As the war with Russia entered Day 14, Ukraine President Zelenskyy 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 neighbour. Zelenskyy also said he is open to “compromise” on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent just before unleashing the invasion on February 24.
Citizens stranded in Ukraine also had some respite as both sides announced a ceasefire and opened humanitarian corridors in six cities, including Sumy and Chernihiv, to evacuate all citizens. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine was able to evacuate all medical students who were stranded in Sumy. They exited the city and will be heading home from Poland on special flights organised as part of Operation Ganga.
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Chernobyl once again became a talking point as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) lost contact with monitoring systems at the power plant. A power cut at the site also triggered risks of a possible radiation leak as power is needed to cool down the spent nuclear fuel.
However, the IAEA issued a statement saying there was no threat to safety from the power loss at the plant. Here are the top developments from the Russia-Ukraine war.
ZELENSKYY NO LONGER PRESSING FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP
“I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that … Nato is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC News.
Referring to Nato membership, Zelenskyy said through an interpreter that he does not want to be president of a “country which is begging something on its knees.”
OUR SANCTIONS WILL HURT YOU: RUSSIA WARNS WEST
Russia issued a warning to the West announcing that the country’s reaction to the Western sanctions will be ‘swift’, ‘thoughtful’ and ‘sensitive’. Russia’s economy has been facing the gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union after the West imposed crippling sanctions on almost the entire Russian financial and corporate system.
The US on March 8 had imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports. Russia said the US should await its ‘response’ for all the sanctions imposed till now. Meanwhile, the European Union has agreed to sanction 160 Russian oligarchs and senators.
‘SOME’ PROGRESS IN RUSSIA-UKRAINE TALKS
Russia has claimed that some ‘progress’ is being made in talks with Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict. It also stated that the aim of the ‘special military operation’ was not to overthrow the Ukrainian government.
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“Russia will achieve its goal of ensuring Ukraine’s ‘neutral status’ and would prefer to do that through talks,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian government is preparing for the next round of negotiations with Russia to achieve peace.
RUSSIA STRIKES CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, CLAIMS UKRAINE
Ukraine President Zelenskyy claimed that Russian troops bombed a hospital in Mariupol. The city council said Russia dropped several bombs on the children’s hospital and the destruction is colossal. According to Ukraine Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, Russia has destroyed 61 hospitals so far.
“Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage,” Zelenskyy tweeted.
A child fleeing the conflict from Ukraine holds flowers as he sits on a bus, at the Romanian-Ukrainian border. (Photo: AP)
According to the government, airstrikes in residential areas in Zhytomyr and Kharkiv also lead to seven casualties, including three children. In Sumy, 22 people lost their lives in overnight Russian strikes. Over 8,00,00 children have fled the conflict so far.
Ukraine has also claimed that more than 12,000 Russian troops also lost their lives in the war. According to the UN, 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. At least 474 civilians lost their lives in war.
POWER LOSS AT CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR PLANT AND CONCERNS OVER RADIATION LEAK
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was fully disconnected from the power grid today after the Russian offensive. The authorities said there was no possibility of restoring the lines. It called for a ceasefire to repair the damage to power lines. The IAEA also lost contact with remote data transmission from Chernobyl security control systems. Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company said that radioactive substances could be released from Chernobyl because it cannot cool spent nuclear fuel.
However, the IAEA ruled out any critical impact on the safety of the power plant. “Heat load of spent fuel storage pool and volume of cooling water at Chernobyl nuclear power plant is sufficient for effective heat removal without the need for electrical supply,” it said.
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Both Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia power plants remain under Russian control. Ukraine’s energy minister claimed that authorities are not even aware of what is happening at these power plants since over 400 Russian troops took control of the plant.
Russia has claimed that during the ‘special operation’ in Ukraine, control was established over Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia, to prevent any attempts to stage nuclear provocations.
RUSSIA ADMITS TO THE USE OF CONSCRIPT SOLDIERS IN WAR
The Russian defense ministry said that some conscripts- soldiers compulsorily drafted into the army-had been taken prisoners by Ukrainian troops. Earlier, Putin had denied the use of conscript soldiers in war.
In a televised address, Putin had said, “I emphasise that conscript soldiers are not participating in hostilities and will not participate in them.”
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