Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian troops slow down Russian advance

A Western official says Ukrainian resistance has slowed Russia’s advance almost to a halt, and Ukraine has repulsed Russia’s attempts to take the strategic southern port of Mariupol despite weeks of bombardment.

But the official said Russian troops have not been pushed back from established positions, and had the capability to keep up a grinding war of attrition for some time — making a rapid breakthrough in negotiations aimed at ending the violence unlikely.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said Odesa, another strategic port on the Black Sea, was a key objective for Russia but there are no indications of an imminent siege.

Odesa has been spared major attack, though Russia has ships operating off the Black Sea coast. The U.S. also says Russia has increased naval activity in the northern Black Sea, but there are no indications at this point of an imminent amphibious assault on Odesa.
(AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has again dismissed calls to boycott Russian energy supplies in the wake of the attack on Ukraine.

Scholz said Tuesday that the sanctions already imposed on Russia were already hitting its economy “and this will only get more dramatic every day.”

At the same time, the sanctions were designed to be “tolerable” for those imposing them, including in the long term, he said.

“That is why Germany’s position on this question (of an energy boycott) remains unchanged,” said Scholz.

He added that other countries in Europe are even more dependent on Russian oil, coal and gas than Germany “and nobody must be left standing out in the rain in this regard.”

Scholz said Germany is working to diversify its energy supply and that, while this will take time, it will eventually have the same effect as a boycott.

European countries pay Russia hundreds of millions of dollars each day for fossil fuels. Ukrainian officials say this trade effectively finances Russia’s war against their country.

(AP)

Poland's president compared Russian forces in Ukraine to the SS troops of Adolf Hitler during World War II on Tuesday.

Andrzej Duda made the comments in Sofia during a joint news conference with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

"Today the Russian army is behaving in exactly the same way. Russian leaders are behaving in exactly the same way" he said "like Hitler, like the German SS, like the German pilots of the Nazi army."

He said that people in Poland were drawing parallels between the current siege of Mariupol and Warsaw during WWII.

He added that he hoped that those responsible for civilian attacks in Ukraine would be brought before international tribunals.

(AP)

A Ukrainian photojournalist has gone missing in a combat zone near the capital, raising fears he could have been injured, killed or taken captive by Russian forces.

The UNIAN news agency reported Tuesday that Maksym Levin has been unaccounted since March 13 when he contacted his friend from Vyshhorod near Kyiv. His friend, Markiyan Lyseiko, said Levin went to the area in his car to report on fighting there.

Lyseiko said Levin left his car near the village of Huta Mezhyhirska and was going to head to the village of Moshchun. Levin hasn’t contacted him ever since and hasn’t been seen online, Lyseiko said.

Levin has worked as a photojournalist and videographer for many Ukrainian and international publications.

The United Nations chief says his discussions with officials indicate “there is enough on the table to cease hostilities now” and seriously negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Tuesday that the war is “unwinnable,” and the only question is how many more lives will be lost and how many more cities like Mariupol will be destroyed before the war moves from the battlefield to the peace table.

“From my outreach with various actors, elements of diplomatic progress are coming into view on several key issues,” he said, enough to end hostilities now.

Guterres did not state what those elements are or answer any questions.

He said the war is intensifying and “getting more destructive and more unpredictable by the hour.” Ten million Ukrainians have already been forced to flee their homes.

“Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house,” the secretary-general said.
Guterres said “the Ukrainian people are enduring a living hell,” and the war’s reverberations “are being felt worldwide with skyrocketing food, energy and fertilizer prices threatening to spiral into a global hunger crisis.”
 

PM Modi & UK PM Boris Johnson discussed Ukraine situation over a call. PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue & diplomacy; emphasized India's belief in respect for international law & territorial integrity of all states: PMO

According to reports, Russia has requested the UNSC vote on Wednesday on a resolution on the humanitarian situation.

Ukraine is appealing to a Chinese maker of civilian drones to block what the Ukrainian government says is their use by the Russian army to target missile attacks.

Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov’s appeal to DJI Technology Co., publicized on Twitter, highlights the tensions over Ukraine for Chinese companies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this month Moscow is Beijing's “most important strategic partner" at a time when Western tech and other companies have withdrawn from Russia over its Feb. 24 invasion.

Russian forces “are using DJI products in order to navigate their missile,” Federov wrote in a letter to DJI. He appealed to DJI to deactivate drones in Ukraine that were purchased and activated in Russia, Syria or Lebanon: “Block your products that are helping Russia to kill the Ukrainians!”

DJI, in a letter on its own Twitter account, responded that it can't deactivate individual drones but can impose geofencing, or software restrictions that usually are used to keep drones away from airports or other sensitive areas. The company said that would affect all DJI drones in Ukraine.

DJI, headquartered in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, is one of the biggest makers of civilian drones used by photographers, businesses and hobbyists. It is a leader in technology that uses satellite navigation to guide drones to precise locations.
(AP)

Indian Ambassador to Russia, Pavan Kapoor, on Tuesday met Russian foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says this week’s meeting between NATO leaders should be focused on ways of securing a cease-fire in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and not just on sanctions and deterrence.

“Everyone’s first aim should be a cease-fire,” Cavusoglu told Turkish journalists on the sideline of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan on Tuesday. “It should be to stop the war that is going on right now. Everyone should act responsibly and constructively.”

Cavusoglu continued: “Of course, we need to show unity and solidarity within NATO, we need to show deterrence. But who is paying the price of the ongoing war?”

U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders are scheduled to meet Thursday in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the meeting is intended not just to show NATO’s “support to Ukraine, but also our readiness to protect and defend all NATO allies,”

Cavusoglu said Turkey was pressing with its efforts as a “mediator and facilitator” to end the fighting and was in touch with negotiators on both sides. Turkey was also trying to bring the warring sides to meet face to face again, Cavusoglu said.
Earlier this month, the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met in Turkey on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum.

International news channel Euronews says it has been blocked from broadcasting in Russia due to its Ukraine war coverage. 

“We firmly condemn this intolerable restriction imposed on millions ... in Russia who relied on us to get impartial news,” Euronews said, adding that Russian authorities pulled the channel off air and blocked its websites in Russia.

