Church calls on people to rally around authorities

The Russian Patriarch Just Gave His Most Dangerous Speech Yet — And Almost No One in the West Has Noticed | Religion Dispatches

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church has called on people to rally around the country’s authorities.

Patriarch Kirill has previously made statements defending Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and views the war as a bulwark against a Western liberal culture that he considers decadent.

“Let the Lord help us unite during this difficult time for our Fatherland, including around the authorities,” the Interfax news agency quoted Kirill, 75, as saying at a sermon in the Russian capital.

 “May the authorities to be filled with responsibility for their people, humility and the readiness to serve them even if it costs them their life,” added the patriarch, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

He said once the population unites around the authorities, “there will be genuine solidarity and the ability to repel enemies both external and internal …”

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Slovakia could sell howitzers to Ukraine: Defence minister

Slovakia could sell Ukraine some of its Zuzana self-propelled howitzers, said Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad.

“I can confirm that we are in talks [about the sale],” Nad said in a televised debate. He did not give further details.

The Zuzana 2 howitzer, a modernised version of an older model, is using 155mm rounds and has an effective range of 40-50km (25-31 miles) depending on ammunition type.

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Ukrainian, German leaders discuss additional sanctions on Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has discussed over the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz “anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine”, he said on Twitter.

The two leaders also stressed that “all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished”, Zelenskyy said.

‘Put the weapons down’: Pope Francis urges truce

Speaking in front of tens of thousands of people in the Italian square of St Peter, Pope Francis called for a truce in Ukraine.

“Put the weapons down!” he said at the end of a Palm Sunday service. “Let an Easter truce start. But not to rearm and resume combat but a truce to reach peace through real negotiations,” he added.

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Two killed in Derhachi: Regional governor

Two people have been killed in Russian shelling in Derhachi, a city in the northeastern province of Kharkiv, regional Governor Oleh Sinegubov said on his Telegram channel. He added that 66 artillery attacks were carried out across several regions in the past 24 hours.

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Russia confirms prisoner exchange with Ukraine

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova confirmed that Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange on Saturday.

Moskalkova said that among those exchanged to Russia, there were four employees of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and soldiers. “Early this morning they landed on the Russian soil,” Moskalkova said in an online post.

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Nine humanitarian corridors set from eastern regions

Nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for civilians to evacuate from the Eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on her Telegram channel.

“All the routes for the humanitarian corridors in the Luhansk region will work as long as there is a ceasefire by the occupying Russian troops,” Vereshchuk said on her Telegram channel. Evacuations will take place with both private vehicles and buses, she added.

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Five killed in east Ukraine shelling: Donetsk governor

Russian shelling killed five civilians and wounded five others in two east Ukrainian cities Saturday, the local governor has said on Telegram.

“Today, five people were killed after Russian shelling in the region of Donetsk,” the Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko posted on Telegram. Four of them died in the city of Vugledar, and one in the town of Novomikhaylovka, he added.

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‘Ukraine will prevail’: EU top diplomat

“Ukraine will prevail and rise back even stronger,” said EU top diplomat Josep Borrell Fontalles. “And the EU will continue to stand by you, every step of the way,” he added on Twitter.

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Over 46,000 explosive devices defused since war started: emergency service

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) has said that its pyrotechnic units have neutralised more than 2,700 explosive devices in a day.

Since war started, the SES said on its Telegram channel, 46,275 explosive devices have been defused.

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UK says Russia seeks to bolster armed forces

Russian forces are seeking to bolster troop numbers with personnel discharged from military service since 2012, the British intelligence has said in its latest bulletin.

It added that Russia has been trying to recruit forces from the unrecognised Transnistria region of Moldova.

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Russia strikes school, two buildings in eastern Sievierodonetsk: local official

Russian shelling has hit a school and two high-rise buildings in the city of Sievierodonetsk in the besieged region of Luhansk, a local authority said.

“Fortunately, no casualties,” the region’s governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Telegram, adding that two elderly people have been rescued, while one person was wounded in Dnipro after an industrial facility was hit.

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Finland gears up for historic NATO decision

Finland is preparing for a potentially historic decision “before midsummer” on whether to apply to join NATO as a deterrent against Russian aggression.

The Nordic nation of 5.5 million has traditionally been militarily non-aligned, in part to avoid provoking its eastern neighbour, with which it shares a 1,300km (830 mile) border.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 saw public support for joining NATO double from 30 to 60 percent, according to a series of polls.

“Never underestimate the capacity of Finns to take rapid decisions when the world changes,” former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said.

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Russian shelling traps Mariupol residents

Shelling by Russian forces of Ukraine’s key port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov has collapsed several humanitarian corridors, making it more difficult for people to leave, The Associated Press reported.

It was unclear how many people remain trapped in the city, which had a pre-war population of 430,000. Ukrainian officials have put the number at about 100,000, but earlier this week, British defence officials said 160,000 people remained trapped in the city.

Ukrainian troops have refused to surrender the city, though much of it has been razed.

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Third prisoner swap under way

Kyiv says 26 Ukrainians are returning home following a prisoner exchange with Russia.

“On the order of President Zelenskyy, the third prisoner exchange took place. Twelve of our servicemen are returning home, including one female officer,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

Fourteen civilians including nine women were also on their way home, she added.

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Displaced Ukrainian football club opens tour

Ukrainian football club, Shakhtar Donetsk, has opened a series of charity games on a government-backed “Global Tour for Peace” wearing the names of heavily bombarded cities on its jerseys.

The tour by the club aims to raise money for Ukraine’s military in the war against Russia, and also help displaced Ukrainian refugees.

Its first game on Saturday was a 1-0 loss to Greek league leader Olympiacos.

Football clubs around Europe have been offering to play games against Ukrainian clubs and host young players after Russia’s invasion in February.

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Kyiv suburb’s residents line up for food

Civilians remaining in Bucha are lining up for food donated by a local church in the battered Kyiv suburb where Ukrainian forces and journalists reported evidence of war crimes after Russian soldiers withdrew.

Volunteer Petro Denysyuk told The Associated Press that he and fellow church friends started providing food, with a wide array of basic foods and hot meals.

“We have gathered together with the youth from our church and prepared food for the needy,” Denysyuk said. “We prepared pilaf, boiled eggs, prepared meat, sausages, noodles.”

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Russia’s ‘imperial illusions’ must be defeated: Ukraine

Ukranian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak says President Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet until after the country defeated Russia in the east, which would bolster its negotiating position.

“We are paying a very high price. But Russia must get rid of its imperial illusions,” he said, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Ukrainian officials have urged civilians in the east of the country to flee. On Friday, officials said more than 50 people were killed in a missile strike on a train station in the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, where thousands of people had gathered to evacuate.

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‘Never bullied again’, says UK PM, offering weaponry

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered financial and military support during a surprise visit to Ukraine.

At a meeting in Kyiv, Johnson told Zelenskyy that Britain would provide armoured vehicles and anti-ship missile systems, along with additional support for World Bank loans.

The support aims to ensure “Ukraine can never be bullied again, never will be blackmailed again, never will be threatened in the same way again,” Johnson said.

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Czechs should cut energy dependence on Russia: PM

The Czech Republic should cut its dependence on Russian energy resources within five years, Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said, terming the current situation one of the country’s “greatest security risks”.

The European Union member state meets its gas needs almost entirely through shipments directly or indirectly from Russia, and gets roughly half its crude imports from the same source.

Fiala told his Civic Democratic Party convention that the country’s energy sector has to change “completely”.

At a meeting in Kyiv, Johnson told Zelenskyy that Britain would provide armoured vehicles and anti-ship missile systems, along with additional support for World Bank loans.

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Italy’s Berlusconi ‘deeply disappointed’ by Putin

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said that he is deeply disappointed and saddened by the behaviour of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The tycoon, who for years enjoyed a close friendship with the Russian leader, said Putin had to take full responsibility in the eyes of the world over the invasion of Ukraine.

“I got to know him 20 years ago and he had always seemed to me a man of democracy and peace… what a pity,” Berlusconi said, addressing a convention of his conservative Forza Italia party in Rome.

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Zelenskyy braces for ‘hard battle’

Ukraine is ready for a tough battle with Russian forces amassing in the east of the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At a meeting in Kyiv, Johnson told Zelenskyy that Britain would provide armoured vehicles and anti-ship missile systems, along with additional support for World Bank loans.

Britain also will continue to ratchet up its sanctions on Russia and move away from using Russian hydrocarbons, he said.

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Italy’s Berlusconi ‘deeply disappointed’ by Putin

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said that he is deeply disappointed and saddened by the behaviour of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The tycoon, who for years enjoyed a close friendship with the Russian leader, said Putin had to take full responsibility in the eyes of the world over the invasion of Ukraine.

“I got to know him 20 years ago and he had always seemed to me a man of democracy and peace… what a pity,” Berlusconi said, addressing a convention of his conservative Forza Italia party in Rome.

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Ukraine says 3rd prisoner exchange with Russia under way

Ukraine has said 12 Ukrainian soldiers and 14 civilians were returning home following a prisoner exchange with Russia.

“On the order of President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, the third prisoner exchange took place today. 12 of our servicemen are returning home, including one female officer,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

Fourteen civilians including nine women were also on their way home, Vereshchuk added.

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Bucha killings have ‘permanently polluted’ Putin’s reputation: Johnson

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the discovery of civilian bodies in Ukrainian towns have “permanently polluted” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reputation.

“What Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin is war crimes that have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government,” Johnson said, standing next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to towns in the Kyiv region where bodies have been discovered.

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UK’s PM, in Kyiv, offers armoured vehicles, anti-ship missiles

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on a visit to Kyiv, has vowed UK armoured vehicles and anti-ship missiles for Ukraine as he acclaimed its military for “the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century”.

“It is because of President (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that (Vladimir) Putin’s monstrous aims are being thwarted,” he said after meeting Zelensky, according to a Downing Street statement.

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Russia calls for integrating BRICS payment systems

Russia, hit by Western sanctions, has called on the BRICS group of emerging economies to extend the use of national currencies and integrate payment systems, according to the finance ministry.

Sanctions have cut Russia off from the global financial system and from nearly half of its gold and foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $606.5bn in early April.

On Friday, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told a ministerial meeting with BRICS, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, that the global economic situation had worsened substantially due to the sanctions, the ministry’s statement said.

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Global pledging event raises 10.1 billion euros for Ukraine

A global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees called Stand Up for Ukraine has raised 10.1 billion euros ($11bn).

“The ‘Stand Up For Ukraine’ campaign has raised 9.1 billion euros for people fleeing bombs, inside and outside Ukraine, with an additional billion pledged by EBRD (the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development),” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.

The event convened by the EU and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to raise money for internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees from the war-ravaged country, organisers said.

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UK’s Johnson visits Kyiv, discusses more aid with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has travelled to Kyiv to discuss providing Ukraine with more financial and military aid in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Johnson’s office.

Johnson met Zelenskyuy “in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“They will discuss the UK’s long-term support to Ukraine and the PM will set out a new package of financial and military aid.”

 

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Russian officials accuse YouTube of blocking Duma’s channel

Russian officials on Saturday accused US video hosting service YouTube of blocking the channel of the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, and warned of reprisals.

Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said Washington was breaching “the rights of Russians” while foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said “YouTube has sealed its fate”.

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Italy intends to reopen embassy in Kyiv after Easter

Italy intends to reopen its embassy in Kyiv immediately after Easter, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Saturday.

“We were the last to leave Kyiv and we will be among the first to go back,” Di Maio said after a meeting at the ministry to discuss the war in Ukraine.

“At the same time we must intensify diplomatic pressure to bring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the talks table and reach a ceasefire.”

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Von der Leyen says ‘instinct’ tells her Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine, but lawyers must investigate

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday that Russian forces appeared to have committed war crimes by targeting civilians in Ukraine, but she said lawyers must investigate the alleged incidents.

Leaving Ukraine after a visit, she said she had seen with her own eyes on Friday the destruction in the town of Bucha near Kyiv. A forensics team began exhuming a mass grave on Friday containing the bodies of civilians who local officials say were killed while Russians occupied the town.

“My instinct says: If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime, but I am a medical doctor by training and lawyers have to investigate carefully,” von der Leyen told reporters on board a train leaving Ukraine on Saturday.

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Russian officials accuse YouTube of blocking Duma’s channel

Russian officials on Saturday accused US video hosting service YouTube of blocking the channel of the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, and warned of reprisals.

Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said Washington was breaching “the rights of Russians” while foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said “YouTube has sealed its fate”.

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Von der Leyen: Russia’s actions appear to be war crimes

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Russian forces appear to have committed war crimes by targeting civilians in Ukraine, adding that lawyers must investigate the alleged incidents.

“My instinct says: If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime, but I am a medical doctor by training and lawyers have to investigate carefully,” von der Leyen told reporters on board a train leaving Ukraine.

“I saw the photos, (Ukrainian prime minister) Denys Shmyhal showed me: Killing people as they are walking by. We could also see with our own eyes, that the destruction in the city is targeted into the civilian lives. Residential buildings are no military target”, she said, referring to Bucha.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations that Russian forces had executed civilians in Bucha were a “monstrous forgery” aimed at denigrating the Russian army.

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Russian says ammunition depot at Ukrainian air base destroyed

Russia’s defence ministry says Russian forces have destroyed an ammunition depot at the Myrhorod Air Base in central Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported.

A Ukrainian air force MiG-29 fighter and a Mi-8 helicopter were also destroyed in the attack on the base in the Poltava region, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

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Sweden Democrats leader wants party to change on NATO membership if Finland applies to join alliance

The leader of Sweden’s second-biggest opposition party says he will suggest that his party change its stance towards favouring a Swedish membership of NATO, should neighbour Finland apply to join the alliance.

A change of stance by the Sweden Democrats party would mean a swing to a parliamentary majority in favour of long-neutral Sweden joining the alliance.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted the two countries to consider joining, although Sweden is more hesitant than Finland which has a 1,300 km border with Russia. The Finnish government has said it would clarify next steps in the coming weeks regarding a possible decision to seek membership.

“Then (if Finland applies) my ambition is to go to the party council with a request that we change our mind,” Jimmie Akesson told Svenska Dagbladetas, a local daily.

“What’s changed now is that Finland is very clearly moving towards a NATO membership and there are many indications this may happen in the near future. That, and the fact Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, is completely alone, has made me turn.”

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Poland hosts donor conference for Ukraine refugees

Poland is hosting a donor conference on Saturday to help the more than 11 million people who have been driven out of Ukraine by Russia’s invasion or who have been internally displaced.

The event, which begins at 3pm (1300 GMT) in Warsaw, was organised by the non-governmental organization Global Citizen, the European Commission and the Canadian government. The money is largely to go to United Nations programmes and local relief initiatives.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, fresh off her solidarity visit to Kiev on Friday, is scheduled to appear in person. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will join by video.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has also confirmed his participation. Since the Russian invasion began February 24, more than 2.5 million Ukrainians have crossed the border to Poland.

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Russian forces destroy ammunition depot, fighter jet in central Ukraine, Russia’s defence ministry says

Russian forces have destroyed an ammunition depot at the Myrhorod Air Base in central Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, quoting the Russian Defence Ministry.

A Ukrainian air force MiG-29 fighter and a Mi-8 helicopter were also destroyed in the attack on the base in the Poltava region, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

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Leader of Swedish opposition party says could change stance on NATO membership

The leader of Sweden‘s second-biggest opposition party will, should neighbour Finland apply to join NATO, suggest that his party change its stance towards joining the transatlantic military alliance, he told daily Svenska Dagbladet.

Should Finland apply, “my ambition is to go to the party council with a request that we change our mind”, the newspaper quoted Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson as saying in an interview.

A change of stance by the party would mean a swing to a parliamentary majority in favour of long-neutral Sweden joining the alliance.

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More evacuations needed from eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk, governor says

More people need to evacuate from the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine as shelling has increased in recent days and more Russian forces have been arriving, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Saturday.

He said that some 30 percent of residents still remain in cities and villages across the region and have been asked to evacuate.

“They (Russia) are amassing forces for an offensive and we see [that] shelling has increased,” Gaidai told public television.

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Ten humanitarian corridors agreed for besieged regions in Ukraine

Ten humanitarian corridors to evacuate people from Ukraine’s besieged regions have been agreed for Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

The planned corridors include one for people evacuating by private transport from the city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk said.

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Russia continues to hit Ukrainian non-combatants: UK intelligence

Russia continues to hit Ukrainian non-combatants, such as the civilians killed in Friday’s rocket strike on Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine, according to British military intelligence.

“Russian operations continue to focus on the Donbas region, Mariupol and Mykolaiv, supported by continued cruise missile launches into Ukraine by Russian naval forces,” the Ministry of Defence says, adding that Russia’s ambitions to establish a land corridor between Crimea and the Donbas continue to be thwarted by Ukrainian resistance.

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Need for ‘clear, unified’ response on Ukraine: Biden to Ramaphosa

The White House has released more details on the call between Biden and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.

Biden reportedly initiated the call after South Africa abstained in the vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.

According to the statement, Biden stressed “the need for a clear, unified international response to Russian aggression in Ukraine” and emphasised the “global challenges” created by the invasion.

Ramaphosa said on Friday he had had a “productive” call with Biden. “We shared views on the conflict in Ukraine and agreed on the need for a ceasefire and dialogue between Russia and Ukraine,’ he wrote on Twitter.

South Africa was one of 58 countries that abstained in the vote on Russia.

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Medvedev says sanctions ‘act of international aggression’

Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and prime minister and now deputy chairman of the security council, has condemned ever-tougher Western sanctions as an “act of international aggression”.

In a lengthy post on his Telegram channel, Medvedev condemned the sanctions as “illegal” and said they amounted to “a declaration of economic war”.

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Nicaragua blasts UN decision to remove Russia from Human Rights Council

Nicaragua’s foreign ministry has condemned the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, calling it a “violation of international law, incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations”.

“Any action aimed at eliminating or suspending” a country from international bodies “constitutes a violation of human rights and is an aggression against its people”, the ministry said in a statement.

Nicaragua was one of 24 nations that voted against removing Russia from the human rights body.

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White House slams ‘horrific’ attack on Ukraine train station

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said the attack on Kramatorsk was “yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia,” and the administration would support efforts to hold Russia accountable.

“Well, what we’ve seen over the course of the last six weeks or more than that has been what the president himself has characterised as war crimes, which is the intentional targeting of civilians,” Psaki said during a regular news conference.

“This is yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, striking civilians who are trying to evacuate and reach safety,” she said.

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‘We will continue to work on Russia,’ HRW says

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has promised to continue documenting Russian rights abuses after Moscow revoked the rights group’s registration for allegedly violating the country’s “current legislation”.

The New York-based organisation said in a series of tweets there is “little doubt” that Russia’s move is in response to the group’s reporting on the war in Ukraine. It is among 15 groups to have their registrations in Russia revoked.

“We will continue to work on Russia, and we will continue to press for the protection of civilians in Russia’s war in #Ukraine,” HRW said.

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US believes Russia used short-range ballistic missile: Defence official

The US believes Russia used a short-range ballistic missile to strike the Kramatorsk train station, a senior US defence official has said.

“We are not buying the denial by the Russians that they weren’t responsible,” the official said.

The US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon believes Russian forces used an SS-21 Scarab missile in the attack but that the motivation for the attack was not clear.

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Some Russian forces depleted: US official

A senior US defence official says the Pentagon has determined that some of the Russian combat units that retreated from the Kyiv area in recent days are so heavily damaged and depleted that their combat utility is in question.

The official described these units as “for all intents and purposes eradicated”, with only a small number of functioning troops and weapons remaining.

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity, said that the US believes Russia has lost 15 to 20 percent of the combat power it had assembled along Ukraine’s borders before launching its invasion.

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Ukrainian forces maintaining Mariupol positions: Think tank

The Institute for the Study of War says Ukrainian forces are continuing to hold out against Russian attacks in eastern and southwestern Mariupol, which has been besieged for weeks.

They are also threatening Russian positions in Kherson, and appear to have taken more territory west of the city, the institute said in its latest assessment of the military situation.

It says Russia is attempting to regroup its forces for an offensive in the east but could be hindered by “poor morale” with the Ukrainian General Staff reporting that 80 percent of personnel in some units are refusing to fight.

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Forty victims of mass grave in Bucha are civilians: Ukraine

Forty victims found in a Ukrainian mass grave in the Kiev suburb of Bucha were civilians who “did not resist,” according to the nation’s capital police chief.

Police are investigating mass graves in Bucha, according to Andriy Nebytov, who said Russian forces “regularly fired on civilians.”

Some civilians were killed during shelling of the city by Russian artillery. Among those killed were civilian men and women between the ages of 40 and 60, he said. He noted that bullet wounds to the head and body were found on victims – an indication they were killed by an automatic weapon or a sniper’s rifle.

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31,000 civilians in Mariupol forcibly relocated to Russia — Mayor

At least 31,000 civilians from southeastern Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol were forcibly taken to Russia, according to the mayor.

Vadim Boychenko told local television that civilians from Mariupol were forcibly taken to Russia or the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” by Russian forces and officials have a verified list of residents forcibly relocated from their homes.

Noting that residents were subjected to various humiliations, Boychenko said Russian authorities treated them harshly, took fingerprints and forced them to sign various documents.

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Biden signs bill limiting trade with Russia

US President Joe Biden has signed legislation axing normal trade ties with Russia, the newest move Washington has taken to punish Moscow for its Ukraine incursion.

US president also inked a bill codifying the nation’s ban on Russian oil imports, the White House announced.

The development came about a month later along the decisions taken by Group of Seven (G-7) nations.

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EU publishes sanctions against Putin’s two daughters

The EU has blacklisted Putin’s two adult daughters and more than 200 other people as part of its latest sanctions package, according to an official list published late on Friday.

Those on the list, which additionally included 18 companies, face asset seizures and travel bans in the 27-nation European bloc.

The United States and Britain had already sanctioned Putin’s two daughters: Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, born in 1985 and 1986 respectively.

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US to support investigations of train station attack: White House

The White House has said the Biden administration will support investigations of the attack on the Kramatorsk train station in Ukraine that authorities said was packed with women, children and elderly refugees.

Several US agencies had previously pledged to assist in gathering evidence of war crimes in Ukraine.

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Amnesty ‘undeterred’ by Russia crackdown, says group’s chief

Amnesty International has decried the closing down of its offices in Moscow by Russian authorities, but the rights group vowed redouble efforts to “expose Russia’s egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad”.

“The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by closing down our office in Moscow they will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations,” Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary general, said in a statement.

“We continue undeterred to work to ensure that people in Russia are able to enjoy their human rights without discrimination.”

The Russian Ministry of Justice had revoked the registration of 15 foreign organisations, including Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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US believes Russia used short-range ballistic missile in Kramatorsk attack: Official

The United States believes that Russia used a short range ballistic missile to hit the Kramatorsk railway station in east Ukraine, a senior US defence official said.

The official was cited by the Reuters news agency as saying the Pentagon believes Russian forces used an SS-21 Scarab missile, but that the motivation for the attack was not clear.

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Attack on Ukraine train station ‘crime against humanity’: France

The attack on the Kramatorsk rail station can be classified as a crime against humanity, France has said.

“They hit a station where there are refugees, civilians and so this can be seen as a crime against humanity,” foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France 5 television, calling for experts to head to the scene in Kramatorsk to gather evidence so the perpetrators can be held to account.

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Biden calls Kramatorsk attack ‘another horrific atrocity’ by Russia

Biden has called the attack on the Kramatorsk train station that killed dozens of civilians trying to flee to safety in Ukraine “another horrific atrocity committed by Russia”.

“We will continue our security assistance and weapons deliveries to help Ukraine defend their country,” Biden wrote on Twitter.

“And, together with our allies and partners, we will support efforts to investigate this attack as we document Russia’s actions and hold them accountable.”

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Russia revokes registration of Amnesty, Human Rights Watch

The Russian Ministry of Justice has said in a statement that it revoked the registration of 15 foreign organisations, including those of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The Russian branches of the organisations, which also included the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “were excluded due to the discovery of violations of the current legislation of the Russian Federation”, the statement said.

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US to place Patriot missile system in Slovakia: Biden

Biden has thanked the Slovakian government for providing an S-300 air defence system to Ukraine, saying that Washington will place a US Patriot missile system in Slovakia to ensure the country’s “continued security”.

“As the Russian military repositions for the next phase of this war, I have directed my Administration to continue to spare no effort to identify and provide to the Ukrainian military the advanced weapons capabilities it needs to defend its country,” Biden said in a statement.

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UK sending more ‘high-grade’ weapons to Ukraine, says PM Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK is sending Ukraine more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles after the “unconscionable” attack on Kramatorsk.

The “high-grade military equipment” is worth £100 million ($130m), Johnson said, with the UK anti-tank missiles seen as particularly potent against Russian forces.

The attack on the railway station at Kramatorsk “shows the depths to which Putin’s once-vaunted army has sunk”, he told reporters alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

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Odesa imposes weekend curfew over ‘missile strike threat’

Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa has imposed a weekend-long curfew over a “missile strike threat” from Russia.

“A curfew will be introduced in Odesa and Odesa region from 9pm on April 9 to 6pm April 11,” Odesa’s regional military administration said on Facebook. The decision was taken “given events in Kramatorsk” and “threat of a missile strike on Odesa”, it said.

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EU’s von der Leyen visits Bucha mass grave

The European Commission president has visited a mass grave in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv where Russian forces are accused by Ukraine’s allies of carrying out atrocities against civilians.

An AFP journalist reported that von der Leyen was in the town north of the capital as part of a trip to shore up support for Ukraine alongside the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Eduard Heger was also on the trip.

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Death toll from missile attack in Kramatorsk rises to 50, says governor

At least 50 people were killed, including five children, in a strike on a rail station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

In an online post updating an earlier preliminary death toll of 39, Kyrylenko said the dead included victims who had died of their wounds after being taken to hospital or medical centres.

Nearly 400 people were wounded in the strike, according to Kyrylenko, with many in critical condition.

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208 houses, 46 schools damaged in Kyiv: official

Russian shelling damaged 208 residential buildings and 46 schools in Kyiv, a city official has said.

The shelling, which began on the day Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, also damaged 29 kindergartens and one orphanage, Mykola Povoroznik of the Kyiv state administration said in a web-posted statement.

The figures do not include the damage and destruction in the suburbs northwest and northwest of Kyiv, including Bucha, Irpin and Borodyanka that were severely pummeled for weeks.

Reporting by Al Jazeera’s Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Ukraine to nationalise Russia’s property: PM

Kyiv is getting ready to nationalise the property and other assets that belong to Russia or Russian businesses in Ukraine, the nation’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

“We have already started the process. Undoubtedly, we will nationalise all Russia’s property to compensate for some of the damages Russia is inflicting on us,” he said in televised remarks.

He said the assets would be nationalised “according to wartime conditions”, without trials.

Russia was Ukraine’s largest trade partner before the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and thousands of Russian companies or joint stock ventures worked in the ex-Soviet nation.

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Russia, Ukraine ‘willing to hold talks’ in Turkey despite Bucha: Turkish official

Russia and Ukraine are willing to move forward with talks even though images of bodies found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha have stalled the process, a Turkish official said on Friday.

“Both Russia and Ukraine are willing to hold the talks in Turkey but they are far away from agreeing on a common text,” the official said.

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Food prices soar to record levels

Prices for food commodities such as grains and vegetable oils reached their highest levels ever last month because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the “massive supply disruptions” it is causing, the United Nations has said.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said its Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of commodities, averaged 159.3 points last month, up 12.6 percent from February.

As it is, the February index was the highest level since its inception in 1990.

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Mitsubishi says it has stopped vehicle production in Russia

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors has said it has stopped production at its Russian plant in Kaluga, which it owns together with Stellantis, until further notice, joining other major carmakers that have halted their operations in Russia.

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Türkiye voices ‘sadness’ after strike on Ukraine train station

Türkiye has expressed “great sadness” over a rocket attack on a train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, killing fifty people including five children.

“It has been learnt with great sadness that dozens of people waiting to be evacuated died and were injured” as a result of the strike, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“This tragic event has once again demonstrated the importance and urgency of establishing humanitarian corridors in order to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians,” it added.

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Russia denies attack on Ukrainian train station

Russia’s defence ministry has said it did not launch an attack on a train station in eastern Ukraine, which a local rescue worker said killed dozens of people.

“All statements by representatives of the Kiev nationalist regime about the ‘rocket attack’ allegedly carried out by Russia on April 8 at the railway station in the city of Kramatorsk are a provocation and are absolutely untrue,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We emphasise that Tochka-U tactical missiles, fragments of which were found near the Kramatorsk railway station and published by eyewitnesses, are used only by the Ukrainian armed forces,” the ministry added.

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EU accuses Russia of ‘horrifying’ attack

EU Council chief Charles Michel has accused Russia of the “horrifying” rocket attack on a train station, saying Moscow was cutting off an escape route for civilians.

“Horrifying to see Russia strike one of the main stations used by civilians evacuating the region where Russia is stepping up its attack,” Michel said on Twitter.

The governor of Donetsk region said thousands of civilians were at the train station waiting to evacuate when the rocket struck.

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Coal for Europe can be redirected elsewhere: Russia

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said coal is in high demand, and that Russian coal earmarked for Europe would be redirected to other markets if the EU refused it.

“Coal is still a highly sought-after commodity. As consumption in Europe is abandoned, here there is a certain grace period, coal flows will be redirected to alternative markets,” Peskov said.

Peskov also said its “special operation” in Ukraine could end in the “foreseeable future” since its aims were being achieved and work was being carried out by both the Russian military and Russian peace negotiators.

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EU has frozen $32B in Russian, Belarusian assets

The EU has so far frozen nearly 30 billion euros in assets from blacklisted Russian and Belarusian individuals and companies under sanctions imposed for Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, it has said.

A total of 29.5 billion euros ($32 billion) “including assets such as boats, helicopters, real estate and artwork” have been seized and another 196 billion euros of transactions have been blocked, the European Commission said in a statement.

The EU’s figures were partial, based on data from around half of the EU’s 27 member states given to the bloc’s “Freeze and Seize” task force opera ting in coordination with G7 partners including the US.

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Japan ends Russian coal imports

Japan has said it will end imports of Russian coal. “Russian troops have killed civilians and have attacked nuclear facilities, gravely violating international humanitarian law. These are war crimes that can never be forgiven,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

“We will ban imports of Russian coal,” Kishida said, pledging to find alternatives and asking Japanese citizens for their “understanding and cooperation.”

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UK sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters

Britain has added Vladimir Putin’s daughters to its sanctions list, mirroring moves by the United States, in what it said was an effort to target the lifestyles of those in the Russian president’s inner circle.

An update to Britain’s sanctions list announced asset freezes on Putin’s adult daughters Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova, and Sergeyevna Vinokurova, the daughter of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

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EU adopts new sanctions, including coal import ban

The European Union has formally adopted its fifth package of sanctions against Russia, including bans on the import of coal, wood, chemicals and other products.

The measures also prevent many Russian vessels and trucks from accessing the EU, further crippling trade, and will ban all transactions with four Russian banks, including VTB.

The ban on coal imports will be fully effective from the second week of August. No new contracts can be signed from Friday, when sanctions are to be published in the EU’s official journal.

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Macron warns of ‘difficult scenes’ to come in Donbass

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he expects Russian forces to step up their attacks in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine in the coming weeks, leading to further “difficult scenes” after the reported atrocities against civilians near Kiev.

“This war is unfortunately not going to stop in the coming days,” Macron told RTL radio, adding that he saw little chance of “diplomatic concessions” from Russian President Vladimir Putin anytime soon.

Macron acknowledged like other Western leaders that Putin’s retreat from areas near Kiev could presage a focus on capturing areas in the east and south to create a land link between Crimea and the Moscow-backed separatist statelets of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbass.

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Japan says expelling eight Russian diplomats, officials

Japan has said it will expel eight Russian diplomats and officials, calling Moscow’s actions in Ukraine “categorically unacceptable” and a violation of international law.

“As a result of our country’s comprehensive judgment, we have requested the expulsion of eight diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Japan and officials from the Office of the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hikariko Ono said.

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RUSSIAN MISSILE STRIKES PACKED UKRAINIAN TRAIN STATION, KILLING DOZENS

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Russia declares British think tank Chatham House ‘undesirable’

Russia said Friday that it will add the UK think tank Chatham House to a blacklist of “undesirable” international organisations, calling it a threat to national security. Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office said in a statement that it had taken the decision “to declare the activities of the international NGO undesirable on Russian soil”.

Chatham House is the informal name for The Royal Institute of International Affairs, a respected, more than century-old research institute in London that focuses on international affairs and is widely cited by media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba have recently taken part in events organised by Chatham House.

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Zelensky urges ‘Molotov cocktail’ sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky Friday asked the West to impose “Molotov cocktail” sanctions on Moscow, including a ban on Russian gas, and appealed for more weapons as he addressed Finnish MPs.

Scolding “those who are making us wait, wait for the things that we need badly, wait for the means of protecting our lives,” Zelensky called on Western leaders to impose a “sanctions cocktail” against Russia that “would be remembered just like Molotov cocktails”.

Molotov cocktails are improvised incendiary devices popularised by the Finns in their war against Soviet Union during World War II.

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 Moscow accuses Ukraine of staging Kramatorsk attack

Russia on Friday accused Kyiv of carrying out a deadly attack on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine that claimed dozens of lives.

“The purpose of the Kyiv regime’s attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk was to disrupt the mass exit of residents from the city in order to use them as a ‘human shield’ to defend the positions of Ukraine’s armed forces,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

The ministry claimed that the attack was carried out by Ukraine’s forces from the town of Dobropillya, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) southwest of Kramatorsk.

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Lavrov says Belarus should become security guarantor for Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Belarus should provide security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, once Kiev affirms its neutral status.

“At the request of the Ukrainian side, its neutral, non-bloc, non-nuclear status should be accompanied by security guarantees,” Lavrov said.

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39 killed, including four children, in train station strike

A strike on a train station in eastern Ukraine on Friday killed 39 people, including four children, Ukraine’s SBU security service said.

“Russian fascists bombed Kramatorsk station, 39 killed including four children,” SBU spokesman Artem Dekhtyarenko said on Facebook.

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No Ukrainian troops were at station hit by rockets, Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said no Ukrainian troops were at a railway station in east Ukraine that was hit by rockets on Friday.

Zelensky told Finnish parliament that more than 30 civilians had been killed in the attack and added: “Russian forces hit the train station in Kramatorsk, (firing) on an ordinary train station, on ordinary people, there were no soldiers there.”

Russia’s defence ministry denied Russian forces carried out the rocket strike.

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Ukrainian forces control Sumy region bordering Russia

Ukrainian forces are in control of the entire northeast region of Sumy along the border with Russia, its governor said Friday, warning residents against returning while it was being cleared of mines.

“The area is free of orcs,” Sumy regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said on social media, referring to invading Russian troops. “The region is not safe. There are many areas that have been mined and are still not cleared,” he said.

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Ukrainian negotiator says Bucha deaths affect mood at talks with Russia

Ukraine and Russia are “constantly” holding peace talks online but the mood has been affected by events including the deaths of civilians in the town of Bucha, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said in televised comments on Friday.

Ukrainian officials accuse Russian troops of carrying out extra-judicial killings in Bucha, outside Kyiv. Moscow denies targeting civilians in Ukraine and has said the deaths in Bucha were a “monstrous forgery” staged by the West to discredit it.

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 Ukrainian defences holding in Luhansk region

The governor of Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk said on Friday Russia was accumulating forces in eastern Ukraine but had not broken through Ukrainian defences.

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 Russia’s Polymetal says auditor Deloitte resigns

Russian precious metals producer Polymetal International Plc said on Friday its auditor Deloitte LLP has resigned, as the auditing firm decided to stop its operations in Russia and Belarus in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis.

Polymetal said Deloitte took the decision as the firm would not be able to carry out an audit of a company whose majority of assets and operations are in Russia.

For many Russians, the biggest impact of western sanctions so far has been the rise in prices. Our colleagues at France 3 report from Zvenigorod, west of Moscow:

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Russia says it destroyed training centre for ‘mercenaries’ near Odesa

Russia has said it destroyed a training centre for “foreign mercenaries” near the city of Odesa as part of its military campaign in Ukraine.

“High-precision missiles of the Bastion coastal missile system destroyed a foreign mercenary assembly and training centre near the village of Krasnosilka, northeast of Odesa,” a defence ministry spokesperson said in a briefing.

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Russia focusing on control of Luhansk cities, says Ukraine army

Russian forces are concentrating on taking control of the cities of Popasna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has written in a Facebook post.

It says that Russian forces continue trying to establish control over the besieged city of Mariupol.

“The Russian enemy continues to blockade the city of Kharkiv. To prevent the advance of our troops, the invaders put up minefields,” the post adds. It also warns of the possibility of missile attacks from Belarus on Ukraine’s civilian and military infrastructure.

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Russian forces fully withdrawn from Ukraine’s north: UK

Cities in Ukraine’s east and south continue to be shelled while Russian forces have advanced further south from the city of Izyum, which remains under their control, according to Friday’s intelligence briefing from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence.

“In the north, Russian forces have now fully withdrawn from Ukraine to Belarus and Russia,” the briefing says, adding that some of these will be transferred to fight in the eastern region of Donbas.

They will require significant replenishments before redeployment “with any mass redeployment from the north likely to take at least a week minimum”.

RUSSIAN RADIO MESSAGES DISCUSSED BUCHA KILLINGS, GERMANY SAYS

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Armoured vehicles requested by Zelenskyy leave Australia for Ukraine

The first of 20 Bushmaster vehicles have left Australia for Ukraine, one week after the Ukrainian president requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel-drive armoured vehicles during a speech to the Australian parliament.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday.

“The Bushmaster is well suited to provide protection to the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and Ukrainian civilians against mines and improvised explosive devices, shrapnel from artillery and small arms fire,” he said in a statement.

“Additionally, a Ukrainian flag is painted on either side with the words ‘United with Ukraine’ stencilled in English and Ukrainian to acknowledge our commitment and support to the government and people of Ukraine,” Morrison added.

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Serbia’s vote in UN against Russia was driven by fear of sanctions, president says

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić said his country voted for suspending Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council because of the threat of sanctions against it. Serbia was one of the 93 members that voted to support the resolution.

“People ask why we didn’t vote against or why we didn’t abstain,” Vučić said on Serbia’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Serbia. His comments were also reported on Russian state-owned Ria News.

He said if Serbia abstained, more countries would be against them “and the pressure will become even greater. At the same time, today a decision is being made about the fate of Serbia – whether we will be an exception from the package of sanctions on oil”.

Gazprom Neft, one of the Russian-owned companies sanctioned by the EU, is the majority shareholder of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia.

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Zelenskyy says Russia will use dead Ukrainians in propaganda campaign against his country

Russian propagandists are planning to use the corpses of Mariupol victims to stage a murder scene that can be blamed on Ukraine, Zelenskyy has said.

“They are going to show the victims in Mariupol as if they were killed not by the Russian military, but by the Ukrainian defenders of the city. To do this, the occupiers collect corpses on the streets, take them out and can use them elsewhere in accordance with the elaborated propaganda scenarios.”

Zelenskyy called it a “mirror response” to what people saw in Bucha. Russia has claimed the atrocities in Bucha, where bodies of shot civilians lined the streets, were staged by Ukrainians.

 

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Russians killed 11 civilians for ‘target practice’, ex-minister alleges

Ukraine’s former interior minister has accused Russian snipers of shooting dead 11 civilians in the town of Hostomel, near Kyiv, for “target practice”.

Citing testimony from local residents, Arsen Avakov alleged in post on Telegram that the troops had dragged the civilians’ bodies to a garage on the town’s Sviato-Pokrovsk street after they were killed.

He posted accompanying footage which appeared to show several corpses in an undisclosed, indoor location. Avakov did not specify the date on which the alleged incident took place or provide any other further details.

There was no immediate reaction to the allegation from Moscow and Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify Avakov’s claims.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Ukrainian official warns of ‘last chance’ to flee Russian attacks in east

A regional governor in eastern Ukraine has warned citizens there that time is running out to flee from Russia’s offensive as Moscow moves to seize control of the region.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, said in a post on Facebook that all villages in the area were currently under attack.

“These few days may be the last chance to leave,” he added, cautioning that Russian forces were “trying to cut off all possible ways of taking people out.”

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‘Borodyanka is worse than Bucha’: Reporter

A Ukrainian journalist who visited the town of Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv, has alleged that the number of civilians killed there is “worse than in Bucha”.

Roman Bochkala said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday that Russian forces had destroyed all of the town’s housing amid their offensive, alleging they had “wanted everyone to die.”

“People who were hiding from the air strikes were killed. The basements of multi-story buildings became a trap,” he said.

Bochkala added that it would take two or three days for rescue workers to retrieve the bodies from under the rubble that is strewn across the town.

His claims came after Ukraine’s prosecutor general said on Monday that the number of civilian casualties in Borodyanka may outweigh those in Bucha, where dozens of non-combatants have been found dead.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Ukraine announces 10 humanitarian corridors

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister says Kyiv is aiming to evacuate civilians from several regions in the country’s south and east via 10 humanitarian corridors on Thursday after agreeing on the routes with Russia.

Iryna Vereshchuk said in a post on Telegram that civilians from the Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions will be evacuated to the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut.

She added that residents trying to leave the besieged, southeastern port city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles.

Efforts to get convoys of buses into the city to deliver aid and evacuate tens of thousands of residents trapped there have repeatedly failed.

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Russia air attacks focused on the east, Ukrainian official says

Russian air attacks are now mainly focused mainly on areas in eastern Ukraine, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Oleksiy Arestovych said in a televised address that Moscow’s forces were trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in the region.

He added that Mariupol was holding out despite fierce bombardment and that he believed Russia’s efforts to seize full control of the region, swaths of which are already held by Moscow-backed separatists, would be in vain.

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Russia says it destroyed fuel storage facilities in four Ukrainian cities

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces destroyed four fuel storage facilities in the Ukrainian cities of Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Chuhuiv overnight.

The ministry said the facilities were used by Ukraine to supply its troops near the cities of Mykolaiv and Kharkiv, as well as in the eastern Donbas region.

There was no immediate reaction to the claims from Kyiv.

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Ukraine to press West for full energy embargo on Russia

Ukraine will keep up demands on the West for an oil and gas embargo on Russia after its invasion of the country, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Thursday. Dmytro Kuleba also called for the dispatch of more planes, air defence systems, missiles and military vehicles from NATO allies.

“We will continue to insist on full oil and gas embargo,” he told reporters at NATO, speaking alongside Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

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Ukraine urges Hungary to ‘get on the right side of history’ over Russia

Ukraine has accused Hungary of undermining European Union unity over the bloc’s stance on Russia’s invasion after Budapest said it was prepared to pay in roubles for gas exports from Moscow.

“If Hungary really wants to help end the war, here’s how to do it: stop destroying unity in the EU, support new anti-Russian sanctions, provide military assistance to Ukraine, and not create additional sources of funding for Russia’s military machine,” Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said.

“It is never too late to get on the right side of history,” he added.

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UK says Russian artillery, air strikes continue along Donbas line of control

Russian “artillery and air strikes” are continuing along the Donbas line of control, the United Kingdom’s defence ministry has said in its latest intelligence update on the war.

The ministry said the main focus of Russian forces was “progressing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine”.

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US ramps up sanctions on Russia 

The Biden administration announced it would expand and increase some of the same types of sanctions that have been seen in the past, with full blocking sanctions on two major Russian banks. These sanctions, like the previous ones, include a carve-out for energy purchases. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Kethevane Gorjestani reports from Washington, DC. 

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Shell to take hit of up to $5 bn on Russia exit

British energy giant Shell has warned that it would take a hit of up to $5 billion (4.6 billion euros) on its exit from Russia, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Impairment from assets and additional charges relating to Russia activities were expected to be between $4 billion and $5 billion in the first quarter, Shell said in a statement after recently signalling its gradual withdrawal.

The write-off comes after the London-listed energy major announced in late February that it would sell its stakes in all joint ventures with Russian state energy giant Gazprom after the Kremlin launched its assault on Ukraine.

The group said at the time that the ventures were worth about $3 billion.

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Ukraine FM asks NATO for weapons

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on NATO members to provide Kyiv with all the weaponry it needs to fight Russia.

“My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. It’s weapons, weapons, and weapons,” Kuleba tells journalists at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

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Residents in East told to leave

Ukraine has told residents in the country’s east to evacuate “now” or “risk death” ahead of a feared Russian onslaught on the Donbas region, which Moscow has declared its top prize. 

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Mayor of Bucha says 90 percent of victims shot, not shelled

Nearly all of Ukrainian civilians killed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha were deliberately shot, the town’s mayor, Anatoly Fedoruk, has said.

“Almost 90 percent are bullet shots, not shrapnel,” Fedoruk told the Deutsche Welle broadcaster, contrasting Russian claims that the victims were killed by shelling from the Ukrainian side.

He said that by Wednesday night, the bodies of 320 dead civilians had been found, but the number keeps growing because many bodies have been buried or left in parks and squares of villages outside Bucha.

Russia called the photos and videos of Bucha victims “fake”, claiming they were concocted by Ukrainian forces that entered the town after weeks of Russian occupation.

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Ukraine seeks ‘long-term solutions’ to help it win war with Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who was holding talks with G7 and NATO nations, has said his country was seeking “long-term solutions” to help it win its war with Russia.

“I came here today to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons, and weapons. Ukraine’s urgent needs, the sustainability of supplies, and long-term solutions which will help Ukraine to prevail,” Kuleba wrote in a tweet which he said was sent from NATO headquarters in Brussels.”

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Austria says it is expelling four Russian diplomats

Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for acting in a way incompatible with their diplomatic status, a spokeswoman for its foreign minister has said, joining a group of European Union countries that have taken similar action this week.

Unlike those other EU countries, which include France, Italy and Germany, the spokesperson for Alexander Schallenberg did not say the move was because of Russian forces’ actions in Ukraine.

The three diplomats working at Russia’s embassy and one based in Salzburg must leave the country by April 12, she said.

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New EU sanctions on Russia to be agreed soon, says Borrell

A fifth round of European Union sanctions on Russia, including a ban on coal imports, could be agreed by the bloc on Thursday or on Friday, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has said.

“Maybe this afternoon, or tomorrow at the latest,” he told reporters as he arrived at a NATO meeting.

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US Senate to decide on trade with Russia

The US Senate will take up legislation to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil.

Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the US response to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be held accountable for what Schumer said were war crimes against Ukraine.

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Russia accuses Ukraine of disrupting prisoner exchange

Russia has said that Ukraine at the last minute refused to carry out an earlier agreed exchange of “prisoners of war”.

“The list of 251 servicemen declared for exchange was repeatedly shortened. The number of prisoners of war for the exchange was repeatedly reduced. The list agreed at the last stage in the amount of only 38 servicemen was also suddenly revoked this morning by the Ukrainian side without explanation,” said Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia’s National Defence Management Center.

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Australia to impose sanctions on 67 Russians over Ukraine

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has said that Australia was imposing sanctions on 67 Russians over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Today, I’m announcing 67 further sanctions of Russian elites and oligarchs, those close to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin who facilitate and support his outrageous actions,” she told reporters as she arrived at NATO.

Russia says it launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

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Russian elites won’t be able to stop the war in Ukraine, expert says

Elites close to Russian President Vladimir Putin who disagree with the invasion of Ukraine won’t be able to influence the situation, a Russian political scientist has told an independent news program.

Speaking on exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s YouTube channel, Valery Solovei said some of the elites wanted Russia “to get out” of Ukraine “at any price”. But he stressed it was impossible for them to unite and change Russia’s position on Ukraine.

“They fear each other. And they don’t fear for nothing. That’s because they know if they say anything in the company of three people, two of those people will sell them out.”

Solovei is the former head of the Public Relations Department at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He resigned for unspecified reasons. Russian authorities previously detained him for anti-Kremlin rhetoric and protest participation.

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US sanctions will hurt people says Russian ambassador

US sanctions in relation to Sberbank and Alfa-Bank are a “direct blow to ordinary Russians”, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has said.

The ambassador called sanctions “non-stop attacks” and said the US was trying to tarnish Russia’s reputation by making it difficult for it to make debt payments.

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Russian teacher faces prison after telling students of bombings in Mariupol

A teacher in the Russian town of Penza is facing a fine of three to five million roubles ($36,500-$61,000) or five to 10 years in prison after telling her students about Russian forces bombing Mariupol.

US government-funded news organisation Radio Liberty reported the teacher, Irina Gen, was interviewed by an agent of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) after her students posted her lesson online. She has been charged with spreading “fake news” about the Russian army.

“He insisted that I confess to spreading fakes on purpose. But I was one hundred percent sure that all this was true,” Gen told Radio Liberty.

The Russian parliament toughened its “fake news” laws in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. Under the legislation, those who “knowingly” spread so-called false information about Russian state bodies operating abroad face fines and a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Gen told Radio Liberty she was “in for a painful trial”.

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US Senate to vote on ending normal trade with Russia

The US Senate will vote on Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he wished the vote could have happened sooner, “but after weeks of talks with the other side, it’s important that we have found a path forward”.

The trade suspension measure paves the way for US President Joe Biden to enact higher tariffs on certain Russian imports. The bill banning Russian oil would codify restrictions Biden has already put in place through executive action.

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US Senate to vote on revoking Russia’s trade status, oil ban

The US Senate will take up legislation Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the US response to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be held accountable for what Schumer said were war crimes against Ukraine.

The trade suspension measure paves the way for US President Joe Biden to enact higher tariffs on certain Russian imports. The bill banning Russian oil would codify restrictions Biden has already put in place through executive action.

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Blinken says US supporting Ukraine to increase pressure on Moscow

The United States wants to see the war in Ukraine “come to an end as quickly as possible” and is supporting Ukraine to increase pressure on Russia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

“That’s exactly why we’re making sure that we’re doing everything we can to support Ukraine and to give them the assistance that they need to put pressure … on Russia,” Blinken said.

Blinken said he believed Ukraine can also win the war because “success” and victory is “holding on to the sovereignty and independence of their country”.

“The problem is it may take time, and in the meantime, tremendous death and destruction. But what is so powerful here is that the Ukrainians have made it very clear that they will not subjugate themselves to Vladimir Putin’s will.”

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Macron says killings in Bucha were ‘very probably’ war crimes

The alleged killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha were “very probably war crimes,” said Macron in an interview.

“It was very probably a war crime that was committed there,” said Macron.

Ukraine and many Western countries accuse Russia of having killed several hundred civilians during its occupation of the town. Russia denies this, calling it a Ukrainian “provocation”.

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Rich nations to tap 120m barrels more in emergency oil reserves

Rich countries will tap an additional 120 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves in a bid to calm crude prices that have soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency has said.

The decision to tap the emergency stockpiles was made last Friday at an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the 31-nation IEA, and on Wednesday, IEA chief Fatih Birol tweeted the amount to be tapped, which includes “60 million barrels contributed by the US as part of its overall draw from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.”

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US seeking ‘maximum’ alignment with India: Official

A senior official from the Biden administration has said the US is seeking “alignment to the maximum extent possible” with India amid the war in Ukraine.

“India is our friend. India’s our partner. And we share interests, and we share core principles that are at stake in this conflict,” the official said.

President Biden had previously said that India is “somewhat shaky” in its efforts to join Western countries in penalising Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.

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UK unveils fifth package of Russia sanctions

The United Kingdom has imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia, marking its fifth such package since the war began.

The measures include a freeze on the assets of Russia’s Sberbank and a ban on outward investment to Russia. A further eight oligarchs active in the fertilisers, oil and gas industries, among others, were also sanctioned.

The UK’s government added it intended to stop all imports of Russian coal and oil by the end of 2022, with a plan to halt gas imports “as soon as possible thereafter”.

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Pentagon says Ukraine can ‘absolutely’ win the war

The Pentagon has said it assessed that Ukraine could win the war against Russia, even as US officials speak of the risk of a protracted conflict.

“Of course they can win this,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing.

“The proof is literally in the outcomes that you’re seeing everyday … absolutely they can win.”

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Biden denounces ‘major war crimes’ in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden denounced the widespread killing of Ukrainian civilians allegedly by Russian troops in Bucha as “war crimes.” 

“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures from Bucha, just outside of Kiev: bodies left in the streets as Russian troops withdrew, some shot in the back of the head with their hands tied behind their backs,” Biden said at a labour union event. 

“There’s nothing less happening than major war crimes,” he said. 

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Ukrainian official says 400 people missing in Hostomel

More than 400 residents are missing in the town of Hostomel after a 35-day occupation by Russian forces, Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman has said.

Lyudmyla Denisova quoted witnesses as saying some of the individuals had been killed, but added the alleged victims’ whereabouts were unknown. She did not provide any further details or cite direct evidence for her claim.

Russian forces seized Hostomel, which is near Kyiv and has a strategically important airfield, soon after invading Ukraine on February 24.

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Russia says paid dollar debt in roubles amid default fears

Russia said it had been forced to make foreign debt payments on dollar-denominated bonds in roubles, raising the prospect of a potential default amid unprecedented Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

The announcement came on the 42nd day of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, with thousands killed and more than 11 million having fled their homes or the country in the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

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New US commitment of missiles to Ukraine

A new US commitment of Javelin missiles means the West soon will have provided Ukrainian fighters with 10 anti-tank weapons for every Russian tank in their country, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Blinken spoke to US news broadcaster MSNBC after the US announced an additional $100 million for more Javelin missiles for Ukraine. The US says it has provided $1.7 billion for Ukraine’s defence and aid since Russia started its military operation. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing the West to provide more weapons, faster, and do more to cut off Russia from the global economy, to pressure Putin to make peace. 

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US training small number of Ukrainians on Switchblade drones

A small number of Ukrainians have been trained in the United States on how to operate killer “Switchblade” drones, single-use weapons that fly into their targets and detonate on impact, a senior US defence official disclosed.

The Ukrainians undergoing training on the Switchblades and other weaponry number less than a dozen. They had arrived in the United States for regular military education programs prior to Russia’s offensive in  Ukraine.

“We took advantage of the opportunity to pull them aside for a couple of days and provide them some training, particularly on the switchblades UAV,” the senior US defence official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “UAV” refers to an unmanned aerial vehicle.

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NATO chief says Putin still seeking to ‘control the whole of Ukraine’

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance has seen no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “changed his ambition to control the whole of Ukraine and rewrite the international order”.

Speaking to reporters at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, Stoltenberg warned the war “may last for a long time, for many months, or even years”.

However, he also appealed to Putin to “sit down in good faith … [and] find a political solution” to end the conflict.

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Ukrainian fuel storage base destroyed in the Kharkiv region

Russia’s defence ministry said that a Ukrainian fuel storage base was destroyed by Russian missiles in the Kharkiv region, the RIA news agency quoted it as saying.

The Russian forces also destroyed some Ukrainian military equipment and foreign weapons at a railway station in the same region, RIA reported, citing the ministry. 

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Ukraine FM to discuss need for weapons with NATO, G7 counterparts

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he planned to appeal to his counterparts from G7 and NATO nations to fulfil Ukraine’s request for sufficient weapons to counter Russian forces. 

Speaking in a video address, Kuleba said he was meeting the other foreign ministers on Thursday. “The main topic of my discussion in Brussels will be the supply of all necessary weapons to Ukraine,” he said. 

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Ukrainian Railways report casualties after rockets hit eastern rail station

State-owned Ukrainian Railways said there were a number of casualties after three rockets hit a rail station in eastern Ukraine, damaging buildings, tracks and rail stock.

“There are casualties,” it said in a statement, without providing detail on the number of victims or the location of the attack. 

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Russia mulls more media restrictions

Russian lawmakers introduced a bill into the lower parliament house that, if adopted, would tighten already harsh restrictions on media outlets in the country and their coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.

The bill outlines media law amendments that empower the Prosecutor General’s office to shut down domestic and foreign media outlets for a number of reasons. These would include coverage of Russia’s operation in Ukraine that deviates from the official line and has been criminalised as “fake news,” or which discredits the Russian military and its actions in Ukraine.

Another reason allowing the Prosecutor General’s office to shut down a foreign news outlet operating in Russia would be retaliation for Russian outlets being closed abroad. 

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US To Unveil Sanctions On Major Russian State Enterprises On Thursday – White House

The United States will roll out full blocking sanctions against major Russian state-owned enterprises on April 7, the White House revealed in a fact sheet on Wednesday.

“Full blocking sanctions on critical major Russian state-owned enterprises.

This will prohibit any U.S. person from transacting with these entities and freeze any of their assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction, thereby damaging the Kremlin’s ability to use these entities it depends on to enable and fund its war in Ukraine,” the release said. “The Department of Treasury will announce these entities tomorrow.”

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US To Provide Bank Transaction Licenses For Russia Energy As Long As EU Needs Them- Yellen

The United States will continue providing banking transaction licenses for Russian energy to support its European allies who need US banks to facilitate such imports even if Washington has banned purchases of Russian oil, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a congressional testimony on Wednesday.

“Many of our European partners remain heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, as well as oil, and they are committed to making the transition away from that dependence as soon as possible,” Yellen told the US House Financial Services Committee. “We’re doing all we can to help. But in the meantime, we issued these licenses … to make sure that there can be a continued flow of Russian natural gas and oil (to Europe). We’re working closely with them on sanctions and want to remain aligned with them.”

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‘Evacuate now’, Kiev tells residents of east Ukraine 

Ukraine has told residents of the country’s eastern regions to evacuate “now” or “risk death” due to a feared Russian attack.

“The governors of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions are calling on the population to leave these territories and are doing everything to ensure that the evacuations take place in an organised manner,” deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

The call for urgent evacuations comes as Ukraine says Russian forces are regrouping to launch a fresh offensive in the country’s east after retreating from the Kiev region. 

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NATO chief warns Ukraine conflict may last ‘long time’

The conflict in Ukraine is in a “critical phase” with Russian troops gearing up for a “major offensive” in the east of the country, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg said allies needed to be “prepared for the long haul.”

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Hungary’s Orban speaks to Putin, urges immediate truce

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he had urged Vladimir Putin to put in place an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and invited the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine to meet the Russian leader in Budapest.

“I suggested to President Putin that he declare an immediate ceasefire,” Orban told a press conference, saying the Russian president had initiated the call. “His response was positive, but with conditions,” Orban said, without elaborating.

The Hungarian leader, re-elected on Sunday, added that he had invited Putin to Budapest along with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks. 

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Greece to expel 12 Russian diplomats: foreign ministry

Greece announced that it was expelling 12 Russian diplomats, becoming the latest EU country to order such expulsions amid increasing outrage over the conflict in Ukraine.

“Greek authorities have declared 12 members of diplomatic and consular missions of the Russian Federation accredited in Greece… as personae non gratae,” the foreign ministry said.

It did not specifically mention the Ukraine conflict, but said the move came under 1961 and 1963 Vienna conventions governing diplomatic and consular affairs. 

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Drugmaker GSK cuts ties with Russian government over Ukraine crisis

Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline has cut ties with the Russian government after sanctions on Moscow for its attack on Ukraine, the drugmaker’s website showed on Wednesday, as the company’s consumer arm also stopped imports of supplements and vitamins.

“We support global sanctions and will comply with them,” GSK said in its update. “We have taken a precautionary approach to stop, to the fullest extent possible, any direct involvement and support to the Russian government and military.” 

Over 68,000 Ukrainians take refuge in Türkiye: UN refugee agency

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, more than 68,000 Ukrainians have fled to Türkiye, an official of the UN refugee agency has said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency after a recent event in the central Konya province, UNHCR Türkiye representative Philippe Leclerc said the agency is dealing with the “ever-rising number of refugees” all over the world.

Today, there are more than 30 million refugees, and 90 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the globe, Leclerc said.

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Poland gives citizens crisis preparation tips

Poland’s government has issued a guide that instructs the public how to prepare for a crisis like war and what to do during attacks with weapons ranging from conventional to chemical and nuclear.

Posted on the Government Security Center’s website this week, the “Be Ready – Guide for Times of Crisis and War” gives detailed instructions in written form and videos. 

European Union and NATO member Poland supports neighbouring Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s attack and is calling for European imports of Russian energy sources to stop. The tough stance has raised concerns among some ordinary Poles. 

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UK: Russian atrocities ‘not far short of genocide,’

The British prime minister condemned alleged Russian atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, but stopped short of labelling the civilian killings outright genocide as described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow have been facing vehement criticism from the international community after Ukraine accused Russian forces of committing “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha, a town near the capital Kiev.

Russia has rejected the allegations as a “fake news attack,” arguing that images of bodies and footage of slain civilians that have drawn global outrage were staged after Russian forces withdrew from the city.

Ukraine’s Zelensky says he cannot tolerate ‘indecisiveness’ on sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he could not tolerate any indecisiveness from Western countries on imposing new sanctions on Russia, in an address to Ireland’s parliament on Wednesday.

“When we are hearing new rhetoric about sanctions…I can’t tolerate any indecisiveness after everything that Russian troops have done,” he told a rare joint sitting of both houses of parliament by video link, calling on Ireland to convince its EU partners to introduce more rigid sanctions.

Speaking via an interpreter, Zelensky said Ukraine civilian infrastructure, including a fuel depot, was hit by Russian missiles overnight and accused Moscow of deliberately provoking a food crisis by using hunger as a “weapon”.

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KOSOVO, BOSNIA CALL FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP AS WAR RAGES IN UKRAINE

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 Ukraine’s foreign minister says gas and oil embargo needed to stop Putin

Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomed new European Union sanctions planned against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but said an embargo on Russian gas and oil was needed “to stop” President Vladimir Putin.

“I appreciate the strengthening of the fifth EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”

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 Russia wants to keep diplomatic ties with West despite expulsions

Russia wants to maintain diplomatic relations with Western countries despite a series of expulsions of its diplomats, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Wednesday.

Grushko said European countries disrupting the work of Russian diplomats were damaging their own interests.

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Pope, holding Ukrainian flag, condemns ‘atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha’

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned “the massacre of Bucha’ and held up a Ukrainian flag that was sent to him from the town where bound bodies shot at close range, a mass grave and other signs of executions were found.

“Recent news from the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, brought new atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha,” he said at the end of his weekly audience.

“Cruelty that is increasingly horrendous, even against civilians, defenceless women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood cries out up to heaven and implores: ‘Stop this war!'” he said.

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Putin ally Medvedev vows international legal battle over property seizures

Moscow will fight attempts to seize Russian property abroad in courts around the world, former president Dmitry Medvedev said in a post on the Telegram social network on Wednesday.

“Opponents of Russia… should understand that they will face a large number of cases in courts. Both in the national courts of the United States and Europe and in international courts,” said Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council.

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Website of Russian oil company Gazprom Neft goes down after apparent hack

The website of Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom, has gone down after an apparent hack.

The website briefly posted a statement purporting to be from Gazprom’s Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, making critical comments about Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine.

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Car rams Russian Embassy gate in Romania, driver dead

A car has crashed into the gate of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, bursting into flames and killing the driver, police has said.

The sedan rammed into the gate at about 6am but did not enter the embassy compound. Video of the aftermath showed the car engulfed in flames as security personnel ran through the area.

In a statement after the incident, the Russian embassy said no employees were injured and expressed condolences to the family of the driver. “There is no doubt that he committed this act under the influence of an explosion of anti-Russian hysteria in connection with a staged provocation in the city of Bucha.”

 The Russian defence ministry has claimed the gruesome scenes in Bucha were faked by Ukrainian forces as a “provocation.”

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Ban on Russian oil and gas imports will be ‘needed’ at some point: EU’s Michel

The European Union will have to introduce measures against imports of Russian oil and even gas at some point as a way to pressure Moscow to stop its invasion of Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel said on Wednesday.

“I think that measures on oil and even gas will also be needed sooner or later,” Michel told the European Parliament.

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Turkey calls for probe into civilian deaths in Bucha

Turkey on Wednesday joined the global condemnation of the murder of civilians in the town of Bucha and other cities in Ukraine, and called for an independent investigation.

“The images of the massacre, which have been published in the press from various regions including Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv, are appalling and sad for humanity,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Aside from a tweeted message by the Turkish embassy in Ukraine on Monday, it was the first official reaction from Turkey after dozens of bodies were found in mass graves or littering the streets near the Ukrainian capital over the weekend.

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 The world must act to stop ‘mass murder’ in Ukraine says UK health minister

The world must act to stop the mass murder in Ukraine, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Wednesday. “This is mass murder on an unprecedented scale in Europe. We haven’t seen the likes of this I think since 1995,” he told BBC television.

“I don’t want to be commemorating another genocide in Europe years from now. We have the power, the world has the power to stop this, and it must act.”

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Russian guards came under fire in region bordering Ukraine: Official

Border guards in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine have come under fire, a Russian regional official has said.

“Yesterday, on April 5, they tried to fire mortars at the position of our border guards in the Sudzhansky district,” Roman Starovoit, the governor of the Kursk region, said.

“Russian border guards returned fire… There were no casualties or damage on our side.”

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine.

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Hungary’s foreign ministry summons Ukrainian envoy over ‘insults’

Hungary’s foreign ministry has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador over what it called offensive comments from Kyiv regarding Budapest’s stance on Russia’s invasion.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary had condemned Russia’s invasion, acknowledged Ukraine’s sovereignty and taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war.

So it was “time for Ukrainian leaders to stop their insults directed at Hungary and acknowledge the will of the Hungarian people,” Szijjarto said in a statement, referring to Sunday’s election win.

“This is not our war, so we want to and will stay out of it,” Szijjarto added.

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India trying to ‘stabilise economic transactions’ with Russia

India’s foreign minister says the country’s government is working to “stabilise economic transactions” with Russia, a day after New Delhi condemned the killing of civilians in Ukraine and called for an independent probe.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told India’s parliament that Russia continues to be a critical economic partner.

Russia is India’s main supplier of defence hardware but overall annual trade is small, averaging about $9bn in the past few years, and largely centred on fertiliser and oil.

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Ukraine’s Luhansk region tells civilians to evacuate while they can

Authorities in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk have urged residents to get out “while it is safe” through five “humanitarian corridors.”

Ukraine has said Russian troops are regrouping and preparing for a new offensive in the Donbas area, which includes Luhansk.

“We will take everyone out if the Russians allow us to get to the meeting [point]” the Luhansk region governor, Serhiy Gaidai, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that the fact that rail connections had been damaged this week was “another alarm bell.”

“I appeal to every resident of the Luhansk region – evacuate while it is safe … While there are buses and trains – take this opportunity.”

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Dutch government preventing 14 Russian yachts from leaving

The Dutch government has said it is currently preventing 14 yachts from leaving the country due to sanctions on Russia, including 12 that were under construction for Russian owners.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the statement in a letter to parliament, updating lawmakers on the enforcement of sanctions.

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UK health minister says world must act to stop ‘mass murder’ in Ukraine

The world must act to stop the mass murder in Ukraine, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said.

“This is mass murder on an unprecedented scale in Europe. We haven’t seen the likes of this I think since 1995,” he told BBC television.

“I don’t want to be commemorating another genocide in Europe years from now. We have the power, the world has the power to stop this, and it must act.”

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One civilian killed, 5 wounded in Luhansk: Official

Russian shelling has killed one civilian and wounded five in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, a defence official has said.

Serhiy Hayday said on Telegram that the shelling killed five more civilians in the town of Rubiznhe that has been pummelled for weeks.

He said that four more towns in Luhansk have been shelled overnight causing fires in apartment buildings and houses.

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Russia targets fuel depot near Dnipro city

Russian forces have struck a fuel depot near the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, regional authorities have said, hitting an area that has avoided the brunt of fighting. 

No one was wounded in the attack and firefighters fought for eight hours to extinguish the flames.

“The night was alarming and difficult. The enemy attacked our region from the air and hit an oil depot and a factory. The oil depot with fuel was destroyed,” the region’s governor, Valentin Reznitchenko, said in a statement on social media.

The head of the regional council, My kola Lukashuk, said the Russian strikes occurred late on Tuesday in Novomoskovsk, about 25 kilometres from Dnipro, describing the attacks as “cynical” in a region with “no Ukrainian soldiers”.

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Greece to ask 12 Russian diplomats to leave country

Greece will ask 12 Russian diplomats to leave the country in reaction to the conflict in Ukraine, declaring them “personae non-gratae”, the foreign ministry has said.

The Greek foreign ministry’s general secretary has informed the Russian ambassador of the decision. The Russian diplomats were not acting in accordance with international rules, a foreign ministry official said.

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Ukraine retakes three villages in Kherson: Military

Three villages have been retaken from Russian troops in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, the General Staff of Armed Forces has said.

The villages of Dobryanka, Novovoznisenske and Trudolyubovka were “liberated” after weeks of occupation, it said in a video posted on YouTube.

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Over 167 Ukrainian children killed by Russians: Prosecutors

At least 167 children have been killed in Ukraine including two in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian prosecutors have said.

Some 279 have been wounded, the General Prosecutor’s Office said on Telegram.

Most of the deaths were reported in the southeastern Donetsk region that is partially controlled by separatists and Russian troops (81), around Kyiv (78) and the eastern region of Kharkiv (64).

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Remains of child found in burned pile of bodies in Bucha

The Associated Press says its reporters saw “the small, blackened foot of a child” in the tangle of a pile of six burned corpses in Bucha.

One of the blackened bodies had arms raised in supplication and face contorted in a scream, while the skull of another had a bullet hole in the left temple.

It was not clear who the people were or under what circumstances they were killed, the agency said.

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EU: How Ukraine conflict ends matters

The European Union wants the conflict in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, but how that happens is important too, its chief diplomat has said, calling for the bloc to send more arms to Kiev.

“Because if we’re going to have a destroyed country that has been dismembered territorially and neutralised, with millions of people in exile, and millions of people dead, then no, we don’t want this war to end like this,” Josep Borrell told European Parliament.

“That is why we have to continue arming Ukraine…More weapons, that is what the Ukrainians expect of us.”

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UK: World must act to stop ‘mass murder’ in Ukraine

The world must act to stop the mass murder in Ukraine, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said, comparing reports of civilian killings by Russian troops to a 1995 genocide in Bosnia.

Since Russian troops withdrew from towns and villages around the Ukrainian capital Kiev, Ukrainian troops have been showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Russian forces, destroyed houses and burnt-out cars. 

“This is mass murder on an unprecedented scale in Europe. We haven’t seen the likes of this I think since 1995,” he told BBC television.

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British exhibitions group Hyve to sell its business assets in Russia

British exhibitions group Hyve Group has said it proposed to sell its Russian business to Rise Expo for a maximum price of $93.96 million, as it looks to exit the country following its attacks on Ukraine.

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Russia hits fuel depot, factory in Dnipropetrovsk: Ukraine

Russian forces have attacked overnight a fuel depot and a factory in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, governor Valentyn Reznichenko has said on Telegram. The number of casualties was unclear.

“The night was alarming and difficult. The enemy attacked our area from the air and hit the oil depot and one of the plants. The oil depot with fuel was destroyed. Rescuers are still putting out the flames at the plant,” Reznichenko wrote.

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Russian airstrikes, heavy fighting continue in Mariupol: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says the humanitarian situation in the besieged city of Mariupol is worsening due to continued Russian air strikes and heavy fighting.

“Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

“Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender,” it added.

 

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People can still only flee Mariupol by car or on foot: Ukraine

People are still only able to flee the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol on foot or by private car as efforts to organise mass evacuations by bus to safer parts of Ukraine have failed, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has revealed.

In an online post, Vereshchuk said seven buses trying to get to Mariupol had not managed to make its way through a Russian blockade.

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Some 20 people died in some occupied villages in Zaporizhzhia: Governor

The governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region has said some villages that were recaptured from Russian forces saw up to 20 people die while under occupation out of populations of around 120.

“You had a village of 120 people – 15, 17, 20 people died. If you compare that proportionally to Bucha, it’s the same loss, maybe even more,” said Governor Oleksandr Starukh on national television.

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Bucha war crimes claim aims to derail Ukraine talks, says Russian minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said the discovery of bodies in the Ukrainian town of Bucha was a “provocation” aimed at scuppering talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

“A question arises: What purpose does this blatantly untruthful provocation serve? We are led to believe it is to find a pretext to torpedo the ongoing negotiations,” Lavrov said in a video message broadcast on Russian television.

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Doctors Without Borders says team witnessed Russian strikes during visit to Mykolaiv

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières or MSF) said in a statement on Tuesday that its team witnessed Russian strikes during a hospital visit on Monday in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine and managed to take cover and escape unharmed.

“Several explosions took place in close proximity to our staff over the course of about 10 minutes,” said MSF head of mission in Ukraine Michel-Olivier Lacharité. “As they were leaving the area, the MSF team saw injured people and at least one dead body.”

The Geneva-based MSF did not give details on how it knew the strikes were Russian and did not provide evidence beyond the statement.

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 Britain says sanctions have frozen $350 billion in Russian ‘war chest’

Britain has frozen some $350 billion in assets from the “war chest” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said during a visit to Warsaw on Tuesday.

“So far, our sanctions have had a crippling impact on those who feed and fund Putin’s war machine. This week we will announce that we’ve frozen over $350 billion of Putin’s war chest,” Truss said.

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UN views graphic video of Ukraine war victims 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky showed the UN Security Council a graphic video Tuesday of dead women, children and men, including burned bodies and victims in mass graves, in shocking images of atrocities committed during Russia’s invasion.

The 90-second clip – which showed partially uncovered dead in shallow graves, several bodies in a courtyard and dead people with hands tied behind their back slumped towards a wall – played minutes after Zelensky addressed the 15-member council by videolink.

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 Zelensky speech sparks calls to expel Russia from UN’s Human Rights Council

In an impassioned speech to the Security Council on Tuesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded accountability for “Russian crimes” in Ukraine, and said Russia should be removed from the UN Security Council.

The US and Albanian representatives said they supported removing Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, a different body. This process could be initiated in the coming days, says FRANCE 24’s Jessica le Masurier reporting from New York.

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Charity group says team witnessed hospital bombing in Mykolaiv

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said in a statement its team witnessed Russian strikes during a hospital visit on April 4 in Mykolaiv, Ukraine and managed to take cover and escape unharmed.

“Several explosions took place in close proximity to our staff over the course of about 10 minutes,” said Michel-Olivier Lacharite, MSF head of mission in Ukraine. “As they were leaving the area, the MSF team saw injured people and at least one dead body.”

The Geneva-based MSF did not give details on how it knew the strikes were Russian and did not provide evidence beyond the statement.

Reuters news agency said it had not been able to verify the details of the incident.

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Lavrov says West trying to sink Russia-Ukraine talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the West of trying to derail negotiations between Russia and Ukraine by fuelling “hysteria” over alleged war crimes by Moscow’s forces.

Lavrov said, without providing evidence, that Moscow believed the accusations were timed to wreck the negotiating process after what he described as progress when Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in Turkey last week.

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‘Dangerous’ for Russia to remain on UN Human Rights Council, says US envoy

The US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that given a “growing mountain of evidence”, Russia should not remain on the UN Human Rights Council.

“It is dangerous,” Thomas-Greenfield said during a UN Security Council meeting.

Her comments followed a call minutes earlier from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to remove Russia from the Security Council.

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Allegations against Russia regarding Bucha ‘ungrounded’: Russia’s UN ambassador

Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia in his remarks to Zelenskyy at the UN Security Council (UNSC) said Moscow places “on your conscience the ungrounded accusations against the Russian military, which are not confirmed by any eyewitnesses”.

Russia has claimed that images presented by Ukrainian authorities to show there had been a massacre in Bucha were fake, or that the deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out of the areas.

“You only saw what they showed you. You couldn’t ignore the flagrant inconsistencies in the version of events which are being promoted by Ukrainian and Western media,” the ambassador told the UNSC.

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Russian invasion of Ukraine ‘one of the greatest challenges ever to the international order’ says UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Security Council on Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is one of “the greatest challenges ever to the international order”, “because of its nature, intensity, and consequences”.

Guterres said the war was putting even more pressure on the developing world, with more than 1.2 billion people particularly vulnerable to spiking food, energy and fertilizer costs.

“We are already seeing some countries move from vulnerability into crisis, and signs of serious social unrest,” he added.

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 Putin says Russia will monitor food exports to ‘hostile’ countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday Moscow would carefully “monitor” food exports to “hostile” nations as the West pummels the country with sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

“Against the backdrop of global food shortages, this year we will have to be prudent with supplies abroad and carefully monitor such exports to countries that are clearly hostile towards us,” Putin said at a meeting.

The Russian president also condemned European “pressure” on the Russian gas provider Gazprom, and warned of possible reprisals.

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More than 7.1 million Ukrainians internally displaced since war, IOM says

According to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than 7.1 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. This represents a 10 percent increase compared to the initial estimates in the first round of surveys on March 16.

Additional evaluations provided by the UN refugee agency UNHCR suggest that 4.2 million more Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country due to the war.

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UN chief says he will ‘never forget’ images of Bucha victims

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the UNSC he will “never forget” seeing images of dead civilians in Bucha, adding the war in Ukraine has led to a “senseless loss of life”.

Guterres said he was “equally shocked by the personal testimony of rapes and sexual violence” alleged to have been carried out by Russian forces that are now emerging.

He added that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses one of the greatest challenges ever to the international order “because of its nature, intensity, and consequences”.

Guterres said the war was heaping intense pressure on the developing world, with more than 1.2 billion people particularly vulnerable to spiking food, energy and fertiliser costs as a result of the conflict.

“We are already seeing some countries move from vulnerability into crisis,” he added.

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Putin says possible nationalisation of Russian assets abroad is ‘a double-edged weapon’

President Vladimir Putin has said the possible nationalisation of Russian assets abroad is “a double-edged weapon” in a thinly-veiled warning that suggests Moscow may respond in kind to any such moves by foreign governments.

Putin’s remarks came a day after Germany said its energy regulator would take control of Gazprom Germania, a gas trading, storage and transmission business.

Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom said last week that it was exiting the business in Germany amid a dispute between Moscow and Berlin over the Kremlin’s insistence that Russian gas exports must be paid for in roubles.

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Blinken accuses Russia of waging ‘deliberate campaign to commit atrocities’ in Bucha

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia of waging a deliberate campaign to commit atrocities in Bucha.

“What we’ve seen in Bucha is not the random act of a rogue unit,” Blinken told reporters before departing for Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting at the transatlantic alliance’s headquarters.

“It’s a deliberate campaign to kill, to torture, to rape, to commit atrocities,” he added.

Blinken said the United States was supporting the efforts of Ukrainian authorities in their investigation of the alleged atrocities. Russia has denied targeting civilians amid its offensive and accused Ukrainian authorities of fabricating the scenes in Bucha.

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 NATO chief fears ‘more atrocities’ will be discovered in Ukraine

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday he feared there were “more atrocities” to be discovered in areas of Ukraine that were occupied by Russian troops.

“When and if they withdraw the troops and Ukrainian troops take over, I’m afraid they will see more mass graves, more atrocities and more examples of war crimes,” he told a media conference.

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Borrell Says He Decided To Expel Several Employees Of Russian Permanent Mission In EU

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he had decided to declare a number of employees of the Russian Permanent Mission in the EU personae non gratae.

“Today I decided to designate persona non grata a number of officials of the permanent mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union for engaging in activities contrary to their diplomatic status,” he said.

The head of the Russian mission was invited to the European External Action Service to familiarize himself with this decision, Borrell added.

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EU proposes ban on coal imports from Russia

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU needed to increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after what she described as “heinous crimes” carried out around Kyiv, with evidence that Russian troops may have deliberately killed Ukrainian civilians.

Ms von der Leyen said the ban on coal imports would be worth €4bn a year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.

To take a clear stand is not only crucial for us in Europe but also for the rest of the world

She did not mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU member countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes more difficult to secure.

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Israeli PM condemns Bucha killings, but does not mention Russia

Israel’s prime minister has condemned the alleged massacre of civilians in Bucha but stopped short of accusing Russian forces of being behind the killings.

“We’re shocked by the terrifble sights in Bucha – awful scenes – and we condemn them. The suffering of Ukrainian citizens is immense, and we’re doing everything we can to assist,” Naftali Bennett said at a televised news conference.

Israel has been restrained in its criticism of Russia during the crisis, citing Bennett’s efforts to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv. Israel also wants to keep channels open to the Russian military in Syria, where it often mounts air raids.

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Satellite images suggest bodies in Bucha streets for weeks

A set of satellite images of a Bucha street appear to show several bodies in or just off the road where Ukraine officials have accused the Russians of killing civilians.

The photographs, taken in mid-March by Maxar Technologies, seem to rebut Russian assertions that the bodies in civilian clothing found in Bucha appeared there after its forces had retreated.

“High-resolution Maxar satellite imagery collected over Bucha, Ukraine (northwest of Kyiv) verifies and corroborates recent social media videos and photos that reveal bodies lying in the streets and left out in the open for weeks,” Maxar Technologies spokesman Stephen Wood said in a statement, according to the AFP news agency.

In an analysis of the images alongside footage from April 1 and 2, The New York Times concluded that many of the bodies had been there for at least three weeks.

 

 

 

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Russian strike hits tank of nitric acid in Rubizhne, Ukraine says

A Russian strike has hit a tank of nitric acid in the eastern Ukrainian city of Rubizhne, causing a cloud of toxic smoke to cover the area, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s parliament tweeted:

 

Residents of Rubizhne have been warned to stay indoors or wear a face mask dipped in sodium solution, CNN cited Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, as saying.

It’s better to wait inside, this acid will decompose after the rain. But nobody knows when it’s going to rain.

So please watch this pink cloud and if it moves towards you — please hide inside and wait inside. This was a direct hit in the tank.

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BIDEN’S WAR CRIME COMMENT ON PUTIN UNACCEPTABLE, KREMLIN SAYS

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US STOPS RUSSIAN BOND PAYMENTS

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FACEBOOK BRIEFLY BLOCKS HASHTAGS TIED TO BUCHA KILLINGS

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SPAIN, ITALY, DENMARK, SWEDEN EXPEL RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS

 

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Red Cross team held on way to Marioupol ‘released’

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been released after being stopped during an attempt to reach the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol and held in nearby Manhush, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Tuesday.

“After negotiations, they were released during the night and sent to Zaporizhzhia,” she said referring to a nearby city.

The team had been aiming to reach the besieged city of Mariupol on Monday and evacuate some of the remaining residents who are lacking basic supplies. It was their fourth such attempt since Friday.

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EU ‘probably’ to adopt new Russian sanctions Wednesday, French minister says

The European Union will most likely adopt a new round of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday after reports of killings of civilians in northern Ukraine by Russian forces, said France’s European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune.

“The new sanctions will probably be adopted tomorrow,” Beaune told RFI radio on Tuesday, adding the EU should also quickly act on gas and coal imports from Russia.

Russia denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians, including in Bucha. Its envoy to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said Russia will present “empirical evidence” to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday showing its forces were not involved in atrocities.

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Ukraine’s Zelensky to address UN Security Council 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday after saying it is in Kyiv’s interest to have the most open investigation into the killing of civilians in Ukraine.

He said that in Bucha, where mass graves and bodies were found after Ukraine took the town back from Russian forces, at least 300 civilians have been killed, and he expects that in Borodyanka and other towns the number of casualties may be even higher.

The speech will be Zelensky’s first to the UN body since Russia’s invasion. It comes after he made an emotional trip to Bucha outside the capital, where dozens of bodies were discovered after the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Horrific images of corpses lying in the streets, some with their hands bound behind them, have drawn international condemnation.

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165 children killed by Russians: Ukrainian prosecutors

At least 165 children have been killed in Ukraine including four in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian prosecutors said have said
Some 266 have been wounded, the General Prosecutor’s Office said on Telegram. https://t.me/pgo_gov_ua/3532

Most of them lost their lives in the southeastern Donetsk region that is partially controlled by separatists and Russian troops (78), around Kyiv (77) and the eastern region of Kharkiv (61), it said.

It also said that 869 educational buildings such as schools have been damaged, 83 of them completely destroyed.

Reporting by Al Jazeera’s Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine

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French minister: EU likely to adopt new Russia sanctions

The EU will likely adopt a new round of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, France’s European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune has said.

The latest possible measure come after reports of killings of civilians in northern Ukraine by Russian forces.

“The new sanctions will probably be adopted tomorrow”, he told RFI radio, adding the EU should also quickly act on gas and coal imports from Russia.

Russia denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians.

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Withdrawing Russian troops likely to require ‘significant re-equipping’ before redeployment: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says Ukrainian forces have retaken key northern terrain, forcing Russian forces to retreat from areas around the city of Chernihiv and north of the capital, Kyiv.

Low-level fighting is likely to continue in some of the recaptured areas, but reduce this week as the remainder of the Russian forces withdraw, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

“Many Russian units withdrawing from northern Ukraine are likely to require significant re-equipping and refurbishment before being available to redeploy for operations in eastern Ukraine.”

 

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China, Ukraine foreign ministers speak by phone

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, in a phone call on Monday.

The call, which Beijing said was made at Ukraine’s request, was the first reported high-level conversation between the countries since March 1, when Kuleba asked Wang to use Beijing’s ties with Moscow to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During Monday’s call, Wang again urged talks to end the conflict, according to Chinese state media.

“Wars end eventually,” Wang said. “The key is how to reflect on the pain, to maintain lasting security in Europe and establish a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism.”

He added that China “stands ready to play a constructive role in this regard in an objective position”.

Kuleba, in a Twitter post, said he was “grateful to my Chinese counterpart for solidarity with civilian victims”.

He added, “We both share the conviction that ending the war against Ukraine serves common interests of peace, global food security and international trade.”

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Russia slams US, UK efforts to suspend it from UN rights body

Moscow's actions in Ukraine are being 'distorted,' says Russia's UN envoy

Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has reacted furiously to the US and UK’s efforts to suspend Moscow from the UN Human Rights Council.

“This is unbelievable,” he said.

“What the West is trying to do with Russia, trying to exclude it from multilateral forums we are having in the world … this is unprecedented.”

He added, “This will not facilitate or encourage or be helpful to what is happening between Russian and Ukrainians in peace talks.”

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Russia dismisses Ukrainian allegations of war crimes as ‘propaganda’

Russia has pushed back against allegations its soldiers have committed war crimes in Ukraine, casting such allegations as fake propaganda staged by Ukrainian special forces to besmirch Moscow.

Since Russian troops withdrew from towns and villages around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Moscow’s forces.

“These are fakes that matured in the cynical imagination of Ukrainian propaganda,” Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said it had evidence that the 72nd Ukrainian Main Center for Psychological Operations had helped stage such propaganda in a village 23km (14 miles) northwest of Kyiv as well as in Sumy, Konotop, and other places.

“Soldiers of the 72nd Ukrainian Main Center for Psychological Operations conducted another staged filming of civilians allegedly killed by the violent actions of the Russian armed forces,” the ministry said. It gave no further details.

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Facebook briefly blocks hashtags tied to Bucha killings

Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has confirmed that it briefly restricted hashtags related to civilian deaths in Ukraine’s Bucha.

Meta spokesman Andy Stone said automated systems that scan for violent imagery on Facebook and Instagram were responsible for blocking hashtags including #bucha and #buchamassacre.

“This happened automatically because of the graphic content people posted using these hashtags. When we were made aware of the issue yesterday, we acted quickly to unblock the hashtags,” he wrote on Twitter.

Facebook and Instagram permit the posting of graphic and violent content when it is shared to raise awareness of possible human rights abuses, but delete the content if it is extremely explicit or celebrates suffering.

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Kharkiv braces for more Russian attacks

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russian forces are preparing to seize the eastern city of Kharkiv, but said Ukrainian troops are holding their positions and are pushing the invading soldiers back.

Oleksandr Motuzianyk, spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry, told reporters that Russian troops were concentrating their “main efforts on preparations for offensive operations” to capture besieged Kharkiv.

But Russian forces are not yet able to approach the city just yet, said Oleg Sinegubov, the governor of Kharkiv region.

“Currently our armed forces are holding their positions, and in some directions we are pushing the enemy out of Kharkiv’s towns,” he told Ukrainian television.

“The situation is changing by the hour. Currently, we understand that the enemy is unable to make an approach to Kharkiv.”

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Torture chamber found in Bucha children’s facility: Prosecutor’s office

Ukrainian police have found a “torture chamber” in the basement of a children’s sanatorium in Bucha, the prosecutor general’s office said.

In a Telegram post, the office said “police found the bodies of five men with their hands tied” there.

“Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation tortured unarmed civilians and then killed them.”

Ira Gavriluk holds her cat as she walks among the bodies of her husband, brother, and another man, who were killed outside her home in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 4, 2022 [Felipe Dana/AP Photo]

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Red Cross involved in collecting evidence of Bucha killings: Ukraine official

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky has pledged a speedy independent review and documentation of atrocities discovered in Bucha.

“As soon as the bridges that the Russians blew up during their retreat have been repaired, experts will have access,” he told the German daily Tagesspiegel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was already involved in collecting evidence, the minister said, adding that other international experts would soon join the investigation.

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About two-thirds of Russian troops located near Kyiv have now left: US official

A senior US defence official says about two-thirds of the roughly 20 Russian battalions that had been located around Kyiv have now left and are either in Belarus or on their way there.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a military assessment, said the US assesses that Russian forces are being resupplied and reinforced in Belarus and would then go back into Ukraine, potentially in the Donbas region in the east.

In addition, the official said Russian troops have been moving out of Sumy and back into Russia.

But they have been reinforcing and repositioning their artillery and putting more energy into the fight around the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas.

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US allocates $250,000 to help Ukraine deal with potential chemical attack

The US is allocating $250,000 to the global chemical weapons watchdog to provide assistance to Ukraine if it is targeted or threatened with chemical weapons.

Marc Shaw, deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of State, said in a statement that he hoped the money will allow the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to “quickly assist Ukraine as it seeks protection against chemical threats from the Russian government”.

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18 journalists killed in Ukraine since Russian invasion: Ministry

The Ukrainian Culture and Information Ministry says 18 journalists have been killed in the country since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said the victims included 15 men and three women.

The ministry added that 13 other journalists had been wounded, eight had been abducted or taken prisoner and three journalists were still missing.

Reporters Without Borders, the global media watchdog, says it has documented the death of seven journalists in Ukraine.

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Ukraine registers 7,000 reports of Russian war crimes in Kyiv: Prosecutor

Ukraine’s Prosecutor Genera Iryna Venediktova says her office has registered more than 7,000 cases alleging Russian war crimes in the Kyiv region.

She said her office has already started investigating war crimes in Irpin, Bucha and Worsel.

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Canada’s Trudeau promises to hold ‘Putin and his enablers’ accountable

 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government will not “spare any effort” to make sure violations of international law in Ukraine are investigated.

In a tweet, Trudeau also said Ottawa would continue to hold Putin accountable, pointing to fresh sanctions targeting nine Russian and nine Belarusian officials that it accused of enabling “violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence”.

“We won’t relent in holding Putin and his enablers accountable,” Trudeau said.

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US to announce new sanctions against Russia this week

The United States will announce new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine this week, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

“You can expect further sanctions announcements this week,” Sullivan told reporters. He said that discussions about sanctions with European allies include “options that relate to energy”.

The United States will also have announcements of additional military assistance for Ukraine in the coming days, Sullivan added.

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US supporting team of international prosecutors collecting evidence on atrocities in Ukraine

The United States, at the request of Ukraine, is supporting a multi-national team of international prosecutors to the region to help collect and analyse evidence of atrocities with a view toward pursuing accountability, the State Department has said.

“We are tracking and documenting atrocities and sharing information with institutions working to hold responsible those accountable,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

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Kyiv mayor calls on residents who fled not to return yet

The mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko has called on the residents of the Ukrainian capital who fled the conflict in the city not to return for “at least another week”.

“First, there is a round-the-clock curfew in several districts of Kyiv region. Also in the cities near the capital, where the fighting continued, a large number of explosive devices were found – which can pose a great threat,” he said.

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Russia says ‘unfriendly’ German expulsion of diplomats will worsen ties

Moscow has said that a decision by Germany to expel a number of Russian diplomats in response to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine was “unfriendly” and would worsen ties.

“The unfounded reduction in the number of diplomatic staff at Russian missions in Germany will narrow the space for maintaining dialogue between our countries, which will lead to a further deterioration in Russian-German relations,” the Russian embassy in Berlin said in a statement posted on Telegram.

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Bodies of five men found in a basement in Bucha: prosecutor

Bodies of five men tortured and killed by Russian troops were found in a basement of a children’s health resort, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office has said in a statement on Telegram.

“In the basement of one of the children’s sanatoriums, police found the bodies of five men with their hands tied,” the statement said.

“Soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces tortured and killed unarmed civilians”, it added.

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Moscow to respond to expulsion of its diplomats from France

Moscow will respond to France’s decision to expel Russian diplomats, Interfax news agency has reported, citing the Russian foreign ministry.

France has decided to expel many Russian diplomatic staff, echoing a similar action taken by Germany.

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Russia backs self-proclaimed pro-Kremlin mayor in Mariupol, says city council

Russia has backed a self-proclaimed mayor of Ukraine’s southeastern port city of Mariupol who is collaborating with Russian forces, the city council has said in an online post.

Mariupol has been encircled by Russian forces, who have taken control of some of the city, but as of Monday Russia had not succeeded in taking full control, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.

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Images of massacre from regions near Kiev ‘horrifying’: Turkish Embassy in Kiev

The images of the massacre reported by media from various regions near Kiev, including Bucha and Irpin, are ”horrifying,” the Turkish Embassy in Kiev has said.

“The targeting of innocent civilians is never acceptable. It is our basic expectation that the matter will be subject to an independent investigation and those responsible will be identified,” the embassy said on Twitter.

“As it has been since the first day of the war, Türkiye will continue to work to end such shameful scenes for humanity and to ensure peace as soon as possible,” it added.

 

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France to expel Russian diplomatic staff

France has decided to expel many Russian diplomatic staff, echoing a similar action taken by Germany, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

“Their actions go against our national security interests. This move [to expel the diplomatic staff] is part of a European initiative,” the ministry said in a statement.

A ministry source, who asked not to be named, said 35 Russian diplomats would be expelled.

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Germany expels  of Russian diplomats: minister

Germany is expelling 40 Russian diplomats in response to the reported killings in Bucha and says further measures with partners are being prepared.

The decision came in response to “the war crimes committed in Ukraine,” the German Foreign Ministry said.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the images received from the Ukrainian town following the withdrawal of Russian troops “shows an intent to destroy that goes beyond all boundaries.”

Baerbock said the Bucha images also reveal the “unbelievable brutality of the Russian leadership and those who follow its propaganda.” She added “it must also be clear that we must stand up for our freedom and be prepared to defend it.

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Russia starts own inquiry into Ukraine deaths

A Russian law enforcement agency has launched its own investigation into allegations that Ukrainian civilians were massacred in suburbs of Kiev which were held by Russian troops, focusing on what it calls “false information” about Russian forces.

The Investigative Committee claims Ukrainian authorities made the allegations “with the aim of discrediting Russian troops” and that those involved should be investigated over possible breaches of a new Russian law banning what the government deems to be false information about its forces.

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5 Arab foreign ministers in Moscow for talks

Five Arab foreign ministers have traveled to Moscow for talks with Russia’s top diplomat on the conflict in Ukraine.

The Arab League said the foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan will meet today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, will also join the meeting.

The pan-Arab organisation says the ministers will then travel to Poland on Tuesday for talks with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

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Russia’s Lavrov: Biden’s comment on Putin shows some have issue with conscience

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that comments made by US President Joe Biden about Vladimir Putin show some in the West have issues with their conscience.

Biden accused Putin of war crimes and called for a trial, adding to the global outcry over civilian killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha as more graphic images of their deaths emerged.

Lavrov also said Russia will hold a news conference later on Monday in New York to address allegations about its role in the situation in Bucha.

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Egypt says Arab countries willing to mediate between Russia, Ukraine

Arab countries have expressed willingness to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said, during a press conference in Moscow.

Shoukry is part of an Arab League delegation visiting Moscow to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

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Apparent ‘war crimes’ in Bucha must be investigated, Amnesty says

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, has said reports from Bucha indicate a ‘wider pattern of war crimes’ that should be investigated.

“These reports from Bucha are showing a wider pattern of war crimes including extrajudicial executions and torture in other occupied areas of Ukraine,” Callamard said.

“We fear the violence suffered by civilians in Bucha at the hands of Russian soldiers is not unique. These incidents should be investigated as war crimes,” she added.

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Pentagon can’t ‘independently confirm’ atrocities in Bucha, official says

The United States military is not in a position to independently confirm Ukrainian accounts of atrocities by Russian forces against civilians in the town of Bucha, but has no reason to dispute the accounts either, a senior US defence official has said.

“We’re seeing the same imagery that you are. We have no reason whatsoever to refute the Ukrainian claims about these atrocities – clearly, deeply, deeply troubling,” the official told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on condition of anonymity.

“The Pentagon can’t independently and single-handedly confirm that, but we’re also not in any position to refute those claims.”

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UN rights chief demands Bucha inquiry

The UN’s high commissioner for human rights has called for “independent and effective investigations” into the reports of Russian forces killing civilians in Bucha.

Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that she was “horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets and in improvised graves”.

“It is vital that all efforts are made to ensure there are independent and effective investigations into what happened in Bucha to ensure truth, justice and accountability, as well as reparations and remedy for victims and their families,” she said.

Bachelet added that “reports emerging from this and other areas raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law.”

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Roman Abramovich’s $600m (£458m) superyacht Solaris has left a port in Turkey after the London-based company that operates the terminal which had been harbouring the oligarch’s yacht was pressed to act.

Solaris, which is 140 metres long and has a helipad and swimming pool, left Bodrum cruise port on Monday. It is now at anchor off Yalikavak beach in south-eastern Turkey, according to the shipping data service Marine Traffic.

Pressure had been building for Global Ports Holding (GPH), the Mayfair-headquartered company that runs Bodrum cruise port, to refuse services to Solaris.

Legal experts had said the London-listed company was taking “a very big risk” by allowing a superyacht owned by an individual under sanctions to use one of its ports. The Bodrum port is one of 22 terminals run by the firm.

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European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said the EU is ready to send joint investigations teams to Ukraine to document alleged Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a statement, Von der Leyen said she had spoken with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on the “dreadful murders” that were uncovered over the weekend.

She said: I conveyed to him my condolences and assured him of the European Commission’s full support in these terrible times. The harrowing images cannot and will not be left unanswered. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes must not go unpunished.

 

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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited the town of Bucha, 35 miles north-west of the capital, Kyiv, today, after images showing civilian bodies strewn in the streets sparked international condemnation.

Wearing body armour and surrounded by military personnel, Zelenskiy spoke on national television where he said it was “very difficult” for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia following the atrocities carried out by Russian forces in Bucha.]

 

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The UK foreign secretary Liz Truss has called for Russia to be expelled from the UN’s human rights council.

 

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Lithuania expels Russian ambassador

Lithuania has moved to expel Russia’s ambassador to the country, its foreign minister says.

“Russian ambassador was asked to leave Lithuania,” Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted. “Lithuanian ambassador in Ukraine is coming back to Kyiv. That is Lithuania’s decision made today.”

 

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Kyiv mayor urges residents to delay return to the capital

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has urged residents who evacuated from the city amid Russia’s offensive to wait several more days before returning, warning their route back could be unsafe.

“Firstly, there is currently a round-the-clock curfew in [the] Kyiv region. Secondly, in certain … towns near Kyiv, its likely that Russian occupiers left landmines, and there are (likely) a lot of unexploded munitions,” Klitschko said.

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Mariupol ’90 percent’ destroyed, mayor says

Russia’s relentless bombardment of Mariupol in recent weeks has destroyed nearly all of the city’s infrastructure, its mayor has said.

“The sad news is that 90 percent of the infrastructure in the city is destroyed and 40 percent is unrecoverable,” Vadym Boichenko told a news conference.

He added that about 130,000 people remain trapped in the city, where they face increasingly desperate conditions as stocks of vital supplies dwindle.

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Ukrainian official says Kyiv investigating alleged ‘war crimes’

Ukraine’s prosecutor general has accused Russian forces of carrying out a number of “crimes against humanity” and says Kyiv is investigating a number of cases involving their actions in the region around Ukraine’s capital.

Speaking on national television, Iryna Venediktova said the situation in the town of Borodyanka was the worst in the Kyiv region in terms of the number of victims. She gave no further details.

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Russia imposes visa restrictions on citizens of ‘unfriendly countries’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to introduce visa restrictions for citizens of countries that Moscow deems “unfriendly”.

The decree, which comes into force immediately, suspends the simplified visa issuance regime Russia has with some European Union countries as well as with Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.

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Red Cross unable to enter Mariupol due to ‘security conditions’

Staff from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have again been unable to enter Mariupol, a spokesperson for the aid agency says.

Jason Straziuso told the Reuters news agency that the latest effort to deliver aid to the besieged, southeastern port city and evacuate civilians from there had been hampered by “security conditions” in the area.

Several previous attempts by the ICRC to reach Mariupol over recent days and weeks have also proved unsuccessful.

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A satellite image shows the grave site near the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, in Bucha.

A satellite image shows the grave site near the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, in Bucha. (Reuters)

Satellite images show 45-foot-long trench at grave site in Bucha – Maxar

Satellite images of the Ukrainian town of Bucha show an approximately 45-foot-long trench dug into the grounds of a church where a mass grave has been identified, a private US company has said.

The images, captured on March 31, followed previous imagery from March 10 that show signs of excavation on the grounds of the Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints, Maxar Technologies said. 

Reuters news agency could not immediately verify the images

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Turkey plans to evacuate citizens from Ukraine by sea in coming days

Turkey intends to evacuate all its citizens and other civilians from Ukraine by sea in the coming days, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday.

“We are undertaking significant efforts to evacuate all civilians, especially Turkish citizens, who are experiencing difficulties in Ukraine.

We consider it possible to evacuate civilians from there by sea in the coming days,” Akar said in a statement.

According to the UN refugee agency, over 4 million people have already left Ukraine for neighboring countries since the beginning of the Russian military operation on February 24. Over 1,400 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of hostilities, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

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Global outrage at ‘war crimes’ after civilians killed in Ukraine

Global outrage at accusations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine mounted as the discovery of mass graves and “executed” civilians near Kiev prompted vows of action at the International Criminal Court.

Britain, France, Germany, the United States, NATO and the United Nations all voiced horror at the reports of civilians being murdered in Bucha, northwest of Kiev.

Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said 410 civilian bodies were recovered from areas around Kiev recently retaken from Russian forces. 

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Russian forces continue to refocus their offensive in Donbas

Russian forces continue to consolidate and reorganise as they refocus their offensive into the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine, British military intelligence has said.

Russian troops, including mercenaries from the Russian state-linked Wagner private military company, are being moved into the area, the Ministry of Defence tweeted.

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Spanish PM: Possible ‘genocide’ in Ukraine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says he has seen signs of a possible “genocide” in Ukraine after claims that Russian forces committed atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha.

“We will do everything to ensure that those who have perpetrated these war crimes do not go unpunished, and therefore appear before the courts… to deal with these alleged cases of (crimes against) humanity, war crimes and why not say it too, genocide,” he said.

“Putin’s unjustified aggression has brought war back to the gates of the European Union”, he told an economic forum in Madrid.

Sanchez is one of the first European Union leaders to label Russia’s actions in Ukraine a “genocide”.

