Hundreds of civilians have been killed and thousands wounded
Ukraine on Monday rejected Moscow’s offer of humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
“This is not an acceptable option,” she said, after Russia proposed the passage for civilians from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its twelfth day, has seen more than 1.5 million people flee the country in what the UN has called Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed and thousands wounded, with hundreds of thousands of people — mostly women and children — pouring into neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania or Moldova for refuge.
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Top US General Mark Milley on Monday asked American troops stationed in Europe to display their resolve to prevent “a great power war” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff is touring Europe to show Washington’s “determination” to defend NATO’s eastern flank in the face of Russia’s aggression.
Allies, spearheaded by the United States, have rushed thousands of troops to countries closer to Russia as fighting rages in non-NATO member Ukraine.
Ukraine War: Russian Troops Stopping Civilian Evacuations From War Zones, Says Ukraine’s President
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused the Russian army of scuppering the evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors agreed after talks with Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused the Russian army of scuppering the evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors agreed after talks with Moscow.
“There was an agreement on humanitarian corridors. Did that work? Russian tanks worked in its place, Russian Grads (multiple rocket launchers), Russian mines,” Zelensky said in a video posted on Telegram.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said he will not send conscripts or reservists to fight in Ukraine and that “professional” soldiers 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 marking International Women’s Day on March 8.
The United Nations needs safe passage to deliver humanitarian aid to conflict zones in Ukraine, a senior official with the organization told the Security Council on Monday.
“Civilians in places like Mariupol, Kharkiv, Melitopol and elsewhere desperately need aid, especially life-saving medical supplies,” undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths told an emergency meeting on the disaster sparked by Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine War: Putin says will not send conscripts or reservists to Ukraine
Russia said Monday it will open humanitarian corridors the next day to allow civilians to evacuate form several Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv and the port city of Mariupol, Russian news agencies reported.
Ukraine War: White House Says “No Decision” Yet From Biden On Ban Of Russian Oil Imports
US President Joe Biden has made no decision at this stage on a possible ban on imports of Russian oil and gas in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned Monday that a ban on Russian oil imports would have “catastrophic” consequences, as Western allies consider further sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine.
“A ban on Russian oil will lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market. The surge in prices will be unpredictable — more than $300 per barrel, if not more,” Novak said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned Monday that a ban on Russian oil imports would have “catastrophic” consequences, as Western allies consider further sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine. (AFP)
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned Monday about the consequences of a ban on Russian oil imports, as Western allies consider further sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine.
“A ban on Russian oil will lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market. The surge in prices will be unpredictable — more than $300 per barrel, if not more,” Novak said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. (AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has now deployed into Ukraine nearly 100 percent of the more than 1,50,000 forces that he had pre-staged outside the country before the invasion, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday.
“That’s our best estimate right now,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon has also ordered over the weekend an additional 500 troops to Europe, which would bring the total number of American forces there to about 100,000, the official said, as the United States seeks to guard against the war’s spillover into NATO nations.
“Harry Potter” author JK Rowling on Monday promised to match donations up to 1 million pound ($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 institutionalisation 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 1,00,000 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 careers to look after displaced and traumatised youngsters.
Levi’s, the US firm best known for pioneering blue jeans, announced Monday it was suspending its business in Russia, joining an exodus of companies from the country following its invasion of Ukraine.
“Given the enormous disruption occurring in the region, which makes normal business untenable, (Levi’s) is temporarily suspending commercial operations in Russia, including any new investments,” the company said in a statement. The San Francisco-based company said it derived four percent of its revenue last year from Eastern Europe, about half of which was from Russia. It also announced it would donate $300,000 to charities that provided aid to people affected by the conflict.
Western nations have so far been successful in delivering arms to Ukraine, but this may become harder in the coming days, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Monday.
“I think it has been extraordinary the amount of arms supplies that are getting in to Ukraine even under the most difficult of circumstances,” she told a media briefing in Madrid.
“The international community has been tremendously responsive and has found ways to get the material in. That may become harder in the coming days and we will have to find other ways to manage this,” she said without elaborating.
Weapons, ammunition and funds have poured into Ukraine from Western allies since Russia invaded the country on February 24.
The United States last month authorised $350 million of military equipment — the largest such package in US history — to help the Ukrainian government fight off the invasion.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that since the commencement of rescue operations to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine, amidst the Russian offensive, 2,816 Malayali students have been brought back to the state till date.