Euronews said it might launch legal action to continue to freely broadcast in the country. Euronews is broadcast in 160 countries. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has intensified a crackdown on media and individuals who fail to toe his line on Russia’s war in Ukraine, blocking Facebook and Twitter and signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of “fake” reports. 

Euronews said it strongly rejected Russian claims it spread “fake news” and that it allegedly called on Russians to protest the war. It said it faced an “unacceptable threat of criminal liability” due to the new Russian law.
 

Hungary has reported violation of its airspace on Monday, news agency Sputnik reported citing multiple local media reports on Tuesday. According to the Hungarian media, the country's defense ministry said that an unidentified aircraft crossed the country's airspace from Ukraine.

The Ministry stated that it had intercepted the aircraft when it entered their airspace. 
Citing the reports filed by the defence ministry, the state media said that Gripen fighters-- a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft-- were lifted up to track the anonymous aircraft that was spotted crossing the Hungarian sky border in the east. Later, the aircraft was headed toward Slovakia. "After having patrolled the area, fighters returned to the base," read the report of the concerned ministry.

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its bloodiest phase after 27 days, Hungary has voiced its concerns over the new European Union's sanctions on Russian energy firms, with the country’s top diplomat stating that Hungary would not support the measures. This comes a week after Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó had said that the country will not send troops or weapons to Ukraine.

As per reports, the EU has flagged consideration to join the US in imposing an embargo on Russian oil imports. Global oil prices also saw a steep hike with the cost of one gallon going above $3. The unprecedented soar led to Brent crude oil prices soaring above $111 per barrel, adding to the 1.2% rise last Friday.

Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had confirmed the country's stand over the recent sanctions will be different from other nations and had stated, "any action against Moscow would also hurt the Hungarian economy. Hungary will not support the expansion of anti-Russian sanctions in the energy sector as this would threaten both the national currency and welfare of Hungarians."

Russian forces shelled along a humanitarian corridor wounding four children who were among the civilians being evacuated, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation. He said the shelling took place in the Zaporizhzhia region, the initial destination of those fleeing Mariupol. The Ukrainian government said that about 3,000 people from Mariupol were evacuated. Zelenskyy said he spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron to coordinate their positions before Western leaders meet on Thursday.

Source: AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a televised statement said that he was ready to discuss a commitment from Ukraine not to seek NATO membership with Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for a cease-fire as the 'West doesn't know what to do with us [Ukriane] in regard to NATO membership.'  Such a commitment can be done only if Russia agrees to complete withdrawal of its troops and a guarantee of Ukraine’s security, said Zelesnkyy. 

“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 on Ukrainian television channels.

He then reiterated that Kyiv intends to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that unless the two leaders meet it may be impossible to understand if Russia "even wants to stop the war."  Kyiv will be ready to discuss the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists, Zelenskyy offered, adding that this can be done only after a cease-fire and security guarantees.

Ukrainian army 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, the Defense Ministry said. 

Source: AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to virtually deliver his address to the Japanese parliament on Wednesday to rally international support for his country’s fight against Russian invasion.

Japan, unlike in the past, has been acting tough against Russia, in line with other Group of Seven countries, though Tokyo’s steps have triggered Moscow’s retaliation. A compromise could set a bad precedence in East Asia, where China is increasingly making assertive military actions.

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 U.S. Congress, as well as parliaments in Europe, Canada, and Israel.

Foreign dignitaries, including former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, have delivered their addresses in person during visits to Japan as state guests, but an online speech by a foreign leader is unprecedented.

Source: AP

The U.N. refugee agency says more than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, passing another milestone in an exodus that has led to Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II. UNHCR reported Tuesday that 3.53 million people have left Ukraine, with Poland taking in the lion’s share — more than 2.1 million — followed by Romania with more than 540,000 and Moldova with more than 367,000.

Shortly after the invasion on Feb. 24, UNHCR predicted that some 4 million refugees might leave Ukraine, though it has been re-assessing that prediction. The outflows have been slowing in recent days after peaking at more than 200,000 each on two straight days in early March. The International Organization for Migration estimates that nearly 6.5 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine, suggesting that some if not most of them might to flee abroad if the war continues.

Source: AP

US President Joe Biden has made shocking claims on Tuesday, starting that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will use biological and chemical weapons in war with Ukraine. His remarks came after Pentagon iterated that the US intelligence has “clear evidence” that Moscow is involved in committing war crimes. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby asserted that Washington is "collecting evidence" to back the claims more factually. 

Biden on Tuesday said 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. I guarantee you." 

“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. He’s already used chemical weapons in the past, and we should be careful of what’s about to come.” Putin “knows there’ll be severe consequences because of the united Nato front,” said Biden. 

A Russian newspaper that briefly published a report stating that over 10,000 Russian soldiers were killed as war casualties in Ukraine is now claiming that 'hackers' published the fake figures on their website. After removing the figures, the paper issued an advisory that read: "On March 21, access to the administrator interface was hacked on the Komsomolskaya Pravda website and a fake insert was made in this publication about the situation around the special operation in Ukraine. The inaccurate information was immediately removed."

Nobel Peace Prize medal won by Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov will be auctioned to provide the aid for the Ukrainian refugees fleeing war. Droves of “wounded and sick children requiring urgent treatment” have compelled the newspaper to sell the medal and raise funds for the humanitarian cause, Muratov said in a statement published on the newspaper’s website. 

Ukrainian diplomat has accused Russian soldiers of looting a gas station store and plundering businesses. Taking to his official Twitter handle, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko asserted that Russian armed forces are "hungry, abandoned and demoralised." He has shared a video that shows troops with their weapons entering a store. 

In the tweet, Oleg Nikolenko asserted that Russian troops have no hope of winning in Ukraine. He sarcastically questioned them on being the "second strongest army in the world" and pointed out that the Russian armed forces had expected that Ukrainians will welcome them with flowers, however, they were greeted by the "iron resolve" of Ukrainians.

In the video shared on the microblogging site, the troops with the weapons enter a store and can be seen moving in the store holding its products. Oleg Nikolenko tweeted, "Second strongest army in the world? The reality: marauders looting a gas station store. The Russian army has no hope of winning in Ukraine. Hungry, abandoned and demoralized (sic). The Russians expected Ukrainians to greet them with flowers, instead they were met with an iron resolve."