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Russia orders probe of Ukrainian ‘provocation’ over civilian deaths in Bucha

Russia’s chief investigator on Monday ordered an official examination of what he called a Ukrainian “provocation” after Kyiv accused the Russian military of massacring civilians in the town of Bucha.

Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee, ordered that a probe be opened on the basis that Ukraine had spread “deliberately false information” about Russian armed forces in Bucha, the committee said in a statement.

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Israel condemns killings in Bucha

Israel’s foreign minister is condemning the reported atrocities in Ukraine, saying deliberate harm to civilians is a war crime.

Foreign minister Yair Lapid wrote on Twitter that “it is impossible to remain indifferent in the face of the horrific images from the city of Bucha, near Kiev, from after the Russian army left”.

He added, “Intentionally harming a civilian population is a war crime and I strongly condemn it.”

 

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Macron says wants fresh sanctions against Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that more sanctions on Russia were needed after Ukraine accused Russian forces of the killings of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Macron told France Inter radio that there were “very clear clues” indicating that Russian forces were responsible for war crimes in Ukraine.

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Russia says footage in Ukraine’s Bucha was ‘ordered’ to blame Russia

Russia’s foreign ministry said that footage of dead civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha had been “ordered” by the United States as part of a plot to blame Russia.

“Who are the masters of provocation? Of course the United States and NATO,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview on state television late on Sunday.

Zakharova said the immediate Western outcry over the images of dead civilians indicated the story had been part of a plan to sully Russia’s reputation.

“In this case, it seems to me that the fact that these statements (about Russia) were made in the first minutes after these materials appeared leaves no doubt as to who ‘ordered’ this story.”

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UK says Russian forces continue to refocus their offensive into the Donbas region

Russian forces continue to consolidate and reorganise as they refocus their offensive into the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Monday.

Russian troops, including mercenaries from the Russian state-linked Wagner private military company, are being moved into the area, the ministry of defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

 

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Ukraine forces repel Russian attacks in Donetsk, Luhansk regions: Army

Ukraine’s army says they repelled seven Russian attacks overnight in the southeastern Donetsk and Luhansk region, where Russia concentrated its offensive after retreating from around Kyiv.

Ukrainian air defence forces shot down three Russian planes, one helicopter and two cruise missiles, the army said on Facebook

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Ukraine’s agriculture minister warns of global food prices

Ukraine’s agriculture minister says he expects “quite a large harvest” this year and hopes Kyiv will be able to export grain, but warned that continuation of the war would mean higher prices for all countries.

The minister, Mykola Solskyi, said the situation was “difficult” with fuel, which is needed for spring fields.

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UK’s Johnson pledges to ‘starve Putin’s war machine’ over Bucha killings

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russia’s attack on Ukrainian civilians in towns on the outskirts of Kyiv “are yet more evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his army are committing war crimes in Ukraine”.

Johnson called the attacks in the towns of Irpin and Bucha “despicable” and said he “will do everything in my power to starve Putin’s war machine”.

Johnson added that the United Kingdom will step up its sanctions and military support for Ukraine, but did not provide details.

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NATO’s Stoltenberg condemns Bucha killings

Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, has said that the graphic images coming out of Bucha after Russian troops withdrew show “a brutality against civilians we haven’t seen in Europe for decades”.

He told broadcaster CNN’s State of the Union that “it’s absolutely unacceptable that civilians are targeted and killed” and that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s responsibility to stop the war.

Stoltenberg said it was “extremely important” that the International Criminal Court open an investigation into potential war crimes in Ukraine and that those responsible are held to account.

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Russian forces withdrawing from Sumy: Governor

Russian forces are withdrawing from northeastern Sumy and are taking their equipment with them, according to the region’s governor.

In a Telegram post, Dmytro Zhyvytsky said Ukrainian forces had pushed the Russian troops out, but warned that small groups of soldiers may still remain.

Independent Press could not verify the report independently.

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Several killed in Kharkiv attack

Russian shelling of Kharkiv has killed at least seven people and wounded 34, including three children, according to the city’s prosecutor’s office.

In a Telegram post, the prosecutor’s office said 10 houses and a trolleybus depot were damaged in the attack on Sunday evening.

Independent Press could not verify the report independently.

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UN confirms 1,417 civilian deaths in Ukraine

The UN human rights office says it has verified 1,417 civilian deaths in Ukraine, but says the actual toll is “considerably higher” as figures from areas such as Mariupol and Irpin are yet to be corroborated.

In its latest update, the agency said the victims include 121 children. It added that 2,038 others have been wounded.

 

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Ukrainian mayor shows dead bodies from Bucha

The mayor of a recently liberated Ukrainian city has accused Russian troops of deliberately killing civilians during their month-long occupation of his town.

The mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, showed two corpses to Reuters correspondents,  with white cloth tied around their arms which he said was what residents were forced to wear by fighters from Chechnya, a region in southern Russia that has deployed troops to Ukraine to support Russian forces.

One corpse had his hands bound by the white cloth, and appeared to have been shot in the mouth, the agency said.

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Slovakia says paying in roubles for gas could be an option

The economy minister of Slovakia, which relies on Russian gas for around 85 percent of its demand, has said the country could not be cut off from Russian gas flows.

Richard Sulik added that if the country had to pay in roubles it would, although it backed taking a common European Union stance.

Russia has demanded payment for gas in roubles, but the European Commission said on Friday European companies whose supply contracts stipulate payment in euros or dollars should not meet this demand.

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Russia must be held accountable for Ukraine civilian deaths: Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned the “egregious and appalling” killings of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, saying Russia must be held to account.

“We strongly condemn the murder of civilians in Ukraine, remain committed to holding the Russian regime accountable,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter.

“Those responsible for these egregious and appalling attacks will be brought to justice,” he added.

 

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NATO’s Stoltenberg: Russian pullback from Kyiv not a real withdrawal

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Russia’s pullback of troops from the Ukrainian capital is not a real withdrawal.

The move is rather a repositioning that could be followed by further attacks, Stoltenberg said in an interview on CNN.

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Russia will ask for rouble payments for other goods – Kremlin

Russia will ask for rouble payments for other exports and the West’s sanctions have accelerated the erosion of confidence in the US dollar and the euro, the Kremlin said.

“I have no doubt that it will in the future be extended to new groups of goods,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of Russia’s demand for rouble payments for gas, the RIA news agency reported.

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Global outrage at ‘war crimes’ after civilians killed in Ukraine

Global outrage at accusations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine mounted as the discovery of mass graves and “executed” civilians near Kiev prompted vows of action at the International Criminal Court.

Britain, France, Germany, the United States, NATO and the United Nations all voiced horror at the reports of civilians being murdered in Bucha, northwest of Kiev.

Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said 410 civilian bodies were recovered from areas around Kiev recently retaken from Russian forces. 

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Red Cross trying to reach civilians trapped in besieged Mariupol

The International Red Cross said one of its teams was trying to reach Ukraine’s city of Mariupol, where thousands of people are trapped, facing daily Russian bombardment. 

The United Nations also said that since the Russian attack on February 24, 1,417 civilians have been killed and 2,038 injured in Ukraine, but the real toll is much higher.

International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Sam Smith told Anadolu Agency: “An ICRC team left Zaporizhzhia (northwest of Mariupol) on Saturday.”

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Russian military denies killing civilians in Bucha

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces did not kill civilians in Bucha, a town outside Ukraine’s capital Kiev recently retaken by Ukrainian forces from Moscow’s troops.

“During the time this settlement was under the control of Russian armed forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions,” the ministry said. 

Photo and video of corpses strewn across the streets of Bucha were “another production of the Kiev regime for the Western media,” it added. 

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US, NATO express shock over civilian killings in Ukraine

US and NATO leaders voiced shock and horror Sunday at new evidence of atrocities against civilians in Ukraine, and warned that Russian troop movements away from Kiev did not signal a withdrawal or end to the violence.

Evidence of possible civilian killings around Kiev has emerged as the Russian army has pulled back from the capital in the face of ferocious resistance from Ukrainian forces.

AFP reporters saw at least 20 bodies, all in civilian clothing, strewn across a single street in the town of Bucha on Friday. One had his hands tied behind his back with a white cloth, and his Ukrainian passport left open beside his body. 

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Over half a million people have returned to Ukraine: official

More than half a million people have returned to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s offensive in February, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.

“During the past week, 144,000 people left Ukraine and 88,000 arrived. In total… around 537,000 of our compatriots have returned to Ukraine,” the ministry said, citing data from the national border service.

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US fully backs sending Ukraine weapons, aid

White House chief of staff Ron Klain says the US remains fully committed to providing a full range of economic and military support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, which he describes as “far from over.” 

Klain credits Ukrainians for fighting off Russian troops in the northern part of Ukraine and says the US and its allies are sending weapons into the country “almost every single day.” 

But he also tells ABC’s “This Week” that there are signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is redeploying Russian troops to the eastern part of Ukraine. 

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Russia pulls back from Ukraine’s north

The Ukrainian military said Russian troops have completed their pullback from the country’s north.

The military’s General Staff said that Russian units have withdrawn from areas in the country’s north to neighbouring Belarus, which served as a staging ground for the Russian offensive.

The Ukrainian military said its airborne forces have taken full control of the town of Pripyat just outside the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the section of the border with Belarus. It posted a picture of the Ukrainian soldier putting up the country’s flag with a shelter containing the Chernobyl reactor that exploded in 1986 seen in the background. 

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Blinken: Images of dead in Ukrainian town of Bucha a ‘punch in gut’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the sight of multiple civilian bodies strewn along the streets of Bucha in Ukraine is “punch to the gut.”

“You can’t help but see these images as a punch to the gut,” Blinken told CNN a day after horrific footage was widely aired of the town retaken from Russian forces.

“This is the reality of what’s going on every single day as long as Russia’s brutality against Ukraine continues,” Blinken said.

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HRW accuses Russian forces of ‘apparent war crimes’

A leading rights group said it had documented what it described as “apparent war crimes” committed by Russian military forces against civilians in Ukraine.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement saying it had found “several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations” in Russian-controlled regions such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kiev.

The statement, published in Warsaw, came one day after dead civilians were found lying scattered through the streets of the Ukrainian country town of Bucha, three days after the Russian army pulled back after a month-long occupation of the area 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Kiev.

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Ukraine Mykolaiv Black Sea port hit in rocket attack- Interior Ministry

Several Russian rockets have hit Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Mykolaiv, Anton Gerashchenko, an aide to the country’s interior ministry, said.

Gerashchenko said in a social media post that local authorities had reported the attack.

Russian forces have attacked Ukraine’s southern ports including Odessa, Mykolaiv and Mariupol as they try to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea and establish a land corridor from Russia to Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.

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Italy party chief wants Russia energy embargo

The head of Italy’s Democratic Party called for a full oil and gas embargo in reaction to images emerging of atrocities against civilians by Russian soldiers retreating from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

“How many #Buca before we move to a full oil and gas Russia embargo,” Enrico Letta wrote on Twitter Sunday. “Time is over.”

Italy gets 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia and officials have said it would take three years to make the transition to other sources.

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Human Rights Watch accuses Russian forces of ‘apparent war crimes’ 

Human Rights Watch said on Sunday it had documented what it described as “apparent war crimes” committed by Russian military forces against civilians in Ukraine.

The leading rights group issued a statement saying it had found “several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations” in regions such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.

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White House Says Biden Currently Has No Plans To Talk With Putin

US President Joe Biden has no plans at present to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield said during a press briefing on Thursday.

“Not currently,” Bedingfield said when asked whether any plans exist for the two leaders to speak. “We’ve been very clear that any re-engagement of diplomacy at that level would require significant demonstration from the Russians of serious de-escalation and we have not seen that.”

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US Working On Strengthening Sanctions Against Russia Every Day – Blinken

The United States is strengthening sanctions against Russia over Ukraine with new measures being evaluated every day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

Speaking at CNN’s State of the Union show aired on Sunday, Blinken said that Washington was coordinating sanctions with Europeans and allies around the world.

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Kremlin Spokesman Accuses London Of Harboring Criminals

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused the United Kingdom on Sunday of harboring Russian criminals for the past two decades.

“London has been attracting thieving scum who steal money elsewhere for the past 20 years.

If you steal money you are welcomed in London with respect,” Peskov told a Rossiya 1 show.

“No one wants to hand them over or cooperate with our law enforcers. It is an oasis for criminals,” he continued.

Peskov pointed to Alexander Litvinenko, who had died in London, and Chechen radicals who have been flocking to the West after committing acts of terrorism in Russia.

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Official in Ukraine’s Bucha says more than 50 people buried in mass grave

Fifty-seven people were buried in a mass grave in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv recently retaken by Ukrainian forces, a local official said Sunday, showing AFP a slit trench where the bodies lay.

“Here in this long grave, 57 people are buried,” said Serhii Kaplychnyi, who identified himself as head of the rescue services in Bucha, organising the recovery of the bodies. 

Roughly ten bodies were visible, either unburied or partially covered by the earth. 

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France blasts ‘massive abuses’ by Russian forces

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has condemned what he called the “massive abuses” committed by Russian forces in Ukraine in a statement released Sunday. 

Le Drian mentioned Bucha in particular and added that France will work with Ukrainian authorities and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to put on trial those responsible for the abuses, the statement noted.

Russia has so far not commented publicly on the claims. Moscow has previously repeatedly denied Ukrainian claims that it has targeted civilians.

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Russia must pay for ‘war crimes’ in Bucha: Germany

Germany’s foreign minister has said Russia must pay for its “war crimes” in the Ukrainian town of Bucha just outside the capital in the form of more severe sanctions, denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “uninhibited violence”.

The mayor of Bucha said that 300 residents had been killed during a month-long occupation by the Russian army. Victims, who were not in mass graves, are still lying on the streets.

“The images from Bucha are unbearable, Putin’s uninhibited violence is extinguishing innocent families and knows no boundaries,” Annalena Baerbock wrote on Twitter.

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Borrell says EU will assist Kyiv in documenting war crimes

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has congratulated Ukraine on the “liberation” of the Kyiv region and has offered help in documenting war crimes.

“Shocked by news of atrocities committed by Russian forces,” Borrell wrote on Twitter. “All cases must be pursued, namely by [the International Criminal Court].”

 

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Kremlin says ‘impossible’ to fully isolate Russia

The Kremlin has said it is not possible to completely isolate Russia as the West continues piling sanctions on Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine.

“There can be no complete vacuum or isolation of Russia, it is technologically impossible in the modern world,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV.

The world is “much larger than Europe”, he said, adding that “sooner or later we will have to build a dialogue, whether some overseas want it or not.”

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Ukraine says Bucha ‘massacre’ was deliberate, demands new Russia sanctions

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has accused Russia of carrying out a deliberate “massacre” in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, and called on the G7 to impose “devastating” new sanctions on Moscow.

“Dead bodies lie on the streets. They killed civilians while staying there and when they were leaving these villages and towns,” his ministry quoted him as saying on Twitter.

Russia has so far not commented publicly on the claims. Moscow has previously repeatedly denied Ukrainian claims that it has targeted civilians.

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Ukraine March grain exports fall sharply

Ukrainian grain exports in March have been four times lower than February levels due to the Russian invasion, the economy ministry has said.

Grain shipments overseas included 1.1 million tonnes of corn, 309,000 tonnes of wheat, and 118,000 tonnes of sunoil, the ministry added.

Ukraine was the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter in the 2020-2021 season, according to International Grains Council data, with most of its commodities shipped out via the Black Sea. Traders are now forced to transport grain by rail to avoid the southern coast, where war is raging.

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UK says alleged attacks on civilians in Ukraine must be investigated as war crimes

Allegations of attacks against civilians during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must be investigated as war crimes, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said, adding that the UK would fully support any such move by the International Criminal Court.

“As Russian troops are forced into retreat, we are seeing increasing evidence of appalling acts by the invading forces in towns such as Irpin and Bucha,” Truss said in a statement.

“Their indiscriminate attacks against innocent civilians during Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine must be investigated as war crimes.”

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Poland says it would welcome more US troops in Europe

The leader of Poland’s ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) has said Warsaw would welcome a 50 percent increase in the number of US troops stationed in Europe, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia’s increasing aggressiveness,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

“Of these, 75,000 soldiers should be stationed on the eastern flank; ie. on the border with Russia; 50,000 soldiers in the Baltic states and Poland,” he said.

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Greek foreign minister to lead humanitarian aid mission in Odesa

Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to land in Odesa to lead a humanitarian aid mission into the southern port city of Ukraine, the foreign ministry has said.

Dendias also plans to set up a continuous mechanism of distributing aid from Greece and to reopen the Greek consulate in the city, the foreign ministry added.

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Berlin condemns Bucha ‘war crime’, wants more Russia sanctions

Germany’s vice chancellor and economy minister has said a “terrible war crime” had been carried out in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and called for fresh EU sanctions against Russia.

“This terrible war crime cannot go go unanswered,” Robert Habeck told German newspaper Bild the day after the bodies of nearly 300 civilians were found in mass graves after Russian troops withdrew.

“I think that a strengthening of sanctions is called for. That’s what we are preparing with our EU partners,” Habeck added.

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Russia to ask for rouble payments for food and crops

Russia will only export food and crops to “friendly countries” in roubles or in their national currencies, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of the country’s Security Council, was quoted by RIA news agency as saying.

The comment comes after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s demand for rouble payments for gas was likely to be applied to more goods.

“I have no doubt that it will in the future be extended to new groups of goods,” Peskov said, according to the RIA news agency.

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Kyiv mayor accuses Russia of committing genocide

The mayor of Kyiv has expressed shock at what he called “cruel war crimes” committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, northwest of the capital.

Referring to reports of executed civilians, Vitali Klitschko told German daily Bild on Sunday that “what happened in Bucha and other suburbs of Kyiv can only be described as genocide.”

He added that civilians had been “shot with tied hands” and called on the whole world and especially Germany to immediately end gas imports from Russia.

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EU chief vows more sanctions after Russian army ‘atrocities’ near Kyiv

EU chief Charles Michel has pledged further sanctions on Moscow as he condemned “atrocities” carried out by Russian forces outside Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

“Shocked by haunting images of atrocities committed by Russian army in Kyiv liberated region #BuchaMassacre,” the European Council head wrote on Twitter.

“EU is assisting Ukraine & NGO’s in gathering of necessary evidence for pursuit in international courts.”

 

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Russia: Peace talks not ready for leaders’ meeting

Russia has said peace talks with Ukraine have not progressed enough for a leaders’ meeting and that Moscow’s position on the status of Crimea and Donbass remain unchanged.

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said Ukraine had agreed it would be neutral, not have nuclear weapons, not join a military bloc and refuse to host military bases.

On the questions of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and two Russian-backed rebel regions in Donbass that President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent in February, Medinsky indicated there had been no progress.

“The draft agreement is not ready for submission to a meeting at the top,” he said on Telegram. “I repeat again and again: Russia’s position on Crimea and Donbas remains UNCHANGED.”

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Lawmakers seek punishment for implementation of sanctions on Russian territory

Russian lawmakers will propose measures seeking punishment for the implementation of sanctions on Russia’s territory, a senior lawmaker has said.

“My colleagues from the State Duma and I have finished the work and on Monday we will introduce amendments to the Criminal Code for the implementation of restrictive measures (sanctions) imposed by foreign states on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Andrei Klishas wrote on his Telegram channel.

Klishas did not specify how Russia would identify or punish those who implemented sanctions.

Russia to export food to friendly countries in roubles or their currencies

Russia will only export food and crops to “friendly countries” in roubles or in their national currencies, RIA news agency has cited Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of the country’s Security Council, as saying.

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Poland would like more US troops in Europe: Ruling party boss

Poland would welcome a 50 percent increase in the number of US troops in Europe, the leader of the country’s ruling party has said, as Warsaw calls for tougher action against Moscow.

“Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia’s increasing aggressiveness,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

“Of these, 75,000 soldiers should be stationed on the eastern flank; ie, on the border with Russia; 50,000 soldiers in the Baltic states and Poland,” he said in the interview, which was also published on the website of Poland’s ruling party Law and Justice.

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Poland accuses Berlin, Paris of being close to Moscow

Poland’s deputy prime minister has accused France and Germany of being too close to Russia in an interview published on Sunday, as he condemned Berlin’s behaviour towards Moscow before the Ukraine offensive.

“Germany, like France, has a strong bias in Moscow’s favour,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is also the leader of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, told German daily Die Welt in an interview.

Kaczynski saved his strongest words for Berlin. “Over the years, the German government did not want to see what Russia was doing under the leadership of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and we see the result today,” Kaczynski said.

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Odesa missile raids destroyed oil refinery

Missile raids have destroyed the Kremenchug oil refinery in the Odesa region, Russian and Ukrainian officials have said.

Dmytro Lunin, governor of Ukraine’s Poltava region, said on television that “the fire at the refinery has been extinguished but the facility has been completely destroyed and can no longer function.”

Russia’s defence ministry said that sea and air missiles destroyed an oil refinery and three fuel storages, Interfax reported.

The ministry said the facilities were used by Ukraine to supply its troops near the city of Mykolaiv.

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Greek foreign minister to lead humanitarian aid mission in Odesa

Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to land in Odesa to lead a humanitarian aid mission into the southern port city of Ukraine, the foreign ministry has said.

Dendias also plans to set up a continuous mechanism of distributing aid from Greece and to reopen the Greek consulate in the city, the foreign ministry added.

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Evacuation efforts from Mariupol to continue: Official

Evacuation efforts from the besieged port city of Mariupol will continue on Sunday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

“Seven buses will try to get closer to Mariupol, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Vereshchuk said in an online video posting.

Seventeen buses in total were preparing to evacuate people from Mariupol and Berdyansk, she added.

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Russian lawmakers seek to retaliate after sanctions

Russian lawmakers will propose measures seeking punishment for the implementation of sanctions on Russia’s territory, a senior lawmaker has said.

“My colleagues from the State Duma and I have finished the work and on Monday we will introduce amendments to the Criminal Code for the implementation of restrictive measures (sanctions) imposed by foreign states on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Andrei Klishas wrote on his Telegram channel.

“We look forward to prompt consideration of the amendments by the State Duma,” Klishas added, without specifying how Russia will identify or punish those who implemented sanctions.

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Russia says draft agreement not ready for leaders’ meeting

Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky has said peace talks have not progressed enough for a leaders’ meeting, adding that work on a draft agreement would resume on Monday.

“The draft agreement is not ready for submission to a meeting at the top,” Medinsky said on Telegram, dismissing Ukrainian negotiator David Arahamiya’s “optimism.”

The chief negotiator added that a number of issues had been agreed upon during talks in Istanbul, including non-aligned and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, but that Crimea remained a contentious issue.

“Russia’s position on Crimea and Donbas remains UNCHANGED,” he said.

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Missiles hit critical infrastructure facilities in Odesa: Official

Missiles have hit “critical infrastructure facilities” in Odesa, the regional administration spokesperson has said.

“We hope there will be no casualties,” Sergey Bratchuk told Ukraine’s public broadcaster.

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Russia preventing Ukraine resupply by Black Sea: UK

The British Ministry of Defence has said Russian naval forces continue to blockade the Ukrainian coast on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, preventing resupply by sea.

Russia retains the capability to attempt an amphibious landing, but such an operation is likely to be increasingly risky due to the time Ukrainian forces have had to prepare, the ministry said on Twitter.

It added that the presence of mines within the Black Sea was “almost certainly the result of Russian naval activity in the area, demonstrating how its invasion of Ukraine is affecting neutral and civilian interests.”

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Fires reported in Odesa after air raids

Air raids have rocked the strategic Black Sea port city of Odesa, with officials and journalists reporting fires in some areas.

“Odesa was attacked from the air,” Anton Herashchenko, adviser to the interior minister, wrote on his Telegram account. “Fires were reported in some areas. Some of the missiles were shot down by air defence.”

An AFP reporter heard explosions in the southwestern city at around 6:00 am (0300 GMT).

The blasts sent up at least three columns of black smoke with flames visible apparently in an industrial area.

A soldier near the site of one of the strikes said it was likely a rocket or a missile.

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Explosions heard in Odesa: Reuters

The Reuters news agency says a series of explosions were heard and smoke was seen in Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa in the early hours of Sunday.

There was no official information about the attack.

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Lithuanian film director killed in Mariupol: Reports

Lithuanian film director Mantas Kvedaravicius has been killed in Ukraine’s Mariupol, where he had long documented the besieged port city, according to his colleague.

He died on Saturday, according to the Russian film director Vitaly Mansky, the founder of a festival of documentary movies Artdocfest.

In a Facebook post, Mansky wrote: “Our friend Artdocfest participant, Lithuanian documentary writer Mantas Kvedaravicius, was murdered today in Mariupol, with a camera in his hands, in this s****y war of evil, against the whole world.”

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Ukraine accuses Russia of killing several women and burning their bodies

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence says it found the naked bodies of “four to five” women on a highway 20km (12 miles) outside of Kyiv.

In a Twitter update, it posted a picture of a blanket-covered mound and said the Russian “barbarians” had tried to burn the bodies on the side of the road.

Independent Press could not verify the claim independently.

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Intensity of Russian missile attacks has decreased: Ukraine army

The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces says the intensity of Russian air and missile strikes “has decreased” as Moscow continues to withdraw units through the north of Ukraine.

In a Facebook post, the general staff also said retreating Russian forces were deploying mines on roads and in some settlements.

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Russia aiming to seize southeastern Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president says Russian forces are aiming to seize regions in the east and south of the country.

“We are strengthening our defences in the eastern direction and in Donbas. We are aware that the enemy has reserves to increase pressure in the east,” Zelenskyy said in his late-night video address.

“What is the goal of Russian troops? They want to capture both Donbas and the south of Ukraine. What is our goal? Protect us, our freedom, our land and our people.”

The Ukrainian president went on to complain that Western nations had not provided Kyiv with enough anti-missile systems, and also praised forces defending besieged Mariupol, saying their resistance was allowing other cities to gain valuable time.

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Ukraine retakes entire Kiev region – Defense Ministry

Ukraine has regained control of “the whole Kiev region” after Russian forces retreated from some key towns near the Ukrainian capital, deputy defence minister Ganna Maliar said. 

“Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel and the whole Kiev region were liberated from the invader,” Maliar said on Facebook, referring to towns that have been heavily destroyed by fighting.

Irpin and Bucha, commuters towns outside Kiev, were retaken by the Ukrainian army this week.

Both towns have suffered vast destruction and large civilian death tolls. 

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More than 200 detained in Ukraine protests across Russia

Russian police detained 211 people at protests against Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, an NGO said.

OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained at least 211 people during demonstrations in 17 cities in Russia.

A journalist of AFP news agency in Moscow witnessed more than 20 people detained by riot police under heavy snowfall in the capital’s central park Zaryadye, a short distance from the Kremlin.

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Ukraine: Russia thinks nations’ leaders can consult on draft treaty documents 

 A Ukrainian negotiator said Russia had indicated that draft peace treaty documents were at an advanced enough stage to allow for direct consultations between the two nations’ leaders, Interfax Ukraine reported.

The agency quoted David Arakhamia as telling Ukrainian television that Russia accepted Ukraine’s overall position with the exception of its stance on Crimea. 

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Almost 300 people buried in ‘mass grave’ in Bucha outside Kiev: mayor

Almost 300 people have been buried in a mass grave in Bucha, a commuter town outside Ukraine’s capital Kiev, its mayor told AFP after the Ukrainian army retook control of the key town from Russia.

“In Bucha, we have already buried 280 people in mass graves,” mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told AFP by phone. He said the heavily destroyed town’s streets are littered with corpses.

AFP saw at least 20 bodies — men in civilian clothes — lying in a single street in Bucha. 

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Zelenskyy: Mines in wake of Russian retreat keep Kiev unsafe

As Russian forces pull back from Ukraine’s capital region, retreating troops are creating a “catastrophic” situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and “even the bodies of those killed,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned. 

Ukraine and its Western allies reported mounting evidence of Russia withdrawing its forces from around Kiev and building its troop strength in eastern Ukraine. 

Ukrainian fighters reclaimed several areas near the capital after forcing the Russians out or moving in after them, officials said. 

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At least 20 bodies seen in one street in town near Kiev

The bodies of at least 20 men in civilian clothes were found lying in a single street after Ukrainian forces retook the town of Bucha near Kiev from Russian troops, AFP journalists said.

One of the bodies of the men had his hands tied, and the corpses were strewn over several hundred metres (yards) of the residential road in the suburban town northwest of the capital.

The cause of death was not immediately clear although at least one person had what appeared to be a large head wound.

Russian forces withdrew from several towns near Kiev in recent days after Moscow’s bid to encircle the capital failed, with Ukraine declaring that Bucha had been “liberated”. 

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Russia hits 2 Ukrainian military airstrips with high-precision missiles

Russia hit two military airstrips in Ukraine with high-precision air-to-ground missiles, local media reported.

“Military airstrips in Poltava and Dnepr were disabled via high-precision air-to-ground missile strikes,” reported Russian news agency Tass, citing Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

Russia also downed two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters near the city of Sumy, as well as 24 Ukrainian drones, it reported.

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Missing Ukrainian photojournalist found dead near Kiev

Ukrainian photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Maks Levin, who went missing on March 13 while working on the frontlines near the capital Kiev, has been found dead, according to Ukraine’s presidential aide Andriy Yermak. 

“He went missing in the conflict area on March 13 in the Kiev region. His body was found near the village of Guta Mezhygirska on April 1,” Yermak said on Telegram.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser and former deputy minister at the Interior Ministry, also confirmed on Telegram that Levin, 40, went missing over two weeks ago when he was reporting in the Vishgorod district, the area of intense fighting.

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Ex-UN prosecutor urges global arrest warrant for Putin

The former chief prosecutor of United Nations war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda has called for an international arrest warrant to be issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Putin is a war criminal,” Carla Del Ponte told the Swiss newspaper Le Temps in an interview published Saturday.

In interviews given to Swiss media to mark the release of her latest book, the Swiss lawyer who oversaw UN. investigations in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia said there were clear war crimes being committed in Ukraine.

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More than 4.1 million Ukrainian refugees flee conflict

Nearly 4.14 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia’s full-scale operation began on February 24, with tens of thousands continuing to flood into neighbouring countries each day, UN numbers show.

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said that 4,137,842 Ukrainians had fled in just over five weeks, an increase of 34,966 on the figure given Friday.

Women and children account for 90 percent of those who have left Ukraine, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up and unable to leave.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that in addition to Ukrainian refugees, nearly 205,500 non-Ukrainians living, studying or working in the country have also left. 

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Kyrgyz police arrest activists at rally against Putin

Police in Kyrgyzstan detained around 20 activists who defied court bans on rallies related to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine by protesting against Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to AFP news agency correspondent. 

The arrests in the capital Bishkek come as the gruelling conflict fuels pro- and anti-Moscow sentiment in ex-Soviet Central Asia, a five-country region tightly-tied to Russia.

Impoverished Kyrgyzstan’s Kremlin-loyal president Sadyr Japarov had on Friday pleaded with protesters to limit their rally to a park in the city rather than march to the Russian embassy, as they had announced on social media. 

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Leader of Motyzhin, missing for almost 10 days, purportedly found dead alongside family

Now that Ukrainian forces have retaken the entire Kyiv region, more information is able to come out about what happened to the communities during the invasion. The head of the village Motyzhin, Olha Sukhenko who was taken by Russian troops along with her family on 25 March, is believed to have been found dead. Preliminary reports are that her family was found dead with her too.

 

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In addition to a mass grave with nearly 300 people, bodies left in the street and civilians killed seemingly execution-style, the Ukrainian defence ministry has found evidence that Russian troops attempted to incinerate the bodies of some dead civilians as well.

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Ukrainian journalist found dead near Kyiv: presidential aide

Ukrainian photographer and documentary maker Maks Levin has been found dead near the capital Kyiv after going missing more than two weeks ago, presidential aide Andriy Yermak said on Saturday.

“He went missing in the conflict area on March 13 in the Kyiv region. His body was found near the village of Guta Mezhygirska on April 1,” he said on Telegram.

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Report: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy likely to be in Turkey

Interfax Ukraine is reporting that Turkey is likely to be the place where Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet for peace negotiations.

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan had called Putin and Zelenskiy on Friday “and seemed to confirm from his side that they are ready to arrange a meeting in the near future”, negotiator David Arakhamia said.

Negotiations over the past few days have been difficult, Reuters is reporting, with the Kremlin saying that one of the goals of its “military operation” in Ukraine is to restore the statehoods of Donetsk and Luhansk within the borders negotiated in 2014.

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Russian forces in ‘rapid retreat’ from northern areas: Ukraine

Russian forces are making a “rapid retreat” from areas around the capital Kyiv and the city of Chernigiv in northern Ukraine, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said.

“With the rapid retreat of the Russians from the Kyiv and Chernigiv regions… it is completely clear that Russia is prioritising a different tactic: falling back on the east and south,” he said on social media.

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Putin Congratulates Belarus’s Lukashenko On Day Of Unity With Russia – Kremlin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on Saturday on the Day of Unity of the Russian and Belarusian peoples.

The two neighbors established a supranational entity on April 2, 1997. It later became known as the Union State.

Putin said in a message that their agreements would help solidify their nations’ positions on the international arena and establish a common social, economic and humanitarian space.

“It is certainly in the vested interests of our brotherly nations, especially seeing its significance in this tense international climate,” the Russian leader added.

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Ukraine’s gold and forex reserves stand at $29b: adviser

Ukraine’s gold and foreign currency reserves stand at $29 billion, the same level as before Russia’s invasion thanks to external financial support, the president’s economic adviser Oleh Ustenko said on national television.

“Before the war it was $29 billion, then it dropped to $27.5 billion, then there was a currency injection and we are again at the level of $29 billion,” he said, expressing confidence that the hryvnia currency rate could be kept stable.

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Pope says he is considering trip to Kyiv

A plan for Pope Francis to travel to the Ukrainian capital “is on the table,” he said while on a flight taking him from Rome to Malta.

His comment came after the pontifex received an invitation by Ukrainian political and religious authorities.

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German Chief Of Defense Rules Out Sending Troops To Ukraine

The German inspector general of the armed forces, Gen. Eberhard Zorn, confirmed to the Welt daily that the German command would never send troops to Ukraine to respond to the Russian military operation.

“What the Federal chancellor and US President Joe Biden said stays true: we will not deploy our own forces in the Ukrainian territory under any circumstances,” the highest-ranking administrative officer said in an interview out Saturday.

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RUSSIA DECLARES TOP JOURNALIST, VIDEO BLOGGER ‘FOREIGN AGENTS’

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Russia says cooperation in space only possible once sanctions are lifted

Russia’s space director said that the restoration of normal ties between partners at the International Space Station (ISS) and other joint space projects would be possible only with the with the “full and unconditional removal” of Western sanctions against Moscow.

In a post on social media, head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin also said that the agency’s prosposals on when to end cooperation over the ISS with other space agencies of US, Canada, the EU and Japan will soon be reported to Russian authorities.

He has previously said that the sanctions could “destroy” the US-Russian partnership on the ISS.

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No use of jet linked to Russian oligarchs: UK minister

British Transport Minister Grant Shapps says he has “prevented” the use of a jet that “has links to Russian oligarchs”.

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EU says it eyes further Russia sanctions that will not affect energy sector

The European Union is working on further sanctions on Russia but any additional measures will not affect the energy sector, the EU’s Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said.

The 27-nation bloc will be faced with a growth slowdown caused by the war in Ukraine but not a recession, he added, saying the 4 percent growth forecast was too optimistic and the EU would not reach it.

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POPE FRANCIS FOR THE FIRST TIME IMPLICITLY SLAMS PUTIN

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Ukraine’s economy could contract 40 percent

Ukraine’s economy could shrink by 40 percent this year as a result of Russia’s military invasion, the country’s economy ministry said in a statement, citing preliminary estimates.

“Areas in which remote work is impossible have suffered the most,” it said.

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Kyiv satellite town Bucha recaptured by Ukraine, mayor says

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the town of Bucha, near the capital Kyiv, its mayor said on Friday.

“March 31 will go down in the history of our town… as the day of its liberation from Russian (forces),” Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk said in a video which appeared to be filmed outside Bucha’s town hall.

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Blinken, Truss discuss additional actions in response to invasion

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Minister Liz Truss discussed additional possible actions to ratchet up their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US State Department has said.

The two also discussed the upcoming NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, the State Department said in a statement.

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Ukraine advances against Russian forces near Kiev, UK says

Ukrainian forces continue to advance against withdrawing Russian forces in the vicinity of Kiev, British military intelligence has said.

Russian forces are also reported to have withdrawn from Hostomel airport near the capital, which has been subject to fighting since the first day of the conflict, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in a regular bulletin.

“In the east of Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have secured a key route in eastern Kharkiv after heavy fighting,” the ministry added.

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US to work with allies to deploy ‘Soviet-made tanks to Donbass’

The United States will work with allies to transfer Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine to bolster its defences in the Donbass region, the New York Times has reported, citing a US official.

The transfers, requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would begin soon, the unnamed official said, according to the Times. The official declined to say how many tanks would be sent or from which countries they would come, the paper said.

The tanks would allow Ukraine to conduct long-range artillery strikes on Russian targets in the Donbass region of southeastern Ukraine bordering Russia, the official said, according to the Times.

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US restricts 120 Russian, Ukraine entities

The US Department of Commerce has added 120 Russian and Belarusian entities, mostly companies linked to the military, to the list of those under restrictions from receiving supplies and goods from the United States.

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Ukrainian refugees swell at US-Mexico border

Hundreds of Ukrainians are camping in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, hoping to seek US asylum, a dramatic increase in arrivals just days after the Biden administration said the United States would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing from conflict area.

Many of the Ukrainians escaping the Russian incursion of their home country have flown to the US-Mexico border hoping officials will allow them in so they can reunite with US relatives or friends.

While some 600 Ukrainians are camping near the border entry around 500 more are staying in hotels in the city, said Enrique Lucero, Tijuana’s migration affairs director, citing the list kept by volunteers. About 40 percent of the people are children, he added.

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Biden says 30 countries joining US release of oil reserves

US President Joe Biden said Friday that more than 30 countries have joined the United States in tapping national oil reserves to try and settle global energy markets spooked by fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This morning, over 30 countries from across the world convened in an extraordinary meeting and agreed to the release of tens of millions of additional barrels of oil onto the market,” Biden said in an address from the White House.

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‘Impossible’ to go ahead with Mariupol evacuation Friday: Red Cross

The Red Cross has said the team it sent to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Mariupol had been forced to turn around after conditions made it “impossible to proceed”.

“The ICRC team, which consists of three vehicles and nine personnel, did not reach Mariupol or facilitate the safe passage of civilians today,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement, adding: “They will try again on Saturday to facilitate the safe passage of civilians from Mariupol.”

Earlier, ICRC said: “This effort has been and remains extremely complex.”

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Orsted has ‘no intention’ of paying for Russian gas in roubles

Energy group Orsted has said it had no intention of paying for Russian gas in roubles, after Russia demanded foreign buyers do so on Thursday.

“We can confirm that Orsted has received a demand from Gazprom Export to pay for gas supplies in roubles,” Orsted said in a statement. “We have no intention of paying in roubles.”

Orsted, which has a long-term gas contract with the Russian energy giant, said it was in close dialogue with other energy companies and authorities regarding a “common European response to Gazprom Export”.

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US think-tank says Russia focus now on Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk

The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think-tank, has given its assessment of what Russia’s apparent pullback from Ukraine’s north suggests about Moscow’s military strategy.

Echoing the Ukrainian president, the IOW, says Russia’s “main effort is now focused on eastern Ukraine” with the goal of capturing Mariupol as well as the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Its analysts expect Russia to take Mariupol “in the coming days” but will continue to suffer heavy casualties.

“The Kremlin will continue to funnel reinforcements [including both low-quality individual replacements from Russia and damaged units redeployed from northeastern Ukraine] into operations in eastern Ukraine, but these degraded forces are unlikely to enable Russia to conduct successful large-scale offensive operations,” IOW said in its update.

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Damage in Belgorod likely to strain Russian logistics chains, UK says

British military intelligence has said the destruction of several oil tanks at a depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, will likely add short-term strain to Russia’s already stretched logistics chains.

“The probable loss of fuel and ammunition supplies from these depots will likely add additional short-term strain to Russia’s already stretched logistic chains,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said on Twitter. “Supplies to Russian forces encircling Kharkhiv [60km or 37 miles from Belgorod] may be particularly affected.”

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Ukraine says it carried out prisoner exchange with Russia

Ukraine and Russia have carried out a prisoner exchange, leading to the release of 86 Ukrainian servicemembers, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, has said.

In an online post, Tymoshenko did not reveal how many Russian soldiers were swapped, but he said the deal was a result of continuing peace. 

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UN sending top official to Moscow to seek ‘humanitarian ceasefire’

A top UN official will visit Moscow this weekend to try to secure a “humanitarian ceasefire” in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said.

Martin Griffiths, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, will fly to Moscow on Sunday and then on to Kyiv.

Guterres said that the visit shows “that we don’t give up on the perspective of stopping the fighting, in Yemen, in Ukraine, everywhere in the world”.

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White House declines to say whether US would back Ukrainian attacks on Russia

The White House has declined to say whether the US would back Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil after Moscow accused Kyiv of being behind an air raid on a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod. Ukraine has denied responsibility for the attack.

Asked by reporters whether the US would support such attacks in the future, the White House’s Psaki said, “I’m not going to get into a future hypothetical. What I would just reiterate again is that this is a war of aggression by the Russian leadership, by President Putin.”

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China accuses US of being ‘leading instigator of Ukraine crisis’

China has accused the United States of instigating the war in Ukraine and said NATO should have been disbanded following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

“As the culprit and leading instigator of the Ukraine crisis, the US has led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the last two decades after 1999,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing.

“The number of NATO members increased from 16 to 30, and they have moved eastward more than 1,000km (600 miles) to somewhere near the Russian border, pushing Russia to the wall step by step,” he added.

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Lavrov praises India for not taking ‘one-sided’ view of war

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Russia’s foreign minister has praised India as a “friend”, adding New Delhi is not taking a “one-sided” view on the war.

Sergey Lavrov’s visit to India on Friday was aimed at shoring up support from a country Russia has long regarded as an ally. New Delhi has not publically condemned what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“We are friends,” Lavrov told a news conference after meeting his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, adding India saw the Ukraine crisis in the “entirety of facts and not just in a one-sided way”.

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Top security official denies Ukraine carried out attack on Russian fuel depot

Ukraine’s top security official has denied accusations by Russia that Ukraine was behind an attack on an oil depot in the Russian city of Belgorod.

Speaking on national television, Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said: “For some reason they say that we did it, but according to our information this does not correspond to reality.”

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Russian defence ministry says Ukrainian helicopters attacked oil facility

Russia’s defence ministry has said two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters were responsible for an attack on a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, but it added that the facility did not supply fuel to the military.

In its statement, the ministry said the two helicopters attacked after crossing the border at an extremely low altitude.

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Erdogan Expects Date Of Putin-Zelenskyy Meeting To Be Known After His Call With Putin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he expects that the date of the proposed meeting between leaders of Ukraine and Russia will be determined after his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

“We declared our readiness to organize such a meeting in Istanbul, especially in the context of steps on Crimea and Donbas. (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy holds a positive opinion. Putin also spoke positively earlier. Based on the results of today’s conversation, the date of the meeting will be determined by the parties themselves,” Erdogan told Anadolu Agency.

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In call with Putin, Erdogan urges dialogue

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for Russia and Ukraine to act with common sense and maintain a dialogue during a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to his office.

Erdogan and Putin also discussed the talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on Tuesday, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

The Turkish leader said the “positive and constructive” discussions had raised hopes for peace, it added.

“Erdogan … noted he wanted to cap off the peace efforts by bringing together Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” his office said.

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Ukraine pushing Russian forces back in Kyiv region, official says

Ukrainian forces are pushing back Russian troops northeast and northwest of Kyiv, an adviser to Zelenskyy has said.

Oleksiy Arestovych added at a news briefing that Mariupol was still holding out after weeks of bombardment but warned Russian forces were now trying to encircle the northern city of Chernihiv.

Russia said during negotiations on Tuesday that it would scale down operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, but officials in both areas say fighting has continued in some places there.

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Russian bombardment of Mariupol has caused $10bn worth of damage: Local authorities

Russia’s bombardment of Mariupol has caused at least $10bn in damage to infrastructure there, according to a preliminary estimate by local authorities.

“Every crime, every murder and act of destruction committed by the aggressor must be recorded and passed on to the International Court [of Justice],” the city council quoted Mayor Vadym Boichenko as saying.

The council added that a special committee of councillors would be responsible for recording such acts.

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Ukraine’s cultural heritage at risk, UNESCO warns

Dozens of churches, historical sites and museums have been damaged by the war in Ukraine, the UN’s cultural agency (UNESCO) has said.

“We are very concerned about both the situation at the humanitarian and [cultural] heritage levels. Humanity’s heritage is in danger [in Ukraine],” Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, told a news conference.

UNESCO’s first preliminary list of totally or partially damaged sites featured 29 religious sites, 16 historical buildings, four museums and four  

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Kyiv mayor says ‘huge’ battles being fought near capital

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said “huge” battles are being fought to the north and east of Ukraine’s capital and warned people against returning to the city amid the fighting.

“The risk of dying [in Kyiv] is pretty high, and that’s why my advice to anyone who wants to come back is: Please, take a little bit more time,” Klitschko said.

Kyiv’s regional governor said earlier on Friday that Russian forces were pulling back in some areas around the capital but strengthening their positions in others.

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Israeli Health Minister To Visit Ukraine On Monday

Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz will visit Ukraine on Monday, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the newspaper, Horowitz will visit Israel’s field hospital and meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.

This will be the first visit by an Israeli minister to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian military operation on February 24.

Earlier this month, Israel announced the deployment of a field hospital in Ukraine, which includes a pediatric and adult hospitalization facilities, an intensive care unit, delivery room and first aid clinic.

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EU’s von der Leyen warns China of ‘reputational damage’ if it backs Russia

The EU’s top officials warned China’s leaders at a summit Friday not to help Russia wage war on Ukraine or sidestep Western sanctions, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said.

“It would lead to a major reputational damage for China here in Europe,” von der Leyen said after the video talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Ukraine says Russian forces pushed back around Kyiv

Russian forces are being pushed back around Kyiv but fighting is still fierce in some areas near Ukraine’s capital, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

Russia said during negotiations on Tuesday that it would scale down operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, both of which are in northern Ukraine, but officials in both regions say fighting has continued in some areas.

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EU agrees to stockpile equipment, drugs against chemical, nuclear incidents

The European Union has agreed to launch a stockpiling operation to boost its defences against chemical, nuclear and biological incidents amid concerns over the conflict in Ukraine, according to EU documents and people familiar with the matter.

The stockpiling of protective gear and medicines is expected to last weeks, potentially a few months, and is meant to expand reserves available to the EU population and partner countries, including Ukraine.

The supplies will also include decontamination equipment, gloves, masks and other material for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN), two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

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Russia using church as staging ground for Kyiv attack, US official says

Russian forces are using a church site 22 miles northwest of Kyiv as a staging ground for their assault on the Ukrainian capital, a senior US administration official said on Friday.

“Military personnel are situated both on the grounds of the church and the surrounding residential area,” the official said on condition of anonymity and without citing evidence.

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Zelensky says he and Macron discussed Mariupol 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the need to implement an initiative by Paris to help civilians evacuate the besieged city of Mariupol.

“The initiative of France on humanitarian corridors from Mariupol must be implemented!,” Zelensky said on Twitter after the call.

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Europe pursues unified Russian gas payment

European governments and companies were working on Friday on a common approach to President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they pay for Russian gas in roubles as the threat of an imminent halt in supplies eased. European capitals have been on alert for a disruption to gas imports for weeks as Putin seeks retaliation over the West sanctioning Russia for invading Ukraine.

But the Kremlin said on Friday it would not immediately turn off gas exports to Europe as payments on deliveries due after April 1 come in the second half of this month and May. “If Putin turns off the gas it might only be for a relatively short period of time, he needs our money and cannot reroute all the natural gas,” a European gas trader, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

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 Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume

Russia and Ukraine on Friday resumed peace talks by video conference, after Moscow reported a Ukrainian strike on a fuel depot in western Russia, a negotiator said.

“We are continuing talks by video conference,” Moscow’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Telegram. “Our positions on Crimea and Donbass have not changed.”

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 Lavrov praises India’s stance on Ukraine war

Russia’s foreign minister praised India’s approach to Ukraine on Friday, as he held talks likely aimed at pressing New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn Moscow’s invasion.

“These days our Western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the crisis in Ukraine… (We) appreciate that India is taking this situation in the entirety of facts, not just in a one-sided way,” Sergei Lavrov said in New Delhi as he met counterpart S. Jaishankar.

“Friendship is the key word to describe the history of our relations and our relations were very sustainable during many difficult times in the past,” Lavrov said, speaking in English.

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Russian forces withdrawing from Chernihiv area, says local governor

Russian forces are withdrawing from the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine but have not yet left entirely, the local governor said in a video address on Friday.

“Air and missile strikes are (still) possible in the region, nobody is ruling this out,” Governor Viacheslav Chaus said, adding that Ukrainian forces were entering and securing settlements previously held by Russian troops.

Chaus said it was still too early for Ukrainian forces in the Chernihiv region to let their guard down as Russian troops “are still on our land”. Russia said on Tuesday it would scale down operations in the Chernihiv and Kiev regions.

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Nearly 300,000 refugees from Ukraine recorded in Germany

Almost 300,000 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Germany, according to Germany’s Interior Ministry.

The ministry, citing figures from the federal police, said 294,508 refugees have been recorded so far and most of them are women, children or the elderly.

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‘Not yet clear’ if Mariupol evacuations will happen on Friday, says Red Cross

The Red Cross said it was “not yet clear” that the evacuation of civilians from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol would go ahead as planned on Friday.

“We remain hopeful, we are in action moving towards Mariupol … but it’s not yet clear that this will happen today,” Ewan Watson, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told reporters in Geneva, as an ICRC team of three cars and nine staff headed towards the city.

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Russian foreign minister appreciates India’s response to Ukraine crisis

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia appreciated India’s response to the Ukraine crisis.

“We appreciate that India taking this situation in the entirety of facts and not just in a one-sided way,” Lavrov said in a statement before talks with his Indian counterpart.

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Russia eases some curbs on transferring money abroad

Russia’s central bank has said it was softening restrictions on foreign fund transfers for individuals for a six-month period.

The bank said the measures, which raise an earlier limit on funds that can be transferred abroad, did not apply to residents and non-residents from countries that had imposed sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.

“Within a calendar month, individuals have the right to transfer no more than 10,000 US dollars or the equivalent in another currency from the Russian Federation from their account in a Russian bank to their account or to another person abroad,” the bank said in a statement.

The bank added that transfers abroad from bank accounts of non-residents, individuals or legal entities from countries that had imposed sanctions were suspended for the next six months.

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Russia’s Gazprom says gas exports to Europe via Ukraine continue

Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom has said it was continuing to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.

The company said requests stood at 108.4 million cubic metres (mcm) for April 1, down from 109.5 mcm a day earlier.

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Ukraine top of agenda as China, EU prepare to meet at summit

The European Union will seek China’s assurances that it won’t assist Russia in circumventing economic sanctions levelled over the attacks on Ukraine at an annual summit.

EU officials say they will also look for signs Beijing is willing to cooperate on bringing an end to the attacks at the virtual meeting.

Other topics include China’s travel ban on members of the European Parliament, Beijing’s economic boycott of EU member Lithuania over its Taiwan relations, the fate of a stalled investment agreement and civil and political rights under China’s authoritarian Communist Party regime.

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Rescuers help people cross destroyed bridge in Irpin

Ukrainian rescuers have assisted Irpin’s elderly population who were hiding from Russian shelling in a shelter for weeks without food and water.

Footage shared by Ukraine’s State Emergency Services showed rescuers helping people to cross over a destroyed bridge on Thursday.

According to official reports, around 50 percent of the city’s infrastructure has been destroyed since the beginning of the attacks.

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Ukraine general prosecutor says 153 children killed by Russian attacks

The Russian invasion has killed 153 and wounded 245 children in Ukraine after more than a month of hostilities, the office of Ukraine’s general prosecutor has said.

Most of the killings took place in the Kyiv region (73), in the southeastern region of Donetsk (65) and the eastern region of Kharkiv (46).

The death toll is expected to rise significantly as many victims in besieged cities of Mariupol and Chernihiv are unaccounted for.

About a half of children in Ukraine have been uprooted by the conflict, UNICEF said in late March. At least 1.8 million crossed into other countries, and 2.5 million others have been internally displaced.

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UK: Ukraine has retaken villages of Sloboda, Lukashivka

British military intelligence has said Ukrainian forces have retaken the villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka to the south of Chernihiv and located along main supply routes between the city and Kiev.

“Ukraine has also continued to make successful but limited counter attacks to the east and north east of Kiev,” Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

Chernihiv and Kiev have been subjected to continued air and missile strikes despite Russian claims of reducing activity in these areas, the ministry added.

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Russia: Ukraine strikes fuel depot in Belgorod

Two of Ukraine’s military helicopters have struck a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, a Russian official has said, making the first accusation of a Ukrainian air strike on Russian soil since Moscow began attacking its neighbour in late February.

Video images of the purported attack posted online showed what looked like several missiles being fired from low altitude, followed by an explosion. The images have not yet been verified.

The helicopters struck the facility after crossing the border at low altitude, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on messaging app Telegram.

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Russian troops leave Chernobyl

Russian troops have left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site after returning control to the Ukrainians, authorities said.

Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pullout at Chernobyl came after soldiers received “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant. But there was no independent confirmation of that.

This comes as eastern parts of Ukraine braced for renewed attacks and Russians blocked another aid mission to the besieged port city of Mariupol.

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Ukrainian forces say repelled seven Russian attacks

Some Russian forces are retreating from areas around Kyiv towards Belarus, despite the Russian assault on the southeastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk intensifying, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces has said.

The Russians are trudging towards the Belarusian border, taking away stolen civilian vehicles and looted property, it said on Facebook.

It added that seven Russian attacks were repelled in Donetsk and Luhansk overnight, with Ukrainian forces destroying three tanks, two armoured vehicles and one drone.

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French actor Depardieu blasts Putin’s ‘crazy excesses’ in Ukraine

French actor Gerard Depardieu, who has praised Putin in the past, has criticised his “crazy, unacceptable excesses” in Ukraine.

Depardieu, who took up Russian nationality in 2013, told the AFP news agency on Thursday: “the Russian people are not responsible for the crazy, unacceptable excesses of their leaders like Vladimir Putin.”

Depardieu also said he would give all the proceeds from three nights of concerts in Paris from April 1 to “Ukrainian victims of this tragic fratricidal war”.

In 2013, Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship, sparking an outcry in France where the actor was accused of abandoning his homeland to avoid a new tax rate for millionaires.

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Putin ally warns agriculture supplies could be limited to ‘friends’

One of President Putin’s allies has warned that Russia, a major global wheat exporter, could limit supplies of agriculture products to “friendly” countries only, amid Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s security council, said he would like to outline “some simple but important points about food security in Russia” given the sanctions imposed.

Most of them have been part of the country’s agricultural policy for years.

“We will only be supplying food and agriculture products to our friends,” Medvedev said on social media. “Fortunately we have plenty of them, and they are not in Europe or North America at all.”

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Governor accuses Ukraine of targeting Russian city

A regional governor has accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, which lies across the border to the north of Kharkiv.

The official, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said two Ukrainian helicopters carried out the attack, which started a fire at the facility.

Two people had been hurt, he said.

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Ukraine hopes for ‘super modern’ equipment for air force

Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan, Sergiy Korsunsky, has told the media that the country might soon be able to better protect itself from Russian air attacks because it is expecting to get “super modern” equipment from the US and the United Kingdom.

“They still have superiority in air force, in airplanes and missiles, and we expect to begin to receive super-modern equipment from the United States and Britain to protect our skies and our cities,” Korsunsky said.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Ukraine’s air force said it needed “Patriot systems from the US or the cheaper, more mobile NASAMS system from Norway”.

Both Patriot and NASAMS are surface-to-air missile systems.

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New conscripts to join Russian armed forces

April 1 marks the spring draft in the Russian military.

Some 134,500 conscripts have been called up this time around, according to a presidential decree.

It is not clear what role conscripts might have played in the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that none of those called up would be sent to any “hotspots”.

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Two Ukrainian ‘traitor’ generals fired

There are reports that Zelenskyy has stripped two generals of their ranks because they were “traitors”.

Ukrainian media outlets say the generals were senior members of the national security service, Andriy Naumov and Serhiy Kryvoruchko.

“These high-ranking servicemen, who could not decide on where their homeland is, who violate the military oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people regarding the protection of our state, its freedom, independence, will certainly be deprived of their high military rank,” the president was quoted as saying.

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Russia says EU sanctions ‘will not remain unanswered’

Russia has warned it will respond to EU sanctions.

“The actions of the EU will not remain unanswered … the irresponsible sanctions by Brussels are already negatively affecting the daily lives of ordinary Europeans,” Senior foreign ministry official Nikolai Kobrinets told the RIA news agency.

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Ukraine war to dominate EU-China Summit

Leaders from the EU and China are due to hold their first summit in two years later on Friday and the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions.

An EU official has told Reuters news agency that China’s stance towards Russia will be the “million-dollar question”.

“Do we prolong this war or do we work together to end this war? That is the essential question for the summit,” the official said.

China has not condemned Russia’s invasion and has called for peace talks to accommodate the “legitimate concerns of all sides”.

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Russia redeploying forces from Georgia to Ukraine, UK says

The UK Ministry of Defence has said Russia is redeploying forces from Georgia to help with its war in Ukraine, a move it said highlights Moscow’s “unexpected losses” in the invasion.

“Between 1,200 and 2,000 of these Russian troops are being reorganised into 3x Battalion Tactical Groups,” the defence ministry said in a Twitter post.

“It is highly unlikely that Russia planned to generate reinforcements in this manner and it is indicative of the unexpected losses it has sustained during the invasion.”

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US military aid already arriving in Ukraine, Pentagon says

An initial half-dozen shipments of US weapons and other security assistance have reached Ukraine as part of the $800m package of aid that Biden approved on March 16, the Department of Defense has said.

Spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the shipments included Javelin anti-tank weapons, Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, body armour, medical supplies and other material.

Kirby said the $800m in assistance is likely to be fully delivered within about two weeks. It also includes Mi-17 helicopters, small arms, ammunition, vehicles, secure communications systems, and satellite imagery and analysis capability.

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Red Cross seeks assurances for safe passage of civilians as aid convoy heads to Mariupol 

A convoy of buses approached the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Thursday to try to deliver humanitarian supplies and bring out civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and the Red Cross said. Vereshchuk said 45 buses were on their way to Mariupol after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed Russia had agreed to open a safe corridor.

In Geneva, the ICRC said its convoy was on its way but called on both sides to agree to the exact terms for the safe passage of civilians. It said that its two trucks had arrived in the city of Zaporizhzhia with aid items and medical supplies.

“For logistics and security reasons, we’ll be ready to lead the safe passage operation tomorrow, Friday, provided all the parties agree to the exact terms including the route, the start time and the duration,” ICRC spokesperson Ewan Watson said.

“It’s desperately important that this operation takes place. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it,” he said.

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Russia bans top EU leadership

Russia’s foreign ministry will expand its list of European Union figures banned from entering the country in response to sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine.

“The restrictions apply to the top leadership of the European Union including a number of European commissioners and heads of EU military structures as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament promoting anti-Russian policies,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Russia trades accusations with Ukraine on drifting Black Sea mines

Russia has accused Ukraine of laying hundreds of mines near its coast and said some were drifting into open waters in the Black Sea, a day after Kyiv said Moscow was responsible for planting mines.

Russia said Ukraine had “created a direct mine threat to transport and cargo ships of all Black Sea countries”.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Russia was planting naval mines in the Black Sea as “uncontrolled drifting ammunition”, turning them “into a de facto weapon of indiscriminate action”.

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All parties must agree to terms of humanitarian pauses: UN

The United Nations Humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine has called on all parties to agree to “the exact terms of humanitarian pauses”, including the route, the start time, and the duration, to ensure the safe delivery of assistance and the evacuation of civilians.

“These efforts have regrettably not yet succeeded, as we have been informed repeatedly that the safety and security of aid convoys and civilians could not be guarantee,” Osnat Lubrani said in a statement.

The official added the UN on Thursday had delivered supplies for thousands of people in the encircled city of Sumy, where shelling and fighting cut off power and water.

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Russian councillor charged over ‘false information’ on troops

A local councillor in Siberia has been charged with sharing “false information” on army activity in Ukraine, national media reported.

A Russian court’s press service said Petrenko had been charged over Telegram posts that spread “knowingly false information about the use of Russian armed forces to destroy civilian infrastructure and Ukraine’s civilian population,” RIA Novosti state news agency reported.

Russia has passed legislation making disseminating “false” information about its troops a punishable crime. Petrenko has been charged with using his official position to do so and could face up to 10 years in jail.

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Britain, allies to send more military aid to Ukraine

Britain and its allies have agreed to send additional lethal weapons to Ukraine to help defend it against Russia’s invasion, British defence minister Ben Wallace has said.

“There’ll be more lethal aid going into Ukraine as a result of today. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money,” Wallace told reporters.

He said this included longer range artillery, ammunition, and more anti-aircraft weapons.

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NATO asks Denmark to deploy 800 soldiers to Latvia

NATO has asked Denmark to send a battalion of 800 soldiers to Latvia to bolster the transatlantic military alliance’s eastern flank, the country’s defence ministry says.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said this week that Denmark was ready to send a battalion to the Baltic states at NATO’s request.

Such a move would require parliamentary approval.

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Russia to give $1.2 billion to help domestic airlines and flights

President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will provide domestic airlines with 100 billion roubles ($1.25 billion) in support to help them deal with the consequences of international sanctions.

In televised remarks at the end of a meeting with representatives of airlines and aircraft manufacturers, Russia’s president said the government subsidies would be disbursed this year.

The world’s 11th largest aviation market is under severe pressure as the United States and Europe on one side and Russia on the other have each closed their airspace to the other’s airlines.

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US slaps sanctions on Russian tech firms

The United States has hit a series of Russian tech firms with sanctions, including the nation’s largest chip maker.

“We will continue to target Putin’s war machine with sanctions from every angle, until this senseless war of choice is over,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Mikron, the largest Russian manufacturer and exporter of microelectronics, was among 21 entities and 13 individuals listed for penalties, including the blocking of any property in the US.

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Russia to expand ban of EU leadership after sanctions

Russia has said it will expand the list of EU figures banned from entering the country following Western sanctions over Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine.

“The restrictions apply to the top leadership of the European Union including a number of European commissioners and heads of EU military structures as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament promoting anti-Russian policies,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia has been hit with a barrage of sanctions targeting its economy, as well as travel bans and asset freezes on government figures, including President Vladimir Putin.

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UN warns of Ukraine refugee ‘humanitarian crisis’

The United Nations has said the refugee exodus from Ukraine was a “massive humanitarian crisis” that is growing by the second, after another 40,000 fled the country in 24 hours.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 4,059,105 Ukrainians fled across the country’s borders since the February 24 — a figure up 39,818 on Wednesday’s numbers, which saw the four million mark surpassed.

“We are confronted with the realities of a massive humanitarian crisis that is growing by the second,” UNHCR said, noting also the millions displaced within Ukraine and the 13 million estimated to be stranded in affected areas or unable to leave.

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Russia to hold independence referendum in Kherson: Ukraine

Ukraine has claimed that the Russian army is making arrangements to stage a referendum on independence from Ukraine in Kherson, a Russian-controlled region in southern Ukraine.

“To control the temporarily occupied territories of Southern Ukraine, the enemy is trying to create military-civilian administrations and has begun preparations for a referendum on a quasi-state entity in the Kherson region (the so-called Kherson People’s Republic),” the Ukrainian army said in a Facebook post.

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20 dead in strike on Mykolaiv govt building

The Ukrainian emergency services say the death toll after a Russian missile strike on Tuesday on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 20.

The emergency services said rescuers had now found 19 bodies in the ruins since the strike devastated the government building. One other person died in hospital. 

The regional governor accused Russia of waiting until people arrived for work before striking the building. Emergency services said they are still working at the scene. 

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Erdogan aims to bring Ukrainian, Russian leaders together

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is determined to hold talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin and bring them together to end the conflict.

He also spoke on Türkiye’s possible role as one of the guarantor states for Ukrainian security, saying Ankara is open to becoming a guarantor country, while the details should be clarified.

Türkiye continues opposition to sanctioning Russia — and instead prioritises standing against Russia’s military moves and continuing with the dialogue, Erdogan added.

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UK sanctions Russian ‘propagandists and state media’

The UK has announced new sanctions against “Russian propagandists and state media”, targeting two Kremlin-funded media organisations and a well-known presenter.

“Britain has helped lead the world in exposing Kremlin disinformation, and this latest batch of sanctions hits the shameless propagandists who push out (Vladimir) Putin’s fake news and narratives,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

Britain hit TV-Novosti, which owns the global television channel RT — formerly Russia Today — and Rossiya Segodnya, which controls the news agency Sputnik. London also targeted Sergey Brilyov, a famous TV anchor at Rossiya.

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Putin said timing premature for Ukraine ceasefire: Draghi

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that conditions are not mature yet for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Draghi has told a news conference when asked about a telephone call with Putin the previous day.

Draghi also said Putin told him that current gas contracts remained in force and that European firms will continue to pay in euros and dollars.

“What I understood, but I may be wrong, is that the conversion of the payment…is an internal matter of the Russian Federation,” Draghi said.

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Norway prime minister speaks with Vladimir Putin

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has held an hour-long conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Norwegian prime minister’s office has said in a statement.

“I asked the president urgently to end the war in Ukraine, pull out Russian troops and secure humanitarian access,” Stoere said.

“We have very limited expectations of what could be achieved, but nothing should be left untried in the situation we are now in,” he said.

Kremlin: Foreign gas customers to buy roubles for currency set in contracts

Customers from “unfriendly” countries will have to buy roubles for the currency stipulated in their contracts for subsequent Russian gas purchases, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.

Peskov said Gazprombank could be involved in the gas-for-roubles buying scheme, adding that the details of the scheme could be disclosed later on Thursday.

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Georgia: ‘Unacceptable’ for breakaway region to vote on joining Russia

Georgia has said plans by the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia were unacceptable, while the Kremlin stressed no action had been taken to make that happen.

Moscow recognised the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent after fighting in 2008. It stationed thousands of troops in both regions and has provided them with extensive financial support.

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani was quoted by TASS news agency as saying: “Of course talk of holding any kind of referendum (in South Ossetia) is unacceptable…when this territory in Georgia is occupied.”

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Ukraine President asks Australia for armoured vehicles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed directly to Australian lawmakers for more help against Russia, including armoured vehicles and tougher sanctions. He also called for Russian vessels to be banned from international ports.

“We need more sanctions against Russia, powerful sanctions until they stop blackmailing other countries with their nuclear missiles,” Zelenskyy said in a video address through an interpreter.

He specifically asked for Australian-manufactured Bushmaster four-wheel-drive armoured vehicles. “You have very good armed personnel vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment,” Zelenskyy said.

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Separatists declare significant gains in Ukraine’s east

Pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine have said they control almost all of the Luhansk region and more than half of the Donetsk region, after Moscow made these territories its primary military goal.

“As of the morning of March 31, 2022, more than 90 percent of the territory of the People’s Republic of Luhansk has been liberated,” the foreign ministry of the self-proclaimed republic said on Telegram.

A day earlier, leader of the Donetsk separatists Denis Pushilin told TASS news agency that “around 55 to 60 percent” of the region’s territory was under Russian control.

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17,500 Russian troops killed, Ukraine claims

Some 17,500 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 135 Russian planes, 131 helicopters, 614 tanks, 1,735 armoured vehicles, 83 unmanned aerial vehicles, 75 fuel tankers, and seven boats, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. At least 96 rocket launcher systems and 54 air defence systems have also been destroyed, it added.

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Russian forces ‘regrouping’ ahead of new Donbas offensive, Ukraine says

Russia is “regrouping” its forces in Ukraine to intensify its offensive in the country’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces has said.

The eastern territories are already partly-controlled by Russian-backed separatists who seized swaths of territory in the Donbas in early 2014.

“The main efforts of the enemy are focused on maintaining the occupied borders, preparing for the resumption of offensive operations in certain areas and establishing full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” the department said on Facebook.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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OPEC sticks to modest boost in oil despite war jitters

OPEC and allied oil producers, including Russia, have decided to stick to a modest increase in the amount of crude they pump to the world despite Western pressure to step up production as a result of the war in Ukraine.

The group, known as OPEC+, said it would add 432,000 barrels per day in May, as it works to gradually restore production cuts made during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s slightly up from 400,000 barrels in previous months.

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In pictures: Mariupol theatre before and after

The following images highlight the scale of destruction caused when Russian forces struck a theatre in Mariupol that was being used as a makeshift bomb shelter.

The city’s local government, citing witnesses, has said about 300 people were killed in the attack on March 16.

Russia has denied attacking the theatre and targeting civilians amid its offensive.

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Russian troops not withdrawing but regrouping, NATO says

Russian forces in Ukraine are not withdrawing but regrouping, NATO’s secretary-general has said in response to Moscow’s announcements about a scaling down of military operations around Kyiv and Chernihiv.

“According to our intelligence, Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning. Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas region,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

“At the same time, Russia maintains pressure on Kyiv and other cities. So we can expect additional offensive actions, bringing even more suffering,” he added.

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Two killed in rocket attack on military unit, fuel depot in Dnipro: Governor

Russian rockets have struck a military facility in Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, killing two people and destroying the site’s administrative building and fuel depot, according to the region’s governor.

Valentyn Reznychenko said in a post on Telegram that five people were also wounded in the attack.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Russia has destroyed most of Ukraine’s defence industry, Zelenskyy adviser says

Russia has “practically destroyed” almost all of Ukraine’s defence industry, an adviser to Zelenskyy has said.

Oleksiy Arestovych made the remarks in a video address during which he also welcomed the terms of a proposed peace deal as a win for Kyiv.

He said that under a peace agreement discussed with Russia during talks earlier this week, Ukraine would be protected from future threats by international security guarantees that Russia would not be able to veto.

“This is an ideal agreement that improves our position several times over in a fundamental way,” Arestovych added.

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Ukrainian president urges Dutch parliament to stop all trade with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday asked the Dutch parliament for weapons, reconstruction aid and to halt all business with Russia in response to the invasion of his country.

“Stronger sanctions are needed so that Russia doesn’t have a chance to pursue this war further in Europe,” he told lawmakers via video link. “Stop all trade with Russia.”

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 Ukraine’s Zelensky says others may be emboldened if Russia not punished

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Australia’s parliament on Thursday that Russia must be held accountable for past wrongs, warning that a failure to punish Moscow may encourage other countries to wage war against their neighbours.

Zelensky called for new and tougher sanctions to retaliate against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and suggested that years of failure to rein in the global power had emboldened Moscow.

“If we don’t stop Russia now, if we don’t hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to a similar war against their neighbours will decide that such things are possible for them as well,” Zelensky said in the video address, according to an official translation.

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Turkey says oligarch Abramovich ‘sincerely’ working to end war

Abramovich and Ukrainian MP may have been poisoned this month | Roman Abramovich | The Guardian

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is sanctioned by European nations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was “sincerely” working to end the war.

He has been liaising between Kyiv and Moscow since the invasion began on Feb. 24, Cavusoglu said.

Abramovich made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul on Tuesday.

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Convoy of buses on its way to Mariupol: Ukraine 

A convoy of Ukrainian buses has set out for the southern port city of Mariupol to try to deliver humanitarian supplies and bring out trapped civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

She said 45 buses were on their way to Mariupol after the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed Russia had agreed to open a safe corridor. The Russian military said it committed to a local ceasefire along the route from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia.

Nearly 5,000 people have been killed, the mayor’s office has estimated, and about 170,000 people remain trapped amid ruins without food, heat, power or running water. Many more have fled. The city had a population of over 400,000 before the attacks.

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UK military intelligence: Russian strikes continue in Chernihiv

Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued in Chernihiv despite Russia indicating an intended reduction of military activity around the area, British military intelligence has said.

Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kiev despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

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Turkey working to bring together Ukrainian, Russian foreign ministers

Turkey is working to bring together the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers for talks after hosting negotiations in Istanbul this week, the country’s foreign minister has said, adding the meeting could happen within two weeks.

Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia held the first face-to-face meeting in more than two weeks in Istanbul on Tuesday, during which Ukraine presented written proposals to stop the Russian invasion.

Speaking to broadcaster A Haber, Cavusoglu said Ankara had not seen the full implementation of decisions made during the discussions, including the withdrawal of Russian forces from some areas, but added significant progress was still made.

Addressing the surprise appearance of Roman Abramovich at the meeting, Cavusoglu said the sanctioned Russian billionaire was “sincerely” working to end the war.

Abramovich has been liaising between Kyiv and Moscow since the invasion began on February 24, he added.

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EBRD: Conflict to hammer Russia, Ukraine economies

The economies of Russia and Ukraine will contract by 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, this year as the conflict causes “the greatest supply shock” for 50 years, the European development bank (EBRD) has said.

Before Russia attacked its neighbour on February 24, the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had been pencilling in growth of 3.5 percent for Ukraine and 3.0 percent for Russia.

The EBRD, issuing emergency forecasts, said it was the first international financial institution to update its guidance since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine last month.

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Russia against US, NATO military presence near Afghanistan

Russia considers the presence of any United States or NATO military infrastructure in countries bordering Afghanistan unacceptable, the TASS news agency has cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.

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15 percent of residential buildings destroyed in Kharkiv: mayor

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After 35 days of intense shelling, Russian forces destroyed 1,292 houses, 76 schools, 54 kindergartens and 16 hospitals in the besieged eastern city of Kharkiv, its mayor said on Thursday.

Ihor Terekhov said in televised remarks that the losses amount to 15 percent of all buildings in the predominantly Russian-speaking city that lies some 40km (25 miles) west of the Russian border.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify Terekhov’s claim.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Ukraine crisis has raised shipping transit fees, Suez Canal chairman says

The war in Ukraine has led to an increase in shipping transit fees, Osama Rabie, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, has told Egyptian broadcaster  Asharq news.

The Suez Canal is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

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Children wounded as Russia uses phosphorus bombs: Ukrainian official

Eleven people including four children were wounded after Russian forces used banned phosphorus bombs in the Ukraine-controlled area of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kirilenko, head of the regional defence, wrote on Facebook.

“I am urging everyone who finds themselves on the frontline, who are dependent on the availability of certain medical drugs, on medical care, to take this chance and leave,” he wrote.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs, a charge Moscow denies. The 1977 Geneva Convention bans their use if they endanger civilians.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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‘Hundreds’ of South Ossetians fighting in Ukraine: ex-separatist leader

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The former leader of South Ossetia, a breakaway province in ex-Soviet Georgia, said “hundreds of fighters” have joined Russian forces in Ukraine, complaining they were treated as “cannon fodder.”

“I don’t doubt that the boys who already returned home could go back to the special operation zone and help complete the liberation of Donbas IF THEY FIND IT NECESSARY,” Eduard Kokoity wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.

South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in the 1990s. Its leaders said Georgia’s post-Soviet nationalist government violated the rights of Ossetians to use their language that is distantly related to Farsi.

Russia fought a brief war with Georgia in 2008 and recognised the “independence” of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It now has large military bases there.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Ukraine says convoy of buses on its way to besieged Mariupol

A convoy of Ukrainian buses have set out for the southern port city of Mariupol to try to deliver humanitarian supplies and bring out trapped civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

She said 45 buses were on their way to Mariupol after the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed Russia had agreed to open a safe corridor.

The city mayor said this week that up to 170,000 residents were trapped in Mariupol with no power and dwindling supplies. The city has been a strategic focus of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Previous attempts to organise safe corridors have failed.

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War will hammer Russia, Ukraine economies this year: Bank

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development says Russia’s economy will contract by 10 percent this year while Ukraine’s gross domestic product could shrink by as much as 20 percent.

Before the Russian invasion, the bank had predicted that the Russian economy would expand by 3 percent and that Ukrainian GDP would grow by 3.5 percent this year.

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India, Russia explore a rupee-rouble payment scheme to bypass sanctions

Indian authorities are considering dedicated rupee-rouble payment mechanisms for trade with Russia to enable existing trade obligations in the wake of sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.

Experts say a payment mechanism could pave the way for cheaper oil imports to India and open up opportunities for Indian manufacturers of agricultural machinery, medicine, furniture and bathroom fittings, among other goods, who are looking for new markets.

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IEA countries to decide on collective oil release

New Zealand says member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) will meet on Friday at 12:00 GMT to decide on a collective oil release.

The IEA is an inter-governmental body that is tasked with maintaining the stability of global oil supplies.

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West failing to ‘bind Russia’: Medvedev

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says Western efforts to bind Russia have failed as Moscow was ready for sanctions.

“Of course, there are real difficulties Russia has to cope with, as we are … isolated from global value-added chains … facing growing unemployment and being sent into an economic turmoil,” he was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.

He said, however, that “efforts to bound Russia fail as we were ready”, citing Moscow’s decision to call for payments in roubles for its gas exports

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Export controls hit Russia car, tank industries: US

Global restrictions on exports to Russia have shut down a carmaker, halted work on tanks and cut a Russian computer maker’s access to circuits used in communications equipment, a US official said.

“Thirty-three countries have joined together with one export controls strategy,” said Thea Kendler, assistant secretary for export administration at the Commerce Department.

The carmakers affected include Renault, which controls Russian carmaker Avtovaz, while Russian firms affected include Baikal Electronics, Moscow Center for SPARC Technologies and Russian tank maker UralVagonZavod, said Kendler.

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US planning to tap oil reserve to control gas prices

US President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, according to AP.

Citing two people familiar with the decision, the agency said the move is part of a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the US and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia.

The announcement could come as soon as Thursday when Biden is planning to deliver remarks on his administration’s plans to combat rising gas prices.

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Missile attack reported on Dnipro fuel depot

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of launching a missile attack on a fuel depot near Dnipro.

“A rocket hit an oil depot in Dnipro,” said Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region. “[It hit] one of the plants in Novomoskovsk.”

No casualties have been reported yet.

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Ukraine recalls ambassadors to Georgia, Morocco

Zelenskyy has recalled Ukraine’s ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco, suggesting they had not done enough to persuade those countries to support Ukraine and punish Russia for the invasion.

“[I]f there won’t be weapons, won’t be sanctions, won’t be restrictions for Russian business, then please look for other work,” Zelenskyy said in his nighttime address. “I am waiting for concrete results in the coming days from … our representatives in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.”

Zelenskyy also said he was expecting results from Ukraine’s military attaches in embassies abroad because “the diplomatic front is one of the key fronts” in Ukraine’s battle against Russia.

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EU agrees with US assessment on Putin’s advisers: Report

A senior European diplomat has told Reuters that a US assessment of Putin’s advisers misleading him about the Ukraine war is in line with European thinking. “Putin thought things were going better than they were. That’s the problem with surrounding yourself with ‘yes men’,” the diplomat said.

Reuters also cited two European diplomats saying Russian conscripts were told they were taking part in military exercises but had to sign for extended duty before the invasion.

“They were misled, badly trained and then arrived to find old Ukrainian women who looked like their grandmothers yelling at them to go home,” one of the diplomats told the news agency.

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More aid needed to resist Russians: Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy has thanked the White House for pledging an additional $500m in direct aid but said he was open with Biden about Ukraine needing more to resist the Russian invasion.

“If we really are fighting for freedom and in defence of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point,” Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation.

Zelenskyy said the negotiations with Russia were continuing but for now, they were only “words without specifics”.

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Talks to resume online on Friday: Ukrainian negotiator

Russia and Ukraine will resume peace talks online on April 1, a senior Ukrainian official has said.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said in an online post that Ukraine had proposed a meeting between the countries’ leaders, but Russia responded by saying more work needed to be done on a draft treaty. The latest round of negotiations was held in Turkey this week.

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Russia sanctions should increase until full withdrawal: UK

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Western powers should tighten the economic noose around Russia until it withdraws all its soldiers from Ukraine.

At a hearing in parliament, Johnson told MPs that to lift G7 sanctions simply in return for a Russian ceasefire in Ukraine would go “straight into (Vladimir) Putin’s playbook”.

“My view is we should intensify sanctions with a rolling programme until every single one of his troops is out of Ukraine,” he said.

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Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine, US intel determines

US intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about Russian forces’ performance in Ukraine, according to a US official.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the recently declassified intelligence finding, said that Putin has felt misled by the Russian military and there is now persistent tension between him and senior Russian defence officials.

The official did not detail underlying evidence for how US intelligence made the determination.

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Slovakia expels 35 Russian diplomats

Slovakia, a member of the European Union, has said it decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats based on information provided by intelligence services.

The country will “reduce the staff of the Russian embassy in Bratislava by 35,” foreign ministry spokesman Juraj Tomaga said.

“We regret that following the previous expulsions of Russian diplomats in the last couple of years, the Russian diplomatic mission has not shown any interest in operating correctly in Slovakia,” he added.

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Fresh Biden – Zelensky talks on Wednesday

President Joe Biden will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to discuss US support in his country’s battle against the Russian invasion.

Biden will “discuss our continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression,” a White House statement said. The call is scheduled for 10:45am (14:45 GMT)

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 EU court rejects RT France’s request for sanctions reprieve

The European Union’s Court of Justice on Wednesday rejected a request by the French-language unit of Russian state news network RT for a temporary reprieve from a broadcasting suspension issued in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“By today’s order, the president of the General Court rejects RT France’s request for interim measures,” said a statement from the court, which is part of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, adding that a final judgement would be delivered later.

The EU introduced a series of measures to suspend the broadcasting activities of some Russian state-backed media, including RT, on March 1. The 27-nation bloc accuses Moscow of using state-controlled media to propagate what is says is disinformation about Russia’s invasion, as well as Europe’s ties with Ukraine. 

The EU said on March 4 that the suspension of broadcasting can end when Russia “ceases to conduct disinformation and information manipulation activities against the EU and its member states”.

 Russia says Kyiv has stated willingness to meet Moscow’s core demands

Russia’s lead negotiator at talks with Ukraine said on Wednesday that Kyiv had stated a willingness to meet Moscow’s core demands, but that Russia’s position on Donbas and annexed Crimea remained unchanged.

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 Zelensky urges Norway to supply more energy to Ukraine, EU

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged Norway, the second-biggest supplier of gas to Europe behind Russia, to deliver more energy to his country and the European Union.

Addressing the Norwegian parliament via video link, Zelensky also called for a ban on Russian vessels in Europe’s ports.

“You can make a decisive contribution to the energy security of Europe by providing the necessary resources, both for the countries of the European Union and for Ukraine,” he said in a speech that ended with a long standing ovation from lawmakers.

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UK’s Truss to visit India on same day as Russia’s Lavrov

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will visit India on Thursday as part of a “wider diplomatic push” on the war in Ukraine, her office says. Her trip coincides with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov being in India.

India has frustrated Western allies by refusing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and by buying Russian commodities at a discount.

The UK foreign ministry said Truss will underline the “importance of democracies working together to deter aggressors”, adding that she wanted a closer relationship with India to boost security and jobs in both countries.

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Norway sends anti-tank weapons to Ukraine

Norway has donated more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion, the Norwegian defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The latest shipment, which has already been completed, is 2,000 M72 anti-tank weapons, raising the total number of M72s donated by Norway to 4,000, the ministry said.

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PM Johnson says UK not aiming to remove Putin from power

The United Kingdom is not aiming to overturn Russia’s government and remove President Vladimir Putin from power, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“I understand the frustrations that people feel about Putin and to desire a change of government in itself is not an ignoble thing … that’s the objective of a lot of democratic politics,” Johnson told lawmakers at a committee hearing.

“But let’s be absolutely clear, it’s not the objective of the UK government, and it’s very, very important that everybody gets this. We are simply setting out to help to protect the people of Ukraine, and to protect them against absolutely barbaric and unreasonable violence.”

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Ukrainian negotiator ‘optimistic’ after talks with Russia

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has said he feels optimistic after the latest round of talks with Russian officials.

“I have an optimistic impression of the round of negotiations in Istanbul,” Podolyak, a political adviser to President Zelenskyy, told an online briefing following the discussions in Turkey on Tuesday.

He added that a proposed system of security guarantees for Ukraine, which would be offered in exchange for its neutrality, would be put to a nationwide referendum only after Russian troops withdrew to positions they held before invading the country.

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UN examining forced evacuation claims

The United Nations’ human rights chief has said her office is looking into allegations that some residents of Mariupol, in southeastern Ukraine, have been forcibly evacuated to areas controlled by Russian forces or to Russia itself.

Speaking to the UN’s Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet decried a life of “sheer terror” for people in the besieged port city since Moscow launched its offensive.

Ukraine has charged that Russian forces were forcibly taking people from Mariupol and other areas to Russia. Moscow has denied the claims, saying about 500,000 Ukrainians left for Russia voluntarily.

Bachelet added her office was also reviewing “credible allegations” that Russian forces have used cluster munitions 24 times and allegations that Ukrainian forces have done so too.

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Russia’s Lavrov to visit India on Thursday, New Delhi says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit India, which has so far refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, for a two-day visit beginning Thursday, New Delhi said.

India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Russia and continues to buy Russian oil and other goods, despite pressure from Washington, with US President Joe Biden last week describing India as “somewhat shaky” on Russia. India and Russia have had a close relationship for decades. New Delhi, which describes Moscow as its “longstanding and time-tested friend”, sources most of its key military hardware from Russia.

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Kremlin says nothing ‘promising’ from Russia-Ukraine talks

The Kremlin has played down hopes of a breakthrough following peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegates in Istanbul.

“We cannot state that there was anything too promising or any breakthroughs,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.  He added that Moscow considered it “positive” that Kiev had started outlining its demands in writing.

Following Tuesday’s talks, Russia said it would be significantly reducing its military activity near Kiev and Chernihiv. But Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday Russian forces had bombarded Chernihiv.

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Russia hopes Europe will find creative solution to roubles-for-gas problem: Report

Russia hopes European countries will change their minds about paying for Russian gas in roubles and find a creative solution to the problem, the country’s RIA Novosti news agency has cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

The Kremlin has said Moscow will not immediately demand that buyers pay for its exports of the energy source in roubles, promising a gradual shift instead.

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Russia says Kyiv has stated willingness to meet Moscow’s core demands

Moscow’s lead negotiator in talks with Ukraine has said that Kyiv’s readiness to consider a neutral status would meet a key Russian demand.

Vladimir Medinsky said in televised comments that Ukrainian officials had submitted a set of proposals including Kyiv’s readiness to adopt a non-bloc, nuclear-free status and drop its bid to join NATO during Tuesday’s talks.

He added Ukraine had also signalled its readiness not to host foreign military bases and to hold joint drills with foreign militaries only in consultation with countries serving as guarantors of a peace deal, which would include Russia.

Medinsky said the proposals signalled Ukraine’s readiness to reach agreement “for the first time in years”, adding that “if it fulfils the obligations, the threat of creating a NATO bridgehead on the Ukrainian territory will be removed.”

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Mayor says hundreds of civilians killed in Irpin

An estimated 200 to 300 civilians were killed in the Ukrainian town of Irpin, near Kyiv, before it was taken back from Russian forces this week, the local mayor has said.

Oleksandr Markushyn told a news briefing that about 50 Ukrainian servicemen had also been killed there, and some bodies were still trapped under rubble. He added there had been Russian shelling in the area all night.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

Ukrainian forces on Monday seized back full control of the town, which has been one of the main hot spots of fighting with Russian troops near the capital.

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UN rights council appoints Norwegian judge to lead probe

The UN Human Rights Council has appointed a Norwegian judge who has served on several international courts to lead an investigation into alleged violations committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Erik Mose, a former judge on Norway’s supreme court and on the European Court of Human Rights, was named chair of the newly created independent international commission of inquiry.

Human Rights Council president Federico Villegas also appointed Jasminka Dzumhur, the human rights ombudsperson of Bosnia Herzegovina, and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia, who has served as the UN’s top expert on the promotion of truth, justice and reparations, to the three-person team.

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UN atomic watchdog chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant

UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has visited a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on his first trip to the country since Russia’s attacks. He has repeatedly warned of the dangers of the conflict — the first in a country with a vast nuclear estate.

Russian forces have seized control of the defunct Chernobyl plant site. They have also captured Europe’s largest nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia on March 4, sparking alarm when shelling caused a fire at a training facility.

“I’m at South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant to meet Ukrainian government officials and staff, and start IAEA technical assistance for safety and security of country’s nuclear facilities,” the International Atomic Energy Agency head wrote on Twitter.

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Poland to end Russian oil imports; Germany warns on gas

Poland has announced steps to end all Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, as Germany issued a warning over natural gas supplies in a sign of escalating economic tensions in Europe.

Poland has already largely reduced its dependence on Russian oil, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, adding that the country was launching the most radical plan among European nations to wean off Russian energy sources.

In Germany, the government called on consumers to save energy amid concerns that Russia could cut off deliveries unless it is paid in roubles. Western nations have rejected the Russian demand for rouble payments.

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UK issues 25,500 visas to Ukrainian refugees

The British government says it has issued 25,500 visas to Ukrainians under schemes set up to bring in refugees after Russia attacked Ukraine last month.

Data from the Home Office showed that 22,800 visas had been given under the Ukraine family scheme, with 2,700 being offered under the sponsorship scheme.

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Russia denies striking site of Hasidic Jewish pilgrimage

Russia has denied a claim by Ukraine that it had struck the town of Uman, visited by tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews each year, and showed pictures of what it said were Ukrainian forces loading arms near a synagogue there.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Israeli lawmakers on March 20 that Russia had struck Uman on the first day of the conflict in February, according to a transcript of the speech supplied by The Times of Israel.

“I want to underscore that the Russian armed forces do not strike civilian targets as part of the special military operation,” Russian defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said. Russia, Konashenkov said, had not hit any religious buildings or other places of public worship.

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Germany declares ‘early warning’ gas plan to secure supply

Germany on Wednesday raised the alarm level under its emergency gas plan as fears rose that Russia could cut off supplies if Western countries refused to make payments in roubles. After G7 countries rejected the Russian demand, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference he had called for the first “early warning” alert level under the plan, establishing a crisis team in the ministry to monitor the situation.

Under Germany’s existing gas emergency plan, the early warning is the first of three stages and does not yet imply state intervention. Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement that supplies were safeguarded for the time being and that Germany was closely monitoring supply flows with market operators.

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Residential areas of Ukraine’s eastern city of Lysychansk shelled

Residential areas of Ukraine’s eastern city of Lysychansk were shelled by heavy artillery on Wednesday morning, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Telegram. “A number of high-rise buildings have been damaged. Information on casualties is being confirmed,” he said. “Many buildings have collapsed. Rescuers are trying to save those still alive.”

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US State Department warns that Moscow may ‘detain’ Americans in Russia

The US State Department issued a travel advisory on Tuesday warning that Moscow “may single out and detain US citizens in Russia” and repeating earlier warnings for Americans not to travel to the country.

The warning was “due to the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces” as well as the potential for harassment of US citizens by Russian authorities, the travel advisory said, repeating calls for Americans travelling or living in Russia to leave “immediately”.

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Chernihiv governor sees no let-up in Russian attacks

The governor of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region says there has been no let-up in Russian attacks despite a promise by Moscow to scale down military operations there.

“Do we believe in it (the promise)? Of course not,” Governor Viacheslav Chaus said on the Telegram messaging app.

“The ‘decreased activity’ in the Chernihiv region was demonstrated by the enemy carrying out strikes on (the city of) Nizhyn, including air strikes, and all night long they hit (the city of) Chernihiv.”

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Russia hit industrial facilities in western Ukraine: regional governor

Russian forces have hit industrial facilities in three strikes on the Khmelnitskyi region of western Ukraine overnight, regional governor Serhiy Hamaliy says.

He gave no details of the targets but said fires had been “localised” and checks were being made to determine whether there were any casualties.

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Residential areas of Ukraine’s Lysychansk shelled: governor

Residential areas of Ukraine’s eastern city of Lysychansk have been shelled by heavy artillery on Wednesday morning, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Telegram.

“A number of high-rise buildings have been damaged. Information on casualties is being confirmed,” he said. “Many buildings have collapsed. Rescuers are trying to save those still alive.”

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UK taking sceptical view on Russian pledges: deputy PM

Britain will take a very sceptical view towards any promises coming from Russia about Ukraine and will respond to Moscow based on its actions, not its words, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.

“I would be very careful in taking at face value what is coming out of Putin’s war machine,” he told Times Radio, adding that room for diplomacy must still be made.

“Ultimately, they need to be tested by their actions and they need to withdraw from Ukraine, not just reposition,” he said, adding: “But I think we take a very sceptical view about anything coming out of Moscow.”

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Multiple explosions heard in Kyiv: Report

A Ukrainian news outlet is reporting “multiple explosions” in Kyiv, a day after Russia pledged to reduce combat operations around the capital

The Kyiv Independent also said air raids went off early in the morning on several regions across the country, including in Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava.

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Russia’s Lavrov makes first China visit since Ukraine war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in China in his first visit to the key ally since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine last month.

In a post on its Weibo social media account, the Russian embassy in Beijing confirmed Lavrov had landed in the eastern city of Huangshan, posting photos of delegates descending from a plane and being met by health officials in hazmat suits.

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Patients, staff at Mariupol hospital ‘forcibly taken’ to Russia: Council

The Mariupol City Council has accused Russian troops of forcibly removing more than 70 patients and medical staff at a maternity hospital to Russian territory.

“Another case of forcible deportation of Mariupol residents to the territory of the aggressor power,” it said in a statement. “More than 70 people were forcibly removed from Maternity Hospital No 2 in the Left Bank district – it’s medical staff and patients.”

The state-run Ukrinform news agency says more than 20,000 people from Mariupol have been taken to Russia against their will.

The Kremlin has previously denied forcibly removing Ukraine citizens, saying those who’ve arrived in Russia have done so voluntarily.

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Satellite images show buildings flattened, on fire in Mariupol

A satellite image shows apartment buildings and homes destroyed on east Mariupol, Ukraine March 29, 2022.

A satellite image shows apartment buildings and homes destroyed in east Mariupol, Ukraine on March 29, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]

A satellite image shows devastation of residential apartment buildings, in Livoberezhnyi district, east Mariupol, Ukraine, March 29, 2022.
A satellite image shows the devastation of residential apartment buildings, in Livoberezhnyi district, east Mariupol, Ukraine on March 29, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows destruction of homes and buildings, in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 29, 2022. Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS
A satellite image shows the destruction of homes and buildings, in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 29, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]

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UN records 1,179 civilian deaths in Ukraine

The UN human rights office says it has verified 1,179 civilian deaths in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. A further 1,860 civilians were wounded, it said.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” it said in a statement.

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Ukraine journalist detained, taken to Donestsk: Union

The National Union of Journalists in Ukraine says Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia region have arrested a local journalist and taken her to the Donetsk region for “an investigation into her actions”.

Citing the journalist’s sister, the union said the Russians accused Irina Dubchenko of sheltering a wounded Ukrainian soldier.

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Evacuations from southern Ukraine continue

Some 1,665 people evacuated from southern Ukrainian cities on Tuesday, arriving in the city of Zaporizhzhia in their personal cars, according to an official.

Iryna Vereshchuk, the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, said the evacuees included 936 people from besieged Mariupol.

She accused the Russian forces of blocking convoys of evacuation buses and trucks with humanitarian aid that were sent to Berdyansk, Melitopol and Enerhodar. Convoys of people fleeing Tokmak and Enerhodar were also blocked, she said.

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Russia-backed Donetsk Republic will consider joining Russia, leader says

The Russian-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine may consider joining Russia once it controls all of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, its news outlet has cited separatist leader Denis Pushilin as saying.

“The main task is to reach the constitutional borders of the republic. Then we will determine that,” Pushilin was quoted by the Donetsk News Agency as saying.

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Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello perform at ‘Concert for Ukraine’ in Birmingham

Chart-toppers Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello were among music stars who took to the stage on Tuesday night at a televised concert aiming to raise funds for a Ukrainian humanitarian appeal.

The lineup for the two-hour “Concert for Ukraine” in Birmingham also featured Ukrainian singer Jamala, who won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, music veteran Nile Rodgers & Chic as well as groups Snow Patrol and Manic Street Preachers.

Organisers said the concert had raised 12.2 million British pounds ($16m) which will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee – an umbrella of British charities – for the humanitarian appeal in Ukraine.

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‘Irpin is still not safe’: Mayor tells residents of ‘liberated town’ not to return yet

Oleksandr Markushyn, the mayor of Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that Ukrainian forces claimed control of on Monday, has told residents of the area not to return just yet.

“Do not come back yet. The city is still not safe. We still hear gunshots and shelling, Grads [multiple rocket launchers] are even still being deployed,” he said in a video message on Tuesday.

“I will absolutely inform everyone as soon as it is possible to return.”

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Zelenskyy to address Australian parliament

Ukraine’s president is scheduled to address Australia’s parliament on Thursday evening.

Employment minister Stuart Robert told parliament that Zelenskyy would make an address by video at 5.30pm (06:30 GMT), according to parliament records.

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Ukrainian soldier who defended Snake Island released in prisoner exchange

A Ukrainian soldier who gained fame with his refusal to surrender when Russian troops invaded a tiny island in the Black Sea has been released from Russian captivity.

In a tweet, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said Roman Hrybov, who told a Russian warship “to go fuck yourself”, has “returned from Russian captivity to his native Cherkasy region”.

Russian troops had detained Hrybov when they seized Ukraine’s Snake Island on the first day of Moscow’s invasion on February 24.

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Polish cabinet approves law to ban Russian coal imports

The Polish government has adopted draft legislation that will allow a ban on imports of Russian coal, according to a cabinet spokesperson.

“We don’t want these imports to be possible any longer, although we realise that there’s a risk related to the fact that the European Union has not approved such actions to date,” Piotr Muller told reporters in Warsaw.

Sanctions in the EU as a rule have to be agreed by the whole trading bloc, and Brussels could potentially punish countries acting unilaterally.

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Russia’s promised withdrawal aimed at ‘misleading’ Ukraine: Military

Ukraine’s military says it distrusts Russia’s announced withdrawal from around Kyiv and Chernihiv.

“There are indications that the Russian forces are regrouping to focus their efforts on eastern Ukraine,” the Ukrainian general staff said in a statement.

“At the same time, the so-called ‘withdrawal of troops’ is most likely a rotation of individual units and is aimed at misleading the Ukrainian military leadership” by creating the misconception that the Russians have decided not to try to encircle Kyiv, it said.

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Russia ‘almost certainly failed’ in Kyiv offensive: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says Russian setbacks and Ukrainian counterattacks around Kyiv mean “it is almost certain” that Russia “has failed in its objective to encircle” the capital city.

In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said Russian pledges to cut back troops around Kyiv may indicate its “acceptance that it has now lost the initiative in the region”.

“It is highly likely that Russia will seek to divert combat power from the north to their offensive in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east,” the ministry added.

 

 

Russia-Ukraine talks will take place at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace: Report

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Ukraine’s state-run Ukrinform news agency says talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will take place at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace on Tuesday.

The discussions will begin at 10:30am local time (07:30 GMT), it said.

Before they sit down, the negotiators are expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the agency added.

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Russia no longer demanding Ukraine be ‘de-Nazified’: Report

The Financial Times says Russia is no longer requesting Ukraine be “de-Nazified” and is prepared to let Kyiv join the EU if it remains militarily non-aligned as part of ceasefire ngotiations.

Citing four people briefed on the talks, the FT said the draft ceasefire deal does not contain any discussion of three of Russia’s initial core demands – “de-Nazification”, “demilitarisation” and legal protection for the Russian language in Ukraine.

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Asia complying with Russia export controls: US

A senior US official says Washington has not seen any indications of non-compliance in Asia with export controls on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

“The restrictions have been in place for roughly a month, a little bit over a month, and we certainly haven’t seen any indication that there’s non-compliance, in fact we’ve seen the reverse,” said Matthew Borman, a deputy assistant secretary at the commerce department.

“I think there’s also a fair amount of additional self-sanctioning, if you will, by multinational companies operating in Russia,” he added.

Major players know there is a significant risk to their business if they don’t comply because of actions the US could take, including fines or criminal penalties, Borman said.

“We know that Russia is quite dependent upon foreign supplies for some key inputs like semiconductors so I think it will be relatively readily apparent if there is non-compliance and the task will be to trace that back to its origin.”

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France delivers fire and rescue trucks to Ukraine

France has handed over 27 fire and rescue trucks, as well as 50 tonnes of medical and emergency equipment to Ukraine.

French ambassador Etienne de Poncins posted pictures of the handover on Twitter, saying: “Efficiency and solidarity between France and Ukraine … Mission accomplished.”

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Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces in control of Irpin

Ukraine’s president says Ukrainian forces have retaken the key Kyiv suburb of Irpin, but cautioned that Russian forces still control areas north of the capital.

“The occupiers are pushed away from Irpin and Kyiv. But it’s still too early to talk about safety in this part of our region. Fighting continues,” he said in his nightly video address.

“Russian troops hold the north of Kyiv region under control. They have resources and manpower. They are trying to rebuild destroyed units.”

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Ukrainian journalist ‘taken captive’ by Russian forces

A Ukrainian journalist working for the UNIAN news agency has been taken captive by Russian forces, according to his colleague.

Dmytro Khyliuk went missing in early March and is being held in a town outside Kyiv, his colleague Natalia Boguta said in a Facebook post.

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Japan will ask firms not to pay in roubles for Russia transactions

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno says that Japanese companies will be requested to refuse if Russia asks for rouble payments for economic transactions, especially in the energy sector.

Russia demanded last week that “unfriendly” countries must pay in roubles, not euros, for its gas in the wake of the US and European allies teaming up on a series of sanctions aimed at Moscow.

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Japan to ban luxury goods exports to Russia

Japan’s trade ministry says it will ban the export of luxury goods to Russia effective on April 5 over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Banned items include luxury cars, motorcycles, liquors, cosmetics, fashion items and art pieces, the ministry said.

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Macron and Putin to speak again on Tuesday

French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to once again speak with his Russian counterpart on Tuesday, the Russian TASS news agency reported.

Macron expects to discuss with Putin the details of a planned humanitarian operation aimed at evacuating civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol, TASS quoted a spokesman for the French leader as saying.

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Amnesty accuses Russia of war crimes in Mariupol

Amnesty International is accusing Russia of committing war crimes in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

“The siege of Mariupol, the denial of humanitarian evacuation and humanitarian escape for the population, and the targeting of civilians, according to Amnesty International’s investigation, amounts to war crimes,” said the group’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard.

“The crisis in Ukraine right now, the invasion … is not just any kind of violation of international law,” she said. “It is an aggression. It is a violation of the UN charter of the kind that we saw when the US invaded Iraq.”

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Pentagon may need more funding to help Ukraine

Pentagon leaders say they may have to ask the US Congress for additional money to support Ukraine’s battle against Russia’s invasion, including to replenish the arsenal for weapons sent to Kyiv.

Rolling out the defence department’s $773bn request for fiscal year 2023, Pentagon leaders said the budget was finalised before the invasion so it has no specific money for the war.