The Chief Minister, in a Facebook post, said that 734 Malayali students rescued from Ukraine under ‘Operation Ganga’ reached Kerala on Monday and with that the number of such students repatriated from there reached 2,816.
More students would be arriving on Tuesday morning, he added.
However, there are still many Malayali students stranded in war-hit cities, like Sumy, in eastern Ukraine who need to be rescued, he said.
The Chief Minister, in his post, advised that the instructions given by the Indian Embassy there, regarding the rescue of stranded Indians, should be strictly followed.
The bodies of 13 civilians were recovered from rubble after an air strike on a bread factory in the Ukrainian town of Makariv in the Kyiv region on Monday, local emergency services said in an online statement.
Five people were rescued, it said, adding that in total around 30 people were believed to have been at the factory before the attack.
British foreign minister Liz Truss said India had a level of dependency on Russia which might go some way to explain its decision to abstain in a vote at the United Nations to deplore Russia over Ukraine.
“I think the issue for India is there is some level of dependence on Russia, both in terms of its defence relationships but also in terms of its economic relations. And I think the way forward is for a closer economic and defence relationship with India,” Truss told a parliamentary committee.
“I have spoken to my (Indian) counterpart, Minister Jaishankar, and encouraged India to stand against Russia.”
Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, on Monday said the Centre was able to bring back around 16,000 Indians from the war-torn Ukraine so far and hope to evacuate the rest in days to come.
Mr Muraleedharan, who was in Kerala on a short trip, told the media that currently, around 3,000 Indians were in neighbouring countries of Ukraine and efforts are on to bring them back to India.
“Out of the almost 20,000 Indian citizens including students in Ukraine, we have been able to evacuate more than 16,000 till now. Around 3,000 Indians are still in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine. In the north-eastern province of Ukraine, Sumy, there are around 600 students,” Mr Muraleedharan noted.
He said the Indian embassy has given the latest advisory for students to be prepared to shift at short notice.
“The embassy is making all arrangements to evacuate them. Since the conflict started, we have been able to evacuate almost 80 per cent of Indians from there. In the coming days, the rest of those stranded will also be brought back.”
The Union Minister also said there were indications that a ceasefire may be declared in four cities of Ukraine and India was continuing engagement with both sides to ensure the safe passage of the citizens.
The UN nuclear watchdog’s head said Monday he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would agree within hours to his offer to discuss nuclear safety after Russia seized Europe’s largest power plant in Ukraine.
The battle had caused “unprecedented danger of a nuclear accident” and should not be repeated under any circumstances, said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi.
Grossi offered on Friday to travel to Chernobyl to negotiate with both sides to ensure the security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.
He was speaking hours after Russian forces had seized control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following the battle with Ukrainian troops that caused a fire and fears of an accident.
Already on February 24, Russian troops invading Ukraine had taken control of the Chernobyl plant which, following the worst nuclear accident in history in 1986, is now encased in a giant sarcophagus.
“We should not be losing time,” Grossi told reporters after opening the regular board meeting of his Vienna-based organisation.
Russia said on Monday that six humanitarian corridors would be opened around Ukrainian cities to allow civilians to escape.
“Detailed information about the humanitarian corridors was given to the Ukrainian side in advance,” Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
He said Russia had shot down three Ukrainian Su-27 fighters, one Su-25, two helicopters and some drones. It was not possible to independently verify the claims.
EU chief Charles Michel on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call to end his invasion of Ukraine and allow safe passage for civilians.
“Called on President (Putin) to immediately stop hostilities and ensure humanitarian safe passage and access to assistance,” European Council head Michel said on Twitter.
“Stressed need to ensure safety and security of nuclear facilities amidst hostilities in Ukraine. Agreed to maintain further contacts.”
The call was the first between the top EU official and Putin since the Kremlin launched its war against Ukraine 11 days ago.
Michel spoke as well to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to underline that the EU’s “solidarity, friendship and unprecedented assistance for Ukraine are unwavering”.
The United Arab Emirates said it flew 30 tonnes of aid and medical supplies to Poland for transportation to war-torn Ukraine Monday, to help relieve the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” after Russia’s invasion.
More than 1.5 million people have fled across Ukraine’s borders in over a week of attacks from air, land and sea, according to the UN.