Aid agencies are reportedly raising an alarm, stating that only three or four days’ worth of food is left in some cities under assault in Ukraine. Mercy Corps expressed concerns about the lack of humanitarian supply in the country due to fierce fighting, as it said the system is completely broken down.” “One of our biggest concerns right now is the vulnerability of the supply chain. We know that most municipalities in areas seeing the most intense fighting don’t have more than three to four days’ worth of essentials like food,” said Mercy Corps’ Ukraine humanitarian response adviser Steve Gordon told CNN, adding that  70% of the population of Kharkiv and Sumy is dependent on aid. 

“These are areas like Sumy, with 800,000 people nearly entirely reliant right now on aid shipped in on a day-to-day basis. Cities need at least a month’s worth of food, stored in different warehouses in case they come under fire,” Gordon said.

On March 22, the mayor of Chernihiv claimed that a Russian spy attempted to attend a meeting chaired by him. According to Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, Mayor claimed that there are Russian spies dressed in Ukrainian military uniforms who have documents from the Armed Forces and are well-versed in the situation. According to him, one of the Russian spies even attempted to attend his meeting.

The Mayor, Vladyslav Atroshenko, said, "A few weeks ago, there were DRG breakthroughs in Chernihiv, but all of them were eliminated. Today, the Armed Forces and the Terrorist Defense Forces are in complete control of the city. Sabotage groups are working, I know that for sure. Arrested spies, fully dressed in our military uniform, who had documents of our Armed Forces, which are well oriented in the situation. One of them even tried to come to my meeting. It turned out that he was a Russian spy, an officer."

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Hundreds of students and instructors held a rally at a university in Syria's coastal city of Latakia on Tuesday in support of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The gathering at Tishrin University in Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad, is the latest show of support for Russia in war-torn Syria.

Russia joined Syria's 11-year conflict in September 2015, when the Syrian military appeared close to collapse, and has since helped in tipping the balance of power in favour of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country.

Hundreds of Russian troops are deployed across Syria and they also have a military air base along Syria's Mediterranean coast.
Assad's government has repeatedly expressed support to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. 

The invasion has left hundreds of people dead in Ukraine and more than three million have fled the country.

(AP)
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging 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.

Zelenskyy spoke to the Italian parliament Tuesday via video from Kyiv, as he has done with other foreign parliaments. Wearing a collared shirt and speaking through an Italian translator, Zelenskyy told Italian lawmakers that he had just spoken by phone to Pope Francis and that the pontiff had endorsed Ukraine’s right to defend itself.

He said that 117 children have been killed in the war with Russia and that the city of Mariupol has been flattened by the Russian onslaught. 

He warned that Europe’s security is at risk if Russia advances and that grain deliveries to the developing world are being jeopardized because Ukraine’s farmers can’t plant crops.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi praised the “heroic” resistance of the Ukrainian people.

(AP)

Ukraine’s natural resources minister says wildfires have been extinguished in the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which is under the control of Russian forces. 

The fires have raised concern about the possible release of radiation from the plant, where a 1986 explosion and fire sent radioactive emissions across large parts of Europe. 

But Natural Resources Minister Ruslan Strelets said Tuesday that radiation levels in the area are within the norms.
Ukrainian officials had earlier accused Russian forces of deliberately setting the fires or causing them with artillery shelling.
 

Ukraine's city of Rubizhne was subjected to fierce shelling and is being hammered with artillery fire by the Russian forces, regional head Serhii Haidai said in a social media post. "The enemy was unable to 'blitzkrieg' Rubizhne, so they are destroying the town, targeting hospitals, schools, and residential buildings," Haidai wrote. Head of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, informed that the city was shelled 84 times.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday informed that he talked to Pope Francis about the difficult humanitarian situation and the blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops. He said that the mediating role of people in the crisis would be appreciated.

"Talked to @Pontifex. Told His Holiness about the difficult humanitarian situation and the blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops. The mediating role of the Holy See in ending human suffering would be appreciated. Thanked for the prayers for Ukraine and peace," Zelenskyy tweeted.

Amidst the ravaging war in Ukraine, China has been condemning West's punitive sanctions to cut Russia off the world's financial arteries. Yet another Chinese official slammed the West's sanctions on Tuesday and warned of their global ramifications. Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the Korean Peninsula, claimed that rising unilateral penalties will disrupt global industry and supply lines, as well as harm civilians' livelihoods around the world.

On March 22, taking to the micro-blogging platform, Liu Xiaoming, wrote, "The world economic recovery should not be disrupted. Escalating unilateral sanctions will fracture global industrial & supply chains & hurt livelihood of people of all countries, who should by no means be made to bear the brunt of geopolitical conflicts & major-country rivalry."

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Ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has now entered the 27th day with Mariupol becoming the most ravaged Ukrainian city. Human Rights Watch has also noted that more than 3,000 civilians have been slain in the Russian shelling in Mariupol. Even though the exact death toll of the Russian invasion is yet to be disclosed, a city official told Human Rights Watch that as of Sunday, around 220,000 people still remained in the Mariupol which represents 50% of the city’s pre-war population. 

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to unleash its massive offensive on Mariupol, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has categorically dismissed any ultimatums given by Moscow. But why the Russian forces are trying to seize the Ukrainian port city, and how can Mariupol become a strategic win for Russia and a major blow for Ukraine? 

READ FULL STORY HERE

Russian opposition leader and Putin's most vocal critic Alexey Navalny "committed fraud," a judge in Moscow ruled. "Navalny committed fraud, i.e. the theft of someone else's property by deception," Judge Margarita Kotova read out in the verdict, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. 

Ukrainian diplomats are calling on the international community to "immediately react" to the illegal displacement of children by Russia from the occupied districts of the Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region.

“The facts of the abduction of children, as well as hundreds of other facts of crimes committed by Russian occupiers against civilians in Ukraine are being thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies. The perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice,” the ministry stressed.

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry has accused Russia of "illegally" deporting more than 2,000 Ukrainian children from Certain Areas of Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region (CADLR). The allegations were made by Ukraine during the ministry’s press service. 