Congress approved a $13.5bn emergency funding package in early March.

The leaders said it was too early to predict how quickly Ukrainian forces will use up the weapons and ammunition already being provided, and how much the US will need to replace what it sends to Ukraine, such as Stinger and Javelin missiles or body armour and other equipment.

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US deploys aircraft specialising in electronic warfare to Europe

The Pentagon has said it is deploying six Navy aircraft that specialise in electronic warfare and about 240 Navy personnel to bolster NATO defences in Eastern Europe.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby says the EA-18G Growler aircraft, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state, were scheduled to arrive on Monday at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, where they will be stationed. They are not intended for use in Ukraine, he said.

“The purpose of this deployment is to bolster readiness, enhance NATO’s collective defense posture and further increase air integration capabilities with our allied and partner nations,” Kirby said in a statement.

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Russia again says it would only use nuclear weapons in case of existential threat

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has told US broadcaster PBS in an interview that Russia would only resort to nuclear weapons in the case of a “threat to the existence” of the country – and not as a result of the current conflict with Ukraine.

“But any outcome of the operation (in Ukraine), of course is not a reason for usage of a nuclear weapon,” said Peskov, echoing comments he made to CNN last week.

“We have a security concept that very clearly states that only when there is a threat for existence of the state, in our country, we can use and we will actually use nuclear weapons to eliminate the threat for the existence of our country.”

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Seven EU countries warn citizens against joining Ukraine conflict

Seven European Union countries have urged their citizens to refrain from joining the military fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The appeal was issued by the justice ministers of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and Belgium.

The ministers “have unanimously discouraged Europeans from joining” the ranks of voluntary combatants heading to the war in Ukraine, they said in a statement published after their meeting in Brussels.

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UK intelligence says Russia’s Wagner Group deploying to eastern Ukraine

The Russian private military company, the Wagner Group, is deploying fighters to eastern Ukraine, British military intelligence has said.

“They are expected to deploy more than 1,000 mercenaries, including senior leaders of the organisation, to undertake combat operations,” Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

Last week, the Pentagon warned that the Wagner Group is looking to “increasing their footprint in Ukraine”.

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Biden does not rule out meeting with Putin

Despite the escalating war of words between the Kremlin and the White House, Biden has not ruled out direct talks with Putin.

Asked on Monday whether he would be willing to hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Biden said: “It depends on what he wants to talk about.”

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Turkey’s Erdogan to meet Ukraine, Russia delegates

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he would meet “briefly” with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations ahead of two days of face-to-face talks scheduled to kick off on Tuesday.

In a televised address, the Turkish leader also said that separate telephone calls held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin were progressing in a “positive direction.”

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US intelligence suggests ‘environmental’ factor sickened Abramovich: Reuters

A US official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity has said that intelligence suggests the sickening of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators was due to an environmental factor, not poisoning.

“The intelligence highly suggests this was environmental,” the source said, adding: “E.g., not poisoning.” They declined to elaborate further.

The account contradicts an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal and investigative outlet Bellingcat saying Abramovich and the negotiators had suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a meeting in Kyiv.

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UN chief calls for ceasefire to allow Ukraine, Russia to broker peace

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately agree to a humanitarian ceasefire to allow for the parties to negotiate an end to the month-long conflict.

Guterres said he is tasking Martin Griffiths, his humanitarian affairs coordinator, to work with Kiev and Moscow on laying the groundwork for a cease-fire.

Griffiths is expected to go to both capitals “as soon as that becomes possible,” Guterres said.

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Russian, Ukrainian delegations to meet in Istanbul on Tuesday

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine will hold fresh rounds of peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday as the Russian attack on Ukraine has continued for over a month.

The two-day peace talks, to be held at the presidential Dolmabahce office, are set to start at 0730GMT (10:30AM local time). The talks will be closed to the press, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Earlier today, a private plane carrying the Russian delegation landed at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to arrive in Istanbul later this evening.

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Ukrainian forces retake control of town of Irpin

Ukrainian forces have reportedly seized back full control of Irpin, the town near Kiev which has been one of the main hotspots of fighting with Russian troops, the town’s mayor said.

“We have good news today – Irpin has been liberated,” Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said in a video post on Telegram.

“We understand that there will be more attacks on our town and we will defend it courageously.”

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Ukraine troops recapture village outside Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces have recaptured a small village on the outskirts of Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, as Kiev’s forces mount counterattacks against a stalling Russian operation, AFP news agency reported.

Members of the Ukrainian army were reportedly clearing and securing destroyed homes in the settlement of Malaya Rohan, about five kilometres (three miles) from Kharkiv, after pushing out Russian forces.

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Ukrainian forces retake town south of Sumy – US official

The United States assesses that Ukrainian forces have retaken the town of Trostyanets, south of Sumy, from Russian forces, a senior US defense official has said.

“The Ukrainians are continuing to try to take back ground,” the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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US proposes $6.9B to aid Ukraine against Russia, bolster NATO

The United States will spend $6.9 billion to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion and support NATO member countries under a budget proposal President Joe Biden’s administration released.

The funds would represent Washington’s latest allocation of defence aid after Russia’s shock attack, and would be used to “enhance the capabilities and readiness of US forces, NATO allies, and regional partners in the face of Russian aggression,” the White House said.

Nearly 5,000 people killed in Ukraine’s Mariupol – mayor

Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol since Russian forces laid siege to it, a spokesperson for the city mayor has said.

The spokesperson quoted data from the mayor’s office that said about 90 percent of buildings in Mariupol had been damaged and about 40 percent had been destroyed.

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More than 100 deaths in Kiev, including 4 children – mayor

There have been more than 100 deaths in the Ukrainian capital Kiev since Russia began its military operation, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.

In an address to city councillors of Florence, which is twinned with Kiev, Klitschko said more than 20 corpses could not be identified and four of the victims were children, while another 16 injured children are in hospital.

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Rome helping Ukraine with security guarantees – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi about Italy helping to create a system that will give Ukraine security guarantees to protect it from future threats.

“Discussed the course of countering Russian aggression. Thanked for the important defence and humanitarian support. Ukrainian people will remember this,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

“We appreciate Italy’s willingness to join the creation of a system of security guarantees for Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president added.

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Ukraine puts $565 billion price tag on Russian operation damage

The Ukrainian government has estimated the economic damages and losses from the Russian operation, which has been underway for just over one month, at nearly $565 billion.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Facebook that the $564.9-billion (515.8-billion-euro) estimate includes immediate damage plus expected losses in trade and economic activity.

“It should be noted that every day the numbers change and unfortunately they are increasing,” said Svyrydenko, who is also a deputy prime minister.

 

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Putin ‘does not appear ready’ to compromise on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not appear ready to make compromises to end the offensive in Ukraine, a senior US official said as Ukraine and Russia prepare for their first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks.

“Everything I have seen is he is not willing to compromise at this point,” the senior US State Department official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.

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Russia praises Serbia for refusing sanctions

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Serbia for refusing to impose sanctions against Moscow over its aggression in Ukraine, saying the Balkan ally has made “a smart choice.”

“We deeply respect the Serbian people, Serbian culture, Serbian history and commitment to traditional friends,” Lavrov said, adding “We are sure that they will continue to make smart choices in this situation.”

Although Serbia voted in favour of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s operation, Belgrade has refused to join the US and the EU in imposing wide ranging sanctions against Moscow.

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Nearly 3.9M people flee Ukraine: UN

3,862,797 Ukrainians have fled the country since the Russian offensive began, an increase of 41,748 from the previous day’s figures as the flow continues to slow, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has reported.

Of those who have left, 2.2 million have fled for neighbouring Poland, while more than half a million have made it to Romania. Nearly 300,000 have gone to Russia.

In total, more than 10 million people are now thought to have fled their homes, including nearly 6.5 million who are internally displaced.

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Ukraine: No sign of Russian forces pulling back from Kiev

Ukraine sees no signs on the ground that Russia has given up a plan to surround the Ukrainian capital Kiev, Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson Oleksander Motuzyanyk has said.

“According to our information, the Russian Federation has not abandoned its attempts, if not to capture, then to surround Kiev. For now we don’t see the movement of enemy forces away from Kiev,” he told a televised briefing.

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160,000 remain in Mariupol, mayor says

The mayor of Mariupol has said that around 160,000 people remain in the besieged port city, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported.

A “humanitarian catastrophe” would ensue if more evacuations are not possible, mayor Vadym Boychenko added.

Russian forces were preventing civilians from evacuating from the city and had been turning back some who tried to make it out, he said.

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North Macedonia declares Russian diplomats personas non grata

North Macedonia has declared five Russian diplomats personas non grata for violating diplomatic norms and ordered them to leave the country in five days, the foreign ministry has said in a statement.

The Russian ambassador in the country was informed the five people have carried out activities that are contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and had to leave, the ministry said.

“There will be an adequate response” from Russia, Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian embassy in Skopje as saying.

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Russia expels three Slovakian diplomats

Russia has decided to expel three Slovakian diplomats in response to the expulsion of three employees of the Russian Embassy in Slovakia.

The diplomats were told them to leave the country within 72 hours, the foreign ministry said.

Slovakia expelled three Russian embassy staff earlier in March based on information from its secret service.

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Russia to restrict visas for people from ‘unfriendly countries’

Russia is preparing retaliatory visa measures that would restrict entry for citizens from “unfriendly countries”, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

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Russia orders gas payments in roubles by March 31

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government, central bank, and Gazprom company to switch the payments for the deliveries of gas to “unfriendly countries” to roubles by March 31.

The order was to implement “a set of measures to change to the Russian rouble the currency of payment for natural gas supplies to the European Union and other countries that have introduced restrictive measures against citizens of the Russian Federation and Russian legal entities.”

Putin also called for a report on the implementation of the assignment on March 31, a statement on the Kremlin website said.

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Germany: G7 rejects Russia’s demand to pay for gas in roubles

The Group of Seven major economies have agreed to reject Moscow’s demand to pay for Russian natural gas exports in roubles, the German energy minister has said.

Robert Habeck told reporters that “all G-7 ministers agreed completely that this (would be) a one-sided and clear breach of the existing contracts.”

He said officials from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada met on Friday to coordinate their position and that European Union representatives also were present.

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Russia adds German broadcaster to ‘foreign agent’ list

Russia’s justice ministry has added German broadcaster Deutsche Welle to a list of media organisations it has labelled as “foreign agents”, a designation that requires outlets to publish a disclaimer on all its publications.

Deutsche Welle’s website was blocked by state communications regulator Roskomnadzor in early March.

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Independent Russian paper suspends operations

Leading independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which is edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, has suspended operations after receiving warnings from Russian authorities.

The newspaper reported being warned by Roskomnadzor, the state communications regulator.

“After this we are stopping the release of the newspaper on the website, on (social) networks and on paper, until the end of the ‘special operation on the territory of Ukraine,’” the newspaper said in a statement.

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Putin, Zelenskyy meeting needed once sides closer on key issues: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy should happen once the two sides are closer to agreeing on key issues.

Speaking to Serbian media outlets, Lavrov added that any meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to exchange views on the conflict right now would be counter-productive.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said talks between negotiators from Moscow and Kiev have so far made no major breakthroughs as the delegations prepare for a new round of talks in Istanbul.

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Ukraine halts civilian evacuations

Ukraine said it was pausing evacuations of civilians from besieged regions of the country because intelligence reports suggested Russian troops were planning attacks on humanitarian routes.

“Our intelligence has reported possible provocations by the occupiers on routes of humanitarian corridors. Therefore, for reasons of public safety, we are not opening humanitarian corridors today,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media.

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Türkiye detects second naval mine in Black Sea

Türkiye’s defence ministry has said military teams were working to disable a second naval mine that was detected floating off the country’s Black Sea coast.

On Monday, the ministry said Underwater Defence Teams that were dispatched to the site off the coast of Igneada, near the border with Bulgaria, had managed to secure the mine and were now working to “neutralise” it.

On Saturday, Turkish authorities closed the Bosporus — the landmark waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara — to traffic as a precaution as the Turkish coast guard responded to reports of a drifting mine-like object which was later “neutralised.”

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Kremlin says Biden’s comments on Putin a cause for concern

The Kremlin has said that US President Joe Biden’s comments that Vladimir Putin could not remain in power were a cause for concern.

Biden made the comments to a crowd in Warsaw on Saturday. He later said that the United States does not have a policy of regime change in Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would continue to closely follow Biden’s statements.

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UK sees stalled flighting, Black Sea blockade

Russian forces have made no significant progress in the past 24 hours amid continuing supply problems and aggressive resistance from Ukrainian fighters, UK defence officials have said.

Poor morale and a lack of momentum have compounded the problems facing Russian forces, Britain’s Ministry of Defense claimed in its latest intelligence briefing. Heavy fighting continues around Mariupol as Russian forces try to capture the port on the Sea of Avov, which connects to the Black Sea, the ministry said in a briefing posted on Twitter. 

Earlier, the ministry said Russia was maintaining a blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, cutting off maritime trade with the country.

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All parties concerned in confrontation with Russia except China: envoy

China’s ambassador to the US said that of all parties concerned in the Ukraine, only China has Russia’s ear.

Qin Gang said China was uniquely positioned to help peacefully resolve what he called “the crisis.” “Now, all parties concerned are in serious confrontation with Russia except China. Only China has the ear of Russia,” Qin said in an interview.

Qin blamed NATO’s eastward expansion for having provoked Russia. “Russia feels duped by NATO on its eastward expansion. It feels threatened and cornered,” Qin said.

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At least 1,100 Ukrainians evacuated in last 24 hours 

At least 1,100 civilians have been evacuated in Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the country’s deputy prime minister has said.

Iryna Vereshchuk, who is also minister for reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, said in her daily briefing published on Instagram that civilians have been evacuated to safe areas through two humanitarian corridors.

Noting that they will continue to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk said evacuations from the northeastern Sumy region will start on Monday.

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Zelenskyy outlines agenda of fresh talks with Russia

Ukraine’s priorities at the Ukrainian-Russian talks in Türkiye this week will be “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told his nation in his nightly address.

“We are looking for peace, really, without delay,” he said. “There is an opportunity and a need for a face-to-face meeting in Türkiye. This is not bad. Let’s see the outcome.”

Ukraine is prepared to consider declaring neutrality and offering security guarantees to Russia including nuclear-free status, he said, adding Russian President Vladimir Putin must meet with him to seek an end to the fighting.

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Biden says he wasn’t calling for regime change in Russia

US President Joe Biden has said that he was not calling for regime change in Russia when he said on Saturday that President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”

“No,” Biden said as he left a church service in Washington when asked by a reporter whether he was calling for regime change in the country.

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Turkey among countries that could become ‘guarantors’ of Ukraine’s security, Kyiv says 

Turkey is among countries that could offer Kyiv security guarantees as part of any deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said on Monday. 

“Turkey is among those countries that could become guarantors of our security in the future,” Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, said ahead of peace talks scheduled between Kyiv and Moscow in Turkey. 

Kyiv has said it wants legally binding security guarantees that would offer Ukraine protection in the event of a future attack. 

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Position of Russian forces in Ukraine has not moved significantly since Sunday morning, UK says

The disposition of Russian forces in Ukraine during the last 24 hours has seen no significant change, British military intelligence said on Monday. However, Russia has gained more ground in the south, in the vicinity of Mariupol, as it fights to capture the port, the defence ministry added.

Mariupol mayor fears humanitarian catastrophe

The southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe and must be completely evacuated, its mayor said.

Vadym Boichenko said about 160,000 civilians were trapped in the city without power. Twenty-six buses were waiting to evacuate civilians but Russian forces had not agreed to give them safe passage, he said.

“The Russian Federation is playing with us,” he said. Russia denies targeting civilians and blames Ukraine for the repeated failure to agree on safe corridors for trapped civilians. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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Heineken to exit its Russian operations

Heineken Says It's “Brewing A Better World” In Africa. It's Not. | by Hassan Ghedi Santur | BRIGHT Magazine

Dutch brewing giant Heineken said it has decided to exit its business in Russia, after previously saying it would halt new investments and exports there.

“We have concluded that Heineken’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment,” it said in a statement.

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12th Russian defeat at Chornobaivka airport

For the twelfth time, Russian forces have been defeated in the southern town of Chornobaivka after trying to seize a strategic airport, a presidential aide said.

The Chornobaivka airport between the seized city of Kherson and the besieged city of Mykolaiv has become a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance and spawned dozens of memes ridiculing Russia’s blind determination to seize the town by all means necessary.

“A pleasant yet predictable surprise – Chornobaivka, [defeat] number 12, it happened and keeps happening,” Oleksiy Arestovych wrote on Facebook.

Russian general Yakov Rezantsev, who commanded the combined 49th army, was killed in Chornobaivka last week, the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

Arestovych said that after failing to advance on Kyiv and cities in central and southern Ukraine, the Russians are concentrating their efforts on the southeastern region of Donbass that has been partially controlled by pro-Moscow separatists since 2014.

“The Russian commanders signed off on their failure … in other directions,” he wrote.

He said that the Russians are collecting reserves for their second attempt to advance in Donbass – but then will run out of human and military resources.

“Then the war is moving towards a positional phase – where we have the upper hand,” Arestovych concluded.

Reported by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia.

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Zelenskyy insists on territorial integrity as talks loom

Ukraine’s president has insisted on the territorial integrity of his country after earlier suggesting that he was ready for a compromise in peace talks with Russia.

In his video address to the Ukrainian people late on Sunday, Zelenskyy said there was a new round of negotiations coming up in Turkey and that his government’s priorities remained the same.

“Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory,” he said.

“Our goal is obvious: Peace and the restoration of normal life of our native state as soon as possible.”

But in comments to Russian journalists earlier in the day, Zelenskyy had said Ukraine was willing to assume neutral status and compromise over the status of eastern Donbas region as part of a peace deal.

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300 shoes on the Danube Bank for victims of Mariupol theatre bombing

People in Hungary’s capital have placed 300 pairs of shoes on the banks of the Danube River to commemorate those who died in a Russian attack on a theatre in Ukraine’s Mariupol.

The worn shoes were left near the ‘Shoes on the Danube Bank’ memorial, which honours the Hungarian Jews who died during World War II.

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A moment of silence for Ukraine at the Oscars

Hollywood has shared a little bit of its big night with the people of Ukraine, using text on a screen to ask the world for financial contributions for those suffering from the Russian assault.

“We’d like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own borders,” read the message displayed on a large video screen hovering over the stage.

“While film is an important avenue for us to express our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water and emergency services. Resources are scarce and we – collectively as a global community – can do more,” it said.

“We ask you to support Ukraine in any way you are able. #StandWithUkraine.”

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Missile attack reported on oil depot in western Ukraine

The governor of Volyn in northwestern Ukraine has reported a missile attack on an oil depot in the city of Lutsk.

Yuriy Pohuliayko said on Telegram that the missile was fired from the territory of Belarus.

He said rescuers were at the site of the attack and that there were no victims according to preliminary data.

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Ukraine restricts reporting on troop movements

Ukraine’s president has signed a law restricting the reporting on troop and military equipment movement unless such information has been announced or approved by the military general staff.

The state news agency Ukrinform reported on Sunday that the law calls for potential prison terms of three to eight years for violations.

The law bans “unauthorised dissemination of information about the direction, movement of international military assistance to Ukraine, the movement, movement or deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations of Ukraine, committed in a state of martial law or a state of emergency,” Ukrinform said.

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Ukrainian official says he expects no major breakthrough at peace talks

A senior Ukrainian official said ahead of talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Turkey that he did not expect any major breakthrough.

“I don’t think there will be any breakthrough on the main issues,” interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said.

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Russia warns media not to report interview with Ukrainian president

Russia’s communications watchdog has warned Russian media to refrain from reporting an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it had started a probe into the outlets which had interviewed the Ukrainian leader.

A short statement distributed by the watchdog on social media and posted on its website said a host of Russian outlets had done an interview with Zelenskyy.

“Roskomnadzor warns Russian media about the necessity of refraining from publishing this interview,” it said, without providing a reason.

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Russian delegation leaders confirms talks, says they will start on Tuesday

Russian delegation leader Vladimir Medinsky has confirmed that talks between Ukraine and Russia will resume next week but said they would kick off on Tuesday.

Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia earlier had said negotiations would start on Monday, naming Turkey as the host country.

Medinsky wrote on Telegram that a face-to-face meeting was planned for Tuesday and Wednesday but did not specify the location.

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Humanitarian aid for Ukraine is dwindling: Official

The amount of humanitarian aid reaching Ukraine is beginning to wane even as the Russian bombardment persists, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister Oleksii Iaremenko has said.

“For the last week what we see that the level of humanitarian support is a little bit down. We hope that it will be some pause to find new resources,” he told Reuters.

“What we are asking, if you can support, please support right now,” he said.

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France says world powers must ‘keep talking’ to Putin

International powers must keep talking with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin until he is ready to end his invasion of Ukraine, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday.

Le Drian told a conference in Doha that Putin had not achieved any of his aims, but that there had to be a ceasefire around the bombarded Ukrainian city of Mariupol before there could be negotiations.

Asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to speak with Putin this week about a ceasefire, Le Drian told the Doha Forum: “We must keep talking with the Russians, we must continue to speak with President Putin precisely because he has not had the results he thought he would.”

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 Next round of Russia-Ukraine talks to take place in Turkey

The next round of face-to-face talks between Ukraine and Russia will be held in Turkey on March 28-30, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said on social media.

Ukraine described previous talks with Russia, launched after Russia unleashed an invasion last month, as “very difficult”.

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 France’s Le Drian warns of ‘collective guilt’ if Mariupol civilians not helped

The French foreign minister said there would be “collective guilt” if nothing was done to help civilians in Mariupol, the Ukrainian city besieged by Russian forces.

“Mariupol is a striking example of a military siege, and military sieges are horrible wars because civil populations are massacred, annihilated. The suffering is terrible,” Jean-Yves Le Drian told the Doha Forum international conference.

“This is why there needs to be at least one moment when the civilian population can breathe,” he said, adding that this was what the French President Emmanuel Macron was working to secure.

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Pope Francis condemns ‘barbarous’ war

Pope Francis condemned the “cruel and senseless” war in Ukraine, where “barbarous” acts were “destroying the future”.

“More than a month has gone by since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, of the beginning of this cruel and senseless war,” the pope said at the end of the Angelus prayer. “War does not devastate the present only, but the future of a society as well,” he continued, pointing to the fact that one in two Ukrainian children have been displaced.

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Poland says Russia may expand invasion if it wins in Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński has said Russia’s invasion is a threat to  countries in eastern Europe, including NATO allies.

“If Russia wins this war it will attack more countries,” Jabłoński said, speaking at the Doha Forum.

He called for NATO to build more defences on the eastern flank so as to reduce its reliance on the US. He also expressed solidarity to the Ukrainian people and said he believed “we should be doing everything in our power to stop Russia from killing Ukrainian citizens.”

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‘Putin questioning the very existence of my country’: Ukraine official

Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs had told the Doha Forum that the Russian invasion is posing an existential threat.

“Putin questions the very existence of my country, Emine Dzhaparova said. “This is a war between Russia and my country, not Russia and NATO.”

She said Ukraine was fighting “for a rule-based order and territorial integrity” and that the war was a consequence of the failure to respond to “the evil” invasion and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

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NEW GLOBAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE NEEDED, TURKEY’S KALIN SAYS

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‘No legal’ basis for Russian referendum in occupied territory

Ukraine has said Russia holding a referendum in occupied Ukrainian territory would have no legal basis and would face a strong response from the international community, deepening its global isolation.

The remarks come after the head of the Russian-controlled Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine said the territory could hold a referendum soon on joining Russia.

“All fake referendums in the temporarily occupied territories are null and void and will have no legal validity,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said in a statement to the Reuters news agency.

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NATO is not a threat to anyone: Official

Patrick Turner, assistant secretary-general for defence planning and policy at NATO, has said the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine shows an extraordinary level of global unity on the issue.

“It shows the power of a networked world where we pay attention to our values and shows we are willing to pay a price for these values,” he said, speaking in a session at the Doha Forum.

The NATO official added: “It [NATO] is not an alliance against anybody. There is no intent to threaten anybody. We are determined that we will deter attacks on our allies and we are determined that we would defend ourselves if we are attacked.”

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UKRAINIAN CIVILIAN DEATH TOLL REACHES 1,119, UN SAYS

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Russia wants to split Ukraine in two: Ukraine intelligence chief

Russia is trying to split Ukraine in two to create a Moscow-controlled region after failing to take over the whole country, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence has said.

“In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” Kyrylo Budanov said in a statement, adding that Ukraine would soon launch guerrilla warfare in Russian-occupied territory.

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May hold vote on joining Russia: Ukraine rebel region head

The head of Ukraine’s Luhansk separatist region has suggested holding a referendum on becoming part of Russia.

“I think that in the near future a referendum will be held on the territory of the republic, during which the people will … express their opinion on joining the Russian Federation,” Russian news agencies quoted Leonid Pasechnik as saying.

“For some reason, I am sure this will be the case,” he said.

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US has no strategy of ‘regime change’ in Russia: Blinken

The US has no strategy of regime change for Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told reporters after President Biden said Putin “cannot remain in power”.

“I think the president, the White House, made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else,” Blinken said during a visit to Jerusalem.

“As you know, and as you have heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia – or anywhere else, for that matter.”

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Russian sanctions could be lifted with Ukraine withdrawal: UK

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss has said sanctions imposed on Russian individuals and companies could be lifted if Russia withdraws from Ukraine.

“Those sanctions should only come off with a full ceasefire and withdrawal, but also commitments that there will be no further aggression. And also, there’s the opportunity to have snapback sanctions if there is further aggression in future. That is a real lever that I think can be used,” she said in an interview with the Telegraph newspaper.

The UK government says it has so far imposed sanctions on banks with total assets of 500 billion pounds ($659bn), as well as oligarchs and family members with a net worth of more than 150 billion pounds ($198bn).

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Zurich Insurance removes Z symbol over Ukraine war

Zurich Insurance has removed its Z logo from social media after the letter became a symbol of support in Russia for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The company said it was removing the logo – a white Z on a blue background – because it did not want to be misunderstood as supporting Russia in the conflict.

“We are temporarily removing the use of the letter ‘Z’ from social channels where it appears in isolation and could be misinterpreted,” the company told the Reuters news agency in a statement. “We’re monitoring the situation closely and will take further actions if and when required.”

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Qatar stresses role of dialogue in Russia-Ukraine war

College of Business & Economics | Qatar University

Qatar Foriegn Ministry spokesperson Majid al-Ansari has said Qatar’s position on Russia-Ukraine war has been crystal clear from the start of the conflict.

“While we value our relationship with the West and we consider ourselves to be in line with the consensus condemning escalation in Ukraine, we believe in dialogue and facilitating the need for dialogue,” he said talking in a session at Doha Forum.

He added: “It is in our national interest as a country to make sure these kinds of conflicts are not prolonged. It is our duty as a small middle power state to facilitate dialogue. Qatar maintained communication with both parties.”

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Russian forces move toward separatist regions as bombs hit Lviv

The Russian military appears to be trying to encircle Ukrainian forces fighting in the separatist regions in the eastern part of the country, Britain’s Ministry of Defence says. 

Russian forces are advancing southward from the area around Kharkiv and north from Mariupol, the ministry said in an intelligence briefing.

Four missiles hit the outskirts of Lviv, just 60 km from the Polish border, local officials said. Another strike significantly damaged Lviv’s infrastructure but no deaths were reported from either attack.

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Kharkiv nuclear facility again hit by shelling

Ukraine’s nuclear watchdog says that a nuclear research facility in Kharkiv again has come under shelling by Russia and the fighting makes it impossible to assess the damage. 

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said that the neutron source experimental facility in the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology came under fire. 

Ukrainian authorities have previously reported that Russian shelling damaged buildings at the Kharkiv facility, but there has been no release of radiation.  

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Russian forces occupy Ukraine’s northern Slavutych city: Mayor

Russian forces occupied Ukraine’s northern Slavutych city, according to its mayor.

Yuriy Fomichev said in a video message that city officials received a warning from Russian forces three days ago to surrender without a fight.

Noting they defended the city resolutely despite the warning, Fomichev said: “But Slavutych is under occupation as of today.” 

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Some 30,000 Ukrainian refugees reach France

Some 30,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in France, with half of them travelling through the country to other places such as Spain, according to French housing minister Emmanuelle Wargon.

Wargon told Franceinfo radio the government was preparing to welcome 100,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

France has been granting temporary European Union stay permits to Ukrainian refugees, which allows them to have access to schools and to work in the country.

Before the war, the Ukrainian community in France numbered 40,000.

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UN warns 90 percent of Ukrainians could face poverty if war continues

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says if the conflict in Ukraine does not stop soon 90 percent of the country’s population could fall into poverty.

“We see across the country that people have lost their livelihoods,” Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator, told Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the ongoing Doha Forum.

Kyiv is trying to put in some social safety measures to help the people but Steiner says “the ability to look after millions of people who are not able to earn an income” could be a huge task for the authorities to handle.

“The economy is in large part suffering the consequences of supply chain constraints but also basic municipal services are increasingly not being able to function,” Steiner added.

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Ukraine exports first grain by train to Europe: APK-Inform

Traders have exported the first supplies of Ukrainian corn to Europe by train as the country’s sea ports remain blocked due to the Russian invasion, APK-Inform agriculture consultancy said.

Ukraine is a global major grain grower and exporter and almost all its exports have traditionally been shipped from its Black Sea ports. Monthly grain exports exceeded 5 million tonnes before the war.

“The first batches of several thousand tonnes of corn have already been exported across Ukraine’s western land border,” APK-Inform said in a report.

“Difficulties with logistics persist, supply still prevails over demand, but prices have stopped falling,” it added.

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Russia destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage depots, ministry says

Russia has started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage depots, meaning the government will have to disperse the stocks of both in the near future, Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said.

Speaking on local television, Denysenko also said Russia was bringing forces to the Ukrainian border on rotation, and could make new attempts to advance in its invasion of Ukraine.

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Firefighters at oil facility hit in Russian strike

Firefighters continued to spray water on an oil storage facility in Lviv early on Sunday after it had been targeted by Russian rockets hours earlier.

A security guard at the site, Yaroslav Prokopiv, said he saw three rockets strike the complex, destroying two oil tanks.

“Around 4pm, 12 minutes past 4pm, there was a very loud noise and three missile strikes,” he said. “The first rocket fell there, then there was a second strike and the third strike threw me to the ground.”

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Zelenskyy again calls for fighter jets and tanks from Poland

Ukraine’s president has again called for Poland to send combat jets and tanks to help in the fight against Russia’s invasion of his country.

In a video conference with his Polish colleague Andrzej Duda, Zelenskyy warned that if the Ukrainian armed forces were not supplied with fighter jets and tanks, the Russian military could later pose a threat to neighbouring NATO countries.

If Ukraine’s partners did not help Kiev this way, “then there is a high risk that the Russian army will pose a missile threat not only to the territories of our neighbours – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and the Baltic States – but also a direct general military threat,” Zelenskyy said late Saturday, according to the Ukrainian president’s official website.

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Ukraine hospitals deploy StarLink systems

Ukraine’s Ministry of Health says it has deployed 590 StarLink antennas at medical and healthcare institutions in the country.

In a statement, the ministry said the StarLink systems will let hospitals access the internet “when there is a temporary lack of communication due to active hostilities”.

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Musicians perform for Kharkiv residents in bomb shelter

Musicians in Ukraine have performed a classical concert in Kharkiv’s subway on Saturday, the same day that the city would have hosted the Kharkiv Music Fest if not for the Russian invasion.

Three violinists, a cellist and a bass player delighted an audience of a few dozen people for half an hour, including with an excerpt from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No 3 as well as Dvorak’s Humoresques.

“Amid the darkness surrounding us now, it’s extremely important to show that there are eternal values and future in our country, that our country is melodious, beautiful, intellectual and will overcome all these difficulties,” said Sergiy Politutchy, director of the Kharkiv Music Fest.

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UK seizes two jets belonging to Russian billionaire

The United Kingdom has seized two jet aircraft belonging to Russian billionaire Eugene Shvidler, who was sanctioned for his links to the Kremlin following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Treasury Secretary Grant Shapps said that the two aircraft would be kept “indefinitely” after a three-week investigation that had already grounded the planes. The Times of London described the aircraft as a $45m Bombardier Global 6500 and a $13m Cessna Citation Latitude.

“Putin’s friends who made millions out of his regime will not enjoy luxuries whilst innocent people die,” Shapps said on Twitter.

 

Opposition leader says Belarus people ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition leader of Belarus, has told US President Joe Biden during a phone call that the people of her country “stand firmly with the people of Ukraine”.

Belarus, a Russian ally, has been accused of aiding Putin’s war effort by serving as a launching pad for Russian missiles.

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World must prepare for ‘long fight ahead’: Biden

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Biden portrayed Ukraine’s resistance against Russian forces as part of a “great battle for freedom” and said the world should prepare for a “long fight ahead”.

Speaking at Warsaw’s Royal Castle in Warsaw, Biden said Russia “has strangled democracy and sought to do so elsewhere” and told Ukraine: “We stand with you. Period.”

The president also said that “swift and punishing costs is the only thing that will get Russia to change course”.

Biden added that US forces are in Europe to defend NATO allies, not to engage with Russian forces. He said, however, addressing Putin: “Don’t even think about moving onto one single inch of NATO territory”.

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Two missile strikes hit Lviv, five wounded

The city of Lviv has been hit by two missile strikes Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyy has said on his Telegram channel.

“According to preliminary data, five people were injured,” he added.

His announcement comes after local authorities reported three loud explosions in the eastern edge of the city where plumes of thick smoke could be seen by Al Jazeera journalists.

In a later post at 06.55pm (4.55 GMT), Kozytskyy said that three other “powerful explosions” were heard.

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Chernihiv, a ‘devastated’ city

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Vladyslav Atroshenko, the mayor of Chernihiv in Northern Ukraine, has said the city “is completely devastated,” adding that over 200 civilians had been killed in the past few weeks.

The city, located near Ukraine’s border with Russia and Belarus, now has just half of its usual 285,000 inhabitants, he said. Atroshenko also described the current conditions in the city as catastrophic. Chernihiv was without power, he said, and it was impossible to establish escape corridors since Russian forces destroyed a bridge leading towards Kiev.

“In basements at night, everyone is talking about one thing: Chernihiv becoming (the) next Mariupol,” 38-year-old resident Ihar Kazmerchak, a linguistics scholar, told the Associated Press in a phone conversation.

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Biden’s words “narrow window” for improvements: Kremlin

Biden’s comments on Putin “narrow the window” for mending relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned, after the US president described his Russian counterpart as a “butcher” during a visit in Poland.

“After all, the state leader must remain sober,” Peskov told TASS news agency. “Every time such personal insults narrow the window of opportunity for our bilateral relations under the current administration (USA). We must be aware of this,” he added.

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Nearly 60 religious site bombed since war started

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At least 59 places of worship across Ukraine have been shelled by Russian forces, said a report by the country’s authority responsible for church affairs.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which operates under the Moscow Patriarchate and is particularly strong in the east of the country, had suffered particularly heavy losses, it added.

A Catholic church, five Protestant churches, three mosques and three synagogues have also been damaged in the fighting so far.

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Ukraine offers to the EU its gas storage facilities

Ukraine is offering its own natural gas storage facilities to keep strategic energy reserves of the EU, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said. The country can rely on the largest underground storage facilities in Europe, Halushchenko wrote in a post on Facebook.

The minister also welcomed EU efforts to wean the bloc off Russian gas supplies and buy jointly from other suppliers. Ukraine could contribute to this solidarity and balancing mechanism with its storage facilities, he added.

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Russian oligarchs welcome in Turkey, foreign minister says

Russian oligarchs are welcome in Turkey but must abide by international law in order to do any business, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

“If Russian oligarchs … or any Russian citizens want to visit Turkey of course they can,” Cavusoglu said in response to a question at the Doha Forum international conference.

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Three explosions heard near Lviv

Three explosions were heard near Ukraine’s western city of Lviv on Saturday, an official from the Lviv city council said.

“There have been three powerful explosions near Lviv…Everyone should keep calm and stay indoors,” Igor Zinkevych said in a post on Facebook.

Reuters witnesses saw heavy black smoke rising from the north-east side of the city. The cause could not be immediately verified.

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Biden says he is unsure of Russian strategy change

Biden said he was not sure that Russia had changed its strategy in its invasion of Ukraine, after Moscow said its focus was now to completely “liberate” the breakaway eastern Donbas region.

“I am not sure they have,” Biden said when asked by a reporter if Russia had changed its strategy.

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Polish leader says he asked Biden about speeding up military purchases

Polish President Andrzej Duda said that during his meeting with Joe Biden in Warsaw he had asked about the possibility of speeding up military purchases.

Duda said he was referring to purchases of Patriot missile systems, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), F-35 aircraft and Abrams tanks.

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Biden calls Putin ‘a butcher’ while meeting refugees

Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “butcher” while meeting Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw.

Asked what he thought of Putin after meeting refugees, Biden said: “He’s a butcher.”

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South Ossetia sends troops to back Russia

Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia has sent troops to Ukraine to “help protect Russia”, its leader said on Saturday, as Moscow’s military campaign in the neighbouring country entered its 31st day.

“Our guys are going to fulfil their military duty with a proudly raised banner,” the leader of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, said on Telegram.

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Turkey defuses mine after Russia warns of strays from Ukraine ports

Turkey’s military deactivated a mine on Saturday that had drifted in from the Black Sea, setting off a loud explosion north of Istanbul, days after Russia warned several of them had washed away from Ukrainian ports.

Defence Minister Halusi Akar described the object, first discovered by fishermen in the upper Bosphorus strait, as an old type of mine and said he was in touch with both Russian and Ukrainian authorities about it.

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Biden says NATO Article 5 is ‘sacred’ for US

The US has a “sacred commitment” to the NATO military alliance’s collective defence, Biden told his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Saturday during a visit to Warsaw.

“You can count on that… For your freedom and ours,” he told Duda, who said that Poles were feeling a “great sense of threat” as a result of the conflict across the border in Ukraine.

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Russia occupies Chernobyl staff town, Kyiv says

Russian forces took control of a town where staff working at the Chernobyl nuclear site live and briefly detained the mayor, sparking protests, Ukrainian officials said Saturday.

“I have been released. Everything is fine, as far as it is possible under occupation,” Yuri Fomichev, mayor of Slavutych, told AFP by phone, after officials in the Ukraine capital Kyiv announced earlier he had been detained.

Earlier, Kyiv announced that Russian troops had entered Slavutych and occupied the municipal hospital. Some 25,000 people live in the town 160 kilometres (99 miles) north of the capital, built after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

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 French energy giant Total will not put new capital in Russia

Totalenergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Saturday the company would not many any new investments in Russia.

“Clearly, what we said is that we are totally committed to apply all the sanctions,” he said. “So the question for us is what do we do with existing assets. And these ones we are not ready to give for zero to Russian people, to Russian oligarchs or to Russia.”

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Russia says not planning to call up reserves

Russia said Saturday it did not plan to call up reservists as Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine entered its 31st day, denouncing what it claimed were “false” summons to Russian men by Kyiv’s security services.

“The Russian defence ministry is not summoning and does not plan to summon any reservists to the military commissariats,” spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. He added that “many” Russian men had in recent days received “false” phone calls notifying them of their summons to the military commissariats.

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Ukraine’s agriculture minister says grain exports far below normal levels

Ukraine’s new Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi on Saturday said Ukraine’s ability to export grains was getting worse by the day and would only improve if the war with Russia ends.

Speaking in a televised briefing, Solskyi said Ukraine, one of the world’s top grain producers, would normally be exporting 4-5 million tonnes of grain per month – a volume that has fallen to just a few hundred-thousand tonnes.

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Refugees from Ukraine swell Warsaw’s population by 15 percent

The arrival of refugees from Ukraine has swelled Warsaw’s population by 15 percent in one month. FRANCE 24’s Emmanuelle Chaze reports from Poland’s capital.

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Biden meets top Ukrainian ministers in Warsaw

Joe Biden met in Warsaw with two Ukrainian ministers in the first face-to-face talks between the US president and top Kyiv officials since Russia’s invasion began. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov made a rare trip out of Ukraine in a possible sign of growing confidence in the fightback against Russian forces.

Biden could be seen seated at a long white table between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, facing Kuleba and Reznikov. There were Ukrainian and US flags in the background.

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Ukraine’s defence, foreign ministers meet with US counterparts

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Saturday that he and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had held a joint meeting with their US counterparts for the first time.

“We discuss current issues & cooperation in political and defense directions between Ukraine and the United States,” Reznikov said on Twitter, posting a photograph of the meeting in Warsaw with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

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US prepares to sanction Russian firms assisting Moscow – report

The Biden administration is preparing sanctions targeting Russian companies it says provide goods and services to Moscow’s military and intelligence services, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

The US Treasury Department sanctions could be announced as early as next week, the report said, citing US officials. The Treasury Department declined to comment on the report.

Most of the companies that are expected to come under the reported sanctions — including Serniya Engineering and equipment maker Sertal — were earlier added to a US list banning exports of sensitive technologies to them, according to the report.

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Oil prices, stocks higher after EU snubs Russia ban

Crude prices were higher and stock markets made decent gains after European countries decided against a ban on Russian oil imports over its assault of Ukraine — but Germany said it would slash its energy purchases from Moscow.

European stocks, which had been firmly higher earlier in the session, ended the day with only modest gains, but on Wall Street the Dow and S&P 500 climbed out of a midday slump to both gain under one percent at the close.

“It seems the skyrocketing move higher with commodity prices has taken a break and that has allowed investors a chance to pile back into equities,” said Edward Moya of OANDA.

However, analysts say instability in the prices of commodities such as oil were keeping markets volatile, while investors will remain cautious over the economic impact of the conflict in Ukraine, now entering its second month.

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Ukraine’s army reports clashes with Russian forces in Donbas

Ukraine’s army said Saturday it had clashed with Russian forces around the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

In a dawn report, the army’s general staff said it had “inflicted significant losses”, claiming to have shot down three planes, destroyed eight tanks and killed dozens of soldiers.

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Biden to meet with Poland’s Duda, deliver speech on Ukraine war 

US President Joe Biden will argue in a speech in Poland on Saturday that the “free world” opposes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and that there is unity among major economies on the need to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said.

After three days of emergency meetings with allies of the G7, European Council and NATO, and a visit with US troops in Poland, Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

In what US officials were billing as a major address, Biden “will deliver remarks on the united efforts of the free world to support the people of Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its brutal war, and defend a future that is rooted in democratic principles,” the White House said in a statement.

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Zelenskyy calls on energy producers to hike output

Ukraine’s president made a surprise video appearance at Qatar’s Doha Forum, calling on energy producing countries to increase output so that Russia cannot use its oil and gas wealth to “blackmail” other nations.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared Russia’s destruction of the port city of Mariupol to the Syrian and Russian destruction wrought on the city of Aleppo in the Syrian war.

“They are destroying our ports,” Zelenskyy said. “The absence of exports from Ukraine will deal a blow to countries worldwide.”

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Ukraine says more than 130 children have been killed since Russia’s invasion began

The war in Ukraine has killed 136 children in the 31 days since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s office of the prosecutor general said on Saturday in a message on the Telegram app.

Of the total, 64 children have been killed in the Kyiv region, the office said. A further 50 children have died in the Donetsk region, it said.

Additionally, 199 children have been wounded, the office said.

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Zelensky calls on Qatar, other energy-producing countries to boost natural gas output

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on Qatar to increase production of natural gas to counter Russian threats to use energy as a weapon.

“I ask you to increase the output of energy to ensure that everyone in Russia understands that no one can use energy as a weapon to blackmail the world,” Zelensky said in a video message to the Doha Forum meeting in Qatar’s capital.

Zelensky said countries such as Qatar could make a contribution to the stabilisation of Europe.

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Russian forces say they are focusing on Luhansk and Donetsk

Russian forces say they are aiming to take control of the entire Luhansk and Donetsk administrative regions in Ukraine’s Donbas. FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv.

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Russia conducts military drills on isles disputed with Japan: Reports

Russia was conducting drills on islands claimed by Tokyo, Japanese media reported, days after Moscow halted peace talks with Japan because of its sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Eastern Military District said it was conducting military drills on the Kuril islands with more than 3,000 troops and hundreds of pieces of army equipment, Russia’s Interfax news agency said.

It did not say where on the island chain, connecting Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula and Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, the drills were taking place.

Japanese media said they were on territory the Soviet Union seized at the end of World War Two that is claimed by Tokyo. Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office could not be reached outside business hours to comment on the exercises.

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‘Foolish’: Former Russian president dismisses sanctions’ effect

Russia - Ukraine: Dmitry Medvedev yavuze ko abarenze 3/4 by'abarusiya bashyigikiye Putin - BBC News Gahuza

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed Western sanctions, telling the RIA state-owned news agency it was “foolish” to expect them to have an effect on government policy.

Medvedev, who is deputy head of the security council, says sanctions will only consolidate Russian society and will not cause popular discontent.

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United Kingdom to fund food supplies for Ukraine

The UK is sending crucial food supplies to Ukraine following a request from Kyiv.

About 25 truckloads of dried food, tinned goods and water – worth about 2 million pounds ($2.6m) – will be sent by road and rail from Poland and Slovakia to Ukraine’s most at-risk towns and cities.

“The need on the ground in Ukraine is clear, with so many people in encircled areas trapped in basements without access to food or water,” Alice Hooper, the UK Foreign Office’s humanitarian adviser, said in a statement.

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AP says it documented Russian attacks on 34 medical facilities

The Associated Press news agency has said it independently documented at least 34 assaults on Ukrainian medical facilities by Russian forces.

“AP journalists in Ukraine have seen firsthand the deadly results of Russian strikes on civilian targets, including the final moments of children whose bodies were shredded by shrapnel and dozens of corpses heaped into mass graves,” the news agency said.

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Russian advance on Kyiv appears to have halted: US official

A senior US defence official has said Russia’s military advance on Kyiv appears to have halted as Moscow turns its focus to fighting elsewhere in the country.

The official, cited anonymously by the Associated Press news agency, said Russia appears to be concentrating more on fighting for control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region rather than its ground offensive aimed at capturing Kyiv, at least for now.

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Spotify to halt service in Russia

Spotify is halting its services in Russia in light of the country’s strict new censorship law, which it says puts its employees and possibly even listeners at risk.

The Swedish music streaming company’s move comes on the heels of other firms pulling out of Russia due to its censorship law. Netflix and TikTok also suspended most of their services in the country earlier this month.

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Blinken accuses Kremlin of killing ‘countless Ukrainians’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused the Kremlin of killing “countless Ukrainians”. In a Twitter post, Blinken called on Moscow to end what he called “this inhumane war”.

The US government has previously accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

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Macron to hold talks with Putin over Mariupol evacuation initiative

Macron has said he will hold talks with Putin in the next 48 to 72 hours regarding the situation in Ukraine and an initiative to help people leave the besieged city of Mariupol.

Macron said he is coordinating efforts with Greece and Turkey and hopes to convince Russia to allow the evacuation.

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EU to Russia: ‘War crimes must stop immediately’

European Union leaders have urged Russia to fully respect its obligations under international law and abide by the recent order by the International Court of Justice that told Moscow to withdraw from Ukraine.

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine grossly violates international law and is causing massive loss of life and injury to civilians,” the leaders of the 27-nation EU said in a joint statement.

“Russia is directing attacks against the civilian population and is targeting civilian objects, including hospitals, medical facilities, schools and shelters. These war crimes must stop immediately.”

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Ukrainians fighting to retake Kherson, now ‘contested’ city

Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive in Kherson, the country’s only major city seized by Russian troops, and it is once again “contested,” a senior US defence official has said.

“The Ukrainians are trying to take Kherson back, and we would argue that Kherson is actually contested territory again,” the Pentagon official told reporters.

“We can’t corroborate exactly who is in control of Kherson but the point is, it doesn’t appear to be as solidly in Russian control as it was before,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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Putin signs law on jail for ‘fake’ news on state actions abroad

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for publishing “fake” information about Russia’s actions abroad.

The bill, adopted by Russia’s parliament this week, sets out jail terms and fines for people who publish “knowingly false information” about actions abroad by Russian government agencies.

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Russia’s Pobeda airline to ground some Boeings

Russian airline Pobeda, a low-cost unit of the state carrier Aeroflot, will ground 16 of its 41 Boeing B-737-800 jets until the end of 2022 to help it cope with Western sanctions, Interfax news agency has said.

“To maintain flight safety…we will reduce the fleet to 25 aircraft. The remaining planes will not fly until the end of the year so that the spare parts we have accumulated will last until lost supply chains are restored,” the agency quoted acting general director Andrei Yurikov as telling employees.

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Macron: No reason to accept demands for rouble payments

French President Emmanuel Macron has said there is no reason for France to accept a demand from Russia to pay up in Russian roubles for Russian gas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had said earlier this week that Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sold to “unfriendly” countries, raising alarm about a possible gas crunch in Europe.

Macron told a news conference in Brussels that “texts show it is forbidden” to make such demands for payments in the rouble.

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Pope leads global prayer for peace between Russia and Ukraine

Pope Francis has led the world’s Catholic bishops in praying for peace between Russia and Ukraine, saying the world had forgotten the tragedies of the 20th century and was still menaced by nuclear war.

Francis presided at a service in St. Peter’s Basilica where he prayed for the protection of all humanity, “especially Russia and Ukraine”.

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Erdogan, Zelenskyy discuss Ukraine-Russia talks: Turkish presidency

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Turkish President Erdogan has spoken by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy, and the two leaders discussed the situation on the ground in Ukraine as well as the stage reached in negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, Erdogan’s office said.

Erdogan told Zelenskyy that he had emphasised at this week’s NATO summit his support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the statement said.

Ankara has hosted ceasefire talks, positioning itself as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv.

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‘No one is going to surrender Mariupol,’ Ukraine’s top security official says

Ukrainian forces still control the besieged port city of Mariupol and no one will surrender it, Ukraine’s top security official Oleksiy Danilov has said.

“Mariupol is holding on, and no one is going to surrender Mariupol,” Danilov said in televised comments.

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Biden heads to Warsaw

Biden has left the Polish city of Rzeszow, after meeting with US troops and representatives of aid organisations, to fly to the capital Warsaw.

Biden’s visit to Poland gave him a chance to underscore the US commitment to protect a key NATO member on Ukraine’s doorstep and to thank Poles for welcoming refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are being cut off from help by Russian forces and are besieged in places like Mariupol,” Biden said earlier. “It’s like something out of a science fiction movie.”

 

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Russia: First phase of operation mostly complete

Russia has said the first phase of its Ukraine operation is mostly complete and that it would focus on completely “liberating” eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region. 

The announcement appeared to indicate Russia may be switching to more limited goals after running into fierce resistance.

The defence ministry said Russian-backed separatists now controlled 93 percent of Ukraine’s Luhansk region and 54 percent of the Donetsk region — the two areas that jointly make up the Donbass.

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Minister: Brazil opposed to ejecting Russia from G20

Brazil is “clearly opposed” to barring Russia from the G20, the foreign minister has said, as the US led a push to exclude Moscow from the group over its assault on Ukraine.

“We’ve seen initiatives emerge in various international organisations…to expel or suspend Russia. Brazil is clearly opposed to those initiatives, in line with our traditional position in favour of multilateralism and international law,” Foreign Minister Carlos Franca told a Senate session.

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Russia issues fresh warning over rouble row

Russia’s foreign ministry has warned of global bankruptcies should countries refuse to pay for its gas exports in roubles, the RIA news agency has reported.

The ministry also said a Russian exit from the World Trade Organization (WTO) would be counter-productive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Gazprom to accept payment in roubles for its natural gas exports to Europe and the gas behemoth has four days left to work out how to move over billions of dollars in sales, the Kremlin said.

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Ukraine region cuts rail links with Belarus

Ukraine’s northern Rivne region has suspended its rail links with Russia-allied Belarus to prevent supplies reaching Russian forces in Ukraine, Governor Vitaly Koval has said.

“This means that Russia will no longer be able to deliver military equipment and supplies to the occupiers through the Belarusian railways,” he said in an online statement.

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China’s Sinopec ‘pauses’ Russia projects

China’s state-run Sinopec Group has suspended talks for a major petrochemical investment and a gas marketing venture in Russia, sources told Reuters news agency.

The move by Asia’s biggest oil refiner to hit the brakes on a potentially half-billion-dollar investment in a gas chemical plant and a venture to market Russian gas in China highlights the risks, even to Russia’s most important diplomatic partner, of unexpectedly heavy Western-led sanctions.

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‘Majority of Americans believe Biden is not tough enough’

“There has been a sort of shift as this war has gone on. Initially there was bipartisan unity to face Russia and unity behind the president– there was unity on what sanctions to take, unity on the fact that the US needed to help the Europeans and help Ukrainians,” FRANCE 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani reports from Washington DC in the video below.

“But now there have been a couple of polls in the past 24 hours showing a majority of Americans believe Biden is not doing enough to support Ukraine and not being tough enough on Russia,” Gorjestani continued.

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UN says 3.7 million have fled Ukraine

Some 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion a month ago, the UN said.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said 3,725,806 Ukrainians had fled the country — an increase of 50,854 from the previous day’s figure. Around 90 percent of them are women and children, it added.

2.2 million refugees have fled for neighbouring Poland while more than half a million have made it to Romania.

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France summons Russian envoy over tweet mocking Europe

Russia’s ambassador to France was summoned on Friday to the French foreign ministry over an earlier embassy Twitter post that Paris deemed unacceptable, the Quai d’Orsay said.

The Russian Embassy in Paris on Thursday had posted a picture depicting a body lying on a table called “Europe” with characters representing the United States and European Union jabbing needles into it.

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HSBC steps up scrutiny of Russian clients worldwide

HSBC is shunning prospective Russian clients and declining credit to some existing ones, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, as the bank seeks to shield itself from Western sanctions against Moscow.

The measures affect HSBC’s individual and business customers globally and go further than the bank’s previously stated intentions to wind down its relations with lenders such as VTB, which were placed under Western restrictions after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The moves by Europe’s second biggest bank show how sanctions aimed at Russia’s financial system and its political and business elite are also ensnaring Russian nationals outside the country as lenders seek to avoid falling foul of the restrictions and potentially hefty fines.

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NATO says cannot allow Arctic ‘security vacuum’ amid Ukraine war

NATO cannot allow a security vacuum to develop in the Arctic, where the alliance sees “growing strategic competition” from Russia and China, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

“We cannot afford a security vacuum in the High North. It could fuel Russian ambitions, expose NATO and risk miscalculation and misunderstandings,” Stoltenberg said. “We also see an increased Chinese interest in the region. China has defined itself as a near Arctic state and aims to build a presence here,” he added.

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Dozens of Ukrainian officials, journalists detained or disappeared, UN says

Dozens of Ukrainian officials, journalists and activists have been detained or forcibly disappeared by invading Russian forces, the UN said Friday, warning that some cases resembled “hostage-taking”.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine just over a month ago, the United Nations rights office said it had documented the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of 22 local Ukrainian officials, 13 of whom had subsequently been released.

The most famous case was perhaps the mayor of Ukraine’s southern city of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who Ukrainian authorities said was abducted by occupying Russian forces and held for several days before being released.

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 US sanctions on China ‘not necessary’, Yellen says

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that sanctions against China are “not necessary or appropriate” since its support for Russia following the invasion of Ukraine was still unclear.

“I don’t think that that’s necessary or appropriate at this point,” Yellen said in an interview with CNBC, adding that “senior administration officials are talking privately quietly with China to make sure that they understand our position”. She noted Washington “would be very concerned if they were to supply weapons to Russia. Or to try to evade the sanctions that we’ve put in place on the Russian financial system and the central bank. We don’t see that happening at this point”.

Yellen also warned that petrol prices could rise further in the United States, where inflation is already at a rate not seen since the 1980s, helping sap Biden’s popularity.

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Russian army: 1,351 soldiers killed in Ukraine

The Russian army has updated its losses in Ukraine to 1,351 soldiers. NATO estimates that 7,000-15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in a month of fighting.

At a Moscow briefing, senior military officials gave the first update on Russian deaths in weeks and said 419,736 civilians had been evacuated from Ukraine.

A senior representative of the General Staff, Sergei Rudskoi, said: “We consider a huge mistake the supplies of arms to Kiev by Western countries. That prolongs the operation.”

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Biden lands in Poland near Ukraine border

US President Joe Biden has landed in the city of Rzeszow in southeastern Poland — around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

Biden is due to meet US soldiers stationed in the area and non-governmental organisations helping Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s attacks.

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Ukraine claims another Russian general killed

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Kiev has announced that its forces have killed a high-ranking Russian military official, the latest in a series of claims against the leadership of Moscow’s forces.

In a video statement, presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said Ukraine forces had killed the senior Russian military official during fighting in the south of the country, near Kherson.

Ukrainian forces “killed commander of the 49th Russian Southern District Army, General Yakov Ryazantsev, in a strike on Chornobayivka near Kherson,” he said.

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Putin accuses West of cancelling Russian culture

President Vladimir Putin has said the West is trying to cancel Russian culture, including the works of great composers such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Rachmaninov.

“Today they are trying to cancel a thousand-year-old country — I am talking about the progressive discrimination against everything connected with Russia,” Putin said in televised remarks, mentioning Russian music and literature.

“The last time such a mass campaign to destroy unwanted literature was carried out was by the Nazis in Germany almost 90 years ago.”

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Ukraine: Forces repulsed attack on Chernobyl workers’ town

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said troops have repulsed a first attack by Russian forces on the town of Slavutych, where workers at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant live.

Earlier on Friday, local authorities said Slavutych was isolated, with Russian forces just beyond the town’s limits.

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Ukraine hopes to agree on humanitarian corridor for Chernihiv

Ukraine hopes to agree on a humanitarian corridor to help people evacuate from Chernihiv on Saturday after local authorities reported the northern city was in effect cut off by Russian forces.

Speaking on television, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said negotiations on creating humanitarian corridors were challenging, with Russia wanting civilians to evacuate to Russian-controlled territory. 

Both sides accuse the other of thwarting efforts to help civilians in front-line areas in Ukraine.

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UK’s Johnson hold call with Chinese president about Ukraine

Boris Johnson tells Xi Jinping he 'loves China' and will 'work together' to fight coronavirus | World News | Sky News

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the situation in Ukraine, Johnson’s spokesman has said, as Western leaders call on China to refrain from supporting Russia in its campaign.

“This morning the prime minister has spoken to the president of China on the ongoing situation in Ukraine,” the spokesman said, adding the call lasted about 50 minutes.

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US, NATO doing ‘contingency planning’ for possible attack

The United States and its NATO allies are doing contingency planning for any possible Russian attack on NATO territory, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

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Denmark prepares to take more than 100,000 refugees

Denmark is preparing for a scenario in which more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees arrive to the Nordic nation, immigration and integration minister Mattias Tesfaye has said.

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White House: US has ‘no intention’ of using chemical weapons

The United States has “no intention” of using chemical weapons under any circumstance even if Russia uses such weapons in Ukraine, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

“There will be a severe price if Russia uses chemical weapons. And I won’t go beyond that other than to say the United States has no intention of using chemical weapons, period, under any circumstance,” he told reporters on board Air Force One.

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Kremlin: Biden diverting attention on chemical weapons issue 

The Kremlin has accused US President Joe Biden of seeking to divert attention from his country’s chemical and biological weapons programme, after he said Russia could use such weapons in Ukraine.

“We see this as an attempt to divert attention to some kind of ephemeral, allegedly existing threat against the backdrop of a scandal that is flaring up in the world involving chemical and biological weapons programmes that the United States has been carrying out in various countries, including Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

The Russian defence ministry accuses Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, of funding biological weapons labs in Ukraine through his investment fund Rosemont Seneca.

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Russian military chaplain ‘killed by rocket’ near border

A Russian military chaplain has been killed in a Ukrainian rocket attack in the southwest near the Ukraine border, the Russian Orthodox Church has said.

Oleg Artyomov was serving in the village of Zhuravlyovka in Russia’s Belgorod region on Thursday when he “came under shelling from a Ukrainian Smerch (rocket launcher) and died”, the Moscow Patriarchate’s military department said on social media. 

Artyomov, a Cossack, was an assistant commander for serving believers in a military unit. This is the first publicly reported death on Russian soil from Ukrainian shelling since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24. 

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Russia denies breaching international law 

Russia says it has “never” violated international law, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using phosphorus bombs in his country.

“Russia has never violated international conventions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring any further questions to the defence ministry. He did not provide any details.

International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus shells in heavily populated civilian areas, although it allows them in open spaces to be used as cover for troops.

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Kremlin says Russia’s exclusion from G20 not ‘fatal’

The Kremlin has said Russia’s exclusion from the G20 grouping of major economies — sought by US President Joe Biden over its military action in Ukraine — would not be “fatal”.

“As far as the G20 format is concerned, it’s important,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “But in the current situation, when most of the participants in this format are in a state of economic war with us, nothing fatal will happen.”

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UN: Evidence growing of Mariupol mass graves

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The head of the UN human rights team in Ukraine said that monitors had received increasing information on mass graves in the encircled city of Mariupol, Ukraine, including one that appeared to hold 200 bodies.

“We have got increasing information on mass graves that are there,” Matilda Bogner told journalists by video link from Ukraine, saying some of the evidence came from satellite images.

Bogner said that civilian deaths in Ukraine exceeded 1,035, adding that the UN team was probing what appeared to be indiscriminate attacks by both sides in the conflict. 

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Kremlin: Gazprom is working on rouble settlements for gas exports

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President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian energy giant Gazprom to accept payments for its natural gas exports in roubles and it must work out how that can be done in the next four days, the Kremlin said. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas, Novatek, had not been given such instructions.

Putin on Wednesday said Russia would seek payment in roubles for gas sold to “unfriendly” countries after the United States and European allies teamed up to impose sanctions on Russia aimed at forcing its withdrawal from Ukraine. 

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US, EU announce new partnership to undercut Russian energy

The United States and European Union have announced a new partnership to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy, a step top officials characterised as the start of a years-long initiative to further isolate Moscow after its offensive on Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses energy to “coerce and manipulate his neighbours” and uses the profits from its sale to “drive his war machine.”

Biden said the partnership he announced jointly with a top European Union official will turn that dynamic on its head by reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy sources, as well as the continent’s demand for gas overall.

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Erdogan: NATO cornerstone of European security

Türkiye’s President has stressed the importance of NATO for the security of Europe amid Russia’s offensive on Ukraine.

“NATO is the cornerstone of European security. We have seen this very clearly. Türkiye is an indispensable ally for ensuring regional security,” Erdogan told reporters during his return flight from Brussels where he attended an extraordinary NATO summit on Thursday.

Erdogan said he will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, and may hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this weekend or early next week to assess results of Thursday’s NATO summit.

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Hungary rejects Zelenskyy’s appeal for weapons

Hungary's A Textbook Case For Democracy In Decline. Is America Next? | On Point

Hungary’s prime minister rejected an emotional appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to supply Ukraine with weapons and support sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a video posted to social media that Zelenskyy’s requests were “against Hungary’s interests,” and that sanctions on Russian energy “would mean that the Hungarian economy would slow down and then stop within moments.”

The rejection came after Zelenskyy on Thursday addressed a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels where he specifically addressed Orban, who is widely considered Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU. 

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Russian strikes kill four at Kharkiv medical facility: police

Russian strikes killed four civilians and wounded several others while targeting a medical facility in Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said.

“This morning, following a bombardment on civilian infrastructure from several rocket launchers, seven civilians were injured, four of them died,” said police in the eastern city near Russia’s border.

The strikes targeted a medical centre in the Osnovyansky district of the city, police said. 

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Germany moves to wean itself off Russian energy

Germany said it was drastically slashing its energy purchases from Russia amid Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, with oil imports to be halved by June and coal deliveries to end by the autumn.

“In recent weeks, together with all relevant players, we have made intensive efforts to import less fossil energy from Russia and broaden out our supply base,” said Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

“The first important milestones have been reached to free us from the grip of Russian imports,” he added. 

Before Moscow’s offensive, a third of Germany’s oil imports, 45 percent of its coal purchases and 55 percent of gas imports came from Russia. 

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Russian forces “partially” created a land corridor to Crimea

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said Russian forces had managed partially to create a land corridor to Crimea from territory in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

“The enemy was partially successful in creating a land corridor between the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and part of Donetsk region,” it said in an online post. 

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59 percent of Russian missiles malfunctioned, downed or missed: Ukraine

Russia has launched some 1,200 cruise missiles since the invasion began on February 24, but 59 percent of them didn’t explode, were shot down or missed, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces has said.

“Russia shot about 1,200 missiles, less than a half hit the target,” it said on Telegram.

“Others were either shot down by air defence forces, or hit wrong targets – mountains, forests, rivers,” it said.

“They have imprecise missiles and crooked hands,” it concluded sarcastically.

A senior Pentagon official said earlier that Moscow was running out of precision-guided munitions and was more likely to rely on so-called dumb bombs and artillery.

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Putin’s defence minister resurfaces after disappearing from view

Russian state media has shown Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attending a meeting of top officials amid speculation about his whereabouts after he dropped out of public view weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Shoigu, who is overseeing the war in Ukraine, had not been seen in public since March 11.

But the RIA state-owned news agency on Thursday showed Shoigu on a televised split screen of top officials as Putin spoke to his Security Council by video conference.

RIA made a point of zooming in on Shoigu in the top left-hand corner of a video screen set in front of Putin. The clip did not contain audio and did not show Shoigu speaking.

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Almost half of people in Germany want Ukraine in the EU: Survey

The number of people in Germany who are in favor of Ukraine joining the EU has risen by 16% since 2018, a YouGov survey has shown.

Forty-six percent of those asked would now like to see Ukraine in the bloc.

The survey also showed a clear reduction in the number of people opposed to the country’s EU membership, with just 30% against compared with 47% in 2018.

Other countries are showing similar trends, with 42% of people in France in favor of Ukraine’s EU accession (2018: 22%), 60% in Spain and 45% in Italy. The percentage of those who are undecided remains fairly high in all the countries included in the survey at 24-29%.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged that his country be quickly accepted into the bloc amid Russia’s invasion and has signed a formal application. But several EU countries, including Germany, have spoken out against fast-tracking Ukraine’s bid for membership.

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Biden to visit near Ukraine border

President Biden stands talking with other G7 leaders in Brussels

Biden will travel to a town near the Polish-Ukrainian border, trying to signal Western resolve.

Air Force One will jet into the eastern Polish town of Rzeszow – bringing the US president less than 80km (50 miles) from the war-torn nation.

The trip is designed to underscore Washington’s willingness to defend NATO allies, as fears rise that the month-old war in Ukraine could yet spark what Biden has called “World War III”.

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Chernihiv cut off by Russian troops, local official says

Russian forces have fully cut off Ukraine’s besieged northern city of Chernihiv, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus has said.

“The city has been conditionally, operationally surrounded by the enemy,” Chaus said on national television, adding that it was under fire from artillery and warplanes.

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Thousands flee Boryspil

About 20,000 people have fled the Ukrainian city of Boryspil, its mayor has said.

In remarks aired on national television, Volodymyr Borysenko urged others to evacuate, saying the large number of civilians in villages nearby made it difficult for Ukrainian troops to clear Russian forces from the area.

The city’s outskirts are home to an international airport, located about 30km (19 miles) east of Kyiv.

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Marshall Islands says looking at ‘expelling’ Russian ships on its registry

The Marshall Islands is considering “expelling” from their ship registry any Russian yachts or boats that have been targeted by Western-led sanctions on Russia, its foreign minister has said.

The minister, Casten Nemra, whose country along with Panama and Liberia is popular for registering ships, told reporters on a trip to Taiwan that his Pacific island nation strongly condemned the Russian invasion.

“We also are one of the largest ship registry programmes for flagged ships throughout the global shipping industry,” he said.

“We are also looking into expelling any Russian ownership in terms of yachts or those that are listed and are on the sanction list. We will do our part in working, collaborating with a number of countries.”

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BIDEN TO MEET EU’S VON DER LEYEN, TO BOOST SUPPLIES OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

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Russia will emerge weaker from Ukraine conflict — Pentagon official

US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that Russia will be weakened as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.

“I think with a high degree of certainty that Russia will emerge from Ukraine weaker than it went into the conflict,” Kahl said.

“Militarily weaker, economically weaker, politically and geopolitically weaker, and more isolated,” he added.

Kahl said that Russia is likely to increase its use of unguided bombs and artillery in Ukraine as it runs out of precision-guided munitions.

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Ukraine hopes to open safe corridor from Mariupol

Ukraine hopes to open a safe corridor to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol on Friday in private vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

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Russian forces pushed back up to 35 km east from Kyiv: UK intelligence

According to British intelligence, Ukrainian forces have succeeded in recapturing towns and defensive positions from invading Russian forces up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

A report from the British Defense Ministry on Friday said Ukrainian troops were also likely to continue pushing back Russian forces on the northwestern axis from Kyiv toward the Hostomel Airfield, some 26 kilometers from the capital. It was captured by Russian forces on February 25 at the start of Moscow’s invasion.

Russian forces in the south of Ukraine were still seeking to circumvent the city of Mykolaiv as they try to move in on Odesa, with fierce Ukrainian resistance and supply issues impeding their progress, according to the report.

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Russia destroys largest military fuel storage site in Ukraine

Russia said it had destroyed the largest remaining military fuel storage site in Ukraine, hitting it with the Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles.

“On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kiev,” the Russian defence ministry said.

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Ukraine accuses Moscow of forcibly removing civilians to Russia

Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcibly removing hundreds of thousands of civilians from shattered Ukrainian cities to Russia to pressure Kiev to give up, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged his country to keep up its military defence and not stop “even for a minute.”

Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine’s ombudsperson, said 402,000 people, including 84,000 children, had been taken against their will into Russia, where some may be used as “hostages” to pressure Kiev to surrender. 

The Kremlin gave nearly identical numbers for those who have been relocated, but said they were from predominantly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and wanted to go to Russia.

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Russia more of a burden to China after Ukraine conflict – Pentagon official

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has made it more of a strategic burden on China, a senior Pentagon official said.

“I do think that there’s a degree to which what Putin has done in Ukraine makes Russia much more of a strategic burden for Beijing than it was six weeks ago or six months ago,” Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said.

In February, China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership, backing each other over standoffs on Ukraine and Taiwan with a promise to collaborate more against the West.

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Russia claims US president’s son involved in financing Ukrainian biolabs

Abhorrent': Big tech, mainstream media criticised for 'covering up' Hunter Biden laptop story | Sky News Australia

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Hunter Biden, the son of the US president, was directly involved in financing biological laboratories in Ukraine.

Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, presented documents at a news conference in Moscow, allegedly of Ukrainian and US origin, seized in battles in Ukraine.

They showed the Rosemont Seneca Partners investment fund, chaired by Hunter Biden, sponsored a military biological program in Ukraine. 

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Missiles hit Ukrainian military unit near Dnipro

Rescuers were searching for survivors among the debris after two missiles hit a Ukrainian military unit on the outskirts of the city of Dnipro, causing “serious destruction”, regional governor Valentyn Reznychenko said on social media. 

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Global food prices could keep rising: Ukraine’s agriculture minister

Ukraine’s new agriculture minister has said global food prices would continue to rise if the situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion did not change.

Mykola Solskyi, who was appointed on Thursday after the sudden resignation of his predecessor, said Ukraine’s grain stocks for export amount to $7.5 billion (€6.8 billion). He did not say what the volume of grains for export was.

Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest grain exporters.

The former agriculture minister, Roman Leshchenko, stepped down on Thursday, citing health reasons. Two days previously, he said he expected Ukraine’s spring crop area might be halved this year to only 7 million hectares (17.3 million acres).

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EU leaders dismiss Putin’s rouble payments threat

President Vladimir Putin’s threat to have “unfriendly” countries pay for Russian natural gas exports only in roubles from now on has got the not-so-friendly treatment from European Union nations.

Several EU leaders have come out saying it would be a gross violation of their contracts. From German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, they said they would not meet such demands.

The Russian threat is potent since the EU imports 90 percent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 percent of EU gas.

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Russian shelling kills 2 civilians in Luhansk: Governor

Indiscriminate Russian shelling has killed two civilians and caused multiple fires in the town of Rubizhne of the southeastern Luhansk region, the governor has said.

But the frontline has not changed despite intensive overnight shelling of several towns in Luhansk, Serhiy Hayday wrote on Facebook.

A part of Luhansk has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, and their “People’s Republic” became a springboard for the Russian invasion that began on February 24.

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EU leaders call for Ukraine recovery fund

EU leaders have called for a solidarity fund to be set up for Ukraine’s economic recovery, according to a joint statement. The statement from the 27 EU member states was published late on Thursday following two days of talks.

The fund is to support Ukraine to recover from the “destruction and enormous losses” inflicted on the country by Russia during the war. The statement also called for an international donor conference to support Ukraine after “the Russian onslaught has ceased.”

Furthermore, EU leaders pledged to support the Ukrainian government “for its immediate needs.”

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German ministry wants to halve dependence on Russian oil by summer: Spiegel

Germany’s economy ministry wants to halve the country’s dependence on Russian oil by the summer and have no Russian hard coal imports by the autumn, Der Spiegel magazine has reported, citing a ministry memo.

“By the middle of the year, Russian oil imports to Germany are expected to be halved,” Spiegel quoted the memo as reading. “By the end of the year, we aim to be almost independent.

“By autumn, Germany can be independent of Russian coal.”

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200 Russian soldiers killed, 12 tanks, 2 planes destroyed

In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces killed some 200 Russian servicemen and repelled nine attacks, Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces has said.

It also said on Facebook that 12 tanks, 20 armoured vehicles, 9 artillery systems, 3 planes and 3 drones have been destroyed.

Russia doesn’t divulge its losses, and the claims could not be independently verified.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Evacuation train from Kyiv comes under fire: Report

Authorities in Ukraine say Russian forces attacked a train evacuating civilians from Kyiv to Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, shattering the windows of three cars.

There were no casualties in Thursday’s attack, said an official with Ukraine’s national railway operator.

The Ukrainian interior ministry, meanwhile, reported “heavy artillery fire on Vyshhorod”, a town outside Kyiv. The attacks damaged an apartment block, it said.

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US envoy urges Mexico to side with Ukraine

A US diplomat has urged Mexican legislators to join Washington in supporting Ukraine against Russia after his Russian counterpart encouraged Mexico to defy “Uncle Sam”.

“The Russian ambassador was here yesterday making a lot of noise about how Mexico and Russia are so close. This, sorry, can never happen. It can never happen,” Ken Salazar, the US’s ambassador to Mexico, said in remarks at Mexico’s lower house of Congress.

“We have to be in solidarity with Ukraine and against Russia,” he said.

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Zelenskyy urges Hungary not to block Ukraine’s EU bid

Ukraine’s president has appealed to Hungary not to block Kyiv’s bid to join the EU during his video address to the EU.

“Listen, Viktor, do you know what is happening in Mariupol?” Zelenskyy said, addressing Hungarian President Viktor Orban and referring to the besieged Ukrainian port city where tens of thousands are trapped with little access to food and water.

“I want to be open once and for all – you should decide for yourself, who you are for.”

Orban is widely considered to be Putin’s closest ally among EU leaders.

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135 Ukrainian children killed: Prosecutors

The Russian invasion has killed 135 and wounded 184 children in Ukraine, the general prosecutor’s office has said.

Most of the killings took place in the Kyiv region (64), in the eastern Kharkiv region (44) and in the southeastern Donetsk region (46) that is partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists, it said.

Ukrainian officials and survivors accuse Russia of deliberately targeting civilians, apartment buildings, schools and hospitals.

Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

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Russian ex-president says Western sanctions won’t sway Kremlin

It is “foolish” to believe that Western sanctions against Russian businesses could have any effect on the Moscow government, Russian ex-president and deputy head of security council Dmitry Medvedev has been quoted as saying.

The sanctions will only consolidate the Russian society and not cause popular discontent with the authorities, Medvedev told Russia’s RIA news agency in an interview.

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Missile attack reported on Ukraine military facility in Dnipro

Russian forces have fired two missiles at a Ukrainian military unit on the outskirts of Dnipro, the fourth-largest city in the country, according to regional emergency services.

The attacks destroyed buildings and set off two fires, it said, while the number of those killed and wounded was still being established.

Dnipro is west of the regions along the Russian border that have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

Al Jazeera could not verify the claim independently.

 

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Extraordinary NATO leaders’ summit on Ukraine begins

An extraordinary meeting of NATO heads of state and government has begun in Brussels to discuss the alliance’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The leaders of member states held various bilateral meetings at NATO headquarters ahead of the summit and are expected to continue.

NATO’s long-term stance in Eastern Europe is also expected to be evaluated at the meeting as well as a response to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, which entered its second month. 

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Zelenskyy says Ukraine deserves to be full member of EU

Ukraine is fighting for the security of the whole of Europe and should be a full member of the European Union, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Swedish lawmakers via video link.

“We are not fighting just for the people of Ukraine, but for Europe’s security and we have shown that we deserve to be a fully-fledged member of the EU,” Zelenskyy said in an address to Sweden’s parliament.

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UK sanctions 59 more Russian firms, individuals

Britain has slapped sanctions on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, including the shadowy mercenary group Wagner, in a further retaliation to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.

The government said its latest asset freeze targets 33 individuals and 26 entities as well as six other entities linked to the Belarus government.

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Russian ambassador says Poland has blocked embassy’s bank accounts – RIA

Russia’s ambassador to Warsaw has said that Poland blocked the embassy’s bank accounts for allegedly financing “terrorist activity”, RIA news agency has reported.

Lawmaker Solskyi accepts offer to become Ukraine’s agriculture minister

Senior lawmaker Mykola Solskyi has agreed to accept an offer to become Ukraine’s agriculture minister, Solskyi told Reuters.

Roman Leshchenko had earlier resigned as agriculture minister, an aide said, without stating a reason.

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Kremlin: Abramovich played early role in Ukraine peace talks

The Kremlin has said sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich played an early role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but the process was now in the hands of the two sides’ negotiating teams.

“He did take part at the initial stage,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 

“Now the negotiations are between the two teams, the Russians and Ukrainians.”

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NATO chief says Putin made ‘big mistake’ by attacking Ukraine 

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of making a “big mistake” by attacking Ukraine, as leaders gathered to discuss overhauling the alliance’s eastern defences. 

“President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war against an independent sovereign nation. He has underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces,” Stoltenberg said ahead of the start of a summit in Brussels. 

Stoltenberg said the leaders of the US-led military alliance would “address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defence in the longer term”, starting with agreeing new deployments to eastern members Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

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Over half of Ukrainian children displaced by conflict: UN

More than half of all children in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes since Russia launched its full-scale attack on February 24, the United Nations has said. 

“One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population,” the UN children’s agency Unicef said in a statement, adding that 1.8 million children had fled the country as refugees and 2.5 million were now displaced inside Ukraine. 

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Ukraine claims 15,800 Russian soldiers killed since the conflict began

Some 15,800 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the conflict, the Ukrainian military has claimed.

Ukrainian forces have also destroyed 108 Russian aircraft, 124 helicopters, 530 tanks, 1,597 armored carriers, 280 cannons, 82 rocket launcher systems, and 47 air defence systems since February 24, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

The Russian forces also lost 1,033 vehicles, four light speedboats, 72 fuel vehicles, and 50 UAVs, it added.

Stoltenberg to extend NATO term by one year amid Ukraine conflict – reports

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to extend his term as head of the alliance by another year due to the conflict in Ukraine, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 and daily Dagens Naeringsliv have reported, citing unnamed sources.

Stoltenberg’s current term expires on October 1 and he had been due to take up a post as central bank governor of his native Norway by the end of 2022.

When asked on Wednesday whether he would stay on at NATO, Stoltenberg said any such decision was up to member-countries to make.

UK adds Gazprombank and Alfa Bank to sanctions list

Britain has freezed the assets of Russia’s Gazprombank and Alfa Bank in its latest round of sanctions.

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China calls NATO claims of backing Russia ‘disinformation’

Beijing has accused the NATO chief of “spreading disinformation” with claims that China has backed Russia’s attack on Ukraine, amid growing international pressure to distance itself from Moscow.

Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that “accusing China of spreading false information about Ukraine is itself spreading disinformation”. 

“China’s position is consistent with the wishes of most countries… any unwarranted accusations and suspicions against China will be defeated,” he said at a routine briefing.

Ukraine says Russian landing ship destroyed

Ukraine’s navy has reported destroying Russia’s large landing ship, Orsk, near the port city of Berdyansk.

A short Facebook statement about the ship was accompanied with photos and videos of fire and thick plumes of smoke in the port.

The Russian military has not commented on what happened to the ship. Berdyansk has been under Russian control since February 27.

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Johnson: Pressure could be applied to Putin’s gold reserves

Britain and its western allies will increase the economic pressure on Russia and are looking to see if more can be done to prevent President Vladimir Putin from accessing his gold reserves, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Johnson told LBC Radio that Putin had already crossed a red line and that he should appear before the International Criminal Court.

“We need to do more,” he said. “And so we need to do more economically. Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves for instance, in addition to his cash reserves?” 

Ukraine: Seven humanitarian corridors agreed, no safe passage from Mariupol

Agreement has been reached on the establishment of seven humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian towns and cities, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

She said civilians trying to leave besieged Mariupol would find transport at nearby Berdyansk, making clear Russia was not allowing a safe corridor to be created to or from the centre of the southern port city. 

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Ukrainian agriculture minister has submitted resignation – aide

Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Roman Leshchenko has submitted his resignation, an aide has said, without stating a reason.

The aide, who declined to be named, said Ukrainian parliament would vote on whether to accept the resignation, possibly as soon as Thursday.

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Strikes kill 4 near Luhansk: Ukrainian official

At least four people were killed, including two children, and six wounded from overnight strikes in eastern Ukraine, the governor of the Luhansk region has said.

Sergiy Gayday said “unfortunately, the number of victims could be considerably higher,” accusing Russian forces of using phosphorus bombs. 

Other officials in the region have made similar claims in recent days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Russia lost 15,800 soldiers, 530 tanks and 108 planes: Ukraine’s General Staff

In the month since Moscow invaded Ukraine, it has lost some 15,800 servicemen, Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces has said.

Russians also lost 530 tanks, 1,597 armoured vehicles, 108 planes, 124 helicopters and 50 drones, it said in a Facebook post.

It added that the data is being updated and cannot be verified because of the intense hostilities.

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EU says assessing scenarios of potential Russian gas halt next winter

The European Union is assessing a scenarios including a full halt to Russian gas supplies next winter, as part of its contingency planning for supply shocks, European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis has said.

“We are reassessing scenarios for partial and full disruption of gas laws from Russia next winter to help member states revise their gas supply contingency plans,” Dombrovskis told the European Parliament.

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Moscow stock exchange partially reopens after one-month closure

Wild moves in Russian stocks as market reopens after month-long shutdown

The Moscow Stock Exchange has resumed trading of some shares, as it continues re-opening after a month-long suspension over Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

Trading resumed for only around 30 of the largest companies that make up the ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index, which saw early gains of up to 10 percent.

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West to warn Putin in trio of summits

Western nations will warn Putin that his country will pay “ruinous” costs for invading Ukraine, during an unprecedented one-day trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits that will be attended by Biden.

The hectic day of summitry to maintain Western unity will kick off at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where the transatlantic defence alliance’s leaders will agree to ramp up military forces on Europe’s eastern flank.

Alarmed by the prospect that Russia might escalate the war, the 30 nations of NATO will also agree to send Kyiv equipment to defend against biological, chemical and nuclear attacks.

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UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO VOTE ON BLAMING RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

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Ukraine carrying out ‘successful counter attacks’ near Kyiv: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says Ukrainian forces are carrying out successful counterattacks against Russian positions in towns on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv.

“There is a realistic possibility that Ukrainian forces are now able to encircle Russian units in Bucha and Irpin,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that these counterattacks will likely “disrupt the ability of Russian forces to reorganise and resume their own offensive towards Kyiv”.

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Belgium to inject another billion euros into its army: L’Echo

The Belgian government agreed a few hours before a NATO summit to inject an extra billion euros in its defence forces, on top of $10.98bn (10 billion euros) already agreed, according to Belgian newspaper l’Echo, a move prompted by the war in Ukraine.

The new investments aim at reinforcing the Belgian defence by 2030, including developing a cybersecurity unit in the Belgian army, replenishing stocks of fuel and munitions, military equipment and supplies and improving intelligence and communication systems, the paper said.

NATO member states are supposed to contribute more than 2 percent of their GDP annually. Belgium is currently spending 1.2 percent and this will increase to 1.54 percent with the latest investments.

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LARGE RUSSIAN SHIP DESTROYED IN OCCUPIED PORT OF BERDIANSK

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Russian journalist killed in Ukraine

Oksana Baulina, a Russian reporter working for an independent Russian news outlet, has been killed while filming in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The Insider, Baulina’s employer, said the journalist died “under fire in Kyiv”.

“She was filming the destruction after Russian troops shelled the Podil district of the capital,” it added.

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NATO: Ukraine no-fly zone means attacking Russia

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine means the alliance would need to massively attack Russian air defence.

“Then the risk between a full war between NATO and Russia will be very high,” he told reporters before a summit with the alliance’s leader over the invasion of Ukraine.

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Ukraine says seven humanitarian corridors agreed, no safe passage from Mariupol

Agreement has been reached on the establishment of seven humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian towns and cities, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

She said civilians trying to leave besieged Mariupol would find transport at nearby Berdyansk, making clear Russia was not allowing a safe corridor to be created to or from the centre of the southern port city.

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Dozens of Ukrainian orphans arrive in the UK

Dozens of orphans and their caretakers from Ukraine have arrived in the UK, where they are being given refuge following the Russian invasion of their country.

Aged between one and 18 years old, the 52 children came from orphanages in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

Their escape from Ukraine was coordinated by supporters of the Edinburgh based football team, Hibernian.

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Stoltenberg warns chemical weapons could contaminate NATO territory

Any use of chemical weapons by Russia in its war in Ukraine could cause contamination in NATO territory, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned.

“Any use of chemical weapons would fundamentally change the nature of the conflict – it would be a blatant violation of international law, and it will have widespread and severe consequences,” Stoltenberg said ahead of an extraordinary summit of NATO leaders.

“The seriousness of using chemical weapons, of course, becomes even more obvious knowing that there is a risk always for contamination… we can see the spread of chemical agents also into NATO territory,” he said.

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UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO VOTE ON BLAMING RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

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Putin made ‘big mistake’ invading Ukraine: NATO chief

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has accused Putin of making a “big mistake” by invading Ukraine, as leaders gathered to discuss overhauling the alliance’s eastern defences.

“President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war against an independent sovereign nation. He has underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces,” Stoltenberg said ahead of the start of a summit in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said the leaders of the US-led military alliance would “address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defence in the longer term”, starting with agreeing new deployments to eastern members Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

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Bodies of Russian servicemen ‘endanger’ Ukraine’s environment: Official

A Ukrainian health official has said that Russia hasn’t taken away many bodies of its servicemen killed in action, and the decaying corpses pose an environmental threat.

Russia “doesn’t need them, doesn’t take them away, they stay here and pose a big threat, primarily environmental,” Anatoly Kotlyara, the top healthcare official in the northern Sumy region, was quoted by the UNIAN news agency as saying.

He said that ten massive railroad refrigerators were commissioned for storing the bodies, but their arrival was delayed because of the hostilities.

Most of the bodies Russia does take away are shipped to neighbouring Belarus and only then delivered to relatives, he said.

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UK’s Johnson says pressure could be applied to Putin’s gold reserves

The UK and its western allies will increase the economic pressure on Russia and are looking to see if more can be done to prevent Putin from accessing his gold reserves, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Johnson told LBC Radio that Putin had already crossed a red line and that he should appear before the International Criminal Court.

“We need to do more,” he said. “And so we need to do more economically. Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves for instance, in addition to his cash reserves?”

“The more pressure we apply now, particularly on things like gold, that I believe the more we can shorten the war.”

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Banned phosphorus bombs kill 4, destroy houses in Luhansk: Governor

Russia has used banned white phosphorus bombs to shell residential areas in the southeastern Luhansk region, its governor has said.

Four people were killed, Serhiy Haidai wrote on his Telegram channel.

The shelling destroyed ten apartment buildings and 13 private houses, and set a fire in 16 of them, he wrote.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using the phosphorus bombs that cause fires that can spread over huge areas.

The use of phosphorus bombs leads to severe injuries or excruciating death, and the 1977 Geneva Convention bans their use if they endanger civilians.

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Ukraine: Russia stepping up airstrikes

Russia is stepping up its airstrikes, with more than 250 flights registered in 24 hours, the Ukrainian military’s general staff has said.

This was 60 more flights than the day before, Ukrainian authorities said. The main targets remain the areas in and around Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian army said 11 “enemy air targets” were hit Wednesday, including seven planes, a helicopter, a drone and two cruise missiles.

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UK to send Ukraine thousands more missiles

The United Kingdom is giving Ukraine 6,000 more missiles, including anti-tank and high-explosive weaponry, as well as 25 million British pounds ($33m) to help Kyiv pay its military and police forces.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK “will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defenses as they turn the tide in this fight”.

The UK has already sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.

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Turkcell says 10 percent of mobile infrastructure in Ukraine disabled

Turkcell Çinli teknoloji şirketi Huawei ile Mobil Hizmetleri için anlaşma imzaladı | Euronews

Turkish telecoms operator Turkcell, one of three main operators in Ukraine, said around 10 percent of its infrastructure in the country had been disabled by Russia’s invasion, but added there was no damage to its central network.

Turkcell, which operates under the name “lifecell” in Ukraine, said in a stock exchange statement on Wednesday that around 10 percent of its 9,000 base stations in Ukraine were disabled, adding there had been no casualties among its employees.

The company said it had provided the necessary equipment to maintain operations and established backup data centres in Lviv in western Ukraine and some neighbouring nations, adding 45 percent of its retail stores in the country remained open.

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Japan considers doubling humanitarian aid, loans to Ukraine: NHK

The Japanese government is considering extending additional humanitarian aid of $100m to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, on top of the $100m in assistance Japan has already announced, public broadcaster NHK has said.

The government is also looking into doubling emergency loans to Ukraine to $200m and dispatching Self-Defence Force medical officers to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other neighbouring nations, NHK said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he plans to unveil Japan’s new support measures for Ukraine at a G7 summit meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels on Thursday.

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UN to vote on blaming Russia for humanitarian crisis

The UN General Assembly is voting Thursday on a resolution backed by over 90 countries that blames Russia for the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and demands an immediate halt to hostilities, especially attacks on civilians and their homes, schools and hospitals.

Russia has denounced the resolution as “anti-Russian” and accuses its supporters of not really being concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground, saying they want to politicise aid.

The vote follows the Security Council’s overwhelming defeat on Wednesday of a Russian resolution that would have acknowledged Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs – but without mentioning Russia’s invasion that has left millions of Ukrainians in desperate need of food, water and shelter.

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Huge fire blazing in Sumy region: Official

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, the governor of the Sumy region, says emergency workers have not been able to access the site of a huge fire that broke out in the city of Trostianets on Tuesday.

“For the third day in a row, Trostianets remains the hottest spot, fierce battles are going on,” he said in a video address.

“Due to the shelling and the fighting, it is impossible for firefighters to get there to extinguish the fire.”

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Japan unsure how Russia will execute rouble payments for its gas sales

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki says Tokyo does not know how Russia will handle the required rouble payments for its energy sold to “unfriendly” countries.

“Currently, we’re looking into the situation with relevant ministries as we don’t quite understand what is [Russia’s] intention and how they would do this,” he said in a parliament session.

Japan – which Moscow branded as an unfriendly nation along with the US and EU states – accounted for 4.1 percent of Russia’s crude oil exports and 7.2 percent of its natural gas exports in 2021.

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Russian troops setting up ‘defensive positions’ outside Kyiv: US

A senior US defence official says Russian ground forces appear to be digging in and setting up defensive positions between 15 and 20 kilometres (9-12 miles) outside Kyiv, as they continue to make little to no progress moving towards the city centre.

“They’re basically digging in and they are establishing defensive positions,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “So it’s not that they’re not advancing. They’re actually not trying to advance right now.”

In some cases east of Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been able to push Russian soldiers further away, the official said, claiming that Russian forces who had been 20 to 30 kilometres (12-19 miles) away to the east and northeast are now about 55 kilometres (34 miles) away.

The official said that, instead, Russian troops are exerting more energy and effort in the eastern Donbas region, specifically in Luhansk and Donetsk.

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NATO estimates 7,000-15,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine: Report

NATO estimates that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in a month of fighting in Ukraine, a senior official within the alliance has told The Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity.

The official said the estimate was based on information from Ukrainian officials, releases from Russia – intentional or not – and intelligence gathered from open sources.

Ukraine says more than 15,000 Russian troops have been killed since Russia launched its invasion. Moscow’s only official toll so far – released on March 2 – put the number of its forces killed at 498.

Russian mass-market Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper on Tuesday accused hackers of planting fake news on its website after a report briefly appeared there saying nearly 10,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine. The article was deleted within a few minutes of being published.

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Zelenskyy urges French firms to ‘stop sponsoring the Russian war machine’

French companies including carmaker Renault and retailer Auchan must leave the Russian market, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told French lawmakers.

“Renault, Auchan, Leroy Merlin must stop being sponsors of the Russian war machine, stop financing the murder of children and women, of rape,” he said in an address to France’s parliament delivered via video link. “French companies must leave the Russian market.”

At Zelenskyy’s request, the MPs also observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the war in Ukraine.

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Kremlin confirms resignation of special envoy Anatoly Chubais

The Kremlin has confirmed to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that a top Russian official has resigned, saying he did so of his own accord.

Earlier, the Reuters news agency, citing two unnamed sources, reported that special envoy Anatoly Chubais, an architect of Russia’s post-Soviet economic reforms, has stepped down over the war in Ukraine and left Russia.

If that is the case, his decision would signal the highest-profile protest by a Russian figure against the invasion yet.

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Germany says further Strela missiles en route to Ukraine

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said that after delays in deliveries, further supplies of Strela missiles were on the way to Ukraine.

“I can clearly say that further Strela deliveries are on the way,” Baerbock told the Bundestag lower house of parliament, citing the missiles that had historically been in the inventories of the former Communist East German army.

“We are one of the biggest weapons suppliers in this situation,” she said. “It doesn’t make us proud but it’s what we must do to help Ukraine.”

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Belarus tells some Ukrainian diplomats to leave: Report

Belarus has told some Ukrainian diplomats to leave the country and is closing its neighbour’s consulate in the city of Brest, according to a report by the country’s state news agency, Belta.

On Tuesday the Belarusian security service, the KGB, accused eight Ukrainian diplomats of espionage.

Russia has used Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of Ukraine.

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UK calls on YouTube to take down videos ‘doctored’ by Russia

The United Kingdom’s defence ministry has called on YouTube to remove footage from its online platform of a hoax call to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that London claims was doctored by the Russian state.

“I am confident you would not wish to be a conduit for Russian propaganda or be in any way associated with the potential consequences of this type of media manipulation,” a letter posted on Twitter by the ministry said.

The move came after footage of Wallace speaking to a hoaxer posing as Ukraine’s prime minister was posted on the YouTube channel of Russian prankster duo Vovan and Lexus.

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NATO chief warns Russia against use of chemical weapons, pledges extra Ukraine support

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that any use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine would invoke “far-reaching consequences”.

“Any use of chemical weapons would totally change the nature of the conflict,” he told reporters at a news conference at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, adding such a move “would be a blatant violation of international law”.

Stoltenberg also said that leaders of the 30-member state alliance were set to agree on delivering extra support for Ukraine to deal with any chemical and nuclear threats at Thursday’s summit.

“Tomorrow, I expect allies will agree to provide additional support, including cybersecurity assistance as well as equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats,” he said.

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Biden warns of ‘real threat’ of Russians using chemical weapons

The United States president has reiterated his concern that Russia may use chemical weapons in Ukraine as it seeks to make breakthroughs in the weeks-long conflict.

“I think it’s a real threat,” President Joe Biden told reporters as he departed the US for Europe.

 

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Satellite images show buildings on fire in Mariupol

Smoke rises from buildings on fire in the besieged city of Mariupol in an image taken by satellite
A satellite image shows buildings on fire in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 22, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
A satellite image shows an overview of burning buildings in Livoberezhnyi district, Mariupol, Ukraine, March 22, 2022.
A satellite image shows an overview of burning buildings in Livoberezhnyi district, Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 22, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
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Russia increasingly relying on ‘missiles, rockets and artillery’: AJE correspondent

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Kyiv, says several neighbourhoods within the Ukrainian capital have come under attack in the past 24 hours.

Moscow is increasingly relying on attacks with “missiles, rockets and artillery” because of its “ground offensive being stalled,” he said.

“They want to put pressure not just on the front lines but on the city [of Kyiv] itself,” Khan added.

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EU loosens state aid rules for companies affected by sanctions on Russia

European Union companies affected by sanctions imposed on Russia will be eligible for up to 400,000 euros ($440,360) of state support under loosened state aid rules, the bloc’s executive arm has announced.

Companies in the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors can access up to 35,000 euros ($38,500) while businesses facing a liquidity crunch can get state guarantees on loans and subsidised loans, the European Commission said.

Meanwhile, firms facing soaring energy costs will be eligible for state aid covering up to 30 percent of their costs, capped at two million euros ($2,2m).

The European Commission, which also acts as the bloc’s competition enforcer, had two years ago relaxed its state aid rules, allowing governments to pump trillions of euros into companies hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Kremlin warns NATO peacekeepers idea is extremely dangerous

The Kremlin’s spokesman has cautioned that any possible contact between the Russian military and NATO forces could have grave consequences after Poland last week said the alliance should send peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Peskov said Warsaw’s idea was reckless” and extremely dangerous.

“Any possible confrontation between our troops and NATO forces could have clear consequences that would be hard to repair,” he told reporters.

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Zelenskyy to address Swedish Parliament

Ukraine’s president will address the Swedish Parliament via video link on Thursday, the body has said.

The speech will start at 09:55 GMT, the Swedish Parliament added in a statement.

Zelenskyy has addressed lawmakers in an array of countries in recent weeks as he attempts to rally international support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s onslaught.

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Poland considering expelling 45 Russian diplomats

Poland’s special services have asked the country’s foreign ministry to expel 45 Russian diplomats, according to a spokesman.

Stanislaw Zaryn said the individuals were alleged to be working for Russia’s secret services under the cover of diplomatic work.

The Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed government spokesman as saying the Russian ambassador to Poland had been summoned to the foreign ministry over the case and decisions on further steps would be announced after the meeting.

Russia’s foreign ministry was quoted by the country’s RIA Novosti news agency as saying it would retaliate if its diplomats were expelled. 

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Italy’s Draghi calls on China not to support Russia

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has urged China not to support Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and to join efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.

Speaking to the Italian parliament, Draghi also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not appear to be interested in agreeing a ceasefire that could allow negotiations to end the conflict to succeed.

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Russia says forces struck Ukrainian arms depot near Rivne

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces have hit a Ukrainian arms depot outside the country’s northwestern city of Rivne, destroying an arsenal of weapons and equipment.

The ministry said it had struck the depot on Tuesday using high-precision, long-range weapons fired from sea.

There was no immediate reaction to the claim from Kyiv.

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Putin ally says US trying to destroy Russia

A leading ally of Putin has accused the United States of aiming to humiliate, divide and ultimately destroy Russia, and vowed the country would never allow that to happen.

Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said such a plan – if ever achieved – could have catastrophic results for the world.

“Russia will never allow such a development,” he said in a message posted on the Telegram messaging app.

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Russia says NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine could lead to ‘direct clash’ with alliance

Russia’s foreign minister has warned NATO against sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, saying it could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the transatlantic military alliance.

Poland said last week that it would formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at a NATO summit set to take place on Thursday.

“I hope they understand what they are talking about,” Sergey Lavrov told staff and students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

“This will be the direct clash between the Russian and NATO armed forces that everyone has not only tried to avoid but said should not take place in principle.”

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Beijing tells Chinese in Russia to help fill economic void

Zhang Hanhui, China’s ambassador to Moscow, has told about a dozen business heads to waste no time and “fill the void” in the local Russian market, according to Bloomberg, quoting the Russia Confucius Culture Promotion Association’s official WeChat account.

While the summary made no mention of sanctions or sanctions compliance, Zhang described the situation as an opportunity, Bloomberg said.

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Prosecutor’s office: 121 children killed, 167 wounded in Russian invasion

Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office says 121 children have been killed and 167 others wounded since Russia launched its invasion.

A nine-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were among the most recent victims, according to the office’s statement, which was posted on Telegram.

Both were reportedly killed in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the eastern Donetsk region.

The statement added that on March 17, a Russian soldier killed a man in front of his 14-year-old son in the occupied Kyiv suburb of Bucha. The boy is wounded and is currently undergoing treatment, it said.

It also said that more than 220 schools and 155 kindergartens have been damaged by shelling.

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Forty people are buried daily: Chernihiv mayor

The mayor of the besieged northern city of Chernihiv has told local media Russian servicemen are deliberately targeting civilians, hospitals and schools, adding that foreign forces almost encircled the city and their shelling destroyed power and water supply.

As a result, “about 40 people are buried daily,” Vladislav Atroshenko told the Censor.net publication. “Before the war, we usually buried eight.”

He also reportedly said that only a handful of volunteers have managed to get to the city via little-known roads in swampy areas with medicines for hundreds of wounded Ukrainian servicemen in city hospitals.

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Red Cross chief to raise ‘pressing humanitarian issues’ with Russia

The head of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) will raise “pressing humanitarian issues” in Ukraine during a visit to Moscow, the aid agency has said.

Peter Maurer is in Moscow for two days of talks with senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who he is set to meet on Thursday.

“Mr Maurer plans to speak about the pressing humanitarian issues to be addressed to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the conflict in Ukraine,” the ICRC said.

The agency added it was seeking to increase respect for international humanitarian law and within its mandate as a neutral intermediary to “address humanitarian issues and facilitate dialogue between all sides”.

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Ukraine announces nine humanitarian corridors

Kyiv has agreed a deal with Russia to set up nine humanitarian corridors through which civilians can be evacuated, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has said.

Iryna Vereshchuk said in a Facebook post that the routes would be opened in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and Luhansk regions.

She did not announce any safe corridor out of the heart of Mariupol, saying instead that people wishing to leave the city would find transport in nearby Berdyansk.

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Zelenskyy’s adviser urges immediare harser sanctions on Russia

Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to Volodomy Zelenskyy, has said Russia’s frozen assets and Central Bank reserves, according to Ukraine’s foreign allies, reaches an estimated worth of $300bn.

Ustenko told Al Jazeera that the assets can be used for the construction of Ukraine, adding: “However, this is not enough, as every new day of war increases the price we need for reconstruction.”

“Our priority right now is to allocate the frozen Russian assets – meant for war – for reconstruction instead,” the adviser said.

He also said: “We strongly believe that our allies in Europe and the US should impose many harsh sanctions on Russia. This is not just related to the economic gains and benefits and it does not just mean that we no longer have trade exchanges like before, but it also should mean that the current status must change. And this is a civil side of things that they must adhere to.”