The UAE’s ambassador to Ukraine, Salem A. Al-Kaabi, noted that the aid was “part of the UAE’s steadfast commitment to essential humanitarian needs in conflicts… and to provide whatever assistance we can in what is a deteriorating humanitarian situation,” a foreign ministry statement said.
The UAE last month abstained from a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning Russia’s invasion, but then joined a vote to deplore the attack in the UN General Assembly.
The wealthy Gulf state hosts US troops and has been a strategic partner to Washington for decades, but its economic and political ties with Russia are growing.
The plane-load of aid landed in Poland for onward transportation to Ukraine. The UAE has also contributed 18.36 dirhams ($5 million) to UN appeals for the refugees, the statement said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his forces are doing everything to evacuate the stranded Indian citizens, mostly students, from the war-torn eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, according to his office.
During the 50-minute telephonic conversation, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his “deep concern” over the safety and security of the Indian students stuck in Sumy city and sought their evacuation at the earliest.
Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops and India has been urging both sides to create a “humanitarian corridor” for their safe evacuation.
President Putin, in the telephone conversation with Prime Minister Modi, said that Russian military personnel are doing everything to evacuate Indian citizens from Sumy, the state-owned TASS news agency reported, citing the Kremlin.
“It has been noted that the Indian students who were held by the radicals in Kharkov managed to leave the city only as a result of strong international pressure on the Kiev authorities,” the Kremlin alleged.
“Russian military personnel are making every effort to ensure the evacuation of Indian citizens from the city of Sumy,” it said.
Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said on Monday that part of the Black Sea port of Olvia, which is under concession to Qatari sea port operator QTerminals, had been hit by a military “strike”.
Nobody was wounded, the ministry said without providing further details.
QTerminals, a joint venture between state-owned Qatar Ports Management (Mwani Qatar) and shipping and logistics group Qatar Navigation (Milaha), won the 35-year concession in 2020 to develop and operate the port.
About 2,000 civilians have so far been evacuated from the town of Irpin near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, police said on Monday. A police statement did not make clear over what period the evacuations had taken place. Ukrainians fleeing Irpin were caught in shelling by Russian forces on Sunday and forced to dive for cover, Reuters witnesses said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Russian counterpart Sergi Lavrov have agreed to meet during a diplomacy forum in Turkey’s Mediterranean coastal province Antalya, their Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
In brief remarks to Turkish media, Cavusoglu said he will attend the meeting scheduled for Thursday.
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.
More than 50,000 people who have fled the war in Ukraine have been registered in Germany so far, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Monday. The spokesperson said 50,294 people had been recorded so far, adding many of the registrations took place at train stations, especially in Berlin.
French President Emmanuel Macron did not ask Russian leader Vladimir Putin to open humanitarian corridors towards Russia and Belarus for Ukrainians fleeing bombardments, his office said Monday, denying a claim by Russian officials.
Moscow announced the proposed escape routes from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy after Putin and Macron spoke by telephone on Sunday, saying the move was taken after a “personal request” by Macron.
But the Elysee Palace said no such request was made, with Macron insisting on “the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the supply of aid.”
“That means that protection of civilians must be organised and humanitarian access allowed,” a French presidency official, who asked not to be named, said Monday.
The Ukraine government rejected the offers of safe passage to Russia, which began its invasion nearly two weeks ago, or to Belarus, which is offering Moscow staging grounds for attacks.
Humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians out of Ukrainian cities are still not up and running, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Monday.
Vereshchuk said there were nearly 300,000 civilians requiring evacuation from the southeastern port city of Mariupol, which is under assault from Russian forces. UN representatives had joined negotiations, she said.
Russia backs U.N. atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi’s idea of a trilateral meeting with Ukraine on ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities there during Russia’s invasion but not at Chernobyl as Grossi wants, Moscow’s envoy to the watchdog said.
“Russia supported Grossi’s idea regarding a trilateral meeting and we expect that the Ukrainians will also be cooperative,” Russia’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, told reporters on Monday.
“I believe Chernobyl is not the best place for such a meeting. There are numerous capitals in the world.”
Kyiv rejects Moscow-proposed corridors to Belarus, Russia
Ukraine on Monday rejected Moscow’s offer of humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
Russia shuns Ukraine war hearing at UN court
Russia has declined to attend a hearing at the UN’s top court on Monday at which Ukraine is asking for an immediate order to halt the conflict, the head judge said.
Russian delegation departs for fresh talks with Ukraine
A Russian delegation has departed for Belarus where it will meet Ukrainian negotiators for the third round of talks about ending hostilities, the Sputnik Belarus news outlet reported.