“According to the information received, on March 19, 2022, the Russian occupation forces illegally deported to the territory of the Russian Federation 2,389 children, who were in the occupied districts of Donetsk Region and Luhansk Region. The forced displacement of civilians to the territory of the aggressor state, namely children, shows signs of abduction. Such actions are a gross violation of the international law, in particular the international humanitarian law,” the ministry noted. 

A Ukrainian police officer runs while holding a child as the artillery echoes nearby. Credit: AP

US President Joe Biden sent a warning citing the "evolving intelligence" that he stated has so far been spot on about Putin's moves, that Russia is planning to launch cyberattacks in America. This, he said, would be in response to West's crippling sanctions on Russia after his deadly invasion. Russia in its latest response has now rejected such claims made by US president Biden. 

After Russia unilaterally withdrew from negotiations with Japan that was aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty over its stance on the war in Ukriane, Japan’s vice foreign minister summoned Russia’s ambassador. "The Russian side, in the current conditions, does not intend to continue talks with Japan on the peace treaty," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Both Russia and Japan never signed the peace treaty to formally end World War II and as talks were underway, Moscow has withdrawn from negotiating any such agreement.

One of the key development in the treaty would have been a peaceful settlement of the claims over Kurile Islands, known as Northern Territories to Japan. Russia has been wary of Tokyo's strong condemnation of Kremlin and sanctions in coordination with the West. 

After the Ukrainian forces took back control of a town to the west of Kyiv, the mayor of a city to the east of the capital asked the civilians to leave the town.  "There is no urgent need to be in the city at the moment. Fighting is already raging around the region. I appeal to the population, be smart and leave the city if you can," Boryspil mayor Volodymyr Borysenko was heard saying in a recorded video on Facebook. He added that the authorities will assist the people to helf safely leave the areas including those who do not own vehicles.

"As practice shows, in those cities where combat is taking place, the fewer civilians in the city, the easier it is for (Ukraine’s) armed forces to operate," the mayor said. 

Ukraine has appealed to Russia  to allow humanitarian supplies into the besieged southern city of Mariupol as heavy bombardment continued to rock the civilian infrastructure. It asked Russian troops to allow the civilians to leave via the humanitarian corridors. Russia's armed forces have been preventing humanitarian supplies from reaching residents of the southern city of Kherson. 

"We demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor for civilians," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Ukrainian television.

Credit: AP 

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has expressed willingness to visit Kyiv if there are advances in peace talks with Moscow, reports said on Monday. Zelenskyy’s office had invited Bennett to visit the war-hit country as a part of his ceasefire mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

As per reports, Israel's Security Agency or the 'Shin Bet' has been preparing a security plan for Bennett to visit Kyiv on short notice amid Russian attack on Ukraine. Bennett does not want to go only for a photo opportunity, but to help in moving the sides toward ending the war, Ynet reported.

As a part of the mediation efforts, Israel's PM had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 5.

"In recent weeks, there were some advances between [Ukraine and Russia], but the gaps in a number of fundamental topics are big,” Bennett said on Monday, according to The Jerusalem Post.

"The Russians are no longer trying to depose Zelenskyy and fully demilitarize Kyiv, while Ukraine has backed down from trying to join NATO," he said.

Russia has claimed that it shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft using its BUK-M3 anti-aircraft missile system. Russian Buk-M3 fired at a Su-25 jet, identified another immediately, and shot at it, said commander of Buk-M3 Sergey Ovcharenko in Telegram update. “If we changed position after the first launch, enemy aircraft could strike at the units covered by us, so I decided to stay in place and work on the second target, despite the great risk,” Ovcharenko added. The Buk-M3 air defense system first fires at a target and scrambles immediately to switch the position. “The enemy is actively using interference, but the equipment of the complex makes it possible to neutralize them and successfully carry out their work,” he said.

Russians have started feeling the consequences of western sanctions imposed on Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Footage has emerged showing the Russian shoppers fighting each other in supermarkets for sugar. Some stores have imposed a limit of 10 kg per customer due to the economic fallout of the war in Ukraine.

Sugar prices have skyrocketed, with the annual inflation in Russia reaching its highest level. However, many videos were going viral of people in Russia fighting and bumping into each other for groceries in stores. Such videos have made their way to Twitter, showcasing the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. 

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Ukrainian servicemen carry containers backdropped by a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. 

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings in a residential area in northeast Chernihiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP

People gathered after the destruction caused to a shopping center by Russain shelling in Kyiv. Credit: AP

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire caused by Russian shelling on a shopping centre in Ukraine's capital city. Credit: AP

Ukrainian forces said they retook a strategically important suburb of Kyiv  early Tuesday, as Russian forces squeezed other areas near the capital and their attack on the embattled southern port of Mariupol raged unabated.

Explosions and bursts of gunfire shook Kyiv, 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.

Residents sheltered at home or underground under a 35-hour curfew imposed by city authorities that runs to Wednesday morning.

Russian forces also carried on with 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. But the Kremlin’s ground offensive in other parts of the country advanced slowly or not at all, knocked back by lethal hit-and-run attacks by the Ukrainians.

Early Tuesday, Ukrainian troops forced Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

Still, the Defense Ministry said Russian forces battling toward Kyiv were able to partially take other northwest suburbs, Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin, some of which had been under attack almost since Russia's military invaded almost a month ago.

(AP)

Amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the Japanese Parliament on Wednesday, March 23. By addressing Japan, Zelenskyy will seek international support for his country’s fight against the Russian invasion. According to a report by the Associated Press, it is expected that the Ukrainian President would address the Japanese Parliament for about 10 minutes.

As per the news agency, the video will be played in a meeting room at the lower house of the Japanese Parliament. Notably, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an invasion against its neighbouring country, Ukraine, Japan has been acting tough against Moscow. Though the action from Tokyo triggered Moscow to react against it, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida invoked sanctions without fearing repercussions.

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As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 27th day with the West still reluctant to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, Russian forces are continuously bombarding various cities in war-ravaged Ukraine, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Mariupol, leaving the country in a more chaotic situation.

Western countries have shown support for Ukraine by imposing tough sanctions on Russia and condemning president Vladimir Putin's actions of the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Czech designer has come up with a unique way to support embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and raise money for Ukrainians suffering due to war.