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Two children, one adult killed by shelling in Luhansk: official

Russian shelling hit an apartment building in the town of Rubizhne in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the southeastern Luhansk region, according to a Ukrainian official.

Two children and one adult were killed as a result, regional defence head Serhiy Haidai wrote on Facebook.

“The shell exploded on the fifth floor. Rescuers found people three killed, including two children,” he wrote, adding that shelling also caused multiple fires at a textile factory, a college and several apartments.

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RUSSIA COULD USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IF EXISTENCE THREATENED: KREMLIN

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Russia’s Indonesia envoy: Putin plans to attend G20 summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a G20 summit being hosted by Indonesia later this year, according to Russia’s ambassador in Jakarta, following calls by some members for the country to be barred from the group.

“Not only G20, many organisations are trying to expel Russia …. the reaction of the West is absolutely disproportional,” ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.

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Russian forces release Ukrainian official, journalist: Reports

Russian forces have released a Ukrainian official and a journalist who had been held captive for days, according to local media reports

Serhiy Kirichko, a local official in the Sumy region, was released on Tuesday after being detained in a basement for a week, the news outlet Ukrinform reported, citing a local politician.

Viktoria Roshchina, a journalist with Ukraine’s Hromadske channel, was released on Monday after nine days in captivity, the television station announced.

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Photojournalist reported missing near Kyiv

Concern is growing over the whereabouts of Ukrainian photojournalist Maksym Levin, who was last heard from days ago while taking pictures at a combat zone in Kyiv.

Markiyan Lyseiko, a friend of Levin’s, told the Institute of Mass Information that he had last heard from the photojournalist on March 13.

Lyseiko said that “intense fighting” had broken out in the area that Levin had gone to work at, and said he feared the photojournalist could have been “wounded or taken prisoner by the Russian military”.

 

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Vietnam Airlines to suspend regular flights to Russia

Vietnam Airlines will temporarily suspend regular flights from Hanoi to Moscow starting from March 25 until further notice, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The suspension was to review procedures, requirements and regulations related to flight operations in Russia, VNA reported.

The two countries have close ties dating back to the Soviet era and Vietnam has not so far condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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‘Large numbers’ of Belarusian troops refusing to join Russian invasion: Ukraine

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence says the possibility exists that Belarus’s army may join the Russian invasion, but its intelligence indicates that “a large number of personnel and some commanders are refusing to participate” in the war.

In a Telegram post, the ministry said Russian forces – due to a lack of success in their ground offensive – are now aiming for the “total destruction of critical infrastructure” in Ukraine.

It added that 100 Russian personnel were killed on Tuesday.

Independent Press could not verify the claims.

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Russia may employ ‘increasingly violent measures’ to suppress occupied towns: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says civilian populations in Russian-occupied cities in Ukraine are continuing to protest against Russian control, suggesting that Moscow’s efforts to subdue residents through propaganda “have so far failed”.

“Russia will probably respond to these failures by employing increasingly violent and coercive measures in an attempt to suppress the Ukrainian population,” it warned.

Blinken discusses ‘deterrence’ with NATO chief

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed “efforts to fortify NATO’s Eastern Flank” in a call with the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the State Department has said.

“The Secretary reaffirmed the need for a strong and united Transatlantic response to the Russian government’s war against Ukraine and welcomed ongoing work to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense,” spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

 

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Macron calls for ceasefire in call with Putin

Macron has discussed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and called for a ceasefire in a phone call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, according to the French presidency.

The call, which was the eighth between the two leaders since the invasion began, lasted for an hour, Macron’s office said.

It added that the French president, who last spoke with Putin on March 18, also raised concerns about the situation in Mariupol, calling for the siege on the strategic port city to be lifted.

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War going according to plan, Russia says

The Kremlin has pushed back against Western assertions that the Russian military campaign is facing setbacks, reiterating that the invasion is going as planned.

“We’re speaking about a special military operation that is going on, and it is going on strictly in accordance with the plans,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.

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Russia ‘failed’ to achieve objectives in Ukraine, US says

Russia has failed to achieve its goals in Ukraine, Sullivan has said, stressing that Moscow will “never take the country away from the Ukrainian people”.

Biden’s National Security Adviser told reporters at the White House that Russia had set three “basic” objectives for itself when it started the invasion: subjugating Ukraine, enhancing Moscow’s power and prestige, and dividing the West.

“Russia has thus far manifestly failed to accomplish all three objectives. In fact, it has thus far achieved the opposite,” the top aide said.

Still, Sullivan predicted that violence will get worse in the coming days, warning that the war will not end easily.

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Second Abramovich superyacht docks in Turkey

Roman Abramovich's superyacht sails away as net closes | News | The Times

A second superyacht linked to Roman Abramovich has docked in the Turkish resort of Marmaris after Western governments slammed sanctions on the Russian billionaire.

On Monday, another yacht reached Bodrum after skirting the waters of European Union countries.

While strongly criticising the invasion, Turkey said it is against sanctions imposed by its NATO allies on principle, making Ankara a safe haven for Russians seeking to make investments and preserve assets.

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Hungary asks for EU funds amid refugee crisis

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asked the European Commission to disburse all EU funds allocated to the country including a loan under the Recovery and Resilience Facility to help handle the Ukrainian refugee crisis, his press chief has said.

Orban said Hungary wanted to use the loan facility for defence, border control and humanitarian and other acute crisis management tasks, according to a copy of a letter seen by Reuters.

The European Commission has been withholding its approval to pay out pandemic recovery money to Poland and Hungary because the two countries have yet to address EU recommendations on the rule of law, including press freedoms and LGBT rights.

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Regional governor says fighting raging in Mariupol

Image

Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the city of Mariupol, a regional governor in Ukraine has said.

Speaking on national television, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko accused Russian troops of firing indiscriminately at residential areas and Ukrainian military  

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‘Nothing left’ of Mariupol: Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president has said the city of Mariupol has been razed to the ground in weeks of Russian bombardment.

“There is nothing left there. Only ruins,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the port city in a video address to the Italian parliament.

As he spoke, the city council said Russian forces had dropped two large bombs but gave no details of casualties or damage. It added Mariupol had turned into the “ashes of a dead land.”

A satellite image shows burning apartment buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 19, 2022.
A satellite image shows burning apartment buildings in Mariupol. [Maxar Technologies/Reuters]

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Ukraine urges China to play more visible role to halt war

Ukraine has called on China to play a more “noticeable role” in halting the war and to become a future guarantor of its security, a senior aide to Zelenskyy has said.

Andriy Yermak, who heads the presidential office, also said he expected a dialogue “very soon” between Ukraine’s leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping, without elaborating.

“We treat China with utmost respect and we expect it to play a pro-active role,” he told a virtual news conference organised by the Chatham House think-tank in London.

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No indication of imminent Russian chemical attack in Ukraine: US defence official

The United States has not yet seen any concrete indication of an imminent Russian chemical or biological weapons attack in Ukraine but is closely monitoring intelligence, a senior US defence official has said.

The comment comes after President Joe Biden said Russia’s accusations that Kyiv has biological and chemical weapons suggest Moscow is considering using them in the war against Ukraine.

The US official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, shared Biden’s assessment but added: “There’s no indication that there’s something imminent in that regard right now.”

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Reportedly, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev is commanding the siege of Mariupol. He also led the operation in Syria. Mizintsev is the Head of the National Defense Management Center of Russia since Dec. 2014. 
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Russia must adhere to UN Charter, say UK and India

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have agreed during talks by phone that Russia must adhere to the UN Charter, according to a readout provided by Johnson’s office.

“The pair agreed that Ukraine’s integrity and territorial sovereignty must be respected,” a statement issued by Johnson’s office following the call said.

“Russia needed to adhere to the UN Charter, the leaders said, and both agreed that respect for international law was the only way to ensure global peace and prosperity.”

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Ukraine says 100,000 civilians want to escape Mariupol but cannot

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister says at least 100,000 civilians want to escape from Mariupol but cannot because of a lack of safe corridors out of the besieged southeastern port city.

Iryna Vereshchuk said shelling by Russian forces was also preventing rescue workers from accessing the site of a bombed theatre in Mariupol where city officials say hundreds were believed to be sheltering underground when it was hit by an air raid last week.

Russia has denied bombing the theatre or attacking civilians.

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Poland pushes for Russia to be excluded from G20

Poland says it has suggested to the United States that Russia be excluded from the G20 group of major economies and that the proposal had received a “positive response”.

Polish Economic Development and Technology Minister Piotr Nowak said the matter had been discussed at meetings held in Washington, DC last week.

“During the meetings with, among others, [US Commerce Secretary] Gina Raimondo, we made a proposal to exclude Russia from the G20, which was met with a positive response and approval, and the matter is to be handed over to President Biden,” he told reporters in Warsaw.

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Zelenskyy speaks to Pope Francis, invites prospect of Vatican mediation

Ukraine’s president says he has spoken to Pope Francis and suggested the Vatican could mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.

“The mediating role of the Holy See in ending human suffering would be appreciated,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

He added he had told the leader of the Catholic Church about the “difficult humanitarian situation” in Ukraine and the “blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops”.

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Refugee crisis straining Moldova’s healthcare system, minister says

Moldova’s health minister says his country has appealed for help from the European Union and UN agencies as it struggles to deal with the pressure the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees has put on its healthcare system.

More than 331,000 refugees have entered Moldova since Russia invaded Ukraine, and 100,000 remain in the country, Ala Nemerenco told a joint news conference with the World Health Organization (WHO) streamed live from the country’s capital, Chisinau.

“Obviously the resources of the country are limited and we wouldn’t want this to affect or become a burden for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova,” Nemerenco said.

“That is why we have addressed all our partners to ask for support in this situation,” she added. “Unfortunately these events without any precedent here are really very serious and put our health system under very big pressure.”

Moldova, a small former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member state Romania, is one of Europe’s poorest countries.

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Ukrainian military: Russian army’s human, material losses continue to soar

Nearly one month into the Russian attack in Ukraine, the human and material losses of the Russian army continue to soar, the Ukrainian military claimed.

Since the day Russia launched the attack, the Russian army, in addition to 15,300 troops, has lost 509 tanks, 1,556 armored personnel carriers, 252 artillery systems, 80 multiple launch rocket sy stems, 1,000 vehicles of various types, and 45 anti-aircraft warfare systems, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement on Facebook.

Russians also lost 99 aircraft, 123 helicopters, 35 operational and tactical UAVs, and 15 special equipment units, the statement added.

Ukraine’s figures for Russian soldiers killed are higher than estimates such as those of the US government.

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Ukraine retakes key Kiev suburb; battle for Mariupol rages

Ukraine said it retook a strategically important suburb of Kiev, as Russian forces squeezed other areas near the capital and pressed their attack on the embattled southern port of Mariupol.

Explosions and bursts of gunfire shook Kiev, and black smoke rose from a spot in the north. 

Intensified artillery fire could be heard from the northwest, where Russia has sought to encircle and capture several suburban areas of the capital, a crucial target.

Russian forces also continued their siege of Mariupol after the southern port city’s defenders refused demands to surrender, with fleeing civilians describing relentless bombardments and corpses lying in the streets. 

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Russia adopts bill on jail terms for ‘fake’ news on state actions abroad

Russian lawmakers approved legislation imposing jail terms of up to 15 years for publishing false information about Russia’s actions abroad, as Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine approaches one month.

If the false information “caused serious consequences”, it is punishable by up 15 years in jail, a release from the State Duma said.

The bill will need the approval of the upper house Federation Council and the signature of President Vladimir Putin before it becomes law.

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Ukraine says ‘food, medical supplies’ running out in Kherson

Ukraine’s foreign ministry says about 300,000 people in Kherson are running out of food and medical supplies and has accused Russia of preventing civilians evacuating from the occupied southern city to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

“Kherson’s 300k citizens face a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade. Food and medical supplies have almost run out, yet Russia refuses to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians,” ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Twitter.

Kherson was seized by Moscow’s forces at the beginning of March in Russia’s most strategically significant capture of Ukrainian territory yet.

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Ukrainian official says Belarus may deploy up to 15,000 soldiers to assist Russia

Belarus may send three waves of soldiers – totalling about 15,000 servicemen overall – into Ukraine to support Russia’s offensive, a top Ukrainian intelligence official has claimed.

“A chance of invasion from Belarus is pretty high,” Viktor Yagun, the major general of the Ukrainian Security Service, said in televised remarks. He suggested Belarusian forces may target Ukraine’s northwestern Volyn region, which borders both Poland and Belarus.

Yagun also claimed that Belarus’s military has already been assisting Russian forces with logistics and supplies since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24.

“Whether they want it or not, the Belarusians are already taking part in the war with Ukraine,” he said, before claiming that President Alexander Lukashenko “no longer” commands his army as the country’s commanding officers are “managed by Russia”.

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Russia, North Korea discuss developing relations

Russia’s foreign ministry says the country’s deputy foreign minister has met North Korea’s ambassador to Russia to discuss developing bilateral relations “in the context of changes happening on the international arena”.

Igor Morgulov talks with Sin Hong-chol come as Moscow faces increasing isolation over its invasion of Ukraine.

North Korea last month blamed the Ukraine crisis on the “hegemonic policy” and “high-handedness” of the US and the West.

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We are on the brink of survival: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the Italian parliament that his country was on the brink of surviving its conflict with Russian forces that he warned wanted to break through to the rest of Europe.

“For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gates of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass,” he said.

He urged Italy to beef up sanctions against Russia and seize more assets from President Vladimir Putin and his allies as a way of pressuring Moscow into negotiating an end to the war.

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Netherlands freezes $430 million in Russian assets

The Netherlands has frozen $431.24 million (392 million euros) in Russian assets and transactions as of March 21, the Dutch Finance ministry has said in a letter to parliament.

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Kremlin accuses US of state-level ‘banditry’

The Kremlin has rejected US warnings that it may be preparing to conduct cyber attacks in response to Western sanctions, and said it did not engage in “banditry”.

US President Joe Biden has told businesses to do more to protect themselves against possible cyber attacks by Russia, warning there was “evolving intelligence” that Moscow was exploring options on that front.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “The Russian Federation, unlike many Western countries, including the United States, does not engage in state-level banditry.”

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Ex-Russian state TV reporter quits over Ukraine conflict

Zhanna Agalakova, until her resignation this month a journalist with Russia’s state-controlled Channel One broadcaster, has said she quit in protest at the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

Agalakova, a former Channel One newsreader who at the time of her resignation was the station’s correspondent in Paris, told a news conference in the French capital: “When I spoke to my bosses, I said I cannot do this work any more.”

She said she believed Russian television was being used to pump out Kremlin propaganda, and that the authorities had for years been stifling independent media.

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Ten Ukrainian hospitals destroyed since start of war

Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko has reported that 10 hospitals had been completely destroyed since Russia began its offensive, and others could not be restocked with medicines and supplies because of fighting nearby.

Speaking on national television, he said Covid-19 testing was being carried out only in areas where there was no fighting, and this was complicating efforts to track the disease.

Russian Nobel laureate donates medal for Ukraine refugees

The joint Russian winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, Dmitry Muratov, will donate his medal to help Ukrainian refugees.

Muratov, editor of Russia’s leading opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, said that he and the newspaper had decided to donate the gold medal to a fund to help Ukrainian refugees.

He was awarded the 2021 prize alongside Maria Ressa of the Philippines for their efforts “to safeguard freedom of expression”.

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Five dead in Russian strikes in east Ukraine: Kiev

Five people have been killed and more than a dozen wounded in Russian strikes on a war-scared town in eastern Ukraine on Monday, an official in Kiev reported.

“In the Donetsk region, Avdiivka was fired on by artillery and aircraft, the city was razed to the ground. Five civilians were killed and 19 were injured,” Ukraine’s ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said in a statement.

Kremlin reportedly wants more ‘substantial’ talks on Ukraine

The Kremlin has said it would like the negotiations with Kiev aimed at ending Russia’s military action in Ukraine to have more substance.

“There is some kind of process happening. We would like more active and substantial (talks),” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

He added that Russia did not intend to make public its detailed demands to Ukraine.

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500,000 refugees from Ukraine have mental health issues: WHO

About half a million refugees from Ukraine who have fled to Poland need support for mental health disorders, and 30,000 have severe mental health problems, according to the World Health Organisation.

Refugees arriving in Poland are suffering from a range of health problems, including diarrhea and dehydration, but the main need is for support due to trauma, Paloma Cuchi, WHO representative in Poland, told a briefing in Geneva.

Kremlin: Chess federation should stay out of politics, overturn ban

The Kremlin has called on the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to stay out of politics and demanded it annul Monday’s decision to ban Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin from competition for six months over his stance on Ukraine.

The 32-year-old Karjakin, who challenged Magnus Carlsen for the world title in 2016, has defended his country’s actions on social media in recent weeks, drawing intense criticism from the chess world.

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Russian newspaper that published military death toll in Ukraine reportedly hacked

Russia’s mass-market Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper has reported that it was hacked and a false story on Russian military deaths in Ukraine was posted on its site, the newspaper’s Kremlin correspondent has said.

Alexander Gamov, the journalist, said the story – which said nearly 10,000 Russian troops had been killed – was fake and was deleted after a few minutes.

Gamov provided the explanation for the story, which was picked up by some Western media, on the Kremlin’s daily conference call after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unable to comment on the incident.

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Russian forces largely stalled in place: UK

Russian forces have not managed to take over the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol despite weeks of bombardment and days of street fighting, Britain’s defence ministry says.

In an update posted on social media, UK officials say that “despite heavy fighting, Ukrainian forces continue to repulse Russian attempts to occupy” the city.

It says Russian forces have made “limited progress” elsewhere in Ukraine in the last day, and remain “largely stalled in place.”

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More than 3.5M people have fled Ukraine

The number of Ukrainians fleeing abroad have reached 3,528,346, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.

More than 2 million had crossed the border into Poland.

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Ukraine urges Russia to let supplies into Mariupol and to let civilians leave

Ukraine has made a new appeal to Russia to allow humanitarian supplies into the besieged southern city of Mariupol and to let civilians leave.

“We demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor for civilians,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Ukrainian television.

Vereshchuk also said Russia’s armed forces were preventing humanitarian supplies reaching residents of the southern city of Kherson. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.

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Mayor urges people to flee Ukrainian city close to international airport

The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Boryspil, which is close to the Boryspil International Airport, has advised civilians to leave the city if they can because of fighting nearby.

Mayor Volodymyr Borysenko said in a video address that there was fighting in the Kiev region where Boryspil is located.

“There is no need to be in the city now as there is already fighting going on in the area around it. I call on the civilian population to be smart, reach out to our call centre and leave town as soon as an opportunity arises,” he said.

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Russia says 78 of its aircraft have been seized abroad

78 Russian aircrafts have been seized abroad according to Russia’s transport ministry, the Interfax news agency reported, but Russian airlines have registered almost 800 planes in Russia.

The transport ministry said Russia was guided by Iran’s experience of how to service aircraft in a similar situation. 

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Pakistan PM suggests Islamic countries consider mediating in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has suggested that Islamic countries should discuss how to mediate and bring about a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“May I suggest that OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) during its discussion with foreign ministers, we should think about how … we can mediate, how we can bring about the ceasefire,” Khan told an OIC conference in Islamabad.

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Russian attempt to capture Kiev is ‘suicide’ : Ukrainian official

One of Russia’s main priorities is to take control of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, but trying to do so is “suicide”, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said in a televised interview.

He added that active hostilities between Ukraine and Russia could end within 2-3 weeks.

Japan summons Russian envoy after halt to peace treaty talks

Japan’s vice foreign minister has summoned Russia’s ambassador, the foreign ministry said, a day after Moscow’s decision to halt peace treaty talks with Tokyo following sanctions imposed by Japan over Ukraine.

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Abramovich’s superyacht docks along southwestern Türkiye

A luxury yacht linked to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has been moored in the scenic Mediterranean resort town of Marmaris on the Turkish Riviera.

According to information from the Marmaris Municipality, the 162-metre (531-foot) superyacht Eclipse – equipped with a mini-submarine, helipads, and a swimming pool – will dock at Marmaris for a week and then refuel.

Russian oligarchs subject to sanctions by Western countries as well as yachts linked to them were recently seized, denied fuelling, or even attacked amid Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

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Ukraine forces recapture key Kiev suburb

Ukrainian forces have retook a strategically important suburb of the capital, as troops forced Russian forces out of the Kiev suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has said.

The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kiev from the northwest.

The ministry also said that their forces were still defending crucial port city of Mariupol and had destroyed a Russian patrol boat and electronic warfare complex.

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Satellite pictures show extent of destruction in Mariupol, Chernihiv and Irpin

A satellite image shows closer multispectral image of burning oil storage tanks in Chernihiv, Ukraine, March 21, 2022.
A satellite image shows burning oil storage tanks in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 21, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows an overview of Mariupol burning building and Mariupol Theater, Ukraine, March 21, 2022.
A satellite image shows an overview of a Mariupol burning building and the Mariupol theatre, Ukraine, March 21, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows burning apartment buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 19, 2022.
A satellite image shows burning apartment buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 19, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows large craters and destoyed homes in Novoselivka, Ukraine, March 21, 2022
A satellite image shows large craters and destoyed homes in Novoselivka, Ukraine, March 21, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows damaged and burning buildings in Irpin, Ukraine, March 21, 2022.
A satellite image shows damaged and burning buildings in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 21, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]

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Ukraine intelligence claims Zelenskyy assassination bid foiled

Ukrainian counter-intelligence has scuppered a possible attempt on the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to local media reports.

News agency UNIAN reported that a man belonging to group of Russian saboteurs was arrested in Uzhhorod, a city in the far west of the country.

The group of up to 25 men planned on pretending to be members of the Ukrainian armed forces in a bid to make their way towards Kyiv. The report states that the group was also planning on carrying out acts of sabotage.

Ukraine’s government has claimed that Russia has sent a number of assassination squads to kill Zelenskyy.

The report could not be independently verified.

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Pentagon accuses Moscow of ‘indiscriminate’ attacks

The US Department of Defense has accused Russia of attacking Ukrainian cities in an “indiscriminate” manner.

“Whether that’s cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, artillery fire, they’re lobbying an awful lot of hardware into the cities to try to

force their surrender,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. “And that’s resulting in more civilian casualties, more damage to residential areas, hospitals, schools, and innocent victims at greater rates and greater numbers,” Kirby said, adding: “In many ways, it’s indiscriminate.”

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Ukraine claims it has retaken strategically important Kyiv suburb 

The Ukrainian military said its troops have driven Russian forces out of Makariv, a town about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Kyiv. 

The strategically important town was the scene of a fierce battle and has sustained significant damage from Russian shelling, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said, adding its recapture prevents Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest. 

The “state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makariv” as the Russians retreated, the ministry wrote in a post on Facebook.

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Large areas in Ukraine contain explosive devices

The Association of Ukrainian Sappers has said that at least 82,525 square kilometers (31,863 square miles) of Ukraine’s land area now contains explosive devices.

That amounts to an area bigger than the Austria.

“After the victory, these areas will have to be subjected to humanitarian demining,” the association said in a Facebook post late on Monday.

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Russia’s Gazprom says it continues gas exports to Europe

Russian energy giant Gazprom says it is continuing to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.

The company said requests stood at 108 million cubic metres for March 22, up from 104.7 million cubic metres for March 21.

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Ukraine flag beamed on to Russia’s embassy in London

Demonstrators in London have beamed the colours of the Ukrainian flag onto the front of the Russian embassy in protest against the killing of journalists reporting on the war in Ukraine.

 

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Civilians living near Kyiv airport told to evacuate

The mayor of Boryspil, a town outside Kyiv and home to Ukraine’s main international airport, has urged civilians there to evacuate the area.

Volodymyr Borysenko said the departure of civilians would make it easier for Ukrainian forces to operate in the area, given the ongoing hostilities.

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Air raid alerts heard across Ukraine: Report

Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian news outlet, is reporting air raid sirens “in almost every region” of the country.

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Zelenskyy to address Japan’s parliament

Ukraine’s president is set to virtually deliver an address to the Japanese parliament on Wednesday to rally international support for his country’s fight against Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy’s speech, expected to be about 10 minutes, will be shown in a meeting room at the lower house — the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber parliament which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida belongs to.

Zelenskyy has made virtual addresses to the US Congress, as well as parliaments in Europe, Canada, and Israel.

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4,431 residential buildings destroyed, damaged in war

Ukraine’s emergency services has said that at least 651 residential buildings in the country have been completely destroyed since the Russian invasion began on February 24, according to NEXTA Television.

About 3,780 houses have been damaged, the TV station quoted the service as saying.

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Ukraine military says it forced troops out of Kyiv suburb

The Ukrainian army has said it forced Russian troops out of Makariv, a strategically important Kyiv suburb, after a fierce battle.

That prevents Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest, it added.

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Russian forces blocking access to the Sea of Azov: Ukraine army

Ukraine’s military says Russian forces now hold the land corridor with occupied Crimea and are blocking access to the Sea of Azov.

The Russian ground offensive remains largely stalled, but its air forces are continuing to bomb infrastructure in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkhiv and in the Donetsk regions, it said.

Ukrainian troops have repulsed 13 Russian attacks and killed 300 Russian soldiers, it added.

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Zelenskyy reiterates willingness to drop NATO plans

Image

Ukraine’s president has said that he is prepared to discuss a commitment from Ukraine not to seek NATO membership in exchange for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and a guarantee of Ukraine’s security.

“It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want further NATO expansion,” Zelenskyy said late on Monday in an interview with Ukrainian television channels.

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Japan protests against Russia move to drop peace talks

Japan says it “strongly protests” against Russia’s decision to abandon talks on a World War II peace treaty because of Tokyo’s strong response to the invasion of Ukraine.

“The latest situation occurred as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and Russia’s attempt to shift the issue to Japan-Russia relations is extremely unjustified and absolutely unacceptable,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in parliament.

Japan “strongly protests,” he added, condemning Russia for its actions to “unilaterally change the status quo by force”.

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Kadyrov video claims to show Chechens in Mariupol

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has posted a video on his Telegram page that purported to show the arrival of Chechen fighters in the encircled Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

The accompanying text said: “They directly started the assault on the town, liberating district by district.

“We will completely liberate Mariupol from Ukrainian nationalists and Banderites [followers of a nationalist movement] shortly,” it added.

Independent Press could not verify the authenticity of the video.

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Russia carried out 300 aircraft sorties over Ukraine in past 24 hours: US official

A senior US defence official says the Russians have increased the number of military aircraft sorties over Ukraine over the past two days, doing as many as 300 in the last 24 hours.

But Russia still does not have air superiority over the country yet.

The official said Ukraine has also increased the pace of its military flights, but declined to provide numbers.

The official said that most of the military flights involve air-to-ground strikes, mainly on stationary targets, and that the Russian aircraft are not spending a lot of time in Ukrainian airspace. The Ukraine military has continued to use its short and long-range air defence systems and drones to target Russian aircraft.

The Russians have also increased naval activity in the northern Black Sea, but there are no indications at this point of an amphibious assault on Odesa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military’s assessment.

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Russia’s use of hypersonic missiles ‘unlikely to materially affect’ war outcome: UK

The British Ministry of Defence says if Russian claims of deploying hypersonic missiles in Ukraine are true, the weapon is most likely a weapon known as the Kinzhal.

The claim “is highly likely intended to detract from a lack of progress in Russia’s ground campaign”, it said.

“Deployment of Kinzhal is highly unlikely to materially affect the outcome of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine,” it added.

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Russia ‘kidnapped three Israeli citizens’: Ukraine official

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister says Russian forces have “kidnapped” three Israeli citizens in Melitopol.

Vereshchuk urged the Israeli government to take a tougher stand against Russia.

“Ukrainian Jews and other Ukrainians are disappointed by Israel’s position and tonality in the matter of the Ukrainian-Russian war. I am sure that the Israeli people are on the side of Ukraine.”

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Biden: Putin could use biological, chemical weapons in Ukraine

Russian accusations that Kiev has biological and chemical weapons are false and illustrate that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering using them himself in his offensive against Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said, without citing evidence.

Putin’s “back is against the wall and now he’s talking about new false flags he’s setting up including, asserting that we in America have biological as well as chemical weapons in Europe, simply not true,” Biden said at a Business Roundtable event.

“They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine. That’s a clear sign he’s considering using both of those.”

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Biden tells US businesses to ‘harden’ defences against Russian cyber threat

President Joe Biden warned US businesses to “immediately” prepare defenses against potential Russian cyberattacks.

“If you have not already done so, I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately,” he said in a statement.

Biden cited “evolving intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks,” including in response to Western sanctions over Moscow’s launching of the assault on Ukraine.

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One in three Ukrainians will require humanitarian assistance: Red Cross

One-third of the Ukrainian population will require humanitarian assistance, Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has said.

An estimated 18 million people are expected to be in need of assistance in the coming days and weeks.

“The devastating reality of Ukraine is that the needs are growing every day. Amidst increased violence and a disrupted supply chain, delivering essential goods in many parts of the country is getting harder — not easier,” Rocca said from the Romanian capital Bucharest.

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Holocaust survivor dies in Russian bombing of Ukraine home

Boris Romantschenko, who survived four Nazi concentration camps during World War II, has been killed by Russian shelling that struck his flat in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the Buchenwald Memorial foundation said Monday. He was 96 years old.

“It is with dismay that we have to report the violent death of Boris Romantschenko in the war in Ukraine,” the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials foundation said in a statement.

Romantschenko died at home on March 18 after his building was bombed in the heavily shelled eastern city, the statement said, citing information from his son and granddaughter.

Describing him as “a close friend”, the foundation said Romantschenko was committed to educating others about the horrors of the Nazi era and had been vice president of the Buchenwald-Dora International Committee.

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Russia drops peace talks with Japan over Ukraine

Russia has announced it is abandoning talks with Japan aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty due to Tokyo’s response to Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.

“The Russian side, in the current conditions, does not intend to continue talks with Japan on the peace treaty due to the impossibility of discussing the core document on bilateral relations with a country that has taken an openly hostile position and is striving to cause harm to the interests of our country,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Tokyo last week announced plans to revoke Russia’s most-favoured nation trade status, expand the scope of asset freezes against Russian elites and ban imports of certain products over its incursion in Ukraine.

Russia and Japan have still not formally ended World War II hostilities because of a standoff over the islands known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

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Ukrainian defence minister accuses Russia of ‘state terrorism’

Russia is conducting “state terrorism” in Ukraine and will go on to attack other countries, Ukraine’s defence minister has said.

Speaking alongside British defence minister Ben Wallace during a visit to London, Oleksii Reznikov said 150 Ukrainian children had been killed since Russia invaded, with more than 400 schools and kindergartens and more than 110 hospitals destroyed.

“This is a state terrorism. That is why (the) Kremlin must be stopped, because it will go further. It will attack other countries,” Reznikov said.

Russia denies targeting civilians.

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Russian court bans Facebook, Instagram after Meta found ‘extremist’

A Russian court on Monday banned Facebook and Instagram in the country after finding Meta Platforms Inc FB.O “extremist”, TASS news agency reported.

Russia has already banned Facebook for restricting access to Russian media while Instagram was blocked after Meta said it would allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages urging violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and troops Moscow sent into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Ukrainian defence minister accuses Moscow of lying about troop death toll

The number of Russian troops killed in Ukraine far exceeds the Kremlin’s official death toll, Ukraine’s defence minister has claimed.

“The Kremlin no longer knows how to explain the things that are happening,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook.

“After all, these days, they buried more soldiers in the regions of Russia than they officially acknowledged their losses. Lies no longer help them, but the truth scares,” he added.

Kyiv says at least 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during Russia’s incursion, a number that dwarfs the toll of 498 provided by Moscow on March 2 – the only time it has provided figures for its losses to date.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided by either side.

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Russian troops open fire at protesters in Kherson: Reports

Russian troops have fired on a crowd of protesters in Kherson, wounding several people, according to local media reports.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show demonstrators gathering in the southern Ukrainian city’s main square. The sound of automatic gunfire could be heard and people were seen running.

Some reports said Russian forces used stun grenades.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the reports or the video footage.

Kherson has witnessed regular anti-Russia protests since Moscow’s forces took control of the city at the beginning of March – the most strategically significant capture of Ukrainian territory yet.

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Egyptian pound drops nearly 14 percent after Ukraine war prompts dollar flight

Timeline: The Egyptian Pound Over the Last Five Decades | Egyptian Streets

Egypt’s pound has depreciated by almost 14 percent after weeks of pressure on the currency as foreign investors pulled out billions of dollars from Egyptian treasury markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The pound dropped to 18.17-18.27 against the dollar, Refinitiv data showed, after having traded at around 15.7 pounds to the dollar since November 2020.

The downturn is likely to have a heavy toll on poor and middle-class Egyptians and came after the country’s central bank hiked interest rates by 100 basis points in a surprise overnight monetary policy meeting.

The central bank cited inflationary pressures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which hiked oil prices to new records, as the basis for its decision.

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Russia-Ukraine conflict raises alarm about spectre of ‘famine’

The Russian offensive on Ukraine risks causing famine in parts of the world because of the two countries’ roles as major agricultural exporters, EU ministers in Brussels warned. 

The European bloc is working on a plan to increase the area of EU land able to be given over to farm production, ease import restrictions on animal feed and looking at more direct aid to EU farmers, agricultural ministers said as they held a meeting.

The conflict “soon will bring risks of famine,” impacting food security not just in Europe but worldwide, France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le D rian, said as he went into a separate meeting of his EU counterparts in Brussels.

Ukraine and Russia are among the biggest exporters of farm-grown foodstuffs and fertilisers, notably of wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. 

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Kiev mayor announces 35-hour curfew amid Russian attacks

Kiev will impose a new 35-hour curfew, the mayor of Ukraine’s capital city announced.

Vitali Klitschko said the curfew will begin at 8 pm local time and last until 7 am on Wednesday. 

Shops, pharmacies, and gas stations will be closed during the curfew, and no vehicles will be allowed to move in the city, except for those with a special permit.

The first 35-hour curfew in the Ukrainian capital Kiev was announced on March 15.

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Russian FM discusses Ukraine with Armenian, Azerbaijani counterparts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held separate phone talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

With Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s top diplomat, Lavrov discussed the issues related to signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and further work of the 3 3 format (Iran, Russia, and Türkiye plus Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia).

With Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Lavrov spoke on the implementation of key provisions of the trilateral agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh, the beginning of projects aiming to unblock transport and economic ties in the region, and provisions of a possible peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. 

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Russia’s security service urges immediate Meta ban

Russia’s FSB national security service asked a court to “immediately” ban US tech giant Meta, accusing it of working against Moscow’s interests during its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The court was considering a request by prosecutors to designate Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — as an “extremist” organisation and ban it.

The move is part of sweeping efforts by Moscow to put a tight lid on information available to Russians about the conflict in Ukraine. 

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UK says Russia behind hoax calls to officials 

Britain is accusing the Russian state of being behind hoax calls to two government ministers by an imposter posing as the prime minister of Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the hoaxer was able to speak to him on a video call Thursday. Home Secretary Priti Patel said she had received a similar call, and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said an unsuccessful attempt was made to speak to her.

Wallace said he became suspicious and hung up after the caller “posed several misleading questions.” He accused Russia of “dirty tricks.”

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Kyiv mayor announces curfew from Monday evening to Wednesday morning

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced a “reinforced curfew” in the Ukrainian capital from 8pm local time today (18:00 GMT) until 7am (05:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Klitschko said shops, pharmacies and petrol stations would not open on Tuesday.

“I ask everyone to stay at home – or in shelters when the alarm sounds,” he said.

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Russian assault on Mariupol is ‘massive war crime’: EU

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has decried Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian port city Mariupol as “a massive war crime”.

“What’s happening now in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody,” Borrell said at the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

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Lithuanian president outlines plan for future without Russian gas, oil

Allowing Taiwan to open office under its name was a 'mistake': Lithuanian leader

Lithuania is working towards ending all imports of energy from neighbouring Russia, the country’s president has said.

“The gas interlink with Poland, the power undersea link with Sweden, synchronising power system with continental Europe – this all illustrates that Lithuania is preparing to live totally without Russian energy resources,” Gitanas Nauseda told a news conference in Vilnius.

“We’ve come most of the way, such as substituting pipeline gas for liquefied natural gas and being ready to use oil from other countries. Our power synchronisation will be complete soon and then Lithuania will be a good example for Europe,” he added.

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Ukraine’s Odessa accuses Russia of attacking city outskirts for the first time

Authorities in Odessa have accused Russian forces of carrying out a strike on residential buildings in the outskirts of the Ukrainian city, the first such attack on the Black Sea port city.

The city council said there were no casualties although the strike caused a fire.

“These are residential buildings where peaceful people live,” Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov was quoted as saying. Russia denies targeting civilians.

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Ukraine says Russia shelled chemical plant

Ukraine’s prosecutor general has said a Russian shell struck a chemical plant outside the city of Sumy, causing a leak in a 50-ton tank of ammonia that took hours to contain.

Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed the leak was a “planned provocation” by Ukrainian forces to falsely accuse Russia of a chemical attack.

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Zelenskyy calls on Europe to halt all trade with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on European leaders to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country.

“Please do not sponsor the weapons of war of this country, of Russia. No euros for the occupiers. Close all of your ports to them. Don’t export them your goods. Deny energy resources. Push for Russia to leave Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a video address.

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Kremlin says no significant progress in peace talks with Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine had not yet made any significant progress.

Significant progress in the talks still had to be made for there to be a basis for a possible meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peskov said.

Moscow has accused Kiev of stalling peace talks by making proposals unacceptable for Russia. Ukraine has said it is willing to negotiate but will not surrender or accept Russian ultimatums.

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EU set to approve new defence strategy including 5,000-strong rapid reaction force

The EU was set to approve Monday a new defence strategy designed to increase the bloc’s capacity to act, including setting up a 5,000-strong rapid reaction force. 
The plan, in the pipeline for two years, underwent a last-minute rewrite to increase the focus on the threat from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine. 
“It’s not the answer to the Ukrainian war, but it is part of the answer,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ahead of the Brussels meeting of the bloc’s foreign and defence ministers. 
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Russia needs over a week to take Mariupol: separatist leader

A Russian-backed separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has commented that it would take more than a week to take control of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

“I am not so optimistic that two or three days or even a week will close the issue. Unfortunately, no, the city is big,” Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said according to the report.

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EU ‘too dependent’ on Russian oil and gas to cut it off tomorrow

EU countries still largely depend on Russian oil and gas for their energy supply and can’t simply cut themselves off on short notice, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.

“Too many refineries in the eastern and western part of Europe still completely depend on Russian oil and with gas it’s even worse”, Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius.

“We have to deleverage that dependency. We need to do it as speedily as possible, but we can’t do this tomorrow.”

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Ukrainian resistance keeps Russia at bay: UK

Britain’s defence ministry has said heavy fighting is continuing north of Kiev as Russian forces press on with a stalled effort to encircle Ukraine’s capital city.

In an update on social media, the ministry said Russian forces advancing on the city from the northeast have stalled, and troops advancing from the direction of Hostomel to the northwest have been pushed back by fierce Ukrainian resistance.

“Despite the continued lack of progress, Kiev remains Russia’s primary military objective and they are likely to prioritise attempting to encircle the city over the coming weeks,” UK officials said, adding that the bulk of Russian forces were more than 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the city centre.

Israel to maintain relations with Kiev, Moscow

Israel’s prime minister has said the country is managing its involvement with Ukraine and Russia “in a sensitive, generous and responsible way while balancing various and complex considerations.”

Naftali Bennett spoke on the tarmac at Israel’s main international airport as an aid delegation was set to depart for Ukraine to set up a field hospital for refugees near the Polish border.

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Kremlin: Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe, not US

The Kremlin has said Europe will be hit hard in the event of an embargo on Russian oil, striking the continent’s energy balance, but will not affect the United States.

Some European Union foreign ministers are pushing for an oil embargo as part of further sanctions against Russia, in an effort to punish Moscow over events in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters the question of any oil embargo was a very complex topic.

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Russia says it hit military facility in Ukraine’s Rivne region

Russian air forces reportedly hit a Ukrainian army military facility in Rivne Region with cruise missiles, Russia’s Defence Ministry has said.

“High-precision air-launched cruise missiles have struck a training centre for foreign mercenaries and Ukrainian nationalist formations,” Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

The ministry also reported that Russia does not plan to and has not hit any chemical industry facilities in Ukraine.

‘No agreement reached’ to evacuate Mariupol civilians

Agreement has been reached on creating eight humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged towns and cities, but the city of Mariupol is not among them.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said efforts to reach Mariupol with humanitarian supplies continued to fail.

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Putin ally Timchenko resigns from Novatek board

Gennady Timchenko, a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has resigned from the board at gas producer Novatek after he was targeted by sanctions over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Novatek, Russia’s largest private natural gas producer, did not provide a reason for his resignation. 

A representative of Timchenko, who had served on the company’s board of directors since 2009, declined to comment.

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EU warns of ‘huge risk’ of child trafficking as Ukrainians flee

The EU’s home affairs commissioner has warned that vulnerable Ukrainian children are in “huge” danger of being trafficked as they flee from Russia’s offensive.

Ylva Johansson told a news conference in Estonia that about half of the 3.3 million Ukrainians who had fled to EU countries since the start of the war were children.

Ukraine has a high number of orphans and children born through surrogate mothers who had not been picked up by their parents. That increased the risk that they could be abducted or become victims of forced adoptions, Johansson said.

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NEW ZEALAND TO PROVIDE UKRAINE WITH NON-LETHAL MILITARY ASSISTANCE

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Ukraine rotates staff at Russian-occupied Chernobyl nuclear plant for first time since invasion

Ukraine has managed to rotate staff working at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant for the first time since Russia seized it last month as it invaded the country, the UN’s nuclear agency said.

Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that around half of the staff were “finally” able to return to their homes on Sunday after working at the Russian-controlled site for nearly four weeks, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said.

Those who left were replaced by other Ukrainian staff, Grossi said in a statement late Sunday.

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Israeli PM says ‘very large’ gaps remain in bid to end conflict

Israel’s prime minister says that while there have been advances in cease-fire talks between Russia and Ukraine, “very large” gaps remain between the two sides.

Naftali Bennett said in a speech at the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper’s conference that Israel “will continue — together with other friends in the world — to try and bridge the gap and bring an end to the war”.

Israel has close relations with both Ukraine and Russia and Bennett has attempted to mediate between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

He has held multiple phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks and has offered to host a summit involving the pair in Jerusalem. Bennett also flew to Moscow earlier this month to meet with Putin in person.

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UKRAINE WAR COULD LEAD TO GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: FRANCE

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Kremlin says Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe

The Kremlin has warned the European Union it will be hit hard should it impose an embargo on Russian oil.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters such a move would harm the bloc’s energy balance.

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EU foreign ministers to discuss sanctions on Russian oil sector

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said the bloc’s foreign ministers will discuss imposing more sanctions on Russia, including measures targetting the country’s oil sector, during talks later today.

“The ministers will discuss that,” Josep Borrell told reporters ahead of the meeting in Brussels, responding to a question whether measures against Russian oil exports would be talked about.

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France’s agriculture minister says war in Ukraine could lead to ‘global’ food crisis

The war between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world’s top crop producers, could lead to a food crisis “on the global” scale, French Minister of Agriculture and Food Julien Denormandie said in Brussels on Monday ahead of a EU agriculture meeting.

EU ministers will discuss the food situation with their Ukrainian counterpart in a video call, he added.

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At least six dead in overnight bombing in Ukraine’s Kiev

At least six people were killed in an overnight bombing on a shopping centre in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist has said.

Six bodies were laid out in front of the “Retroville” shopping mall in the northwest of Kiev, according to the journalist.

The building had been hit by a powerful blast that pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a crater several metres wide.

Ukraine says talks with Russia on cease-fire to continue

Negotiations on a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue online, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Mykhailovych Podolyak, has said.

He added that intensive efforts were being made to reach an agreement.

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Russia to open humanitarian corridors from Mariupol

Russia’s Defence Ministry has announced that humanitarian aid corridors will be opened from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol to the east and west.

Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, made evaluations about the humanitarian aid corridors in Ukraine and said that civilians would be allowed to leave as of 0700 GMT (10AM Moscow time).

Mizintsev called on the parties to the cease-fire to comply with the decision starting at 0630 GMT (0930AM).

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New Zealand to provide Ukraine with non-lethal military assistance

New Zealand is set to provide Ukraine with a further $3.46 million (NZ$5 million) in funds and non-lethal military assistance including some surplus equipment, bringing New Zealand’s total assistance to Ukraine to NZ$11 million.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the money would be primarily directed to a NATO Trust Fund that provides fuel, rations, communication equipment and first aid kits to support Ukraine as it battles Russian forces. The New Zealand Defence Force will provide tactical equipment as well.

“We consider what is happening in Ukraine as a massive disruption to the international rules-based order and because of that it impacts all of us and that’s why we have taken these extraordinary measures,” Ardern told a news conference.

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Top Russian automaker partially halting production due to supply shortage

Top Russian car maker Avtovaz said on Monday it was partially halting production until March 25 due to a shortage of electronic parts.
Avtovaz, controlled by French car maker Renault, has periodically stopped its Togliatti and Izhevsk plants this month due to a shortage in supplies of electronic components.
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Several dead after overnight bombing on Kyiv shopping centre 

At least six people were killed in an overnight bombing on a shopping centre in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist said Monday.  
Six bodies were laid out in front of the “Retroville” shopping mall in the northwest of Kyiv, according to the journalist. The building had been hit by a powerful blast that pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a crater several metres wide. 
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Hezbollah supporters hold pro-Russia demonstration in Beirut

The Lebanese government has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Hezbollah, which is aligned with Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, has taken the side of Vladimir Putin. At a rally this weekend, Hezbollah supporters carried signs bearing pictures of Putin and the letter Z, which has become a symbol of support for Russia’s war.  
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Slovenia sending diplomats back to Kyiv

Slovenia is planning to send diplomats back to the Ukrainian capital this week, according to the country’s prime minister.

“We are working to make the EU do the same. Ukraine needs diplomatic support,” Janez Jansa announced on Twitter as he added that the diplomats will return to Kyiv on a voluntary basis.

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Russian deadline over Mariupol passes

Moscow’s deadline for the Ukrainian forces in the southern city of Mariupol to surrender has expired at 5am (02:00 GMT).

Ukraine rejected a Russian call for Ukrainian forces in the besieged city to lay down their arms, saying “there can be no question of any surrender”.

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 Ukraine says no question of surrendering city of Mariupol

There is no question of Ukraine giving up the city of Mariupol and laying down arms, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

“There can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this,” she told the news outlet Ukrainian Pravda. “I wrote: ‘Instead of wasting time on eight pages of letters, just open the corridor.'”

Russia demanded Ukrainian forces lay down their arms in the besieged eastern port city. Mariupol residents were given until 5 am Monday to respond to the offer, which included them raising a white flag. Russia didn’t say what action it would take if the offer was rejected.

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Russia, Ukraine to resume online talks

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will continue with their online talks on Monday, according to the Ukrainska Pravda news website.

David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian official, told the news outlet that the talks are continuing every day “at the level of expert groups”.

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Biden to travel to Poland to discuss Ukraine crisis with Duda

US President Joseph Biden will travel to Poland to discuss the international response to “the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said .

Biden’s Poland trip will come a day after he meets in Brussels with NATO allies, G7 Leaders and European Union leaders to discuss international efforts to support Ukraine after Russia’s offensive, the White House said.

On Friday, Biden will travel to Warsaw where he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda. 

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China will keep up ‘normal cooperation’ with Russia: Envoy

China’s ambassador to the United States has defended his country’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contending such a rebuke will do nothing to stop the violence.

Qin Gang told the CBS television network’s Face the Nation on Sunday that China’s condemnation would not help and that he is doubtful it would have any effect on Russia.

He said China wants “friendly, good neighbourly relations with Russia” and will keep up “normal trade, economic, financial, energy cooperation with Russia” as it continues “to promote peace talks” and urge an immediate ceasefire from Russia through negotiation and diplomacy.

Qin said China is not providing any military assistance to Russia. He insisted that China remains “against a war” and “will do everything” – short of condemnation – “to de-escalate the crisis”.

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Russia gives Ukraine 5am deadline to surrender Mariupol

Russia says Ukraine has until 5am Moscow time (02:00 GMT) on Monday to respond to an offer on humanitarian corridors and laying down arms in the eastern port city of Mariupol.

“Lay down your arms,” Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, said in a briefing distributed by the defence ministry.

“A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed,” Mizintsev said. “All who lay down their arms are guaranteed safe passage out of Mariupol.”

Mariupol has suffered some of the heaviest bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped in the city with little if any food, water and power.

Mizintsev said humanitarian corridors for civilians would be opened eastwards and westwards out of Mariupol at 10am Moscow time (07:00 GMT) on Monday.

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People rally in Berlin to support Ukraine 

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Some 10,000 people attended a concert in solidarity with Ukraine in Berlin.

Gathering near the Brandenburg Gate, symbol of a divided Germany during the Cold War, many performers on the stage wore shades of blue and yellow, the colours of the flag.

Musicians included Natalia Klitschko, a Ukrainian singer who is married to the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko.

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Russia hypersonic missile ‘not a game changer’: Pentagon 

Russia’s claim it used a hypersonic missile in Ukraine was a way to reclaim war momentum, but the next-generation weaponry has not proved to be a “game changer,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said.

“I would not see it as a game changer,” Austin told CBS talk show “Face the Nation.”

“I think the reason he is resorting to using these types of weapons is because he is trying to re-establish some momentum,” he said. “And again, we’ve seen him attack towns and cities and civilians outright (and) we expect to see that continue.”

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Fighting ongoing inside Mariupol: regional governor 

Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces is going on inside the eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

Many of Mariupol’s 400,000 residents have been trapped for more than two weeks as Russia seeks to take control of the city, which would help secure a land corridor to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Strike on Kiev apartment block wounds five

A shell exploded outside an apartment block in Kiev, wounding five people, the city’s mayor has said.

The ten-storey building in northwestern Sviatoshyn district was badly damaged, with all the windows blown out and scorch marks from a fire that broke out, AFP journalists at the scene said.

Firefighters led an elderly woman and a disorientated man with facial injuries to an ambulance. Two burned-out cars lay in the debris-covered courtyard, which also houses a playground.

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Ukrainians being forced into Russia: Mariupol city council

The Mariupol City Council has issued a statement claiming that its residents are being evacuated to Russia against their will and one Ukrainian lawmaker says those people are being taken for forced labor in remote parts of Russia.

“The occupiers are forcing people to leave Ukraine for Russia. Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents have been taken to the Russian territory,” the city statement said.

The statement by the Mariupol City Council also claimed that cellphones and documents of evacuees have been inspected by Russian troops before sending Mariupol residents to the “remote cities in Russia.”

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Russian journalist urges other Russians to speak up

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The Russian editor who protested Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine during a state TV news broadcast has called for other Russians to speak out against the “gruesome war.”

While working for Channel One television in Moscow, Marina Ovsyannikova barged onto the set of an evening newscast Monday, holding a poster reading “No War.”

She described to US media her decision to protest as “spontaneous,” but said a sense of deep dissatisfaction with her government had been building for years – a feeling she said many of her colleagues shared.

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Russia’s central bank has allowed a limited number of additional financial market operations over the next two weeks, as it tentatively eases restrictions linked to the Ukraine conflict.
Stocks and bonds last traded on the Moscow Exchange on February 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, after which the central bank curbed trading as Western sanctions threw markets into turmoil. It allowed rouble trading to continue, with the currency slumping to record lows against the dollar and euro.
On Friday the central bank said trading in OFZ government bonds would restart on Monday, among other operations announced on Saturday.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday renewed his plea for talks with his Russian counterpart, taking to US television to say negotiations were the only way to “end this war”.

“I’m ready for negotiations with him,” Zelensky told the CNN show “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” referring to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, whose deadly invasion of Ukraine is in its fourth week.

Zelensky’s reiterated call for peace talks came as he and other Ukrainians accused Russia of committing war crimes after authorities said the invading forces had bombed a school sheltering some 400 people in the besieged city of Mariupol.

“Russian forces have come to exterminate us, to kill us,” said Zelensky.

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Patriot air defence units arrive in Slovakia – defence minister

The first units deploying the Patriot air defence system have started arriving from NATO partner countries in Slovakia and the deployment will continue in the coming days, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad has said on Facebook.

The system will be operated by German and Dutch troops and will initially be deployed at the Sliac airport in central Slovakia to help reinforce defence of NATO’s eastern flank.

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Ukraine front lines not shifting as Russia loses momentum: Official

The front lines between Ukrainian and Russian forces are “practically frozen”, as Russia does not have enough combat strength to advance further, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said in a video address.

“[Over the past day] there were practically no rocket strikes on [Ukrainian] cities,” Arestovych added.

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AT LEAST 902 CIVILIANS KILLED IN UKRAINE SINCE CONFLICT BEGAN: UN

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France doesn’t rule out energy sanctions against Russia

Sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine are hurting its economy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, France’s finance minister said, adding that banning Russian oil and gas imports into the European Union remained an option for Paris.

“They’re hurting the Russian state and they’re hurting Vladimir Putin,” Bruno Le Maire told LCI television in an interview.

“Should we in the immediate stop buying Russian oil, should a little bit further down the line we stop importing Russian gas? The president has never ruled out these options,” he said.

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POPE SLAMS WAR AS ‘SACRILEGE’, ‘REPUGNANT’

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Satellite image shows demolished Mariupol theatre

A satellite image from Maxar Technologies, a private US company, showed damage to Mariupol Drama Theatre after an air strike on Wednesday (March 16).

The city council said Russian forces bombed a theatre where civilians were sheltering. The number of casualties was not known.

Russia denied it had carried out an air strike against the theatre. Reuters could not independently verify the information.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday, March 19, 2022 shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around it.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday, March 19, 2022 shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around (AP)

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Russia said Sunday it had again fired its newest hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, destroying a fuel storage site in the country’s south, “in the Mykolaiv region”. “Kinzhal aviation missile systems with hypersonic ballistic missiles destroyed a large storage site for fuels and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces near the settlement of Kostyantynivka in the Mykolaiv region,” the Russian defence ministry said.

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Ukraine sees high risk of attack from Belarus on western Volyn region

Ukraine sees a high risk of an attack on western Ukraine’s Volyn region being launched from Belarus, Zelenskyy’s office said, citing the military.

The Russian invasion has mostly focused on northern, southern and eastern areas of Ukraine, though missiles also hit the Yavoriv military base last week, close to the Polish border.

It was not immediately clear whether Ukraine saw the threat of an attack on Volyn from Russian forces or the Belarusian military, which has so far not publicly committed troops to supporting Russia.

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Turkey: Russia and Ukraine getting closer to agreement on ‘critical’ issues

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Hurriyet daily that Russia and Ukraine were getting closer to an agreement on “critical” issues and have nearly agreed on some subjects.

Cavusoglu also said that he was hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides don’t take a step back from the progress they have made towards an agreement.

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RUSSIA SAYS HAS AGAIN FIRED HYPERSONIC MISSILES IN UKRAINE

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Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said seven humanitarian corridors would open on Sunday to enable civilians to leave frontline areas. Ukraine has evacuated a total of 190,000 people from such areas since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, Vereshchuk said on Saturday, though Ukraine and Russia blame each other for hobbling the process.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Sunday it continues to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers. The company said the requests stood at 106.6 million cubic metres for March 20.
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Russian forces have bombed an art school in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where about 400 residents had taken shelter, the city council said on Sunday.
There was no immediate word of casualties from the Saturday attack, although the council said the building was destroyed and there were victims under the rubble. Russia denies targeting civilians.

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The UN human rights office said at least 847 civilians had been killed and 1,399 wounded in Ukraine as of Friday. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that 112 children have been killed.

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Zelenskyy suspends parties with Russian links

Ukraine’s president has ordered to suspend the activities of 11 political parties with links to Russia.

The largest of them is the Opposition Platform for Life, which has 44 out of 450 seats in the country’s parliament. The party is led by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has friendly ties with Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter.

Also on the list is the Nashi (Ours) party led by Yevheniy Murayev.

“Given a large-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation and links between it and some political structures, the activities of a number of political parties is suspended for the period of the martial law,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “activities by politicians aimed at discord and collaboration will not succeed.”

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CHINA STANDS ON ‘RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY’ ON UKRAINE WAR: WANG YI

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More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Mykolaiv attack: Report

The New York Times, citing a senior Ukrainian military official, says more than 40 soldiers were killed in a Russian attack on a marine base in Mykolaiv.

The official told the Times that it was likely that the headquarters of the 36th Ukrainian Naval Infantry Brigade had been hit by a long-range weapon, like an Iskander-M ballistic missile.

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71 children evacuated from Sumy orphanage

A Ukrainian official says 71 children have been evacuated from an orphanage in the embattled city of Sumy.

“We were hiding these children in bomb shelters for almost two weeks. Those, who can shelter them in a safe place, in another country, were found quickly, thank God. And with the first opportunity to evacuate through the humanitarian corridor, we took the children from a specialized orphanage out of the combat zone,” said Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.

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Ukraine holding 562 Russian prisoners of war

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, has said Kyiv has “officially” 562 Russian soldiers in its custody.

“All Russian prisoners are treated in accordance with international human rights law,” she said.

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Russia’s initial campaign to seize Kyiv, force regime change ‘has failed’: ISW

The Institute for the Study of War says the initial Russian campaign to seize Ukraine’s capital and force regime change has failed.

“The doctrinally sound Russian response to this situation would be to end this campaign, accept a possibly lengthy operational pause, develop the plan for a new campaign, build up resources for that new campaign, and launch it when the resources and other conditions are ready,” the United States-based group said.

But the Russian military has not yet adopted this approach and continues efforts to restore momentum to this “culminated campaign”, the ISW said.

This is creating conditions of “stalemate throughout most of Ukraine”, a bloody phase that could last for weeks or months, it added.

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Zelenskyy says siege of Mariupol involved war crimes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the siege of the port city of Mariupol will go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.

“To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come,” Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.

Russian forces have pushed deeper into the besieged and battered city, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

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Mariupol says Russia forcefully deported thousands of its people

The city council of Ukraine’s Mariupol has said Russian forces forcefully deported several thousand people from the besieged city last week, after Russia had spoken of “refugees” arriving from the strategic port.

“Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents were deported onto the Russian territory,” the council said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

“The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhniy district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from the constant bombing.”

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Australia bans alumina, bauxite exports to Russia

Australia has announced more sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, immediately banning all exports of alumina and bauxite while pledging more weapons and humanitarian assistance.

The export ban aims to impact aluminium production in Russia, which relies on Australia for 20 percent of its alumina.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government was working with partners to “put the maximum cost, the maximum pressure on the Putin regime to withdraw from Ukraine”.

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One of Europe’s biggest steel works damaged in Ukraine’s Mariupol

One of Europe’s biggest iron and steel works, Azovstal, has been badly damaged as Russian forces lay siege to the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, officials have said.

“One of the biggest metallurgic plants in #Europe destroyed. The economic losses for #Ukraine are huge. The environment is devastated,” tweeted Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko.

Vasylenko posted a video of explosions on an industrial site, with thick columns of grey and black smoke rising from the buildings.

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Ukraine suspends activities of some opposition parties

Ukrainian president has said that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has stopped activities of several political parties during martial law that was announced in Ukraine.

“Ukraine has always sought a peaceful solution. Moreover, we are most in favor of peace,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Suspensions include the Opposition Platform – For life; Party of Shariy; Nashi; Opposition Bloc, the Left Opposition Party; Union of Leftists; Derzhava; Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine; Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialists and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc, said Zelenskyy, according to the UNIAN Ukrainian news agency.

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Russia’s assault causes turmoil for world economy ⁠— EBRD

The Ukraine conflict has major economic consequences for energy, food, inflation and poverty, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The EBRD’s chief economist, Beata Javorcik, spoke to AFP news agency about the fallout from Russia’s offensive of Ukraine, from where more than three million refugees have fled so far.

Global lenders are giving billions for Ukraine, including a 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) “resilience package” from the London-based EBRD, but there is currently no end in sight to the conflict.

The crisis has sent commodity prices rocketing on supply fears, fuelling inflation that is already at multi-decade highs.

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Conflict hits Russian, Ukrainian currencies

Their economies rocked by conflict, Russian and Ukrainian authorities have deployed different tactics to defend their weakened currencies, with varying degrees of success.

The Russian ruble, which was trading around 80 to the dollar before Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, lost 40 percent of its value in the following days, slumping to an unprecedented level of 150 to the dollar.

It has since clawed back much of that, trading at around 105 rubles to the dollar, seemingly having profited from talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict.

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Ukraine holding its airspace – UK

The British defence ministry has said the Ukrainian Air Force and air defence forces are “continuing to effectively defend Ukrainian airspace.”

“Russia has failed to gain control of the air and is largely relying on stand-off weapons launched from the relative safety of Russian airspace to strike targets within Ukraine,” the ministry said on Twitter. “Gaining control of the air was one of Russia’s principal objectives for the opening days of the conflict and their continued failure to do so has significantly blunted their operational progress.”

A Ukrainian military official meanwhile confirmed to a Ukrainian newspaper that Russian forces carried out a missile strike Friday on a missile and ammunition warehouse in the Delyatyn settlement of the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine.

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Russia claims Ukraine plans to attack diplomatic missions

Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer who surrendered said his country is planning attacks on Western diplomatic missions in Lviv to push NATO to intervene in the conflict.

The attacks will be carried out by the far-right ultra-radical Azov battalion, fighting on the Ukrainian side, according to the officer, spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a news conference in Moscow.

“During a special military operation, an employee of the SBU main Directorate for Donetsk and Luhansk regions voluntarily surrendered to Russian servicemen,” he said. “The main purpose of the provocation is to increase pressure on NATO countries to introduce a ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine and provide additional weapons.”

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Ukrainian refugees seeking IDs from Poland

Hoping to restore some normalcy after fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, thousands of refugees have waited in long lines in the Polish capital of Warsaw to get identification cards that will allow them to get on with their lives — at least for now.

Refugees started queuing by Warsaw’s National Stadium overnight to get the coveted PESEL identity cards that will allow them to work, live, go to school and get medical care or social benefits for the next 18 months. Still, by mid-morning, many were told to come back another day. The demand was too high even though Polish authorities had simplified the process.

“We are looking for a job now,” said 30-year-old Kateryna Lohvyn, who was standing in the line with her mother, adding it took a bit of time to recover from the shock of the Russian offensive.

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US lawmakers visit Poland over Ukraine

A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers visiting Poland has said that the most urgent need in Ukraine’s fight against a Russian assault is to equip and support the country in every way that will help it defend its independence.

The seven-member delegation led by Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has visited reception centers for refugees from Ukraine in eastern Poland. They noted Poland’s openness in accepting refugees from Ukraine, including in private homes. More than 2 million people fleeing armed conflict have come to Poland since February 24, when Russia’s troops attacked Ukraine.

“We are here to reassure and support the people of Ukraine. We are here to thank the people of Poland for the unbelievable generosity they have shown to the refugees,” said Lynch, who is chairman of the subcommittee on National Security in the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

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Pope visits Ukrainian children at Vatican hospital


Pope Francis on Saturday visited Ukrainian children who have fled the Russian invasion and are being cared for at the Vatican’s paediatric hospital in Rome.

A smiling Francis, 85, reached out to clasp the hands of children as he walked through a ward at the Bambino Gesu hospital in the capital, which is currently treating 19 Ukrainian children.

The Vatican said around 50 children in all had passed through the hospital since the war broke out.

Some were suffering oncological, neurological and other problems before the crisis and “fled in the first days of the war”, it said.

Others were girls with “serious blast wounds” sustained in the clashes, it said.

“Let us pray for them…. the children at the ‘Bambino Gesu’ wounded by war,” the pontiff said earlier Saturday as he addressed a children’s choir.

“It is a difficult moment. We, here in Rome, will help them to get better,” he said.

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Sometimes yellow is just yellow

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Russia’s space agency has rejected western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) wore wear yellow suits with a blue accents in support of Ukraine.

“Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” Roscosmos’ press service said on its Telegram channel. “The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colours of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from … To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.”

When asked about the suits during a live-streamed news conference from the ISS on Friday, mission commander Oleg Artemyev said: “Every crew picks a colour that looks different. It was our turn to pick a colour. The truth is, we had accumulated a lot of yellow fabric, so we needed to use it up. That’s why we had to wear yellow flight suits.”

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Ukraine says 190,000 people have been evacuated since the invasion

Ukraine has evacuated 190,000 civilians from frontline areas via humanitarian corridors since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports.

The country’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said corridors in the Kyiv and Luhansk regions were functioning on Saturday, but a planned corridor to the besieged eastern port city of Mariupol was only partially operational, with Russian troops not allowing buses through.

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Protesters block Poland-Belarus highway to choke Russia’s economy

Protesters hold placards at a demonstration against EU trade with Russia on Saturday, March 19.

On Saturday morning, a group of about 200 activists gathered at the entrance to the crossing, renewing a call on European states to stop all trade with Russia. They were mostly Ukrainians, either long-term residents of Poland or recent refugees.

“This is one of the main points where trucks from Europe, Russia and Belarus cross the border in order to continue trading,” Svitlana Maistruk, 33, told TRT World. “All this money is going to finance war in Ukraine.”

Last week, a small group of activists gathered at the crossing to stop trucks from using the popular trade route between Poland and  Belarus, a country that stands accused of helping Russia evade sanctions. 

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UK PM: Invasion a turning point for world

British leader Boris Johnson says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “turning point for the world,” arguing that victory for President Vladimir Putin’s forces would herald “a new age of intimidation.”

Speaking to a Conservative Party conference, Johnson claimed Putin was “terrified” that the example of a free Ukraine would spark a pro-democracy revolution in Russia.

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Russian invasion shut down 30 percent of Ukraine’s economy: Minister

The Russian invasion has forced 30% of Ukraine’s economy to stop working, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko  has said in a televised interview.

“Our tax revenues do not allow us to cover our needs, (therefore) the main revenue stream is borrowing,” Marchenko said.

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Ukraine calls on China to ‘condemn Russian barbarism’

Ukraine has called on China to join the West in condemning “Russian barbarism”, after the US warned Beijing of consequences if it backed Moscow’s attack on the country.

“China can be the global security system’s important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries’ coalition and condemn Russian barbarism,” presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

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Putin, Luxembourg PM Bettel talk on the phone

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, which is the second time this week the two leaders have talked.

According to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, Putin “outlined fundamental assessments of the course of the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives,” while Bettel informed him about “contacts with the leadership of Ukraine and other countries.”

Putin also said that “incessant missile strikes by Ukrainian forces on Donetsk and other cities” of the separatist so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine are “leading to numerous civilian casualties.”

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Russia ally Kazakhstan blocks Ukraine peace rally

Activists in Kazakhstan have said they were refused permission to hold a rally against Russia’s attacks in Ukraine, as tensions over the conflict spill into Moscow’s neighbourhood.

Earlier this month Kazakh authorities allowed activists in the former capital Almaty to hold a rally against the attacks that gathered more than 2,000 people and featured chants and slogans insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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US to provide Stryker army company to NATO battlegroup in Bulgaria

The US has agreed to provide a Stryker mechanised infantry company for Bulgaria’s battlegroup under NATO’s drive to bolster its eastern flank after Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said.

“The USA agreed to provide a Stryker company,” he told a press conference with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “This is a strong sign to all of our allies in NATO.”

Bulgaria, once Moscow’s closest ally during the Cold War era but a NATO and European Union member state, is establishing a battlegroup of up to 1,000 troops under the operational command of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

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UK fears ‘more extreme’ Russian actions in Ukraine

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Peace talks to end the Ukraine conflict could be a “smokescreen” for more extreme Russian military manoeuvres, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned.

“I’m very sceptical,” Truss told The Times newspaper in an interview. “What we’ve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup. Their invasion isn’t going according to plan.”

“I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen. I don’t think we’re yet at a point for negotiation,” she added.

Truss echoed comments by British intelligence that Putin could turn to “more and more extreme actions,” adding “we’ve seen appalling atrocities already.”

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LAVROV: RUSSIA-CHINA COOPERATION WILL ONLY GET STRONGER

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UNSC: WEST DISMISSES RUSSIAN CLAIMS OF BIOWEAPONS IN UKRAINE

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Aid agencies are struggling to reach people trapped in Ukrainian cities ringed by Russian forces, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said Saturday, including hundreds of thousands of women and children.

“The challenge is to get to the cities that are encircled or about to be encircled,” emergency coordinator Jakob Kern told AFP, describing the situation as “dire”.

Lack of humanitarian access is making it almost impossible to deliver emergency food supplies to the besieged port city of Mariupol, the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the northeastern city of Sumy.

The WFP has had to start the mission to stock up Ukraine’s warehouses “from zero”, and replacing broken food supply chains amidst bitter fighting is a “mammoth task”, he said.

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‘Dozens dead’ after military barracks hit in south Ukraine

Dozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck a Ukrainian military barracks in the southern city of Mykolaiv, witnesses told AFP on Saturday while a rescue operation was underway.

“No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks” when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP without providing his last name. “At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble,” he said. Another soldier estimated that the bombing could have killed around 100 people. Authorities have not yet released an official death toll.

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Russia fires at Kiev suburbs, eastern Donetsk

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have fired at eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, using aviation, rocket and heavy artillery.

Ukraine’s National Police said in a statement on Telegram on Saturday that at least 37 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged; dozens of civilians were killed and injured as a result of the attacks.

The Russian military were firing at Mariupol, Avdiivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Novoselydivka, Verkhnotoretske, Krymka, and Stepne.

The statement said that “among the civilian objects that Russia destroyed are multi-story and private houses, a school, a kindergarten, a museum, a shopping centre and administrative buildings.”

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Japan PM visits India for ‘candid’ talks on Ukraine

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in India, with officials in Tokyo predicting “candid discussions” about New Delhi’s unwillingness to condemn Russia’s attacks in Ukraine.

Unlike fellow members of the Quad alliance — Japan, Australia and the United States —  India has abstained in three UN votes deploring Moscow’s actions, calling only for a halt to the violence.

A joint statement had said they “discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications”— without any condemnation of Moscow.

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Germany reports over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees

Germany’s federal police has registered more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country since the outbreak of the attacks more than three weeks ago. 

The country’s interior ministry said 207,747 Ukrainian refugees had arrived as of Saturday.

However, the real number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany is expected to be much higher.

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Ukraine: Russian forces kidnapped journalist

The office of the Prosecutor General in Ukraine has accused Russian security and military forces of kidnapping a Ukrainian journalist covering the Russian offensive in the east and the south of Ukraine.

In a Facebook statement on Saturday, the Prosecutor General’s office alleged that Russia’s Federal Security Service, or the FSB, and the Russian military abducted the journalist of Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske on Tuesday in Berdyansk.

The statement didn’t identify the journalist, but went on to say that the reporter’s whereabouts are currently unknown and a criminal investigation has been launched.

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Putin dons costly Loro Piana jacket in pro-war rally

Vladimir Putin has today given a tub-thumping address to tens of thousands of Russians gathered at Moscow's world cup stadium, celebrating his invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and drumming up support for his new war

At a time when Russian citizens are facing numerous issues triggered by sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin, while giving speech at huge pro-invasion rally, donned a Loro Piana jacket.  

The strongman, 69, donned a Loro Piana jacket worth nearly 1.5million Russian roubles, equivalent to around $13,181 or £10,200.

In 2021, the average Russian’s annual salary was 678,000 roubles, less than half the cost of the strongman’s coat.

The 69-year-old president vowed to fight for the ‘universal values’ of all Russians in an expensive jacket when citizens face poverty.  

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Ukraine: Another senior Russian military officer killed

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Ukraine claimed on Saturday that another senior Russian military officer was killed, the fifth since the war began last month.

Lt. Gen. Andrey Mordvichev, a commander of the 8th Rus. Army of the South region, was eliminated in Chornobaivka township near Kherson city, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

At least 816 civilians have been killed and 1,333 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. More than 3.27 million people have also fled to neighboring countries.

Claims on military casualties of both sides, however, have not been independently verified.

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Ukrainian authorities have not noticed any significant shifts over the past 24 hours in front line areas where Ukrainian troops are battling Russian forces, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Saturday.
In an online video address, he said fighting was ongoing and named the southeastern city of Mariupol, the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, and the eastern town of Izyum as particular hotspots where Russian troops were on the offensive.

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Hurricane of hunger

United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Saturday that the war in Ukraine could cause a “a hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system”, Ukraine being the world’s second largest wheat producer, as well as a main importer of other raw materials.

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Humanitarian corridor to open in Luhansk 

A humanitarian corridor for evacuations in Ukraine’s Luhansk region will be opened on Saturday morning, regional governor Serhiy Gaiday said on Telegram.

“A humanitarian corridor has been agreed, we will try to evacuate people and bring food today. A ‘regime of silence’ has been agreed for March 19, starting at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT),” Gaiday said.

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White House: Biden to discuss China’s Russia alignment in Europe

The White House has said President Joe Biden will discuss China’s moves to align with Russia when he travels to Europe next week.

On Friday, Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping that there would be consequences if Beijing backs Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

Biden will participate in meetings with allies in Brussels next Thursday

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The Ukrainian military imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, starting at 1400 GMT on Saturday and ending early on Monday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said. “Do not go outside at this time!” he said in an online post.
The regional capital has become an important point of transit for some of the 35,000 people estimated to have fled the besieged Mariupol city in the southeast. It is also home for one of Europe’s biggest nuclear plants.

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Russia: Hypersonic missiles used in Ukraine

Russia recognised for the first time it used hypersonic missiles in western Ukraine, in order to destroy a weapons storage site in the country’s west on Friday, the defence ministry said. “The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition” in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region,” the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.
State news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the newest Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during what Moscow calls a “special military operation” in pro-Western Ukraine.
The ministry said it had also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centres near the port city of Odessa using a coastal missile system, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters was not able to independently verify the ministry’s statements.
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Russia and its separatist allies made a breakthrough in Mariupol

Russia’s defence ministry said Friday that the army and its separatist allies had made a breakthrough in Mariupol, which has been under Russian shelling for days, and were now inside the city. “In Mariupol, units of the Donetsk People’s Republic, with the support of the Russian armed forces, are squeezing the encirclement and fighting against nationalists in the city centre,” the ministry said. The mayor of the city confirmed to the BBC that gun battles had reached the heart of Mariupol.
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Ukraine’s defence ministry said late on Friday it lost access to the Sea of Azov “temporarily” as invading Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea’s major port of Mariupol. “The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.
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Zelensky calls for fresh talks, Russia enters Mariupol centre

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made a fresh appeal for talks with Moscow, while Russia said its soldiers had entered the centre of besieged port city Mariupol. 

“This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video posted to Facebook. 

“Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such, that several generations will not recover.” 

Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said that the army and its separatist allies had made a breakthrough in Mariupol, which has been under Russian shelling for days, and were now inside the city. 

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Telegram booms as Russia’s digital landscape shrinks

The Telegram messaging app has become a go-to platform since Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, despite concerns over its data security and defences against misinformation. 

It has benefitted from the gap left by Russia’s blocking of Facebook and Instagram, offering a platform for mass messaging in a way similar to social media. 

According to daily figures provided by Telegram, the app has been downloaded over 150 million times since the beginning of the year, with the official figure of half a billion active users dating back to January 2021. 

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Over $100M worth of crypto raised for Ukraine 

Cryptocurrencies have taken on an unprecedented role in the Ukraine conflict, helping the government raise millions of dollars to fund its fight against the Russian offensive. 

Ukrainian officials posted addresses for two crypto wallets on their Twitter account, giving donors a direct and clear address to which to send contributions.

The wallets attracted more than $10.2 million (9.2 million euros) just four days after the start of the offensive.

Since then, more than $100 million worth of crypto has been raised, with the “Crypto Fund for Ukraine” run by Michael Chobanian -– the founder of the Ukrainian crypto exchange Kuna -– accounting for 60 percent of all donations. 

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US basketball star detained in Russia

Detained for more than a month in Russia, US basketball star Brittney Griner has become an unlikely victim of the war in Ukraine. 

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was detained in Moscow airport on February 17 on charges of carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.

She was immediately placed in a detention centre, and on Thursday a Russian court extended her arrest until May 19.

The 31-year-old – one of few women who can “dunk” a ball and considered one of the best players in the world – faces up to 10 years in prison. 

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Ukraine loses access to Sea of Azov — Defence ministry

Ukraine’s defence ministry has said it lost access to the Sea of Azov “temporarily” as Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea’s major port of Mariupol.

“The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify in its statement whether Ukraine’s forces have regained access to the Sea.

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9,000 leave besieged Mariupol — Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are blockading Ukraine’s largest cities to create a “humanitarian catastrophe” with the aim of persuading Ukrainians to cooperate with them.

He says Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in the centre and southeast of the country.

He said more than 9,000 people were able to leave besieged Mariupol in the past day, and in all more than 180,000 people have been able to flee to safety through humanitarian corridors.

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It’s time to talk — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the incursion.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.

“I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk,” he said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday.

“The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover.”

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US denies its soldiers killed in Ukraine

The US has denied a “false news” report that said three American troops were killed in eastern Ukraine.

“There is wide reporting that there were three US soldiers who were killed in Donbass, which is patently false and a deliberate fabrication. There are no US soldiers in Ukraine,” State Department principal deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter said at a briefing.

“The imagery used is – on this false reporting is from 2018, and those depicted in the picture returned safely to their home the next year in 2019. They are accounted for, safe, and not, as the article erroneously states, US mercenaries killed in Donetsk,” said Porter.

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Biden-Xi call was ‘direct’ and ‘substantive’: US official

The phone call between Biden and China’s Xi lasted about two hours and was “direct” and “substantive”, a senior US official has said.

“I would say the conversation was direct. It was substantive, and it was detailed,” the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said.

“The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for US-China relations and the international order.”

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Putin accuses Ukraine of ‘war crimes’ in Macron call

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of “war crimes” in a call with his French counterpart, saying that Moscow was doing “everything possible” to avoid civilian deaths in Ukraine.

“Attention was drawn to the numerous war crimes committed daily by the Ukrainian security forces,” the Kremlin said of the call between Putin and Emmanuel Macron.

“In particular massive rocket and artillery attacks on the cities of Donbas,” the Kremlin added, referring to Ukraine’s Russian-speaking east, part of which is controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.

Putin told Macron the Russian army was “doing everything possible to safeguard the lives of peaceful civilians, including by organising humanitarian corridors for their safe evacuation,” the Kremlin said.

Both leaders also discussed the continuing talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict in Ukraine in the telephone call, which was a “French initiative”, it said.

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Italy prepares plan to take in 175,000 Ukrainian refugees

Italy has drawn up plans to take in up to 175,000 Ukrainian refugees, a draft decree seen by Reuters has said.

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Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher exceed $30-million goal for Ukraine relief

Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are “overwhelmed with gratitude” to those who donated to their GoFundMe campaign for Ukraine relief.

The “That ‘70s Show” co-stars thanked donors Thursday in a video update announcing that they had exceeded their $30-million goal benefitting victims of the Russian invasion of the former Soviet nation that began on Feb. 24.

“We hit our goal!” Kunis said in the video. “Over 65,000 of you donated. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support. And while this is far from a solve to the problem, our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty.”

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Federer to donate $500,000 to support Ukrainian children

Federer Roland Garros 2013 Interview • FedFan

Roger Federer will donate $500,000 through his foundation to ensure children affected by the Ukraine conflict are provided with care and access to education, the former world number one has said.

“My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected. We stand for peace, ” Federer said on Twitter.

Andy Murray, another former world number one and an ambassador for UNICEF UK, said last week that he would donate his prize money won from tennis tournaments in 2022 towards aid efforts for children affected by Russia’s assault.

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Russia says post-1991 ‘illusions’ about the West are over

Russia has lost any illusions about ever relying on the West and Moscow will never accept a world order dominated by the United States, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

Lavrov said the West’s reaction to what Moscow has called a “special military operation” had illustrated that the West was completely dominated by the US and that the European Union was largely powerless.

“What the Americans want is a unipolar world which would not be like a global village but like an American village — or maybe like a saloon where you know the strongest calls the shots,” Lavrov said.

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Russian official who spoke out leaves post

Former Kremlin aide and ex-deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich, 49, has stepped down as chair of the Skolkovo Foundation after becoming a rare official voice of dissent against Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.

Established in 2010, the Skolkovo Foundation has aimed to diversify the country’s economy from oil and gas, foster start-ups and build a Russian version of Silicon Valley outside Moscow.

“Arkady Dvorkovich decided to terminate the powers of chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation and focus on the development of educational projects,” Skolkovo said in a statement.

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Ukraine president to address Japan parliament next week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to deliver an online speech to Japan’s parliament at around 6pm Japan time (0900 GMT) on March 23, public broadcaster NHK has said.

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Ukraine: World lenders see widespread economic fallout

The International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other top lenders have warned of “extensive” economic fallout, including higher prices for food and energy, from the Ukraine conflict and expressed horror at the “devastating human catastrophe”.

“The entire global economy will feel the effects of the crisis through slower growth, trade disruptions, and steeper inflation, harming especially the poorest and most vulnerable,” they said in a statement, warning that the conflict was increasing poverty.

Other signatories included the Council of Europe Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

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EU denies ‘double standard’ over refugee policy

The EU has said it is not applying a double standard towards refugees from Ukraine compared to Syria, as it grapples with the biggest migration crisis in Europe since World War II.

EU Commission vice president Margaritis Schinas said there was no difference in the bloc’s refugee policy based on country of origin, after allegations that it was welcoming refugees from Ukraine more openly compared to those fleeing the Middle East.

He added that the current situation with refugees from Ukraine was “unique” as the country directly borders several EU nations, unlike Syria. 

“The movement comes straight into the European Union,” he told journalists in Istanbul.

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EU appreciates Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts 

The European Union appreciates Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in mediating between Ukraine and Russia, an EU official has said.

The European Commission’s lead foreign policy spokesperson, Peter Stano, said “the clear position” adopted by Türkiye was appreciated, noting that the country “made great efforts to play the role of the mediator”.

He underlined that Türkiye managed to organise the first meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. He also called Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visits to Moscow and Ukraine’s western Lviv city “very important”.

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French president Macron told Putin he is “extremely concerned” about Mariupol

French President Macron has told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he is “extremely concerned” about the situation in Mariupol, which has been hit by constant shelling over recent days, according to the French presidential office.

The call lasted just over one hour, the Elysee added.

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Britons prepare to welcome Ukrainians despite scheme concerns

Nick Beever proudly shows off the pristine spare bedroom at his home in the London suburbs, one of thousands of Britons ready to take part in a government programme to host Ukrainian refugees.

“So this is currently our guest room actually, but we hope to have one, maybe two Ukrainian refugees staying here,” Beever told AFP at the home he shares with his wife in Croydon, south London.

“Helping people is one of those duties you have as a member of society, as a human being,” said the 32-year-old teacher.

So far over 150,000 people have registered to take part in the “Homes for Ukraine” programme helping residents to offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees, despite concerns over how it will work in practice.

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Russia using UN to spread propaganda, Western states say

Russia is using the UN Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine, six Western members states have said.

They made the allegation at a council meeting called at Russia’s request to discuss its allegations that Ukraine is developing biological weapons.

“Russia is once again attempting to use this council to launder its disinformation, spread its propaganda, and justify its unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine,” the six countries with seats on the council said in a statement read out by US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

She was accompanied by representatives of France, Norway, Albania, Ireland and Britain.

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Dutch, Germans to send 3 Patriot missile defence systems to Slovakia

Patriot Missile Long-Range Air-Defence System, US Army

The Dutch government has said it would send a Patriot missile defence system to Sliac, Slovakia, as part of NATO moves to strengthen air defences in Eastern Europe.

“The worsened safety situation in Europe as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this contribution necessary,” Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a statement.

Germany is also sending two Patriot systems to Slovakia, the statement said.

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Ukraine says Russian forces not made fresh advances

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said Ukrainian troops had prevented Russian troops from making any fresh advances.

Speaking on national television, Malyar said Russian forces had food and fuel supply issues and communications problems.

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Ukrainian defence minister accuses Moscow of lying about troop death toll

The number of Russian troops killed in Ukraine far exceeds the Kremlin’s official death toll, Ukraine’s defence minister has claimed.

“The Kremlin no longer knows how to explain the things that are happening,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook.

“After all, these days, they buried more soldiers in the regions of Russia than they officially acknowledged their losses. Lies no longer help them, but the truth scares,” he added.

Kyiv says at least 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during Russia’s incursion, a number that dwarfs the toll of 498 provided by Moscow on March 2 – the only time it has provided figures for its losses to date.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided by either side.

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Russian troops open fire at protesters in Kherson: Reports

Russian troops have fired on a crowd of protesters in Kherson, wounding several people, according to local media reports.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show demonstrators gathering in the southern Ukrainian city’s main square. The sound of automatic gunfire could be heard and people were seen running.

Some reports said Russian forces used stun grenades.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the reports or the video footage.

Kherson has witnessed regular anti-Russia protests since Moscow’s forces took control of the city at the beginning of March – the most strategically significant capture of Ukrainian territory yet.

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Egyptian pound drops nearly 14 percent after Ukraine war prompts dollar flight

Timeline: The Egyptian Pound Over the Last Five Decades | Egyptian Streets

Egypt’s pound has depreciated by almost 14 percent after weeks of pressure on the currency as foreign investors pulled out billions of dollars from Egyptian treasury markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The pound dropped to 18.17-18.27 against the dollar, Refinitiv data showed, after having traded at around 15.7 pounds to the dollar since November 2020.

The downturn is likely to have a heavy toll on poor and middle-class Egyptians and came after the country’s central bank hiked interest rates by 100 basis points in a surprise overnight monetary policy meeting.

The central bank cited inflationary pressures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which hiked oil prices to new records, as the basis for its decision.

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Russia-Ukraine conflict raises alarm about spectre of ‘famine’

The Russian offensive on Ukraine risks causing famine in parts of the world because of the two countries’ roles as major agricultural exporters, EU ministers in Brussels warned. 

The European bloc is working on a plan to increase the area of EU land able to be given over to farm production, ease import restrictions on animal feed and looking at more direct aid to EU farmers, agricultural ministers said as they held a meeting.

The conflict “soon will bring risks of famine,” impacting food security not just in Europe but worldwide, France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le D rian, said as he went into a separate meeting of his EU counterparts in Brussels.

Ukraine and Russia are among the biggest exporters of farm-grown foodstuffs and fertilisers, notably of wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. 

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Kiev mayor announces 35-hour curfew amid Russian attacks

Kiev will impose a new 35-hour curfew, the mayor of Ukraine’s capital city announced.

Vitali Klitschko said the curfew will begin at 8 pm local time and last until 7 am on Wednesday. 

Shops, pharmacies, and gas stations will be closed during the curfew, and no vehicles will be allowed to move in the city, except for those with a special permit.

The first 35-hour curfew in the Ukrainian capital Kiev was announced on March 15.

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Russian FM discusses Ukraine with Armenian, Azerbaijani counterparts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held separate phone talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

With Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s top diplomat, Lavrov discussed the issues related to signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and further work of the 3 3 format (Iran, Russia, and Türkiye plus Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia).

With Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Lavrov spoke on the implementation of key provisions of the trilateral agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh, the beginning of projects aiming to unblock transport and economic ties in the region, and provisions of a possible peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. 

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Russia’s security service urges immediate Meta ban

Russia’s FSB national security service asked a court to “immediately” ban US tech giant Meta, accusing it of working against Moscow’s interests during its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The court was considering a request by prosecutors to designate Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — as an “extremist” organisation and ban it.

The move is part of sweeping efforts by Moscow to put a tight lid on information available to Russians about the conflict in Ukraine. 

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UK says Russia behind hoax calls to officials 

Britain is accusing the Russian state of being behind hoax calls to two government ministers by an imposter posing as the prime minister of Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the hoaxer was able to speak to him on a video call Thursday. Home Secretary Priti Patel said she had received a similar call, and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said an unsuccessful attempt was made to speak to her.

Wallace said he became suspicious and hung up after the caller “posed several misleading questions.” He accused Russia of “dirty tricks.”

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Kyiv mayor announces curfew from Monday evening to Wednesday morning

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced a “reinforced curfew” in the Ukrainian capital from 8pm local time today (18:00 GMT) until 7am (05:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Klitschko said shops, pharmacies and petrol stations would not open on Tuesday.

“I ask everyone to stay at home – or in shelters when the alarm sounds,” he said.

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Russian assault on Mariupol is ‘massive war crime’: EU

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has decried Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian port city Mariupol as “a massive war crime”.

“What’s happening now in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody,” Borrell said at the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

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Lithuanian president outlines plan for future without Russian gas, oil

Allowing Taiwan to open office under its name was a 'mistake': Lithuanian leader

Lithuania is working towards ending all imports of energy from neighbouring Russia, the country’s president has said.

“The gas interlink with Poland, the power undersea link with Sweden, synchronising power system with continental Europe – this all illustrates that Lithuania is preparing to live totally without Russian energy resources,” Gitanas Nauseda told a news conference in Vilnius.

“We’ve come most of the way, such as substituting pipeline gas for liquefied natural gas and being ready to use oil from other countries. Our power synchronisation will be complete soon and then Lithuania will be a good example for Europe,” he added.

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Ukraine’s Odessa accuses Russia of attacking city outskirts for the first time

Authorities in Odessa have accused Russian forces of carrying out a strike on residential buildings in the outskirts of the Ukrainian city, the first such attack on the Black Sea port city.

The city council said there were no casualties although the strike caused a fire.

“These are residential buildings where peaceful people live,” Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov was quoted as saying. Russia denies targeting civilians.

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Ukraine says Russia shelled chemical plant

Ukraine’s prosecutor general has said a Russian shell struck a chemical plant outside the city of Sumy, causing a leak in a 50-ton tank of ammonia that took hours to contain.

Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed the leak was a “planned provocation” by Ukrainian forces to falsely accuse Russia of a chemical attack.

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Zelenskyy calls on Europe to halt all trade with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on European leaders to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country.

“Please do not sponsor the weapons of war of this country, of Russia. No euros for the occupiers. Close all of your ports to them. Don’t export them your goods. Deny energy resources. Push for Russia to leave Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a video address.

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Kremlin says no significant progress in peace talks with Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine had not yet made any significant progress.

Significant progress in the talks still had to be made for there to be a basis for a possible meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peskov said.

Moscow has accused Kiev of stalling peace talks by making proposals unacceptable for Russia. Ukraine has said it is willing to negotiate but will not surrender or accept Russian ultimatums.

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EU set to approve new defence strategy including 5,000-strong rapid reaction force

The EU was set to approve Monday a new defence strategy designed to increase the bloc’s capacity to act, including setting up a 5,000-strong rapid reaction force. 
The plan, in the pipeline for two years, underwent a last-minute rewrite to increase the focus on the threat from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine. 
“It’s not the answer to the Ukrainian war, but it is part of the answer,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ahead of the Brussels meeting of the bloc’s foreign and defence ministers. 
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Russia needs over a week to take Mariupol: separatist leader

A Russian-backed separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has commented that it would take more than a week to take control of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

“I am not so optimistic that two or three days or even a week will close the issue. Unfortunately, no, the city is big,” Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said according to the report.

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EU ‘too dependent’ on Russian oil and gas to cut it off tomorrow

EU countries still largely depend on Russian oil and gas for their energy supply and can’t simply cut themselves off on short notice, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.

“Too many refineries in the eastern and western part of Europe still completely depend on Russian oil and with gas it’s even worse”, Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius.

“We have to deleverage that dependency. We need to do it as speedily as possible, but we can’t do this tomorrow.”

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Ukrainian resistance keeps Russia at bay: UK

Britain’s defence ministry has said heavy fighting is continuing north of Kiev as Russian forces press on with a stalled effort to encircle Ukraine’s capital city.

In an update on social media, the ministry said Russian forces advancing on the city from the northeast have stalled, and troops advancing from the direction of Hostomel to the northwest have been pushed back by fierce Ukrainian resistance.

“Despite the continued lack of progress, Kiev remains Russia’s primary military objective and they are likely to prioritise attempting to encircle the city over the coming weeks,” UK officials said, adding that the bulk of Russian forces were more than 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the city centre.

Israel to maintain relations with Kiev, Moscow

Israel’s prime minister has said the country is managing its involvement with Ukraine and Russia “in a sensitive, generous and responsible way while balancing various and complex considerations.”

Naftali Bennett spoke on the tarmac at Israel’s main international airport as an aid delegation was set to depart for Ukraine to set up a field hospital for refugees near the Polish border.

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Kremlin: Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe, not US

The Kremlin has said Europe will be hit hard in the event of an embargo on Russian oil, striking the continent’s energy balance, but will not affect the United States.

Some European Union foreign ministers are pushing for an oil embargo as part of further sanctions against Russia, in an effort to punish Moscow over events in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters the question of any oil embargo was a very complex topic.

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Russia says it hit military facility in Ukraine’s Rivne region

Russian air forces reportedly hit a Ukrainian army military facility in Rivne Region with cruise missiles, Russia’s Defence Ministry has said.

“High-precision air-launched cruise missiles have struck a training centre for foreign mercenaries and Ukrainian nationalist formations,” Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

The ministry also reported that Russia does not plan to and has not hit any chemical industry facilities in Ukraine.

‘No agreement reached’ to evacuate Mariupol civilians

Agreement has been reached on creating eight humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged towns and cities, but the city of Mariupol is not among them.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said efforts to reach Mariupol with humanitarian supplies continued to fail.

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Putin ally Timchenko resigns from Novatek board

Gennady Timchenko, a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has resigned from the board at gas producer Novatek after he was targeted by sanctions over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Novatek, Russia’s largest private natural gas producer, did not provide a reason for his resignation. 

A representative of Timchenko, who had served on the company’s board of directors since 2009, declined to comment.

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EU warns of ‘huge risk’ of child trafficking as Ukrainians flee

The EU’s home affairs commissioner has warned that vulnerable Ukrainian children are in “huge” danger of being trafficked as they flee from Russia’s offensive.

Ylva Johansson told a news conference in Estonia that about half of the 3.3 million Ukrainians who had fled to EU countries since the start of the war were children.

Ukraine has a high number of orphans and children born through surrogate mothers who had not been picked up by their parents. That increased the risk that they could be abducted or become victims of forced adoptions, Johansson said.

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NEW ZEALAND TO PROVIDE UKRAINE WITH NON-LETHAL MILITARY ASSISTANCE

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Ukraine rotates staff at Russian-occupied Chernobyl nuclear plant for first time since invasion

Ukraine has managed to rotate staff working at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant for the first time since Russia seized it last month as it invaded the country, the UN’s nuclear agency said.

Ukraine told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that around half of the staff were “finally” able to return to their homes on Sunday after working at the Russian-controlled site for nearly four weeks, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said.

Those who left were replaced by other Ukrainian staff, Grossi said in a statement late Sunday.

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Israeli PM says ‘very large’ gaps remain in bid to end conflict

Israel’s prime minister says that while there have been advances in cease-fire talks between Russia and Ukraine, “very large” gaps remain between the two sides.

Naftali Bennett said in a speech at the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper’s conference that Israel “will continue — together with other friends in the world — to try and bridge the gap and bring an end to the war”.

Israel has close relations with both Ukraine and Russia and Bennett has attempted to mediate between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

He has held multiple phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks and has offered to host a summit involving the pair in Jerusalem. Bennett also flew to Moscow earlier this month to meet with Putin in person.

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UKRAINE WAR COULD LEAD TO GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: FRANCE

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Kremlin says Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe

The Kremlin has warned the European Union it will be hit hard should it impose an embargo on Russian oil.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters such a move would harm the bloc’s energy balance.

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EU foreign ministers to discuss sanctions on Russian oil sector

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said the bloc’s foreign ministers will discuss imposing more sanctions on Russia, including measures targetting the country’s oil sector, during talks later today.

“The ministers will discuss that,” Josep Borrell told reporters ahead of the meeting in Brussels, responding to a question whether measures against Russian oil exports would be talked about.

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France’s agriculture minister says war in Ukraine could lead to ‘global’ food crisis

The war between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world’s top crop producers, could lead to a food crisis “on the global” scale, French Minister of Agriculture and Food Julien Denormandie said in Brussels on Monday ahead of a EU agriculture meeting.

EU ministers will discuss the food situation with their Ukrainian counterpart in a video call, he added.

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At least six dead in overnight bombing in Ukraine’s Kiev

At least six people were killed in an overnight bombing on a shopping centre in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist has said.

Six bodies were laid out in front of the “Retroville” shopping mall in the northwest of Kiev, according to the journalist.

The building had been hit by a powerful blast that pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a crater several metres wide.

Ukraine says talks with Russia on cease-fire to continue

Negotiations on a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue online, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Mykhailovych Podolyak, has said.

He added that intensive efforts were being made to reach an agreement.

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Russia to open humanitarian corridors from Mariupol

Russia’s Defence Ministry has announced that humanitarian aid corridors will be opened from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol to the east and west.

Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, made evaluations about the humanitarian aid corridors in Ukraine and said that civilians would be allowed to leave as of 0700 GMT (10AM Moscow time).

Mizintsev called on the parties to the cease-fire to comply with the decision starting at 0630 GMT (0930AM).

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New Zealand to provide Ukraine with non-lethal military assistance

New Zealand is set to provide Ukraine with a further $3.46 million (NZ$5 million) in funds and non-lethal military assistance including some surplus equipment, bringing New Zealand’s total assistance to Ukraine to NZ$11 million.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the money would be primarily directed to a NATO Trust Fund that provides fuel, rations, communication equipment and first aid kits to support Ukraine as it battles Russian forces. The New Zealand Defence Force will provide tactical equipment as well.

“We consider what is happening in Ukraine as a massive disruption to the international rules-based order and because of that it impacts all of us and that’s why we have taken these extraordinary measures,” Ardern told a news conference.

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Top Russian automaker partially halting production due to supply shortage

Top Russian car maker Avtovaz said on Monday it was partially halting production until March 25 due to a shortage of electronic parts.
Avtovaz, controlled by French car maker Renault, has periodically stopped its Togliatti and Izhevsk plants this month due to a shortage in supplies of electronic components.
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Several dead after overnight bombing on Kyiv shopping centre 

At least six people were killed in an overnight bombing on a shopping centre in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist said Monday.  
Six bodies were laid out in front of the “Retroville” shopping mall in the northwest of Kyiv, according to the journalist. The building had been hit by a powerful blast that pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a crater several metres wide. 
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Hezbollah supporters hold pro-Russia demonstration in Beirut

The Lebanese government has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Hezbollah, which is aligned with Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, has taken the side of Vladimir Putin. At a rally this weekend, Hezbollah supporters carried signs bearing pictures of Putin and the letter Z, which has become a symbol of support for Russia’s war.  
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Slovenia sending diplomats back to Kyiv

Slovenia is planning to send diplomats back to the Ukrainian capital this week, according to the country’s prime minister.

“We are working to make the EU do the same. Ukraine needs diplomatic support,” Janez Jansa announced on Twitter as he added that the diplomats will return to Kyiv on a voluntary basis.

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Russian deadline over Mariupol passes

Moscow’s deadline for the Ukrainian forces in the southern city of Mariupol to surrender has expired at 5am (02:00 GMT).

Ukraine rejected a Russian call for Ukrainian forces in the besieged city to lay down their arms, saying “there can be no question of any surrender”.

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 Ukraine says no question of surrendering city of Mariupol

There is no question of Ukraine giving up the city of Mariupol and laying down arms, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.

“There can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this,” she told the news outlet Ukrainian Pravda. “I wrote: ‘Instead of wasting time on eight pages of letters, just open the corridor.'”

Russia demanded Ukrainian forces lay down their arms in the besieged eastern port city. Mariupol residents were given until 5 am Monday to respond to the offer, which included them raising a white flag. Russia didn’t say what action it would take if the offer was rejected.

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Russia, Ukraine to resume online talks

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will continue with their online talks on Monday, according to the Ukrainska Pravda news website.

David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian official, told the news outlet that the talks are continuing every day “at the level of expert groups”.

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Biden to travel to Poland to discuss Ukraine crisis with Duda

US President Joseph Biden will travel to Poland to discuss the international response to “the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said .

Biden’s Poland trip will come a day after he meets in Brussels with NATO allies, G7 Leaders and European Union leaders to discuss international efforts to support Ukraine after Russia’s offensive, the White House said.

On Friday, Biden will travel to Warsaw where he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda. 

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China will keep up ‘normal cooperation’ with Russia: Envoy

China’s ambassador to the United States has defended his country’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contending such a rebuke will do nothing to stop the violence.

Qin Gang told the CBS television network’s Face the Nation on Sunday that China’s condemnation would not help and that he is doubtful it would have any effect on Russia.

He said China wants “friendly, good neighbourly relations with Russia” and will keep up “normal trade, economic, financial, energy cooperation with Russia” as it continues “to promote peace talks” and urge an immediate ceasefire from Russia through negotiation and diplomacy.

Qin said China is not providing any military assistance to Russia. He insisted that China remains “against a war” and “will do everything” – short of condemnation – “to de-escalate the crisis”.

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Russia gives Ukraine 5am deadline to surrender Mariupol

Russia says Ukraine has until 5am Moscow time (02:00 GMT) on Monday to respond to an offer on humanitarian corridors and laying down arms in the eastern port city of Mariupol.

“Lay down your arms,” Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, said in a briefing distributed by the defence ministry.

“A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed,” Mizintsev said. “All who lay down their arms are guaranteed safe passage out of Mariupol.”

Mariupol has suffered some of the heaviest bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped in the city with little if any food, water and power.

Mizintsev said humanitarian corridors for civilians would be opened eastwards and westwards out of Mariupol at 10am Moscow time (07:00 GMT) on Monday.

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People rally in Berlin to support Ukraine 

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Some 10,000 people attended a concert in solidarity with Ukraine in Berlin.

Gathering near the Brandenburg Gate, symbol of a divided Germany during the Cold War, many performers on the stage wore shades of blue and yellow, the colours of the flag.

Musicians included Natalia Klitschko, a Ukrainian singer who is married to the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko.

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Russia hypersonic missile ‘not a game changer’: Pentagon 

Russia’s claim it used a hypersonic missile in Ukraine was a way to reclaim war momentum, but the next-generation weaponry has not proved to be a “game changer,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said.

“I would not see it as a game changer,” Austin told CBS talk show “Face the Nation.”

“I think the reason he is resorting to using these types of weapons is because he is trying to re-establish some momentum,” he said. “And again, we’ve seen him attack towns and cities and civilians outright (and) we expect to see that continue.”

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Fighting ongoing inside Mariupol: regional governor 

Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces is going on inside the eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

Many of Mariupol’s 400,000 residents have been trapped for more than two weeks as Russia seeks to take control of the city, which would help secure a land corridor to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Strike on Kiev apartment block wounds five

A shell exploded outside an apartment block in Kiev, wounding five people, the city’s mayor has said.

The ten-storey building in northwestern Sviatoshyn district was badly damaged, with all the windows blown out and scorch marks from a fire that broke out, AFP journalists at the scene said.

Firefighters led an elderly woman and a disorientated man with facial injuries to an ambulance. Two burned-out cars lay in the debris-covered courtyard, which also houses a playground.

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Ukrainians being forced into Russia: Mariupol city council

The Mariupol City Council has issued a statement claiming that its residents are being evacuated to Russia against their will and one Ukrainian lawmaker says those people are being taken for forced labor in remote parts of Russia.