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday warned Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken that a failure to stop Russia’s aggression in Ukraine would lead to a global conflict.
Pro-Russian separatists carry out offensive in Mariupol
Pro-Russian separatists have carried out an offensive in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and fighting took place mostly in the western part of the city, Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday.
Ukraine says Russia’s stance on humanitarian corridors is ‘completely immoral’
Ukraine said on Monday a Russian proposal on humanitarian corridors was “completely immoral” after Moscow suggested it would allow people to flee Ukrainian cities provided they exited to Belarus or Russia.
China says open to mediating on Ukraine
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday stressed that the friendship between Beijing and Moscow was still very strong, despite international condemnation of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as he said China was open to helping mediate peace.
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.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday said the friendship between Beijing and Moscow was still very strong, despite international condemnation of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as he offered Beijing’s help in mediating peace.
Around 1.067 million Ukrainians fled to Poland since Russian invasion: Poland
A total of around 1.067 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, including 142,300 on Sunday, the Polish Border Guard said on Monday.
Britain may ease immigration rules for Ukrainian refugees
British interior minister Priti Patel wants to set up a new scheme to allow more refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine to come to Britain, The Sun newspaper reported on Monday.
PM Modi speaks to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky
Prime Minister Modi spoke on phone to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. The phone call lasted for about 35 minutes. The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. The Prime Minister appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine:
More than 261,000 Ukrainians fled to Romania since Russian invasion
A total of 261,445 Ukrainians have fled to Romania since a Russian invasion on Feb. 24, including 33,969 on Sunday, border police data showed on Monday.
Hardeep Singh Puri reaches Delhi with last batch of students from Budapest
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri returned from Hungary on Monday along with the last batch of 6711 stranded Indian students from Budapest after overseeing the ‘Operation Ganga’ launched by the government to bring back people from war-torn Ukraine.
Tennis-Djokovic offers financial help to Ukraine’s Stakhovsky amid war
Novak Djokovic has offered financial support and any other help required to Ukrainian former world number 31 Sergiy Stakhovsky, who has enlisted in his country’s reserve army amid Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.
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.
Russian forces at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have switched off some mobile networks and the internet so that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) informed in a press release on Sunday.
Ukraine asks UN court to end Russia invasion
Ukraine will square off with Russia at the UN’s top court on Monday, with Kyiv asking judges in The Hague to order Moscow to immediately halt its invasion.
Ukrainians trapped in besieged city as fighting blocks evacuation efforts
About 200,000 people remained trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol on Monday after fighting stopped evacuation efforts over the weekend, with no sign that massive international sanctions were deterring Moscow from its invasion of Ukraine.
West asks for Russia to be suspended from Interpol
Several Western countries, including the UK and the United States, have called on Interpol to suspend Russia from the international law enforcement organisation, according to British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
China says most of its citizens evacuated from Ukraine
Beijing’s embassy in Ukraine announced Monday that most of the approximately 6,000 Chinese nationals previously in the country had been evacuated, as Russia stepped up the shelling of multiple cities.
US officials say Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine
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 on Sunday
New Zealand’s government said on Monday that it will introduce legislation to allow it to bring first-of-its-kind sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
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.
Ukraine Introduces Export Licences For Key Agricultural Commodities
Ukraine has introduced export licences for its key agriculture commodities wheat, corn and sunflower oil, Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted a government resolution as saying on Sunday.
TikTok suspends livestreaming In Russia citing Moscow’s “Fake News” law
Social media giant TikTok announced Sunday 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 “fake news” regulations.
Second attempt to evacuate civilians fails
A civilian disaster is growing in Ukraine as attempts to evacuate residents of besieged port city Mariupol failed for a second day, with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky denouncing “murder” as he warned of more shelling to come on Monday
Netflix Inc has suspended its service in Russia to protest the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Variety reported on Sunday.
Earlier this week, Netflix temporarily stopped all future projects and acquisitions in Russia as it assessed the impact of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine will ask the United Nations’ top court on Monday to issue an emergency ruling requiring Russia to stop its invasion, arguing that Moscow’s justification for the attack is based on a faulty interpretation of genocide law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia’s “special military action” is needed “to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide” – meaning those whose first or only language is Russian – in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s suit argues that the claim of genocide is untrue, and in any case does not provide legal justification for invasion