The designer, Tomas Brinek, has launched a pillow featuring Zelenskky showing him in his trademark military green t-shirt with an unshaven look, sporting a smile on his face. Ever since Moscow launched an attack on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has gained worldwide attraction, becoming one of the most popular faces across the world for showing resistance against the aggressive Russian forces invading his country. 

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Amid the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the President of the war-torn nation, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that for any agreement with Russia there cannot be "denazification", The Kyiv Independent reported. "When a country that is treading in the footsteps of the Nazi is accusing us of being Nazi - we cannot accept that," the president said in an interview with Suspilne, a Ukrainian state broadcaster. 

Further, Zelenskyy has reiterated his refusal to surrender, saying, "Let's say they demand to get Kharkiv, or Mariupol, or Kyiv." However, the residents of these cities will not allow them to do so, he added. "The only way they can seize the cities is to kill everyone, and take the empty city," ANI reported. 

These comments of Zelenskyy came as Russia began special military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days following Moscow’s acknowledgement of Ukraine's separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics and had announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "denazify" the country. 

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US military has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes during the foerce invasion of Ukraine, repeating the remarks made earlier by President Joe Biden. "We certainly see clear evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes and we are helping with the collecting of evidence of that," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing. "But there's investigative processes that are going to go on, and we're going to let that happen. We're going to contribute to that investigative process,” he said.

“As for what would come out of that, that's not a decision that the Pentagon leadership would make."

Civilians have described the horrifying battle ensuing in the southern port of Mariupol between the Ukrainian Army and Russian forces as they told on-ground reporters that they are witnessing street-to-street gun battle past unburied corpses and lethal hit-and-run attacks amid heavy Russian bombardment. This comes after the Ukrianian forces refused demands to surrender, and Russian troops intensified the offensive in parts of the urban cities. Ukrainian Army also claimed that they forced Russian troops out of a strategically important Kyiv suburb, regaining controlof a key highway to the west and have blocked the Russian forces in the northwest. 

Responding strongly to US President Joe Biden calling his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a ‘war criminal’, Moscow has threatened to sever ties with Washington. As the Russia-Ukraine war entered the 27th day, the US-Russia ties are also further deteriorating with Moscow summoning its US ambassador for official protest over Biden’s labelling of Putin. Amid Russia’s protests over Biden’s remarks, the US president held talks with European allies on efforts to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Russian foreign ministry has said that it has summoned the US ambassador, John Sullivan for a meeting about “recent unacceptable statements” by Biden about Putin. This came after US President said he thinks his Russian counterpart is a “war criminal” as Russian forces continue to bombard the Ukrainian cities. 

In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said that “it was emphasised that remarks such as these by the American president, which are unworthy of a state figure of such a high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of a breach”.

Credit: AP

Lvivska Khvylya local radio station dramatically changed its broadcast output by replacing its entertainment and music programming and starting the Russia Ukraine war coverage. "We are an entertainment and music radio station but we're doing a lot of news because citizens need a lot of information in these times," Volodymyr Melnyk, a 28-year-old host on Lvivska Khvylya ("Wave of Lviv") told agencies as the war ensued. 

As the war in Ukraine rages on, West’s punitive sanctions on Moscow has skyrocketed the gas and oil prices threatening the world's economy. Supply disruptions are expected to hit food, energy and other commodities which are being feared will steep past the 40-year high in inflation. CEOs of ExxonMobil, JPMorgan, Bank of America have met with the top Biden officials including National Economic Council and National Security Council led by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the White House to discuss US' response to Russia’s war with Ukraine. 

As Ukraine continues to defend its land against Putin's invasion, Russian forces have stockpiles of ammunition and food that would last not more than three days. Providing the update of the situation, Ukraine mentioned that a shortage in fuels is also observed among Russian forces. 

Acts of disobedience of Russian servicemen were recorded in the Okhtyrka district of the Sumy region. Also, over 300 occupiers refused the order to conduct hostilities, while 70 units of equipment, left the area of ​​the operation. In the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk region, due to heavy losses of manpower, the enemy continues to mobilize citizens of the quasi-formation of the "LPR". It is further learned that a large part of the population of the Russian force holds no desire to take up arms and so are hiding from the occupying authorities.

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A monument commemorating the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's "reunification" with Russia was dismantled in Uzhgorod.

US Congress proposed banning the US government from doing business with companies that remain in Russia.

Japan denounced Moscow for discontinuing the peace talks. Earlier, citing unprecedented sanctions by Japan, Moscow on Monday had terminated World War II (WWII) peace treaty talks with Japan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Japanese hief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday, "The latest situation has been all caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine" while calling Russia’s response “extremely unjustifiable and absolutely unacceptable.”

In a statement, Russian authorities claimed that Japan colluded with Group of Seven (G7) partners to slap a series of sanctions on Russia in the wake of the ongoing Russian "military operations" in Ukraine. Further, Moscow also ended a visa-free regime for Japanese nationals from the disputed islands.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is likely to visit Ukraine's capital Kyiv as Russian forces continue to close in on the city on day 27 of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The famous Italian rock band Måneskin cancels the Russian part of their tour out of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

According to Kyiv Independent, Air raid alerts sound in almost every region of Ukraine including Sumy, Mykolaiv, Ternopil, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattya, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Rivne, Volyn, Cherkasy, Khmelnytsky, Odesa oblasts.

Irpin -

Mariupol -

Cherhiniv -

Images: Maxar Technologies/Nexta_TV-Twitter

As the Russia-Ukraine war entered day 27, Ukraine's Defence said that it destroyed "Over 9 enemy air targets were affected by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Anti-Air Defense units in the previous day. It's 1 plane, 6 UVs and 2 helicopters, the number of missiles down is specified."

Ukrainian Defence Ministry has said in the operational update on Tuesday that "According to the available information, Russian occupation forces operating on the territory of Ukraine have ammunition and food supplies for no more than three days. Similar is the situation with fuel, which is replenished by transporting tankers. A pipeline connection to ensure the needs of grouping troops to the occupiers failed to organize."

Oleksiy Biloshitskiy, the first deputy head of the Patrol Police Department has reported that the Russian occupiers had recorded another use of banned phosphorus ammunition in Kramatorsk.

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, since February 24, 651 residential buildings in Ukraine have been completely destroyed, and about 3,780 houses have been partially destroyed.
 