“The occupiers are forcing people to leave Ukraine for Russia. Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents have been taken to the Russian territory,” the city statement said.

The statement by the Mariupol City Council also claimed that cellphones and documents of evacuees have been inspected by Russian troops before sending Mariupol residents to the “remote cities in Russia.”

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Russian journalist urges other Russians to speak up

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The Russian editor who protested Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine during a state TV news broadcast has called for other Russians to speak out against the “gruesome war.”

While working for Channel One television in Moscow, Marina Ovsyannikova barged onto the set of an evening newscast Monday, holding a poster reading “No War.”

She described to US media her decision to protest as “spontaneous,” but said a sense of deep dissatisfaction with her government had been building for years – a feeling she said many of her colleagues shared.

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Russia’s central bank has allowed a limited number of additional financial market operations over the next two weeks, as it tentatively eases restrictions linked to the Ukraine conflict.
Stocks and bonds last traded on the Moscow Exchange on February 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, after which the central bank curbed trading as Western sanctions threw markets into turmoil. It allowed rouble trading to continue, with the currency slumping to record lows against the dollar and euro.
On Friday the central bank said trading in OFZ government bonds would restart on Monday, among other operations announced on Saturday.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday renewed his plea for talks with his Russian counterpart, taking to US television to say negotiations were the only way to “end this war”.

“I’m ready for negotiations with him,” Zelensky told the CNN show “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” referring to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, whose deadly invasion of Ukraine is in its fourth week.

Zelensky’s reiterated call for peace talks came as he and other Ukrainians accused Russia of committing war crimes after authorities said the invading forces had bombed a school sheltering some 400 people in the besieged city of Mariupol.

“Russian forces have come to exterminate us, to kill us,” said Zelensky.

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Patriot air defence units arrive in Slovakia – defence minister

The first units deploying the Patriot air defence system have started arriving from NATO partner countries in Slovakia and the deployment will continue in the coming days, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad has said on Facebook.

The system will be operated by German and Dutch troops and will initially be deployed at the Sliac airport in central Slovakia to help reinforce defence of NATO’s eastern flank.

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Ukraine front lines not shifting as Russia loses momentum: Official

The front lines between Ukrainian and Russian forces are “practically frozen”, as Russia does not have enough combat strength to advance further, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said in a video address.

“[Over the past day] there were practically no rocket strikes on [Ukrainian] cities,” Arestovych added.

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AT LEAST 902 CIVILIANS KILLED IN UKRAINE SINCE CONFLICT BEGAN: UN

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France doesn’t rule out energy sanctions against Russia

Sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine are hurting its economy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, France’s finance minister said, adding that banning Russian oil and gas imports into the European Union remained an option for Paris.

“They’re hurting the Russian state and they’re hurting Vladimir Putin,” Bruno Le Maire told LCI television in an interview.

“Should we in the immediate stop buying Russian oil, should a little bit further down the line we stop importing Russian gas? The president has never ruled out these options,” he said.

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POPE SLAMS WAR AS ‘SACRILEGE’, ‘REPUGNANT’

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Satellite image shows demolished Mariupol theatre

A satellite image from Maxar Technologies, a private US company, showed damage to Mariupol Drama Theatre after an air strike on Wednesday (March 16).

The city council said Russian forces bombed a theatre where civilians were sheltering. The number of casualties was not known.

Russia denied it had carried out an air strike against the theatre. Reuters could not independently verify the information.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday, March 19, 2022 shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around it.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday, March 19, 2022 shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around (AP)

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Russia said Sunday it had again fired its newest hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, destroying a fuel storage site in the country’s south, “in the Mykolaiv region”. “Kinzhal aviation missile systems with hypersonic ballistic missiles destroyed a large storage site for fuels and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces near the settlement of Kostyantynivka in the Mykolaiv region,” the Russian defence ministry said.

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Ukraine sees high risk of attack from Belarus on western Volyn region

Ukraine sees a high risk of an attack on western Ukraine’s Volyn region being launched from Belarus, Zelenskyy’s office said, citing the military.

The Russian invasion has mostly focused on northern, southern and eastern areas of Ukraine, though missiles also hit the Yavoriv military base last week, close to the Polish border.

It was not immediately clear whether Ukraine saw the threat of an attack on Volyn from Russian forces or the Belarusian military, which has so far not publicly committed troops to supporting Russia.

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Turkey: Russia and Ukraine getting closer to agreement on ‘critical’ issues

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Hurriyet daily that Russia and Ukraine were getting closer to an agreement on “critical” issues and have nearly agreed on some subjects.

Cavusoglu also said that he was hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides don’t take a step back from the progress they have made towards an agreement.

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RUSSIA SAYS HAS AGAIN FIRED HYPERSONIC MISSILES IN UKRAINE

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Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said seven humanitarian corridors would open on Sunday to enable civilians to leave frontline areas. Ukraine has evacuated a total of 190,000 people from such areas since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, Vereshchuk said on Saturday, though Ukraine and Russia blame each other for hobbling the process.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Sunday it continues to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers. The company said the requests stood at 106.6 million cubic metres for March 20.
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Russian forces have bombed an art school in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where about 400 residents had taken shelter, the city council said on Sunday.
There was no immediate word of casualties from the Saturday attack, although the council said the building was destroyed and there were victims under the rubble. Russia denies targeting civilians.

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The UN human rights office said at least 847 civilians had been killed and 1,399 wounded in Ukraine as of Friday. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that 112 children have been killed.

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Zelenskyy suspends parties with Russian links

Ukraine’s president has ordered to suspend the activities of 11 political parties with links to Russia.

The largest of them is the Opposition Platform for Life, which has 44 out of 450 seats in the country’s parliament. The party is led by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has friendly ties with Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter.

Also on the list is the Nashi (Ours) party led by Yevheniy Murayev.

“Given a large-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation and links between it and some political structures, the activities of a number of political parties is suspended for the period of the martial law,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “activities by politicians aimed at discord and collaboration will not succeed.”

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CHINA STANDS ON ‘RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY’ ON UKRAINE WAR: WANG YI

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More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Mykolaiv attack: Report

The New York Times, citing a senior Ukrainian military official, says more than 40 soldiers were killed in a Russian attack on a marine base in Mykolaiv.

The official told the Times that it was likely that the headquarters of the 36th Ukrainian Naval Infantry Brigade had been hit by a long-range weapon, like an Iskander-M ballistic missile.

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71 children evacuated from Sumy orphanage

A Ukrainian official says 71 children have been evacuated from an orphanage in the embattled city of Sumy.

“We were hiding these children in bomb shelters for almost two weeks. Those, who can shelter them in a safe place, in another country, were found quickly, thank God. And with the first opportunity to evacuate through the humanitarian corridor, we took the children from a specialized orphanage out of the combat zone,” said Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.

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Ukraine holding 562 Russian prisoners of war

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, has said Kyiv has “officially” 562 Russian soldiers in its custody.

“All Russian prisoners are treated in accordance with international human rights law,” she said.

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Russia’s initial campaign to seize Kyiv, force regime change ‘has failed’: ISW

The Institute for the Study of War says the initial Russian campaign to seize Ukraine’s capital and force regime change has failed.

“The doctrinally sound Russian response to this situation would be to end this campaign, accept a possibly lengthy operational pause, develop the plan for a new campaign, build up resources for that new campaign, and launch it when the resources and other conditions are ready,” the United States-based group said.

But the Russian military has not yet adopted this approach and continues efforts to restore momentum to this “culminated campaign”, the ISW said.

This is creating conditions of “stalemate throughout most of Ukraine”, a bloody phase that could last for weeks or months, it added.

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Zelenskyy says siege of Mariupol involved war crimes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the siege of the port city of Mariupol will go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.

“To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come,” Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.

Russian forces have pushed deeper into the besieged and battered city, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

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Mariupol says Russia forcefully deported thousands of its people

The city council of Ukraine’s Mariupol has said Russian forces forcefully deported several thousand people from the besieged city last week, after Russia had spoken of “refugees” arriving from the strategic port.

“Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents were deported onto the Russian territory,” the council said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

“The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhniy district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from the constant bombing.”

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Australia bans alumina, bauxite exports to Russia

Australia has announced more sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, immediately banning all exports of alumina and bauxite while pledging more weapons and humanitarian assistance.

The export ban aims to impact aluminium production in Russia, which relies on Australia for 20 percent of its alumina.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government was working with partners to “put the maximum cost, the maximum pressure on the Putin regime to withdraw from Ukraine”.

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One of Europe’s biggest steel works damaged in Ukraine’s Mariupol

One of Europe’s biggest iron and steel works, Azovstal, has been badly damaged as Russian forces lay siege to the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, officials have said.

“One of the biggest metallurgic plants in #Europe destroyed. The economic losses for #Ukraine are huge. The environment is devastated,” tweeted Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko.

Vasylenko posted a video of explosions on an industrial site, with thick columns of grey and black smoke rising from the buildings.

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Ukraine suspends activities of some opposition parties

Ukrainian president has said that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has stopped activities of several political parties during martial law that was announced in Ukraine.

“Ukraine has always sought a peaceful solution. Moreover, we are most in favor of peace,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Suspensions include the Opposition Platform – For life; Party of Shariy; Nashi; Opposition Bloc, the Left Opposition Party; Union of Leftists; Derzhava; Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine; Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialists and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc, said Zelenskyy, according to the UNIAN Ukrainian news agency.

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Russia’s assault causes turmoil for world economy ⁠— EBRD

The Ukraine conflict has major economic consequences for energy, food, inflation and poverty, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The EBRD’s chief economist, Beata Javorcik, spoke to AFP news agency about the fallout from Russia’s offensive of Ukraine, from where more than three million refugees have fled so far.

Global lenders are giving billions for Ukraine, including a 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) “resilience package” from the London-based EBRD, but there is currently no end in sight to the conflict.

The crisis has sent commodity prices rocketing on supply fears, fuelling inflation that is already at multi-decade highs.

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Conflict hits Russian, Ukrainian currencies

Their economies rocked by conflict, Russian and Ukrainian authorities have deployed different tactics to defend their weakened currencies, with varying degrees of success.

The Russian ruble, which was trading around 80 to the dollar before Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, lost 40 percent of its value in the following days, slumping to an unprecedented level of 150 to the dollar.

It has since clawed back much of that, trading at around 105 rubles to the dollar, seemingly having profited from talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict.

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Ukraine holding its airspace – UK

The British defence ministry has said the Ukrainian Air Force and air defence forces are “continuing to effectively defend Ukrainian airspace.”

“Russia has failed to gain control of the air and is largely relying on stand-off weapons launched from the relative safety of Russian airspace to strike targets within Ukraine,” the ministry said on Twitter. “Gaining control of the air was one of Russia’s principal objectives for the opening days of the conflict and their continued failure to do so has significantly blunted their operational progress.”

A Ukrainian military official meanwhile confirmed to a Ukrainian newspaper that Russian forces carried out a missile strike Friday on a missile and ammunition warehouse in the Delyatyn settlement of the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine.

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Russia claims Ukraine plans to attack diplomatic missions

Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer who surrendered said his country is planning attacks on Western diplomatic missions in Lviv to push NATO to intervene in the conflict.

The attacks will be carried out by the far-right ultra-radical Azov battalion, fighting on the Ukrainian side, according to the officer, spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a news conference in Moscow.

“During a special military operation, an employee of the SBU main Directorate for Donetsk and Luhansk regions voluntarily surrendered to Russian servicemen,” he said. “The main purpose of the provocation is to increase pressure on NATO countries to introduce a ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine and provide additional weapons.”

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Ukrainian refugees seeking IDs from Poland

Hoping to restore some normalcy after fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, thousands of refugees have waited in long lines in the Polish capital of Warsaw to get identification cards that will allow them to get on with their lives — at least for now.

Refugees started queuing by Warsaw’s National Stadium overnight to get the coveted PESEL identity cards that will allow them to work, live, go to school and get medical care or social benefits for the next 18 months. Still, by mid-morning, many were told to come back another day. The demand was too high even though Polish authorities had simplified the process.

“We are looking for a job now,” said 30-year-old Kateryna Lohvyn, who was standing in the line with her mother, adding it took a bit of time to recover from the shock of the Russian offensive.

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US lawmakers visit Poland over Ukraine

A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers visiting Poland has said that the most urgent need in Ukraine’s fight against a Russian assault is to equip and support the country in every way that will help it defend its independence.

The seven-member delegation led by Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has visited reception centers for refugees from Ukraine in eastern Poland. They noted Poland’s openness in accepting refugees from Ukraine, including in private homes. More than 2 million people fleeing armed conflict have come to Poland since February 24, when Russia’s troops attacked Ukraine.

“We are here to reassure and support the people of Ukraine. We are here to thank the people of Poland for the unbelievable generosity they have shown to the refugees,” said Lynch, who is chairman of the subcommittee on National Security in the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

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Pope visits Ukrainian children at Vatican hospital


Pope Francis on Saturday visited Ukrainian children who have fled the Russian invasion and are being cared for at the Vatican’s paediatric hospital in Rome.

A smiling Francis, 85, reached out to clasp the hands of children as he walked through a ward at the Bambino Gesu hospital in the capital, which is currently treating 19 Ukrainian children.

The Vatican said around 50 children in all had passed through the hospital since the war broke out.

Some were suffering oncological, neurological and other problems before the crisis and “fled in the first days of the war”, it said.

Others were girls with “serious blast wounds” sustained in the clashes, it said.

“Let us pray for them…. the children at the ‘Bambino Gesu’ wounded by war,” the pontiff said earlier Saturday as he addressed a children’s choir.

“It is a difficult moment. We, here in Rome, will help them to get better,” he said.

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Sometimes yellow is just yellow

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Russia’s space agency has rejected western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) wore wear yellow suits with a blue accents in support of Ukraine.

“Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” Roscosmos’ press service said on its Telegram channel. “The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colours of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from … To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.”

When asked about the suits during a live-streamed news conference from the ISS on Friday, mission commander Oleg Artemyev said: “Every crew picks a colour that looks different. It was our turn to pick a colour. The truth is, we had accumulated a lot of yellow fabric, so we needed to use it up. That’s why we had to wear yellow flight suits.”

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Ukraine says 190,000 people have been evacuated since the invasion

Ukraine has evacuated 190,000 civilians from frontline areas via humanitarian corridors since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports.

The country’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said corridors in the Kyiv and Luhansk regions were functioning on Saturday, but a planned corridor to the besieged eastern port city of Mariupol was only partially operational, with Russian troops not allowing buses through.

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Protesters block Poland-Belarus highway to choke Russia’s economy

Protesters hold placards at a demonstration against EU trade with Russia on Saturday, March 19.

On Saturday morning, a group of about 200 activists gathered at the entrance to the crossing, renewing a call on European states to stop all trade with Russia. They were mostly Ukrainians, either long-term residents of Poland or recent refugees.

“This is one of the main points where trucks from Europe, Russia and Belarus cross the border in order to continue trading,” Svitlana Maistruk, 33, told TRT World. “All this money is going to finance war in Ukraine.”

Last week, a small group of activists gathered at the crossing to stop trucks from using the popular trade route between Poland and  Belarus, a country that stands accused of helping Russia evade sanctions. 

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UK PM: Invasion a turning point for world

British leader Boris Johnson says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “turning point for the world,” arguing that victory for President Vladimir Putin’s forces would herald “a new age of intimidation.”

Speaking to a Conservative Party conference, Johnson claimed Putin was “terrified” that the example of a free Ukraine would spark a pro-democracy revolution in Russia.

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Russian invasion shut down 30 percent of Ukraine’s economy: Minister

The Russian invasion has forced 30% of Ukraine’s economy to stop working, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko  has said in a televised interview.

“Our tax revenues do not allow us to cover our needs, (therefore) the main revenue stream is borrowing,” Marchenko said.

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Ukraine calls on China to ‘condemn Russian barbarism’

Ukraine has called on China to join the West in condemning “Russian barbarism”, after the US warned Beijing of consequences if it backed Moscow’s attack on the country.

“China can be the global security system’s important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries’ coalition and condemn Russian barbarism,” presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

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Putin, Luxembourg PM Bettel talk on the phone

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, which is the second time this week the two leaders have talked.

According to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, Putin “outlined fundamental assessments of the course of the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives,” while Bettel informed him about “contacts with the leadership of Ukraine and other countries.”

Putin also said that “incessant missile strikes by Ukrainian forces on Donetsk and other cities” of the separatist so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine are “leading to numerous civilian casualties.”

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Russia ally Kazakhstan blocks Ukraine peace rally

Activists in Kazakhstan have said they were refused permission to hold a rally against Russia’s attacks in Ukraine, as tensions over the conflict spill into Moscow’s neighbourhood.

Earlier this month Kazakh authorities allowed activists in the former capital Almaty to hold a rally against the attacks that gathered more than 2,000 people and featured chants and slogans insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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US to provide Stryker army company to NATO battlegroup in Bulgaria

The US has agreed to provide a Stryker mechanised infantry company for Bulgaria’s battlegroup under NATO’s drive to bolster its eastern flank after Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said.

“The USA agreed to provide a Stryker company,” he told a press conference with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “This is a strong sign to all of our allies in NATO.”

Bulgaria, once Moscow’s closest ally during the Cold War era but a NATO and European Union member state, is establishing a battlegroup of up to 1,000 troops under the operational command of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

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UK fears ‘more extreme’ Russian actions in Ukraine

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Peace talks to end the Ukraine conflict could be a “smokescreen” for more extreme Russian military manoeuvres, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned.

“I’m very sceptical,” Truss told The Times newspaper in an interview. “What we’ve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup. Their invasion isn’t going according to plan.”

“I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen. I don’t think we’re yet at a point for negotiation,” she added.

Truss echoed comments by British intelligence that Putin could turn to “more and more extreme actions,” adding “we’ve seen appalling atrocities already.”

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LAVROV: RUSSIA-CHINA COOPERATION WILL ONLY GET STRONGER

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UNSC: WEST DISMISSES RUSSIAN CLAIMS OF BIOWEAPONS IN UKRAINE

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Aid agencies are struggling to reach people trapped in Ukrainian cities ringed by Russian forces, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said Saturday, including hundreds of thousands of women and children.

“The challenge is to get to the cities that are encircled or about to be encircled,” emergency coordinator Jakob Kern told AFP, describing the situation as “dire”.

Lack of humanitarian access is making it almost impossible to deliver emergency food supplies to the besieged port city of Mariupol, the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the northeastern city of Sumy.

The WFP has had to start the mission to stock up Ukraine’s warehouses “from zero”, and replacing broken food supply chains amidst bitter fighting is a “mammoth task”, he said.

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‘Dozens dead’ after military barracks hit in south Ukraine

Dozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck a Ukrainian military barracks in the southern city of Mykolaiv, witnesses told AFP on Saturday while a rescue operation was underway.

“No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks” when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP without providing his last name. “At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble,” he said. Another soldier estimated that the bombing could have killed around 100 people. Authorities have not yet released an official death toll.

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Russia fires at Kiev suburbs, eastern Donetsk

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have fired at eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, using aviation, rocket and heavy artillery.

Ukraine’s National Police said in a statement on Telegram on Saturday that at least 37 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged; dozens of civilians were killed and injured as a result of the attacks.

The Russian military were firing at Mariupol, Avdiivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Novoselydivka, Verkhnotoretske, Krymka, and Stepne.

The statement said that “among the civilian objects that Russia destroyed are multi-story and private houses, a school, a kindergarten, a museum, a shopping centre and administrative buildings.”

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Japan PM visits India for ‘candid’ talks on Ukraine

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in India, with officials in Tokyo predicting “candid discussions” about New Delhi’s unwillingness to condemn Russia’s attacks in Ukraine.

Unlike fellow members of the Quad alliance — Japan, Australia and the United States —  India has abstained in three UN votes deploring Moscow’s actions, calling only for a halt to the violence.

A joint statement had said they “discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications”— without any condemnation of Moscow.

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Germany reports over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees

Germany’s federal police has registered more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country since the outbreak of the attacks more than three weeks ago. 

The country’s interior ministry said 207,747 Ukrainian refugees had arrived as of Saturday.

However, the real number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany is expected to be much higher.

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Ukraine: Russian forces kidnapped journalist

The office of the Prosecutor General in Ukraine has accused Russian security and military forces of kidnapping a Ukrainian journalist covering the Russian offensive in the east and the south of Ukraine.

In a Facebook statement on Saturday, the Prosecutor General’s office alleged that Russia’s Federal Security Service, or the FSB, and the Russian military abducted the journalist of Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske on Tuesday in Berdyansk.

The statement didn’t identify the journalist, but went on to say that the reporter’s whereabouts are currently unknown and a criminal investigation has been launched.

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Putin dons costly Loro Piana jacket in pro-war rally

Vladimir Putin has today given a tub-thumping address to tens of thousands of Russians gathered at Moscow's world cup stadium, celebrating his invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and drumming up support for his new war

At a time when Russian citizens are facing numerous issues triggered by sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin, while giving speech at huge pro-invasion rally, donned a Loro Piana jacket.  

The strongman, 69, donned a Loro Piana jacket worth nearly 1.5million Russian roubles, equivalent to around $13,181 or £10,200.

In 2021, the average Russian’s annual salary was 678,000 roubles, less than half the cost of the strongman’s coat.

The 69-year-old president vowed to fight for the ‘universal values’ of all Russians in an expensive jacket when citizens face poverty.  

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Ukraine: Another senior Russian military officer killed

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Ukraine claimed on Saturday that another senior Russian military officer was killed, the fifth since the war began last month.

Lt. Gen. Andrey Mordvichev, a commander of the 8th Rus. Army of the South region, was eliminated in Chornobaivka township near Kherson city, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

At least 816 civilians have been killed and 1,333 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. More than 3.27 million people have also fled to neighboring countries.

Claims on military casualties of both sides, however, have not been independently verified.

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Ukrainian authorities have not noticed any significant shifts over the past 24 hours in front line areas where Ukrainian troops are battling Russian forces, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Saturday.
In an online video address, he said fighting was ongoing and named the southeastern city of Mariupol, the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, and the eastern town of Izyum as particular hotspots where Russian troops were on the offensive.

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Hurricane of hunger

United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Saturday that the war in Ukraine could cause a “a hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system”, Ukraine being the world’s second largest wheat producer, as well as a main importer of other raw materials.

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Humanitarian corridor to open in Luhansk 

A humanitarian corridor for evacuations in Ukraine’s Luhansk region will be opened on Saturday morning, regional governor Serhiy Gaiday said on Telegram.

“A humanitarian corridor has been agreed, we will try to evacuate people and bring food today. A ‘regime of silence’ has been agreed for March 19, starting at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT),” Gaiday said.

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White House: Biden to discuss China’s Russia alignment in Europe

The White House has said President Joe Biden will discuss China’s moves to align with Russia when he travels to Europe next week.

On Friday, Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping that there would be consequences if Beijing backs Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

Biden will participate in meetings with allies in Brussels next Thursday

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The Ukrainian military imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, starting at 1400 GMT on Saturday and ending early on Monday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said. “Do not go outside at this time!” he said in an online post.
The regional capital has become an important point of transit for some of the 35,000 people estimated to have fled the besieged Mariupol city in the southeast. It is also home for one of Europe’s biggest nuclear plants.

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Russia: Hypersonic missiles used in Ukraine

Russia recognised for the first time it used hypersonic missiles in western Ukraine, in order to destroy a weapons storage site in the country’s west on Friday, the defence ministry said. “The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition” in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region,” the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.
State news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the newest Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during what Moscow calls a “special military operation” in pro-Western Ukraine.
The ministry said it had also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centres near the port city of Odessa using a coastal missile system, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters was not able to independently verify the ministry’s statements.
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Russia and its separatist allies made a breakthrough in Mariupol

Russia’s defence ministry said Friday that the army and its separatist allies had made a breakthrough in Mariupol, which has been under Russian shelling for days, and were now inside the city. “In Mariupol, units of the Donetsk People’s Republic, with the support of the Russian armed forces, are squeezing the encirclement and fighting against nationalists in the city centre,” the ministry said. The mayor of the city confirmed to the BBC that gun battles had reached the heart of Mariupol.
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Ukraine’s defence ministry said late on Friday it lost access to the Sea of Azov “temporarily” as invading Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea’s major port of Mariupol. “The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.
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Zelensky calls for fresh talks, Russia enters Mariupol centre

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made a fresh appeal for talks with Moscow, while Russia said its soldiers had entered the centre of besieged port city Mariupol. 

“This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video posted to Facebook. 

“Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such, that several generations will not recover.” 

Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said that the army and its separatist allies had made a breakthrough in Mariupol, which has been under Russian shelling for days, and were now inside the city. 

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Telegram booms as Russia’s digital landscape shrinks

The Telegram messaging app has become a go-to platform since Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, despite concerns over its data security and defences against misinformation. 

It has benefitted from the gap left by Russia’s blocking of Facebook and Instagram, offering a platform for mass messaging in a way similar to social media. 

According to daily figures provided by Telegram, the app has been downloaded over 150 million times since the beginning of the year, with the official figure of half a billion active users dating back to January 2021. 

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Over $100M worth of crypto raised for Ukraine 

Cryptocurrencies have taken on an unprecedented role in the Ukraine conflict, helping the government raise millions of dollars to fund its fight against the Russian offensive. 

Ukrainian officials posted addresses for two crypto wallets on their Twitter account, giving donors a direct and clear address to which to send contributions.

The wallets attracted more than $10.2 million (9.2 million euros) just four days after the start of the offensive.

Since then, more than $100 million worth of crypto has been raised, with the “Crypto Fund for Ukraine” run by Michael Chobanian -– the founder of the Ukrainian crypto exchange Kuna -– accounting for 60 percent of all donations. 

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US basketball star detained in Russia

Detained for more than a month in Russia, US basketball star Brittney Griner has become an unlikely victim of the war in Ukraine. 

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was detained in Moscow airport on February 17 on charges of carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.

She was immediately placed in a detention centre, and on Thursday a Russian court extended her arrest until May 19.

The 31-year-old – one of few women who can “dunk” a ball and considered one of the best players in the world – faces up to 10 years in prison. 

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Ukraine loses access to Sea of Azov — Defence ministry

Ukraine’s defence ministry has said it lost access to the Sea of Azov “temporarily” as Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea’s major port of Mariupol.

“The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify in its statement whether Ukraine’s forces have regained access to the Sea.

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9,000 leave besieged Mariupol — Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are blockading Ukraine’s largest cities to create a “humanitarian catastrophe” with the aim of persuading Ukrainians to cooperate with them.

He says Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in the centre and southeast of the country.

He said more than 9,000 people were able to leave besieged Mariupol in the past day, and in all more than 180,000 people have been able to flee to safety through humanitarian corridors.

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It’s time to talk — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the incursion.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.

“I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk,” he said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday.

“The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover.”

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US denies its soldiers killed in Ukraine

The US has denied a “false news” report that said three American troops were killed in eastern Ukraine.

“There is wide reporting that there were three US soldiers who were killed in Donbass, which is patently false and a deliberate fabrication. There are no US soldiers in Ukraine,” State Department principal deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter said at a briefing.

“The imagery used is – on this false reporting is from 2018, and those depicted in the picture returned safely to their home the next year in 2019. They are accounted for, safe, and not, as the article erroneously states, US mercenaries killed in Donetsk,” said Porter.

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Biden-Xi call was ‘direct’ and ‘substantive’: US official

The phone call between Biden and China’s Xi lasted about two hours and was “direct” and “substantive”, a senior US official has said.

“I would say the conversation was direct. It was substantive, and it was detailed,” the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said.

“The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for US-China relations and the international order.”

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Putin accuses Ukraine of ‘war crimes’ in Macron call

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of “war crimes” in a call with his French counterpart, saying that Moscow was doing “everything possible” to avoid civilian deaths in Ukraine.

“Attention was drawn to the numerous war crimes committed daily by the Ukrainian security forces,” the Kremlin said of the call between Putin and Emmanuel Macron.

“In particular massive rocket and artillery attacks on the cities of Donbas,” the Kremlin added, referring to Ukraine’s Russian-speaking east, part of which is controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.

Putin told Macron the Russian army was “doing everything possible to safeguard the lives of peaceful civilians, including by organising humanitarian corridors for their safe evacuation,” the Kremlin said.

Both leaders also discussed the continuing talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict in Ukraine in the telephone call, which was a “French initiative”, it said.

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Italy prepares plan to take in 175,000 Ukrainian refugees

Italy has drawn up plans to take in up to 175,000 Ukrainian refugees, a draft decree seen by Reuters has said.

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Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher exceed $30-million goal for Ukraine relief

Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are “overwhelmed with gratitude” to those who donated to their GoFundMe campaign for Ukraine relief.

The “That ‘70s Show” co-stars thanked donors Thursday in a video update announcing that they had exceeded their $30-million goal benefitting victims of the Russian invasion of the former Soviet nation that began on Feb. 24.

“We hit our goal!” Kunis said in the video. “Over 65,000 of you donated. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support. And while this is far from a solve to the problem, our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty.”

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Federer to donate $500,000 to support Ukrainian children

Federer Roland Garros 2013 Interview • FedFan

Roger Federer will donate $500,000 through his foundation to ensure children affected by the Ukraine conflict are provided with care and access to education, the former world number one has said.

“My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected. We stand for peace, ” Federer said on Twitter.

Andy Murray, another former world number one and an ambassador for UNICEF UK, said last week that he would donate his prize money won from tennis tournaments in 2022 towards aid efforts for children affected by Russia’s assault.

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Russia says post-1991 ‘illusions’ about the West are over

Russia has lost any illusions about ever relying on the West and Moscow will never accept a world order dominated by the United States, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

Lavrov said the West’s reaction to what Moscow has called a “special military operation” had illustrated that the West was completely dominated by the US and that the European Union was largely powerless.

“What the Americans want is a unipolar world which would not be like a global village but like an American village — or maybe like a saloon where you know the strongest calls the shots,” Lavrov said.

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Russian official who spoke out leaves post

Former Kremlin aide and ex-deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich, 49, has stepped down as chair of the Skolkovo Foundation after becoming a rare official voice of dissent against Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.

Established in 2010, the Skolkovo Foundation has aimed to diversify the country’s economy from oil and gas, foster start-ups and build a Russian version of Silicon Valley outside Moscow.

“Arkady Dvorkovich decided to terminate the powers of chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation and focus on the development of educational projects,” Skolkovo said in a statement.

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Ukraine president to address Japan parliament next week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to deliver an online speech to Japan’s parliament at around 6pm Japan time (0900 GMT) on March 23, public broadcaster NHK has said.

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Ukraine: World lenders see widespread economic fallout

The International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other top lenders have warned of “extensive” economic fallout, including higher prices for food and energy, from the Ukraine conflict and expressed horror at the “devastating human catastrophe”.

“The entire global economy will feel the effects of the crisis through slower growth, trade disruptions, and steeper inflation, harming especially the poorest and most vulnerable,” they said in a statement, warning that the conflict was increasing poverty.

Other signatories included the Council of Europe Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

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EU denies ‘double standard’ over refugee policy

The EU has said it is not applying a double standard towards refugees from Ukraine compared to Syria, as it grapples with the biggest migration crisis in Europe since World War II.

EU Commission vice president Margaritis Schinas said there was no difference in the bloc’s refugee policy based on country of origin, after allegations that it was welcoming refugees from Ukraine more openly compared to those fleeing the Middle East.

He added that the current situation with refugees from Ukraine was “unique” as the country directly borders several EU nations, unlike Syria. 

“The movement comes straight into the European Union,” he told journalists in Istanbul.

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EU appreciates Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts 

The European Union appreciates Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in mediating between Ukraine and Russia, an EU official has said.

The European Commission’s lead foreign policy spokesperson, Peter Stano, said “the clear position” adopted by Türkiye was appreciated, noting that the country “made great efforts to play the role of the mediator”.

He underlined that Türkiye managed to organise the first meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. He also called Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visits to Moscow and Ukraine’s western Lviv city “very important”.

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French president Macron told Putin he is “extremely concerned” about Mariupol

French President Macron has told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he is “extremely concerned” about the situation in Mariupol, which has been hit by constant shelling over recent days, according to the French presidential office.

The call lasted just over one hour, the Elysee added.

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Britons prepare to welcome Ukrainians despite scheme concerns

Nick Beever proudly shows off the pristine spare bedroom at his home in the London suburbs, one of thousands of Britons ready to take part in a government programme to host Ukrainian refugees.

“So this is currently our guest room actually, but we hope to have one, maybe two Ukrainian refugees staying here,” Beever told AFP at the home he shares with his wife in Croydon, south London.

“Helping people is one of those duties you have as a member of society, as a human being,” said the 32-year-old teacher.

So far over 150,000 people have registered to take part in the “Homes for Ukraine” programme helping residents to offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees, despite concerns over how it will work in practice.

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Russia using UN to spread propaganda, Western states say

Russia is using the UN Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine, six Western members states have said.

They made the allegation at a council meeting called at Russia’s request to discuss its allegations that Ukraine is developing biological weapons.

“Russia is once again attempting to use this council to launder its disinformation, spread its propaganda, and justify its unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine,” the six countries with seats on the council said in a statement read out by US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

She was accompanied by representatives of France, Norway, Albania, Ireland and Britain.

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Dutch, Germans to send 3 Patriot missile defence systems to Slovakia

Patriot Missile Long-Range Air-Defence System, US Army

The Dutch government has said it would send a Patriot missile defence system to Sliac, Slovakia, as part of NATO moves to strengthen air defences in Eastern Europe.

“The worsened safety situation in Europe as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this contribution necessary,” Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a statement.

Germany is also sending two Patriot systems to Slovakia, the statement said.

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Ukraine says Russian forces not made fresh advances

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said Ukrainian troops had prevented Russian troops from making any fresh advances.

Speaking on national television, Malyar said Russian forces had food and fuel supply issues and communications problems.

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Zelensky to address French MPs

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the French parliament on Wednesday as he pursues efforts to secure international help to end Russia’s invasion.

“The war striking the Ukrainian people affects all the peoples of Europe and their parliamentary assemblies,” the speaker’s office of the lower house National Assembly said in a statement Friday.

Zelensky has made ardent pleas to national legislatures via video link this week, warning that atrocities against Ukrainian civilians are growing in a war entering its fourth week.

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Russia will respond to Bulgaria’s ‘hostile’ expulsion of diplomats

The Russian embassy to Sofia has said Bulgaria’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats was “yet another aggressive step” to which Moscow would respond accordingly.

In a statement on its Telegram channel, the embassy said it saw the expulsions as a sign of Bulgaria’s intention to cut Bulgarian-Russian relations to a minimum.

“This hostile demarche will soon get a relevant appraisal and a reaction, adequate to the new spirit of the bilateral relations,” the embassy said.

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Xi says conflicts like Ukraine crisis in no one’s interests

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Joe Biden on Friday that conflicts and confrontations such as the events unfolding in Ukraine are in the interests of no-one, according to Chinese state media.

State-to-state relations cannot advance to the stage of confrontation, and conflicts and confrontations are not in the interests of anyone, Xi told Biden on a video call.

“The Ukraine crisis is something that we don’t want to see,” said Xi.

Xi said China and the United States must guide bilateral relations along the right track, and both sides should also shoulder due international responsibilities and make efforts for world peace.

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Ukraine’s Zelensky says 130 people saved from Mariupol theatre bombing, ‘hundreds’ still trapped

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that 130 people had been saved after the bombing of a theatre in the port city of Mariupol, besieged by Russian forces, but that “hundreds” were still trapped in rubble. 
“More than 130 people have been saved. But hundreds of Mariupol residents are still beneath the rubble,” Zelensky said in a video address on Facebook. 
He promised to continue rescue operations in Mariupol “despite shelling” in the southern city that has suffered vast destruction.  
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High-profile Russian journalist accuses Moscow of ‘terrorism’

Alexander Nevzorov, a renowned television anchor and former politician, has said that Russia’s actions in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol amount to “terrorism”.

“I can’t be silent any more. What’s happening in Mariupol is terrorism,” he wrote on his Telegram channel, referring to two weeks of bombardment and shelling of the Sea of Azov port city.

Kremlin-controlled media say that Russian troops are “liberating” Ukraine from ultra-nationalists and “neo-Nazis”.

They have also claimed that the Azov battalion whose members include ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazis are holding civilians in Mariupol “hostage”.

“Is this liberation when we kill hundreds of civilians to liquidate a dozen soldiers?” Nevzorov wrote, adding that he would have to leave Russia after his post.

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POPE FRANCIS CALLS UKRAINE WAR A ‘PERVERSE ABUSE OF POWER’ FOR PARTISAN INTERESTS

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RUSSIA WANTS TO INVOLVE ASSAD REGIME TROOPS IN UKRAINE WAR: UKRAINIAN MINISTRY

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RUSSIA: US WANTED TO SPREAD INFECTIOUS DISEASES VIA BIOLABS IN UKRAINE

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Russia’s illusions about the West are over, Lavrov says

Russia has lost all illusions about relying on the West and Moscow will never accept a view of the world dominated by a United States that wants to act like a global sheriff, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

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Over 2 million refugees have entered Poland: Border guard

Over two million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, the Polish border guard has said.

“Today, March 18 at 09:00 (local time) the number of refugees from Ukraine exceeded 2 million. Mainly women and children,” the border guard wrote on Twitter.

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UK revokes license of Russian TV channel

The UK has revoked the broadcasting license of Russian state-funded television channel RT.

“Ofcom has today revoked RT’s licence to broadcast in the UK, with immediate effect,” the UK’s media regulator said in a statement, adding it did not consider it “fit and proper” for RT to operate in the country.

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Ukraine: Russia lost 14,200 servicemen

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has said that Russia lost some 14,200 servicemen since the invasion began on February 24, including about 200 in the past 24 hours.

It also said that Ukrainian forces destroyed 450 Russian tanks, 1,448 armored vehicles, 93 planes, 112 helicopters and 12 drones.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported the death toll only once, on March 2, saying that 498 servicemen had been killed in Ukraine.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Russia lost some 7,000 soldiers in Ukraine.

There is no way to verify the claims of both sides.

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Biden calls Putin a ‘murderous dictator’

Biden has called Putin a ‘murderous dictator’ and a ‘pure thug’, The Hill news website has reported.

The US president made the comments at the Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St Patrick’s Day at the Capitol.

“My generic point is that, you know, now you have Ireland and Great Britain … standing together against a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine,” Biden said.

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Fighting in Mariupol city centre: Russian ministry

Russian troops and their separatist allies have been fighting in the centre of Mariupol, a strategic port city in the southeast of Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry has said.

“In Mariupol, units of the Donetsk People’s Republic, with the support of the Russian armed forces, are squeezing the encirclement and fighting against nationalists in the city centre,” the ministry said in Moscow.

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France says sanctions starting to have impact on Russia: Spokesperson

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal has said sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia were starting to have a “real impact”.

“We hope these sanctions will force [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to change his plans,” Attal told BFM TV.

Earlier this week, European Union member states agreed on a fourth package of sanctions against Russia.

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Deadly attacks kill, injure civilians in Kharkiv

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch has documented extensive Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, which killed or injured 450 civilians in just the first 11 days of the invasion.
“Human Rights Watch identified Russian use of cluster munitions and explosive weapons with wide-area effect in heavily populated areas in Kharkiv, in apparent indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks,” the report noted.

Saudi Arabia extends Ukrainians’ visas on humanitarian grounds: SPA

Saudi Arabia has issued a royal directive extending tourist and business visas of Ukrainian citizens without fees or fines for humanitarian considerations, state news agency SPA has said.

The extension will be automatic without the need to visit the migration authorities.

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Russia lost 7 planes, ‘exhausted’ human resources

Ukrainian servicemen downed seven Russian planes, one helicopter, three drones and three cruise missiles, Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces has said in a Facebook post.

In an earlier post, it showed the debris of a downed Russian helicopter. It also claimed that Moscow is running out of servicemen and has to mobilise civilians and hire Syrian “mercenaries”.

“Because the occupants have significantly exhausted human resources,” Russian top brass resorts to “extreme measures” such as mobilisation of civilians and volunteers, conscripts and cadets, as well as mercenaries from Syria, it said.

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Search continues for Ukraine theatre bombing survivors

Rescue workers continue to search desperately for any survivors buried beneath the rubble of Mariupol’s bombed-out theatre, as Russia’s forces pounded residential areas across Ukraine, stoking allegations of war crimes.

Twenty-four hours after Mariupol’s once-gleaming whitewashed theatre was hollowed out by a Russian strike, the number of dead, injured or trapped is still unclear.

Ukraine’s ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said a bombshelter in the building had survived the impact, and some “adults and children” had emerged alive.

Italy’s minister of culture Dario Franceschini said his country was ready to rebuild the theatre “as soon as possible.”

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Ukraine: Russia recruited nearly 1,000 ‘mercenaries’ from Mideast

The Russian army has recruited nearly a thousand “mercenaries” from Syria and Lebanon, Ukraine said.

“The Russian occupiers, which have suffered huge losses during the war, have already recruited mercenaries from the troops under the command of (Syria’s) Bashar al Assad regime and (Lebanese group) Hezbollah’s so-called army,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

Foreigners — some of whom have never handled a firearm yet but are ready to die — have also arrived in Ukraine from other European countries, the US and elsewhere. Russia says it killed 180 pro-Kiev “mercenaries” in a training base attack on Sunday and has warned its forces will show “no mercy for mercenaries wherever they are on the territory of Ukraine.”

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Australia, Japan bring new sanctions on Russia 

Australia has placed sanctions on Russia’s Finance Ministry and 11 additional banks and government organisations, covering the majority of the country’s banking assets along with all entities that handle Russia’s sovereign debt.

“With our recent inclusion of the Central Bank of Russia, Australia has now targeted all Russian government entities responsible for issuing and managing Russia’s sovereign debt,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement.

Japan also imposed new sanctions against 15 Russian individuals and nine Russian groups, it said, adding targets of new asset freeze sanctions also include Russian defence official and two lawmakers.

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Hundreds of Ukraine-bound bulletproof vests stolen in New York

An NGO in New York had hundreds of bulletproof vests stolen after they were donated by officers and destined for Ukraine as it battles a Russian offensive, police and the organisation said.

The theft occurred at the headquarters of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), where police arrived Wednesday and learned that “approximately 400 bulletproof vests were removed from the location,” NY Police Department spokeswoman Lieutenant Jessica McRorie said.

“There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing,” she added. A spokesperson for UCCA said a smaller number of vests, about 300, were missing from the group’s Manhattan location.

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Ukraine military rules out Russian ground offensive on Kyiv in ‘near future’

Ukraine’s military says a Russian ground offensive on the Ukrainian capital in the “near future” is “improbable”, citing a lack of experienced commanders as well as heavy casualties and low morale among Russian forces.

It also said Russia is trying to replenish their losses with mercenaries from Syria and have already recruited 1,000 volunteers.

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Dozens of Turkish citizens evacuate Mariupol, many more remain

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency is reporting that at least 65 Turkish citizens and their relatives have managed to evacuate Mariupol.

Ismail Hacioglu, who heads Mariupol’s main mosque, told the state-run agency that the Turks who left on Thursday were people who had access to their own vehicles.

Some 87 Turkish citizens and their families remain in the city, he said, but the evacuation buses that were supposed to pick them up were unable to enter Mariupol on Thursday due to Russian attacks.

“The Turkish Foreign Ministry notified the Russian Foreign Ministry about the evacuation of Turkish nationals. That’s why the area where our mosque is located was not bombed,” he said.

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US citizen killed in Ukraine identified; he died while ‘trying to find food’

US media have identified the American citizen killed in Ukraine as 68-year-old Jimmy Hill.

Citing Hill’s family members, Fox News said the social worker was killed while trying to find food in the city of Chernihiv.

Hill’s sister, Cheryl Hill Gordon, wrote on Facebook that he was waiting “in a bread line with several other people when they were gunned down by Russian military snipers”.

She added, “His body was found in the street by the local police.”

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Canada offers three years of temporary residency to Ukranians 

Ottawa has announced it is establishing a new immigration programme that will offer Ukrainians fleeing the Russian offensive a temporary Canadian residence permit for up to three years.

Canada, which has a large Ukrainian diaspora, especially in the centre and west of the country, said in a statement that “Ukrainians and their immediate family members of any nationality may stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years.”

Applicants are required to apply online and provide their biometric data in the form of fingerprints and a photo. Ukrainian refugees can simultaneously apply for a work and study permit.

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US: China will bear responsibility for actions supporting Russia

US President Joe Biden will warn Beijing away from providing military aid for Russia’s attacks on Ukraine when he speaks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

“President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow, and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression. And we will not hesitate to impose costs,” Blinken said.

Blinken also told reporters that the United States is concerned that China is considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment.

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‘Stop this war’: Arnold Schwarzenegger to Putin

“Terminator” star Arnold Schwarzenegger appealed to Vladimir Putin on Thursday to end the “senseless” war in Ukraine and praised Russians protesting the conflict as his “new heroes.”
“Ukraine did not start this war,” the former California governor said in an emotional message to the people of Russia and Russian troops posted to his Twitter account.

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Moscow regrets suspension of Russian-European Mars mission

Moscow regrets the “bitter” decision by the European Space Agency to suspend a Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars over the Kremlin’s Ukraine offensive, Russia’s space chief has said.

“This is a very bitter [decision] for all the enthusiasts of space,” Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, said on Telegram, calling it a “shame”. He added that Moscow will “conduct this research expedition on our own”.

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Slovakia says willing to provide Ukraine S-300s if NATO fills gap

Slovakia’s defense minister said on Thursday that his country was willing to provide Ukraine with S-300 air defenses if NATO allies find a substitute, but his visiting U.S. counterpart told reporters he had nothing to announce on that.
Ukraine has appealed to Western nations for air defenses to help repel a Russian military onslaught, now in its fourth week.
“We have been in discussion with U.S., Ukraine and also other allies on the possibility to deploy, send or give the S-300 to Ukrainians and we are willing to do so,” Slovakia’s Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad told a news conference.
“But willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was speaking alongside Nad, declined to say whether the United States might be willing to fill the gap.

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MORE THAN 3.2 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE FLED UKRAINE, MORE EXPECTED TO LEAVE

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Kadyrov says ‘a thousand’ Chechen volunteers are headed to Ukraine

Image

A thousand Chechen volunteers are on their way to fight for Russia in Ukraine, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov said Thursday. 
Kadyrov, whose security forces have been accused of numerous abuses, said on Telegram that one of his relatives, Apty Alaudinov, “is leading a thousand volunteers from the Chechen republic heading to take part in the special operation of denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine”.
Eralier on Kadyrov thanked US President Joe Biden for sending weapons to Ukraine and said he would be able to capture and use them for Russia.Biden on Wednesday announced a $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, which he said includes the “most cutting-edge systems” from US arms-makers.
He called it “Gorgeous, joyful, encouraging news coming from Washington!” and complained that he was unimpressed with equipment captured from Ukraine so far.
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Erdogan offers to host Putin and Zelenskyy for talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered in a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to host him and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks, according to his office.

The statement said Erdogan told Putin that agreement on certain issues could require a meeting between the leaders. Erdogan also said a lasting ceasefire could lead the way to a long-term solution, it said.

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Ukraine war will lead to food crisis in next 12-18 months, France’s Macron says

The war between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world’s top crop producers, will likely lead to a food crisis in the next 12-18 months in Africa and the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

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At least 21 dead after shelling of east Ukraine town, local officials say

At least 21 people were killed and 25 were injured when Russian forces shelled a town in eastern Ukraine, local prosecutors have said.

Artillery fire earlier hit a school and a cultural centre in the town of Merefa outside the city of Kharkiv, regional prosecutors said in a post on Facebook. Of the wounded, 10 people are in serious condition.

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Ukraine wants security guarantees from Turkey as part of any peace deal

Ukraine wants Turkey to be among countries offering security guarantees to it as part of any deal with Russia to end the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said after meeting Turkey’s foreign minister.

Speaking at a briefing after the talks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Kuleba said Turkey was also helping to set up direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Russian-European Mars mission suspended over Ukraine war: ESA

A Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars has been suspended due to the sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and its “tragic consequences”, the European Space Agency said.

“We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine,” the agency said as it confirmed the suspension of the ExoMars mission.

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Turkey says hopes for humanitarian ceasefire in Mariupol

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that he hoped for a humanitarian ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where he said more than 100 Turkish citizens were still located.

In a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Lviv, broadcast on Turkish television, Cavusoglu said he had proposed a 24-hour ceasefire to be monitored by humanitarian groups.

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Canada imposes sanctions on 22 Belarusian officials

Canada has said it was imposing sanctions on 22 senior officials of Belarus’s Department of Defence for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Just as Canada is imposing severe sanctions on the Russian regime, Belarusian leadership must also be held accountable for enabling and supporting Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked attacks,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to take further action.”

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Germany says 187,428 refugees arrived from Ukraine

German police have recorded 187,428 refugees from Ukraine as having arrived in the country as of Thursday, the Interior Ministry tweeted.

“Most of them are women, children and old people,” it added.

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Biden, China to speak Friday on Ukraine, competition: White House

United States President Joe Biden will hold a call on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and will discuss managing competition between the two countries as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.

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India to study sanctions impact for a payment mechanism with Russia

India will study the impact of western sanctions against Russia while devising a payment mechanism to settle its trade with Moscow, India’s finance ministry spokesperson said.

Arindam Bagchi said India imports the bulk of its oil and is always exploring all possibilities in the global energy markets.

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UN AGENCY TO GIVE PROTECTIVE GEAR TO UKRAINE JOURNALISTS

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Air defence systems for Ukraine would destabilise situation: Russia

Russia’s foreign ministry has said that giving Ukraine air defence systems will be a destabilising factor that would not bring peace to the country.

“Such deliveries … would be a destabilising factor which will definitely not bring peace to Ukraine,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing.

“In the long term, they could have much more dangerous consequences,” she added.

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UN: War hinders food access for world’s poor

A UN agency is warning that the conflict in Ukraine is likely to hinder access to food and fuel for many of the world’s most vulnerable people.

A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development notes that Russia accounted for nearly a third of wheat imports for Africa, or $3.7 billion, in 2018-2020, while 12 percent, worth $1.4 billion, came from Ukraine. 

The report said initial assessments point to a “substantive reduction” in access to food and fuel despite efforts to prevent disruptions of supplies of key commodities such as wheat. 

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France says Russia ‘pretending to negotiate’ in Ukraine talks

Russia is pretending to negotiate with Ukraine, while pursuing the invasion of its neighbour in line with a brutal strategy it has used elsewhere, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said.

“Unfortunately we’re still facing the same Russian logic – making maximalist demands, wanting Ukraine to surrender and intensifying siege warfare,” Le Drian told newspaper Le Parisien.

“Just as in Grozny (in Chechnya) and Aleppo (in Syria), there are three typical elements – indiscriminate bombardment, so-called humanitarian “corridors” designed to allow them to accuse the other side of failing to respect them, and talks with no objective other than pretending that they are negotiating.”

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Zelenskyy urges Germany to tear down new Russian ‘Wall’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Germany in an emotional video address before parliament to help destroy a new “Wall” Russia was erecting in Europe.

“It’s not a Berlin Wall – it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb” dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.

“Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall,” he implored German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, evoking US President Ronald Reagan’s Cold War appeal in Berlin.

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‘Kidnapped’ mayor of Melitopol is freed after being swapped for nine Russian soldiers

On Wednesday, Ukraine handed over nine detained Russian soldiers in order to gain the release of Melitopol’s mayor, who was detained last week, according to the Interfax Ukraine news agency.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration had previously stated that mayor Ivan Fedorov had been released, but provided no other details. 

“Ivan Fedorov was released from Russian captivity … for him, Russia received nine captured soldiers who were born in 2002 and 2003. These are actually children,” Interfax Ukraine quoted Zelenskiy press aide Darya Zarivnaya as saying.

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Russian forces ‘largely stalled on all fronts’: UK intelligence

Latest intelligence information from the UK said Russian troops were slowing down in Ukraine, which confirmed the heavy losses Moscow is suffering during the invasion.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts. Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses,” the intelligence update read.

The Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated and the vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainians hands, it added.

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Russia will put its enemies such as US in their place: Medvedev

Russia's Medvedev slams U.S. for Cuba embargo during Havana trip | World News,The Indian Express

Russia has the might to put enemies led by the United States in their place and Moscow will foil the West’s Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart, one of President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has said.

Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s security council, said the United States had stoked “disgusting” Russophobia in an attempt to force Russia on its knees and then rip it apart.

“It will not work – Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place,” Medvedev said. 

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Russia conducting ‘anti-cartel’ checks at sugar producers

Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has said it is conducting “anti-cartel” inspections at major sugar producers in light of a sharp increase in sugar prices and a shortage of supply on the market.

Annual inflation in Russia accelerated to its highest since late 2015 as of March 11, with the weakening rouble in response to events in Ukraine and unprecedented sanctions against Moscow sending prices soaring.

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Russian govt sites facing unprecedented cyber attacks: Russian news agency

Russian government websites are facing unprecedented cyber attacks and efforts are being made to filter foreign web traffic, the TASS news agency cited the digital ministry as saying on Thursday.
Russian government entities and state-owned companies have been targeted over events in Ukraine, with the websites of the Kremlin, flagship carrier Aeroflot and major lender Sberbank among those to have seen outages or temporary access issues in recent weeks.
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Russia lost 14,000 servicemen: Ukraine’s defense ministry

Ukraine’s defense ministry says that Russia lost  some 14,000 servicemen, including about 200 in the past 24 hours.

It also said that Ukrainian forces destroyed 444 Russian tanks, 1435 armored vehicles, 86 planes, 108 helicopters, 11 drones and 3 ships.

It said the figures were approximate and their verification was “complicated” by the high intensity of the fighting.

Russia’s defense ministry has reported the death toll only on March 2, saying that 498 servicemen had been killed in Ukraine. There is no way to verify the claims of both sides.

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Ukraine says it downed Russian planes, helicopters and a drone

Ukraine’s Air Force says in a statement posted on Facebook it has shot down three Russian Su-30M bombers, one Su-34 bomber and one plane that yet has to be identified.

It also said that two helicopters and one drone were shot down, while air defense forces shot down one more Su-34 bomber and one more helicopter.

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Ukraine publishes list of museums, churches destroyed in Russian invasion

Ukraine’s ministry of culture has published a preliminary list of sites destroyed or damaged in the Russian invasion.

It includes the Museum of Ukrainian Antiquities in Chernihiv, the Kharkiv National University, as well as the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Zhytomyr.

Putin’s “real goal is to destroy the Ukrainian nation, culture, history and identity,” the ministry said.

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Death toll mounts in Chernihiv: regional governor

The death toll is mounting in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, with 53 people killed by Russian forces on Wednesday alone, the regional  governor said on Thursday.
“We are suffering heavy losses – 53 citizens were killed yesterday,” Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.
The information could not immediately be verified. Russia denies targeting civilians.
Chernihiv, a city located north of the capital Kyiv and close to the border with Moscow’s ally Belarus, has been heavily shelled by Russian air forces since Russia launched the offensive on February 24.
On Wednesday, emergency services said five people, including three children, were killed when Russian forces shelled a residential building in the city.
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Human Rights Watch raises ‘serious concerns’ over Mariupol theatre attack

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has confirmed the March 16 Russian attack on the Donetsk Regional Theatre of Drama. In a statement, the New York-based group said that while HRW could not rule out the “possibility of a Ukrainian military target in the area of the theatre… we do know that the theatre had been housing at least 500 civilians.”
“This raises serious concerns about what the intended target was in a city where civilians have already been under siege for days and telecommunications, power, water, and heating have been almost completely cut off,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at the rights watchdog.
The statement noted that in satellite imagery of the theater from March 14, the Russian word for “children”clearly appears written twice in large Cyrillic script in front and behind the theatre.

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Kiev, Moscow continue talks over video

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held another round of talks by video. An official in Zelenskyy’s office said that the main subject under discussion was whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the conflict and where the borders would be.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Ukraine was insisting on the inclusion of one or more Western nuclear powers in the negotiations and on the signing of a legally binding document with security guarantees for Ukraine. 

In exchange, the official said, Ukraine was ready to discuss a neutral status. Russia has demanded that NATO pledge never to admit Ukraine to the alliance or station forces there. 

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Satellite images show damage in Kharkiv, Chernihiv

A satellite image shows craters from artillery impact near a residential area, in Kharkiv, Ukraine March 16, 2022.
A satellite image shows craters from artillery impact near a residential area, in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 16, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
A satellite image shows fires and damage in a residential area, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 16, 2022.
A satellite image shows fires and damage in a residential area, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters] 
A satellite image shows a damaged Olympic sports training center, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, March 16, 2022.
A satellite image shows a damaged Olympic sports training centre, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 16, 2022. [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
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Ukraine swapped 9 Russian soldiers to free detained mayor: official

Ukraine handed over nine captured Russian soldiers to ensure the release of the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, a senior official has said. 

“Ivan Fedorov was released from Russian captivity…For him, Russia received nine captured soldiers who were born in 2002 and 2003. These are actually children,” Darya Zarivnaya, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press aide, said in a televised speech.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, said that Fedorov, who was kidnapped by the Russian army on March 11, has been released. 

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Ukraine’s president outlines demands for talks with Russia

Ukraine’s president has reiterated the importance of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing peace talks with Russia.

“My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message released by Ukraine’s Presidency.

Zelenskyy also called on Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons to get a chance to survive.

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Ukraine’s military says it targeted Kherson airbase

Ukrainian military forces have dealt a punishing blow to the airport in Kherson, which Russian troops had seized early in the conflict, the General Staff said. It said the Russians were trying to remove any surviving military equipment.

Satellite photos taken by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by The Associated Press show helicopters and vehicles on fire at the airbase.

Russia seized the southern port city without a fight in the first days of the offensive. Control over Kherson allows Russia to restore freshwater supplies to Crimea; Ukraine cut off the water after Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014.

Panama: Three ships hit in Black Sea since start of Ukraine assualt

Three Panamanian-flagged ships have been hit by Russian missiles in the Black Sea since Russia’s offensive in Ukraine last month, Panama’s Maritime Authority said.

One ship sank, the maritime authority said in a statement, but there were no casualties reported.

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‘More than a thousand’ were sheltering in bombed Ukraine theatre, local official says

Ukraine claimed Wednesday that Russia had destroyed a theatre harbouring more than a thousand people in the besieged port city of Mariupol, with the toll as yet unknown.
“Today, the invaders destroyed the Drama Theatre. A place, where more than a thousand people found refuge. We will never forgive this,” the Mariupol local council said in a Telegram post.
A satellite image released Wednesday by Maxar Technologies shows the word “Children” (“дети” in Russian) clearly written in large letters on the ground in front of and behind the theatre before it was bombed.
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Some 300 Mariupol refugees arrive in Russia, Interfax reports, citing Russian defence ministry

Thirteen buses carrying around 300 refugees from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have arrived in Russia’s Rostov region, Russia’s Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday civilians waiting in line for bread and sheltering in a theatre in Mariupol had been killed by Russian forces. Russia has denied attacking the theatre.
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Russia denies shooting Ukrainians in Chernihiv bread line

Russia’s defence ministry has denied reports that its forces had shot and killed 10 people waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, saying there are no Russian troops in the area.

Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the report and footage of alleged victims that appeared in various Ukrainian outlets was a “hoax launched by the Ukrainian Security Service”.

“No Russian soldiers are or have been in Chernihiv. All units are outside of the Chernihiv city limits, blocking roads, and are not conducting any offensive action,” he said, adding that the US Embassy had republished an “unverified fake”.

The US Embassy in Kyiv did not provide evidence for the attack in a statement posted on its official Twitter site and its Facebook page.

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Russia blocks BBC website, vows more retaliatory media sanctions

Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor has blocked access to the BBC’s main news website, with Moscow’s foreign ministry warning of more retaliatory measures against the media.

“I think this is only the beginning of retaliatory measures to the information war unleashed by the West against Russia,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

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Ukraine president to address Israeli parliament

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address Israel’s parliament via video link on Sunday, as the Jewish state tries to walk a delicate line between Kiev and Moscow.

“It will be an honour for me and the Knesset to host President Zelenskyy’s address…at this difficult time facing the Ukrainian people,” said Mickey Levy, the speaker of the Israeli parliament.

Zelenskyy will address an extraordinary session of the Knesset at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Sunday.

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ICC prosecutor in Ukraine has video call with Zelenskyy

International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan has visited Ukraine where he has held a video call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The pair met virtually, the Hague-based court tweeted. “We agreed all efforts are needed to ensure international humanitarian law is respected and to protect the civilian population,” Khan said.

The prosecutor opened an investigation into the situation in Ukraine on March 3, after getting the green light from more than 40 ICC states parties.

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WESTERN ATTEMPT AT GLOBAL DOMINANCE WILL FAIL: PUTIN

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Exiled economist: Putin sets Russia back decades

Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the Russian economy back by decades and curtailed his own political lifespan with the invasion of Ukraine, a prominent exiled economist has said.

Sergei Guriev, a former Kremlin and Russian government adviser, called the assault on Ukraine a “great miscalculation” by Putin.

“The last eight years were not great for Russia — it was eight years of stagnation. What we have now is a return to 20, 30 years back in terms of income levels and the structure of the economy,” Guriev told AFP in an interview. “Putin has managed to destroy the Russian economy within a matter of weeks.”

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Star Russian dancer quits Bolshoi over Ukraine

Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova has quit the Bolshoi in Moscow to join the Dutch National Ballet, it has been announced, making her the first Russian to quit the fabled company over the situation in Ukraine.

“Smirnova was outspoken in her recent denouncement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is making it untenable for her to work in her native country,” the Dutch company said in a statement.

UK ‘supplying starstreak anti-aircraft missiles’ to Ukraine

Britain is supplying starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, defence minister Ben Wallace has told the BBC.

“We are supplying them – they will go into theatre,” the BBC quoted Wallace as saying. Last week Wallace said a decision in principle had been taken to supply the weapons system.

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US warns Russia over possible use of chemical weapons

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has spoken with Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, in the first high-level contact publicly disclosed between the two countries since Moscow launched its attacks on Ukraine.

Sullivan warned Patrushev about the consequences “of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.” 

Sullivan told Patrushev that if Russia was serious about diplomacy, then it should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns, the White House said in a statement.

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Russia kills 10 people in north Ukraine bread line: Kiev

Ukrainian prosecutors say 10 people have been killed by Russian forces while waiting in a line to collect bread in the northern city of Chernigiv.

“At 10:00 am (0800 GMT), servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces fired at people standing in line for bread near a grocery store. According to preliminary data, 10 civilians were killed,” the Attorney General’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.

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US, allies launch joint task force to tackle Russian oligarchs

The United States and its allies have launched a multilateral task force to tackle Russian oligarchs, increasing cooperation on freezing assets.

Representatives from Australia, Canada, the European Commission, Germany, Italy, France, Japan and the UK met virtually with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland, the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

The countries agreed to collect and share information on Russian oligarchs with the goal of actions including sanctions, freezing and seizing assets and prosecution.

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Direct dialogue between Ukraine, Russia leaders needed to end war: Ukraine official

Mikhail Podolyak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office and top negotiator, has listed Kyiv’s demands in the ongoing talks with Russia.

“Our position at the negotiations is quite specific – legally verified security guarantees; ceasefire; withdrawal of Russian troops. This is possible only with a direct dialogue between the heads of Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” Podolyak said in an interview.

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Ukraine, Moldova electricity grids synched with Europe’s

The electricity grids of Ukraine and Moldova have been fully synchronised with the continental European grid, ensuring their access to power during the Russian invasion.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the move on Twitter, saying the synchronisation would “keep lights on and houses warm in these dark times.”

Russia has not specifically targeted critical energy infrastructure during its military campaign in Ukraine, but a single missile could take out a key piece of infrastructure, leading to blackouts.

The synchronisation process had been planned for completion in 2023.

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Ukraine President invokes 9/11, Pearl Harbor

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has compared the horror of Russia’s assault on his country to Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks in an address to the US Congress.

“Remember Pearl Harbor, terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you,” he said, recalling the air raid that brought the US into World War II.

“Remember September the 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, in battlefields,” he said. “Our country experienced the same every day.”

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Zelenskyy urges Biden to be ‘leader of peace’

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told US President Joe Biden that being the leader of the free world also means being “the leader of peace”.

In a sombre address to the US Congress appealing for more military help to fight off Russian forces, Zelenskyy said this conflict is not just about his country but about “the values of Europe and the world”. Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.

“I am addressing President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” Zelenskyy said, switching to English for the final passage of his speech.

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Council of Europe expels Russia from human rights body

The Council of Europe has expelled Russia from the continent’s foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over the Ukraine conflict. 

The 47-nation organisation’s committee of ministers said in statement that “the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba immediately welcomed the decision, posting on Twitter that there was “no place for Russia in European bodies as it wages a barbaric war of aggression against Ukraine and commits multiple war crimes”.

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Putin book tops UK bestsellers amid Ukraine conflict

Jual Putin's People by Catherine Belton Indonesia|Shopee Indonesia

A book about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle written by a British journalist has topped the UK bestseller list amid the Ukraine conflict, its publisher has said.

Catherine Belton’s “Putin’s People”, first published in 2020, “is the number one bestselling NF (non-fiction) paperback in the UK”, William Collins Books publishing director Arabella Pike said in a tweet. It was at number seven on The Sunday Times bestsellers list last week.

The critically acclaimed book by a former Financial Times Moscow correspondent faced an onslaught of lawsuits from Russian oligarchs including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, three of whom have now been targeted by UK sanctions.

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Russia: Any Putin-Zelenskyy meeting should be to seal deal

Russia has said there are no obstacles to a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but that such a meeting would only take place to seal a specific agreement.

“There are no obstacles to the organisation of such a meeting with the understanding that it would not be just for its own sake; it would have to seal concrete agreements which are currently being worked out by the two delegations,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.

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Russian lawmaker: Moscow, Beijing working on workaround

Russia and China are working to establish cooperation between their respective financial messaging systems, a senior Russian lawmaker has said, as Moscow responds to Western sanctions on its financial system.

“To get rid of risks associated with maintaining trade turnover, establishing cooperation between the Russian and Chinese financial messaging systems is needed,” said Anatoly Aksakov, head of the financial committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament.

“I know that such work is taking place,” he said. “Our central bank is cooperating with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and I believe that the current situation will stimulate the relevant processes.”

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Hit by EU sanctions, head of Russia’s Yandex resigns

The head of Russia’s tech giant Yandex, Tigran Khudaverdyan, has resigned after being placed on a list of European sanctions.

“Tigran Khudaverdyan has stepped down with immediate effect from his positions as Executive Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Yandex,” the company said in statement.

Yandex — dubbed the “Russian Google” — is registered in the Netherlands and has European, UK and US subsidiaries. But the bulk of its business is in Russia and Russian-speaking countries.

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Russian developers to launch photo-sharing app

Russian tech entrepreneurs are set to launch a picture-sharing application on the domestic market to help fill the void left by Instagram, which the authorities blocked this week.

The new service, known as Rossgram, will launch on March 28 and have additional functions such as crowdfunding and paid access for some content, its website said on Wednesday.

Russian state communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked access to Instagram from Monday after its US owner Meta said last week it would allow social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as “Death to the Russian invaders”.

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Russia regulator blocks websites of at least a dozen media

Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked access to at least a dozen media websites, in a crackdown online that sharply escalated after President Vladimir Putin sent in troops to Ukraine.

AFP was unable to access at least a dozen Russian and foreign-based media inside the country. These included award-winning investigation website Bellingcat, a Russian-language Israeli news site and regional websites, like Permdaily.ru.

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RUSSIA SHOULDN’T ‘MISCALCULATE’ NATO’S WILLINGNESS TO DEFEND ITSELF: NATO CHIEF WARNS

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Türkiye to continue mediator role in Ukraine conflict: FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said Türkiye continues its role as an honest mediator, facilitator despite all difficulties.

“As country that has good ties with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye continued its role as honest mediator, facilitator despite all difficulties”, he said after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. 

Cavusoglu also said that Türkiye would continue to implement Montreux Convention. 

Lavrov said Russia and Türkiye had different positions on Ukraine, however, “Moscow appreciates Ankara’s balanced position”. 

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No plans at this stage for Macron traveling to Ukraine

There are no plans at this stage for French President Emmanuel Macron to travel to Ukraine, government spokesman Gabriel Attal has said.

A trip can be envisaged as soon as a visit appears useful to resolve the crisis, Attal told a news conference following a cabinet meeting.

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RUSSIAN FM LAVROV DECLARES HOPE IN PEACE TALKS WITH UKRAINE

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Leaders return safely to EU after visit to Kiev amid attacks

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia have returned safely back to Poland after a visit to Kiev meant to show support for Ukraine as it faces heavy bombardment.

The leaders met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to send the message that Ukraine isn’t alone and that they support the nation’s aspirations to one day join the European Union.

They went ahead with the hours-long train trip despite worries within the EU about the security risks of traveling within a conflict zone.

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Swiss slap more sanctions on Russians in line with EU

Neutral Switzerland has adopted more European Union sanctions against Russian individuals and entities published in response to Moscow’s attack in Ukraine, the government has said.

“Switzerland’s list of sanctions now fully mirrors that of the EU,” it said, adding the individuals sanctioned included further oligarchs and prominent business people whose assets in Switzerland must be frozen as of midday. 

Ukrainian official sees no big change at front-line hotspots

Ukraine’s armed forces are conducting small-scale counter attacks on several fronts and Russian troops have not been able to gain ground because of a lack of resources, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said.

“The situation … in the main hotspots has not changed, and has no chance of changing as Russia has used up its resources,” he told a video briefing.

Arestovych said Russia continued to fire missiles at Ukrainian targets, with approximately two-thirds of rockets hitting civilian buildings and infrastructure.

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Ukraine launches counteroffensives in several areas: official

Ukraine’s armed forces are launching counteroffensives against Russian forces “in several operational areas,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has wrote on Twitter. 

“This radically changes the parties’ dispositions,” he added, without giving details. 

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Ukraine claims Russia lost 13,800 servicemen, 430 tanks

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has said that Russia lost “approximately 13,800 servicemen since the invasion began on February 24”.

In a Facebook post, it also said that Ukrainian forces destroyed 430 Russian tanks, 1375 armored vehicles, 84 planes, 108 helicopters and 11 drones.

It said the figures were approximate and their verification was “complicated” by the high intensity of the fighting.

Russia’s Defence Ministry has reported the country’s death toll only on March 2, saying that 498 servicemen had been killed in Ukraine.

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Concerns deepen over Ukraine nuclear power plants

There are growing concerns over the fate of Ukraine’s nuclear power stations as fighting intensifies.

Russian troops have already taken control of the station near Zaporizhzhia – one of Ukraine’s four operational nuclear facilities – and the Chernobyl site.

“It’s nuclear terrorism,” Pavlo Pavlysyn, director of the Rivne nuclear plant director, Ukraine’s oldest nuclear facility, told Al Jazeera.

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Train station targeted in Ukraine refugee hub near Mariupol

Russian forces have targeted the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia, where thousands of refugees are taking shelter after escaping the besieged port city of Mariupol, regional officials have said.

“Civilian objects have been bombed for the first time in Zaporizhzhia,” the regional governor Alexander Starukh wrote on the Telegram social media platform. 

“The rockets landed in the area of the Zaporozhye-2 railway station,” he added, specifying that there were no casualties. 

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Suspected strike on Russian-held airport

Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by The Associated Press show a suspected Ukrainian strike on the Russian-held Kherson International Airport and Air Base set several helicopters and vehicles ablaze.

The images at the dual-use airfield show thick black smoke rising overhead from the blazes. At least three helicopters appeared to be on fire, as well as several vehicles. At a pad further away, other helicopters appeared damaged from an earlier strike.

The Ukrainian president’s office said that fighting had continued at Kherson airport on Tuesday, with “powerful blasts” rocking the area during the course of the day. Kherson is about 450 kilometres southeast of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev. 

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Prosecutor general: 103 children have been killed in war in Ukraine

The Ukrainian prosecutor general has said that 103 children have been killed so far in the war in Ukraine.

Russian forces have struck more than 400 educational establishments and 59 of them have been destroyed, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook.

The information could not be independently verified.

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NATO begins planning to reset military posture on eastern flank

NATO is set to tell its military commanders to draw up plans for new ways to deter Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, including more troops and missile defences in eastern Europe, according to officials and diplomats.

Defence ministers from the alliance will order the military advice at NATO headquarters on Wednesday, just over a week before allied leaders, including US President Joe Biden, gather in Brussels on March 24.

“We need to reset our military posture for this new reality,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. “Ministers will start an important discussion on concrete measures to reinforce our security for the longer term, in all domains.”

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China says Taiwan ‘taking advantage’ of Ukraine

China’s government has lambasted Taiwan’s humanitarian aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia as “taking advantage of other’s difficulties” after the self-ruled territory announced it was sending more funds donated by the public for refugees.

The war in Ukraine has garnered broad sympathy in Taiwan, with many seeing parallels between Russia’s invasion and the military threat posed by China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory.

Asked about Taiwan’s aid and sanctions at a news conference in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said: “The Democratic Progressive Party authorities are using the Ukraine issue to validate their existence and piggyback on a hot issue,” referring to Taiwan’s ruling party.

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Russian fighting intensifies in Kiev suburbs

A plume of smoke has been seen rising up over western Kiev after shrapnel from an artillery shell slammed into a 12-storey apartment building in central Kiev, obliterating the top floor and igniting a fire, according to a statement and images released by the Kiev emergencies agency. 

The neighbouring building was also damaged. The agency reported two victims, without elaborating.

Russian forces have intensified fighting in Kiev suburbs, notably around the town of Bucha in the northwest and the highway leading west toward Zhytomyr, the head of the Kiev region Oleksiy Kuleba said. 

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Ukraine says Russian warships fire missiles

LIVE UPDATES: Ukraine Says Russian Warships Fire Missiles

Russian warships around midnight have fired missiles and artillery at the Ukrainian sea coast near Tuzla, to the south of Odessa, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko has said.

“They fired a huge amount of ammunition from a great distance,” he said on Facebook.

Gerashchenko said Russia wanted to test Ukraine’s coastal defence system. He said there was no attempt to land troops. He didn’t say whether any of the shelling hit anything.

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Ukraine official: Russia takes 500 hostage in Mariupol hospital

Russian troops have seized a hospital in Mariupol and took about 500 people hostage during another assault on the southern port city, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Russians troops drove 400 people from neighboring houses into Regional Intensive Care Hospital, Kyrylenko said on the messaging app Telegram. About 100 doctors and patients also are believed to be inside, he said.

The troops are using those inside the hospital as human shields and are not allowing anyone to leave, he said. “It’s impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard,” Kyrylenko said.

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Ukraine: Russia lost up to 40% of its armed units during offensive

Ukraine has said that Russia’s armed forces have lost up to 40 percent of their units since launching a military offensive against the country on February 24.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement that as of March 15, “the enemy” had lost up to 40 percent of the units involved in the so-called “operation” on the territory of Ukraine throu gh their complete destruction or loss of combat capability.

Over the past day, seven combat helicopters of the Russian army were destroyed during clashes in the Chornobaivka area of Ukraine, said the statement.

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At least 500 Kharkiv city residents killed so far in war with Russia: emergency service

Meanwhile in the eastern Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine’s second-largest city, emergency services on Wednesday said at least 500 residents have been killed since the Russian invasion began on February 24. The figure could not be independently verified.
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20,000 residents have left Mariupol in private cars so far: interior ministry

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Around  20,000 civilians have managed so far to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol in private cars, Ukrainian interior Mmnistry adviser Vadym Denysenko said Wednesday morning.
Mariupol residents have been trapped in the city by Russian shelling without heating, electricity and running water for most of the past two weeks. At least 200,000 are in urgent need of evacuation, according to official Ukrainian estimates earlier this week.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of blocking convoys attempting to leave the city as well as a Red Cross humanitarian convoy trying to bring supplies into Mariupol. Residents who managed to flee this week fled the city in private cars, traveling through many Russian-controlled areas to reach the nearest safest city of Zaporizhzhia. 

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Group of Seven to hold meeting over Russia, Japan minister says

The Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations will hold an online meeting after 1200 GMT to discuss Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday.

Suzuki, who made the comment in parliament, did not specify whether the meeting would be held among G7’s financial leaders or other representatives.

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Ukraine says fourth Russian general killed during battle for Mariupol

 Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev died Tuesday during the storming of Mariupol, says Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, who publishes a photo on Telegram of what he said was the dead officer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the death of a Russian general in his nighttime address but didn’t name him.

Mityaev, 46, commanded the 150th motorized rifle division and had fought in Syria, Gerashchenko says.

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Warsaw seeks NATO ‘peace mission’ to help Ukraine

Poland has called for a NATO peace mission “protected by armed forces” to help Ukraine.

“I think that it is necessary to have a peace mission – NATO, possibly some wider international structure – but a mission that will be able to defend itself, which will operate on Ukrainian territory,” Vice Premier Jars Kaczynski said during the conference, which was broadcast on Polish television.

“It must seek to provide humanitarian and peaceful aid.”

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Erdogan: Turkish FM to visit Russia, Ukraine this week

Türkiye’s top diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu will fly to Russia and Ukraine this week as Ankara facilitates ceasefire talks between the two countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

“We are sending our foreign minister to Russia today (on Tuesday). He will hold talks in Moscow tomorrow. He will travel to Ukraine on Thursday,” Erdogan told journalists after a cabinet meeting.

Erdogan will also meet Polish President Duda on Wednesday in Turkish capital Ankara.

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Nearly 100 children died since Russia’s incursion: Zelenskyy 

Nearly a hundred children have died in the conflict that followed Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Canadian lawmakers.

The southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol was left without means of communication and was nearly running out of food, Zelenskyy said in a virtual address to Canadian lawmakers.

He added that 97 children had been reported dead in total since the conflict began.

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Russia to spend $9B to support economy

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has said that his country aims to spend around 1 trillion rubles ($9 billion) on measures to support an economy hit by international sanctions.

Mishustin said the government would work with other ex-Soviet countries to reshape their trade relationships with a focus on helping Russia to get the imports it needs.

Mishustin said the measures aim to “ensure the maximum flexibility for the economy, remove internal restrictions on business and give more freedom to entrepreneurs.”

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3 EU prime ministers visit Kyiv

A trio of eastern European leaders met Ukraine’s president in his besieged capital Tuesday, in a defiant act of solidarity as Russian forces pressed in and air strikes claimed yet more lives in the city under curfew.

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Ukraine says 4th Russian general killed

Ukraine said a fourth Russian general has been killed in the fighting.

Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev died Tuesday during the storming of Mariupol, said Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, who published a photo on Telegram of what he said was the dead officer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the death of another Russian general in his nighttime address but didn’t name him.

Mityaev, 46, commanded the 150th motorised rifle division and had fought in Syria, Gerashchenko said.

There was no confirmation of the death from Russia.

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US Senate approves resolution probing Putin for war crimes

US Senate passes $3.5T spending plan

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution late Tuesday seeking investigations of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime for war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine. 

The bipartisan measure from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says the Senate strongly condemns the “violence, war crimes. crimes against humanity” being carried out Russian military forces under Putin’s direction. It encourages international criminal courts to investigate Putin, his security council and military leaders for possible war crimes.

“These atrocities deserve to be investigated for war crimes,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The measure was approved swiftly and without dissent as lawmakers in Congress continue to muscle a bipartisan show of force against the Russian war in Ukraine. First introduced almost two weeks ago, the Senate resolution would not carry the force of law, but is another example of Congress providing the Biden administration political support to take a tough line against Putin’s aggression.

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European Union plans to buy measles, polio, TB and Covid-19 vaccines for Ukraine refugees

The European Union is planning to buy and distribute vaccines against measles, polio, tuberculosis and Covid-19 to immunise Ukrainian children and other unvaccinated Ukrainian refugees, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Tuesday.
The number of Ukrainians fleeing abroad has approached 3 million, half of them children, according to estimates from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Most have gone to EU countries and many more are expected. Read more here

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Kharkiv mayor says more than 600 buildings have been destroyed in his city

More than 600 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city in the east of the country, since the start of Russia’s invasion, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a televised interview on Tuesday.
“Schools, nurseries, hospitals, clinics have been destroyed.  The Russian army is constantly shelling (us) from the ground and the air,” he said.
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Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch offers his home to Ukraine refugees heading to the UK

The star of Sherlock Holmes said he hopes to get involved in giving Ukrainian refugees a place to stay as Russia’s invasion of the country has forced millions to leave behind their loved ones, jobs, and homes.

“Everyone needs to do as much as they can … there’s been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, I hope to be part of that myself,” Benedict Cumberbatch told Sky News Sunday on the red carpet of the British Academy Film Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Read more here

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Biden to attend NATO, EU summits in Brussels next week

US President Joe Biden is to travel to Brussels for NATO and EU summits next Thursday, officials said, as western allies align their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The gatherings on March 24 of the US leader with his European counterparts comes after the Washington and Brussels unveiled successive waves of coordinated sanctions against Russia.
At the NATO summit, Biden will “reaffirm our iron-clad commitment to our NATO allies,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
At the EU summit, leaders would discuss the invasion of Ukraine and Western efforts to impose “economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges,” Psaki said.
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EU expands sanctions against Russia to ban luxury goods, blacklists Abramovich

The EU on Tuesday banned exports of champagne, high-end cars, fashion apparel, expensive electronics and sports gear to Russia as part of a new round of sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine.
The list of items was published in the European Union’s Official Journal, which announces legal decisions by the 27-nation bloc. It also blacklisted Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who owns English Premier League football club Chelsea, and other oligarchs.
The sanctions also ban transactions with Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft, excluding those involving fossil fuels and other raw materials, the Official Journal said.

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Moscow could stage “false flag” operation in Ukraine: NATO

NATO is concerned Russia might use chemical weapons in a “false flag” attack as part of its incursion into Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

“We are concerned Moscow could stage a false flag operation in Ukraine, possibly with chemical weapons,” Stoltenberg told a press conference.

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Russia calls for UNSC vote on ‘humanitarian’ crisis resolution 

Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations has called for a Security Council vote on a resolution it has drafted about the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Ukraine.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said that after France and Mexico opted not to present a draft resolution on humanitarian aid to the Council, Moscow would put forth its “own draft” for a vote on Wednesday.

Over 100,000 Britons willing to host Ukraine refugees

Over 100,000 Britons have expressed interest in hosting Ukrainian refugees, as part of a government programme for households to take in those fleeing Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“It’s fantastic that over 100,000 people and organisations have recorded their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war,” he tweeted.

“Thank you to everyone across the country who has stepped up to offer their help so far,” he said, less than 24 hours after the launch of the “Homes for Ukraine” programme.

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West made ‘terrible mistake’ by letting Putin get away with annexing Crimea – UK’s Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said letting Russian President Vladimir Putin “get away” with annexing Crimea was a “terrible mistake” that the West made.

“It is vital, if we’re going to stand up to Putin’s bullying, we’re going to avoid being blackmailed by Putin in the way that so many Western countries sadly have been, we’ve got to get ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons,” he told broadcasters as he hosted a summit of Nordic and Baltic leaders to discuss European defence and security. Read more here

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Ukraine wants security guarantees from NATO

Ukraine understands it does not have an open door to NATO membership and therefore proposes a way to protect itself independently provided it has security guarantees, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

“If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us … and have separate guarantees,” he said in a video address.

Around 2,000 cars leave Ukraine’s Mariupol  

Some 2,000 civilian cars have been able to drive out of the besieged southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol along a humanitarian evacuation route, the city authorities have said.

“As of 14:00 (1200 GMT) it is known that 2,000 cars left Mariupol,” the city council said on Telegram, adding that a further 2,000 vehicles were waiting to leave the city.

The statement did not specify how many people left in the vehicles. Another 160 cars had left the city on Monday, the council has said. 

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Belarus resisting attempts to drag it into conflict: Lukashenko

President Alexander Lukashenko has said that Belarus had intercepted a missile fired at it two days ago from Ukraine, but that it would resist what he called attempts to draw it into the conflict across the border.

The Kiev government accused Russia on Friday of staging “false flag” air attacks on Belarus from Ukraine to provide an excuse for Moscow’s close ally, which has served as a staging post for Russian forces entering Ukraine, to join the conflict itself.

“I warned you that they would push us into this operation, into this war,” Lukashenko told Belarusian soldiers, according to the state news agency BelTA.

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UK announces 350 new sanctions listings on Russia

The UK government has said it has added 350 new listings under its Russia sanctions regime and nine new listings under its cyber sanctions regime.

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Over 100,000 Britons willing to host Ukraine refugees

Over 100,000 Britons have expressed interest in hosting Ukrainian refugees, as part of a government programme for households to take in those fleeing Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

“It’s fantastic that over 100,000 people and organisations have recorded their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war,” he tweeted.

“Thank you to everyone across the country who has stepped up to offer their help so far,” he said, less than 24 hours after the launch of the “Homes for Ukraine” programme.

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Germany’s Scholz urges immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said all diplomatic channels should be kept open for an immediate ceasefire.

“It is a question of using all the formats of dialogue and maintaining them… and of pressing for a ceasefire to come soon, so that it comes immediately,” he told reporters after meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah in Berlin.

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UK says new laws will enable faster crackdown on Russian ‘dirty money’

New British legislation which came into effect overnight will allow the government to speed up its efforts to root out Russian “dirty money” parked in British assets, finance minister Rishi Sunak has said.

“Our Economic Crime Act will enable us to crack down harder and faster on dirty money and those who support Putin and his regime,” Sunak said in a statement. The legislation received final approval in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

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Russia says it is unaware of US readiness to discuss Ukraine: Interfax

Russia has no knowledge of the US being ready to make contact about the conflict in Ukraine, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.

Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington had diametrically opposed approaches to the situation, in quotes reported by Interfax news agency.

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Help yourself by helping us, Zelenskyy tells northern European leaders

Europe must protect its own security by helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told a meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders in London via video link, urging them to send more weapons.

“We all are the targets of Russia and everything will go against Europe if Ukraine won’t stand so I would like to ask you to help yourself by helping us,” Zelenskyy told the leaders.

“You know the kind of weapon we need… without your support it would be very difficult. I’m very grateful but I want to say that we need more … I do hope that you will be able to enhance that scope and you will see how this will protect your security, your safety.”

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Spain detains yacht linked to Russian oligarch Mikheyev: Police source

Spain detains yacht linked to Russian oligarch Mikheyev

Spanish authorities have detained a yacht called “Lady Anastasia” owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheyev, who is under EU sanctions, a police source has told Reuters.

The yacht cannot leave the marina of Port Adriano in Mallorca, where it is now moored, the police source said.

Spanish authorities are complying with a EU decision to block assets owned by a list of wealthy Russians with links to Putin.

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Ukraine claims ‘more than 13,500’ Russian servicemen killed

Ukraine claims to have killed “more than 13,500” Russian servicemen since the invasion began on February 24.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces said that 404 Russian tanks, 1,279 armoured vehicles, 81 planes and 95 helicopters have been “destroyed”.

In a Facebook post, it added that the figures are being updated, and the verification is “complicated” by the high intensity of the fighting.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has reported the death toll only once, on March 2, saying that 498 servicemen had died in Ukraine – and claiming that 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed.

Zelenskyy said on March 12 that 1,400 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed.

There is no way to verify the claims of both sides.

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UN says woman who protested on Russian TV should not face reprisals

The United Nations human rights office has called on Russian authorities to make sure that an anti-war protester who interrupted Channel One television is not punished for exercising her right to free speech.

Ravina Shamdasani, UN human rights spokesperson told a Geneva news briefing that Russian authorities should ensure that the woman “does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression”.

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One child becoming a refugee every minute in Ukraine: UN

Some 1.4 million children have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24, meaning one child a minute has become a refugee, the UN has said.

“On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees, … essentially one child becoming a refugee every minute since the conflict started,” James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva.

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Hungary says energy supply is “red line” in terms of EU sanctions on Russia

The latest package of EU sanctions against Russia do not affect Hungary’s energy supplies and oil and gas group MOL can also continue crude production in the BaiTex field in Russia, Hungary’s foreign minister has said.

In a Facebook video, Peter Szijjarto said it was important for the Hungarian government to maintain European unity on sanctions but “we have a red line which is the security of Hungarian energy supply”.

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China says G20 is not an appropriate forum to discuss Ukraine issue

The G20 grouping of nations is not an appropriate forum to discuss the Ukraine issue, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry has told a regular news conference in the Chinese capital.

The G20, or Group of 20, consists of 19 countries, including China and the EU. Its next summit is set for October on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

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China must not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: UK minister

The UK says China should not support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, junior foreign office minister James Cleverly has said.

According to US officials, Russia has asked for military and economic support from Beijing, which signalled a willingness to provide aid. The US has warned China against providing military or financial help to Moscow.

“We continue to call upon China and indeed all countries to cease any support they may have to Russia,” Cleverly told BBC Television. “We want to build as broad a coalition of opposition to Russia as possible so of course we will have those conversations with the Chinese.”

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Kremlin: Anti-war protest on state TV was ‘hooliganism’

The Kremlin has said that the actions of a woman who interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia’s state TV Channel One to denounce the war in Ukraine amounted to “hooliganism”.

The protester, in an act of dissent on Monday, held up a sign behind the studio presenter and shouted slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine.

“As far as this woman is concerned, this is hooliganism,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, praising Channel One for what he called its quality, objective and timely programming.

 

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EU leaders traveling to Kiev to support Ukraine

The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are traveling to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital which is currently under fire, on a European Union mission to show support for Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech counterpart Petr Fiala and Slovenia’s Janez Jansa will be visiting as “representatives of the European Council”, the Polish government said in a statement.

“The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society,” the statement added.

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Russia claims capture of Ukraine’s Kherson region

Russia’s defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov has said that Moscow’s forces had taken full control of all territory in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, Russian news agencies reported.

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Mariupol says around 300 evacuees have reached Zaporizhzhia

About 300 civilians from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have reached the city of Zaporizhzhia after leaving in the first successful evacuation of residents on Monday, Mariupol city council has said.

“As was reported, about 160 cars left Mariupol yesterday. As of 10:00 there is information that about 300 Mariupol residents reached Zaporizhzhia,” it said.

At least 200,000 people are in urgent need of evacuation from Mariupol, according to official Ukrainian estimates. Russia denies targeting civilians.

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Abramovich jet lands in Moscow

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A jet linked to sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich has landed in Moscow after taking off from Istanbul following a brief stop there, FLIGHTRADAR24 data shows.

The jet linked to Abramovich, the owner of Britain’s Chelsea soccer club, arrived in Istanbul from Israel on Monday, shortly after he was seen in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.

Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to a British sanctions list last week to try to isolate President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s operation in Ukraine. European Union diplomats have embraced a similar move.

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Kremlin-controlled Channel One producer: ‘I don’t regret it’

Marina Ovsyannikova, a producer of the Kremlin-controlled Channel One television network has said she doesn’t regret interrupting the live broadcast Monday night with an anti-war banner even though she may face up to ten years in jail.

“I don’t know what will happen to me any time soon. My lawyer told me I might be facing time in jail from 5 to 10 years according to the criminal code,” she wrote on Twitter.

“I don’t regret it. I need your endorsement though.”

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Türkiye expects evacuation of its nationals from Ukrainian port city ‘today or tomorrow’

Türkiye is expecting the evacuation of over 100 Turkish nationals remaining in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol “today or tomorrow,” the country’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said.

The foreign minister added that a bus will leave from Odessa today for evacuation, and Türkiye will “continue and intensify efforts to evacuate not only our citizens but also other civilians from the region.”

Türkiye has evacuated more than 14,800 of its citizens from Ukraine since the war began on February 24, said Cavusoglu, adding that some 300-350 Turkish citizens remain in the region.

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Ukraine’s economy lost ‘at least’ half a trillion US dollars: Russian minister

Ukraine’s economy has lost “at least” half a trillion US dollars because of the Russian invasion, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has said.

“Lots of logistical chains have been broken, many businesses destroyed, and some simply can’t work because their staffers left [Ukraine],” he told Forbes magazine, according to a transcript of his interview published on his ministry’s website on Monday.

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UK to ban exports of luxury goods to Russia, impose new import tariffs

The UK has said it would ban the export of luxury goods to Russia and impose new tariffs on 900 million pounds ($1.2bn) worth of Russian imports, including vodka.

“Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian economy from global trade, ensuring it does not benefit from the rules-based international system it does not respect,” finance minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

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Ukraine says ‘massive destruction’ at Dnipro airport after shelling

Overnight shelling has caused massive damage at the airport in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, regional authorities have said.

“During the night the enemy attacked the Dnipro airport. Two strikes. The runway was destroyed. The terminal is damaged. Massive destruction,” Dnipro region governor Valentin Reznichenko said on Telegram.

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Russian rockets destroy runway of Dnipro regional airport: Governor

Russian forces have fired rockets at the main civilian airport in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipro region overnight, destroying its runway and damaging the terminal building, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko has said.

“It will take a lot of time to recover. We will win!,” he said in an online post.

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Putin discusses Ukraine with Israeli prime minister

Israel's Bennett plays peacemaker in Ukraine-Russia war - BBC News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the conflict in Ukraine by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Kremlin has said in a statement, adding that the call had been at Israel’s request.

Bennett told Putin about his recent contacts with leaders of several countries on the subject and both agreed to continue their dialogue, the Kremlin has said.

Bennett has held numerous calls with Putin in an attempt to assist efforts to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

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‘Ukraine is on fire’: UN chief

Ukraine is facing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe as Russia presses its attack that has the potential to spread far beyond the country’s borders, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.

“Ukraine is on fire,” he said at the UN’s New York headquarters. 

“The prospect of nuclear conflict once unthinkable is now back within the realm of possibility,” he said. 

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Ukraine economy could collapse if conflict drags on: IMF 

Ukraine’s government continues to function, the banking system is stable and debt payments are viable in the short term, but the Russian incursion could plunge Ukraine into a devastating recession, the International Monetary Fund has said.

And it warned that the conflict could have broader repercussions, including threatening global food security due to rising prices and the inability to plant crops, especially wheat.

At a minimum the country would see “output falling 10 percent this year assuming a prompt resolution of the war,” the IMF said in an analysis of the economy in the wake of the Russian assault. 

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Officials: Biden considering trip to Europe

The White House is weighing the possibility of President Joe Biden traveling to Europe in the coming weeks for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian attack of Ukraine, according to three US officials familiar with the deliberations.

The prospective trip is yet to be finalised. One possible destination for the meetings would be Brussels, which is the headquarters for NATO, one of the officials said. Another official said the White House was looking at Biden visiting NATO headquarters on March 24, with other potential stops in Europe.

 The trip would underscore the Biden administration’s support for NATO allies. 

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Ukraine war has been slower than expected: Putin ally 

One of President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies said Russia’s military operation in Ukraine had not all gone as quickly as the Kremlin had wanted.

National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov, speaking at a church service led by Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, blamed the slower than expected progress on what he said were far-right Ukrainian forces hiding behind civilians.

“I would like to say that yes, not everything is going as fast as we would like,” Zolotov, once in charge of Putin’s personal security, said in comments posted on the National Guard’s website.

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Mayor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv says Russian forces firing at city non-stop

The mayor of Ukraine’s front line city of Kharkiv has said the city had been under constant attack by Russian forces, who have fired at central districts causing an unspecified number of casualties.

“They’re firing at us constantly,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov told national television.

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At least 9 Ukranian killed in a TV tower attack

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A Russian rocket attack on a television tower in the western village of Antopol killed nine people. 

The village is only about 160 kilometres from the border of NATO member Poland. 

Ukrainian authorities also said two people died and seven were injured after Russian forces struck an airplane factory in the capital of Kiev, and that two people were killed in the northern Obolonskyi district of the capital when Russian artillery fire hit a nine-story apartment building.

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Ukraine foreign minister says Iran is ‘against the war’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said Iran does not support Russia’s war in Ukraine, after a call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian.

“Iran is against the war in Ukraine, supports a peaceful solution. I asked to convey my message in Moscow: Russia must stop bombing civilians, commit to the ceasefire, and withdraw from Ukraine,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Amirabdollahian is expected to visit Moscow on Tuesday.

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Russia says it will attack Ukrainian arms factories

The Russian defence ministry has said it is planning to attack Ukrainian arms factories in retaliation for what it said was a Ukrainian strike on the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, and urged workers and local residents to stay away.

The defence ministry noted in a statement that Russia believed Ukraine had used cluster charges on a densely populated area of Donetsk.

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Sergey Lavrov, Al Thani discuss Ukraine situation in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Moscow on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

Opening the meeting, Lavrov said he is going to inform Thani about “efforts that Russia is taking in to resolve all the issues that have arisen and accumulated over the years” in Ukraine. Read more here

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UN allocates additional $40m to Ukraine

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the UN will allocate a further $40m from its central emergency response fund to ramp up humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

In an address to the UN Security Council, the UN chief said millions of people in Ukraine were facing hunger and dwindling water supplies.

The UN refugee agency estimates 2.8 million people have left Ukraine. “They need help and support every step of the way,” Guterres said.

He also sounded the alarm over Russia raising the alert level for its nuclear forces, describing it as a “bone-chilling development”.

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Nuclear war back in ‘realm of possibility’ -UN Secretary General

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters at the UN Headquarters, that the conflict in Ukraine can turn into a nuclear one. “The possibility of nuclear conflict, which was once unthinkable, is now possible again,” he said.

“Ukraine is on fire. The country is being destroyed before the eyes of the world.”  Read more here

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NATO to hold extraordinary meeting on Ukraine: Turkish official

Defence ministers from NATO member states will meet in Brussels on Wednesday for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Turkey’s defence ministry.

In a statement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said he would take part in the meetings and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts.

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Convoy of cars leaves encircled Mariupol: city officials 

A convoy of over 160 cars has left Mariupol, local officials said, in what appeared to be the first successful attempt to arrange a “humanitarian corridor” to evacuate civilians from the encircled Ukrainian city.

After several days of failed attempts to deliver supplies to Mariupol and provide safe passage out for trapped civilians, the city council said a local ceasefire was holding and the convoy had left for the city of Zaporizhzhia.

“It is known that as of 1300 (1100 GMT) more than 160 private cars managed to leave,” it said in an online post.

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NATO: Military drills not linked to Russia

A planned NATO exercise with about 30,000 troops from more than 25 countries from Europe and North America began in northern Norway.

NATO said that the drill, named Cold Response that includes 200 aircraft and 50 vessels, was not linked to Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified” attacks on Ukraine.

The drill in NATO-member Norway, which shares a nearly 200-kilometre land border with Russia, will be held just a few hundred kilometres from the Russian border and was planned long before the conflict.

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At least 636 civilians killed in Ukraine so far: UN

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has confirmed the deaths of at least 636 civilians in Ukraine through to March 13, including 46 children.

The actual toll is likely much higher, it said, since there have been delays receiving and corroborating reports from places with intense hostilities such as Kharkiv and Mariupol.

OHCHR has some 50 staff members involved with human rights monitoring in the country. Read more here

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Ukrainian missile killed 20, injured 28 in Eastern city of Donetsk -Russia

A Ukrainian cluster munitions missile strike on Monday hit a residential area in the eastern city of Donetsk, killing 20 people and injuring 28, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

A Tochka-U missile went off over a bus stop where civilians, mostly women and children, were waiting for a bus, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters in Moscow. Read more here

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Ukraine’s Zelensky to address US Congress

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will deliver a virtual address to the US Congress on Wednesday.

“We look forward to the privilege of welcoming President Zelensky’s address to the House and Senate and to convey our support to the people of Ukraine as they bravely defend democracy,” House leader Nancy Pelosi and her Senate counterpart Chuck Schumer said in a joint letter to lawmakers.

Pelosi and Schumer said Zelensky’s virtual address will begin at 9:00 am (1300 GMT).

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Ukraine negotiator says talks with Russia will continue on Tuesday

Talks between Ukraine and Russia have paused and will continue on Tuesday, one of Ukraine’s negotiators said on Twitter.

“A technical pause has been taken in the negotiations until tomorrow. For additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions. Negotiations continue,” Mykhailo Podolyak said.

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Response to Russia could shape new era: Japan PM

The Russian invasion of Ukraine may have ushered in a new era, Japan’s Prime Minister has said.

“Whether the world can respond resolutely to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and protect the core of the international order is a litmus test to foresee the era that follows the post-Cold War period.” Fumio Kishida said.

Japan has frozen the assets of major Russian banks, President Vladimir Putin and other leaders, and blocked certain Russian banks’ access to international payments system SWIFT.Page

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Ukraine says more than 100 hospitals damaged

More than 100 hospitals in Ukraine have been damaged since the invasion began, the health minister has said.

Seven have been destroyed completely and “can’t be restored” and 97 more have been damaged by shelling and bombardment, Viktor Lyashko wrote on Facebook.

Lyashko added the healthcare system was operational and almost 2,000 foreign medical doctors and nurses had volunteered to work in Ukraine.

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Mariupol maternity ward bombing: pregnant woman, baby die

A pregnant woman and her baby have died after Russia bombed the Ukrainian maternity hospital where the expectant mother was meant to give birth, media reports said.

Images of the aftermath of last Wednesday’s attack showing the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had shocked the world, epitomising the horror of the assault.

The victim cradled her bloodied belly as rescuers rushed her through the rubble in the besieged city of Mariupol, her blanched face mirroring her shock at what had just happened. Read more here

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Greece, Ukraine discuss plight of war-hit ethnic Greeks

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says he has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the “dramatic” conditions facing Greece’s ethnic minority in war-hit southeastern Ukraine.

The two leaders discussed “the need to open a humanitarian corridor for safe exit and access for humanitarian supplies,” the Greek PM’s office said in a statement.

Greece’s consul general in Mariupol is among those trapped in the city, Mitsotakis said.

Athens last month said nearly a dozen members of the Greek minority of over 100,000 dating to the 18th century had died, blaming Russian attacks.

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Ukraine nationalist leader sends warning to Kadyrov

Andriy Biletsky, leader of Azov, a group of mostly ultra-nationalist war veterans in Ukraine, says if Chechen leader Ramza Kadyrov is in Kyiv region “it will be possible to shoot him dead.”

Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has claimed that he travelled to Ukraine to meet Chechen troops fighting alongside Russian forces.

“This will be an unforgettable welcome for you, Don,” Biletsky said in a tweet, referring to Kadyrov’s nickname that mimics the title of Italian mafia leaders.

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Ukraine negotiator: Talks with Russia hard, ongoing

Talks between Russia and Ukraine have started and communication between the two sides is hard but ongoing, Ukrainian presidential adviser and negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Tweeting a photo of the talks, which are being conducted via video conference, Podolyak said: “The parties actively express their specified positions. Communication is being held yet it’s hard. The reason for the discord is too different political systems.”

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Israel will not be route to bypass Russia sanctions: foreign minister

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid says Tel Aviv will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other western countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the issue together with partners including the Bank of Israel, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Airports Authority, the Energy Ministry, and others,” Lapid said during a visit to Slovakia.

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Ukraine to demand ‘immediate’ ceasefire at talks

Ukraine says it will demand an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops as a fourth round of negotiations to end the more than two weeks of fighting started.

“Peace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops – and only after this can we talk about regional relations and about political differences,” Kyiv’s lead negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak said in a video statement posted to Twitter.

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89% of global cyberattacks are aimed at Russia or Ukraine

Nearly nine in ten cyberattacks happening worldwide are targeting Russia or Ukraine, the recent research by Atlas VPN finds.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both countries became lucrative targets for state-sponsored and individual hackers. As such, Anonymous declared war on Russia while the Conti ransomware group sided with Putin.

70% of cyberattacks targeted Russia, with 5 billion incidents registered since March 5. Ukraine was targeted only in 19% of the cases, followed by the US (5%.) Although the US is usually the top target for threat actors, its popularity among cybercriminals has seemingly been overshadowed by recent events.

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At least two dead, a dozen wounded after building hit in Kiev

At least two people have died and 12 were wounded following an air strike on a residential building in Ukraine’s capital Kiev, the country’s emergency service said.

“As of 07:40, the bodies of two people were found in a nine-storey apartment building, three people were hospitalised and nine people were treated on the spot,” the emergency service said on Facebook, adding that the building was in Kiev’s Obolon district.

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Antonov aircraft plant in Kiev shelled by Russian forces

The Antonov aircraft plant in Kiev has been shelled by Russian forces, the Kiev city administration said.

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Russia: No reason for UN peacekeepers to be sent to Ukraine

Pyotr Ilyichev, director of the Russian foreign ministry’s international organisations department, said there was no need for United Nations peacekeepers to be sent to Ukraine as Russia was in control, RIA news agency reported.

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Ten humanitarian corridors agreed: Ukraine

Ukraine will try to evacuate trapped civilians through 10 “humanitarian corridors”, including from towns near the capital Kiev and in the eastern region of Luhansk, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk said.

“We will, once again, try to unblock the movement of the humanitarian convoy carrying food and medicine to {the port city of Mariupol) from Berdiansk (in southeastern Ukraine),” she said in a video address.

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Moscow threatens Western companies with arrests, seizures

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Russian authorities have threatened foreign companies intending to depart from the country with arrests and asset seizures, as Western sanctions take hold

According to the business daily, Russian prosecutors have issued warnings to a number of multinational companies, including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, via phone calls, letters, and in-person visits.

Read more here

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Talks to resume as Russian strikes widen in western Ukraine

Diplomats are due to resume talks today, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Video-conference talks will take place between Ukraine and Russia, Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and part of the negotiating team, has said.

Besieged Ukrainians hold out hope that renewed diplomatic talks with Russia might open the way for more civilians to evacuate, a day after Moscow escalated its offensive by shelling areas perilously close to the Polish border.

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Chechen Kadyrov says he is in Ukraine

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Ramazan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, has reported that he is in Ukraine alongside Russian forces who are leading an offensive in the country.

Kadyrov, who is accused by international NGOs of serious human rights violations in the tightly controlled Caucasus republic, posted a video on Telegram of himself in military uniform studying plans around a table with soldiers in a room.

“The other day we were about 20 km from you Kiev Nazis and now we are even closer,” Kadyrov wrote. He called on Ukrainian forces to surrender “or you will be finished”.

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Zelenskyy vows to keep negotiating with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will continue negotiating with Russia and is waiting for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a meeting with Putin. But so far, his requests have gone unanswered by the Kremlin.

The Ukrainian delegation in talks with Russia has a “clear task” to do everything to ensure a meeting between the two presidents, Zelenskyy said during his nightly address to the nation.

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Tennis-Australia to replace suspended Russian team in Billie Jean King Cup Finals: ITF

Australia will replace the suspended Russian team for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, governing body International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Monday.

The Australian team were the highest ranked team among the losing semi-finalists in 2021 and will take Russia’s automatic spot in this year’s Finals, scheduled to be held in November.

Russia was banned from defending its Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup titles following its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus, a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia says is a “special operation”, has also been banned from the international team competitions.

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UK donates power generators to Ukraine to keep essential services running

Britain will donate more than 500 mobile generators to help Ukraine and weaken Russia’s attempts to cripple its power supply, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Monday, adding that they would be enough to power 20,000 buildings.

“Sending portable electricity generators to Ukraine will help keep essential services running, weaken (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s attempts to cripple Ukraine’s power supply, and help support the extraordinarily brave Ukrainian response to the Kremlin’s war waging,” Kwarteng said in a statement.

The government said the generators would be provided by British commercial suppliers.

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Kyiv urges West to back Ukraine to ‘avert a larger war’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the West on Monday to supply Ukraine with weapons and apply more sanctions on Russia to help prevent other countries being dragged into a wider conflict.
 
Ukraine has repeatedly urged its allies to do more to help it resist the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24. Some 
Western governments fear that doing so could pull other countries, including NATO member states, into the war.
 
“To those abroad scared of being ‘dragged into WWIII’. Ukraine fights back successfully. We need you to help us fight. Provide us with all necessary weapons,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “Apply more sanctions on Russia and isolate it fully. Help Ukraine force Putin into failure and you will avert a larger war.” 

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US, China aides to meet as tensions mount over Russia

The US and China are sending top aides to meet in Rome amid mounting tensions between the two countries over Russia’s operation in Ukraine and as the US said Russia has asked China for military equipment to help press its campaign.

In advance of the talks with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. “We will not allow that to go forward,” he said.

Sullivan will stress the economic penalties Beijing will face if it continues to support Russia, and warn of the isolation China could face globally, US officials say.

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Ukraine offensive must end: Russian billionaire

The Russian offensive in Ukraine is a tragedy that must be stopped or there will be a global food crisis as fertiliser prices are already too high for many farmers, Russia’s coal and fertiliser king Andrei Melnichenko said.

“The events in Ukraine are truly tragic. We urgently need peace,” Melnichenko, 50, who is Russian but was born in Belarus and has a Ukrainian mother, told Reuters news agency in a statement.

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Zelenskyy urges Ukraine no-fly zone or ‘Russian rockets will fall’ on NATO soil

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged NATO to impose a no-fly zone over his country or see its member states attacked by Russia.

“If you don’t close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, on NATO territory,” Zelenskyy said in a video address released shortly after midnight.

He spoke a day after thirty-five people were killed and more than 130 injured when Russian troops launched air strikes on a military training ground outside Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, near the border with NATO member Poland.

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Russia’s stock market to remain closed this week

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Russia’s stock market will continue to suspend trading operations this week, from Monday through Friday, according to the Moscow Exchange (MOEX).

Trading sessions on the MOEX equity market will not resume between March 14-18, it said in a statement.

MOEX plummeted a whopping 33.3 percent on February 24 when Russia launched its operation in Ukraine. On February 28, trading was suspended until further notice.

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Pregnant woman, baby die after Russia bombed maternity ward

A pregnant woman and her baby have died after Russia bombed the maternity hospital where she was meant to give birth, American news agency The Associated Press reported.

Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher while stroking her bloodied lower abdomen had circled the world, taking its place among the most brutal moments so far in Russia’s now 19-day-old operation in Ukraine.

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Instagram no longer accessible in Russia

Russia has cut access to Instagram after its parent company Meta was accused by Moscow of allowing calls for violence against Russians on its platforms.

The social network appeared on a list of online resources with “restricted access” published by Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor.

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‘Very unlikely’ Russian missiles will land in NATO territory: UK minister

It is not impossible that Russian missiles could land in NATO territory but it is very unlikely, British health minister Sajid Javid said on Monday, adding that the alliance would respond if it did happen.
Asked about the possibility of Russian missiles landing on NATO territory after a weekend attack on a Ukrainian military training base near Poland, Javid told BBC Radio: “It is not impossible … but I still think at this stage it’s very unlikely.”
“We’ve made it very clear to the Russians, even before the start of this conflict, even if a single Russian toecap steps into NATO territory, then it will be considered an act of war.”

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China slams US claims that Russia asked it for military aid as ‘disinformation’

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has said assertions from US officials that Russia asked Beijing for military equipment for its campaign in Ukraine were “disinformation” from the United States.

The comments came during a regular Chinese foreign ministry briefing in Beijing.

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Gazprom continues gas shipments via Ukraine at same volume

Ucraina. Gazprom assicura: "La fornitura all'Europa continuerà regolarmente" - la Repubblica

Russian natural gas company Gazprom has said it was continuing gas shipments via Ukraine, with volumes at 109.5 million cubic metres per day, marginally down from 109.6 million a day earlier.

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Moscow accuses West of wanting to stage an ‘artificial default’

Russia’s finance ministry has accused foreign countries of wanting to force Russia into an “artificial default” through unprecedented sanctions over what Moscow calls its “military operation” in Ukraine.

“The freezing of foreign currency accounts of the Bank of Russia and of the Russian government can be regarded as the desire of a number of foreign countries to organise an artificial default that has no real economic grounds,” finance minister Anton Siluanov said in a statement.

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Australia joins allies in sanctioning Russian oligarchs

Australia has reported it was imposing new sanctions on 33 Russian oligarchs and business people, including Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller, over the Russian operation in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia supported moves by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union and New Zealand to take action against key Russians.

“Many of these oligarchs have facilitated, or directly benefited, from the Kremlin’s illegal and indefensible actions in Ukraine since 2014,” Payne said.

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Hundreds of anti-war protesters arrested across Russia

More than 750 people have been arrested in cities across Russia for protesting against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its third week.

Independent monitoring group OVD-Info said police had arrested at least 756 people during demonstrations in 37 Russian cities – with about half of them in the Russian capital Moscow. Read more here

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Britain to pursue more options to bolster Ukraine’s self-defence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday that Britain would continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence.
Johnson added that Britain will work with its partners, including at Tuesday’s meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force countries in London, to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence.
The two leaders also “condemned murders of Brent Reynaud and countless innocent Ukrainians, and abduction of Mayors of Dniprorudne and Melitopol,” according to a readout of a call between them provided by Johnson’s office.​

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Kremlin says next Russia-Ukraine talks to take place on Monday

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said talks between Russia and will resume on Monday, the RIA news agency reported.

Peskov said talks were not taking place at the moment, contrary to an earlier statement by Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych.

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Ukraine president calls on software giants to stop supporting their products in Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called on U.S. software firms Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp and German business software group SAP to halt support services for their products in Russia.
“Stop supporting your products in Russia, stop the war!” he said on Twitter.

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Ukraine presidential adviser says talks with Russia are ongoing ‘right now’

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Ukraine and Russia were actively conducting talks on Sunday, with the situation around the besieged city of Mariupol a particular focus for the Ukrainian authorities.
“Talks are continuing right now,” he said in an interview on national television.
He said Ukraine had enough troops deployed in Mariupol to prevent its capture by encircling Russian forces.
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US warns China of consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions

Sullivan has warned Beijing that it will “absolutely” face consequences if it helps Moscow evade sweeping sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

“We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences,” the US National Security Adviser said in an interview to CNN. “We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”

Sullivan is expected to meet China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday as part of a broader effort by the world’s two largest economies to maintain open channels of communication.

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Russians fire warning shots at protesters in seized city: report

Russian troops have fired warning shots as thousands demonstrated in the southern city of Kherson, which was seized by the Russian army earlier this month, a local broadcaster reported.

Waving national flags and chanting “Kherson is for Ukraine” and “Glory to Ukraine”, several thousand protesters gathered in a show of defiance on the central Freedom Square, the Suspilne Kherson public broadcaster reported.

Protesters marched down a central boulevard past a line of Russian armoured vehicles marked with the “Z” symbol, a witness video posted by Suspilne Kherson on Telegram showed.

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US says Russian use of chemical weapons would cross ‘shocking additional line’

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday that Russia would pay a “severe price” if it launched a chemical weapon attack on Ukraine, and said any attack on NATO territory would trigger a full response by the Western alliance.
Sullivan told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the United States and its allies were consulting closely about the increasing threat of a chemical weapons attack, and were communicating directly with Moscow to warn against any such move.
“The use of weapons of mass destruction would be a shocking additional line that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is crossing in terms of his assault on international law and international norms,” Sullivan said.
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Ukraine’s Mariupol city says 2,187 residents killed since start of war

The city council of Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol said in a statement on Sunday that 2,187 city residents had been killed since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
“In (the last) 24 hours, there were at least 22 bombings of the civilian city. Over 100 bombs have been thrown on Mariupol already,” it said in an online statement.
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Second Ukraine mayor abducted by Russian troops

A Ukraine mayor was abducted by Russian forces, the second such kidnapping in days, bringing strong condemnation from the European Union.

“The army of the Russian Federation captured the mayor of the city of Dniprorudne,” in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast region of southeast Ukraine, the regional administration head Oleksandr Starukh said on Facebook.

On Friday the mayor of southern Ukraine’s Melitopol was kidnapped by Russian soldiers occupying the city, because “he refused to cooperate with the enemy”, according to the Ukraine parliament.

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US: NATO will act if Russia hits alliance

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said Russia will face a response from NATO should any of its attacks in Ukraine cross borders and hit members of the security alliance.

Russian missiles have struck a military training base close to Ukraine’s western border with NATO member Poland and killed 35 people.

Sullivan tells CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that President Joe Biden “has been clear repeatedly that the United States will work with our allies to defend every inch of NATO territory and that means every inch.”

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Ukraine president visits wounded soldiers in hospital, awards medals

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stepped outside his residence for the first time since war erupted to visit wounded soldiers in hospital and award medals.

“Get well. I wish you strength. You are great guys!” Zelenskyy is heard saying to the patients in a morale-boosting video posted on social media.

So far, pictures and footage of the president had shown him only in his office or official residence.

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‘Stop attacks on health care’ in Ukraine, say UN agencies

The World Health Organization and two other United Nations agencies called on Sunday for an immediate stop to attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, saying these were killing and injuring patients and workers and depriving thousands of health care.
In a joint statement, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the executive directors of UNICEF and UNFPA, the UN’s children’s fund and its population fund respectively, called for healthcare to be shielded from all acts of violence. Read more here

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US-China set to meet for high-level talks. agenda: Russia sanctions

A high-level US delegation meets in Rome Monday with a top Chinese official, the White House said as it warned Beijing would face severe “consequences” if it helps Russia evade sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief diplomat, “will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security,” National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said Sunday in a statement.

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More than 2.6 million flee Ukraine war: UN

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The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine is nearing 2.7 million, according to a United Nations tally.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said there were 2,698,280 refugees who had fled Ukraine so far, 100,700 more than the last count on Saturday.

Initial UN estimates estimated four million people could flee the war. That figure is likely to be revised upwards, the UN refugee agency said.

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Talk about Palestine too, not just Ukraine, says world no 1 in squash

Egypt’s Ali Farag, world’s number 1 squash player, used his victory speech at the Optasia Championship yesterday to register his disagreement with Western media coverage after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month which the star believed does not cover “oppression everywhere in the world”.

The professional squash player called on people to talk about Palestine in the same way they talk about Ukraine. “We’ve never been allowed to speak about politics and sports, but all of a sudden now it is allowed. So that we are allowed, I hope that people also look at the oppression everywhere in the world.” Read more here

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Pope Francis calls invasion ‘armed aggression’ in toughest comments yet

Pope Francis on Sunday called the Russian invasion of Ukraine an “unacceptable armed aggression” as he urged for a diplomatic end to the war and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.

In his statements, Pope Francis expressed horror over “the barbarity of the killing of children” and unarmed civilians and urged for an end to the invasion “before it reduces cities to cemeteries,” according to Vatican News, a state-run broadcaster owned by the Holy See. Read more here

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American journalist Brent Renaud shot dead near Kyiv

An American journalist was killed and another journalist was wounded by Russian forces in the town of Irpin outside the capital of Kyiv on Sunday, Ukrainian police said. 
Brent Renaud, a 50-year-old filmmaker, was killed when Russian troops opened fire, according to Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv’s regional police force. Nebytov posted a graphic photo purportedly of Renaud’s body on Facebook, as well as pictures of his American passport and media credentials issued by The New York Times.  Read more here
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UN chief thanks Turkish president over efforts for peace

In a phone call on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed regional and global developments, particularly the war between Russia and Ukraine.


“Turkiye is making great efforts to achieve a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war and to re-establish peace. It is also working hard on the issues of humanitarian aid and evacuations,” Erdogan told Guterres, according to a Turkish Communications Directorate statement.


The UN chief thanked Erdogan for his initiation to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, his efforts to contribute to peace, and his diplomatic push.

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Hundreds arrested in pro-Ukraine rallies

Russia detained more than 250 people for protesting Moscow’s “military operation” in Ukraine. 

OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained 268 people during demonstrations in 23 Russian cities. 

An AFP journalist present at a protest in the capital Moscow witnessed at least a dozen arrests and said police were taking away anybody without press papers.

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Pope Francis says ‘massacre’ in Ukraine must stop 

Pope Francis has issued a heartfelt plea for an end to the “massacre” and the “unacceptable armed attack” in Ukraine.

Speaking after his weekly Angelus prayers on Sunday, he condemned the “barbarity” of killing children and civilians, adding: “In the name of God… stop this massacre.”

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Dozens dead in air strike on Ukraine military base near Poland

At least thirty-five people have died and more than 130 injured when Russian troops launched air strikes on the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security outside Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, local officials said.

“I have to announce that, unfortunately, we have lost more heroes: 35 people died as a result of the shelling of the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre,” the head of the Lviv regional administration, Maksym Kozytsky, wrote on Telegram, updating an initial toll of nine.

“134 more with injuries of varying severity are in a military hospital,” he added, saying the information on the toll was still being updated.

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UN to hold more meetings this week on Ukraine

The United Nations is set to have multiple meetings this week about Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, though it is unclear if they will lead to the adoption of an official text, diplomats said.

On Monday, the Security Council will discuss the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Although this is an annual meeting, it will place special focus on the operation in Ukraine and will likely see fresh calls for peace.

In addition, the Security Council may finally meet on human rights violations, according to diplomats.

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Kiev sets aside two-week supply of food in case of blockade

Kiev’s city administration has said it had set aside a two-week reserve of essential food items in case the city is blockaded by Russian forces.

“The city has prepared for possible actions in the event of a blockade. The two million Kiev residents who have not left their homes will not be without support if the situation worsens,” it said in an online statement.

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UK’s Sunak urges firms to leave Russia

British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has called on more British companies to wind down their existing investments in Russia and said new investments should be halted after President Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine.

“While I recognise it may be challenging to wind down existing investments, I believe there is no argument for new investment in the Russian economy,” Sunak said in a video message on Twitter.

“I am urging asset owners and managers to think very carefully about any investment that would in any sense support Putin and his regime.”

Nearly 125,000 people evacuated via humanitarian corridors 

Nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated via humanitarian corridors from conflict zones in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in a video address.

“Today the key task is Mariupol,” he said, adding that a humanitarian supply convoy was now only 80 kilometres (50 miles) away from the besieged port city where more than 400,000 people are trapped.

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Poland: NATO will have to think seriously if Putin uses chemical weapons

Polish president tests positive for COVID-19 for 2nd time

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has said in an interview that the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by Russia would be a game changer and NATO would have to think seriously about how to respond.

Asked if the use of chemical weapons by Putin would be a red line for NATO at which point it has to get involved, Duda told BBC television: “If he uses any weapons of mass destruction then this will be a game changer in the whole thing.”

“For sure, the North Atlantic Alliance and its leaders led by the United States will have to sit at the table and they will really have to think seriously what to do because then it starts to be dangerous.”

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Qatar calls on all parties to ‘exercise restraint’ over Ukraine

Qatar’s foreign minister has called on all parties to “exercise restraint” and to avoid further escalation over Ukraine in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, a Qatari foreign ministry statement said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba that Qatar urged “all parties to exercise restraint, resolve disputes through constructive dialogue and diplomatic methods, and to settle international disputes by peaceful means,” the statement said. 

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Israeli foreign minister condemns Russia

Israeli foreign minister arrives in Bahrain

Israel’s foreign minister has condemned Russia’s operation in Ukraine, calling on Moscow to halt its attacks and end the conflict.

Yair Lapid’s criticism is among the strongest that has come from Israeli officials since the operation began. His remarks set him apart from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has stopped short of condemning Russia.

Israel has walked a fine line in its response to the crisis. Bennett has voiced support for the Ukrainian people and the country has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

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85 children killed since beginning of Russian operation

A total of 85 children have been killed since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General said.

More than 100 more have been wounded, the office added. 

Officials also said that bombings and shelling have damaged 369 educational facilities in the country, 57 of which have been completely destroyed.

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Turkey asks Russia to help evacuate Turkish citizens out of Mariupol

Turkey has asked Russia to help evacuate Turkish citizens stranded in the besieged city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, Ankara’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on Sunday: “Yesterday, we called (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov) and asked him for his help evacuating our citizens,” Cavusoglu said.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Saturday Russian forces had shelled a mosque in the city, where more than 80 adults and children, including Turkish citizens, have taken refuge.
But Cavusoglu told a news conference at a diplomatic forum in Antalya that there was no damage to the mosque and that buses were waiting to evacuate the Turks, although contact could not currently be established.

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Lviv governor says nine killed in Russian attack on base

The governor of Ukraine’s Lviv region has said that nine people were killed and 57 others were wounded in airstrike on a military facility in the country’s west.

Foreign military instructors worked at the Yavoriv military facility near the Polish border that was hit by the attack, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, but it was not clear if any were present at the time.

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Russian army attempt to surround Ukrainian forces in east: UK intelligence

Russian forces are attempting to surround Ukrainian forces in the east of the country as they advance from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, according to Britain’s defence ministry.

“Russian forces advancing from Crimea are attempting to circumvent Mykolaiv as they look to drive west towards Odesa,” the ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.

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NATO chief says Russia may use chemical weapons: German paper

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Russia might use chemical weapons following its invasion of Ukraine and that such a move would be a war crime, according to an interview in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

“In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories,” Stoltenberg was quoted by Welt am Sonntag as saying, adding that the Kremlin was inventing false pretexts to justify what could not be justified. Read more here

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Red Cross: Mariupol residents don’t have access to water

Mariupol in eastern Ukraine has been cut off from the rest of the world for almost two weeks and no one is allowed in or out amid intense fighting, with vehicles full of aid waiting in the outskirts of the city.

Jason Straziuso of International Committee of the Red Cross told Al Jazeera that there are thousands of families are in dire conditions without water in Mariupol.

“Even our team is collecting water from streams … but how does everyone do that… especially if you are elderly,” he said.

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Zelenskyy warns of desolation if Russia tries to take Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russian forces they face a fight to the death if they try to occupy the capital Kyiv, as air raid sirens again woke residents on Sunday morning.

“If they decide to carpet bomb and simply erase the history of this region … and destroy all of us, then they will enter Kyiv. If that’s their goal, let them come in, but they will have to live on this land by themselves,” Zelenskyy said late on Saturday.

Saying about 1,300 Ukrainian troops had been killed, he urged the West to get more involved in peace negotiations.

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Medical train carries Ukrainian children with cancer

About 60 children – cancer patients from Ukraine – have boarded a medical train in a Polish town, bound for hospitals in Warsaw and elsewhere.

Medical workers carried some young patients in their arms, on stretchers and in a wheelchair at a station in Medyka, near the Ukrainian border.

“Some of them will require oxygen, will require some form of intensive care, and some have COVID-19 and have to be kept separate from others,” said Dominik Daszuta, an anaesthetist from Warsaw Hospital. He said the train has transported 120 children with cancer so far.

The UN Refugee Agency says at least 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine in the two weeks since the Russian invasion started.

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Brits to get 350 pounds a month to open homes to Ukraine refugees

Britain will pay people to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion as the government moves to deflect anger over its response to the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two.

The new scheme called “Homes for Ukraine” will let refugees from the war come to Britain even if they do not have family ties, the government said on Sunday.

Britain will pay people 350 pounds ($456) a month if they can offer refugees a spare room or property for a minimum period of six months.

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US rushing $200m worth of weapons for Ukraine

The US has said it would rush up to $200m in additional small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials pleaded for more equipment to defend against heavy shelling by Russian forces.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday authorised the additional security assistance, the White House said, paving the way for the “immediate” shipment of fresh military equipment to Ukraine, a senior administration official said.

Biden’s decision brings total US security aid provided to Ukraine to $1.2bn since January 2021, and to $3.2bn since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, according to senior administration officials.

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Ukraine president says he spoke to Israeli PM, discussed prospects for peace talks

President Zelenskyy said he has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and discussed the prospects for peace talks to end the conflict with Russia.

Zelenskyy made the announcement in a tweet and also said he had asked Bennett for help in freeing the mayor of the city of Melitopol, whom Ukraine says was abducted by Russian forces.

 

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Some 13,000 Ukrainians evacuated from cities on Saturday, deputy PM says

About 13,000 people were evacuated from a number of Ukrainian cities on Saturday, said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, almost twice the number who managed to get out the previous day.

Vereshchuk said in an online message that no one had managed to leave the besieged city of Mariupol and blamed obstruction by Russian forces. Moscow had earlier accused Ukrainian forces of intentionally trapping people there.

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Amsterdam’s Orthodox clergy split from Moscow Patriarch

Lighting at St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Amsterdam -

The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Dutch city of Amsterdam has announced it will split from the Moscow church because of threats to them over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement posted to its website, it said that after a meeting “the clergy unanimously announced that it is no longer possible for them to function within the Moscow Patriarchate and provide a spiritually safe environment for our faithful”.

It was “with a heavy heart” that the four priests of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam had reached their decision, they said.

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Ukraine says Russia plans to control Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: IAEA

The United Nations nuclear watchdog has said it was told by Ukraine that Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s biggest, but that Russia had later denied this.

“The President of Ukraine’s nuclear power plant operator Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said in a letter to the Director General that around 400 Russian soldiers were ‘being present full time on site’ [at Zaporizhzhia],” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.

The IAEA said the Ukrainian regulator had also informed it that efforts to repair damaged power lines at the Chernobyl nuclear plant were continuing and that diesel generators were providing back-up power to systems relevant for safety.

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Satellite images show fires, severe damage to residential buildings in Mariupol

Satellite images taken on Saturday morning showed extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and residential buildings throughout the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a private US company said.

Maxar Technologies said fires were seen in the western section of the Black Sea port city and dozens of high-rise apartment buildings had been severely damaged. The images could not be independently verified.

Mariupol is facing what Ukraine says is a “humanitarian catastrophe”, with more than 1,500 civilians killed over 12 days.

A top Russian officer described the situation in the country in similarly stark language.

“Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is continuing to deteriorate rapidly, and in some cities, it has reached catastrophic proportions,” said the head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre, Mikhail Mizintsev.

The UN has cited reports of “looting and violent confrontations” among civilians over the few resources available.

A satellite image shows a close up view of apartment buildings before the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in the western section of Mariupol, Ukraine
A satellite image shows a close-up view of apartment buildings before the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in the west of Mariupol, on June 21, 2021 [Maxar Technologies/via Reuters]
A satellite image shows a multispectral close up view of apartment buildings and fires, in the western section of Mariupol, Ukraine
A satellite image shows the same buildings in Mariupol on March 12 [Maxar Technologies via Reuters]
A satellite image shows a multispectral view of fires in an industrial area, in the western section of Mariupol, Ukraine
A satellite image shows a multispectral view of fires in an industrial area, in the western section of Mariupol, Ukraine [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
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Russia will have to seek alternative sources to reinforce their “overstretched regular forces”, the UK’s ministry of defence has said in its latest intelligence update.

UK’s ministry of defence tweeted:

President Putin has publicly welcomed the recruitment of ‘16,000 mostly Middle Eastern volunteers’ to support his invasion of Ukraine.

Syrian mercenaries have deployed alongside Russian proxy forces in Libya since late 2020.

This follows earlier reporting that Russia was also planning to deploy experienced mercenaries from Russian Private Military Companies to support the invasion.

Russia this week has also been forced to acknowledge the use of conscript soldiers in its operations against Ukraine.

As losses mount, Russia will be forced to draw on alternative sources to reinforce their overstretched regular forces.

 

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‘Let them come in’: Zelenskyy

President Zelenskyy has suggested Russian forces would face a fight to the death if they sought to enter the capital.

“If they decide to carpet bomb (Kyiv), and simply erase the history of this region, the history of the Kyivan Rus, the history of Europe, and destroy all of us, then they will enter Kyiv. If that’s their goal, let them come in, but they will have to live on this land by themselves,” he told a news conference.

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Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear plants being run by Ukrainian staff – Russia

The Ukrainian nuclear power plants at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia, both now under the control of Russian forces, are being run and managed by their Ukrainian staff, Russia’s atomic energy agency Rosatom said on Saturday, according to the RIA news agency.
Rosatom’s statement said an external power supply was being restored to the defunct Chernobyl plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986, with the help of Russian specialists. Read more here

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Ukrainian foreign minister says ready to negotiate, but will not surrender

Ukraine was ready to negotiate to end the war started by Russia more than two weeks ago, but would not surrender or accept any ultimatums, the country’s foreign affairs minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday.

Speaking at a virtual event organized by the non-partisan, nonprofit organization Renew Democracy Initiative, Kuleba said civilian lives would be saved if Ukraine had fighter jets and more attack planes to destroy large military columns.

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Biden authorizes $200m in new weapons, military training for Ukraine

US President Joe Biden authorized $200 million in weapons and other assistance for Ukraine, the White House said.

The decision brings total US security aid provided to Ukraine over the past year to $1.2 billion, according to a senior administration official.

The funds can be used for weapons and other defense articles from the Defense Department’s stock, as well as military education and training to help Ukraine.

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Reports of looting and fighting among civilians in Mariupol: UN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said people trapped in the besieged southern city of Mariupol were desperate, adding “there are reports of looting and violent confrontations among civilians over what little basic supplies remain in the city”.

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Zelensky describes ‘fundamentally different approach’ from Moscow in talks  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia, which invaded his country on February 24, had adopted a “fundamentally different approach” in talks to end the conflict.

In a media briefing, Zelensky said that the approach was in contrast to earlier talks at which Moscow only “issued ultimatums” and that he was “happy to have a signal from Russia” after President Vladimir Putin said he saw “some positive shifts” in their dialogue.
Putin indicated previously that negotiations are “now being held on an almost daily basis”.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have held several rounds of talks since Putin sent in troops to the country.

Turkey on Thursday hosted the first talks between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers since the invasion.

The talks have led to the opening of several humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from combat areas. Both sides have accused each other of blocking these efforts.

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In Macron, Scholz call, Putin showed not ready to end war – Élysée

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show a willingness to end a war with Ukraine during a call on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a French presidency official said.
The French and German leaders reiterated their call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as a condition for full negotiations, the official said.
After a three-way phone call with the Russian leader and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office accused Putin of “lies” for alleging that Ukrainian forces had committed human rights abuses.
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Israel denies it urged Ukraine to accept Russian stance

Israel has denied allegations it urged Kyiv to accept Moscow-proposed terms as part of the Jewish state’s mediation efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Israeli media said Friday that a senior Ukrainian official accused Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of acting as a mailbox for Russian demands.
According to left-leaning daily Haaretz, the unidentified official said Bennett urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the telephone to “accept the Russian stance” and surrender.
“This report isn’t just inaccurate but patently false,” a senior official in Bennett’s office said in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday.
“At no point did PM Bennett advise President Zelensky to take a deal from Putin — because no such deal was offered to Israel for us to be able to do so,” the official added.
“Bennett has at no point told Zelensky how to act nor does he have any intention to.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, Bennett has avoided forceful condemnation of Russia’s invasion, stressing Israel’s strong ties with Moscow and Kyiv.

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Russia planning ‘pseudo’ independence referendum in Ukraine’s Kherson port

Russian occupying forces are planning to stage a “pseudo” referendum in the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson to create a breakaway region, the deputy head of the local council said on Saturday.
“The creation of the (republic) will turn our region into a hopeless hole without life or a future,” said in a post on social media.
Russian forces captured Kherson following the start of an invasion on February 24, but pro-Ukraine protesters have taken to the streets in the city to protest the invasion force.

 

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Germany aims to be nearly free of Russia oil by end of this year

Germany said on Saturday it aims to be nearly free of Russian oil imports by the end of this year, as countries look to squeeze Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
“With each day, indeed each hour, we are saying goodbye to Russian imports,” economy and climate minister Robert Habeck was quoted as saying by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“If we get there, we will be independent of Russian coal by the autumn and nearly independent of Russian oil by the end of the year.”
Government statistics show Germany currently imports a third of its oil and 45 percent of its coal from Russia.
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US, Ukrainian diplomats discuss trilateral meeting in Türkiye

The US secretary of state has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart and discussed the trilateral meeting involving Türkiye, Russia and Ukraine that took place in Antalya province.

In a push for peace in the region, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had met with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Antalya on Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Antony Blinken reiterated his country’s “commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity…”

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Russia: Security proposals sent to US no longer valid 

Russia has said its troops could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine and claimed that Washington had not taken Moscow’s warnings on the matter seriously.

“We warned the United States that the orchestrated pumping of weapons from a number of countries is not just a dangerous move, it is a move that turns these convoys into legitimate targets,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state television.

He also added Moscow and Washington were not holding any “negotiation processes” on Ukraine. 

According to RIA news agency, Ryabkov also said proposals on security guarantees that Russia had sent to the US and NATO before Russian forces entered Ukraine last month were no longer valid.

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British people who want to host Ukrainian refugees in their home under a new government scheme will have to do so for a minimum of six months, reports the Times.

At the moment Britain’s visa scheme for Ukrainian refugees is limited to those with family members already settled in the UK.

But under another plan, expected to be launched on Monday, individuals and companies will be permitted to sponsor Ukrainians with no ties to the UK.

However, the Times reports that hosts taking part in the scheme will have to commit to a minimum of six months.

A government source told the newspaper:

It’s about making sure we have secure offers. Unfortunately it’s going to need to be a long-term scheme as it doesn’t look like they’ll be going home any time soon.

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The European Union faces soaring energy prices in the wake of sanctions imposed against Russia over events in Ukraine, a Russian foreign ministry official said, Reuters reports.

Russia was a reliable supplier of energy but was ready for a tough confrontation in the sector if necessary, Interfax quoted Nikolai Kobrinets as saying. He did not provide details of what that confrontation might entail.

The EU could end up paying at least three times more for oil, gas and electricity, he said.

I believe the European Union would not benefit from this – we have more durable supplies and stronger nerves.

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Russian forces squeeze Kiev, surround Mariupol

Russian forces have stepped up the pressure on Kiev and pummelled civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities, including hospitals in Mykolaiv and a mosque in Mariupol, the port city already devastated by two weeks of siege.

Russian strikes destroyed the airport in the town of Vasylkiv, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Kiev, while an oil depot was also hit and caught fire, the mayor said.

The northwest suburbs of the capital, including Irpin and Bucha, have already endured days of heavy bombardment while Russian armoured vehicles are advancing on the northeastern edge.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak on Friday called it a “city under siege”. 

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Which companies have left Russia so far?

Interactive - Companies leaving Russia

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Belarus sends combat units to southern border

Belarus has said it is deploying five combat units to its southern border to prevent “nationalist armed formations” from Ukraine from entering the country.

“The troop movements are in no way related to any preparations, let alone to any participation of Belarusian soldiers in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine,” said the deputy defence minister, Viktor Gulevich, in a statement.

Ukraine accuses its neighbour of planning to enter the war alongside Russia. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko vehemently denies this.

Russian forces have used Belarus as a base from which to attack targets in Ukraine with fighter jets and missiles

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Around 1,300 Ukrainian troops killed since Russian invasion, Zelenskiy says

Speaking at a news briefing, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said around 1,300 Ukrainian troops had been killed since the start of the Russian invasion.

He also claimed that around 500-600 Russian troops surrendered to Ukrainian forces on Friday.

The Guardian cannot independently verify these figures.

Zelenskiy said Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams had started discussing concrete topics rather than exchanging ultimatums.

The west should be more involved in negotiations to end the war, he said.

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Roman Abramovich has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea by the Premier League board

Roman Abramovich

The decision comes after Abramovich was hit by UK government sanctions on Thursday, in turn imposing severe operational restrictions on Chelsea.

A Premier League statement reads:

Following the imposition of sanctions by the UK government, the Premier League board has disqualified Roman Abramovich as a director of Chelsea Football Club.

The board’s decision does not impact on the club’s ability to train and play its fixtures, as set out under the terms of a licence issued by the government, which expires on 31 May 2022.

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Russia shells mosque housing 80 civilians including children in Mariupol

According to Ukraine’s foreign ministry, Russian soldiers shelled a mosque in Mariupol, a southern Ukrainian port city, where more than 80 adults and children had sought safety.

Turkish citizens were among those seeking refuge in the mosque when it was bombed, according to the government.

 “The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders,” the foreign ministry said. “More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey.”  Read more here

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Ukrainian defenders claim to kill Russia’s third general

A third top Russian general seems to have been killed by Ukrainian defenders, the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed on Friday.  

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been intensifying with every hour.   

In a tweet, Ukraine’s military said that they killed Russian Maj Gen Andrey Kolesnikov, who is believed to be the commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army.  

While announcing the general’s purported death, Ukraine’s armed forces on Twitter, said, “The Russian invaders continue to lose their officers in the war against Ukraine.”   

 

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Censorship, arrests, shutdowns: Putin crushes Russian media

Having taken the country to war, Putin is also pushing it into an information black hole. Journalists are being controlled, silenced and even driven out.

Russia is experiencing a Stalinesque crackdown on reporting that smacks of the Soviet era; the mere mention of the word “war” in relation to Ukraine can now land journalists in prison for up to 15 years.

Contributors:
Michael Nacke – Journalist & vlogger
Jason Corcoran – Journalist
Vera Tolz – Professor of Russian Studies, the University of Manchester
Natalia Antelava – Editor-in-chief, codastory.com

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US: Those helping wealthy Russians hide assets will be prosecuted

The Justice Department will investigate and prosecute people, banks, cryptocurrency exchanges and others that help rich Russians hide or launder their luxury assets and money, a senior department official said.

The actions will be undertaken by a new task force dedicated to freezing or seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs and others under sanctions, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous to speak about the unit’s work.

 On a call with reporters Friday, the official provided the first glimpse of the inner workings of the group — dubbed Task Force KleptoCapture — which was announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland this month, following the Feb. 24 invasion.

 “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war,” Garland said on March 2. “Let me be clear: if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable.” 

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Poorer nations in Asia, Africa, Middle East face food crisis: UN

Poorer countries in northern Africa, Asia and the Middle East that depend heavily on wheat imports risk suffering significant food insecurity because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the conflict is poised to drive up already soaring food prices in much of the globe, the UN food agency warned Friday.

Ukraine and Russia, which is under heavy economic sanctions for invading its neighbour two weeks ago, account for one-third of global grain exports. Read more here

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Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting hospital

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of damaging a cancer hospital and several residential buildings in the southern city of Mykolaiv with shelling from heavy artillery.

The hospital’s head doctor, Maksim Beznosenko, said several hundred patients were in the hospital during the attack but that no one was killed. The assault damaged the building and blew out windows.

Russian forces have stepped up their attacks on Mykolaiv, located 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of Kiev, in an attempt to encircle the city.

The United States has not seen evidence that troops from close Russian ally Belarus are in Ukraine, the Pentagon said Friday.
“We haven’t seen any indications that Belarusian troops or forces have moved inside Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“We’re not tracking any imminent involvement by Belarusian forces,” Kirby said. “That’s not to say that it couldn’t happen or that it wouldn’t happen.”

 

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Sanctions could cause space station to crash, Russian space agency says

How the ISS could stay in orbit without Russia — Quartz

Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station (ISS) to crash, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos warned Saturday, calling for the punitive measures to be lifted. According to Dmitry Rogozin, the sanctions could disrupt the operation of Russian vessels servicing the ISS. As a result, the Russian segment of the station – which helps correct its orbit – could be affected, causing the 500-tonne structure to “fall down into the sea or onto land”.

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Sieges ‘have been outlawed by the modern rules of war’, Doctors Without Borders says

After days under attack by Russian forces, Survivors have been trying to flee bombardment in the freezing city of Mariupol, left without water or heating and running out of food. The situation is “desperate,” a Doctors Without Borders official said.
“Hundreds of thousands of people… are for all intents and purposes besieged,” Stephen Cornish, one of those heading the medical charity’s Ukraine operation, told AFP in an interview. “Sieges are a medieval practice that have been outlawed by the modern rules of war for good reason.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said they were trying to arrange evacuations from besieged cities but Russian forces were disrupting efforts. “Mariupol remains blocked by the enemy. Russian troops did not let our aid into the city and continue to torture our people, our Mariupol residents,” Zelensky said in a video address late Friday. “Tomorrow we’ll try again. Once again, send food, water and medicine for our city.”
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Sattelite images show Russia inching towards Kiev

Satellite images taken showed that Russian military units were continuing to deploy closer to Ukraine’s capital Kiev and actively firing artillery toward residential areas, a US private company said.

Maxar Technologies said on Friday multiple homes and buildings were on fire and widespread damage and impact craters were seen throughout the town of Moschun, northwest of Kiev.

 

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Air raid sirens heard across most Ukraine

Air raid sirens were heard across most Ukrainian cities early on Saturday morning urging people to seek shelters, local media reported.

Sirens were heard in the capital city of Kiev, the western city of Lviv in Odessa, and Kharkiv, Cherkasy, as well as in the Sumy region in northeast of the country, a number of local Ukrainian media reported.

Russian forces appeared to be regrouping on Friday for a possible assault on Kiev, with satellite images showing them firing artillery as they closed in on the capital. 

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Russia destroys 3,491 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities – Russian media

Russian troops have destroyed 3,491 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine so far, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Saturday.

Russian forces “continue the offensive in Ukraine on a broad front”, Konashenkov said. 

Reuters was not immediately able to verify his statement. 

Ukraine hopes Russia will observe ceasefire to allow civilian evacuation

Several humanitarian corridors out of Ukrainian towns and villages including from the besieged southern port of Mariupol will be open on Saturday so civilians can leave, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, adding she hoped Russia would observe a ceasefire to allow this to take place.

She said Ukraine plans to evacuate residents of several towns and villages in the regions of Kiev and Sumy and some other areas where there is ongoing combat.

“I hope that the day will go well, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will fulfill its obligations to guarantee the ceasefire regime,” Vereshchuk said in a video address.

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12,000 US troops moved along Russia borders, says Biden

US President Joe Biden said he has moved 12,000 troops along the borders with Russia, such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania while asserting that Vladimir Putin will not be victorious in the war he has waged against Ukraine. Addressing members of the House Democratic Caucus on Friday,  Read more here

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According to Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Independent, Italy has seized $578 million mega yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, one of world’s largest yachts. Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9.

Italy impounds mega yacht of Russian oligarch Melnichenko - P.M. News

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Ukraine president appeals to mothers of Russian soldiers

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons being sent to war in Ukraine.

“I want to say this once again to Russian mothers, especially mothers of conscripts. Do not send your children to war in a foreign country,” Zelensky said in a video address released on Telegram.

“Check where your son is. And if you have the slightest suspicion that your son could be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately” to prevent him being killed or captured, he said.

“Ukraine never wanted this terrible war. And Ukraine does not want it. But it will defend itself as much as necessary,” he added.

On Wednesday, Russia for the first time acknowledged the presence of conscripts in Ukraine and announced that a number of them had been taken prisoner.

Moscow had previously claimed that only professional soldiers were fighting there. 

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Kidnap of city mayor ‘crime against democracy’ – Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president demanded the release of the mayor of Melitopol, calling his kidnapping a “crime against democracy.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Ivan Federov as “a mayor who bravely defends Ukraine and the members of his community” in a Telegram video.

“This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders,” he said. “They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities.” 

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US will not “fight World War 3” in Ukraine – Biden

US President Joe Biden emphasised that the US will not send ground troops into Ukraine. 

“We will not fight the third world war in Ukraine,” Biden said after reiterating the United States’ full support to its NATO allies and promising that the US will defend “every inch” of NATO territory.

He added: “I want to be clear though, we are going to make sure that Ukraine has the weapons to defend themselves of an invading Russian force. And we will send money and food aid to save Ukrainians lives. We’re going to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if in fact they come all the way here.” 

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More US troops deploy overseas in wake of Ukraine invasion

U.S. soldiers continued to deploy Friday to Europe, joining thousands already sent overseas to support NATO allies amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

About 130 soldiers from the 87th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, lined up with rucksacks inside a terminal at Hunter Airfield in Savannah before marching outside and boarding their chartered flight. 

The battalion’s soldiers are in addition to the estimated 3,800 soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division who have deployed in recent weeks from nearby Fort Stewart, said Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder, the division’s spokesperson.

The Pentagon has ordered roughly 12,000 total service members from various U.S. bases to Europe, with a couple of thousand more already stationed abroad shifting to other European countries.

The soldiers’ mission is to train alongside military units of NATO allies in a display of force aimed at deterring further aggression by Russia. The Pentagon has stressed U.S. forces are not being deployed to fight in Ukraine.

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Russia still blocking civilians from leaving Mariupol, says Zelensky

Image

A total of 7,144 people were evacuated from four Ukrainian cities on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a televised address, a sharply lower number than managed to leave in each of the two previous days.

Zelenskiy accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of the besieged city of Mariupol and said Ukraine would try again to deliver food and medicines there on Saturday.

Almost 40,000 people left a number of cities through humanitarian corridors on Thursday, on top of the 35,000 who fled on Wednesday, Ukrainian authorities said.

Zelenskiy said inhabitants of Chernihiv, Energodar, Hostomel and Kozarovichi had managed to escape on Friday.

Authorities earlier said the situation in Mariupol was critical as Russian forces tightened their noose around the Black Sea port city and the death toll from shelling and a 12-day blockade reached almost 1,600. 

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Biden revokes Russia trading status, bans vodka, diamond imports

US removal of Russia as ‘most favoured nation’ done in coordination with NATO allies, G7 and EU. The United States and its top allies are revoking Russia’s “most favoured nation” status, President Joe Biden has announced, in a move he said aims to punish the Russian government for its invasion of Ukraine. Read more here

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US stresses that Russia sanctions extend to cryptocurrency

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued new guidance clarifying that US citizens and digital asset firms are required to comply with sanctions against Russia, even when facilitating transactions in cryptocurrency. 

OFAC said in the guidance that people in the United States as well as businesses that deal in cryptocurrency, “must be vigilant against attempts to circumvent OFAC regulations” and should “take risk-based steps to ensure they do not engage in prohibited transactions.” 

The warning comes as many in the crypto industry are responding to concerns from some lawmakers that digital assets could be used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its attack on Ukraine. 

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US welcomes Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in Ukraine conflict

The US welcomes Türkiye’s role in finding a diplomatic solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, a State Department spokesman said.

“We welcome it, precisely because our Turkish allies have done so in full coordination and consultation with United States,” Ned Price told reporters at a briefing when asked about Ankara’s role to resolve the fighting. 

He said US President Joe Biden “had an opportunity to speak to” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a tripartite meeting on Thursday between Ankara, Moscow and Kiev on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye. 

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Britain imposed sanctions on 386 members of Russia’s lower house of parliament on Friday, and said it would seek to ban the export of luxury goods to Russia to increase diplomatic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
The announcement – the latest in a series of punitive measures taken by Britain and international allies – said the sanctions targeted those who had voted to recognise the independence of Ukraine’s largely Russian-speaking breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in the run-up to the invasion.

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Ukraine urges Belarus to stay out of war

Ukraine is showing restraint towards Belarus but will fight back if Belarusian soldiers join the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s top security official Oleksiy Danilov has said.

Danilov said Ukraine was being careful in dealing with Belarus despite the country being used as a launchpad for Russian planes. If “one fighter crosses our border, we will fight back,” he added.

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US accuses Russia over nuclear safety in Ukraine

The United States has accused Russia of violating nuclear safety principles, saying it was concerned by “continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities” in Ukraine but added that there were no signs detected yet of any radiological release.

“We are monitoring reports of damage to a research facility in Kharkiv. Near-term safety risk is low, but the continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities must cease,” US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

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UK freezes several Chelsea accounts – reports

Chelsea have had several accounts and credit cards suspended temporarily following sanctions imposed on club owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government, British media reported.

Russian-born billionaire Abramovich had all his British assets frozen on Thursday barring Chelsea, with the Premier League club allowed to continue with “football-related activities.”

But the European champions cannot operate as a business and have been banned from selling match tickets or merchandise.

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EU unveils fourth set of sanctions against Russia

The European Union will suspend Moscow’s privileged trade and economic treatment, crack down on its use of crypto-assets and ban exports to Russia of EU luxury goods and import of iron and steel goods, the head of the European Commission has said.

The new measures amount to a fourth set of sanctions against Russia over its attacks on Ukraine, coordinated with the United States and other G7 allies.

“Tomorrow, we will take a fourth package of measures to further isolate Russia and drain the resources it uses to finance this barbaric war,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

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YouTube blocks Russian state-funded media channels globally

YouTube has announced blocking access around the world to channels associated with Russian state-funded media, citing a policy barring content that denies or trivialises well-documented violent events.

The world’s most used streaming video service, which is owned by Alphabet Inc’s Google, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now fell under its violent events policy.

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Ukraine: 1,582 civilians killed by Russian attacks in Mariupol 

Image

At least 1,582 civilians in Ukraine’s southeastern city of Mariupol have been killed as a result of Russian shelling and a 12-day blockade, the city council said in an online statement.

“We will never forget and will never forgive this crime against humanity,” it said.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry Adviser Vadym Denysenko said the situation in the Mariupol is critical and it is not clear whether eight trucks carrying humanitarian aid will be able to reach the southern port.

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UN not aware of any ‘biological weapons program’ in Ukraine

The United Nations is not aware of any ‘biological weapons program’ in Ukraine, the UN disarmament chief has told a Security Council meeting, but warned that the possibility of an accident at Ukraine nuclear power plants was ‘growing by the day.’

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said situations like the conflict in Ukraine required strengthening of the international ban on biological weapons.

She spoke at a UN Security Council meeting requested by Russia, to discuss Moscow’s claims, presented without evidence, of US “biological activities”.

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E3 rules out negotiation with Russia over Iran trade guarantees

There will be no negotiation on a broad exemption for Russia with regard to guarantees it has requested for doing trade with Iran, an E3 diplomat said.

Accusing Russia of taking the Iran nuclear talks hostage, the diplomat said there was “critical urgency” to conclude the deal to revive a 2015 nuclear pact as further external factors could also threaten it.

The diplomat said that world powers would need to look at other options if Moscow blocked the process.

The E3 comprises Britain, France and Germany.

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Britain, France warn external factors derailed Iran nuclear deal

External factors that have held up the Iran nuclear talks must be resolved in the next few days, the chief British and French envoys said, warning that otherwise the talks were likely to fall apart.

“Fair and comprehensive deal on table – ready for conclusion. External factors must be resolved in next few days or agreement likely to unravel,” Stephanie al-Qaq wrote on Twitter.

Her comments were echoed in a separate Tweet by her French counterpart Philippe Errera.

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EU to boost military support to Kiev, mulling new sanctions

European Union leaders have said they will continue applying pressure on Russia by devising a new set of sanctions to punish Moscow for its attacks on Ukraine.

The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the 27 officials taking part at two-day summit outside Paris will agree to inject an extra $549 million into the fund for military aid to Ukraine, as Russia widens its military offensive.

“I made the proposal to double our contribution,” Borrell said. “This is what we are going to do, and I am sure that the leaders will approve it this morning. And it is going to be done immediately. Now it flows quickly.”

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Macron threatens further ‘massive sanctions’ against Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Russia it faces further major economic punishment if the Kremlin presses on with its attacks in Ukraine.

“If things continue in the military way… we will take further sanctions, including massive sanctions,” Macron said after a summit of EU leaders at the Palace of Versailles.

He also said the Russian attacks will “deeply destabilise” food supplies in Europe and Africa as some of the world’s most fertile agricultural land goes unplanted.

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Russian regulator cracks down on Instagram

Russia’s communications and media regulator has restricted national access to Instagram because the platform is spreading “calls to commit violent acts against Russian citizens, including military personnel.”

The regulator, called Roskomnadzor, took the step as Russia presses ahead with its attacks in Ukraine.

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Ukraine warns of possible Belarusian attack plan

Ukraine’s state Centre for Strategic Communications has said it could not rule that Belarus would launch an assault on Ukraine after a meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

“According to preliminary data, Belarusian troops may be drawn into an invasion on March 11 at 21:00 (1900 GMT),” the centre, which was established under the Ministry of Culture andInformation Policy, said in a statement

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Turkey moving Kiev embassy to Chernivtsi

Türkiye is moving its embassy in Kiev to the city of Chernivtsi amid reports of a planned Russian assault on the Ukrainian capital, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tanju Bilgic was quoted as saying by state media.

Ankara has been working to evacuate its citizens stranded by the fighting across Ukraine.

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UKRAINE CONFLICT REDUCING YEMEN’S ACCESS TO FOOD

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Zelenskyy slams Russia deploying Syria mercenaries to Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia was hiring “murderers” from Syria to fight in Ukraine after Moscow said fighters from the war-torn nation would be allowed to join its forces.

“It’s a war with a very stubborn enemy… who has decided to hire mercenaries against our citizens. Murderers from Syria, a country where everything has been destroyed… like they are doing here to us,” he said in a video statement on Telegram.

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JAILED KREMLIN CRITIC NAVALNY CALLS FOR ANTI-WAR PROTESTS ACROSS RUSSIA ON SUNDAY

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Zelenskyy says Ukraine is on course for victory

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has reached a strategic turning point in its war with Russia and will overcome Moscow’s offensive, but cautioned that it was not possible to say how long fighting would continue.

“It is impossible to say how many days we still have to free Ukrainian land. But we can say we will do it. For we have already reached a strategic turning point,” he said in a televised address.

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UN: 564 CIVILIANS KILLED SO FAR IN UKRAINE

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Who are the volunteer fighters referred to by Russia?

Putin has backed bringing volunteer fighters from Syria and other countries to join Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said there had been been “more than 16,000 applications” from potential recruits, mostly from the Middle East.

Many of them were individuals who had fought alongside Russian forces in the battle against the ISIL (ISIS) group, he claimed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that the potential recruits include fighters from Syria.

Damascus is a staunch ally of Moscow, which intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 to support President Bashar al-Assad, turning the tide of the conflict in his favour.

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Ukraine says 78 children have been killed in Russian attacks

At least 78 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russian attack, Ukrainian human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said on Friday.

She said fighting around the southern city of Mariupol, the eastern town of Volnovakha and the town of Irpin in the Kyiv region meant the authorities had not been able to establish how many people had been killed or wounded in those places. 

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ERDOGAN: WORLD SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP IN 2014

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Ukraine halts half of world’s neon output for chips, clouding outlook

Ukraine’s two leading suppliers of neon, which produce about half the world’s supply of the key ingredient for making chips, have halted their operations as Moscow has sharpened its attack on the country, threatening to raise prices and aggravate the semiconductor shortage.

Some 45-54 percent of the world’s semiconductor grade neon, critical for the lasers used to make chips, comes from two Ukrainian companies, Ingas and Cryoin, according to Reuters calculations based on figures from the companies and market research firm Techcet.

Global neon consumption for chip production reached about 540 metric tons last year, Techcet estimates.

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RUSSIA TO PROBE META FOR ALLOWING VIOLENT THREATS AGAINST SOLDIERS

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Forty-eight schools destroyed in Ukrainian city of Kharkiv – mayor

The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is under relentless bombardment from Russian forces, the city’s mayor said in a televised interview.

“As of today, 48 (of the city’s) schools have been destroyed,” said Mayor Ihor Terekhov. 

The city has a peacetime population of about 1.4 million. 

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NATO chief: Türkiye a highly valued NATO ally

Türkiye is a highly valued NATO ally, plays key role in fight against terrorism, Secretary-General Stoltenberg tells Anadolu News Agency.

Stoltenberg commended Türkiye on facilitating diplomatic, political processes that can lead to peaceful discussions between Ukraine, Russia.

“NATO stands united partly in imposing unprecedented costs on Russia through economic sanctions we haven’t seen before,” he said.

“NATO understands frustration in Ukraine, but also thinks that escalation beyond Ukrainian borders will actually just cause even more suffering, more death,” Stoltenberg added.

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Kazakh, Turkish carriers suspend Russia flights

Kazakhstan’s national airline Air Astana and Turkish budget airline Pegasus Airlines said they were temporarily suspending flights to Russia, following sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military incursion in Ukraine.

The companies made the decision because of uncertainties over the insurance of aircraft bound for Russia, they said in separate press releases.

Air Astana, which operates flights to several destinations in Russia said it was seeking to “restore flights as soon as possible”. 

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European Commission aims to double military aid for Ukraine

The European Commission aims to double the EU’s military aid to Ukraine and has proposed earmarking another 500 million euros for this purpose, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

“Everybody was completely aware that we have to increase our military support to Ukraine,” he told reporters as he arrived for the second day of a meeting of EU leaders in Versailles. “I am sure the leaders will approve this money.” 

The EU is also considering imposing more sanctions on Russian oligarchs and the Russian economy, Borrell added. 

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UN: 2.5 million people have now fled Ukraine

Two and a half million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded and another two million have been internally displaced by the war, the United Nations said.

The UN Refugee Agency’s chief Filippo Grandi blamed the mass displacement on what he called a “senseless war” that began on February 24.

“The number of refugees from Ukraine – tragically – has reached today 2.5 million,” UNHCR chief Grandi tweeted.

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Putin says Russia must welcome volunteer fighters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia must allow volunteers who are willing to fight in Ukraine to take part in Moscow’s offensive.

Speaking to the Russian security council, Putin said he also supported giving arms captured in Ukraine to Russian-backed separatist fighters in the country’s eastern Donbas region.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told the meeting there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were ready to head to Ukraine to fight alongside the rebel forces.

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Ukraine civilian deaths higher than military losses, defence minister says

Ukraine’s defence minister says Russian forces have killed more Ukrainian civilians than soldiers.

“I want this to be heard not only in Kyiv but all over the world,” Oleksii Reznikov said.

He did not provide death tolls. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify Reznikov’s claims, or the number of losses on the Russian side.

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UK’s Sunak says Ukraine invasion creating ‘significant uncertainty’

The UK’s economy faces significant uncertainty due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UK finance minister Rishi Sunak has said after the release of stronger-than-expected growth data for January.

“We know that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is creating significant economic uncertainty and we will continue to monitor its impact on the UK, but it is vital that we stand with the people of Ukraine to uphold our shared values of freedom and democracy and ensure Putin fails,” Sunak said.

Sunak is due to give a half-yearly update of economic growth and borrowing forecasts on March 23.

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South Africa approached to mediate Russia-Ukraine conflict

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa has been approached to play a “mediation role” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The President had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday afternoon.

According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, at least 2.3 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country since a violent invasion by Russia commenced two weeks ago, with hundreds of civilians and military officials left dead by the military offensive. Read more here

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Goldman Sachs cuts US growth forecast as commodity prices bite

Goldman Sachs analysts downgraded their forecasts for US economic growth for this year, reckoning that spikes in oil and other commodities since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will hurt spending.
The investment bank cut its annualised growth forecast to 2.9% against a previous expectation of 3.1%. It expects fourth-quarter real gross domestic product growth of 1.75% against a previous forecast of 2%.
Goldman analysts, led by Jan Hatzius, said there are additional downside risks if shortages of key metals constrain US production, and put the chance of a recession during the next year at 20%-35%.

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Japan to freeze assets of three Belarus banks

Japan will freeze the assets of three Belarusian banks, the government said Thursday, days after EU countries agreed to toughen sanctions on Minsk over its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Japanese government also announced a $100 million humanitarian donation to Ukraine and its neighbouring nations to help Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Tokyo’s latest sanctions on Belarus, to be imposed from April 10, come as Japan acts with its G7 partners to pressure Moscow with a series of constraints on financial institutions and exports including semiconductors.
Japan had previously announced sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Earlier this week, the European Union gave the go-ahead to cut three Belarusian banks from the global SWIFT messaging system over the country’s involvement in the Kremlin’s attack.
The three banks that will be sanctioned in Japan’s asset freeze are Belagroprombank, Bank Dabrabyt, and the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus, the foreign ministry said.
The ministry said Japan would send $100 million to Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania through various international organisations, to respond to “urgent needs” such as health, shelter and child protection.

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Board of steelmaker Evraz quits after Abramovich sanction

Russian steelmaker Evraz has said that 10 members of its board had quit following the British sanction of largest shareholder Roman Abramovich and the suspension of its shares, with only the chief executive remaining.

It said it is waiting for further clarifications from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

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US Vice President Kamala Harris will head to Romania on Friday to discuss the growing refugee crisis in the region, a day after talks between Ukraine and Russia’s foreign ministers failed to bring any pause in the conflict.

Harris will meet President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest, her second stop on a three-day trip through eastern Europe.

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The European Union will not impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a video posted on his Facebook page on Friday, amid a summit of EU leaders in France.

“The most important issue for us has been settled in a favourable way: There won’t be sanctions that would apply to gas or oil, so Hungary’s energy supply is secure in the upcoming period,” Orban added.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ukraine told to destroy pathogens in health labs to prevent disease spread

The World Health Organization (WHO) advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the country’s public health laboratories to prevent “any potential spills” that would spread disease among the population, the agency told the Reuters news agency.

Biosecurity experts say Russia’s movement of troops into Ukraine and bombardment of its cities have raised the risk of an escape of disease-causing pathogens, should any of those facilities be damaged. Read more here

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russian troops have launched a high-precision, long-range attack on two military airfields in the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk and taken them out of action, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying on Friday.

The United States, together with the G7 and the European Union, will move on Friday to revoke Russia’s “most favoured nation” status over its invasion of Ukraine, multiple people familiar with the situation told Reuters.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

President Joe Biden will announce the plans at the White House at 10:15 am EST (4:15 pm Paris time), said one of the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The White House said Biden would announce “actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine”, but gave no details.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Premier Li offers China’s help for ‘grave’ Ukraine situation

China Has Tools To Cope With Economic Challenges, Li Says - Asia Financial News

China’s premier has called the situation in Ukraine “grave” and “disconcerting” and offered Beijing’s help in playing a “positive role” for peace while continuing to refuse to criticise Russia.

Li Keqiang told reporters at an annual news conference that “we support and encourage all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.”

“The pressing task now is to prevent tension from escalating or even getting out of control,” Li said, adding it is important to support Russia and Ukraine in ceasefire talks.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia demands that US stop Meta’s ‘extremist activities’

Russia’s embassy in the United States has demanded that Washington stop the “extremist activities” of Facebook owner Meta Platforms, which has temporarily lifted a ban on calls for violence against the Russian military and leadership.

“Meta’s aggressive and criminal policy leading to incitement of hatred and hostility towards Russians is outrageous,” the Russian embassy said in a statement. “The company’s actions are yet another evidence of the information war without rules declared on our country.”

The embassy said it wanted the US authorities to “stop the extremist activities of Meta and take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice”.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

US plans to revoke Russia favoured trade status

President Joe Biden will announce Friday that, along with the European Union and the Group of Seven countries, the US will move to revoke “most favoured nation” trade status for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

That’s according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement.

Biden’s move comes as bipartisan pressure has been building in Washington to revoke what is formally known as “permanent normal trade relations” with Russia.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia’s Lavrov, Ukraine’s Kuleba agree on little – except to keep talking

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba met in Turkey in the highest-level talks since Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. Kuleba said afterwards Lavrov had refused to promise to hold fire to allow for aid distribution and the evacuation along humanitarian corridors of civilians trapped in Mariupol and elsewhere. Lavrov showed no sign of making any concessions, saying the operation was going to plan and repeating Moscow’s accusations that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia, which wants Kyiv to drop any aspirations of joining the NATO alliance.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia says military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk taken out: Reports

Russian troops have launched a high-precision, long-range attack on two military airfields in the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk and have taken them out of action, Russian news agencies have quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.

The mayor of Ivano-Frankiivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, ordered residents in the neighbouring areas to head to shelters after an air raid alert. The mayor of Lutsk also announced an air raid near the airport.

The strikes were far to the west from the main Russian offensive.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ukraine: Damage so far from war with Russia tops $100B

Russian forces have so far destroyed $100 billion worth of buildings, infrastructure and other physical assets in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s economic adviser said.

Oleg Ustenko said in a statement that the offensive has also caused 50 percent of Ukrainian businesses to shut down completely. 

Noting that the remaining businesses are continuing their activities with difficulty, Ustenko said the $100 billion in losses accounts for half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Besieged city of Mariupol enduring bombardment ‘every 30 minutes’

Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko has said 400,000 people were trapped in the port city which had gone through “two days of hell”.

“Every 30 minutes planes arrived over the city of Mariupol and worked on residential areas, killing civilians – the elderly, women, children,” he said in an online post.

Petro Andrushenko, an adviser to the mayor, said the Russians wanted to “delete our people.”

“They want to stop any evacuation,” he said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Satellite photos show breakup of Russian convoy outside Kyiv

Satellite photos have shown that a massive Russian convoy that had been mired outside the Ukrainian capital since last week appeared to have dispersed.

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed the 64 kilometer (40 mile) line of vehicles, tanks and artillery has broken up and been redeployed, with armoured units seen in towns near the Antonov Airport north of the city. Some of the vehicles have moved into forests, Maxar reported.

The convoy had massed outside the city early last week, but its advance appeared to have stalled amid reports of food and fuel shortages. US officials said Ukrainian troops also targeted the convoy with anti-tank missiles.

Maxar image - russian troops near Kyiv
A satellite image shows troops and equipment deployed, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, in Ozera, northeast of Antonov Airport, Ukraine [Maxar Technologies via Reuters]
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Moscow to open humanitarian corridors from 5 Ukrainian cities

The Russian defence ministry will declare a ceasefire on Friday and open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of Ukrainians from five cities, the RIA and Interfax news agencies have reported.

The agencies quoted Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre, as saying people could either travel to Russia or other cities in Ukraine.

“From 10:00 am Moscow time [07:00 GMT] on March 11, 2022, the Russian Federation will declares a ‘regime of silence’ and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors,” Interfax said, citing a statement from Mizintsev.

The five cities are Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv. So far, no civilians have been able to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol.

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EU should phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027: von der Leyen 

The European Union should stop using Russian fossil fuels by 2027, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, adding she would propose a plan for doing so in mid-May.
“Proposal for a RePowerEU plan to phase out our dependencies on Russian fossil fuels by 2027,” she wrote on Twitter as EU leaders met in Versailles to discuss the issue.

 

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US intelligence chiefs say China was ‘unsettled’ by Russian invasion

 US intelligence chiefs said they thought China, which has refused to condemn Russia or call the attack an invasion, was “unsettled” by events in Ukraine.

 
“I do believe that the Chinese leadership, President Xi (Jinping) in particular, is unsettled,” Central Intelligence Agency (CAI) Director William Burns said. “By what he’s seen, partly because his own intelligence doesn’t appear to have told him what was going to happen.”
At the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats to US security on Thursday, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Russian forces are operating with “reckless disregard” for civilians as they face stronger-than-expected resistance in Ukraine.
“The Russian military has begun to loosen its rules of engagement to achieve their military objectives,” said Haines.
US intelligence agencies are tracking Russia’s actions to hold them to account, Haines added.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IAEA chief to present ideas on nuclear safety to Russia and Ukraine

The UN nuclear watchdog will present ideas to Ukraine and Russia in the coming hours on how to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and a meeting is likely “very soon,” its chief Rafael Grossi said on Thursday.
“I am quite encouraged on one important thing: Ukraine and the Russian Federation want to work with us and agreed to work with us,” Grossi told a news conference after a trip to Turkey where he met Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministers separately. “We have to move fast.”
Grossi said he did not have confirmation that power has been restored to the Chernobyl nuclear plant days after power was cut to the plant.
Russian forces have also shelled and captured the Zaporizhzhia plant on March 4, causing a fire that raised alarms in Europe.
Grossi met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in separate meetings in Antalya in Turkey.
“We had good meetings, not easy ones, but serious meetings,” he told reporters after returning to Vienna, where the IAEA is based.
 
“Both sides agree… that something needs to be done. They are both ready to work and to engage with the IAEA.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he spoke to Putin on Thursday — and thanks the Russian leader for taking his call.

South Africa, along with China and India, abstained from last week’s UN General Assembly vote calling for an immediate end to the Russian invasion.

 

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EU leaders set to agree on phasing out Russian fuels

European Union leaders are set to agree to cut their reliance on Russian fossil fuels, although are divided over whether to cap gas prices and to sanction oil imports.

As part of a two-day summit in Versailles, France, the leaders are expected to agree to the phasing out of Russian oil, gas and coal, according to a draft statement, which gives no end-date.

Russia’s invasion prompted Brussels on Tuesday to publish plans to reduce its use of gas from Europe’s top supplier this year and end it within the decade.

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US Treasury says sanctions limiting China’s ability to buy Russian oil

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said financial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are limiting China’s ability to buy Russian oil.

“My sense is that financial institutions in China that do business in dollars and in euros are worried about the impact of sanctions,” Yellen said in a Washington Post Live interview.

Beijing was not “meaningfully offsetting or lessening” sanctions pressure on Moscow, she added.

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Mariupol maternity hospital third to be destroyed: UN

The United Nations’ reproductive health agency has said two other maternity hospitals had been attacked and destroyed in Ukraine before Russia’s strike in Mariupol on Wednesday.

“In Zhytomyr, the maternity (hospital) was completely destroyed. In Saltivsky, the maternity [hospital] was also destroyed,” Jaime Nadal, the Ukraine lead for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said in a press conference.

The UN official did not specify who launched the attacks on the other hospitals or if there were any victims.

The agency estimated about 80,000 women will be giving birth over the next three months and over 4,300 women have given birth since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

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YouTube, Google Play suspend payment-based services in Russia

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube and Google Play store are suspending all payment-based services in Russia, including subscriptions, as Western sanctions start to pose banking challenges in the country.

Google will also pause ads for advertisers based in Russia across its properties and networks globally, the company said. This is in addition to the company’s recent suspension of online advertising following similar pauses by Twitter Inc and Snap.

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Russian forces encircle at least four major cities

Ukraine’s capital Kyiv remains under Ukrainian control despite heavy bombardments, though Western observers point to a Russian column of hundreds of vehicles outside the city.

The city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine is now encircled by Russian troops but thousands have been able to leave through a humanitarian corridor.

Ukrainian forces also retain control of the northern town of Chernihiv, which has seen heavy civilian casualties in recent days and appears to be encircled.

Kharkiv remains in Ukrainian hands despite increasingly intense Russian bombardment and the city is likely now surrounded.

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France’s Macron says bombing of Mariupol hospital ‘disgraceful’

Russia’s bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol was “a disgraceful act of war,” French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

France condemned the attack “in the firmest possible terms”, Macron told reporters as EU leaders gathered outside Paris to discuss their response to the conflict.

“The clear objective was to kill civilians, especially women and children,” he said.

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Putin has chosen to ‘specifically target civilians’: Canadian PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a choice to “specifically target civilians,” Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said, and any further targeting of civilians in Ukraine is going to be met with the “severest of responses.”

“Putin’s callous disregard for human life is absolutely unacceptable. It is very clear that he has made the choice to specifically target civilians now,” Trudeau told reporters in Warsaw.

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Red Cross employee describes dire conditions in Mariupol

The deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Mariupol, Sasha Volkov, says conditions in the city are increasingly dire.

In an audio recording posted by the aid organisation on Twitter, Volkov said his supply of food was dwindling and described relying on generators to supply electricity for a few hours a day.

Water, he said, will soon have to be collected from a local stream as existing stocks get used up.

“People are afraid,” Volkov added.

 

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Putin warns the West: Russia will emerge stronger

In a long televised address to his government, which was focused on the economic impact of Western sanctions, Putin has vowed that Russia will ultimately emerge stronger and more independent.
The nation would overcome the difficulties caused by what he called the West’s “illegitimate” sanctions, he maintained.
Putin said there was no alternative to what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine and that Russia was not a country which could accept compromising its sovereignty for some sort of short-term economic gain.
“These sanctions would have been imposed in any case,” Putin told a meeting of the Russian government. “There are some questions, problems and difficulties but in the past we have overcome them and we will overcome them.”

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UNICEF: Over one million children become refugees 

Almost half of of some 2.3 million people who fled Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are children, UNICEF says, confirming at least 37 child fatalities in 15 days.

Most of the children crossed into Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania with their families, according to the UN children’s agency.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian parliament official said at least 71 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia began its attacks on February 24.

“From the start of the Russian invasion and up to 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on March 10, 71 children have been killed and more than 100 wounded,” Lyudmyla Denisova, parliament’s point person on human rights, wrote in a Telegram message.

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NATO chief to meet Turkish president, foreign minister

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will meet Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday.

Stoltenberg will visit Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, NATO announced in a press statement.

He will hold talks with Erdogan and Cavusoglu, and participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the statement added.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a high-level event of political leaders, diplomats, foreign policy experts, and academics.

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Russia bans export of hundreds of products after sanctions

Russia has announced an export ban on more than 200 types of foreign products and equipment until the end of 2022, as part of Moscow’s response to sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.

“The list includes technological, communication and medical equipment, vehicles, agricultural machinery and electrical equipment — more than 200 types of goods in total,” according to an order signed by Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

This comes as former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on ending the attacks in Ukraine, political news website Politico reported.

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ECB signals longer wait before interest rate rises

The European Central Bank has signalled that it may give itself a little more time before rising interest rates, as tensions in Ukraine and surging inflation cloud the economic outlook.

In its latest policy announcement, the ECB dropped its usual mention of raising rates “shortly after” the end of stimulus bond-buying schemes, saying instead that rate adjustments would now come “some time after” the end of asset purchases.

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Israeli Holocaust memorial suspends partnership with oligarch Abramovich

Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial has suspended a strategic partnership with Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
Yad Vashem announced last month that Abramovich’s pledged funding would strengthen its endeavours in the areas of Holocaust research and remembrance.
The announcement came hours after the UK froze Abramovich’s assets and slapped a travel ban on the Chelsea Football Club owner, throwing his plans to sell the European and world club champions into disarray.

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Zelensky discusses conflict with Macron and Johnson

Ukrainian President Zelensky says he talked about further British support for Ukraine with Prime Minister Boris Johnson
and discussed peace talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Continued dialogue with the leaders of the UK & France. Informed about new crimes of Russia against people,” he said on
Twitter.

 

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Putin has been addressing a government meeting via video link for nearly an hour. He has warned of global food prices soaring due to Western sanctions and has vowed to increase Russia’s independence and sovereignty.

 

 

Premier Li offers China’s help for ‘grave’ Ukraine situation

China Has Tools To Cope With Economic Challenges, Li Says - Asia Financial News

China’s premier has called the situation in Ukraine “grave” and “disconcerting” and offered Beijing’s help in playing a “positive role” for peace while continuing to refuse to criticise Russia.

Li Keqiang told reporters at an annual news conference that “we support and encourage all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.”

“The pressing task now is to prevent tension from escalating or even getting out of control,” Li said, adding it is important to support Russia and Ukraine in ceasefire talks.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia demands that US stop Meta’s ‘extremist activities’

Russia’s embassy in the United States has demanded that Washington stop the “extremist activities” of Facebook owner Meta Platforms, which has temporarily lifted a ban on calls for violence against the Russian military and leadership.

“Meta’s aggressive and criminal policy leading to incitement of hatred and hostility towards Russians is outrageous,” the Russian embassy said in a statement. “The company’s actions are yet another evidence of the information war without rules declared on our country.”

The embassy said it wanted the US authorities to “stop the extremist activities of Meta and take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice”.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

US plans to revoke Russia favoured trade status

President Joe Biden will announce Friday that, along with the European Union and the Group of Seven countries, the US will move to revoke “most favoured nation” trade status for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

That’s according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement.

Biden’s move comes as bipartisan pressure has been building in Washington to revoke what is formally known as “permanent normal trade relations” with Russia.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia’s Lavrov, Ukraine’s Kuleba agree on little – except to keep talking

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba met in Turkey in the highest-level talks since Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. Kuleba said afterwards Lavrov had refused to promise to hold fire to allow for aid distribution and the evacuation along humanitarian corridors of civilians trapped in Mariupol and elsewhere. Lavrov showed no sign of making any concessions, saying the operation was going to plan and repeating Moscow’s accusations that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia, which wants Kyiv to drop any aspirations of joining the NATO alliance.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russia says military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk taken out: Reports

Russian troops have launched a high-precision, long-range attack on two military airfields in the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk and have taken them out of action, Russian news agencies have quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.

The mayor of Ivano-Frankiivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, ordered residents in the neighbouring areas to head to shelters after an air raid alert. The mayor of Lutsk also announced an air raid near the airport.

The strikes were far to the west from the main Russian offensive.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ukraine: Damage so far from war with Russia tops $100B

Russian forces have so far destroyed $100 billion worth of buildings, infrastructure and other physical assets in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s economic adviser said.

Oleg Ustenko said in a statement that the offensive has also caused 50 percent of Ukrainian businesses to shut down completely. 

Noting that the remaining businesses are continuing their activities with difficulty, Ustenko said the $100 billion in losses accounts for half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Besieged city of Mariupol enduring bombardment ‘every 30 minutes’

Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko has said 400,000 people were trapped in the port city which had gone through “two days of hell”.

“Every 30 minutes planes arrived over the city of Mariupol and worked on residential areas, killing civilians – the elderly, women, children,” he said in an online post.

Petro Andrushenko, an adviser to the mayor, said the Russians wanted to “delete our people.”

“They want to stop any evacuation,” he said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Satellite photos show breakup of Russian convoy outside Kyiv

Satellite photos have shown that a massive Russian convoy that had been mired outside the Ukrainian capital since last week appeared to have dispersed.

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed the 64 kilometer (40 mile) line of vehicles, tanks and artillery has broken up and been redeployed, with armoured units seen in towns near the Antonov Airport north of the city. Some of the vehicles have moved into forests, Maxar reported.

The convoy had massed outside the city early last week, but its advance appeared to have stalled amid reports of food and fuel shortages. US officials said Ukrainian troops also targeted the convoy with anti-tank missiles.

Maxar image - russian troops near Kyiv
A satellite image shows troops and equipment deployed, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, in Ozera, northeast of Antonov Airport, Ukraine [Maxar Technologies via Reuters]
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Moscow to open humanitarian corridors from 5 Ukrainian cities

The Russian defence ministry will declare a ceasefire on Friday and open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of Ukrainians from five cities, the RIA and Interfax news agencies have reported.

The agencies quoted Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre, as saying people could either travel to Russia or other cities in Ukraine.

“From 10:00 am Moscow time [07:00 GMT] on March 11, 2022, the Russian Federation will declares a ‘regime of silence’ and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors,” Interfax said, citing a statement from Mizintsev.

The five cities are Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv. So far, no civilians have been able to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EU should phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027: von der Leyen 

The European Union should stop using Russian fossil fuels by 2027, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, adding she would propose a plan for doing so in mid-May.
“Proposal for a RePowerEU plan to phase out our dependencies on Russian fossil fuels by 2027,” she wrote on Twitter as EU leaders met in Versailles to discuss the issue.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

US intelligence chiefs say China was ‘unsettled’ by Russian invasion

 US intelligence chiefs said they thought China, which has refused to condemn Russia or call the attack an invasion, was “unsettled” by events in Ukraine.

 
“I do believe that the Chinese leadership, President Xi (Jinping) in particular, is unsettled,” Central Intelligence Agency (CAI) Director William Burns said. “By what he’s seen, partly because his own intelligence doesn’t appear to have told him what was going to happen.”
At the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats to US security on Thursday, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Russian forces are operating with “reckless disregard” for civilians as they face stronger-than-expected resistance in Ukraine.
“The Russian military has begun to loosen its rules of engagement to achieve their military objectives,” said Haines.
US intelligence agencies are tracking Russia’s actions to hold them to account, Haines added.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IAEA chief to present ideas on nuclear safety to Russia and Ukraine

The UN nuclear watchdog will present ideas to Ukraine and Russia in the coming hours on how to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and a meeting is likely “very soon,” its chief Rafael Grossi said on Thursday.
“I am quite encouraged on one important thing: Ukraine and the Russian Federation want to work with us and agreed to work with us,” Grossi told a news conference after a trip to Turkey where he met Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministers separately. “We have to move fast.”
Grossi said he did not have confirmation that power has been restored to the Chernobyl nuclear plant days after power was cut to the plant.
Russian forces have also shelled and captured the Zaporizhzhia plant on March 4, causing a fire that raised alarms in Europe.
Grossi met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in separate meetings in Antalya in Turkey.
“We had good meetings, not easy ones, but serious meetings,” he told reporters after returning to Vienna, where the IAEA is based.
 
“Both sides agree… that something needs to be done. They are both ready to work and to engage with the IAEA.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he spoke to Putin on Thursday — and thanks the Russian leader for taking his call.

South Africa, along with China and India, abstained from last week’s UN General Assembly vote calling for an immediate end to the Russian invasion.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EU leaders set to agree on phasing out Russian fuels

European Union leaders are set to agree to cut their reliance on Russian fossil fuels, although are divided over whether to cap gas prices and to sanction oil imports.

As part of a two-day summit in Versailles, France, the leaders are expected to agree to the phasing out of Russian oil, gas and coal, according to a draft statement, which gives no end-date.

Russia’s invasion prompted Brussels on Tuesday to publish plans to reduce its use of gas from Europe’s top supplier this year and end it within the decade.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

US Treasury says sanctions limiting China’s ability to buy Russian oil

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said financial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are limiting China’s ability to buy Russian oil.

“My sense is that financial institutions in China that do business in dollars and in euros are worried about the impact of sanctions,” Yellen said in a Washington Post Live interview.

Beijing was not “meaningfully offsetting or lessening” sanctions pressure on Moscow, she added.

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Mariupol maternity hospital third to be destroyed: UN

The United Nations’ reproductive health agency has said two other maternity hospitals had been attacked and destroyed in Ukraine before Russia’s strike in Mariupol on Wednesday.

“In Zhytomyr, the maternity (hospital) was completely destroyed. In Saltivsky, the maternity [hospital] was also destroyed,” Jaime Nadal, the Ukraine lead for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said in a press conference.

The UN official did not specify who launched the attacks on the other hospitals or if there were any victims.

The agency estimated about 80,000 women will be giving birth over the next three months and over 4,300 women have given birth since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

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YouTube, Google Play suspend payment-based services in Russia

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube and Google Play store are suspending all payment-based services in Russia, including subscriptions, as Western sanctions start to pose banking challenges in the country.

Google will also pause ads for advertisers based in Russia across its properties and networks globally, the company said. This is in addition to the company’s recent suspension of online advertising following similar pauses by Twitter Inc and Snap.

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Russian forces encircle at least four major cities

Ukraine’s capital Kyiv remains under Ukrainian control despite heavy bombardments, though Western observers point to a Russian column of hundreds of vehicles outside the city.

The city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine is now encircled by Russian troops but thousands have been able to leave through a humanitarian corridor.

Ukrainian forces also retain control of the northern town of Chernihiv, which has seen heavy civilian casualties in recent days and appears to be encircled.

Kharkiv remains in Ukrainian hands despite increasingly intense Russian bombardment and the city is likely now surrounded.

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France’s Macron says bombing of Mariupol hospital ‘disgraceful’

Russia’s bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol was “a disgraceful act of war,” French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

France condemned the attack “in the firmest possible terms”, Macron told reporters as EU leaders gathered outside Paris to discuss their response to the conflict.

“The clear objective was to kill civilians, especially women and children,” he said.

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Putin has chosen to ‘specifically target civilians’: Canadian PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a choice to “specifically target civilians,” Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said, and any further targeting of civilians in Ukraine is going to be met with the “severest of responses.”

“Putin’s callous disregard for human life is absolutely unacceptable. It is very clear that he has made the choice to specifically target civilians now,” Trudeau told reporters in Warsaw.

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Red Cross employee describes dire conditions in Mariupol

The deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Mariupol, Sasha Volkov, says conditions in the city are increasingly dire.

In an audio recording posted by the aid organisation on Twitter, Volkov said his supply of food was dwindling and described relying on generators to supply electricity for a few hours a day.

Water, he said, will soon have to be collected from a local stream as existing stocks get used up.

“People are afraid,” Volkov added.

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Putin warns the West: Russia will emerge stronger

In a long televised address to his government, which was focused on the economic impact of Western sanctions, Putin has vowed that Russia will ultimately emerge stronger and more independent.
The nation would overcome the difficulties caused by what he called the West’s “illegitimate” sanctions, he maintained.
Putin said there was no alternative to what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine and that Russia was not a country which could accept compromising its sovereignty for some sort of short-term economic gain.
“These sanctions would have been imposed in any case,” Putin told a meeting of the Russian government. “There are some questions, problems and difficulties but in the past we have overcome them and we will overcome them.”

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UNICEF: Over one million children become refugees 

Almost half of of some 2.3 million people who fled Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are children, UNICEF says, confirming at least 37 child fatalities in 15 days.

Most of the children crossed into Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania with their families, according to the UN children’s agency.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian parliament official said at least 71 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia began its attacks on February 24.

“From the start of the Russian invasion and up to 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on March 10, 71 children have been killed and more than 100 wounded,” Lyudmyla Denisova, parliament’s point person on human rights, wrote in a Telegram message.

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NATO chief to meet Turkish president, foreign minister

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will meet Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday.

Stoltenberg will visit Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, NATO announced in a press statement.

He will hold talks with Erdogan and Cavusoglu, and participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the statement added.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a high-level event of political leaders, diplomats, foreign policy experts, and academics.

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Russia bans export of hundreds of products after sanctions

Russia has announced an export ban on more than 200 types of foreign products and equipment until the end of 2022, as part of Moscow’s response to sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.

“The list includes technological, communication and medical equipment, vehicles, agricultural machinery and electrical equipment — more than 200 types of goods in total,” according to an order signed by Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

This comes as former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on ending the attacks in Ukraine, political news website Politico reported.

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ECB signals longer wait before interest rate rises

The European Central Bank has signalled that it may give itself a little more time before rising interest rates, as tensions in Ukraine and surging inflation cloud the economic outlook.

In its latest policy announcement, the ECB dropped its usual mention of raising rates “shortly after” the end of stimulus bond-buying schemes, saying instead that rate adjustments would now come “some time after” the end of asset purchases.

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Israeli Holocaust memorial suspends partnership with oligarch Abramovich

Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial has suspended a strategic partnership with Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
Yad Vashem announced last month that Abramovich’s pledged funding would strengthen its endeavours in the areas of Holocaust research and remembrance.
The announcement came hours after the UK froze Abramovich’s assets and slapped a travel ban on the Chelsea Football Club owner, throwing his plans to sell the European and world club champions into disarray.

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Zelensky discusses conflict with Macron and Johnson

Ukrainian President Zelensky says he talked about further British support for Ukraine with Prime Minister Boris Johnson
and discussed peace talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Continued dialogue with the leaders of the UK & France. Informed about new crimes of Russia against people,” he said on
Twitter.

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Putin has been addressing a government meeting via video link for nearly an hour. He has warned of global food prices soaring due to Western sanctions and has vowed to increase Russia’s independence and sovereignty.

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Putin says Russia is meeting energy supply obligations, slams ‘illegitimate’ sanctions

Russia is adhering to its obligations on energy supplies, President Putin told a government meeting, days after the US banned Russian oil imports.
Putin said Western sanctions against Russia were not legitimate, and Western governments were deceiving their own people. Russia would calmly solve its problems, he said.
Speaking at the same meeting, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Russia had taken measures to limit outflow of capital and that the country would service its external debts in roubles.

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War has destroyed $100 bn in Ukraine assets so far: official

Meanwhile in Kyiv,  Zelensky’s chief economic advisor estimates that the Russian invasion has so far destroyed about $100 billion in roads, bridges and businesses across Ukraine, dealing a huge hit to its economy.
“Currently around 50 percent of our businesses are not operating, and those which are still operating are not operating at 100 percent,” said Oleg Ustenko. 
 
“The situation in terms of economic growth, is going to be really very depressing, even if the war immediately stops,” he said in a virtual speech to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Ustenko repeated his call for European and other governments to cut off Moscow’s access to “blood money” by boycotting Russian oil and natural gas.

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Lavrov says West behaving dangerously over Ukraine

Lavrov has accused Western powers of behaving dangerously over Ukraine by supplying the country with weapons, warning the moves will affect the region’s security for years to come.

Addressing reporters at a news conference following his talks with Kuleba, Russia’s foreign minister also said Moscow’s offensive is going according to plan.

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Russia says Belarus restores power supply to Chernobyl nuclear plant

Russia’s energy ministry has said Belarusian specialists had restored electricity supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Chernobyl lost power amid fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Ukraine has not confirmed the Russian energy ministry’s claim.
The UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA on Wednesday said it has not seen any “critical impact on safety” due to the loss of power at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. France is helping the IAEA assess the situation at the site.  
Meanwhile IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is in  Antalya, Turkey, where there was a meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers.
Grossi didn’t give details of his own planned meetings in a tweet posted earlier Thursday that showed him sitting on a plane.
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Kuleba says no agreement on ’24-hour ceasefire’

Ukraine’s foreign minister has said he raised the prospect of a 24-hour ceasefire during his talks with Lavrov, but the pair did not make progress on the issue.

“It seems there are other decision-makers for this matter in Russia,” Kuleba told reporters at a news conference following the pair’s discussions.

He said the ceasefire was necessary to “resolve the most pressing humanitarian issues” in Ukraine.

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Lukashenko orders Belarusian specialists to restore Chernobyl power supply: Report

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has instructed specialists from his country to ensure that power is supplied to the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, state news agency Belta has reported.

The reported move came after Kyiv warned on Wednesday that there was a danger of a radiation leak at Chernobyl amid a power cut at the site, which sits near Ukraine’s border with Belarus.

But the UN’s nuclear watchdog said the outage would not have any “critical impact” on safety at the plant.

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Half of Kyiv population has left, mayor says

Half the population of Kyiv has fled since the Russian invasion began, its mayor Vitali Klitschko said Thursday, as Moscow’s forces press ever closer to the Ukrainian capital.  “From our information, one in two Kyiv residents has left the city,” he told Ukraine television.
“A little less than two million people have currently left. However, Kyiv has been transformed into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint has been fortified,” he added.
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Kremlin says it will seek information from military about hospital bombing

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Moscow will seek information from the Russian military over its alleged bombing of a children’s hospital in Mariupol.

“We will certainly ask our military about this, since we don’t have clear information about what happened there. And the military are very likely to provide some information,” Peskov told reporters at a news briefing.

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Talks with Russia fail to make progress towards ceasefire, Ukraine says

Ukraine’s foreign minister said he discussed a 24-hour ceasefire with his Russian counterpart, but no progress was achieved, while Moscow’s official supported the invasion and stated everything was progressing according to plan.

Russia’s and Ukraine’s foreign ministers met in Turkey on Thursday for face-to-face discussions, the first high-level interaction between the two countries since Moscow invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor last month. Read more here

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Russia accuses US of funding biological weapons research in Ukraine

Russia on Thursday accused the United States of funding research into the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, as Moscow stepped up its campaign to gain control of key Ukrainian cities.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said during a televised briefing that “the purpose of this – and other Pentagon-funded biological research in Ukraine – was to establish a mechanism for the stealthy spread of deadly pathogens.”

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Russia says it has destroyed over 2,900 Ukrainian military facilities

Russian troops have destroyed 2,911 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine so far, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Thursday.
He also said that the Russian army had taken control of a number of neighbourhoods in besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify his statement.

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Russia will no longer participate in Council of Europe

Russia will no longer participate in the Council of Europe, the TASS news agency quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying on Thursday. The ministry said in a statement that NATO and European Union countries were undermining the European body designed to uphold human rights, rule of law and democracy.

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Volkswagen chief warns economic damage from Ukraine war risks being ‘much worse’ than Covid-19 pandemic

Volkswagen AG’s chief executive officer has warned that a prolonged war in Ukraine risks being “very much worse” for the European regions economy than the Covid-19 pandemic, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
The interruption to global supply chains “could lead to huge price increases, scarcity of energy and inflation”, CEO Herbert Diess told the newspaper. The German automaker’s head also said Europe faces huge threat of higher inflation from prolonged conflict in Ukraine.
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Ukraine membership of EU ‘not for tomorrow’, France says

The topic of Ukraine entering into the European Union is “not for tomorrow”, said French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune, as EU leaders gathered in France to discuss the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It will take time,” added Beaune, referring to debates in international political circles over whether or not to give Ukraine a fast-track entry into the EU as a gesture of solidarity for Ukraine in light of the Russian invasion.

European Union leaders will phase out buying Russian oil, gas and coal as Moscow’s war on Ukraine makes them realise they have to be less dependent on Russia, a draft declaration showed, but they are unlikely to offer Ukraine the fast EU membership it seeks.

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UK says Russian commanders will be held to account for war crimes

Russian military commanders as well as people at the very top of the Russian government will be held to account for any war crimes in Ukraine, Britain’s armed forces minister said.

“Russian commanders need to remember that war crimes are not just committed by those at the very top of the Russian government,” James Heappey told Sky News.

“They are committed all the way down the chain of command by all who are involved and these atrocities are being watched, they’re being catalogued and people will be held to account.”

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Russia says claim that it bombed a children’s hospital is ‘fake news’

Russia has refuted a Ukrainian claim that it bombed the children’s hospital in Mariupol as “fake news”, saying the building was a former maternity hospital that had long been taken over by troops.

“That’s how fake news is born,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Twitter.

Polyanskiy said Russia had warned on March 7 that the hospital had been turned into a military object from which Ukrainians were firing.

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UNICEF says at least 37 children killed in Ukraine

At least 37 children have been killed and 50 injured “in less than two weeks”, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell has said, adding that more than one million children were forced to flee.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, water and sanitation systems and schools – are unconscionable and must stop immediately,” Russell said in a statement.

“The children of Ukraine desperately need peace.”

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IMF approves $1.4bn emergency funding for Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund has said its executive board approved $1.4bn in emergency financing for Ukraine to help meet urgent spending needs and mitigate the economic effect of Russia’s military invasion.

“The Russian military invasion of Ukraine has been responsible for a massive humanitarian and economic crisis,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said, predicting a deep recession in Ukraine this year.

“Financing needs are large, urgent and could rise significantly as the war continues,” she said. Once the war was over, Ukraine was likely to need additional “large support”.

The global lender said Ukrainian authorities had cancelled an existing stand-by lending arrangement with the IMF, but would work with the fund to design an appropriate economic programme focused on rehabilitation and growth when conditions permit.

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More than 1.4 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since invasion

About 1.43 million have crossed into Poland from Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, the Polish border guard has said.

The Border Guard said in a tweet that on Wednesday around 117,600 people crossed the border. As of 0600 GMT on Thursday around 22,000 people had crossed.

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Rio Tinto vows to sever business ties with Russia

Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto announced Thursday it would sever all business ties with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The company said in a statement that it “is in the process of terminating all commercial relationships it has with any Russian business”.
No timeline has been announced for the severance, which may be a complex disentanglement given the miner’s ties with Russia.
In Australia, Rio Tinto co-owns one of the world’s largest alumina refineries — Queensland Alumina Ltd – with aluminium giant Rusal, which controls a 20 percent stake of the company. Rusal, which was founded by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, weathered sanctions from the United States in 2018 – which were lifted the following year – but the company has since avoided any additional penalties during the recent wave of sanctions sparked by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

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Biden to discuss developments with Turkey’s Erdogan

US President Joe Biden will hold a phone call with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the latest developments involving Russia and Ukraine, the White House has said.

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Top Russia, Ukraine diplomats arrive in Turkey for talks

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine have arrived in Turkey for face-to-face talks set for Thursday morning, officials said, in the first high-level contact between the two sides. Officials from Kyiv and Moscow have held several rounds of discussions in Belarus, but the meeting in the southern city of Antalya represents the first time Russia has sent a minister for talks on the crisis.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had landed in Antalya for talks “on Russia ceasing its hostilities and ending its war against Ukraine,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko tweeted Wednesday evening. Kuleba has nevertheless stated in a Facebook video his expectations were “limited”. His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov has also arrived for the talks, a Turkish official told AFP.

 

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US House passes bill to aid Ukraine, fund federal government

A majority of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to approve a $1.5 trillion bill that would provide $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine and fund the federal government through September 30.

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US speeds licensing for gun, ammunition shipments to Ukraine

The US is rapidly processing requests from Americans to export firearms and ammunition to Ukraine, the US commerce department has said.

The department said it had imposed export controls on Russia to “degrade its ability to sustain military aggression” and Americans should check agency regulations to see if a licence was needed to ship specific firearms to Ukraine.

“The department has been processing requests rapidly for the export of firearms and ammunition to Ukraine under its existing processes and authorities,” a department spokesperson said.

Americans are donating thousands of sets of body armour and millions of rounds of ammunition in response to Ukraine’s pleas for military support.

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Zelenskyy says 35,000 civilians evacuated from Ukrainian cities

At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from besieged Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, Zelenskyy has said.

In a video address, the Ukrainian leader said three humanitarian corridors had allowed residents to leave the cities of Sumy, Enerhodar and areas around Kyiv.

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White House dismisses Russia’s claims of US involvement in biological warfare labs

The White House has said Russia’s claims about alleged US involvement in biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine were false.

“We took note of Russia’s false claims about alleged US biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a series of tweets.

She said Russia could possibly be laying the groundwork for the use of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine “or to create a false flag operation using them” but did not offer evidence.

 

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UN humanitarian chief decries strike on hospital as ‘deeply shocking’

The UN’s humanitarian affairs chief has denounced the attack on a Ukrainian children’s hospital in Mariupol as an “appalling breach” of international humanitarian law.

“It’s deeply shocking in all kinds of different ways. It’s shocking because it’s a medical facility, which under international humanitarian law is protected,” Martin Griffiths told Al Jazeera.

“It’s shocking because it kills babies, newborns and it’s shocking because this is the kind of thing that happens appallingly in the war like the one we are seeing in Ukraine.

He added: “I hope we will find out in due course who did this and hold them to account.”

 

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UK’s PM calls attack on Ukraine children’s hospital ‘depraved’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned an air strike on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, pledging to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin to account “for his terrible crimes”.

“There are few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless,” Johnson said in a Tweet.

 

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CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ‘COMPLETELY DESTROYED’ BY RUSSIAN BOMBS IN UKRAINES’ MARIUPOL

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US and UK rule out no-fly zone, again

The top diplomats from the UK and the US have again ruled out establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, even a limited one to protect humanitarian corridors.

“The reality is that setting up a no-fly zone would lead to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia,” UK’s Truss told reporters.

“And that is not what we are looking at. What we are looking at is making sure that the Ukrainians are able to defend their own country with the best possible selection of anti-tank weapons and anti-air defence systems.”

Blinken echoed Truss’s remarks, saying that Washington’s aim is to end the war, not expand it.

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‘We must double down on our sanctions,’ says UK’s Truss

UK Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss has called for further sanctions against Russia, urging more countries to join in the effort to isolate Moscow economically.

“We must double down on our sanctions. That includes a full SWIFT ban, and the G7 ending its use of Russian oil and gas,” Truss said.

“The United States and the United Kingdom this week announced our plans to stop importing Russian oil, and the EU have announced their plans to reduce their dependency, too. We want to encourage a wider group of countries to get on board with our sanctions effort.”

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EU adds 160 Russian oligarchs, lawmakers to sanctions blacklist

The EU is stepping up its sanctions response to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, targeting more Russian lawmakers and oligarchs as well as banks in Moscow’s ally Belarus.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27-nation bloc was blacklisting 160 more individuals, banning exports of maritime navigation technology to Russia and including crypto assets under its punitive measures.

“We are further tightening the net of sanctions responding to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” she tweeted.

The names of the 160 individuals – which include 146 members of Russia’s upper house of parliament and 14 Kremlin-linked oligarchs and their relatives – will be unveiled shortly, when the new sanctions are formally published in the EU’s official journal.

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Regional official says Moscow ‘crossed the line of humanity’ with alleged Mariupol strike

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the regional military administration in Mariupol, has posted a video on Facebook which appears to show the extent of the damage caused by what officials claim was a Russian air raid on a hospital complex in the city.

He said that Moscow had “crossed the line of humanity” with the alleged attack.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify the footage.

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Canada to send Ukraine $50m worth of military aid ‘in the coming days’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government will send an additional $50m worth of military aid to Ukraine.

Trudeau said during a visit to Berlin that Ottawa will be able to start sending the “highly-specialised” equipment, including cameras used in drones, “in the coming days”.

He acknowledged that there were challenges in terms of getting equipment securely into Ukrainian hands, but said Canadian officials were “working through that”.

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Russia acknowledges conscripts were deployed to Ukraine

Russia’s defence ministry has acknowledged that some conscripts have participated in the war in Ukraine after multiple denials by President Vladimir Putin, who said only professional soldiers and officers had been deployed as part of Moscow’s offensive.

The defence ministry said that some of the conscripts, serving in supply units, had been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces.

It added that “practically all” of the conscripts deployed to neighbouring Ukraine had now been pulled back to Russia.

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Egypt’s el-Sisi holds talks with Putin over Ukraine

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has held talks with Putin over the latest developments in Ukraine, according to the Egyptian leader’s office.

During their talks by phone, el-Sisi and Putin also discussed enhancing strategic cooperation frameworks between their countries through joint development projects confirming “historic ties” between them, the Egyptian president’s office added.

Egypt was among the 141 UN member states who last week voted in favour of a motion condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the world body’s headquarters in New York. Five UN member states voted against the motion and 35 abstained.

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Germany’s Scholz rejects sending warplanes to Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out sending warplanes to Ukraine after the United States turned down an offer by Poland to transfer its Russian-made MiG-29 jets to a US base in Germany, with a view to them then being passed on to Kyiv.

“We have provided all kinds of defence materials and .. have sent weapons that we have told you about but it is also true that we have to consider very carefully what we do concretely, and definitely warplanes are not part of that,” Scholz said at a news conference in Berlin.

He was speaking alongside Canada’s Trudeau, who is on a diplomatic tour of Europe.

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Polish jet offer to Ukraine creates ‘potentially dangerous scenario,’ Moscow says

The Kremlin on Wednesday said that a Polish offer to deliver Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase could lead to a “dangerous scenario”, as Russian troops continued their advance into Ukraine. “This is a highly undesirable and a potentially dangerous scenario,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
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Kremlin says US ‘has declared economic war on Russia’

The Kremlin said Wednesday that “The United States has declared economic war on Russia and it is de facto waging this war,” describing an onslaught of sanctions against the country over its military.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had been, is and would be a reliable energy supplier and pointed out that energy flows continued. “But you see the bacchanalia, the hostile bacchanalia, which the West has sown – and that of course makes the situation very difficult and forces us to think seriously,” Peskov said.

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‘Some progress’ being made in Ukraine-Russia talks, says Moscow

Russia said Wednesday negotiations with officials from Kyiv to resolve the conflict in Ukraine were making headway. “Some progress has been made,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing, referring to three rounds of talks with Kyiv.

She also underscored that Moscow’s troops were not working to “overthrow the current government.”

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Russia will render Ukraine neutral, foreign ministry spokeswoman says

Moscow will achieve its goal of ensuring Ukraine is neutral, but would prefer to do that through talks rather than conflict, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry has said.

Maria Zakharova told reporters at a media briefing that “some progress” had been made in three rounds of negotiations with Ukrainian officials.

She said the Kremlin’s aims do not include overthrowing the Kyiv government and added that Russia’s military operation was proceeding as planned so far.