According to Kyiv Independent, Russia has completed 300 aircraft sorties over Ukraine in 24 hours, said a senior US official noting that while the frequency of military aircraft sorties by Russia has increased, it has still not achieved aerial supremacy.

Responding strongly to US President Joe Biden calling his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a ‘war criminal’, Moscow has threatened to sever ties with Washington. As the Russia-Ukraine war entered the 27th day, the US-Russia ties are also further deteriorating with Moscow summoning its US ambassador for official protest over Biden’s labelling of Putin. Amid Russia’s protests over Biden’s remarks, the US president held talks with European allies on efforts to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Russian foreign ministry has said that it has summoned the US ambassador, John Sullivan for a meeting about “recent unacceptable statements” by Biden about Putin. This came after US President said he thinks his Russian counterpart is a “war criminal” as Russian forces continue to bombard the Ukrainian cities. 

In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said that “it was emphasised that remarks such as these by the American president, which are unworthy of a state figure of such a high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of a breach”.
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the country's broadcaster Suspilna, "The issue of Crimea and Donbas is a hard story for everyone. This issue cannot be solved only by the president, it is a long process, it must be solved by both the Rada and the people of Ukraine".

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on March 21 that “the Ukrainian flag was raised over the town of Makariv” and Russian forces have been pushed back. Makariv is located 60 kilometres west from Kyiv, stated Kyiv Independent.

Amid West's warnings of Russian propaganda of justifying the war in Ukraine, Russian singer Checherina put down the flag of Ukraine in seized Enerhodar.

Russia has provided International Red Cross with the data of more than 500 prisoners of war as the Russia-Ukraine crisis enter day 27. The Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said that they are ready to be exchanged for Russian army soldiers taken prisoner of war.

Russia's only tank manufacturer, Uralvagonzavod, has stopped its production, stated media reports citing the main reason for as the lack of component parts amid war in Ukraine.

Even though Russia has intensified its aggression against Ukraine, the UK Defence Ministry claimed on Tuesday that Russia's purported launch of its hypersonic missile is likely meant to "detract" attention from a lack of success in its war on land.

Taking to Twitter, the ministry said referring to Russia’s hypersonic missile fire, "If true, these were likely the Kinzhal; an air-launched ballistic missile system based on the Iskander ballistic missile which has itself already been heavily used by Russian forces in their attack on Ukraine."

The Kinzhal missile, according to Russian authorities, can attack targets up to 2,000 kilometres away at speeds of over 6,000 kilometres per hour, BBC reported. Furthermore, the British Ministry of Defence believes that the Kinzhal missiles are unlikely to "materially affect the outcome" of Russia's operation in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden on Monday said that India was an exception among its major allies, with its “shaky” response to punishing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The remark comes amid disquiet in the West over India's refusal to outrightly condemn Russia's aggression

Biden lauded other Washington allies including NATO, the European Union, and key Asian partners, for their united stance against President Vladimir Putin.

“…The Quad is, with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this, but Japan has been extremely strong — so has Australia — in terms of dealing with Putin’s aggression,” he said, speaking at the Business Roundtable’s CEO Quarterly Meeting.

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Saying that Ukraine will not accept any ultimatum Russia, Zelenskyy noted that the only way Russian forces capture cities such as Mariupol, Kyiv or Kharkiv is to "kill everyone". In an interview with Suspilne, the Ukrainian President said, "We can't accept an ultimatum from Russia. How can we? After our people were killed... It's impossible, simply impossible".

"Let's say they demand to get Kharkiv, or Mariupol, or Kyiv. People in these cities won't let them do it. The only way they can seize the cities is to kill everyone, and take the empty city," he also said.

In an interview with Suspilne, a Ukrainian public broadcaster, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, "NATO should either say now that they are accepting us, or openly say they are not accepting us because they are afraid of Russia – which is true." The president of a war-ravaged country made the latest remarks after repeatedly calling for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine to resist Russian military aggression. 

"And then we need to calm down and say – ok, there are NATO member countries that can provide us security guarantees without a membership in NATO," he said.

"That's where the compromise exists. That's where the end of the war is," he added.

As Russian forces continue to close in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the Retroville shopping mall was bombed in the Podilsky district of Kyiv with a missile on Sunday night killing at least 8 people. 

UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) has said in the latest update that around 925 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in late February. The agency said that a total of 2,421 civilian casualties have been recorded in the country, including 925 killed and 1,496 injured.

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,” the OHCHR said.

After Russia decided to withdraw from the Peace Treaty Dialogue with Japan, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that Russia's decision to withdraw from discussions with Japan on a peace treaty is unacceptable. He further said that this is unacceptably tough and absolutely unjustified

Following a relevant request, the UNGA's Emergency Special Session on Ukraine will resume on Wednesday. According to a letter to the UN General Assembly President, the US, France, Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Canada, Germany, and a number of other nations have urged that the emergency special session on Ukraine resume on Wednesday, as Russia continues its military aggression. UNGA President Abdulla Shahid stated that the session will be held on March 23 at 10 am.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with a Ukrainian public broadcaster that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) should either say now that they are accepting Ukraine, or openly say they are not accepting them because they are afraid of Russia, which he claims is true.

On Monday, the pro-Kremlin media outlet stated that 9,861 Russian troops had been killed in Ukraine's conflict, before rapidly removing the figures from the site. It listed the Russian Ministry of Defense as the source until the statistics were withdrawn. The report suggests that since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the unprovoked attack in late February, 9,861 Russian soldiers have been killed and 16,153 have been injured.

On Monday, European Union (EU) foreign ministers achieved a political agreement to fund military assistance for Ukraine with another 500 million euros, which brings the EU's total commitment to deadly and non-lethal aid for Ukrainians to one billion euros.

Josep Borrell, who is the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, announced the political agreement to use another 500 million euros from the European Fund for Support of Peace (FEAP) for Ukraine at a press conference following the Council of Community Ministers. The decision will be established later.

Verkhovna Rada, which is the parliament of Ukraine has announced that 4,384 Mariupol residents,  including 1,073 children, were evacuated from Berdyansk today. It claimed that everyone will be given food, medical attention if needed, and will be placed in temporary housing. It further said that the support centres welcomed and assisted about 30,000 Mariupol locals in total.