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EU foreign policy chief says bloc preparing new sanctions

European Union governments are preparing a new round of travel bans and asset freezes on about 100 Russian nationals over Moscow’s offensive, the bloc’s foreign policy chief has said.

“Member states are working on a package of sanctions, [focused on] around 100 people responsible at different levels of government,” Josep Borrell told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

He said he hoped for an agreement later today, without giving more details.

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Kyiv unaware of what’s happening at occupied nuclear plants, minister says

Ukraine’s energy minister has warned the country’s authorities do not know what the current radiation levels are at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant as they have received no information regarding the site since it was seized by Russian troops.

Herman Halushchenko said Kyiv also had no control over what was happening at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Moscow’s forces took control of last week.

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Poland ready to act on jets, but within NATO framework: Presidential adviser

Poland to be compensated by U.S. F-16s if it donates MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine - AIRLIVE

Warsaw is ready to act on supplying MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, but only within the framework of the United States-led NATO military alliance, an adviser to the Polish president has said.

“The USA does not want these planes to come to Ukraine from American bases,” Jakub Kumoch told public broadcaster TVP Info. “Poland is ready to act, but only within the framework of the alliance, within the framework of NATO.”

Kumoch’s remarks came after Washington rejected a proposal to put Polish jets at Washington’s disposal.

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China to provide $791,540 worth of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine

The Chinese Red Cross will provide a batch of humanitarian assistance worth 5 million yuan ($791,540) to Ukraine, consisting of daily necessities, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has said.

Until now, Beijing has attempted to strike a delicate balancing act over Moscow’s incursion.

It has refrained from calling Russia’s attack an “invasion” and neither openly denounced nor supported the move.

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EU’s von der Leyen says have enough gas for this winter

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the bloc has bought enough liquefied natural gas that it should be independent of Russian imports up until the end of the winter.

Von der Leyen also told Germany’s ARD television that sanctions against Russia were designed to cause maximum impact on Moscow, while causing the least damage possible to Western economies.

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UK’s Mothercare suspends all business in Russia

UK baby products retailer Mothercare has said all its business in Russia, including shipment of all products, has been suspended.

The company said its local partner in Russia will be pausing operations in about 120 stores and online.

Russia represents around 20 to 25 percent of Mothercare’s worldwide retail sales and was previously expected to contribute around 0.5 million pounds ($0.7m) per month to group profit.

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Top US lawmakers reach deal on Ukraine aid

Congressional leaders have reached a bipartisan deal providing $13.6bn to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year.

Though a tiny portion of the massive bill, the money designated for Kyiv ensured robust bipartisan support for the legislation.

US President Joe Biden had requested $10bn for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12bn on Monday and $13.6bn just a day later.

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MCDONALD’S, COKE, PEPSI AND STARBUCKS ALL HALT SALES IN RUSSIA

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ORDINARY RUSSIANS ARE ALREADY FEELING THE ECONOMIC PAIN OF SANCTIONS OVER UKRAINE INVASION

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ISRAEL SAYS IT IS PREPARED TO HOST UP TO 25,000 UKRAINIANS TEMPORARILY

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BOSNIA’S KOMSIC ASKS EU TO CONSIDER GRANTING IT CANDIDACY STATUS

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Russia warns that its sanctions will hurt the West in most sensitive areas

Russia warned the West on Wednesday that it was working on a broad response to sanctions that would be swift and felt in the West’s most sensitive areas.

“Russia’s reaction will be swift, thoughtful and sensitive for those it addresses,” Dmitry Birichevsky, the director of the foreignministry’s department for economic cooperation, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

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INTERACTIVE- Where are Ukrainians fleeing to DAY 13 _ 2 million

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Universal Music Group suspends all operations in Russia

Up to 50% of major label Universal Music Group is for sale - RouteNote Blog

Universal Music Group said Tuesday it is suspending all operations in Russia as war rages on in Ukraine.

“Effective immediately, we are suspending all operations in Russia and closing our offices there. We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as

soon as possible. We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a

range of countries to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region,” the company said in a statement.

The number of Western companies pulling out of Russia is increasing as the war in Ukraine continues.​​​​​​​

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ALL EYES ON TURKIYE HOSTING RUSSIA, UKRAINE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON THURSDAY

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US ‘CONCERNED’ RUSSIA WANTS TO SEIZE UKRAINE BIO-RESEARCH

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Ukraine says no longer insisting on NATO membership

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia’s stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbor.

In another apparent nod aimed at placating Moscow, Zelensky said he is open to “compromise” on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent just before unleashing the invasion on February 24.

“I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that … NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” Zelensky said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC News.

“The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia,” the president added.

Referring to NATO membership, Zelensky said through an interpreter that he does not want to be president of a “country which is begging something on its knees.” 

Russia has said it does not want neighboring Ukraine to join NATO, the transatlantic alliance created at the start of the Cold War to protect Europe from the Soviet Union. 

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Ukraine civilian death toll now at 474, says UN

The United Nations human rights office says at least 474 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.

Another 861 have been wounded, it said, adding that the real figures were likely considerably higher as reports of hundreds of casualties from the towns of Volnovakha, Mariupol and Izium are yet to be corroborated.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” it said.

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UAE minister, US’ Blinken discuss two-way ties, Ukraine: Report

The foreign minister of the UAE has discussed developments in Ukraine and ways to strengthen two-way ties during a telephone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the state news agency has said.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Blinken discussed the importance of reaching a political settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, it said.

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Putin ‘angry and frustrated’, says US intelligence 

US intelligence chiefs on Tuesday branded Russia’s Vladimir Putin an “angry,” isolated leader craving global clout, frustrated about how his Ukraine invasion has not gone to plan, and lobbing provocative nuclear threats at the West.

The long-standing president in Moscow has been “stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years,” CIA Director William Burns told US lawmakers. 

He called the invasion of Ukraine a matter of “deep personal conviction” for Putin, his latest defiant clash with Europe and the United States.

“I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now. He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties,” Burns said at a congressional hearing on global threats.

The Russian strongman has encountered a tidal wave of opprobrium for the deadly invasion, leaving him isolated like never before.

The US intelligence community warned of the potential for Putin to lash out, especially noting an elevated nuclear threat.

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Russia’s central bank limits foreign cash withdrawals

Russia’s central bank has said that it is limiting the amount of cash that citizens with foreign currency accounts can withdraw as part of “a temporary procedure.”

The procedure runs from March 9 to September 9, the bank said in a statement published on its website.

Account holders can withdraw up to $10,000 in cash, and the rest of the funds should be in roubles at the market rate on the day of issue.

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Pentagon says Poland’s jet offer for Ukraine ‘not tenable’

The Pentagon has rejected Poland’s surprise announcement that it would give the United States its MiG-29 fighter jets for use by Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Poland’s declaration that it intended to deliver the 28 jets to the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany raised the concerning prospect of warplanes departing from a US and NATO base to fly into airspace contested with Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby said in a statement.

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Russia reducing use of US dollar, foreign ministry says

Russia is reducing the use of US dollars in its reserves and external settlements after the West slapped sanctions on Russia, the RIA news agency quoted the foreign ministry’s director of economic cooperation as saying.

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Japan may exit Sakhalin energy projects to stop Russia’s aggression   

Japanese Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda has said that Tokyo may consider pulling out of the “Sakhalin projects”, referring to energy projects on Russia’s Sakhalin Island, if that helps stop Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Hagiuda made the comment during a parliament session. 

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UK says Ukraine’s air defences having considerable success against Russian jets

The UK has said Ukraine’s air defences were having success against Russian jets, likely preventing Russia from controlling the airspace.

“Ukrainian air defences appear to have enjoyed considerable success against Russia’s modern combat aircraft, probably preventing them achieving any degree of control of the air,” the Ministry of Defence intelligence update posted on Twitter said.

The UK’s assessment also said Russian forces had failed to make any significant breakthroughs in fighting northwest of Kyiv.

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French company Dassault Systemes suspends new business in Russia and Belarus

French technology company Dassault Systemes has said it has decided to suspend its new business in Russia and Belarus, joining a raft of companies who are suspending business in Russia.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” it said in a statement.

“Dassault Systèmes has decided to suspend all new business in Russia and Belarus, and set the framework for it to take effect this week,” the statement said.

“We may maintain some minimal support activities for our existing customers who are not subject to sanctions, and will continue complying with all applicable export control restrictions and sanctions laws relevant to our operations as well as with the rules of ethics and international standards,” it added.

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Russia promises safe passage for Ukrainians to flee battered cities

Russia said it is ready to provide humanitarian corridors on Wednesday for people fleeing Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities, as the number of refugees created by the biggest assault on a European country since World War Two surpassed 2 million.

Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defence Control Centre, was quoted as saying by the Tass news agency that Russian forces would “observe a regime of silence” from 10 a.m. Moscow time (0700 GMT) to ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.

It was unclear if the proposed routes would pass through Russia or Belarus, conditions previously opposed by the Ukrainian government.

Civilians fled the besieged city of Sumy on Tuesday in the first successful “humanitarian corridor” opened since Russia’s invasion. Ukraine accused Russian forces of shelling another evacuation route, from Mariupol in the south of the country.

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UK announces new aviation sanctions against Russia

The UK has unveiled new aviation sanctions giving it the power to detain any Russian aircraft and banning exports of aviation or space-related goods to Russia.

The UK will also strengthen its ban on Russian aircraft, making it a criminal offence for any to fly or land in the UK.

“The ban includes any aircraft owned, operated or chartered by anyone connected with Russia or designated individuals or entities, and will include the power to detain any aircraft owned by persons connected with Russia,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

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Russia’s Lavrov to hold talks with Ukrainian counterpart in Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has traveled to Turkey where he will have talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the TASS news agency has cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying.

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IAEA loses contact with Chernobyl nuclear data systems

Russia takes Chernobyl, raising fears of environmental disaster - Protocol

The UN’s atomic watchdog says the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer sending it data and voiced concern for staff working under Russian guard there.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi “indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP had been lost”, the agency said in a statement.

The situation for the staff was also “worsening” at the site, the IAEA said, citing the Ukrainian nuclear regulator.

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Hungary opposes ban on Russian energy

Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, has opposed a ban on Russian oil and gas, saying it “would represent a disproportionately large burden” for his country.

“While we condemn Russia’s armed offensive and we also condemn the war, we will not allow Hungarian families to be made to pay the price of the war; and so the sanctions must not be extended to the areas of oil and gas,” he said in a statement.

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At least 27 killed in Kharkiv in single day, says official

A Ukrainian police official has said that at least 27 people were killed in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Sergey Bolvinov said a total of 170 civilians including five children have been killed in the besieged city since the Russian invasion began.

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Adidas latest to close Russia stores

German sportswear group Adidas is temporarily closing its stores in Russia and shut its online shop, joining a growing list of companies suspending their activities there.

Adidas said in a statement late on Monday that it would “suspend the operations of our stores and our e-commerce site in Russia until further notice” but continue to pay its employees.

The outfitter previously suspended its partnership, going back to 2008, with the Russian Football Union following the invasion.

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Germany calls on OPEC to increase oil output

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has issued an “urgent appeal” to OPEC oil producers to ramp up output following a spike in prices and supply fears due to the Ukraine crisis.

Habeck called on top oil producing nations to “increase production in order to create relief on the market”.

“That would be a contribution” to easing the stress on firms and households, he said at a Berlin press conference, adding that it was “an urgent appeal” to OPEC.

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Between 2,000 to 4,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine: Pentagon

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The US Defense Department told lawmakers Tuesday it estimates between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Moscow’s nearly two-week-old invasion of Ukraine.
Asked at a House Intelligence Committee hearing how many Russian troops have died to date in the military operation, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, said “somewhere between two (thousand) and 4,000.”
Berrier did add however that the estimate is considered “low confidence” because it was put together using a combination of intelligence sources and open source data.

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Ukraine: 400 civilian deaths recorded

Ukrainian Defence Minister has released new estimates of casualties and damage, saying Russian military actions have killed 38 children and wounded more than 70.

Overall at least 400 civilian deaths have been recorded and 800 wounded, though “these data are definitely incomplete,” Oleksiy Reznikov said in a video address. 

He said Russian strikes have destroyed more than 200 Ukrainian schools, 34 hospitals and 1,500 residential buildings.

He estimated some 10,000 foreign students, notably from India, China and the Persian Gulf are trapped by the fighting, and described attacks on British and Swiss journalists.

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Russia says it destroyed around 900 Ukrainian armoured vehicle

The Russian armed forces have destroyed almost 900 Ukrainian tanks and other armoured vehicles since the start of what Russia calls a “special military operation” on February 24, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday.
They have also downed 84 drones, it added.
The ministry said that after the end of the agreed “silent regime” around the strategic port city of Mariupol on Tuesday, an offensive was renewed there by the forces of the pro-Russian Donetsk region.

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UK to phase out Russian oil imports by end of 2022

Britain will phase out imports of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced.

“In another economic blow to the Putin regime following their illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK will move away from dependence on Russian oil throughout this year, building on our severe package of international economic sanctions,” Johnson said in a statement.

“We are confident that this can be achieved over the course of the year, providing enough time for companies to adjust and ensuring consumers are protected.”

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EU pledges to fight Russia’s “information war” in Europe

European Union officials have defended the bloc’s decision to ban Russian state-controlled media from broadcasting in the region as decisive steps to check a Kremlin-led “information war”.

Speaking at the European Parliament during a debate on foreign interference and disinformation, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell brushed off critics who say the EU is threatening freedom of information with the ban on Sputnik and RT/Russia Today.

Borrell said Moscow-controlled outlets are part of a well-oiled propaganda machine providing biased news about Vladimir Putin’s true intentions.

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Russia lodges appeal against FIFA, UEFA bans: CAS

The Football Union of Russia has lodged appeals against the suspension of Russian national teams and clubs from all FIFA and UEFA competitions over the invasion of Ukraine, the sport’s top court has said.

The FUR is asking the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a stay of execution for the suspensions, to allow Russia to play in a 2022 World Cup playoff against Poland at the end of this month.

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Zelenskyy addresses UK parliament, calls for support

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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given a historic virtual address to British MPs.

The Ukrainian president pushed for more Western action against Russia and called for humanitarian aid. “Do what you can, do what you must,” he said.

At least 50 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began, according to Ukrainian estimates. “They took our children, simply took them,”  Zelenskyy said.

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Biden to announce a ban on US imports of Russian energy

The United States is banning all imports of oil and gas from Russia, US President Joe Biden has announced, in a move that aims to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday morning, Biden said the move targets “the main artery of Russia’s economy”.

“We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine,” he told reporters. Read more here

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UK: Visa centre for Ukrainians being set up in France

The UK government has said it is setting up a visa centre for Ukrainian refugees in northern France, after confusion and anger that some were being turned away.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told parliament a “pop-up” site would be located in Lille, some 70 miles (110 kilometres) from Calais where scores of Ukrainians have flocked.

Disappointed Ukrainians arriving in the Channel port city this week in the hope of getting to the UK have instead been told to go to Paris or Brussels to apply.

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Putin unlikely to be able to install puppet gov’t in Kyiv: CIA chief

Putin’s assumptions about Ukraine before the invasion turned out to be “profoundly flawed”, CIA director William J. Burns has said.

“I fail to see – and our analysts fail to see – how we could sustain a puppet regime or a pro-Russian leadership that he tries to install in the face of what is a massive opposition from Ukrainian people,” Burns said.

The CIA chief predicted an “ugly next few weeks” of fighting as Putin doubles down with force amid Ukrainian resistance.

“The one thing I’m absolutely convinced of, and I think our analysts across the intelligence committee are absolutely convinced of, is the Ukrainians are going to continue to resist fiercely and effectively,” Burns told US lawmakers.

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Lavrov sets out stance to counterpart in call

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has set out Moscow’s position to Vatican State Secretary Pietro Parolin in a call, the Russian foreign ministry has said in a statement.

In connection with the concern expressed by Parolin about the situation, Lavrov “outlined the principled Russian position regarding the causes and goals of the special military operation being carried out in Ukraine”, the ministry said.

Both parties expressed hope that a fourth round of talks between Moscow and Kiev would be held as soon as possible to “seek agreement on the key problems underlying the crisis in order to resolve it and stop hostilities”, the ministry added.

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Over 60 Ukrainian hospitals out of action: Ukraine health minister

Sixty-one hospitals in Ukraine are not operational because of attacks by Russian forces, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko has said.

“Terrorists from the aggressor country have put 61 hospitals out of action,” he said on television, adding that the authorities were unable to deliver critical medical supplies to front-line communities because of a lack of “humanitarian corridors.”

Russia denies attacking civilian targets.

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Vatican tells Russia’s Lavrov Ukraine attacks must stop

The Vatican’s secretary of state has told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the Holy See wants attacks in Ukraine to stop and humanitarian corridors to be guaranteed so that civilians can flee to safety.

A Vatican statement said Cardinal Pietro Parolin had also repeated the Vatican’s willingness “to do anything” to help bring about peace during talks between the pair by phone.

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EU rolls out plan to cut Russia gas dependency this year

The European Commission published plans on Tuesday to cut the EU’s dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel “well before 2030”.
 
The EU executive said it will do so by switching to alternative supplies and expanding clean energy more quickly under the plans, which will largely be the responsibility of national governments for implementing.
The Commission said gas and liquefied natural gas from countries like the US and Qatar could this year replace more than a third, 60 billion cubic metres (bcm), of the 155 bcm  Europe gets annually from Russia. And by 2030, increased biomethane and hydrogen use could also help.

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‘UAE helps Russia face sanctions,’ claims French Le Monde

French newspaper Le Monde has said that while Western sanctions on Russia are painful, they did not consider the Kremlin’s large influence and support in the Middle East. Among those cheerleading for Russia’s authoritarian agenda is the UAE, whose financial centre in Dubai has become a magnet for authoritarian regimes and their money.

The newspaper said that Moscow’s strongmen, on whose shoulders President Vladimir Putin’s regime was built, used the UAE for their money laundering activities. UAE sovereign wealth funds have also invested billions in Russian strategic assets in the energy, petrochemical, logistics and defence sectors. Read more here

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Gigi Hadid will donate her fashion week earnings to Ukraine, Palestine

Palestinian-American supermodel Gigi Hadid has announced that she will donate her earnings from the Fall 2022 Fashion Week shows “to aid those suffering from the war in Ukraine, as well as continuing to support those experiencing the same in Palestine.”

“Our eyes and hearts must be open to all human injustice. May we all see each other as brothers and sisters, beyond politics, beyond race, beyond religion. At the end of the day, innocent lives pay for war- not leaders.” Read more here

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Google finds Russian and Belarusian hackers spreading phishing targeting Ukraine and European allies

Russian hackers who are well-known to law enforcement have been conducting phishing operations, espionage, and other assaults against Ukraine and its European allies in recent weeks, according to Alphabet Inc’s Google. FancyBear is one of these hackers.

Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which focuses on disrupting computer hackers and notifying people about them, stated in a blog post on Monday that Russian hacking team FancyBear, also known as APT28, has been sending phishing emails to Ukrainian media company UkrNet for the past two weeks. Read more here

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21 killed in air strikes on Ukraine’s Sumy: official

Twenty-one people, including two children, were killed in air strikes on the besieged northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy, the authorities have said.

“The bodies of 21 people, including two children” were found at the site of Monday’s strikes, the regional public prosecutor said on Facebook. A previous toll given by the emergency services was nine dead.

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Activists name street in front of Russian embassy in US Zelensky way

Protesters have erected an unofficial sign announcing “President Zelensky Way” on a street near the Russian Embassy.

Of course, Ukraine’s president is Volodymyr Zelensky.

For the past two weeks, the Russian Embassy on Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest D.C. has been a gathering place for individuals protesting Russia’s incursion. Read more here

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China’s Xi urges ‘maximum restraint’ over Ukraine crisis in call with Macron, Scholz

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged “maximum restraint” over Ukraine, calling the crisis “deeply worrying” in a video summit with his French and German counterparts Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz.
Beijing has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by its close partner Russia, and Xi said he wanted “the two sides to maintain the momentum of negotiations, overcome difficulties and continue the talks to achieve results…. and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

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Shell to withdraw from Russian oil and gas

Energy giant Shell has said that it will stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and shut down its service stations, aviation fuels and other operations in the country amid international pressure for companies to sever ties over the invasion of Ukraine.

The company said in a statement that it would withdraw from all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, “in a phased manner.”

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Russian forces’ advance in Ukraine has ‘slowed considerably’, Ukrainian official claims

The advance of Russian forces in Ukraine has “slowed considerably”, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed.

“In certain directions where they were advancing it [the advance] has practically stopped,” Oleksiy Arestovych told a televised briefing, adding that Ukrainian forces were counter-attacking in some areas.

“The forces that continue to advance, advance in small forces.”

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Civilians flee strategic town of Irpin as Russian troops advance

Near the last front line in the northwest of Ukraine, some ten thousand people are estimated to have crossed out of Irpin in the last five days.

A concrete bridge has been destroyed by Ukrainian forces to slow the Russian army’s advance.

One kilometre away, Russian forces allow civilians fleeing the area to escape via a humanitarian corridor as the fighting intensifies. 

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Ukrainian leader to address British parliament

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address British lawmakers via videolink in the House of Commons, the first time a president of another country addresses the main Westminster chamber.

He will address the chamber at 1700 GMT when formal parliamentary business will be suspended.

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Navalny urges Russians to keep protesting war

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has urged Russians to continue protesting against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, days after thousands of protesters were arrested at anti-war rallies nationwide.

Navalny, who is serving a two-and-a-half-year jail term on fraud charges that his allies say are politically motivated, wrote on Twitter that anger was growing at home against the conflict.

He cited a survey carried out by aides and said protests were putting additional pressure on the Kremlin, which he said was “desperate” to end the war “as soon as possible”.

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UN rights boss says trapped civilians in Ukraine must be allowed to leave safely

The top UN human rights official Michelle Bachelet called on Tuesday for civilians trapped in active hostilities in numerous areas of Ukraine to be able to leave safely.
Pro-Ukrainian activists have been unlawfully detained in the east of their homeland, while people considered pro-Russian have been beaten in Ukraine, she said in a speech to the Human Rights Council, citing reports received by her office.
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Ukraine claims over 12,000 Russian soldiers killed in war

Ukraine has claimed that over 12,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Russia attacked its neighbour on February 24.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, 48 Russian aircraft, 80 helicopters, 303 tanks, 1,036 armored vehicles, 120 cannons, 56 rocket launcher systems and 27 air defense systems were also destroyed.

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Dutch internet providers block six Russian media websites

Dutch internet providers have blocked six Russian media websites as part of EU sanctions resulting from the invasion of Ukraine, national news agency ANP has reported.

Websites Sputnik and RT were among the sites blocked, ANP reported.

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Russia calls for return to ‘peaceful co-existence’ with US like during Cold War

Russia and the United States should return to the principle of “peaceful co-existence” like during the Cold War, the Interfax news agency cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying Tuesday.
The foreign ministry added that it was open to honest and mutually respectful dialogue with the United States and that hope remained that normalcy in relations between the two countries could be restored, Interfax reported.
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Zelenskyy denounces unkept ‘promises’ by West

President Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced what he called unkept “promises” by the West to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks.

“It’s been 13 days we’ve been hearing promises, 13 days we’ve been told we’ll be helped in the air, that there will be planes, that they will be delivered to us,” Zelenskyy said on a video broadcast on Telegram.

“But the responsibility for that rests also on those who were not capable to take a decision in the West for 13 days,” Zelenskyy added.

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NATO says Russia’s war must not escalate beyond Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday there were credible reports that Russia was targeting civilians in Ukraine and urged Moscow to end the conflict, also vowing not to let it spread.
“We have a responsibility to ensure the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “We will protect and defend every inch of all allied territory,” he added.
Speaking alongside Latvia’s President Egils Levits, Stoltenberg said Russia’s invasion was causing horrific suffering and that the humanitarian impact was devastating.
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Russia opens ‘humanitarian corridors’ from Kyiv, four other Ukraine cities – Interfax

Russia has opened “humanitarian corridors” so people can be evacuated from Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities: Cherhihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, the Interfax news agency quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying on Tuesday.

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‘Humanitarian corridor’ set to allow civilians out of Ukraine’s Sumy

Civilians will start leaving the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday under an agreement with Russia on the establishment of a “humanitarian corridor”, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

“It has been agreed that the first convoy will start at 10am (0800 GMT) from the city of Sumy. The convoy will be followed by the local population in personal vehicles,” she said in a televised statement.

Russia proposed giving the residents of Sumy, in northeastern Ukraine, and Mariupol, a southern port city, the choice of moving elsewhere in Ukraine on Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported.

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INTERACTIVE_UKRAINE_RUSSIA_NO_FLY_ZONE

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Nissan plans to halt production in Russia

Professor Of Design Analyzes Nissan's New Logo And How It Has Evolved Over Time | Carscoops

Japanese automaker Nissan has been planning to halt production at its plant in Russia because of “logistical challenges.”

Nissan Motor Company did not provide a specific date but said production will stop “soon.” Its plant in St. Petersburg produced 45,000 vehicles last year, including the X-Trail sport utility vehicle.

The Yokohama-based manufacturer said the safety of its employees is its top priority. Nissan earlier stopped exports to Russia.

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Second wave of refugees from Ukraine will be more vulnerable, UNHCR head says

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for refugees, predicted at a news conference: “today or by tomorrow at the latest, the number of Ukrainian refugees moving to bordering countries will reach the startling number of 2 million”.

After the first wave of refugees from Ukraine there is likely to be a second wave consisting of more vulnerable refugees, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday.

“If the war continues we will start seeing people that have no resources and no connections”, said Grandi.
“That will be a more complex situation to manage for European countries going forward, and there will need to be even more solidarity by everybody in Europe and beyond,” he said.

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 UK says it will back Poland if decides to sends jets to Ukraine

British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday Britain would support Poland if it decided to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, but warned that doing so might have direct consequences for Poland.
“I would support the Poles and whatever choice they make,” Wallace told Sky News, adding that the United Kingdom could not offer aircraft that the Ukrainians would be able to use.
“We would protect Poland, we’ll help them with anything that they need,” he said. “Poland will understand that the choices they make will not only directly help Ukraine, which is a good thing, but also may bring them into direct line of fire frocountries such as Russia or Belarus.”

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“$300 per barrel”: Russia warns of ‘catastrophic’ fallout if West bans oil imports

A senior Russian official has warned that a Western ban on Russian oil imports could cause oil prices to more than double, to around $300 per barrel, and force the shutdown of Russia’s main gas pipeline to Germany.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on state television on Monday that it was “absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market”.

“The surge in prices would be unpredictable,” he said. “It would be $300 per barrel if not more.” Read more here

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Russia’s Gazprom continues gas shipments via Ukraine at same level

Russian natural gas company Gazprom continued gas shipments via Ukraine on Tuesday at the same volume of 109.5 million cubic metres a day, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Han Tan, Chief Market Analyst at Exinity Group, explains why Russia potentially shutting off the gas supplies to Europe would exacerbate the risks of a recession in Europe and filter across to other major economies. 
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US ‘working actively’ on deal for Polish fighter jets to Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States was “working actively” on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with jets to fight invading Russians. Poland has not yet agreed to such a deal, but has not ruled it out. Vedika Bahl reports:

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Biden thanks S Korea for joining sanctions against Russia

US President Joe Biden has sent a letter of thanks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in for joining financial sanctions and export controls against Russia.

Biden added that the move sent a strong message of support for Ukraine, according to Moon’s office.

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UK’s Wallace says Putin is a spent force in the world

Russia’s Vladimir Putin is a spent force in the world whatever happens in Ukraine, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says.

“Whatever … happens, President Putin is a spent force in the world and he is done, his army is done … and he needs to recognise that,” Wallace told Times Radio.

“The international community has united against him … he is in a position where he is going to cause huge economic hardship to his people.”

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“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling promises some $1.3 million for children in Ukraine

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling on Monday promised to match donations up to 1 million pounds ($1.3 million, 1.2 million euros) to a charity she co-founded to help children in Ukraine.

The writer set up Lumos in 2005 “to end the systematic institutionalization of children”, including in the Zhytomyr region west of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The charity said the area, where more than 1,500 children were trapped in orphanages even before the invasion, was now under attack from Russian forces.

It wants an urgent end to military action to protect the estimated 100,000 children living in institutions in Ukraine and to prevent more family separations.

 In response to Lumos’ appeal to fund urgent supplies and care for youngsters in orphanages, Rowling tweeted: “I will personally match donations to this appeal, up to £1m.”

 Donations will go towards providing emergency food, hygiene and medical kits, and funding support families and foster carers to look after displaced and traumatized youngsters.

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EU to start examining Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova membership bids

EU nations have agreed to start examining membership bids submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

The ex-Soviet states last week rushed to file applications to join the bloc after the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine.

The move by the 27 member states is the first step in the bloc’s process for deciding whether to allow new members to join, which can last for years.

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Second Russian general killed in war, Ukraine says

Ukraine’s military intelligence has said that Ukrainian forces have killed a Russian general near the besieged city of Kharkiv – the second Russian senior commander to die in the invasion.

Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, first deputy commander of Russia’s 41st army, was killed on Monday, the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Another Russian general, Andrei Sukhovetsky, also a deputy commander of the 41st army, was reported killed at the end of February.

Ukraine says its forces have killed more than 11,000 Russian troops. Russia has confirmed about 500 losses. Neither side has disclosed Ukrainian casualties.

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Ukraine city struggling to feed people fleeing war

The mayor of Lviv, a city in far western Ukraine, says local authorities are struggling to feed and house the tens of thousands of people who have fled there from war-torn regions of the country.

“We really need support,” Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said.

More than 200,000 Ukrainians displaced from their homes are now in Lviv, filling up sport halls, schools, hospitals and church buildings. The historical city once popular with tourists had a population of 700,000 before the war.

The mayor said the city needs big tents equipped with kitchens so food can be prepared.

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Germany to host G7 meeting over food security

Germany will host a virtual meeting of agricultural ministers from G7 countries on Friday to discuss the effect of the invasion on global food security and how to best stabilise food markets, the government has said.

“The provision of foodstuffs in Germany and the European Union is safe but greater shortages can be expected in some countries outside the EU – especially where scarcity already reigns today due to issues like drought,” German Agriculture Minister Cem Oezdemir said in a statement.

“Price hikes for agricultural products cannot be excluded in industrialised nations either.”

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Ratings agency Fitch suspends commercial operations in Russia

Ratings agency Fitch pours cold water on Godongwana's budget

Fitch has become the second major credit rating firm to suspend its commercial operations in Russia, saying its analysts outside the country would provide its coverage instead.

Fitch and Moody’s, which also suspended its commercial operations in Russia at the weekend, downgraded Russia’s sovereign rating by a record-equalling six notches earlier this month, warning the West’s sanctions had raised the risk of a default.

“Fitch Group has decided to suspend its commercial operations in Russia with immediate effect,” Fitch said in a statement, saying that involved credit ratings and some other services it provides.

It added it would comply with “all applicable sanctions”, support its Russia-based staff and “continue to provide the market with its independent analytical views through ratings coverage undertaken outside of Russia”.

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Japan freezes assets of more Russians, Belarusian officials

Japan has frozen the assets of an additional 32 Russian and Belarusian officials and oligarchs, the Ministry of Finance has announced.

Japan also is banning exports of Russia-bound oil refinery equipment and Belarus-bound general purpose items that can be used by its military, the ministry said.

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Ukrainian FM Kuleba announces meeting with Russian counterpart

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said when he meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Turkey on Thursday he will propose direct talks between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents.

“We want talks between the president of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin since he is the one who makes the final decisions,” Kuleba said on Ukrainian television.

Kuleba spoke after a conversation late Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“Grateful to the U.S. for standing by Ukraine,” Kuleba said on Twitter. “We are coordinating intensively on crucial further steps to increase pressure on Russia.”

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Estee Lauder to suspend all commercial activities in Russia

Estee Lauder Companies Inc has said it had decided to suspend all commercial activities in Russia, including closing all its stores in the country.

The company will also suspend brand sites and shipments to its retailers in Russia, it added.

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Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, Pentagon says

Russia is recruiting Syrians and other foreign fighters as it ramps up its assault on Ukraine, the Pentagon has said.

Moscow entered the Syrian civil war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and the country has been mired in a conflict marked by urban combat for more than a decade.

Now, US Department of Defence officials said, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was “on a recruiting mission” seeking to bring some of those fighters into the fray in Ukraine, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“We do believe that the accounts of them – the Russians – seeking Syrian fighters to augment their forces in Ukraine, we believe there’s truth to that,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told journalists when asked about the reports.

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World Bank approves $723m in loans, grants for Ukraine

The World Bank has said its executive board approved a $723m package of loans and grants for Ukraine, providing government budget support.

The package includes a $350m loan supplement to a prior World Bank loan, augmented by about $139m through guarantees from the Netherlands and Sweden, the bank said in a statement. The package also includes $134m in grants from Britain, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland, as well as parallel financing of $100m from Japan.

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Bank of Portugal tells lenders to freeze accounts of Russian oligarchs

Portugal’s central bank has said it had instructed lenders to freeze the accounts of people and entities targeted by sanctions against Russia.

The Bank of Portugal, led by former Finance Minister Mario Centeno, said it had initially identified a “very small number” of sanctioned people and entities with Portuguese bank accounts but said assessment efforts were continuing.

In a statement, the central bank said lenders were told to start freezing bank accounts on February 25 and should continue to monitor the list of sanctioned people and entities so they can quickly act when and if new names are added.

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Czech president to award state honour to Ukraine’s president

Czech President Milos Zeman, long sympathetic to Moscow, has said he would award the highest state honours to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his bravery and courage in the face of Russia’s invasion.

Zeman showed support for Ukraine and its people as “war raged”, calling the war one provoked by Russian aggression.

He said one parliamentary deputy had proposed awarding Zelenskyy the highest Czech honours. “And I decided to comply with this proposal,” Zeman said.

“This is because the Ukrainian president has shown courage and bravery, and although the United States offered him an evacuation, he stayed in the capital of his country, from where he is leading its defence.”

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Putin says Russia will not send conscripts to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not send conscripts or reservists to fight in Ukraine and that “professionals” fulfilling “fixed objectives” were leading the war.

“Conscripted soldiers are not participating and will not participate in the fighting. There will not be an additional conscription of reservists either,” Putin said in a televised address. “The fixed objectives are only carried out by professional servicemen.”

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European leaders oppose banning Russian energy imports

The leaders of Germany, Britain and the Netherlands have cautioned against abruptly banning Russian energy imports, saying there were no immediate alternative supplies.

The pushback came after the United States on Sunday said it was in “active discussions” with European nations about shutting down Russian oil imports as part of sanctions against Moscow.

“Europe has deliberately exempted energy supplies from Russia from sanctions,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement.

“Supplying Europe with energy for heat generation, mobility, electricity supply and industry cannot be secured in any other way at the moment.”

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Boeing suspends buying titanium from Russia

Boeing Co says it has suspended buying titanium from Russia, despite there being no sanctions yet on VSMPO-Avisma, the world’s largest producer.

Russia’s VSMPO-Avisma said in a statement said it “regrets” the suspension of contracts with its long-term American partner.

Boeing said in a statement that “our inventory and diversity of titanium sources provide sufficient supply for airplane production.”

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Canada to impose sanctions on 10 individuals close to Putin

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will impose new sanctions on 10 individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Today Canada is announcing new sanctions on 10 individuals complicit in this unjustified invasion, [and] this includes former and current senior government officials, oligarchs and supporters of the Russian leadership,” he told a news conference in London, where he was beginning a diplomatic tour of Europe.

“The names of these individuals come from a list compiled by jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny,” he added.

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Latvia wants permanent US troops, foreign minister tells Blinken

Latvia’s foreign minister has called for a permanent contingent of troops from the United States to be stationed in his country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Looking at the most recent developments we would be very happy about the permanent presence of US forces here in Latvia,” Edgars Rinkevics told a joint news conference in Riga alongside his US counterpart Antony Blinken.

“We have no illusions about Putin’s Russia anymore; we don’t really see any good reason to assume Russia might change its policy,” he added.

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UN says more than 400 civilians killed amid Russia’s offensive

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has confirmed the deaths of 406 civilians, including 27 children, who have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

OHCHR, which has monitors in Ukraine, warned the true death toll was likely much higher.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

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Third round of talks ends

Ukraine’s negotiator has said talks with Russia have yielded small progress on evacuation logistics, but none that significantly improves the broader situation.

The two sides will continue talks on a ceasefire, Mykhailo Podolyak said in a video statement.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said it was too early to speak of any positive outcomes.

A third round of talks has ended with little progress. [Maxim Guchek/Belta/AFP]

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“War is at Europe’s doorstep, let’s not let it in,” French Defense Minister Parly

French Defense Minister Florence Parly has warned that Russia’s war on Ukraine could spill over into Europe.

“War is at Europe’s doorstep, let’s not let it in,” Parly said on Twitter on Sunday while visiting a military base in Romania’s Black Sea city of Constanta, where 500 French soldiers are deployed as part of a NATO force.

In these uncertain times, France is determined to ensure the Europe’s security, she added. Read more here

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Iran asks for clarification from Russia on US ‘guarantee’

Iran said Monday it has asked for clarification from Moscow over Russian demands for a “written guarantee” from the US regarding its cooperation with Tehran.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said he has heard Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s comments about guarantees from Washington that its cooperation with Tehran will not be hindered by sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Russian war in Ukraine.

He said Russia’s approach in the Vienna nuclear talks has been “constructive”, and its concerns in the wake of Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis are “understandable”. Read more here

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Russia reported to be recruiting Syrians for Ukraine war

Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters experienced in urban combat as it ramps up its assault on Ukraine, according to US officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal.

Moscow, which launched an invasion into its Eastern European neighbour on February 24, has in recent days recruited fighters from Syria hoping they can help take Kiev, four US officials told the US daily. Read more here

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Ukraine: Gostomel town Mayor killed in Russian fire while distributing bread

Russian forces have killed the mayor of Gostomel, a town near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv that is home to a strategic airport, city authorities said on Monday.

“The head of Gostomel, Yuri Illich Prylypko, died while distributing bread to the hungry and medicine to the sick,” the city said on its Facebook page.

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Russian police detained 5,000 people at anti-war protests, monitor says

Protest monitoring group OVD-Info says Russian police detained 5,020 people on Sunday for taking part in anti-war demonstrations held in dozens of cities throughout the country.

The rallies marked the latest in a string of anti-war demonstrations in Russia since Moscow launched its offensive. More than 13,300 people have been arrested for taking part in the protests, according to protest monitoring group OVD-Info.

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Where do Russia’s proposed humanitarian corridors lead?

Moscow’s suggested exit routes largely lead to Russia and Belarus. The details, according to Russia’s defence ministry, are as follows:

  • There is one exit route from the capital, Kyiv, which leads to Gomel, in southeastern Belarus.
  • There is one exit route from Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, which leads to Belgorod, in southeast Russia.
  • There are two exit routes from Sumy, also in northeastern Ukraine. One leads to Poltava, in Ukraine. The other leads to Belgorod.
  • There are two exit routes from Mariupol, in Ukraine’s southeast. One leads to Rostov-on Don, in Russia. The other leads to Zaporizhzhia, in Ukraine.

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Zelenskyy asks allies for military aircraft, boycott of Russian oil

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Kyiv’s allies to provide Ukraine with military aircraft and to boycott Russian oil as well as other exports.

“If the invasion [of Ukraine] continues and Russia has not abandoned its plans against Ukraine, then a new sanctions package is needed … for the sake of peace,” Zelenskyy said in a video address.

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Ukrainian forces retake control of northeastern town, Ukrainian official says

Ukrainian forces have retaken control of the town of Chuhuiv in northeastern Ukraine, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told a  briefing on Monday.
Further details were not immediately available on the situation in the town in the Kharkiv region, where fighting has been heavy since Russia invaded Ukraine.
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Indian PM urges Putin to hold direct talks with Zelenskyy: Report

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Putin to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to an Indian government source quoted by the Reuters news agency.

Modi and Putin spoke by phone on Monday, according to the source.

“Prime Minister Modi urged President Putin to hold direct talks with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, in addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams,” the source said.

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Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats to meet on March 10 in Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba plan to meet on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort of Antalya on March 10, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.

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Blinken says United States has ‘sacrosanct’ commitment to NATO’s Article 5

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reasserted Washington’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5 – the alliance’s principle of collective defence – at the start of a whistlestop diplomatic tour of the three Baltic states.

“The United States commitment to Article 5 … is sacrosanct,” Blinken told reporters in Lithuania.

The clause means any attack against one country in the 30-member state alliance is considered as an attack against all of its signatories, effectively committing them to protect one another.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – all NATO members – are increasingly on edge as Russia presses ahead with its invasion of Ukraine.

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Russia’s foreign minister to meet Ukrainian counterpart: Reports

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba plan to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort of Antalya, according to reports by Russian news agencies and Turkey’s top diplomat.

Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish media the pair had agreed to meet and said he would also attend the discussions.

Ankara, which has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has repeatedly tried to position itself as a mediator between the two sides.

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China says friendship with Russia is ‘rock solid’

383 China Russia Flag Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

China’s friendship with Russia is “rock solid” and the prospects for cooperation between Moscow and Beijing are very broad, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Wang Yi’s remarks, delivered at a news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual meeting of parliament, come after Beijing signalled last week that it was ready to play a role in brokering a ceasefire.

Until now, China’s government has attempted to strike a delicate balancing act over Moscow’s incursion. It has refrained from calling Russia’s attack an “invasion” and neither openly denounced nor supported the move.

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Russia demands protection of diplomatic missions in France

A spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry on Monday demanded France protect Moscow’s representative offices in the country, claiming an attack had occurred at a building used by a Russian government agency in Paris.

“We demand that the French authorities ensure the proper security of our official institutions,” wrote Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, on Telegram.

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CEE prime ministers to hold talks in London on Tuesday

The prime ministers of the Visegrad Four countries — Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia — will meet in London on Tuesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday in a Facebook video.

He also reiterated that the government of Hungary has published a decree which makes it clear that no weapons shipments can go to Ukraine from Hungarian territory.

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China Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine

The Red Cross Society of China will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Wang’s confirmation of the move to supply aid came as he reiterated a call for talks between Moscow and Kyiv to continue.

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One million Ukrainians flee to Poland

More than one million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion, including 142,300 on Sunday, the Polish Border Guard has said.

“Traffic on the Polish-Ukrainian border is growing, today at 07.00 [am] 42,000 people arrived in Poland from Ukraine,” the agency tweeted.

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Some five million people could flee Ukraine, EU’s Borrell says

As many as five million Ukrainians are expected to flee the country if Russia’s bombing of Ukraine continues, the EU’s top diplomat said today.

“We must prepare to receive around five million people … We must mobilise all the resources of the EU to help those countries receiving people,” Josep Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU development ministers in Montpellier, France. “We will need more schools, more reception centres, more of everything,” he said.

Borrell also pledged more scrutiny of EU aid spending in countries that have supported Russia diplomatically or abstained from criticising Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Russia snubs UN’s top court hearings in case brought by Ukraine

Russia has snubbed a hearing before the UN’s top court in a legal push by Kyiv to put an end to Moscow’s devastating invasion of Ukraine.

As the hearing began Monday morning, a row of seats assigned for Russian lawyers at the International Court of Justice was vacant.

Russia’s envoy to the Netherlands informed justices that ” “his government did not intend to participate in the oral proceedings.” according to the court’s president, American judge Joan E. Donoghue. The session took place despite the absence of the Russian delegation.  Read more here

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New Zealand expands sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion

New Zealand’s government said on Monday it will introduce legislation to allow it to impose sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

When passed, it will be the first time New Zealand would have levied sanctions individually on a country.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the sanctions will give the country the ability to freeze Russian assets in New Zealand, prevent people and companies from moving their money and assets here to escape sanctions imposed by other countries, and stop super yachts, ships and aircraft from entering the country’s waters or airspace.

It has also released a list banning 100 individuals from travelling to New Zealand.

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Ukraine claims its forces killed 40 Russian soldiers in Luhansk

Ukraine has claimed that its forces killed 40 Russian soldiers and destroyed 11 military vehicles in the Luhansk region. 

It said the Russian army continued its offensive operation against Ukraine by focusing its main efforts on besieging the cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mykolaiv, reaching the administrative borders in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The statement added that Russian forces had begun regrouping to attack the capital Kiev.

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SA President Ramaphosa calls for peaceful resolution of Russia-Ukraine conflict

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated his call for the Russia-Ukraine conflict to be resolved through mediation, negotiation and peaceful means.

The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter.

According to the United Nations, the conflict has led to hundreds of confirmed deaths, the internal displacement of at least 850 000 people along with at least 1.2 million people fleeing the Ukraine.

He said government remains resolute in its belief that the resolution of the conflict can be attained through negotiation.

Read more here

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Australian PM presses China to join Western action against Russia

China must act on its declarations of promoting world peace and join the effort to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Australia’s prime minister said on Monday, warning that the world was in danger of being reshaped by an “arc of autocracy”.
Scott Morrison also suggested in a wide-ranging speech that Russia’s invasion was not going according to the plan of its leader, Vladimir Putin, who he said had “overestimated the capacity of how he might be able to prosecute this illegal war”.
“China has long claimed to have a role as one of the major powers in the world and to be a contributor to global peace and stability. No country will have a bigger impact on concluding this terrible war in Ukraine than China,” Morrison said in response to a question after a speech at the Lowy Institute think tank.
Most countries have cut off trade with Russia and payment companies like Visa and Mastercard were suspending operations there.
But China has relaxed wheat tariffs to Russia and may supply its UnionPay system, Morrison said.
“This for me just jars completely with what the broader international interest is,” he said. “So long as they have a bet each way on this, then I fear the bloodshed will continue.”

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‘Are we your slaves’: Pakistani premier hits out at West over Russia letter

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has criticised Islamabad-based Western envoys who last week sought to pressure Pakistan to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, asking them if they thought Pakistan was their “slave”.

The heads of 22 diplomatic missions, including those of European Union member states, released a joint letter on March 1 urging Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Read more here

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US in ‘active’ discussions to ban Russian oil imports: Blinken

The United States has said it was in “active discussions” with its European allies about banning Russian oil imports as a further economic penalty on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

“We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries, while of course at the same time maintaining a steady global supply of oil,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the NBC talk show Meet the Press on Sunday. Read more here

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Netflix halts service in Russia

Streaming giant Netflix has suspended its service in Russia.

A statement from the company cited “circumstances on the ground” for its decision to suspend its Russian service but did not offer any additional details.

The US-based platform had already halted its acquisitions in Russia, as well as its production of original programmes.

Earlier, social media giant TikTok announced it was suspending the posting of all video content from Russia in order to keep its employees safe and comply with new regulations in the country.

Moscow on Friday signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for what is deemed “fake news” about the Russian army.

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Australian missiles ‘on the ground’ in Ukraine: Morrison

After Australia last week promised Ukraine $50m in missiles, ammunition and other military hardware to fight Russian invaders, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said: “Our missiles are on the ground now.”

He also described Russia and China’s closer relationship as opportunistic rather than strategic, labelling the alliance as an “arc of autocracy”. He said Russia and China would prefer a new world order to the one that has been in place since World War II.

Morrison criticised Beijing’s failure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s expansion of trade in Russian wheat while other countries are imposing sanctions.

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Syria opposition slams West’s “double standards” over response to Ukraine war

syria Russia
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“We support the protection of Ukrainians from the weapons of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but we are against this crude and public duplicity of Western countries,” al-Abdah said, reiterating that “the killing of a person should not be tolerated, regardless of the victim’s nationality or belief.”

He compared the reaction of the international community towards the outbreaks of war in Syria and Ukraine, stating that “In Syria, there is a massacre of an entire people in front of the eyes of the world and with international complicity, while in Ukraine, the whole Western world is trying to protect it and its people.” Read more here

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Japan in talks with US, Europe over banning Russian oil imports

Japan, which counts Russia as its fifth-biggest supplier of crude oil, is in discussion with the United States and European countries about possibly banning Russian oil imports, Kyodo News reported.

The report comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday the United States and European allies were exploring the possibility.

Asked about a potential embargo on Russian oil imports, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno declined to comment on the country’s communication with the United States. Russia accounted for 3.63 percent of Japan’s imports of crude oil last year.

While sanctions imposed on Russia are not expected to directly affect Japan’s ability to ensure a stable supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), they could indirectly affect energy-related projects, Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said.

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UK not easing rules for Ukrainian refugees, minister says

Britain is not easing its rules for Ukrainian refugees seeking to come to Britain but it does expect its existing route to expand quickly, minister for Europe James Cleverly said on Monday.

Britain has already announced visa schemes for those who have family in the country or a willing sponsor, but the government has been criticised by opposition lawmakers for not doing enough to help compared with its European neighbours.

“You’ve got to remember that two weeks ago this situation didn’t exist at all,” Cleverly told BBC TV

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Engie chief executive Catherine MacGregor said on Monday that any decision to stop Russian energy imports in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would impact the energy supplies of France and Europe next winter.

“Winter is coming to an end. The real problem would be next winter because we are replenishing stocks during summer,” MacGregor told France Inter radio.

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Russia to open humanitarian corridors

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The Russian military will hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in several Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv at 1000 Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying.

The corridors, which will also be opened from the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy, are being set up at the personal request of French President Emmanuel Macron and in view of the current situation in those cities, it said.

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S Korea to cut transactions with Russia’s central bank

South Korea has decided to sever transactions with Russia’s central bank, its foreign ministry says, in another move joining Western countries’ efforts to ratchet up sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia calls its actions in the neighbouring country a “special operation”.

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Ukraine, Russia prepare for third round of peace talks

After nearly two weeks of war, Ukraine and Russia are expected to meet for the third round of negotiations, which both sides said could take place on Monday. The location and exact time for the talks were unclear.

The two delegations last met in the Brest region in western Belarus for two rounds of peace talks and agreed to have humanitarian corridors in place in the embattled cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to facilitate the evacuation of civilians.

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Gold rises above $2,000 on soaring Ukraine fears

Gold has risen to more than $2,000 in Asian trade as investors flee to the safe-haven commodity over fears about the effect of the Ukraine war on the global economy.

The precious metal hit a peak of $2,000.86 an ounce, its highest level since September 2020.

Traders have been sent running to safety as Russia continues with its invasion of Ukraine, which has battered equity markets and sent oil prices to a 14-year high, adding further upward pressure to already high inflation.

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US Congress to ‘explore’ Russian oil ban: Pelosi

United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the chamber is “exploring” legislation to ban the import of Russian oil and that Congress intends to enact this week $10bn in aid for Ukraine in response to Russia’s military invasion of its neighbour.

“The House is currently exploring strong legislation that will further isolate Russia from the global economy,” Pelosi said in a letter.

“Our bill would ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States, repeal normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and take the first step to deny Russia access to the World Trade Organisation.”

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Two big-name accounting firms to leave Russia

Two of the so-called Big Four accounting firms – KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers – are pulling out of Russia over its war in Ukraine.

Both firms said they would end their relationships with their Russia-based member firms. KPMG said it was also pulling out of Belarus.

KPMG International said in a statement it would be “incredibly difficult” to have its Russia and Belarus firms leave the network. KPMG has more than 4,500 employees in the two countries.

PricewaterhouseCoopers said it has 3,700 employees at its PwC Russia firm and is working on an “orderly transition” for the business.

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‘American troops will not be put on the ground or in the air’ in Ukraine: UN ambassador

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations said on Sunday (March 6) that US troops will not be ‘on the ground or in the air’ in Ukraine. She said doing this will “escalate this war and make this an American war against the Russians.”. She was speaking during ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

“We’ve also been very clear that we will support Ukraine in every other way possible We have provided them over a billion dollars in support over the course of the past few days,”  Read more here

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Some 20,000 volunteers arrive in Ukraine to fight Russians  

Some 20,000 international volunteers have travelled to Ukraine to join in the fight against Russian forces, a top Ukrainian official has said.

“This number is around 20,000 now. They come from many European countries mostly,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told US broadcaster CNN. Read more here

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American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

Why Investing in American Express Remains a Great Long Term Strategy

 

American Express Co says it has suspended all operations in Russia and Belarus, following a similar move by fellow US payments firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc over the invasion of Ukraine.

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Ukraine open to discussing ‘non-NATO models’

Ukraine is not willing to compromise on its territorial integrity in talks with Russia but is open to discussing “non- NATO models” for its future, in a wider forum, one of its negotiators told Fox News.

“The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the next period of five or 10 years,” negotiator David Arakhamia said in remarks published on the Fox News website.

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EU leader says no to closing Ukraine airspace 

European Council President Charles Michel has said that closing Ukraine’s airspace could spark a world war.

Deploying fighter jets over Ukraine could “in current circumstances” be considered as “NATO’s entry into the war and therefore risk World War III,” Michel said in an interview with the public broadcaster France Inter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on NATO countries to stop the Russian onslaught on his country by imposing a no-fly zone.

Michel denied that economic sanctions against Russia constitute “a war of the EU or NATO against Russia.”

He said European and American allies imposed sanctions “to create pressure and hurt the (Russian) regime”, not the people.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday that Moscow planned to achieve its aims in Ukraine either through diplomacy or military means, the Elysee said.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday an investigation is needed into whether Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. “I think there needs to be a strong and clear investigation on this question,” von der Leyen said in an interview on CNN.

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TikTok suspends posting of new videos from Russia

Social media giant TikTok has announced it is suspending the posting of all video content from Russia in order to keep its employees safe and comply with the country’s new regulations.

“In light of Russia’s new “fake news” law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” the company said on Twitter, adding that its in-app messaging service will not be affected.

Moscow on Friday signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for what is deemed fake news about the Russian army.

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The International Committee of the Red Cross said civilian safe passage from Ukraine’s besieged eastern port city of Mariupol was “halted” on Sunday for a second consecutive day,. “Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt,” the ICRC said. 

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US, Europeans discuss banning Russian oil imports 

The United States and European partners are exploring banning Russian oil imports, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

But he stressed the importance of steady oil supplies globally.

“We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries, while of course, at the same time, maintaining a steady global supply of oil,” Blinken said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” show.

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Russia warns countries offering airfields to Ukraine

Any country offering its air fields to Ukraine for attacks on Russia may be considered as having entered the conflict, a Russia defence ministry spokesperson has said.

“The use of the airfield networks of these countries to base Ukrainian military aircraft and their subsequent use against the Russian armed forces may be regarded as the involvement of these states in an armed conflict,” Interfax news agency quoted spokesperson Igor Konashenkov as saying.

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Palestine under pressure to take stance on Ukraine conflict

Palestine is facing pressure to take a position regarding the Russian war in Ukraine, according to the Palestinian foreign minister, Anadolu Agency reported.

“We are under pressure to take a stand regarding what is happening in Ukraine,” Riyad al-Maliki told the official Palestine TV.

Read more here

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IAEA  “deep concern” over reports over communication disrupted from Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday expressed “deep concern” over reports that communication from Europe’s largest nuclear power plant seized by Russia in Ukraine has been disrupted. Russian forces attacked and seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Friday.
The IAEA said in a statement that Ukraine informed it that the plant management is now under orders from the commander of the Russian forces. Ukraine has also reported that the Russian forces have switched off some mobile networks and the internet, and that telephone lines, emails and fax were not functioning anymore.

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Pope Francis denounced ‘rivers of blood and tears’ in Ukraine

Appeals to stop war are coming from worldover. On Sunday, Pope Francis denounced ‘rivers of blood and tears’ in Ukraine

“War is madness, please stop,” the pope said.

He rejected Russia’s assertion that Ukraine attack was a special military operation. 

In a prayer said for the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis spoke at the Vatican in the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, facing thousands of people, with many holding Ukrainian flags or placards with messages of solidarity with the country under attack. Read more here

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Putin: Russia will halt military operation only if Ukraine ‘stops fighting’

President Putin has told Turkey’s Erdogan in a phone call that Russia would halt its military operation only if Ukraine stopped fighting and Moscow’s demands were met, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin said the operation was going according to plan and to schedule.

The Russian leader said he hoped Ukrainian negotiators would take a more constructive approach at talks and take into account the reality on the ground, the statement added.

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WHO chief: Ukraine health centres attacked

The World Health Organization has confirmed “several” attacks on health care centres in Ukraine and is investigating others, the agency’s chief says.

The attacks caused multiple deaths and injuries, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added in a Twitter message.

“Attacks on healthcare facilities or workers breach medical neutrality and are violations of international humanitarian law,” he said.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke in Moldova as the country calls for more humanitarian assistance to help welcome refugees. 

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Here are key moments and quotes from his address:

  • “Moldova deserves the world’s gratitude,” he said
  • The US is “actively working” on a deal for Polish fighter jets to Ukraine
  • He said he supports Moldova’s European aspirations, but that the process of joining the EU is up to Moldova and EU members
  • “Energy is critical to maintaining Moldova’s sovereignty and independence,” he said
  • He outlined how the US is financially supporting refugees both on the Ukrainian side and Moldovan side
  • He said the US would invest in Moldova’s energy sector 

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More than 1.5 million refugees flee Ukraine in past 10 days: UN

The number of people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has topped 1.5 million, making it Europe’s “fastest growing refugee crisis” since World War II, the United Nations said.

“More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days — the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II,” it said in a statement on Twitter.

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At least 64 detained at anti-war protests in Russia: Protest monitor

More than 64 people have been arrested at anti-war protests in Russia’s Far East and eastern Siberia, OVD-Info protest monitor said.

According to OVD-Info, people were detained at protests in the port city of Vladivostok and the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Reuters news agency reported.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the information.

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UK deputy prime minister: Ukraine conflict to last months, if not years

The conflict in Ukraine will last months, if not years, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab says, and international allies need to show “strategic stamina” to ensure Russian President Vladimir Putin fails.

“Our mission with our allies is to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine, and it’s going to take some time,” Raab told Sky News.

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Ukraine: More than 11,000 Russian troops killed

More than 11,000 Russian troops have been killed since Moscow launched an invasion into Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said.

A day earlier, the Ukrainian army put Russian casualties at more than 10,000 but did not report Ukrainian casualties.

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UK intelligence: Russia targeting populated areas

British military intelligence says Russian forces were targeting populated areas in Ukraine but that the strength of resistance slowed their advance.

“The scale and strength of Ukrainian resistance continue to surprise Russia,” it said in an update, adding that Moscow “has responded by targeting populated areas in multiple locations, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol.”

“Russia has previously used similar tactics in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, employing both air and ground-based munitions,” the update said.

Moscow has repeatedly denied that it is targeting civilian areas.

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Russia: Ukrainian military air base hit with long-range weapons

Russia’s defence ministry says it struck and disabled Ukraine’s Starokostiantyniv military airbase with long-range high-precision weapons.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: “On the morning of March 6, strikes were carried out by high-precision long-range weapons. The Ukrainian air force base near Starokostiantyniv was disabled.”

He said a Ukrainian-controlled S-300 missile system had also been destroyed and that Russia downed 10 Ukrainian planes and helicopters over the past 24 hours.

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Albania will rename a street in its capital Tirana where the Russian and Ukrainian embassies are located as Free Ukraine to honour Ukraine’s resistance to war, the mayor said on Sunday.

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“Our generation will be marked by this bloody Russian aggression, and the heroic resistance of Ukraine should be remembered in our public places,” Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj told Reuters.
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Sunday and discussed the war in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday, their third conversation in two days, a Bennett spokesperson said, without giving further details.

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Ukraine’s statehood is in jeopardy, warns Vladimir Putin

Ukraine’s independence is in peril, and sanctions against Russia are tantamount to “declaring war,” according to Vladimir Putin.

It comes as Russian troops continue to shell cities that have been besieged.

On Saturday, a promised truce in Mariupol, which was supposed to allow people to evacuate peacefully, crumbled amid scenes of dread. As bleakness and despair pervaded, bereaved moms lamented their lost children, wounded troops were strapped with tourniquets, and physicians worked by the light of their cellphones. Read more here

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US, Poland exploring deal to provide Soviet-era warplanes to Ukraine

Washington is holding talks with Warsaw about Poland supplying warplanes to Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

The US move comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told members of the US congress in a video conference call that Kyiv urgently needs fighter jets.

The White House officials said the US could provide a certain number of F-16s to Poland, while Warsaw could supply Kyiv with Soviet-era warplanes.

Stressing that details such as how the agreement will be made and how the planes will be delivered to Ukraine are still being studied, the officials said that if the agreement is reached, congressional approval will be required and Congress is ready to approve such a deal.

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Ukraine tennis star Yastremska: ‘Spirit strong’ after reaching Lyon final

Yastremska cleared to play after doping ban squashed

Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska, who was forced to flee her home after Russia’s invasion last week, said her spirit was strong after reaching the final of the Lyon Open.

The world number 128 beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 7-6(5) 4-6 6-4 over the course of two hours 31 minutes in a hard-fought victory at the WTA 250 event on Saturday.

The 21-year-old and her younger sister Ivanna spent two nights in an underground car park last week before their parents sent them out of Ukraine by boat to Romania and then on to France.

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US officials travel to Venezuela, a Russia ally, for talks: Report

Senior US officials have travelled to Venezuela to meet President Nicolas Maduro’s government, to find out if Caracas is prepared to back away from its close ties to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter, Reuters news agency reported.

The trip is the highest-level US visit to Venezuela in years after the two countries broke diplomatic relations amid a campaign of US sanctions and diplomatic pressure aimed at removing Maduro, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Biden welcomes Visa, Mastercard decisions on Russia

US President Joe Biden, in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed decisions by Visa and Mastercard to suspend their operations in Russia, says the White House.

“President Biden noted his administration is surging security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine and is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding,” a White House readout of the call said.

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Biden speaks with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: White House

President Biden has spoken with Zelenskyy, says the White House, adding the call lasted for about 30 minutes.

Zelenskyy also tweeted about it, saying he discussed security, financial support for Ukraine and continuation of sanctions against Russia with Biden.

“As part of the constant dialogue, I had another conversation with the President,” Zelenskyy posted.

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Zelenskyy: Ukraine to get more Starlink terminals

 

Zelenskyy says he has spoken to SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and announced the country would receive more of its Starlink satellite internet terminals next week.

“Talked to Elon Musk. I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

Musk on Thursday said Starlink was the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

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US lawmakers pledge to Zelensky to release $10 billion in aid  

US lawmakers pledged in a video call Saturday with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to provide a further $10 billion in assistance as the besieged country faces a Russian onslaught. In the call with American legislators of both parties, Zelensky reiterated a plea for Russian-made planes. The US Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, cited by a source briefed on the call, said Democrats and Republicans were “working very hard” toward passing the relief package.

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UN says nearly 1.37 million people have fled Ukraine war 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) counted 1,368,864 refugees on its dedicated website at 1215 GMT, almost 160,000 more than the previous count on Friday. Authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify as the Russian army continues to advance into Ukraine, with fierce fighting still taking place around the capital Kyiv. 
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UN committed to scaled-up humanitarian efforts

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the UN is committed to scaling up its humanitarian operations to help both those who have stayed in Ukraine and the millions who have fled.

Guterres relayed the promise to Ukrainian Foreign Kuleba in a phone call on Saturday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric said the two also discussed the conditions for safely evacuating civilians, including foreigners, from combat zones.

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Sanctions on Russia should not affect Iran deal: US

New US sanctions imposed on Russia are not related to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and should not have any impact on a potential revival of that agreement, a US State Department spokesperson said.

“The new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and should not have any impact on its potential implementation,” the spokesperson said, referring to the 2015 deal by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“We continue to engage with Russia on a return to full implementation of the JCPOA. Russia shares a common interest in ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. ”

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Ceasefire call by Russia a ‘fiction’: Writer

A UK-based author says Russia’s announcement of the ceasefire in Mariupol was a “fiction”, adding Moscow was following a “script” similar to its actions in Syria.

“Russia has repeated a very familiar script to set these [ceasefires] up and entice people into leaving the city into evacuating through what was supposed to be a safe corridor, and then tried to shell them in order to bottleneck as many people as possible into an area that was going to come under attack,” Keir Giles of the Conflict Studies Research Centre in London told Al Jazeera from Northamptonshire.

“Fortunately, it appears that Ukrainian authorities – who already let’s not forget have been at war with Russia for eight years, and probably knew what was coming, held back from actually launching all of their civilian evacuees down this humanitarian corridor,” he added.

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Russian forces advancing towards third nuclear facility: Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president says Russian forces have now seized two Ukrainian nuclear power plants and are advancing toward a third, he told US senators during a call.

Zelenskyy said the third plant currently under threat is the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Mykolaiv.

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Russia resumes ‘offensive’ after Mariupol ceasefire: Ministry

Russia’s defence ministry says it has resumed “offensive actions” in Ukraine after announcing a ceasefire earlier in the day to allow residents of two besieged cities to evacuate.

“Due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence nationalists or extend the ceasefire, offensive actions have been resumed at 18:00 Moscow time (1500 GMT),” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a video briefing.

Earlier, city officials in Mariupol said in a statement on social media that since the Russian side did not adhere to the ceasefire, “the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed”.

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Thousands rally in Paris in solidarity with Ukraine

Several thousand protesters took to the streets of Paris to show their support for Ukraine.

Protesters lined the streets of the French capital holding up banners and waving Ukrainian flags as they called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory.

Among them was Ukraine’s ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko.

“Right now every minute in Ukraine, Russian armed forces are killing civilians and children,” Omelchenko said as he marched alongside other protesters.

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Protest in London against Ukraine war

Hundreds have gathered in central London to protest Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Carrying placards reading ’’Protect Europe: Save Ukraine″ and waving the country’s blue and yellow flag, demonstrators chanted, “Stop Putin, stop the war.”

The rally in London’s Trafalgar Square began with a prayer from Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the papal nuncio to Great Britain.

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Websites in Ukraine under ‘nonstop’ attack: Cyber watchdog

Ukrainian websites have been under nonstop attack from Russian hackers since the Kremlin launched an invasion of the country last month, Kyiv’s cyber watchdog agency revealed.

Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection said that “Russian hackers keep on attacking Ukrainian information resources nonstop”.

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No reason for martial law in Russia: Putin

The Russian leader says there is nothing that warrants imposing martial law in Russia at this point.

Putin’s comment followed days of speculation that the introduction of martial law could be imminent.

The Russian president said that “martial law is imposed in a country … in the event of external aggression, including in specific areas of hostilities. But we don’t have such a situation, and I hope we won’t”.

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UK advises British nationals to leave Russia

Britain has urged UK nationals to consider leaving Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes,” the British government said in a statement reported by Reuters.

It comes after Britain on Monday advised citizens against travelling to

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More than 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the country’s borders after Russia invaded 10 days ago. Most have crossed into the European Union in eastern Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary and northern Romania. Here are some figures via Reuters:

  • Poland has accepted nearly 800,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion began on 24 February, according to the country’s deputy minister of internal affairs Pawel Szefernaker. More than 106,000 arrived from Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the highest figure since the invasion.
  • Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said that 140,000 people have crossed into Hungary.
  • Nearly 200,000 have fled to Romania. The government is expected to approve a decree on Saturday to use a buffer fund to finance the costs of housing an average 70,000 people per day for 30 days. Romania is asking for EU help too.
  • Some 20,000 Ukrainians have entered Bulgaria, border police said.

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Ukraine’s armed forces claim to have shot down a Russian military helicopter this morning. Its operative command released video of a missile hitting a low-flying helicopter which crashed seconds later.

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Mariupol officials say Russian troops not observing ceasefire

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Mariupol’s city council has said Russian forces were not observing an agreed ceasefire along the entire length of a planned route for the evacuation of civilians, Reuters reports.

“We are negotiating with the Russian side to confirm the ceasefire along the entire evacuation route,” it said in a statement.

The route of the corridor is Mariupol – Nikolske – Rozivka – Polohy – Orikhiv – Zaporizhzhia.

Authorities had previously urged civilians to leave, with mayor Vadim Boichenko saying on Telegram: “When our home city is constantly under the ruthless fire of the occupiers there is no choice other than to allow residents – us – to leave Mariupol safely.”

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Hundreds in Tokyo protest Russian invasion

Hundreds of people have marched in Tokyo protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The crowd shouted, “Stop war. Protect lives.” Some held signs that read: “We stand with Ukraine.” Others held images of Putin with the words: “Stop Putin.” Read more here

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“Unless at gunpoint”: Musk says Starlink has been told by some governments to block Russian news

SpaceX founder Elon Musk says the company’s Starlink satellite internet service was “told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources.”

“We will not do so unless at gunpoint. Sorry to be a free speech absolutist,” Musk said in a post on Twitter. Read more here

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More than 66,200 Ukrainians have returned from abroad to fight: Minister

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that 66,224 Ukrainian men have returned from abroad to join the fight against Russia’s invasion.

“That’s how many men returned from abroad at this moment to defend their country from the horde. These are 12 more combat and motivated brigades! Ukrainians, we are invincible,” Reznikov said in an online post.

 

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Mariupol humanitarian corridor to open for five hours: RIA

Civilians will be allowed to leave Mariupol, Ukraine between 12:00-17:00 Moscow time (9:00 GMT) on Saturday, Russia’s RIA news agency has cited city authorities as saying.

Russia said earlier its troops which have encircled the Azov Sea port city in Ukraine’s south would stop firing and allow civilians to pass.

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PayPal shuts down its services in Russia

PayPal SMS scams – don't fall for them! – Naked Security

Payments company PayPal Holdings Inc has shut down its services in Russia, citing “the current circumstances,” joining many financial and tech companies in suspending operations there.

“Under the current circumstances, we are suspending PayPal services in Russia,” President and Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in a statement. He added that the company “stands with the international community in condemning Russia’s violent military aggression in Ukraine”.

A company spokesperson said PayPal will support withdrawals “for a period of time, ensuring that account balances are dispersed in line with applicable laws and regulations”.

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Ceasefire to let Mariupol residents evacuate: Russian defence ministry

Russia’s defence ministry has announced a ceasefire to allow residents of two besieged cities, including the strategic port town of Mariupol, to evacuate.

“Today, March 5, from 10am Moscow time, the Russian side declares a regime of silence and opens humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha,” the ministry said.

There is no immediate confirmation from Ukrainian forces, and it is not immediately clear how long the evacuation routes would remain open.

Where are Ukrainian fleeing to?

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Northern city of Chernihiv comes under renewed bombardment

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A large explosion has lit up the night sky in Chernihiv, as Russia pressed on with its assault on the strategic Ukrainian city that lies 143km (88 miles) from the capital Kyiv.

Homes were heavily damaged by airstrikes earlier in the day, when a Russian bombardment killed 47 people, according to local officials.

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Strategic Ukrainian port Mariupol ‘blockaded’: mayor

Ukraine’s strategic port city of Mariupol is under a “blockade” by the Russian army after days of “ruthless” attacks, its mayor has said, calling for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.

“For now, we are looking for solutions to humanitarian problems and all possible ways to get Mariupol out of the blockade,” said Vadim Boychenko in a message posted on Telegram.

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UN Security Council to meet Monday on humanitarian crisis: diplomats

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, diplomats have said.

After this public session, the 15 members of the council will confer behind closed doors to discuss a possible draft resolution, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP news agency.

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Zelenskyy condemns NATO for ruling out Ukraine no-fly zone

Zelenskyy has criticized NATO for ruling out a no-fly zone over his country, saying the Western military alliance knew further Russian aggression was likely.

“Knowing that new strikes and casualties are inevitable, NATO deliberately decided not to close the sky over Ukraine,” he said in a video published by the presidency.

“Today the leadership of the alliance gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages, refusing to make a no-fly zone.”

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‘No-fly zone’ means NATO would have to directly engage Russia: Ex-US official

A former US deputy assistant secretary of state, has said that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could drag NATO and western nations into a direct confrontation with Russia.

Joel Rubin’s comments came after NATO earlier rejected calls from Ukrainian leaders to enforce a no-fly zone amid Russia’s continued attacks on the country.

“It’s not just a call for a no-fly zone and then aircraft cease. What this would mean is that NATO would be directly engaging Russian military aircraft, and if the aircraft were to fly, NATO would be obligated to shoot them down. So that’s what we’re talking about here. It’s a horrible conundrum,” Rubin told Al Jazeera.

“NATO is part of that puzzle in trying to push back against Russia and to get Vladimir Putin to back off,” Rubin added. “He needs to pull back, accept a negotiated outcome and stop killing innocent civilians in Ukraine.”

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Bloomberg News temporarily suspending work in Russia

Live TV - Bloomberg

Bloomberg News has said it was temporarily suspending the work of its journalists inside Russia, citing a new law that could mean jail for those found to be intentionally spreading “fake” news.

“The change to the criminal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal purely by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism inside the country,” Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said in a statement.

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Nearly 600 Nigerians who fled Ukraine return home

A group of 174 Nigerians who fled Ukraine landed home late on Friday, bringing the total number of citizens evacuated to almost 600.

Earlier, a group of 415 people, most of whom were students, arrived from Romania’s capital Bucharest, one of the hubs from where African governments are scrambling to extract stranded citizens.

“The second batch of Nigerians (174) have arrived (in) Abuja from Poland,” Nigerian airline Air Peace tweeted, bringing the total number to 589.

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Serbians rally in support of Russian war in Ukraine

Around a thousand demonstrators rallied in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the Serbian capital Belgrade as they chanted anti-NATO slogans and showered praise on Putin.

The demonstrators chanted “Serbs-Russians, brothers forever” as they marched through central Belgrade, lighting road flares and waving Russian flags.

“Ukraine is being liberated from neo-Nazis. Russians — our brothers — are liberating the country, and hopefully the world,” Nikola Babic, a 22-year-old security guard, told AFP news agency.

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Russia bans Twitter

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Twitter is now completely blocked in Russia, reports

@mediazzzona, (citing @globalchecknet). zona.media/news/2022/03/0

Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor has restricted access to Twitter, confirmed Tass news agency today.

Experts are weighing in on the recent ban that is sending the country into almost complete online isolation as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues.

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EU’s Borrell says sanctions not aimed at regime change

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said sanctions imposed by the war were not about seeking any regime change in Russia.

“Sanctions have been triggered by the war,” he said.

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World Bank chief says Ukraine war will have lasting consequences for Russia

President David Malpass has said the bank’s shareholders were “horrified” by Russia’s war in Ukraine and predicted it would have lasting consequences for Russia’s standing in the world after the conflict ends.

Malpass told Fox Business Network that China’s reaction to the war and to Western sanctions would be influential in determining how Russia’s future trade relationships develop.

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Russia blocks Facebook

Russia’s state regulator Roskomnadzor said it had decided to block access to the Facebook network in Russia.

Russian state-owned news agency Ria said the country’s media watchdog had decided to block access to the social media platform.

It added that there had been 26 cases of discrimination against Russian media by Facebook since October 2020

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Microsoft has joined Apple in suspending product sales in Russia 

The US tech firm provides the software behind more than a billion devices worldwide, as well as providing cloud computing services and being a major player in gaming through the Xbox.

Microsoft said it would “suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services” in Russia, but declined to elaborate on how the policy would be applied.

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UNSC calls emergency meeting after Russia captures nuclear facility

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Russia’s attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

UN and Ukrainian officials say no radiation was released from a Russian attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and firefighters have extinguished a blaze at the facility.

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Ukraine to join NATO cyber defence centre as ‘contributing participant’

Ukraine will join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) as a “contributing participant”, the NATO-accredited military research institution said in a statement.

“Ukraine could bring valuable first-hand knowledge of several adversaries within the cyber domain to be used for research, exercises and training,” CCDCOE Director Colonel Jaak Tarien said in a statement on the CCDCOE website.

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EU wants Ukraine membership ‘as soon as possible’: deputy chief

Ukraine should become a member of the European Union “as soon as possible”, the deputy head of the EU Commission has said.

“Now it is time for a strong message. It is time for signaling that the Ukrainian people are one of the European peoples. We want them in as soon as possible,” Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said after a meeting of EU Europe ministers in Arles in the south of France.

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Putin ready for Ukraine dialogue if ‘all Russian demands’ met

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a telephone call that Russia was ready for dialogue over Ukraine if all its demands are met, the Kremlin said.

Putin “confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the Ukrainian side, as well as with everyone who wants peace in Ukraine. But under the condition that all Russian demands are met,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

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UN says 331 civilians killed amid Russia’s offensive

The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) says it has confirmed that 331 civilians, including 19 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

OHCHR, which has monitors in Ukraine, added that 675 others had been wounded as of Thursday midnight, and warned the true toll from the conflict was likely much higher.

Most of the victims were killed by explosive weapons such as shelling from heavy artillery, multi-launch rocket systems and missile and air raids, it said.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

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UNSC special meeting: Attacks on nuclear plants ‘contrary’ to international law  

Military operations around nuclear sites and other critical civilian infrastructure are “unacceptable” and “highly irresponsible”, said UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo at a special Security Council meeting following Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. 
“Attacks on nuclear power facilities are contrary to international humanitarian law….Every effort should be taken to avoid a catastrophic nuclear incident,” said Di Carlo.
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 Belgians rush to collect iodine tablets over fears of nuclear threats

On March 3, 56,000 packs of iodine tablets were distributed in Belgium, following reports of fighting near Chernobyl in Ukraine and nuclear threats from Russia.The figures are likely to rise after the news of a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on March 4.

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US envoy to UN says Russia’s ‘reckless’ attack on nuclear plant endangered Europe

Russia’s “reckless” overnight attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine endangered all of Europe, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council.

“Russia’s attack last night put Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at grave risk,” said Thomas-Greenfield. “It was incredibly reckless and dangerous. And it threatened the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe.”
The attack reflected a “dangerous new escalation” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi briefs the UN Security Council from an airplane. He told the council that although “from a technical point of view the operation of the [nuclear] plant continues normally … there is no ‘normalcy’ about this situation when there are military forces in charge of the site.
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BBC suspends operations in Russia

The BBC has announced that it is suspending its operations in Russia after the Russian Federation passed new legislation that “appears to criminalise independent journalism”.
“It leaves us no other option than to temporarily suspend the work of all BBC News journalists and their support staff within the Russian Federation while we assess the full implications of this unwelcome development,” said BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
“The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs,” said the BBC.
The BBC has said it will continue reporting the Ukraine war from outside Russia. The BBC News Service’s Russian service will continue to operate from outside Russia.
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Third round of Russia-Ukraine talks planned for weekend

 Ukraine plans to hold a third round of talks this weekend with Russian officials, says one of Kyiv’s negotiators. 

“The third leg could take place tomorrow or the day after, we are in constant contact,” Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told reporters in the Western city of Lviv.
Podolyak said Kyiv was just waiting for a response from the Kremlin to confirm the timing of the talks.
Earlier in Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office said the German leader had been assured that the negotiations would resume over the weekend during his phone conversation with Putin.
In the Kremlin’s readout of the phone call, Putin told Scholz that he hoped Ukraine would take a “reasonable and constructive” position during the next round of talks. 
Putin also told Scholz that Russia was open for dialogue with Ukraine on condition that all its demands are met.
 
Two previous meetings held on the Belarus-Ukraine border failed to halt the fighting, but the sides have agreed in principle to at least allow humanitarian corridors for civilians to escape.
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Besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol is running out of food, says mayor 

The Ukrainian city of Mariupol has no water, heat or electricity and is running out of food after coming under attack by Russian forces for the past five days, its mayor said on Friday.
 
Mayor Vadym Boychenko made a televised appeal for military help and said a humanitarian corridor should be created to evacuate civilians from the southeastern port city.
 
“We are simply being destroyed,” he said.
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Germany’s Scholz speaks to Putin by phone

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Ukraine in a phone call to President Putin, according to a German government spokesperson.
Scholz also called on Putin to allow access for humanitarian aid in areas where fighting was taking place, while the Russian president announced a third round of Russia-Ukraine talks this weekend, a government spokesperson said in a statement.
During a one-hour phone call, the two leaders agreed to hold further talks, according to a German readout of phone call.
Germany has begun a slow move away from dependence on Russian gas following the invasion of Ukraine.

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Ukraine reports deaths from nuclear plant blaze

Ukraine’s foreign ministry says that “several” people were killed and wounded in the now-extinguished fire that broke out as a result of Russia’s alleged attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant.

The site’s employees are monitoring the plant to make sure it is operating safely and that radiation levels do not spike following the blaze, the ministry, which did not specify an exact death toll, added in a statement posted on Facebook.

But it warned there could be major radioactive damage if the facility’s cooling process is disturbed.

“Thousands of people – including civilians who are currently unable to evacuate the area near the plant due to ongoing shelling and fighting – would be hurt by this,” the ministry said.

It also called for Kyiv’s allies to take “urgent steps” to force Russian troops to withdraw from the area in order to ensure the facility’s safety.

Moscow has blamed the attack at the site on Ukrainian saboteurs, calling it a “monstrous provocation”.

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NATO’s Stoltenberg confirms Russia using cluster bombs in Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said Russia is using cluster bombs in Ukraine, confirming a Human Rights Watch report, published Friday, which recorded the use of the munitions in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
“We have seen the use of cluster bombs and we have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which would be in violation of international law,” he told reporters in Brussels.
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BBC ban in Russia ‘won’t save Putin from truth’, UK minister says

The United Kingdom’s defence minister has slammed Russia’s step to cut access to several foreign news outlets, including the BBC, as “an outrageous step”.

“I think it’s the wrong thing to do, it won’t save President Putin from the truth,” Ben Wallace told journalists after a meeting with his Danish and Swedish counterparts in Copenhagen.

“It is an outrageous step against our freedoms,” he added.

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Majority of Swedes now in favour of joining NATO: Poll

A majority of Swedes are now in favour of joining NATO following Russia’s invasion, according to a new opinion poll, with Moscow’s assault seemingly spurring a rapid shift in attitudes in a country long known for neutrality.

A poll commissioned by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet showed 51 percent of Swedes are now in favour of NATO, up from 42 percent in January. The number of those opposed to joining the alliance fell to 27 percent from 37 percent.

The data, compiled by Demoskop, marks the first time any poll has shown a majority of Swedes back NATO membership.

Stoltenberg said in January that Sweden could join the alliance “very quickly” if it decided to apply for membership.

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UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting after attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting requested by Britain Friday at 11:30am ET (1630 GMT), according to diplomatic sources.
The session was requested by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with the US, France, Norway, Ireland and Albania joining the call for an urgent meeting.
 
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for the Security Council session while in Brussels for an extraordinary NATO meeting, where foreign ministers of member countries expressed horror over the attack.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Truss said the attack was “a threat to European security and stability, and we need those responsible to be held to account”.
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Kremlin calls for Russians to ‘unite’ around Putin

The Kremlin has urged Russians to rally around Putin as Moscow continues its offensive.

“Now is not the time to divide, now is the time for all to unite, be together, and unite of course around our president,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s told reporters on a call.

He added that what happened next in Ukraine would depend on Kyiv’s reaction to this week’s negotiations between the two sides.

Peskov said that Russian officials had told their Ukrainian counterparts their “vision of solving this problem”.

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UN rights body approves probe into alleged Russian violations in Ukraine

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council has voted in favour of a resolution condemning alleged rights violations during Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate them.

“It is our common duty to ensure accountability by mandating the documentation and verification of Russia’s crimes and identification of those responsible,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the Council minutes before the vote.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine. Its own delegate, Evgeny Ustinov, told the Council that the resolution’s backers “will use any means to blame Russia for the events in Ukraine”.

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Putin says Russia’s neighbours should not escalate tensions

Putin has urged Russia’s neighbours not to escalate tensions with Moscow by imposing more sanctions or restrictions on his country, saying the Kremlin has “no bad intentions” towards them.

“I would … advise them [our neighbours] not to escalate the situation, not to introduce any restrictions,” the Russian president said in televised remarks. Read more here

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Belarusian forces will not be mobilised in Ukraine, Lukashenko says

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country’s troops are not currently taking part in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and will not participate in the offensive in the future either.

A close ally of Moscow, Lukashenko said he spoke to Putin at length by telephone on Friday.

Russia has used Belarusian territory to carry out its multipronged invasion of Ukraine. 

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No radiation release at Ukraine plant, UN nuclear watchdog says

Surveillance camera footage shows a flare landing at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during shelling in Enerhodar, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine March 4, 2022,

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog says there has been no release of radioactive material at the Zaporizhzhia plant following Russia’s alleged attack on the site.

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been in contact with the Ukrainian nuclear regulator and staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant.

Addressing reporters at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Grossi said no damage had been done to the site’s six reactors but that two people on the site were injured in the fire there.

He added that the plant’s operators and the Ukrainian regulator have warned the situation at the site “continues to be extremely tense and challenging”.

Of the plant’s reactor units, Unit 1 is shut down for maintenance, Units 2 and 3 have undergone a controlled shut down, Unit 4 is operating at 60 percent power and Units 5 and 6 are being held “in reserve” in low power mode, according to the IAEA.

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Blinken says NATO does not seek conflict with Russia, but warns alliance is ready for it

NATO will defend all its allies and territory in the event of any Russian attack on the United States-led transatlantic military alliance, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

“Ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of NATO territory,” Blinken told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels.

“And overnight, we’ve also seen reports about the attack against a nuclear power plant. This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging in good faith in diplomatic efforts,” he added.

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France activates crisis cell at nuclear watchdog

France has activated the crisis cell of its Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) watchdog after the fire at the Zaporizhzhia plant, the country’s energy minister says.

Barbara Pompili said in a tweet that no changes in radiation levels had been recorded at the site. She added that “more than ever, the only desirable outcome is de-escalation”.

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Pentagon established ‘de-confliction line’ with Russian Defense Ministry amid war in Ukraine

According to Reuters, the Pentagon has created a new hotline with Russia’s Ministry of Defense to prevent “miscalculation, military incidents, and escalation” in the region as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine advances.

The Defense Department set up the deconfliction line on Tuesday “for the purposes of preventing miscalculation, military incidents and escalation,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Read more here

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_INTERACTIVE- Where are Ukrainians fleeing to

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Trading in 27 companies that have links to Russia suspended by London Stock Exchange

In a potential move to tighten economic screws against Russia, the London Stock Exchange has suspended trading in 27 companies that have strong links with Russia. These companies include Gazprom and Sberbank. Gazprom is Russian energy company.

Action has also been taken against Severstal which is Russia’s largest steel and mining company. Severstal is owned by Alexei Mordashov, the richest man in Russia.

Aluminium comapany EN+, co-owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, has also been barred. Other companies which have found themselves to have been targetted are Rosneft and VK. The latter is parent company of social media platform VKontakte. It is bigger than Facebook in Russia.

Some other companies in the list are PhosAgro (fertiliser company), Lukoil (energy firm), Polyus (Gold producer), Novolipetsk Steel.

The London Stock Exchange said that such a step was taken “in light of market conditions, and in order to maintain orderly markets”

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Ukraine and Russia agree on humanitarian corridors

In the first visible evidence of progress in discussions between the warring parties, Russia and Ukraine agreed on the need for humanitarian corridors to transfer aid and assist civilians from besieged Ukrainian cities.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky reported “substantial progress” at Thursday’s talks –  the second round of negotiations since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine – saying the “main issue that we settled today is the salvation of people, civilians who have found themselves in a zone of military clashes”. Read more here

 

Russia media watchdog says ‘limiting’ sites of BBC, Deutsche Welle, Meduza, Svoboda

More than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia’s Media Watchdog reported it has banned access to several independent media websites, including the BBC, tightening internet regulations.

Following a request from prosecutors, Roskomnadzor “limited” access to the BBC, the independent news website Meduza, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and the Russian-language website of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Svoboda.

Read more here

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Russia’s lower house passes law penalising spreading of ‘fake’ information about army

The lower house of the Russian parliament on Friday passed a law which makes it a jailable offence to spread “fake” information about the armed forces.
The law, passed by the State Duma in the third and final reading, introduces fines and jail terms for those who intentionally spread false information about the armed forces
that has a serious impact, according to a statement by the lower house.
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Dutch bank ING says €700 million in loans affected by Russian sanctions

Dutch bank ING INGA.AS provided an update on Friday on its exposure in Russia and Ukraine, saying that about €700 million in outstanding loans were “affected” by “new sanctions on (Russian) specific entities and individuals” by Europe and the United States.

In a statement composed of bullet points and pictures, it did not specify where that €700 million is.

It said it has €5.3 billion in loans to Russian borrowers, representing 0.9% of its total group loan book.

In Ukraine it said it had €500 million in loans, representing 0.1% of its loan book.

The bank said that moves to cut off some Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system that underpins global payment transactions had “currently no material effect” on ING.

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Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister has accused Russia of staging humanitarian aid as troops advance of Kherson, a strategically important Black Sea port. And Lyubov Sobol, a member of the Russian Opposition Coordination Council, is echoing him.

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The Pentagon has established communication with the Russian ministry of defense, “for the purpose of preventing miscalculation, military incidents, and escalation”, a defense official told the AP.

That such a “deconfliction” line has been established has not been officially announced yet, but multiple news organizations have confirmed the news. The line was reportedly established on 1 March.

The line would allow US and Russian forces to avoid crossing paths along the Polish border and the Black Sea, for example, while Russia advances on ukraine.

The US and Russia had set up a similar line of communication in the Syrian conflict after Russia began military action there.

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In a Twitter post, French president Emmanuel Macron said that during a conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin this morning, Putin again refused to stop attacks against Ukraine.

“I spoke to President Putin this morning. He refuses to stop his attacks on Ukraine at this point,” tweeted Macron. “It is vital to maintain dialogue to avoid human tragedy.”

Macron said that he will continue communicating with Putin, adding that, “We must avoid the worst.”

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 RT America, apart of the global RT network that is funded by the Russian government, is stopping production and laying off most of its staff, reports CNN’s Oliver Darcy:

The production company behind the American version of the Russian state-funded network RT laid off most of its staff on Thursday, according to a memo obtained by CNN.

Misha Solodovnikov, the general manager of the production company, T&R Productions, told staff that it will be “ceasing production” at all of its locations “as a result of unforeseen business interruption events.””Unfortunately, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent, meaning that this will result in the permanent separation from employment of most T&R employees at all locations,” Solodovnikov wrote in his memo to employees.

The layoffs would mean an effective end to RT America. The network, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main mouthpieces in the US, was dropped earlier this week by DirecTV. The satellite carrier was one of the two major television providers in the US to carry the network.

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A leader of Ukraine’s Muslim community, Sheikh Said Ismagilov, made an address to Russian Muslims serving as soldiers, asking: “Why did you come to kill us?”

He said Ukraine does not need “saving” – as per Vladimir Putin’s rationale for his invasion – and asked Muslims around the world to support Ukraine’s fight for survival.

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Ukraine’s emergency service says 22 killed in Chernihiv air raids

Ukraine’s emergency service says at least 22 people have been killed in Russian air raids on Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region.

The service said in a post on Twitter that rescue work was ongoing. It did not specify where the alleged attack took place.

Earlier the regional governor said at least nine people had been killed by an air raid on two schools and private houses.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify either claim.

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Dozens of OSCE states back mission to probe possible war crimes

Forty-five of the 57 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states are triggering a system to set up a mission of experts looking into possible war crimes by Russia in Ukraine, the United Kingdom has said.

“They are invoking the so-called ‘OSCE Moscow Mechanism’ to set up a mission of independent experts to … establish the facts and circumstances of possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including due to deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the UK’s mission to the OSCE said.

Russia and Ukraine are both members of the body.

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Talks with Russia have started: Ukraine presidential advisor

Talks between Ukraine and Russia have started, says Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak on Twitter.
Thursday’s talks, the second session this week, is being held at the Poland-Belarus border. 

 

Ukraine has demanded an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.
Russia has not specified its demands, but says it wants “the demilitarisation and denazification” of its pro-Western neighbour.

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Toyota suspends operations at its facility in Russia; Japan tightens sanctions

Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest carmaker, declared a halt in production operations in Russia on Thursday, while the Japanese government said it will freeze assets owned by four more Russian banks.

Toyota said the decision to suspend operations at its St. Petersburg plant from Friday is “due to supply chain disruptions.”

Read more here

 

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ASEAN urges end to ‘military hostilities’ in Ukraine

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have called for an immediate end to what they called military hostilities in Ukraine, saying they believe there is “still room for a peaceful dialogue”.

In a joint statement that made no mention of Russia, ASEAN’s top diplomats said they stood ready to facilitate negotiaitons between Kyiv and Moscow, in any possible way.

Their statement added they were “deeply troubled by the intensifying gravity” of the situation.

ASEAN has 10 member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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Russia aims to stop Ukraine from joining NATO, Russian FM Lavrov says

Russia’s foreign minister has said Moscow’s attack on Ukraine is aimed, among other things, at ensuring that its neighbour does not join the United States-led NATO transatlantic military alliance.

Lavrov told Russian state television that the country’s forces were attacking military targets but added that the term “collateral damage” has been in use since military campaigns waged by Washington and its Western allies in Iraq and Libya. Read more here

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UK foreign secretary calls for blanket SWIFT ban on Russian banks

The United Kingdom’s foreign secretary has called for no Russian bank to have access to the SWIFT global payments system, calling on the United States, European Union and Group of Seven (G7) group of industrialised nations to “go further” with restrictive measures.

“We worked with the US the EU and G7 to cut off funding for Putin’s war machine,” Liz Truss told a news conference during a visit to Lithuania.

“[But] We need to go further. We need to make sure no Russian bank has access to SWIFT,” she added.

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‘It’s not clear whether there is an endgame’ for Russia after invasion of Ukraine

As the war rages in Ukraine, “it’s not clear whether there is an endgame” for Russia, said Dr Natasha Kuhrt, lecturer in war studies education at King’s College London. 
Kurht also said that “any Russian occupation is obviously going to have to be without the consent of the Ukrainian people, and will only succeed with wide-scale repression, which is the kind of scenario we’ve seen in Chechnya”.

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Kremlin hails Russian troops as ‘heroes’

The Kremlin has praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine as “heroes” who will go down in history alongside the soldiers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II.

Dmitry Peskov made the remarks at a news briefing during which he also dismissed reports that Moscow may be planning to introduce martial law. Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a security council meeting later today.

On Wednesday, Moscow said that 498 Russian troops had been killed in Ukraine and 1,597 others wounded as it announced its own death toll for the first time. Zelenskyy on Thursday said about 9,000 Russian troops had been killed.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify either of the figures provided.

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South African broadcaster cuts Russia’s RT news channel from pan-Africa platform

South African satellite broadcaster Multichoice cut Russia’s RT news channel from its pan-African DStv service, saying Thursday that EU sanctions had forced the move.
“Russia Today (Channel 407) shall not be carried on the DStv platform until further notice,” Multichoice said in a statement.
Multichoice’s DStv provides satellite TV across sub-Saharan Africa. It counts more than 20 million paid subscribers across the continent, but its viewership is much higher as families and communities share the service.

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‘We are being destroyed’: Mariupol city council

Mariupol’s city council says Russian forces are constantly and deliberately shelling critical civilian infrastructure in the key port city, leaving it without water, heating or power and preventing bringing supplies or evacuating people.

“They are breaking food supplies, setting us up in a blockade, as in the old Leningrad,” the council said in a statement.

“Deliberately, for seven days, they have been destroying the city’s critical life-support infrastructure. We have no light, water or heat again.”

The council said it was seeking to create a humanitarian corridor for the city, as well as trying to restore infrastructure.

“We are being destroyed as a nation. This is genocide of Ukrainian people,” it said.

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Why is Kherson strategically important?

Kherson, strategically located at the mouth of the Dnieper River’s exit into the Black Sea, is the first significant urban centre to fall since Moscow launched its invasion.

Control of the city, which is home to about 300,000 people, is important because it could allow Moscow to mass troops there and use it as a launching post to push its forces further inland.

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Winter Paralympics bans athletes from Russia and Belarus over Ukraine war

Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from competing in the Beijing Winter Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee announced Thursday, citing the war in Ukraine.
“In order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of all participants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from RPC and NPC Belarus,” the IPC said in a statement.

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UK says Russian convoy ‘delayed by staunch resistance’

The miles-long Russian military convoy north of Kyiv remains more than 30km (18 miles) from the capital as a result of it having been delayed by “staunch Ukrainian resistance” and logistical issues, the United Kingdom’s defence ministry says.

“The column has made little discernible progress in over three days,” the ministry said in an intelligence update.

It added that the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian control, despite intense Russian shelling.

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Russian air strike hits near packed Kyiv station, Ukraine state rail company says

A Russian air strike hit near Kyiv’s southern rail station on Wednesday where thousands of women and children are being evacuated, Ukraine’s state-run railway company Ukrzaliznytsya said in a statement.
The station building suffered minor damage and the number of any casualties was not yet known, it said, adding trains were still operating.

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Blinken to travel to Baltics, Brussels, Poland, Moldova

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Brussels, Moldova and the Baltics this week to hold discussions with NATO allies and European  partners on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the State Department 

Blinken will visit Belgium, Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia from March 3 to 8.  

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Macron calls for common, independent European defence strategy

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underlined the need for a common, independent European defence strategy, said Macron. France would be stepping up its investments in the defence sector, he said, but provided no further details.

In his speech, Macron noted that the war in Ukraine was a wakeup call, the start of a “new era” for Europe, which calls for greater economic and defence self-sufficiency. An autonomous European defence has been one of Macron’s goals during France’s rotating presidency of the EU and the French president announced he would be hosting a summit of European leaders in Versailles on March 10-11 to discuss this issue.

 “The war in Ukraine is a profound break for our continent, for our generation. It will mean we will have to take decisions,” said Macron.”We will come together.”

Macron warns of “economic and social consequences” of the war. “French economic growth will be impacted,” he said, adding that he has asked French Prime Minister Castex to work on a French economic recovery plan.

Macron reiterated that, “we are not at war against Russia” and “we stand with all Russians who are against the war in Ukraine.”

Under the aegis of the EU, “several hundred French soldiers have arrived in Romania yesterday. Support to the Ukrainian population will continue. The objective is to stop the fighting,” said Macron.

“We demand a ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to Ukrainians,” says Macron.

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UN general assembly adopts resolution against Russian invasion

The resolution, which received support from 141 of the assembly’s 193 members, came as Ukrainian forces fought on in the port of Kherson in the face of air strikes and a devastating bombardment that drove hundreds of thousands of people to escape.

The resolution’s wording “deplores” Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine.” According to the United Nations website, the last time the Security Council called an emergency session of the General Assembly was in 1982. Read more here

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US launches task force to pursue ‘corrupt Russian oligarchs’

US Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the launch of a task force to pursue “corrupt Russian oligarchs” and violators of sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

“The Justice Department will use all of its authorities to seize the assets of individuals and entities who violate these sanctions,” Garland said in a statement announcing the launch of ‘Task Force KleptoCapture.’

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war,” Garland said.

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Zelensky waiting for ‘positive signals’ on EU membership

Since the Russian invasion began last Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky has upped pressure on the EU over Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc.
Following a phone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel, Zelensky said he’s waiting for “positive signals” on the bid.

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Russian Defence Ministry says 498 Russian soldiers have died and 1,597 soldiers have been wounded in Ukraine, state-owned RIA news agency reporting. This is the first death toll released by Russian authorities since the invasion began last Thursday.

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Lavrov says Russia aiming to disarm Ukraine

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said “Ukraine has the capability and the technology to manufacture a nuclear weapon… The mission is clear: to disarm Ukraine and not deploy and manufacture any weapons that threaten Russia’s security.”

Lavrov added Russia had made its requests clear. “President Putin has repeatedly expressed our position, which our delegation conveyed in the talks with Ukraine in Belarus: Crimea is part of Russia; recognising the Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics within the borders of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk; the eradication of Nazism as was the case with Nazi Germany,” he said.

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Ceasefire talks set for Thursday on Belarus-Poland border

Russia and Ukraine will discuss a ceasefire at upcoming talks on the border between Poland and Belarus, said Moscow’s chief negotiator.
“The Ukrainian delegation has already left Kiev. We expect them to be here tomorrow morning,” said Vladimir Medinsky.
The Ukrainian presidency confirmed its delegation was “on its way” to the venue of the talks.

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The humanitarian situation: What we know

The numbers of dead and injured are incredibly difficult for anyone to verify, given the chaotic events on the ground.

Ukraine’s emergency services said on Wednesday that more than 2,000 civilians had been killed since the invasion began on February 24.

“Children, women and defence forces are losing their lives every hour,” it said in a statement.

Russia has not commented in detail on casualties, either in terms of Ukrainian civilians or losses among its troops.

On Monday, the UN said 136 people, including 13 children, had been killed.

However, the world body did warn the real figure was likely to be “much higher”.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify the death toll.

Meanwhile, more than 875,000 people have now fled Ukraine in search of safety in other countries, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

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Malaysia Refuses to Allow Russian Tanker to Dock at its Ports

Image

Kuala Lumpur, March 02 (QNA) – The operator of the Malaysian international port of Kuala Lumpur refused to grant a license to a Russian ship carrying crude oil supplies to dock in this port.

The Malaysian News Agency Bernama reported, quoting a statement of the Malaysian Ministry of Transport, that the ship, which was expected to dock on March 5, was rejected to ensure that no international sanctions were violated.

Quoting media reports, the ship registered as Linda or known as Lady M was allegedly listed under international sanctions. 

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Crédit Suisse has asked investors to destroy documents relating to its richest clients’ yachts and private jets, in an effort to stop clients from leaking confidential information about a unit of the bank that has made loans to oligarchs who were later sanctioned, as reported by the Financial Times. 

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More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians killed during Russian invasion – Ukrainian emergency service

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians and destroyed hundreds of structures including transport facilities, hospitals, kindergartens and homes, Ukraine’s emergency service said on Wednesday.
 
“Children, women and defence forces are losing their lives every hour,” it said in a statement.

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Germany releases part of national oil reserves, steps up efforts to cut Russian reliance

The German government said it was releasing part of its national oil reserve in reaction to the war in Ukraine and in order to calm oil markets, German TN station NTV reported on Wednesday without giving any further details.
Earlier today, Germany announced a 1.5 billion euro order for non-Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a bid to lower its dependence on Russian energy.
Russia is the largest supplier of gas to Germany, accounting for 38%, according to data on the Economy Ministry’s website.
Coal and gas jointly accounted for 43% of Germany’s gross power production last year.
As part of its diversification efforts Germany has commissioned its gas market trading hub to buy LNG for 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) from outside Russia, despite Moscow having met all its contracted supply obligations so far, the ministry said on Wednesday.
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EU bans RT, Sputnik banned over Ukraine disinformation

Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik will be banned in the European Union with immediate effect for promoting what the bloc says is systematic disinformation over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The unprecedented move means that EU operators will be prohibited from broadcasting, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the dissemination of any RT and Sputnik content.

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Kyiv asks Pope to talk to Putin about humanitarian corridors

Ukraine has asked the Pope to talk to Putin about allowing humanitarian corridors to assist civilians affected by Moscow’s incursion, the country’s deputy prime minister has said.

“I hope the conversation will take place,” Iryna Vereshchuk said on live television in Ukraine.

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Russians to compete as ‘neutral athletes’ at Winter Paralympics

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has said Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

The IPC added that athletes from the two countries will compete under the Paralympic flag and will not be included in the medal table. It said it would not hold events in either country “while the present situation continues”.

“What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.

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Ukraine-Russia talks to resume on Wednesday

A second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place on Wednesday, Russia’s TASS news agency cited an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as saying.
Russia said it had taken Kherson, the biggest city it has yet seized in Ukraine on Wednesday, while stepping up its lethal bombardment of the main cities that its invasion force has so far failed to capture in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance.
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Russia cancelled black sea passage bid of four warships: Turkey

Russia has cancelled a bid to send four of its warships through Turkish waters into the Black Sea at Turkey’s request, according to the Turkish government.

A NATO member and neighbour of Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, Turkey has good ties with both and adopted a cautious rhetoric on the crisis following the Russian forces’ invasion last week. Read more here

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Russian police allegedly detain children for taking anti-war signs to Ukraine’s embassy in Moscow

Novaya Gazeta, Russia’s leading independent newspaper, has reported that children have been detained by Russian police for laying flowers and anti-war signs at the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow.

“In the Presnensky police department, children and their parents are left overnight,” the newspaper tweeted in Russian, alongside a photo of the children and their parents.

“The police detained them when they laid flowers at the Ukrainian embassy,” it added.

Independent Press was unable to independently verify Novaya Gazeta’s reporting.

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Ukraine says Russian mothers can fetch captured troops

Ukraine has invited the worried mothers of Russian troops captured on the battlefield to come and collect their sons, in an apparent attempt to embarrass Moscow.
“A decision has been taken to hand over captured Russian troops to their mothers if they come to collect them in Ukraine, in Kyiv,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine claims to have captured dozens of Russian servicemen, and cellphone videos are circling online of bewildered and disarmed young men in uniform.
Kyiv has sought to undermine Russian public support for the invasion by opening a telephone hotline for Russian parents to find out if their sons are among the dead or captured.
The defence ministry has published telephone numbers and an email address to provide information about captured Russians, and mothers will be invited to Kyiv to collect their missing sons.
“You will be received and taken to Kyiv where your son will be returned to you,” the ministry statement said.
“Unlike Putin’s fascists, we Ukrainians are not waging war against mothers and their captured children.”

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UK PM says Putin guilty of ‘war crime’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he believes Russia’s actions in Ukraine qualify as a “war crime”.

“What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians … in my view already fully qualifies as a war crime,” Johnson told the United Kingdom’s Parliament.

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Ukrainian official claims Kherson not captured by Russia

An adviser to Ukraine’s president has denied Russia’s claims that its forces have captured Kherson.

Oleksiy Arestovych said street fighting is ongoing in the city, which sits at the Dnieper River’s exit into the Black Sea.

“The city has not fallen, our side continues to defend,” he said. 

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Nearly 875,000 people have fled Ukraine, UN says

Nearly 875,000 people have now fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, according to the UNHCR.

Many have fled into neighbouring Poland, which has received more than 450,000 people so far.

The overall number has risen rapidly since Moscow started its onslaught and is expected to continue to climb quickly.

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Navalny spokeswoman calls for daily anti-war protests in Russia

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s spokeswoman has called for daily anti-war protests in Russia.

“The most important [thing]: to spread information. If you are afraid of reposting (although it’s late for fear) – at least spread it among your acquaintances by word of mouth … No war,” Kira Yarmysh tweeted.

Yarmysh called for protesters to stage daily demonstrations at 7pm local time in the main squares of all Russian cities, and for rallies to be held at 2pm local time on weekends.

Several rounds of anti-war protests have already taken place in cities across Russia. More than 6,800 people have been arrested for taking part in the demonstrations, according to protest monitoring group OVD-Info.

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 UAE reimposes visa requirements on Ukrainians

The Ukrainian embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) says the Gulf country is reimposing visa requirements on Ukrainians.

The embassy posted on its Facebook page that the measure, which means any Ukrainian passport holders wanting to visit the UAE will now need a visa first, had taken effect from Tuesday.

The energy-rich UAE, which relies on Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports, is home to some 15,000 Ukrainian residents among its roughly eight million foreign residents and one million Emirati citizens.

Like other Gulf Arab states, it does not recognise individuals fleeing war and has not permitted refugees from Syria, Iraq and other wars to seek asylum or seek resettlement.

Last week it abstained during a UN Security Council vote condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Kyiv mayor says Russia is massing troops closer to the capital

Russia is gathering troops closer and closer to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital’s mayor says.

“We are preparing and will defend Kyiv,” Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Facebook. “Kyiv stands and will stand.”

He also reminded the city’s residents to continue obeying a city-wide curfew in effect from 8pm to 7am each day.

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EU approves new sanctions against Belarus

European Union diplomats have approved new sanctions against Belarus for its supporting role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the French Presidency of the EU Council says.

The sanctions will target Belarusian figures alleged to have played a role in the assault, the French Presidency said on Twitter, and will also hit “some economic sectors, and in particular timber, steel and potassium”.

The presidency of the EU Council rotates among the bloc’s member states every six months.

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Wax statue of Vladimir Putin removed from Grévin museum in Paris

“Today, is it no longer possible to present a character like him. For the first time in the museum’s history, we are withdrawing a statue because of historical events currently underway,” museum director Yves Delhommeau said during a radio interview with French channel France Bleu radio, as reported by Reuters. Read more here

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The war on Syria emboldened Russia and its relentless targeting of civilians in Ukraine

In Aleppo, Russia dropped thermobarbaric bombs, said to be the most powerful explosive besides nuclear weapons, and described as a phosphorous-like substance that causes severe and fatal burns, and ballistic missiles, yet has never been held to account. In a chilling statement in 2018, Russian officials gloated that they had tested more than 200 weapons in Syria. Read more here

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People leaving Russia limited to carrying $10,000 as sanctions bite

Russian residents are no longer allowed to leave the country with more than the equivalent of $10,000 as the Kremlin tries to keep capital inside the country.

The rule affects movement of foreign currency too and seems designed to make sure that people attempting to leave Russia – as sanctions are slapped on the country – don’t take all of their hard currency with them. Read more here

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More than 830,000 people have fled Ukraine, UN says

Nearly 836,000 people have now fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

Many have fled into neighbouring Poland, which has received more than 450,000 people so far.

The overall number has risen rapidly since Moscow started its onslaught and is expected to continue to climb quickly.

INTERACTIVE- Where are Ukrainians fleeing to map DAY 7

Ukraine asks Israel to stop turning refugees away

In a press conference, Kornichuk said: “The last six days Israel turned away dozens of refugees that came from different countries in the world, and in the airport, they were sent back to the places where they came from, instead of granting them asylum.”

“We are not talking about illegal workers, we’re talking about something completely different,” Kornichuk said. Read more here

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Russian missile hit a police building and a university in Kharkiv

Ukrainian authorities say a Russian missile strike at about 8.10am this morning hit a police building and a university in Kharkiv.

The State Service for Emergencies uploaded a series of photos showing firefighters and rescue teams battling a blaze billowing from the top of a large building.

The strike also reportedly hit the state security service (SBU) building.

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Germany is prepared if Russia stops gas exports, says economy minister

Germany is prepared should Russia stop exporting gas to the country, which is Europe’s largest economy, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday.

 Asked by Deutschlandfunk radio what the government would do if Russia stops gas exports, Habeck replied: “We are prepared for that. I can give the all-clear for the current winter and summer.”
 
“For the next winter, we would take further measures,” he added, pointing to planned new legislation to ensure gas storage is full for winter.
 
“So we are also taking precautions for the worst case, which has not happened yet because the Russians are delivering,” he said, adding that in a worse case scenario Berlin could keep “coal-fired power plants in reserve, maybe even keep them running,” but that it was committed to moving to renewables in the medium-term. 

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Over 450,000 people came to Poland since Ukraine invasion started, minister says

Over 450,000 people entered Poland from Ukraine since a Russian invasion of the country started last Thursday, Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker told private Radio Zet on Wednesday.
He added that the number of people entering Poland fell slightly on Tuesday to 98,000 from a record number of over 100,000 on Monday.

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Russia’s Sberbank to leave European market in face of cash outflows

Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, is leaving the European market as its subsidiaries there face large cash outflows and threats to the safety of employees and property, the bank said on Wednesday.
The bank, which is set to unveil 2021 financial results later in the day, said it was no longer able to supply liquidity to European subsidiaries, but its capital level and asset quality were sufficient to make payments to all depositors.
“In the current situation, Sberbank has decided to leave the European market,” it said in a statement. “The group’s subsidiary banks have faced abnormal cash outflows and threats to the safety of its employees and branches.”
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Cultural backlash intensifies against Russia over invasion

The cultural backlash against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified as the Cannes Film Festival said no Russian delegations would be welcome this year and the Venice festival announced free screenings of a film about the 2014 conflict in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

Hollywood also joined the blockade of Moscow, with Paramount becoming the latest studio to pull its upcoming films from Russian theatres.

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Turkey calls for ceasefire, supports NATO enlargement

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately stop fighting and to “contribute to world peace”, adding that Ankara is not opposed to NATO enlargement.

Turkey, a NATO member,  shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has good ties with both. On Monday Ankara said it was closing its Black Sea straits during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, limiting the passage of some Russian ships from the Mediterranean.

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Abu Dhabi leader vows “energy market stability”

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has vowed to maintain energy market stability, the UAE’s state news agency said.

In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sheikh Mohammed spoke of the “need to maintain the stability of the global energy market,” WAM reported, as oil prices surged due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Crown Prince was also briefed by Putin on “the developments of the crisis with Ukraine.”

“Vladimir Putin gave a detailed account of the reasons, goals and targets of the Russian special operation,” the Kremlin added.

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UK PM rules out deploying troops to battle Russian forces in Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the United Kingdom’s troops will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine, and that recent NATO reinforcements on the alliance’s eastern flank were firmly within the borders of its member states.

“These are nothing more than defensive measures, which have been the essence of NATO for more than 70 years,” Johnson said during a visit to Estonia, where the UK has deployed additional troops.

“I want to be crystal clear finally, on that point, we will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine and our reinforcements like these reinforcements here in Tapa are firmly within the borders of NATO members and they are profoundly the right thing to do.”

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Russians flock to ATMs, experience payment issues as sanctions bite

Image

As the rouble plummets following Western sanctions, Russians are flocking to cash machines in a bid to withdraw as much currency as possible.

Meanwhile, some attempting to use their debit and credit cards have had issues, as measures directly targeting a string of Russian banks come into effect.

“I’ve had several customers today who couldn’t pay because their cards aren’t working,” a fried shrimp vendor in Saint Petersburg’s Galleria shopping mall said.

Those with foreign bank accounts are not immune from the financial punishment being imposed on Russia over its invasion either.

Long queues have reportedly snaked outside of money transfer firms, such as Western Union, as people try to claw money back from abroad to cover their costs of living.

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French container shipping group CMA CGM said Tuesday it would cease to deliver to Russian ports, following European competitors Maersk and MSC which have announced similar measures.
“In the interest of safety, the group has decided to suspend all bookings to and from Russia as of today and until further notice,” it informed clients in a message posted on its website.
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UN head condemns Russia’s use of heavy weapons

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned Russia’s use of heavy weapons in its attack on Ukraine, his spokesperson said.

“The secretary general is very concerned about the use of heavy weapons against urban centres in Ukraine,” Stephane Dujarric said in New York, as Russia pummelled the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the country’s second-biggest city Kharkiv.

The UN Human Rights Council said at least 136 civilians have been killed so far. Dujarric said, however, that there was likely a high number of unreported cases.

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Canada has decided to shut its ports to Russian-owned ships later this week in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Tuesday.
Canada has a taken a series of measures, including imposing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, closing Canadian airspace to Russian planes and forbidding Canadian financial institutions from dealing with the Russian central bank as part of Western nations’ moves to isolate Russia.
“Russia must be held accountable for its invasion of Ukraine,” Alghabra said.
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The World Athletics Council banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition on Tuesday “as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine”, a statement on the organisation’s website said.
“All athletes, support personnel and officials from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future, with immediate effect,” the statement said.

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The US vowed on Tuesday to release 30 million barrels of oil as part of a global 60 million barrel pledge in an effort to shore up energy markets amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and said it could take further steps as needed.
“We are prepared to use every tool available to us to limit disruption to global energy supply as a result of (Russian)
President (Vladimir) Putin’s actions,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The US and 30 member countries of the International Energy Agency agreed to release 60 million barrels
of oil from their strategic reserves to stabilise global energy markets, the US Department of Energy said in a separate
statement.

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NATO to hold emergency meeting over Ukraine Friday

NATO foreign ministers will hold emergency talks in Brussels on Friday over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the alliance said in a statement.
NATO allies have rushed to bolster their eastern flank after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion, but remain adamant that they will not get involved militarily in the war in non-NATO member Ukraine.

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Cannes Film Festival bans Russian delegations

The Cannes Film Festival said in a statement Tuesday that Russian delegations will not be welcome at this year’s event in May due to the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Cannes Festival wishes to express all its support to the Ukrainian people,” its team said.
 “We are adding our voice to those who oppose this unacceptable situation and denouce the attitude of Russia

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EU must prepare for millions of refugees from Ukraine, official says

The European Union must prepare for “millions” more refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the bloc’s commissioner for home affairs has said.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Slovakia, Ylva Johansson said she hoped the European Council would activate the bloc’s temporary protection directive – a special mechanism aimed at giving protection to displaced persons – in the coming days.

She added officials were looking at deploying more people to assist the EU member states bordering Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands of people have already passed from Ukraine into the bloc as they flee Moscow’s offensive.

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INTERACTIVE Russia-Ukraine map Who controls what in Kyiv DAY 6

 

Racist double standards in Western media coverage of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion

Many also drew a comparison between Europe’s welcoming of Ukrainian refugees and the influx of Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, which was declared a “migrant crisis”.

 “This isn’t a place, with all due respect, you know, like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades,” said Charlie D’Agata of US network CBS News. Read more here

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UN scales up aid for Ukraine, appeals for $1.7bn

UN agencies have launched an emergency appeal to respond to the rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for $1.7bn to help people who have fled the country and those still trapped inside.

“The crisis has turned very ugly very fast,” Martin Griffiths, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told journalists at a press conference in Geneva. He called for compassion to match the scale of the crisis.

Filippo Grandi, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees, said at the same briefing that 150,000 more people had fled Ukraine in the last 24 hours.

The rise means the total number of people who have sought safety in other countries since Moscow launched its assault now stands at nearly 680,000.

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UK foreign secretary says Russia becoming a ‘global pariah’

The United Kingdom’s foreign minister says Russia is becoming a “global pariah” in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine and has urged countries to isolate it further yet.

“We are working to squeeze the [Vladimir] Putin regime harder and harder by steadily tightening the vice,” Truss told the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council, accusing the Russian president of “violating human rights on an industrial scale”.

“I urge nations to condemn Russia’s appalling actions, and isolate it on the international stage,” she said.

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Ukranian President Zelensky tells EU to ‘prove you are with’ Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an emotional address to the European Parliament on Tuesday, as his country continued its fierce resistance on the sixth day of a brutal Russian invasion that is increasingly targeting civilians.

In his address to EU Parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told EU to “prove” it is with Ukraine as it resists Russia’s invasion. Read more here

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Ukraine claims Russia planning to spread fake news about surrender

Ukraine believes Russia is preparing a mass disinformation campaign to suggest senior military and political figures have surrendered, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said.

“To ‘confirm’ this fake information, seemingly signed ‘documents’, as well as fake, edited videos will be distributed,” Reznikov said in an online statement.

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‘Unbearable scenes’ at a Kyiv railway station as people attempt to flee the capital

Video footage from a railway station in Kyiv shows throngs of people desperately scrambling to board a train as they bid to escape the city.

Shaun Walker, a reporter for The Guardian newspaper present at the scene, described the unfolding humanitarian crisis as “unbearable”.

“Old people, kids, disabled people, pets, this train is already packed full,” he tweeted. “People fear it could be the last chance to flee.”

An enormous Russian military convoy is currently lumbering towards the capital, raising fears of an imminent uptick in fighting there.

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France to offer 100 mln euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

France will offer 100 million euros ($111 million) in financial aid to populations hit by conflict in Ukraine, the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the aid was aimed at relieving the humanitarian crisis caused by the invasion by Russia and in response to a request by Ukraine.

A first shipment of 33 tonnes of aid, mainly tents, blankets, hygiene kits and sleeping bags, arrived in Poland on Sunday evening and was handed over to the Ukrainian authorities on Monday.

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UN official estimates one million people displaced within Ukraine 

The UN refugee agency’s (UNHCR) representative in Ukraine has estimated that about a million people have been displaced in the country as a result of Russia’s invasion.

“We estimate that it has to be about one million people who have fled internally or who are currently on a train, a bus or in a car trying to get to a safety,” Karolina Lindholm Billing told a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

She cautioned that the agency still did not have reliable figures.

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EU to seriously look at Ukraine’s ‘legitimate’ request for membership

EU institutions and governments will have to seriously look at Ukraine’s “legitimate” request for membership of the bloc, the chairman of EU leaders Charles Michel has said.

Michel noted however that while Ukraine’s application was “symbolic”, there was no unity on the issue of enlargement in the 27-nation bloc.

“It is going to be difficult, we know there are different views in Europe,” Michel told told a special sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels.

“The council (of EU governments) will have to seriously look at the symbolic, political and legitimate request that has been made and make the appropriate choice in a determined and clear-headed manner,” he added.

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Adidas suspends partnership with Russian football

View of Adidas Front Store, a Germany Multinational Corporation that is Engaged in the Editorial Image - Image of equipment, germany: 181705715

German sportswear company Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union (RFS) with immediate effect, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The spokesperson did not give additional details.
The decision is in line with a series of those made by sports bodies to cut ties to Russian-affiliated bodies or companies following the war in Ukraine.
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Russia says it will hit security service sites in Kyiv

Russia will strike sites in Kyiv belonging to Ukraine’s security service and a special operations unit, Russia’s TASS and RIA news agencies quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying on Tuesday.
 
The strikes aim to prevent “information attacks” on Russia, the ministry said, urging those near the sites to leave the areas. 

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Lukashenko says Belarus deploying more forces to Ukraine border

Belarus is deploying more forces on its border with Ukraine, the country’s state news agency, Belta, has quoted President Alexander Lukashenko as saying.

“Those are well trained rapid deployment groups which are ready to stop any provocation and any military action against Belarus,” Lukashenko said.

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Zelenskyy accuses Russia of ‘state terrorism’ over Kharkiv strikes

Ukraine’s president has claimed that Russian artillery attacks on Kharkiv, his country’s second-largest city, amount to “state terrorism” and called on the international community to recognise that.

“The terror aims to break us, to break our resistance,” he said in a video address shared on social media, during which he described Kyiv and Kharkiv as Moscow’s main targets.

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UN reports 136 civilian deaths, including 13 children

At least 136 civilians, including 13 children, have been killed and 400 others wounded since Russia launched its invasion, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has said.

“The real toll is likely to be much higher,” Liz Throssell told a news briefing.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

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UN refugee agency says more than 660,000 people have fled Ukraine

More than 660,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries since Russia invaded, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told a news briefing in the Swiss city of Geneva that there were reports of people waiting for up to 60 hours to enter Poland, while queues at the Romanian border are up to 20km (12 miles) long.

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Russia demands no military bases in ex-Soviet countries

The West must not build military facilities in any countries of the former Soviet Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Lavrov also said Moscow found it unacceptable that some European countries hosted nuclear weapons from the United States and was taking measures to prevent Ukraine from acquiring similar weapons, the RIA Novosti and TASS news agencies reported.

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Russia to continue Ukraine ‘operation’ until goals achieved, defence minister says

Russia will continue its so-called “military operation” in Ukraine until it achieves its goals, the country’s defence minister has said, according to a report by the Interfax news agency.

Sergei Shoigu said Moscow’s main goal was protecting itself from threats created by the West and claimed Russia was not occupying Ukraine’s territory.

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The humanitarian situation: What we know

At least 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed amid Russia’s assault, according to Ukraine’s health ministry.

The UN currently puts the civilian toll at 102, including seven children, but warns the real figure is likely to be “considerably higher”.

Russia has not commented on civilian casulaties, while Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

Meanwhile, more than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine in search of safety in other countries, according to the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR).

The exodus has sparked a mounting crisis at border crossing points, as thousands await passage into neighbouring European states including Poland, Hungary and Romania.

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Russia-Ukraine war: What is Putin’s endgame?

As Russia’s war on Ukraine enters another day, with reports of hundreds killed in less than a week, there are rising questions about what President Vladimir Putin is trying to achieve.

According to Cristian Nitoiu, lecturer in Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University London, there should be no misunderstanding about Russia’s motives; Putin is concerned with nothing less than revisionist politics and great power fantasies. Read more here

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UK intelligence indicates Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress 

Russia’s advance on Kyiv has made little progress in the past 24 hours due to logistical difficulties and the army has increased its use of artillery north of the capital, a British military intelligence update said.

“The Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress over the past 24 hours probably as a result of continuing logistical
difficulties,” the British defence ministry said in a military intelligence update.

“Russian forces have increased their use of artillery north of Kyiv and in vicinities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv. The use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.”

“Russia has failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses,” it said.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify the information. 

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Chechnya leader says his fighters killed in Ukraine

The strongman leader of Russia’s Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said Tuesday that Chechens have been killed in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “Unfortunately, there are already losses among the natives of the Chechen Republic. Two died, six more were injured to varying degrees,” Kadyrov said on Telegram.
Russia has avoided to say how many of its forces have been killed in the invasion, but admitted losses last week. Kadyrov, a former rebel-turned-Kremlin-ally, has given his backing for President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, sending his notorious fighters to the country.
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Around 350,000 refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine, says deputy minister

Around 350,000 people have entered Poland from Ukraine since Russia invaded the country, a Polish deputy interior minister said on Tuesday.
 
“Over the last 24 hours 100,000 people crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border,” Maciej Wasik told public broadcaster Polskie Radio 1. “In total, since Thursday, there have already been 350,000 refugees.”

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Polish PM to discuss Ukraine EU membership with von der Leyen

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will discuss support for Ukraine joining the European Union with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Tuesday, a government spokesman said. “This afternoon in Brussels, Prime Minister @MorawieckiM meets the President of the European Commission @vonderleyen,” Piotr Muller Wrote on Twitter. “The topic will be systemic support for Ukraine in the context of its membership in the EU.”

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Over 70 Ukrainian troops killed in military base shelling in Okhtyrka

More than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region on Monday, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on Facebook.

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Russian army on outskirts of southern Ukrainian city Kherson, mayor says

The Russian troops on Tuesday reached the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, near Moscow-controlled Crimea, and “is setting up checkpoints at the entrances of Kherson,” the city’s mayor Igor Kolykhayev said on Facebook. “Kherson has been and will stay Ukrainian,” he said. 

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Japan freezes assets of Russia’s central bank

Japan is joining the US and other allies in slapping additional sanctions on Russia, including freezing assets of the country’s leaders and three financial institutions.

Aside from those held by six individuals including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Japan will freeze assets of Russia state-owned Promsvyazbank and Vnesheconombank, as well as the country’s central bank.

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Mastercard blocks multiple Russian financial institutions from network

RBI bars Mastercard from acquiring new clients in India from 22 July

Mastercard has blocked multiple financial institutions from its payment network as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The US credit card company did not say which institutions were blocked.

It promised to contribute $2m for humanitarian relief.

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Satellite images taken on Monday show a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that stretches for about 64 km (40 miles)

A satellite image shows a military convoy near Invankiv, Ukraine February 28, 2022. Maxar Technologies via REUTERS
A satellite image shows building fires and a convoy along P202 highway, near Invankiv, Ukraine February 28, 2022. Maxar Technologies via REUTERS
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Ukraine gets Starlink internet terminals amid Internet disruption

Ukraine on Monday said it had received donated Starlink satellite internet terminals from SpaceX, but an internet security researcher warned these could become Russian targets.

A shipment of SpaceX’s Starlink user terminals arrived in Ukraine on Monday, providing Ukrainians access to the satellite Internet network as traditional service faces interruptions from invading Russian forces. Read more here

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Putin stripped of black belt over Ukraine invasion

World judo body suspends Putin as its honorary president | Sports News,The Indian Express

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been stripped of his honorary taekwondo black belt over his country’s invasion of Ukraine, a personal rebuke heaped on top of international economic and sporting sanctions.

World Taekwondo, citing its motto of “Peace is More Precious than Triumph,” condemned the Russian military action in Ukraine, saying the “brutal attacks on innocent lives” violated the sport’s values of respect and tolerance.

“In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013,” the governing body said in a statement.

It added that it would join the International Olympic Committee in banning the Russian flag and anthem at its events.

The decision comes after the International Judo Federation said on Sunday it would suspend Putin’s status as honorary president and ambassador “in light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine”.

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Diplomats accuse UAE of ‘dirty deal with Russia’

Diplomats say the United Arab Emirates (UAE) abstained from two votes on UN Security Council resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in order to win Moscow’s support for an arms embargo on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A Security Council diplomat told Reuters news agency that UAE made a “deal with the devil” to secure Russia’s support.

“UAE’s two abstentions on Ukraine bought the Russian yes vote,” the diplomat said.

Another diplomat told AFP: “We are very angry with the Emirates and convinced they made a dirty deal with Russia” that links the Houthis and Ukraine.

Both the UAE and Russia denied a deal was made on voting.

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Refugee movement from Ukraine to neighboring countries
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Major tech companies ban Russian online content and software

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would remove Russian state-owned media outlet RT’s mobile apps from the Windows App store and ban advertisements on Russian state-sponsored media, as global tech firms respond to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The company said it would not display any state-sponsored RT and Sputnik content, de-rank their search results on Bing and not place any ads from its ad network on those sites.

Western tech companies, including Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google, have placed restrictions on Russia’s state-controlled media outlets in Ukraine and around the world.

Google has banned downloads of RT’s mobile app on Ukrainian territory after barring Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos.

Facebook is barring Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on its platform anywhere in the world.

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Turkey to use authority given by 1936 Montreux Convention: Erdogan

Turkey will be using authority given by 1936 Montreux Convention to prevent Russia – Ukraine ‘crisis’ from further escalating, says Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Under the convention, Turkey can stop foreign warships from going through the Turkish Straitsduring a war. Read more here

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US wants Russian economy ‘to go backwards’ if invasion continues

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Russia’s central bank and other key sources of wealth, dealing a crushing blow to the country’s economy in further punishment of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The measures, which blocked Americans from engaging in any transactions involving Russia’s central bank, finance ministry and national wealth fund, are likely to push Russian inflation higher, cripple its purchasing power and drive down investments, U.S. officials said on Monday as the new measures took effect.

“Our objective is to make sure that the Russian economy goes backwards if President Putin decides to continue to go forward with an invasion in Ukraine, and we have the tools to continue to do that,” a senior U.S. administration official said on Monday.

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UK media regulator to probe Russian TV channel RT

Britain’s media regulator Ofcom launched 15 investigations into the output of Russian-backed television channel RT over the impartiality of its news programming.

“Given the serious on-going situation in Ukraine, we will be concluding our investigations into RT as a matter of urgency,” said Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive.

Ofcom said the investigations relate to 15 editions of the hourly News programme broadcast on RT on 27 February 2022 between 05:00 and 19:00 inclusive, and they will be expedited.

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FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian clubs and teams from all competitions

FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russia’s national and club teams from all competitions until further notice due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the bodies said in a joint statement on Monday.

“Football is in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace,” the statement read. Read more here

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Ukraine applies to join European Union

Zelenskyy says he has signed an application for Ukraine to join the European Union.

The documents “are on the way to Brussels,” Andrii Sybiha, head of Zelenskyy’s office, said on his official Facebook page.

The application was largely symbolic, however, as the process could take years. EU membership must be unanimously approved by all members.

Ukraine has been weakened by endemic corruption for many years, making the benchmarks of approval extremely hard to reach.

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Putin says recognition of Crimea key to ending war

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart on Monday that the demilitarisation of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula were prerequisites to ending fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.

“Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account, including the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarisation and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status,” according to a Kremlin readout of the call.

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Navalny’s supporters call for civil disobedience

The movement of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called for a campaign of civil disobedience to protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin declared war on Ukraine and is trying to make everyone think that Ukraine was attacked by Russia, that is, by all of us. But that’s not right,” the Navalny team wrote on its Twitter account.

“We must show that we do not support the war. We call on Russians to show civil disobedience. Do not be silent.”

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Journalist association warns of bias in Western coverage

The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) has called on all news organisations to be mindful of implicit and explicit bias in their coverage of the war in Ukraine.

The organisation said it tracked examples of racist news coverage that ascribes more importance to some victims of war over others.

“This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalising tragedy in parts of the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America,” AMEJA said.

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Special UN General Assembly session on Ukraine opens with a minute’s silence

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has observed a minute of silence for Ukraine as it opens a special emergency session to discuss Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.

UNGA President Abdulla Shahid led the UN’s 193 members in the moment of meditation before calling for “an immediate ceasefire” in the conflict.

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France’s Macron speaks with Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated the international community’s demands to halt Russia’s offensive in Ukraine in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Macron’s office said.

Macron also urged Putin to stop all strikes on civilians in Ukraine, preserve the civilian infrastructure and provide safe access to key roads, especially south of Kyiv, Macron’s office said.

“President Putin confirmed his willingness to commit on these three points,” the Elysee palace said, adding that Macron and Putin also agreed to stay in contact over coming days.

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IOC calls for Russian, Belarusian athletes to be banned from sporting events

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says its executive board has recommended that international sports federations ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in events.

The board said in a statement that in cases where it proves impossible to prevent athletes from the two countries competing, such as if there is insufficient time to give notice or for other “organisational or legal reasons”, they should be prevented from doing so under their nations’ banner.

“No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed,” it added.

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U.S. suspends operations at embassy in Belarus capital, oks evacuation from embassy in Moscow

The US State Department announced on Monday (February 28) that it has decided to close the US Embassy in Minsk, Belarus. In addition, the State Department has authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency workers and family members from its Moscow embassy.

In a statement, the US State Department said that these steps were being taken due to “security and safety” issues. Read more here

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The sports world takes away Putin’s gongs

The International Olympic Committee has withdrawn the Olympic order from Vladimir Putin “considering the extremely grave violation of the Olympic Truce and other violations of the Olympic Charter by the Russian government in the past”. 
World Taekwondo – an international federation governing the martial art of taekwondo – has withdrawn an honorary 9th dan black belt given to Putin in 2013.

On the organisation’s website, it wrote, “In solidarity with the International Olympic Committee, no Russian or Belarusian national flags or anthems will be displayed or played at World Taekwondo events. World Taekwondo and the European Taekwondo Union will not organise or recognise Taekwondo events in Russia and Belarus.”

On Sunday the International Judo Federation suspended Putin’s position as honorary president.

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IOC urges federations not to invite Russian or Belarusian athletes

The International Olympic Committee said on Monday its executive board had recommended that international sports federations ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events.
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Google, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter must do more to tackle disinformation related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the heads of government in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have said.

In a joint letter to the chief executives of the four companies, the four prime ministers said criticised the tech giants for not doing enough to “address the Russian government’s unprecedented assault on truth”.

The letter reads:

Russia’s disinformation has been tolerated on online platforms for years; they are now an accessory to the criminal war of aggression the Russian government is conducting against Ukraine and the free world.

They urged the companies to suspend the official accounts of Russian and Belarusian government institutions, state-controlled media and personal accounts of the countries’ leadership that consistently disseminate disinformation about the situation in Ukraine.

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Sergei Lavrov cancelled visit to the UN

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has cancelled his visit to the United Nations in Geneva due to “anti-Russian sanctions” imposed by EU countries, Russia’s mission in Geneva has said.

Lavrov had been scheduled to address the UN human rights council and the conference on disarmament in person on Tuesday.

But he has cancelled his trip “due to an unprecedented ban on his flight in the airspace of a number of EU countries that have imposed anti-Russian sanctions”, the mission tweeted.

RIA news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying the decision was because Lavrov’s plane would not be able to pass through airspace that the EU has closed to Russian airlines as part of sanctions against Moscow.

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If Ukraine can have an international brigade, why can’t Palestine and Syria?

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said that she will support anyone who wants to go to Ukraine to join an international brigade of fighters against Russia. She described such a mission as taking part in a battle “for freedom and democracy”.

I can’t help but wonder, though, about those who’ve left British shores to fight overseas only to have their citizenships revoked by an unsympathetic British government. The only difference I can see between those who want to fight in Ukraine and those who want to fight in Palestine, Syria, Libya or Iraq is skin colour and faith. Read more here

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Russia has closed its airspace to 36 countries, Russian state news agency Tass reports.

Among those countries barred from using Russian airspace are the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Canada.

The move follows the EU’s announcement yesterday that it would close its airspace to Russian airlines. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said:

We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft. These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU.

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Russia’s TASS news agency displays anti-Putin message after hack: Report

The website of Russian state news agency TASS appears to have been hacked, the Reuters news agency reports, with its regular site replaced with an anti-war message and calls to stop President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We urge you to stop this madness, do not send your sons and husbands to certain death,” the message read, Reuters reported, citing checks from several different devices. Read more here

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Putin slams West as an ‘Empire of Lies’

President Vladimir Putin has denounced the West an “Empire of Lies” while discussing Russia’s economy with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other top officials following the imposition of sweeping sanctions against Moscow, according to the Kremlin.

“[Mishustin] and I discussed this topic, naturally bearing in mind the sanctions that the so-called Western community – as I called it in my speech, the ’empire of lies’ – is now trying to implement against our country,” a transcript of the meeting quoted Putin as saying.

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Washington halts operations at Belarus embassy, authorizes departure of non-emergency staff from Moscow embassy

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The United States said Monday it is suspending operations at its embassy in Belarus and allowing the departure of non-emergency staff from the American embassy in Moscow. “We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

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Chelsea owner Abramovich helping Ukraine negotiate for peace

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who owns England’s Chelsea football club, has accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, his spokeswoman says.

“I can confirm Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help ever since,” the spokeswoman said.

“Considering what is at stake, we would ask for understanding as to why we have not commented on either the situation as such or his involvement.”

The development was first reported by the United Kingdom’s Jewish News newspaper, which said Kyiv had reached out to Abramovich through his Jewish contacts in Ukraine in order to seek his assistance.

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Slovakia to ask EU’s Frontex to help secure border with Ukraine

Slovakia will ask the European Union’s border and coastguard agency Frontex to help secure the country’s border with Ukraine that has been under pressure due to tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s interior ministry said on Monday.
“Despite the Slovak government’s decision to strengthen the Slovak-Ukraine border protection by personnel of the armed forces, we will also ask for support from Frontex,” the ministry said in a statement, without giving details on the requested support.
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Russia’s strategic missile forces placed on high alert after Putin order: Report

Russia’s defence ministry says its strategic missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets have been placed on enhanced combat duty in line with an order from Putin, according to a report by the Interfax news agency.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin that “shifts on duty at the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and the Long-Range Aviation Command began to carry out combat duty with reinforced personnel”, Interfax quoted the ministry as saying.

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Washington bans all US transactions with Russian central bank, funds

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The United States on Monday blocked Americans from engaging in any transactions involving Russia’s central bank and imposed sanctions on a key Russian sovereign wealth fund, the U.S. Treasury Department said. The sanctions also target Russia’s National Wealth Fund and its Ministry of Finance, the department said in a statement. “This action effectively immobilizes any assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation held in the United States or by US persons, wherever located,” the Treasury said of the measure taken in coordination with Western allies.
It will severely limit Russia’s ability to defend the ruble and prop up its economy.

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More than half a million refugees have fled Ukraine, UN says

The head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Monday that “more than 500,000 refugees have now fled from Ukraine into neighbouring countries,” he tweeted. that more than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries since the start of Russia’s invasion last week. Filippo Grandi made the remarks on his Twitter feed as the global agency’s chief said its teams were stepping up humanitarian efforts amid escalating rights abuses there.

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UK says ‘no significant change’ in Russia’s nuclear posture despite Putin’s ‘high alert’ announcement

The UK government has seen no major change to Russia’s nuclear posture despite President Vladimir Putin placing his strategic forces on high alert, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday. “We’ve looked at their posture. There isn’t a significant change,” Wallace said on LBC radio, accusing Putin of trying to “flex muscles” with his invasion of Ukraine bogged down.

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Venue for Ukraine-Russia talks ‘ready’, Belarus says

Belarus said Monday that the venue that will host talks between delegations from Ukraine and Russia is “prepared”. “The venue for talks between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus has been prepared, the arrival of delegations is expected,” the Belarusian foreign ministry said on social media, releasing a picture of a long table with Russian and Ukrainian flags. Separately,
Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said: “The talks will start as soon as all the delegations arrive at the meeting point.”

EU leaves Russian gas, oil out of sanctions

According to FRANCE 24’s Brussels correspondent, the European Union decided slap all sanctions on Russia that would not have a direct impact on EU, hence leaving Russian energy sector out. Hitting the sector “would be the ultimate weapon”, he adds.

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UK says targeting Russian central bank in further sanctions

Britain said on Monday it was taking further measures against the Russian central bank in response to the invasion of Ukraine. “The UK Government will immediately take all necessary steps to bring into effect restrictions to prohibit any UK natural or legal persons from undertaking financial transactions involving the CBR, the Russian National Wealth Fund, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation,” the government said.
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Ukraine-Russia talks kick off in Belarus border

Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Monday began their first talks since the start of the Russian invasion last week, Russian Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian media and Belarusian state news agency Belta reported. “Russia and Ukraine are holding the first talks,” Belta said. Ahead of the talks, the Ukrainian presidency had demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal.

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Belarus approves hosting nuclear weapons, Russian forces permanently

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While negociations between Ukraine and Russia are supposed to start this morning, at the Belarusian-Ukraine border, Belarusians voted to allow the country to host nuclear weapons and Russian forces permanently, referendum results showed, part of a package of constitutional reforms that also extended the rule of leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarusians voted Monday to allow the country to host nuclear weapons and Russian forces permanently, results showed, part of a package of constitutional reforms that also extended the rule of leader…
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EU chief says bloc wants Ukraine as a member: ‘They are one of us’

Ukraine belongs in the European Union and the bloc would like to see the country be a part of it in time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told Euronews.

“Indeed, over time, they belong to us. They are one of us and we want them in,” Von der Leyen said.

Her comments came hours after the 27-nation EU decided to supply weapons to Ukraine, a first in the bloc’s history.

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UK says Russian advance on Kyiv slowed by staunch Ukrainian resistance

Russian forces’ advance on Kyiv has been slowed by logistical failures and fierce Ukrainian resistance, the United Kingdom’s defence ministry says.

“The bulk of Putin’s ground forces remain more than 30km to the north of Kyiv, their advance having been slowed by Ukrainian forces defending Hostomel airfield, a key Russian objective for day one of the conflict,” the ministry said.

“Logistical failures and staunch Ukrainian resistance continue to frustrate the Russian advance.”

Heavy fighting continues around Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the defence ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter. Both cities remain under Ukrainian control, it added.

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Facebook-owner Meta says Ukraine’s military, politicians targeted in hacking campaign

Meta Platforms said a hacking group used Facebook to target a handful of public figures in Ukraine, including prominent military officials, politicians and a journalist, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country. Meta said in the last 48 hours it had also separately removed a network of about 40 fake accounts, groups and pages across Facebook and Instagram that operated from Russia and Ukraine targeting people in Ukraine, for violating its rules against coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
A Twitter spokesperson said it had also suspended more than a dozen accounts and blocked the sharing of several links for violating its rules against platform manipulation and spam. It said its ongoing investigation indicated the accounts originated in Russia and were attempting to disrupt the public conversation around the conflict in Ukraine.
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Russia’s invasion kills 352 civilians, 14 children

Ukraine’s health ministry said 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.

It also said 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been wounded.

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Australia to provide lethal military equipment to Ukraine

The Australian government says it will provide lethal military equipment to Ukraine to help it resist the Russian invasion but gave no details on what material it may be sending.

The move follows an offer on Friday of non-lethal military equipment, medical supplies and a $3m contribution to a NATO trust fund for the country.

Australia has imposed sanctions on more than 350 Russian individuals, including Putin, since Thursday. It has also targeted with sanctions 13 individuals and entities in Belarus, including that country’s defence minister, Viktor Khrenin.

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S.Korea bans exporting strategic items to Russia, joins SWIFT sanctions

South Korea has decided to tighten export controls against Russia by banning exports of strategic items, and join Western countries’ moves to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system, Seoul’s foreign ministry said.

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Vatican says ready to ‘facilitate dialogue’ between Russia and Ukraine

The Vatican is ready to “facilitate dialogue” between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, its top diplomat has said.

Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who ranks second only to the pope in the Vatican hierarchy, told Italian newspapers that “despite the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine” he was “convinced there is always room for negotiations”.

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In unprecedented move, EU agrees to supply arms to Ukraine

The European Union decided on Sunday to provide the Ukrainian military with €500 million in weaponry and other supplies as it fights Russia’s invasion, describing the action as a “watershed moment” in the bloc’s history.

The EU’s treaties forbid the group from using its regular budget to subsidize military or defense-related activity. Under the plans announced Sunday. Read more here

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Google temporarily disables Google Maps live traffic data in Ukraine

Alphabet Inc’s Google confirmed it has temporarily disabled in Ukraine some Google Maps tools that provide live information about traffic conditions and how busy different places are.

The company said it took the action for the safety of local communities after consulting with sources, including regional authorities.

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Singapore to impose ‘sanctions and restrictions’ on Russia

Singapore intends to impose “appropriate sanctions and restrictions” on Russia, foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan has told the country’s parliament, The Straits Times newspaper reported.

“Singapore intends to act in concert with many other like-minded countries to impose appropriate sanctions and restrictions against Russia,” The Straits Times quoted Balakrishnan as saying.

He said Singapore, a major financial and shipping hub, would impose export controls on items that could be used as weapons to harm or subjugate people in Ukraine, the report said.

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UN says Ukraine radioactive waste site struck

The UN nuclear watchdog says missiles have hit a radioactive waste disposal site in Kyiv, but there are no reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of radioactive material.

In a statement, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Ukrainian authorities informed his office of the overnight attack and the agency expects to receive the results of on-site radioactive monitoring soon. A day earlier, an electrical transformer at a similar disposal facility in Kharkiv was damaged.

Such facilities typically hold low-level radioactive materials such as waste from hospitals and industry, but Grossi says the two incidents highlight a “very real risk.” He says if the sites are damaged there could be “potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment”.

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FINA cancels World Junior Championships in Russia

FINA cancels World Junior Championships in Russia - Australasian Leisure Management

Swimming’s global governing body FINA has called off the World Junior Swimming Championships that were set to take place in Kazan, Russia, in late August.

“FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the group said in a statement, saying also it had decided to cancel the biennial event after consulting athletes and stakeholders.

Switzerland-based FINA added that it would provide whatever practical support it could to members of the aquatics family impacted by Russia’s invasion.

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Putin aiming for full victory by March 2: former minister

Russia’s former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov has said Putin is aiming for a full victory by March 2.

Speaking to Al Jazeera’s Start Here, Fedorov said “everything will depend frankly speaking on the coming two days because, according to my knowledge, Putin orders for complete military operation with a victory by March 2.”

Fedorov added that Moscow was taken aback by Ukraine’s fierce resistance and by the decision on the part of European states – who are largely dependent on Russian gas – to impose harsh sanctions.

[These measures have] caused a lot of problems over here now,” he said.

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Two media companies in Canada drop Russia’s state TV channel

The two largest media companies in Canada have decided to drop Russian state TV channel RT from their cable offerings.

Rogers spokesman Andrew Garas said Russia Today will no longer be available on its channel lineup as of Monday. The Bell media company also is removing RT.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has commended the action, saying Russia has been conducting warfare in Ukraine since 2014 and information warfare across the world. He added RT is the propaganda arm of Putin’s government that spreads disinformation.

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Satellite images show new military activity

US company Maxar Technologies has released a series of new satellite images that appear to show a large deployment of Russian ground forces, including tanks, moving in the direction of Kyiv, from approximately 64km (40 miles) away.

The images showed a deployment comprised of hundreds of military vehicles and extending more than 5km (3.25 miles).

The convey was northeast of the Ukrainian city of Ivankiv and included fuel, logistics and armored vehicles including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery, Maxar said.

A satellite image shows Russian ground forces northeast of Ivankiv heading in the direction of Kyiv, Ukraine, February 27, 2022.A satellite image shows Russian ground forces heading towards Kyiv, February 27 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]

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Ukraine calls for Russia and Belarus to be expelled from International Tennis Federation

The Ukrainian Tennis Federation has urged the International Tennis Federation to immediately expel Russia and Belarus.

The federation said the action was warranted given Russia and Belarus’ “unprecedented, cynical and bloody” attacks on Ukraine over the past four days.

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Kosovo asks US for permanent military base, NATO membership

Kosovo has asked the United States to establish a permanent military base in the country and speed up its integration into NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Accelerating Kosovo’s membership in NATO and having a permanent base of American forces is an immediate need to guarantee peace, security and stability in the Western Balkans,” Kosovo’s Defence Minister Armend Mehaj said on his Facebook page.

Kosovo’s 2008 independence is recognised by more than 110 countries, mainly Western nations, but not by Russia or Serbia.

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Bolsonaro won’t condemn Putin, says Brazil will remain neutral

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declined to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, while departing from his government’s official stance at the UN to say Brazil would remain neutral.

Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, recently snubbed US entreaties not to visit Putin in Moscow ahead of the invasion, and angered Western allies by saying he was “in solidarity with Russia”, without elaborating.

At a press conference, Bolsonaro said Russia and Ukraine were “practically brother nations”. “We will not take sides, we will continue being neutral, and help with whatever is possible,” Bolsonaro said.

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BP is abandoning its 19.75 percent stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft ROSN.MM amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it said on Sunday, in an abrupt and costly end to three often fraught decades of operating in the oil-rich country.

Rosneft accounts for around half of BP’s oil and gas reserves and a third of its production and divesting the stake will result in charges of up to $25 billion, the British oil and gas giant said, without saying how it plans to extricate itself.

“I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the situation unfolding in Ukraine and my heart goes out to everyone affected. It has caused us to fundamentally rethink BP’s position with Rosneft,” BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney said.

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Danish PM says volunteers can join Ukraine fight

Denmark Prime Minister in Ghana for official visit - The Daily Statesman Newspaper

Denmark will let its nationals join international brigades forming to fight in Ukraine against Russian forces, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Sunday.
“It’s a choice that anyone can make. This goes for all Ukrainians who live here, but also for others who think they can contribute directly to the conflict,” she said in a press conference Sunday. 
“There is nothing at first sight that would legally prevent someone from going to Ukraine to participate in the conflict, on the Ukrainian side,” she added. 
Earlier Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky urged foreigners to head to Ukrainian embassies worldwide to sign up for an “international brigade” of volunteers to help fight invading Russian forces.
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FIFA impose measures on Russia in response to its ‘invasion of Ukraine’

FIFA, football’s world governing body, has imposed measures on Russia “to reiterate its condemnation of the use of force by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine”.

Russia will not be able to be play at home and the team must compete under the name “Football Union of Russia” (RFU). There will be no flags or anthems allowed. Read more here

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Liverpool and Chelsea show their support for Ukraine

Liverpool and Chelsea players stood in a show of support for war-torn Ukraine ahead of Sunday’s League Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London.
Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson carried flowers in Ukraine’s yellow and blue colours onto the pitch before kick-off.
Liverpool and Chelsea fans were seen with Ukraine flags in their sections of Wembley.
One supportive banner in blue and yellow read “You’ll never walk alone” in reference to Liverpool’s anthem.
The two teams then mixed together for a photo with the wreaths on the ground beside them. Managers Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel then carried the flowers off the pitch before the start of the game.

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The European Alliance of Press Agencies (EANA) announced the “immediate suspension” of the Russian TASS news agency, following “the new regulations applied by the Russian government that strongly restrain press freedom”.

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Sweden military aid to Ukraine

Sweden will send military aid to Ukraine including anti-tank weapons, helmets and body armour, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Sunday.

“Sweden is now proposing direct support for Ukraine’s armed forces. It includes 135,000 field rations, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 body shields and 5,000 anti-tank weapons” Andersson told a news conference.

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Algeria ready to supply Europe with more gas

Algeria’s state energy firm is ready to supply Europe with more gas in view of a possible decline due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its CEO said Sunday.
Sonatrach CEO Toufik Hakkar said the firm was ready to pump additional gas to the EU from its surplus via the Transmed pipeline linking Algeria to Italy.
Hakkar said this would be contingent on the availability of a surplus of gas or liquified natural gas (LNG), and pointed to an “unused capacity” in the Transmed pipeline that could be used to “increase the supplies to the European market”.
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More sanctions on Belarus

The EU announced it would impose new sanctions on Russian ally Belarus for helping to facilitate the invasion of Ukraine.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the sanctions were aimed at “the other aggressor in this war,” naming the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“We will hit Lukashenko’s regime with a new package of sanctions,” von der Leyen said.
“We will introduce restrictive measures against their most important sectors. This will stop their exports of products from mineral fuels to tobacco, wood and timber, cement, iron and steel.”
Belarusians helping Russia’s military operation would also be sanctioned, she said.

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Police detain nearly 1,000 at anti-war protests across Russia, monitoring group says

Russian police have detained more than 900 people for participating in anti-war protests held in dozens of cities nationwide, according to protest monitoring group OVD-Info.

The demonstrations, which reportedly took place in 44 cities across Russia, coincided with the seventh anniversary of the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

The latest arrests take the total number of people detained for participating in anti-war protests throughout Russia since Moscow launched its invasion to more than 4,300, according to OVD-Info.

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Liz Truss says she would support Britons fighting for Ukraine

Liz Truss has stated that she will support British citizens who choose to travel to Ukraine to assist in the battle against the Russian invasion.

When asked if she would support anyone who wanted to volunteer to help the Ukrainians fighting for their freedom, Foreign Secretary said “absolutely” in an interview on BBC One’s Sunday Morning programme. Read more here

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US announces £40m humanitarian aid for Ukraine

The United States said on Sunday it is sending nearly $54m (£40m) in new humanitarian aid to Ukraine as it grapples with the Russian invasion.

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Manufacturing threats

The US charged Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “manufacturing threats” in response to his order that Russian nuclear “deterrence forces” be on high alert amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a pattern that we’ve seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on ABC when asked about the announcement from Moscow.

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Nato chief: Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is ‘dangerous’ and irresponsible

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of Nato, said “this is dangerous rhetoric” over Russian president Vladimir Putin’s order to put the country’s military deterrence on high alert.

Stoltenberg is speaking to CNN. 

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Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert

Moscow has the world’s second-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles which form the backbone of the country’s deterrence forces.

“I order the defence minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said in a televised address. Read more here

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On the streets of Berlin today, more than 100,000 people turn out to stand with Ukraine and protest the Russian invasion

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Massive anti-war protest at the Wenceslas Square in the Czech Republic.

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Protesters in Minsk are marching to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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Ukraine agrees to hold talks with Russia ‘near the Pripyat River’ at border with Belarus

Ukraine said Sunday it would hold talks with Russia at its border with Belarus – near the Chernobyl exclusion zone – after a call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“The politicians agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet the Russian one without preconditions at the Ukraine-Belarus border, near the Pripyat River,” Zelensky’s office said.
Zelensky has said he will not hold talks with Russia on the territory of Belarus, where some Russian troops were stationed before invading on Ukraine’s northern border. 
But Kyiv said Lukashenko assured Zelensky that “all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the travel, negotiations and return of the Ukrainian delegation”.
Putin has said that a Russian delegation was currently in the Belarusian city of Gomel.
Moscow has wanted to hold the talks in Kremlin-aligned Belarus. Zelensky, refusing to travel to Minsk, said Kyiv had proposed “Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku” as options to Russia.

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Ukraine launches website for Russians to find killed soldiers

Ukrainian authorities on Sunday launched a website to help Russian families track down soldiers who have been killed or captured fighting in Moscow’s invasion of the pro-Western country. The site, 200rf.com, contains pictures of the documents and corpses of Russian soldiers Ukraine said had been killed since President Vladimir Putin launched the attack. It also has videos of soldiers Ukraine says it has captured. 

“I am talking to you in Russian because this site was created for you,” Viktor Andrusiv, an adviser to the interior minister, said in a video posted on the site.

“I know that many Russians are worried about how and where their children, sons, husbands are and what is happening to them, so we decided to put this online so that each of you could search for your loved one who Putin sent to fight in Ukraine.”

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Pope Francis on Sunday called for humanitarian corridors to help refugees out of Ukraine and said those who make war should not be deluded into thinking that God is on their side.
Speaking to people in St. Peter’s Square, some holding large Ukrainian flags, Francis also said his “heart is broken” by the war and condemned those who “trust in the diabolic and perverse logic of weapons”.

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EU foreign ministers will adopt Russia sanctions later on Sunday, Borrell says

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Japan will join Western nations in removing selected Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system, the country’s prime minister said Sunday, piling further pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

“In what was released this morning by the Western nations, steps are taken to isolate Russia from the international financial system and the world economy including exclusion of specific Russian banks from SWIFT,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

“Western nations have requested Japan participate. Japan will join this initiative,” he added.

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France on Sunday announced it would follow other European countries in shutting its airspace to Russian aircraft to punish the country for invading Ukraine, Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said in a tweet.

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Turkey calls Russia’s assault a ‘war’

Turkey has called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “war” in a rhetorical shift that could pave the way for the NATO member nation to enact an international pact limiting Russian naval passage to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits that connect the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and can limit the passage of warships during wartime or if threatened.

Balancing its Western commitments and close ties to Moscow, Ankara has said the Russian attack is unacceptable but until now had not described the situation as a war.

“On the fourth day of the Ukraine war, we repeat President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s call for an immediate halt of Russian attacks and the start of ceasefire negotiations,” presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter.

Kyiv has appealed to Ankara to block any more Russian warships from passing through the straits towards the Black Sea, from which Moscow has launched one of its incursions on Ukraine’s southern coast.

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EU should fund weapons and fuel for ‘heroic’ Ukraine, Borrell says

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says he will propose using the bloc’s funds to help finance weapons and other supplies for Ukraine during a meeting of its foreign ministers later.

“I will propose to [EU foreign] ministers to use the European Peace Facility for two emergency assistance measures,” Josep Borrell said in a statement ahead of the virtual meeting.

“These aim to finance the supply of lethal material to the heroic Ukrainian army, which is fighting with fierce resistance against the Russian invaders and provide urgently needed non-lethal supplies, such as fuel.”

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More European states bar Russian planes from their airspace

Following an EU official’s announcement that most European countries will implement flight bans, Russian airlines face a near-total airspace blockade to the country’s west. Read more here

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Ukrainian official says 4,300 Russian troops killed

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister has claimed that approximately 4,300 Russian troops have been killed in fighting so far.

Hanna Malyar said in a statement posted on Facebook that the exact number was being clarified, but alleged that Ukrainian forces had also destroyed about 146 tanks, 27 aircraft and 26 helicopters.

There was no immediate response to the claims from Moscow, and Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures provided.

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World in ‘new era’ after Russian invasion of Ukraine, Scholz says

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the world has entered a “new era” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an address to lawmakers at a special parliamentary sitting, Scholz that the central question now confronting Western powers was whether they can muster enough force to check “warmongers” like Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“In essence, it’s a question of whether might can break right,” he said.

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Kyiv’s defence holding firm, mayor says

Kyiv’s mayor says there are no Russian troops in the Ukrainian capital, adding the city’s defence is holding firm against attacks from Moscow’s forces.

“Our military, law enforcement and territorial defence continue to detect and neutralise saboteurs,” Vitaly Klitschko wrote on his Telegram messaging channel.

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Ukraine’s president says he spoke with Belarusian counterpart

Zelenskyy says he has spoken with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Ukrainian president’s announcement, issued on his Telegram messaging channel, came after Kyiv rejected talks with Moscow in Belarus, accusing it of allowing Russian troops to enter Ukraine through its territory.

Zelenskyy provided no further details of the pair’s talks.

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Ukraine has full control of Kharkiv, regional official claims

Ukraine has full control of Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Sinegubov says.

“Control over Kharkiv is completely ours! The armed forces, the police, and the defense forces are working, and the city is being completely cleansed of the enemy,” Sinegubov wrote on the Telegram messaging service.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify Sinegubov’s claim.

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Ukrainian refugee tally tops 368,000: UN

The UN refugee agency said Sunday more than 368,000 people had fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on Thursday.

“The current total is now 368,000 and continues to rise,” United Nations High Commission for Refugees or UNHCR said in a tweet, adding the new figure was based on “data made available by national authorities.”

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Former Miss Grand Ukraine joins fight against Russian invasion

Former Miss Grand Ukraine Anastasia Lenna Joins Fight Against Russian Invasion

A beauty queen and former Miss Grand Ukraine has apparently traded in her high heels for combat boots, joining the Ukrainian military in its push against the Russian invasion.

Anastasia Lenna, Ukraine’s 2015 representative in the Miss Grand International beauty contest, answered the call to defend her home, according to her Instagram account.

“Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!” said one post made in English on Saturday, accompanied by a photo of armed soldiers blocking a roadway.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses an emergency parliamentary meeting on Ukraine

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says will invest more in national security

“We are currently preparing a special fund for the German army,” he said, adding that the 2022 budget would supply €100 billion for military investments.

World ‘in a new era’ after Russian invasion of Ukraine says Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Scholz also said Western allies could “impose further sanctions” against Russia and that Germany would send weaponry to defend Ukraine.

“We need to put an end to Putin’s activities,” he said. “Russian leaders will see the true cost of what they are doing.”

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Zelenskyy calls for Russia’s ouster from UN Security Council, says Ukraine attack ‘bears signs of genocide’

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for Russia to lose its voting power as a member of the U.N. Security Council, alleging its attack on his country, which started last week, amounted to “criminal actions” that bore “signs of genocide,” according to a report.

“This is terror,” Zelenskyy said in a video message, referring to the military invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which spread across Ukraine in recent days to include targets in Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv, the nation’s second-largest city, among other locations.

“They are going to bomb our Ukrainian cities even more, they are going to kill our children even more subtly,” he added, according to Reuters. “This is the evil that has come to our land and must be destroyed.”

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UN nuclear watchdog to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine, according to diplomats

One diplomat told Reuters the agenda item would be “the safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine.” Another said it was called by Canada and Poland, which are members of the 35-nation board, at the request of Ukraine, which is not on the board.

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Sweden preparing to shut airspace to Russian planes says EU Minister Hans Dahlgren

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Belgium closes airspace to Russian airlines

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EU to ‘paralyse’ Russian central bank assets, said Von der Leyen

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday said Brussels would propose to freeze the assets of the Russian central bank, in a major escalation of sanctions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine.

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Moscow-Jerusalem coordination in Syria to continue, says Russian embassy

Russia’s military coordination with Israel in Syria is “useful” and will continue, Russia’s embassy to Israel said on Saturday, according to Reuters. The statement follows a recent uptick in tension between the two countries in connection with Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

The security coordination between Jerusalem and Moscow is aimed at preventing inadvertent clashes between the two countries’ militaries, both of which are active in Syria. Russia is supporting the regime of President Bashar Assad, while Israel is engaged in preventing Iran from entrenching itself in Syria, and also striking Iranian arms shipments.

“Our military officials discuss the practical issues of this substantively on a daily basis. This mechanism has proven to be useful and will continue to work,” the Russian embassy said in a statement.

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Russian forces enter Kharkiv; street fighting under way

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Egypt’s Al-Azhar urges dialogue to solve Russia-Ukraine conflict

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Egypt’s Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, has appealed to Russia and Ukraine to solve their conflict through dialogue.

“I urge Russia and Ukraine to refer to the voice of reason,” Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, said in a statement.

“Wars will only bring destruction and hatred to our world and that conflicts can only be settled by dialogue,” he added.

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Ukraine invites foreigners willing to defend country

Ukraine on Sunday invited foreigners who are willing to defend the country against Russia to join the fight.

“Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries,” said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, on Twitter.

“Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too,” Kuleba added.

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Abramovich hands over control of Chelsea to club’s foundation

Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich said he is handing over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

The move comes with Russia under intense scrutiny following its invasion of Ukraine this week. Read more here

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What does Russia’s invasion of Ukraine mean for the indigenous Crimean Tatar Muslims?

However, while the vast majority of western media outlets continue to focus on belligerent Russia being slapped with sanctions for being the clear provocateur in the evolving crisis, the plight of hundreds of thousands of Crimean Tatar Muslims is being overlooked by major broadcasters.

Read more here

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President Vladimir Putin thanks Russian special forces for fulfilling their ‘heroic’ duty in Ukraine

Putin thanked Russia’s special forces, singling out those who are “heroically fulfilling their military duty” in Ukraine, in a televised address that was also published on the Kremlin website.

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UAE not ‘taking sides’ in Ukraine conflict, favours negotiations

The UAE “believes that taking sides would only lead to more violence,” said Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, after the UAE abstained to vote on Friday on a draft UN Security Council resolution deploring Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. It did not pass because of Russia’s veto.

“The UAE has a firm position regarding the United Nations, international law and the sovereignty of states, rejecting military solutions,” he said. “In the Ukrainian crisis, our priority is to encourage all parties to resort to diplomatic action and to negotiate to find a political solution.”

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Ukraine rejects Russian offer of talks in Belarus

President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion, but leaving the door open to negotiations in other locations.

The Kremlin said on Sunday its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.

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UN reports at least 240 civilian casualties, 64 deaths in Ukraine

It added the actual figures were likely to be “considerably higher”.

Damage to civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity or water. Hundreds of homes had been damaged or destroyed, while bridges and roads hit by shelling had left some communities cut off from markets, it said.

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Finland will close its airspace to Russian planes, the government has announced. Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia, “is prepared to close its airspace to Russian air traffic”, Transport Minister Timo Harakka tweeted overnight.

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Ukraine establishing foreign legion for volunteers from abroad says President Zelensky

The country is establishing a foreign “international” legion for volunteers from abroad, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday. “This will be the key evidence of your support for our country,” he said in a statement.

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Ukrainian Mayor Natalya Balasinovych on attacked oil terminal in her city Vasylkiv

Russian missiles found their mark, including a strike that set an oil terminal ablaze in Vasylkiv, southwest of Kyiv. Blasts sent huge flames and billowing black smoke into the night sky, online posts showed. The town’s mayor, Natalya Balasinovych, encouraged inhabitants saying, “The enemy wants to destroy everything, but it will achieve nothing.”

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Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready for peace talks, but not in Belarus

Ukraine’s president says his country is ready for peace talks with Russia, but not in Belarus.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came after the Kremlin said its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.

Russia had massed tens of thousands of troops in Belarus prior to its invasion of Ukraine, and Kyiv has accused Moscow of using the country as a staging ground for its invasion.

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Russia claims to have besieged two big cities in Ukraine’s south and southeast

Moscow claimed its troops had “entirely” besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the southeastern city of Berdyansk, as the Russian army pressed on with the invasion of the pro-Western country.

“Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

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Russian troops enter Ukraine’s Kharkiv: Ukrainian official

Ukrainian forces are battling Russian troops on the streets of Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, said regional governor Oleh Sinegubov

“The Russian enemy’s light vehicles have broken into Kharkiv, including the city centre,” Sinegubov said. “Ukraine’s armed forces are destroying the enemy. We ask civilians not to go out.”

Videos published by Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection showed several light military vehicles moving along a street and, separately, a burning tank.

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SWIFT preparing to comply with curbs on Russian banks

The SWIFT international payments system says it is preparing to implement Western nations’ new measures targeting certain Russian banks in the coming days.

“We are engaging with European authorities to understand the details of the entities that will be subject to the new measures and we are preparing to comply upon legal instruction,” it said in a statement.

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Ukraine: Russian troops blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv

Russian troops have blown up a natural gas pipeline in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s state communications service said.

A mushroom-shaped explosion was shown in a video it posted on the Telegram messaging app.

It was not immediately clear how important the pipeline was and whether the blast could disrupt gas shipments outside the city or country. Despite the war, Ukraine continues to ship Russian natural gas to Europe.

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At least 64 civilians killed in Ukraine: UN

The United Nations says it has confirmed at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 people killed, in the fighting in Ukraine, although it believes the “real figures are considerably higher” because many reports of casualties remain to be confirmed.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) relayed the count from the UN human rights office, which has strict verification procedures about the toll from conflict.

OCHA also said damage to civilian infrastructure has deprived hundreds of thousands of people of access to electricity or water, and produced a map of “humanitarian situations” in Ukraine – mostly in northern, eastern and southern Ukraine.

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UK says Russian forces limiting social media access for own people

Britain has said that Russian forces restricted access to a number of social media platforms in an attempt to conceal details about the situation in Ukraine from their own people.

“Russian forces are sustaining casualties and a number of Russian troops have been taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces,” the Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update. “They are suffering from logistical challenges and strong Ukrainian resistance.”

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Ukrainian tennis player Yastremska flees to safety in France

Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska has fled her native country and is now safe in France, the 21-year-old said in a social media post.

Yastremska, who has won three WTA titles and been ranked as high as world number 21, says she and her younger sister left Odesa with help from their parents.

“Tired, but my sister and I are safe!” she posted in an Instagram story, which showed their arrival in Romania en route to France. “Thank you France. Ukraine stay strong. We miss you Home, Mum and Dad.”

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UN to launch appeal to fund humanitarian operations in Ukraine

Secretary-General António Guterres has announced that the UN will launch an appeal to fund its humanitarian operations in Ukraine.

A UN spokesperson said Guterres spoke with Zelenskyy over the phone.

“The Secretary-General conveyed to the President the determination of the United Nations to enhance humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.

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SWIFT sanctions seek to block Putin from using reserves for Ukraine attack, US official says

The United States and its allies are “disarming Fortress Russia” with new sanctions that cut off key banks from the SWIFT financial transactions network and target Russia’s central bank, a senior Biden administration official says.

The actions are aimed at preventing Putin from using $630bn in central bank foreign currency reserves in the invasion of Ukraine and to defend a plunging rouble.

“Putin’s government is getting kicked off the international financial system,” the official said.

PM Johnson says UK and allies have taken decisive action against Russia over SWIFT

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the United Kingdom and its allies had taken “decisive action” to shut Russia out of the global financial system by cutting its banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment system.

“We have taken decisive action tonight with our international partners to shut Russia out of the global financial system, including the important first step of ejecting Russian banks from SWIFT,” Johnson said on Twitter.

“We will keep working together to ensure Putin pays the price for his aggression.”

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Russia closes airspace to carriers from Baltics, Slovenia

Russia has closed its airspace to flights operated by carriers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovenia in tit-for-tat punitive measures.

“Air carriers of these states and/or registered in them are subject to restrictions on flights to destinations on the territory of the Russian Federation, including transit flights through the airspace of the Russian Federation,” the federal air transport agency Rosaviation said.

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Germany and Western allies agree cutting Russia out of SWIFT

Germany and its Western allies have agreed to cut Russia out of the SWIFT global payment system, a spokesperson for the German government said, in a third sanctions package aimed at halting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions, agreed with Canada, France, Italy, the UK, the US and the European Commission, also include limiting the ability of Russia’s central bank to support the rouble.

They will also end the “golden passports” for wealthy Russians and their families, and will target individuals and institutions in Russia and elsewhere that support the war against Ukraine, the spokesperson said.

“The countries stressed their willingness to take further measures should Russia not end its attack on Ukraine and thus on the European peace order,” he added.

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Macron asks for withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has asked his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko to ensure the “withdrawal of Russian troops” from Belarus, the French presidency said.

Macron asked the Belarus leader “to demand as soon as possible the withdrawal of Russian troops from his soil”, and urged him to cooperate with the international community to allow humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people, it said in a statement.

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Pope expressed “profound pain” during call with Ukrainian leader

Pope Francis called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday and expressed his “most profound pain” for the country’s suffering, the Ukrainian Embassy to the Vatican said.
The embassy announced the conversation in a tweet and an embassy official told Reuters the conversation took place at about 4 pm local time but could disclose no further details.
Zelensky later expressed his gratitude to the pontiff in a tweet.

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Belarus‘ opposition leader Tsihanouskaya says she declared herself the national leader of the country.

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UN to boost assistance for Ukraine, Secretary-General says

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday that the organisation plans to “enhance humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine”.
Guterres “informed the President that the United Nations would launch on Tuesday an appeal to fund our humanitarian operations in Ukraine,” a UN spokesperson said in a statement.
On Friday, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said more than $1 billion will be needed for aid operations in Ukraine over the next three months as hundreds of thousands of people are on the move after Russia invaded its neighbor.

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More specifics from Germany on weapon provisions to Ukraine

Germany will supply Ukraine with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks so it can defend itself against Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point. It is our duty to do our best to support Ukraine in defending itself against Putin’s invading army,” Scholz said on Twitter.

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Ukrainian vice prime minister asks Elon Musk for Starlink satellites

Ukraine’s vice prime minister called on SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk to help the embattled nation with communication satellites on Saturday, as they faced a third day of assaults from Russia. 

“@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand,” Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted, later sharing the post on his Telegram account as well. 

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Twitter said it is aware its platform is being restricted for some people in Russia and is working to retain safe access.

It comes after Russia restricted access to Facebook on Friday after the company’s limiting of accounts tied to several Kremlin-backed media organisations.

“Ordinary Russians are using our apps to express themselves and organise for actions,” vice-president of Facebook parent company Meta, Nick Clegg, said. “We want them to continue to make their voices heard.”

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US Secretary of State reaches out to Russian people through social media

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached out Saturday to the people of Russia in their own language, telling them they do not deserve a “pointless war” against their Ukrainian neighbors.
In a message tweeted in both English and Russian, Blinken sought to counter President Vladimir Putin’s argument that the West threatens Russia with an eastern expansion of NATO into former Soviet bloc countries.

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Russia has reportedly sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in the past 24 hours, according to a senior US defence official.

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Ukraine increasing pressure on Turkey to close straits to Russian warships

Ukraine is increasing pressure on Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships, after a tweet from President Volodymyr Zelensky was widely interpreted to mean that Turkey had agreed to the closure.

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Russian army ordered to broaden Ukraine advance

The Russian army has been given orders to broaden its offensive in Ukraine “from all directions” after Kyiv refused to hold talks in Belarus, the country’s defence ministry says.

“After the Ukrainian side rejected the negotiation process, today all units were given orders to develop the advance from all directions in accordance with the operation’s plans,” Russian army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

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EU should speed Ukraine’s path to membership, Poland’s president says

The European Union should speed Ukraine’s path to membership, Polish President Andrzej Duda has said, adding that Kyiv should also have access to funds from the bloc for reconstruction.

“Poland supports an express path for Ukraine membership in the European Union,” Duda wrote on Twitter. “Candidate status should be granted immediately and membership talks initiated immediately thereafter.”

“Ukraine should also have access to EU funds for reconstruction. This is what Ukraine deserves.”

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Zelenkskyy thanks Turkey for military, other support

Ukraine’s president has thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Ankara’s “military and humanitarian” support, saying a “ban on the passage of [Russian] warships to the Black Sea” was very important for his country.

Turkey, which controls the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits that link the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, has not publicly announced any ban on Russian warships using the channels despite Kyiv’s urgent requests that it take such a measure.

On Friday, Turkey’s foreign minister said that under the 1936 convention covering the matter, Ankara could not bar warships returning to a home base in the Black Sea from passing through the straits. Russia has a major naval base in the Black Sea.

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Germany has dropped a block on lethal weapons connected to it being transferred, to allow 400 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers to be sent from the Netherlands to Ukraine.

According to Politico’s David Herszenhorn, it could represent a major shift in European military assistance.

Until now, Germany had a longstanding practice of not allowing lethal weapons it controlled or originally sold to be sent to war zones. Estonia had wanted to send weapons to Ukraine, but because Germany had sold them to Finland, who Estonia had bought them from, Germany had a veto.

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The UK home secretary, Priti Patel, has cancelled the visas of a Belarusian basketball team that was due to play in Newcastle on Sunday night.

Belarus has been an ally of Vladimir Putin’s Russia and was used as a base to launch attacks from Ukraine’s north. The US and UK are among countries that have issued sanctions against the country.

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Russia’s Chechen leader says his forces have been deployed in Ukraine

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Saturday that Chechen fighters had been deployed in Ukraine. He also urged Ukrainians, a Putin has, to overthrow their government.
In a video posted online, Kadyrov boasted that Chechen units had so far suffered no losses and said Russian forces could easily take large Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv but their task was to avoid loss of life.
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Mapping Russia’s advance

Here is the latest overview of Russian attacks and territory seized in Ukraine (highlighted in red).
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Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich’s star striker, reacts on Twitter to the Polish football federation’s decision not to play their 2022 World Cup play-off with Russia. 

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Ukraine’s army tells civilians to build barricades, use petrol bombs to stop Russian troops

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Ukraine’s army has called on the country’s civilians to stop the advance of Russian troops by any means necessary.

“Cut down trees, build barricades, burn tyres … Use everything available” the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The statement also encouraged Ukrainians to assemble and use petrol bombs against Moscow’s forces.

“The occupiers must understand that they are not wanted here and that they will be resisted in every street,” it said.

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Belgium says it will deploy 300 troops in Romania and send machine guns into Ukraine

Belgium will deploy 300 troops in Romania as part of NATO efforts to strengthen its eastern flank, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Saturday, tweeting below. Belgium will also support Ukrainian forces with 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tons of fuel, according to De Croo. The PM added that the government in Brussels was looking into further requests for help from the government in Kyiv.

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UN refugee agency says nearly 120,000 Ukrainians have fled the country

Nearly 120,000 people have fled Ukraine into Poland and other neighbouring countries in the wake of Russia’s invasion, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said.

The agency added the number was rising as people continue to grab their belongings and rush to escape from Moscow’s deadly onslaught.

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Ankara calls for Moscow to stop its assault

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has urged Moscow to stop its attack, according to a statement issued by his ministry.

The ministry said Cavusoglu made his appeal during talks by phone with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. It added Cavusoglu had reiterated during the call that Ankara was ready to host the Russian and Ukrainian leaders for peace talks.

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Ankara efforts for an immediate ceasefire

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call on Saturday that Ankara is making efforts for an immediate ceasefire, Reuters reports.
In a statement, the Turkish Presidency said Erdogan also expressed condolences for Ukrainians killed in the Russian attack.
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Blinken announces $350 million in new US military aid to Ukraine

The United States is providing Ukraine with $350 million in additional military assistance to fight off the Russian invasion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Saturday.
“This package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats it is now facing,” Blinken said in a statement.
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France’s Macron reiterates support to Georgia and Moldova

French President Emmanuel Macron has told the presidents of Georgia and Moldova, neighbours of Ukraine in Europe’s east, that France would support them “against any tension or destabilisation attempt”, the Élysée palace said on Saturday.
“We stand with Moldova and Georgia to defend their sovereignty and security,” the Élysée cited Macron as saying in phone calls.
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Poland refuses to play 2022 World Cup play-off against Russia

Poland will not play their 2022 World Cup play-off with Russia in Moscow on March 24 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine the president of the Polish football federation said on Saturday.
The conflict entered the third day on Saturday since Russian leader Vladimir Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion that has killed dozens of people, forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours and sparked fears of a wider conflict in Europe.
“The time for talking is over. It is time to act. Due to the escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression in Ukraine, the Polish team does not envisage playing the play-off against Russia,” wrote Cezary Kulesza, adding it was the “only correct decision”.

A Tweet by Cezary Kulesza, the president of Poland’s Football Association

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The crisis in Ukraine exposes the hypocrisy of Israel and its Zionist allies

According to them all — the US, the UK, the EU and Israel itself — Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are sacrosanct. Why, though, do each and every one of them not apply the same principle to Palestine and the Palestinians? Aren’t the people of that occupied land not entitled to their own territorial integrity and sovereignty without the reality of daily armed incursions by the aggressively-colonial state of Israel, a country which has never declared where its borders lie because its founding Zionist ideology demands its constant expansion into neighbouring counties, not just the land of Palestine?      Read More here
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More weapons to be sent to Ukraine – UK minister

More from UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey – he says the UK and 25 other countries have all agreed to provide more “humanitarian aid or lethal aid”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the UK would now work with those nations to co-ordinate how the military aid is delivered and “put into Ukrainian hands” – but gave no further details.

He said that the Kremlin was likely to be “reflecting” on the stiff Ukrainian resistance it was meeting and conceded that there was a risk it would resort to heavier bombardments on Ukraine to compensate.

And he said British diplomatic efforts were continuing to persuade other countries to agree to have Russia removed from the Swift international bank transfer system.

“It’s not a unilateral decision the UK can take – but our position is clear,” he said.

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Residents donate blood in Ukrainian city of Mariupol

Dozens of residents have made their way to Mariupol’s hospital to donate blood, as Ukrainian forces are blocking the southeastern city’s main roads with trees to stave off Russian forces from entering.

“Heavy fighting is taking place near Mariupol,” Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelenksyy’s adviser, told a briefing earlier. “But there is no chance that Mariupol will surrender or be captured.”

INTERACTIVE- Where are Ukrainians fleeing to - refugees

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Russia: Over 800 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites destroyed

Russia has crippled the operations of more than 800 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites so far, the defence ministry in Moscow said.

Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said 14 military airfields, 19 command posts, 24 S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems and 48 radar stations were destroyed. In addition, eight Ukrainian naval boats were hit, he said.

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Zelenskyy calls for Ukraine to be granted EU membership

President Zelenskyy has called for his country to be admitted to the European Union.

“It is a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the EU,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

Zelenskyy said he had discussed “further effective assistance” as well as “the heroic struggle of Ukrainians for their free future” with European Council President Charles Michel.

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Ukraine urges Red Cross to remove Russian corpses

The International Committee of the Red Cross should remove the dead bodies of “thousands” of Russians killed in the invasion so far and return them to Russia, Ukraine says.

The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told a televised briefing “these are thousands of the occupiers’ bodies. This is a humanitarian need.

“We ask that the bodies of the Russian occupiers leave the territory and go to the Russian Federation.”

She asked the Red Cross directly: “Do what it takes to settle this humanitarian problem.”

Earlier, the Ukrainian military said on Facebook that more than 3,500 Russian soldiers had been killed. Russia has so far not acknowledged any casualties.

Yesterday ITV News reported on Russian health ministry documents appearing to reveal Moscow’s preparations for mass casualties in the conflict that would require the drafting of doctors.

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Czechs to ship weapons, ammunition to Ukraine

The Czech government approved on Saturday sending weapons and ammunition worth 188 million crowns ($8.57 million) to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s attack, the Czech defence ministry said.
The shipment, which includes machine guns, assault rifles and other light weapons, will be delivered by the Czech side to a location picked by Ukraine, the ministry said.
“Our help is not over!” the ministry said on Twitter.

‘This war will last,’ warns France’s Macron on Ukraine

The world must brace for a long war between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow launched an invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday.
“If can tell you one thing this morning it is that this war will last…. This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences,” Macron’s told France’s annual agriculture fair, warning: “We must be prepared”.
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Russia warns local media over Ukraine war coverage

Russia’s communications regulator accused 10 local media outlets of falsely depicting what Russia calls a special military operation in Ukraine and distributing false information about events there.

Roskomnadzor, the regulator, ordered a number of independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and Echo of Moscow radio to delete the offending information or face restricted access to their websites and media resources.

It called on the outlets to remove reports describing Moscow’s attack on Ukraine as an “assault, invasion, or declaration of war”.

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Ukraine says 198 civilians killed in Russian invasion

Ukraine’s health minister said Saturday that 198 civilians, including three children, have been killed so far by Russian forces attacking the pro-Western country. 
“Unfortunately, according to operative data, at the hands of the invaders we have 198 dead, including 3 children, 1,115 wounded, including 33 children,” Health Minister Viktor Lyashko wrote on Facebook. 
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France seizes ship suspected of violating Russia sanctions

A ship that according to French authorities could belong to a Russian company suspected of violating trade sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine was seized by French sea police early on Saturday, a state official told Reuters.
The ship was diverted to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer between 3 am and 4 am, said Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture, adding ongoing checks were being carried out by customs officials.
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“Anyone who wants to come over here and defend our country, please come, we will give you arms” Ukraine’s President Zelensky addresses the nation from Kyiv saying “we have to defend our country, to defend Europe”

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Ukraine’s Zelensky says Ukraine still in control of Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the capital Kyiv was still under Ukrainian control after Russia launched an invasion on Thursday.
“We have withstood and are successfully repelling enemy attacks. The fighting goes on,” he said in a video message
posted on his social media.
“We already have almost full support from EU countries for disconnecting Russia from SWIFT. I hope that Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision. We have the courage to defend our homeland, to defend Europe,” Zelensky added.
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Ukraine embassy staff evacuating from Moscow, Latvia says

The staff of Ukraine’s embassy in Moscow is evacuating to Latvia, the Latvian foreign ministry told Reuters on Saturday.
“It was their plea, we readily agreed. We are assisting them in the process and help with settling down,” Latvian foreign ministry spokesperson Janis Bekeris said.
He declined to say whether the embassy staff had already arrived in Latvia, citing security concerns.
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100,000 Ukrainians cross border into Poland says official

Polish Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker on Saturday said 100,000 people have crossed the border into Poland from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion this week.
“From the onset of warfare in Ukraine through today, along the entire border with Ukraine, 100,000 people have crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland,” Szefernaker told reporters in the border village of Medyka, southeastern Poland. 
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Former heavyweight boxing champions, Klitschko brothers to take up arms and fight for Ukraine

Wladimir Klitschko Enlists in Ukraine's Reserve Army, Vows To Defend Against Russian Invasion - Boxing News

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a “bloody war” following Russia`s invasion of their country Ukraine.

Vitali Klitschko, who has been the mayor of Ukraine`s capital Kyiv since 2014, said he was ready to fight.

“I don`t have another choice, I have to do that. I`ll be fighting,” the 50-year-old, known as “Dr Ironfist” during his fighting days, told broadcaster ITV`s Good Morning Britain.

Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv was under threat and the main priority was to work with police and military forces to support critical infrastructure including the delivery of electricity, gas and water for its citizens.

He added civilians were ready to defend Kyiv as soldiers.

“I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people,” Vitali Klitschko said.

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Syria president praises Ukraine invasion

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a phone with President Vladimir Putin praised Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine, denouncing what he called Western “hysteria” surrounding it.

Al-Assad told Putin on Friday what was happening in Ukraine was a “correction of history and restoration of balance which was lost in the world after the breakup of the Soviet Union”, the official SANA news agency quoted the Syrian leader as saying.

More than 63,000 Russian military personnel were deployed to Syria.

During Friday’s phone call, al-Assad said, “Western nations bear responsibility for the chaos and bloodshed” in parts of the world, accusing them of using “dirty methods to support terrorists in Syria and Nazis in Ukraine”.

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Russia lost 14 planes, 8 helicopters, 102 tanks, 536 BBM, 15 heavy machine guns, and 1 BUK missile since Feb. 24, according  to kyivindependent, quoting Ukraine’s military. The Kremlin also lost over 3,500 soldiers, Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Feb. 26. Nearly 200 service members have been kept hostage.

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Internet outage reported in Ukraine

Internet blockage observatory Netblocks is reporting that a key Ukrainian internet provider suffered a major outage, though service was quickly restored, for now.

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UN chief says Russian soldiers should ‘return to their barracks’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on soldiers in Russia’s war on Ukraine to “return to their barracks”.

“We must never give up. We must give peace another chance,” he told reporters after Moscow vetoed a UN resolution condemning its “aggression” in Ukraine.

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Residential apartment hit by missile, says Ukraine

Ukraine’s state emergency service says a Russian shell has hit a residential building in Lobanovsky Avenue 6, in the centre of Kyiv, reports Luke Harding from Lviv.

Video shared by Volodymyr Zelensky’s press service shows the missile exploding in a private flat, sending smoke and debris into the living room. It also released images of the aftermath, with the building still burning on Saturday morning and vast damage.

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Guatemalan president orders return of ambassador to Russia

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei has said that he has ordered the return of the Central American country’s ambassador to Russia, adding that his government rejected Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Giammattei had earlier expressed “full support for the sovereignty of Ukraine as like-minded countries and stand in solidarity with its people and government”.

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Japan considering imposing sanctions against Belarus

Japan is considering imposing economic sanctions on Belarus, in line with the United States, for its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two government officials with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters news agency.

It was not immediately clear which individuals or entities would be targeted by such sanctions. The officials said Tokyo will coordinate with other members of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers.

Japan has announced sanctions on Russia over the invasion, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida terming Moscow’s moves an unacceptable violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and international law.

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Meta to bar Russian state media from running ads, monetising on platform

Meta Platforms Inc is barring Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world, the parent company of social media giant Facebook has said.

“We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media,” its security policy head, Nathaniel Gleicher, said on Twitter. “These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.”

He added, “We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world.”

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Russia targets Ukraine military infrastructure with cruise missiles

The Russian army has targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure with air- and sea-based cruise missiles, the defence ministry said.

“During the night, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike with long-range precision weapons using air- and sea-launched cruise missiles against the military infrastructure of Ukraine,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks.

The ministry also said its troops have captured the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region.

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Russia captures Ukraine’s Melitopol, reports Russian news agency

Russian troops have captured the city of Melitopol in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, Russia’s Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Saturday.
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‘We won’t put down weapons’: Zelenskyy vows to fight on in Kyiv

The Ukrainian president recorded a video address outside his presidential office in Kyiv urging residents not to believe in “fakes” about the surrender of the Ukrainian army.

“I am here. We will not put down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth,” Zelenskyy said, denouncing as disinformation claims that he had surrendered or fled.

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Biden signs order to give Ukraine $600m in military assistance

US President Joe Biden has signed a memorandum to provide up to $600m in “immediate military assistance” to Ukraine.

The order directs Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide “immediate military assistance to Ukraine” of up to $250m “in assistance without regard to any provision of law.”

A further $350m was allocated “in defence articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training,” the order said.

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Zelensky rejects US evacuation offers

The Associated Press has joined the Washington Post in reporting that the US has offered to help evacuate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky from the country, but that he has refused.
Zelensky “was urged to evacuate Kyiv at the behest of the U.S. government but turned down the offer, according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation,” the AP reports. “The official quoted the president as saying that ‘the fight is here’ and that he needed anti-tank ammunition but ‘not a ride.’”
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Russia suspected of using cluster munitions in Ukraine

The New York Times reports that cluster munitions appear to have been used in fighting in Ukraine, mostly likely by Russia. Russian cluster munitions have previously been used in Georgia, Chechnya and Syria as well as in eastern Ukraine in 2014, according to Human Rights Watch.

Germany to send company of troops to Slovakia to join new NATO battlegroup

Germany will send a company of troops to Slovakia that will build part of a new NATO battlegroup to be established there, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has said.

“We are working on quickly sending a company to Slovakia,” she told German public TV ZDF after talks with her Slovak counterpart.

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EU places Putin, Lavrov on sanctions list after Ukraine invasion

The European Union has agreed to place Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on its list of sanctioned individuals, according to the bloc’s foreign policy chief.

“Let me flag that the only leaders in the world that are sanctioned by the EU are [President Bashar al-] Assad from Syria, [President Alexander] Lukashenko from Belarus and now Putin from Russia,” Josep Borrell told a news conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

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Russia vetoes UN Security action on Ukraine, China abstains

Russia has vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained from the vote – a move Western countries view as a win for demonstrating Russia’s international isolation.

The United Arab Emirates and India also abstained from the vote on the US-drafted text. The remaining 11 council members voted in favour. The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

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In video clip from the capital, Zelenskyy says he is ‘defending Ukraine’

Zelenskyy has appeared in a self-shot video being shared on social media which shows the Ukrainian leader stood outside his official residence, donning a military uniform.

“We are all here. Our military is here. Citizens … are here. We are all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way,” he said in the clip.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other senior government figures can be seen standing behind Zelenskyy in the video.

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‘No to war’: Dozens in St Petersburg protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Dozens of Russians gathered in Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg for a second consecutive day to protest against their country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

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The Eiffel Tower is lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag tonight in solidarity with Ukraine 

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UN aid chief says more than $1 billion needed for Ukraine 

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday that more than $1 billion will be needed for aid operations in Ukraine over the next three months as hundreds of thousands of people are on the move after Russia invaded its neighbour.

“We’re going to need to use cash for the delivery of assistance, and we’re going to need to use that cash safely. We’re looking obviously at the impact of sanctions on our operations,” he told reporters. 

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The war is a ‘shameful capitulation’, Pope Francis tweets 

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More than 50,000 Ukrainians flee country in 48 hours: UN

More than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the Russian invasion, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees has said.

Filippo Grandi said the majority of those who had left had headed to neighbouring Poland and Moldova. Read more here

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In video clip from the capital, Zelenskyy says he is ‘defending Ukraine’

Zelenskyy has appeared in a video being shared on social media which shows the Ukrainian president donning a military uniform.

“We are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine,” he says in the clip.

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Vladimir Putin’s extraordinary appeal to Ukraine’s army to overthrow the country’s democratic government is the first time the Russian president has openly spoken about regime change in Kyiv.

In the video, Putin claimed that Ukrainian fighters were firing rocket artillery from large cities like Kyiv in order to provoke a Russian response and civilian casualties. He did not provide any evidence for that claim. He also praised the activities of the Russian military, who he said were bravely protecting “our people and our fatherland.”

Military analysts have suggested that regime change is a goal of the campaign, based on the scale of the Russian invasion and the Kremlin’s political goals. But by calling for soldiers to overthrow Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin may be looking for a political pretext to explain what US intelligence have said may be the plan in Ukraine: to overthrow Ukraine’s president and replace him with a puppet leader.

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UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss tells China it must stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty

In a statement issued on Friday, she said: “I spoke to (Chinese) FM (Foreign Minister) Wang Yi about Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and made clear that Russia’s actions are a flagrant breach of the UN Charter.” Adding that, “As a permanent member of the UN Security Council we expect China to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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Main Russian forces remain 50km from Kyiv city centre, UK intelligence says

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Russia suspended from Council of Europe, says Italian foreign minister

Russia has been suspended from the Council of Europe, which has 47 member states, following its invasion of Ukraine, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday.

The Council of Europe was formed after World War Two to protect human rights and the rule of law across the continent. It is separate from the European Union.

“The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, of which Italy holds the presidency, has taken the decision to exclude the Russian Federation from its membership,” Di Maio said in a statement.

“Italy considers this to be a necessary measure in light of Russia’s unacceptable military aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law,” he added. 

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A Russian tank was caught on camera slamming and crushing a moving car as the tank was moving towards Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. The passenger was later safely rescued.

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Angry Putin calls on Ukrainian army to overthrow government

Kremlin responds to Blinken letter as Putin's next step is watched

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the Ukrainian army to overthrow its leadership whom he labelled as a “gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have has lodged itself in Kyiv and taken hostage the entire Ukrainian people.”

Addressing the Ukrainian military in a televised address, a visibly angry Putin urged the military to “take power in your own hands”.

It seems like it will be easier for us to agree with you than this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis.

Putin further repeated his claim that the Ukrainian leadership had been engaged in “genocide” in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

We are fighting with nationalist groups that are directly responsible for the genocide of the Donbas and the bloodshed of peaceful civilians in the two republics.

In the address, Putin further accused the Ukrainian “neo-Nazi” leadership of acting like terrorists, by ‘cowering behind civilians’.

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Hacker group Anonymous ‘declares cyber war’ on Russia

The hacker group Anonymous has said it is “officially in cyber war against the Russian government” reports the Guardian’s global technology editor Dan Mimo.

The statement in a tweet thread came as several Russian government websites such as the Kremlin and the Duma, as well as the state-backed RT news site, (formerly Russia Today) were hit by so-called distributed denial of service attacks.

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From an Associated Press reporter in the north of Kyiv:

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Kyiv has entered into “a defensive phase”, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitali Klitschkosays

Speaking at a news briefing, Klitschko said:

The city has gone into a defensive phase. Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods saboteurs have already entered Kyiv.

The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us.

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Russia says it has captured airport outside Kyiv

Russia’s military has said it has blocked Kyiv from the western side and captured the strategic Hostomel airport outside the capital, news agency Interfax reports.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov also said more than 200 people from Ukrainian special units had been killed.

The Russian claims have not been independently verified.

Ukrainian military vehicles were reported by Reuters to be entering Kyiv to defend the capital.

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In call with Putin, Xi says China supports dialogue: Report

Chinese state television CCTV reports that the country’s president, Xi Jinping, has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Beijing supports Moscow in efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis via dialogue.

The leaders held talks on the situation by phone, CCTV reported.

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Russia deployed Chechen special forces ‘hunters’ in Ukraine -Report

A squad of Chechen special forces ‘hunters’ has been sent to Ukraine to detain or assassinate a number of Ukrainian officials, according to the Daily Mail.

Each soldier was reportedly given a special ‘deck of cards’ with Ukrainian officials’ photos and descriptions on them, a Moscow Telegram channel with links to the security establishment reported.  Read more here

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Turkey cannot stop Russian warships accessing the Black Sea via its straits, as Ukraine has requested, due to a clause in an international pact that allows vessels to return to their home base, the Turkish foreign minister said.

Reuters reports:

Ukraine has appealed to Turkey to block Russian warships from passing through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits which lead to the Black Sea, after Moscow on Thursday launched a full-blown assault on Ukraine from land, air and sea.

Russian forces landed at Ukraine’s Black and Azov Sea ports as part of the invasion.

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the straits and can limit the passage of warships during wartime or if threatened, but the request has put the Nato member in a difficult position as it tries to manage its Western commitments and close ties with Russia.

Speaking in Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey was studying Kyiv’s request but said Russia had the right under the Convention to return ships to their home base, in this case the Black Sea.

So even if Turkey decided after a legal process to accept Ukraine’s request and close the straits to Russian warships, he said, they would only be prevented from travelling in the other direction, away from their home base into the Mediterranean.

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Moscow says Ukraine must lay down arms before talks can take place

Russian Foreign Minister says Moscow will only be ready to hold talks with Kyiv once Ukraine’s military has laid down its arms.

Sergey Lavrov also claimed Russia wants the Ukrainian people to be independent and have the possibility to freely define their destiny, but warned the Kremlin did not want “neo-Nazis” to govern Russia’s neighbour.

He added Russia sees no possibility of recognising the current Ukrainian government as democratic.

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Rupee payment system

India is exploring ways to set up a rupee payment mechanism for trade with Russia to soften the blow on New Delhi of Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

Reuters reports that government and banking sources said Indian officials are concerned that vital supplies of fertilizer from Russia could be disrupted as sanctions intensify, threatening India’s vast farm sector.

India has called for an end to violence in Ukraine but refrained from outright condemnation of Russia, with which it has long-standing political and security ties.

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Taliban “concerned” about civilian casualties in Ukraine

 Afghanistan’s Taliban have said they are “concerned” about the possibility of civilian casualties in Ukraine, reports the Guardian’s Akhtar Makoii

The Taliban foreign ministry said in a statement they will remain neutral in line with their foreign policy.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls for restraint by both parties. All sides need to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence. We are closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and express concerns about the real possibility of civilian casualties.

Afghanistan’s new rulers, who have not been recognised by any country, have asked Ukraine and Russia to resolve the problem through “dialogue and peaceful means.”

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Syria’s Assad offers Putin his backing

Bashar Al-Assad has called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to express his support for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, according to a statement issued by the Syrian president’s office.

“During the call, they talked about the situation in Ukraine and the special military operation by the Russian Federation to protect the civilian population in the Donbas region,” the statement said.

“His Excellency [Assad] stressed that Syria stands with the Russian Federation, based on its conviction of the correctness of its position,” it added.

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US eyeing training Ukrainian troops remotely: Report

The US is considering ways to train Ukrainian forces remotely if Russia takes control of the country, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has told officials from the House of Representatives, according to a report by the Axios news website.

The secretary of defence also said on his call with legislators that Washington was looking into providing Kyiv with more defence equipment, but that doing so had become more difficult amid the Russian advance, Axios reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Austin reportedly added that the US will continue to support Zelenskyy’s government for as long as it remained “viable”.

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Russia lost over 450 personnel on first day of Ukraine attack: UK

Russia lost more than 450 personnel and failed to achieve any of its major objectives in the first 24 hours of its military intervention in Ukraine, the British defense secretary said on Friday.

According to the British government’s evaluation, Russian President Vladimir Putin “intends to invade the whole of Ukraine,” Ben Wallace told Sky News.

“Our assessment, as of this morning, is that Russia has not taken any of its major objectives. In fact, it’s behind its hoped-for timetable. They’ve lost over 450 personnel,” he said.

Russian special forces trying to capture “one of the significant airports” were repelled and “the Ukrainians have taken it back,” he added.

“So I think, contrary to great Russian claims and indeed President Putin’s vision that somehow the Ukrainians would be liberated and would be flocking to his cause, he’s got that completely wrong,” Wallace said.

“And the Russian army has failed to deliver on day one its main objective.”

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Russia claims captures of Black Sea island south of Odesa

Russia’s defence ministry claims its forces have captured Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea.

The ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers stationed there had surrendered to Russian forces.

Ukrainian officials have said that all 13 border guards deployed on the island south of the port city of Odesa were killed by arms fire from a Russian warship.

Independent Press was unable to verify either side’s claims.

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As Russian forces advance on Kyiv, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been working the phones, urging western countries to toughen up sanctions on Russia and increase military support.

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Russia is restricting the use of its airspace for all British flights, including transit, reports news wire Ria Novosti.

The report comes after the UK government announced that Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot would be banned from British airspace in a sweeping package of sanctions announced on Thursday.

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137 Ukrainians killed on 1st day of Russian attacks: Zelenskyy

At least 137 people including soldiers and civilians were killed on the first day of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, Ukraine’s president said Friday.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided preliminary data on the death toll in a video message on Facebook, Ukraine’s official Ukrinform news agency reported.

He also said that “enemy sabotage groups” have entered the capital Kyiv and called on the public to be careful and follow curfew rules.

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16,000 Indians Stranded In Ukraine

India has sent government teams to Ukraine’s borders from Hungary and Poland to evacuate the citizens who are still stuck in the country. The officials are travelling via land, as the Ukrainian airspace has been closed amid an onslaught by the Russian military.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine, Hungary and Poland have issued several advisories to citizens in Ukraine. These advisories also contain information like how to find a bomb shelter when in need. The embassy has asked people to turn away if they were heading to the capital Kyiv and return to the cities they live in.

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Zelenskyy says Russian actions show sanctions not enough

Zelenskyy says continued Russian aggression against his country showed that sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West were not enough.

The Ukrainian president adds the world was continuing to observe what was going on in Ukraine from afar.

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Ukrainian official warns Russian forces could enter areas outside Kyiv on Friday

A senior Ukrainian defence official warned that Russian forces would enter areas just outside the capital Kyiv later on Friday after officials said the city and other locations had been struck by Russian missiles in the early hours of the morning.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar added that Ukrainian army units were defending positions on four fronts despite being outnumbered. 

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France is accelerating its troop deployment to boost NATO’s eastern flank in Romania. FRANCE 24’s Selina Sykes has the story.

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UN Security Council set to vote on draft resolution condemning Russia’s invasion

The UN Security Council will vote Friday on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanding a withdrawal of its troops, a text doomed to fail due to Moscow’s veto, diplomatic sources said. FRANCE 24’s Jessica Le Masurier explains.
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Zelensky says Ukrainian troops have largely stopped Russian advance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia resumed missile strikes at 4 a.m. on Friday, but its troops had been stopped from advancing in most directions.
In a televised speech, Zelenskiy said the Russian strikes were aimed at both military and civilian targets.

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‘[Putin] has much larger ambitions in Ukraine’: Biden

“[Putin] has much larger ambitions in Ukraine. He wants to re-establish the former Soviet Union. That’s what this is about,” Biden has said.

“And I think that his ambitions are completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived.”

Biden has said he is authorising the deployment of additional US forces to Germany. Read more here

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US President Joe Biden has been presented with a menu of options for the US to carry out massive cyberattacks designed to disrupt Russia’s ability to sustain its military operations in Ukraine, NBC News reports.

Four people familiar with deliberations told the news channel that US intelligence and military cyber warriors were proposing the use of American cyber weapons “on a scale never before contemplated”.

Among the options are disrupting internet connectivity across Russia, shutting off electric power, and tampering with railroad switches to hamper Russia’s ability to re-supply its forces, three of the sources said.

One person briefed on the matter said:

You could do everything from slow the trains down to have them fall off the tracks.

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At least 705 people reportedly arrested at Russian anti-war protests

At least 705 people have been arrested today at anti-war protests that have taken place in 40 Russian cities, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.

The OVD-Info monitor has documented crackdowns on Russia’s opposition for years.

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An update to the House Of Commons on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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The White House has released a statement from Joe Biden saying the G7 leaders have agreed to move forward on “devastating packages of sanctions”.

Biden will be delivering an address to the American people from the White House in half an hour.

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Scholz condemns Putin, says Western powers will defend eastern NATO allies

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said Western powers will deploy all available resources to ensure that the conflict in Ukraine does not spread to other countries in Europe.

“Putin should not underestimate the determination of NATO to defend all its members. This applies expressly to our NATO partners in the Baltic States, Poland and Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. No ifs or buts,” Scholz said in a televised address to the nation.

He added that Putin alone bore the responsibility for the attack on Ukraine, but warned the Russian president he “would not win.”

“With the attack on Ukraine, President Putin wants to turn back time. But there is no going back to the 19th century, when great powers ruled over the heads of smaller states,” Scholz said.

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Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces, Ukrainian official says

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces after a fierce battle for control of the now-defunct site, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office says.

“It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians,” Mykhailo Podolyak said.

“This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,” he added.

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Russia says first day of Ukraine invasion ‘successful’

A spokesman for Russia’s defence ministry says the country’s military has achieved the goals it set out for the first day of its invasion of Ukraine.

“All of the tasks assigned to the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the day were successfully completed,” Igor Konashenkov said.

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PM Imran is the first leader to meet President Putin after Moscow attacked Ukraine

Even though Khan’s visit was planned weeks ago and focuses on bilateral relations, the timing will raise eyebrows and present some problems of optics.

Khan was in Moscow when Kyiv witnessed military attacks. Indian media, such as the Hindu and a few more media networks shared fake news that PM Imran had ended his two-day visit to Moscow after the attack on Kyiv. Pakistan denied the news. Read More here

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Erdogan slams Russia’s attack as a ‘heavy blow’ to peace

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “heavy blow” to regional peace and called for a resolution of the crisis through dialogue.

“We reject Russia’s military operation,” Erdogan said in a televised speech. “This step, which we view as against international law, is a heavy blow struck on regional peace, harmony and stability.”

The Turkish leader added he had conveyed Ankara’s support to Zelenskyy in a phone call between the pair.

 “This step, which we see as contrary to international law, is a blow to the regional stability and peace,” Erdogan said. 

Erdogan said he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier, and he reiterated support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“We sincerely regret that Russia and Ukraine, that we see both as friendly countries and that we have close political and social relations, have come face to face in this way,” he added. 

“We will do our part to ensure the safety of everyone living in Ukraine, especially our own citizens and Tatar brothers in the region,” he added. 

Erdogan spoke to Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Wednesday, where he expressed his rejection to the Russian president’s steps against Ukraine’s sovereignty.

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NATO has no plans to send troops into Ukraine, Stoltenberg says

NATO has no troops inside Ukraine and has no plans to send any into the country, the organisation’s secretary-general says.

“There are no NATO combat troops, no NATO troops at all inside Ukraine. We have made it clear that we don’t have any plans and intention of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine,” Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

“What we have made clear is that we have already increased and we are increasing the presence of NATO troops in the eastern part of the alliance on NATO territory,” he added.

Ukraine is a partner of the Western defence alliance but not a full NATO member.