On the 26th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement appealing to all Ukrainians to keep their country safe. He said that regardless of where they are, he urges everyone to make every effort to keep their state safe. He asked people to fight in order to save their lives. He continued by saying that occupants must be punished.

Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that Russia has declined to discuss a peace treaty with Japan. The Ministry issued a statement announcing that under the existing circumstances, the Russian side does not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty. Russian local media suggests that the decision was made because it was impossible to discuss the foundational document on bilateral relations with a hostile state.

Amid the continuous shelling in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the military has requested the curfew in Kyiv and the surrounding territory be increased, as there is a threat of fresh shelling.

Kyiv's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko stated that martial law has allowed for the imposition of a curfew due to the possibility of additional shelling at this moment. He also said that the military advises people not to leave their houses and to stay in hiding if at all feasible. He claimed that several sabotage groups are responsible for this. 

He believes that the enemy has increased the number of shellings in the capital in order to induce panic and destabilisation, as well as to instil fear in the people. However, he also said that the Russians have yet to succeed because people are not afraid.

The adviser to the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podoliak has stated that Russia is trying to justify its offensive against Ukraine by claiming about the bio laboratories, Nazi battalions, and the devastating artillery shelling of Donetsk, which resulted in tens of thousands of casualties. He further said that all of this is a complete fabrication and that the world, which is witnessing the unjustified attack of Ukraine completely rejects it.

The Russian military says it will continue using its state-of-the-art hypersonic missile to hit particularly important targets in Ukraine.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that the Kinzhal hypersonic missile “has proven its efficiency in destroying heavily fortified special facilities.”

He said that a Kinzhal missile was used Friday to hit a Soviet-era arsenal for storing missiles near the western town of Deliatyn in the Carpathian Mountains, the first time the new weapon was used in combat. It also was used in a strike on the fuel depot in Kostiantynivka near the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv over the weekend. Konashenkov noted that Kinzhal was used for these strikes due to its high kinetic energy and its ability to penetrate defences.

Konashenkov said that Kinzhal missiles were fired at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres (over 620 miles).

Kinzhal, one of an array of hypersonic weapons developed by Russia in recent years, has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and flies at a speed 10 times the speed of sound. It’s carried by specially redesigned MiG-31 fighter jets.

One of the world’s top chess players has been banned from competitions for six months over his support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Sergey Karjakin, a former challenger for the world title, expressed “complete support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter shortly after Russia sent troops into Ukraine last month and has posted regularly on social media in support of Russia’s campaign.

A disciplinary panel of the International Chess Federation, known as FIDE, ruled Karjakin had broken a rule against tainting the reputation of the game of chess or the organizations that administer it. He can appeal the decision but told Russian news agency Tass he does not plan to do that.

The 32-year-old represented Ukraine until 2009 before switching allegiance to Russia and was born in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

He was at one time the youngest player to achieve the title of grandmaster and unsuccessfully challenged world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in 2016, losing on a rapid tie-break.

"This is a war between criminals and normal civilised people...There are two fronts now - one where we have soldiers and our militants fighting Russia, and the second is the economic front. It's important to block Russia's revenues from its exports," Oleg Ustenko, Ukraine President's Economic Advisor, said.

Oleg Ustenko, a top economic advisor to Ukraine's president, told Republic that "Many of our cities are already destroyed, many civilians and children killed".

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Monday accused Russia of "committing a real act of genocide" in Mariupol.
Reznikov said Russia is "afraid" of the Ukrainian army, "so they are fighting civilians".

Russia has warned that relations with the U.S. are “on the verge of a breach” and summoned the U.S. ambassador for an official protest against President Joe Biden’s criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement Monday referred to “recent unacceptable statements” by Biden about Putin. Biden referred to Putin last week as a “war criminal” in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry says that at the meeting with U.S. ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan “it was emphasized that remarks such as these by the American President, which are unworthy of a state figure of such a high rank, put Russian-American relations on the verge of a breach.”

AP

Amid the continuous shelling by the Russian forces in Ukraine, the British Defence Ministry has summoned the Russian defence attache over the situation in Ukraine for the second time on Monday. According to the Twitter post of the Ministry of Defence, the second Permanent Under-Secretary Laurence Lee protested in the strongest terms against the persistent and unjustified acts of violence being committed against innocent civilians by Russian forces. The UK officer reminded the DA of Russia’s obligations under the Geneva Convention.

Amid the heavy shelling in Ukraine, the delegations of both countries held peace talks virtually on Monday with high expectations. According to a report by the news agency TASS, the talks lasted an hour and a half, after which the discussion continued in the format of working groups. However, the report did not elaborate more details about the recent talks. 

Nearly two weeks after the Russian internet censor announced to block social media giant Facebook, a Russian court has again ordered a ban against several organisations that operates under the banner of Meta. As per the latest update, the court has banned social media giant, Facebook and video and photo-sharing platform, Instagram after tagging both the organisations under the category of "extremist organisations". The court stated that the decision will take effect immediately.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Monday that a NATO drill in Norway that was planned before the invasion of Ukraine sends “an important signal that there is cooperation, cooperation and a readiness to defend our territory.”

The visit to the exercise Cold Response “shouldn’t be interpreted as a step toward a Swedish NATO membership,” Andersson told reporters.

Sweden has a close partnership with NATO and that “has deepened during the crisis.”

While hearing a case against Meta, a Russian court refused to close an extremism case against the organisation, Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Monday. As the company is registered in the United     States, a company representative asked the court to stop the proceedings by saying, "Russian court has no right to examine the claim against a foreign company".
"We ask you to stop the proceedings on the case: the court does not have the authority to consider it, Meta is a foreign company, and the claim must be considered at the place of its registration", the representative told a district court in Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says more progress must be made in talks with Ukraine before Russian President Vladimir Putin can meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Peskov says that “in order to talk about a meeting of the two presidents, first it’s necessary to do the homework, it’s necessary to hold talks and agree on the results.”

Western countries signed a joint statement "On the urgent need to modernize the air defence of Ukraine" on Monday. According to the statement released by Ukrainian Parliament, countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, America and Netherlands signed to modernize the air defence of Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday said she is expecting numerous other war refugees from Ukraine will arrive in the European Union. According to her estimate, around 8 million refugees would seek shelter in the EU.

 Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory agency says the radiation monitors around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, site of the world’s worst meltdown in 1986, have stopped working.

In a statement Monday, the agency also said there are no longer firefighters available in the region to protect forests tainted by decades of radioactivity as the weather warms. The plant was seized by Russian forces on Feb. 24.

According to Monday’s statement, the combination of risks could mean a “significant deterioration” of the ability to control the spread of radiation not just in Ukraine but beyond the country’s borders in weeks and months to come.

Management of the Chernobyl plant said Sunday that 50 staff members who had been working nonstop since the Russian takeover have been rotated out and replaced.

AP

Russian invaders took four journalists from their homes in Melitopol, Ukrinform reported on Monday. Citing the National Union of Journalists, it noted that on March 21, armed men came to the home of MV Holding journalists - publisher Mykhailo Kumko, graduation editor Yevhenia Boryan, journalists Yulia Olkhovska and Lyubov Chaika - and took them in an unknown direction.

uthorities in Odesa have accused Russian forces of damaging civilian houses in a strike on the Black Sea port city on Monday.

The city council said no one was killed in the strike and that emergency services quickly extinguished a fire. Mayor Hennady Trukhanov visited the site and said “we will not leave Odessa and we will fight for our city.”

In order to increase the number of potential "conscripts", Ukraine claimed that the occupiers has increased the age limit for "conscripts" - from 55 to 65 years. "Students are actively involved in the ranks of the occupying army. In particular, all students of Luhansk Railway Technical School are officially summoned to the educational institution for "registration", read the statement released by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine on Monday.
 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday affirmed that Moscow has the capability to survive the sanctions imposed by the West and other countries. According to him, Russia will rely on itself and its allies who are still supporting Moscow after starting a military operation against Ukraine.
"Russia will survive the sanctions. The main conclusion for us in the context of geopolitics is that there is no more illusion of relying on the West. We can rely only on ourselves and on our allies who would stay with us," he said.

China’s ambassador to Washington said the Xi Jinping-led government “will do everything” possible to de-escalate the war between Ukraine and Russia and added the condemnation of Russia’s attack “doesn’t solve the problem”, FT reported. Besides, China pledged to provide an additional 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) worth of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The government of Poland intend to confiscate Russian property and assets in the republic, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview, reported TASS News agency. According to the Prime Minister, Polish authorities plan to have a meeting with the opposition Monday, during which they will "raise a question on how to freeze and confiscate Russian property in the country."

Amid heavy shelling in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, on Monday said that there will be no ceasefire during the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Amid heavy shelling in Ukraine, a Russian shell exploded next to people who were standing in line at the supermarket. There were no reports of injuries or loss of lives until now.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is accusing Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine, most notably in the besieged port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians have been killed.

Borrell says that “what’s happening in Mariupol is a massive war crime. Destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody in an indiscriminate manner. This is something awful.”

He says Russia has lost any moral high ground and he underlined that “war also has law.” Borrell’s remarks Monday came as he arrived to chair a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his desire to visit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Johnson has asked officials to examine the practicality and value of the trip. During the trip, Johnson was expecting talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"'If you set aside the security concerns, which are considerable, the question is whether there is anything additional you could achieve by visiting in person, or whether it would just be a show of solidarity, and whether that is a sufficient goal in itself," Daily Mail quoted an official source as saying.

Trading in Russian exchange bonds resumed at Moscow exchange after days of pause after Western nations slapped sweeping sanctions on Russia's financial sector, On Monday, the price index of the Russian government bonds saw a dip of 9.4%, the minimum since December 2014. 

Russia needs to be held accountable for the tragic loss of lives in Ukraine following its "terrible" invasion of that country, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday at a virtual summit with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

In his opening remarks, Morrison also referred to the recent meeting of the leaders of the Quad countries on the Ukraine crisis and said it provided an opportunity to discuss the "implications and consequences" of the developments for the Indo-Pacific region.

(With PTI inputs)

A video surfaced on the internet showing the aftermath of the overnight  Russian shelling of a shopping mall in the Retroville district of Kyiv. At least 8 people were killed in the incident, Ukraine Prosecutor General's office informed.

An early morning Russia-led shelling in the Sumykhimprom chemical plant caused one of the ammonia tanks to leak. The affected area was estimated to be about 2.5kms. People were asked to take immediate shelter. However, about half an hour ago, Ukrainian State Emergency Services informed that the "ammonia leak in Sumy is now insignificant."

Making China's stand in the Russia-Ukraine war clear for the first time, China's Embassy in the United Kingdom on Monday, March 21, stated that Beijing is rooting for peace and dialogues amid the Russia-Ukraine war and added that the 'Cold War mentality' should be abolished.

Amid the devastation caused by Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, the international community has been compelled to take sides or voice support for dialogue between the two neighbouring countries. Since the war on Ukraine began on February 24, the international community has not refrained from calling out complacency and dubious stand on the part of Russia, while coming forth in support of Kyiv and against the Kremlin-led military offensives.

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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson is set to visit embattled Kyiv to show support to Ukraine in the war against Russia, Daily Mail reported. However, top security officials in London are "having kittens over the idea" as aggravated Russian shelling has caused unprecedented civilian deaths in the ex-Soviet European nation. 

The Russian war on Ukraine has now lasted for 26 days with evident devastation leading to a widespread humanitarian crisis. As the invading forces aggravate aggression against Kyiv, the ex-Soviet nation is witnessing a wave of patriotism expressed through inspirational tattoos and billboards. Among the most favoured are the Ukrainian flag and biblical phrases against war, the Associated Press reported.

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Ukrainian Defence Ministry has claimed that Russian troops have been "terrorizing" residents of Ukraine in temporarily occupied territories. The ministry informed that Russian armed forces store their weapons and equipment in the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine. Russian forces conducting "forced mobilization measures" in the temporarily occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. 

Accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to carry out the "final solution" against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow is using the famous "Nazi term" as it had previously used for its planned genocide of 6 million Jews during World War II. Zelenskyy who was speaking to Israel's Parliament on the Russian invasion on Sunday also compared the current state of the Ukrainians to the "genocide of Jews" and further stated that it is the same situation as it was for them during WWII. 

Moscow has deployed a TOS-1 thermobaric multiple rocket launcher system. This thermobaric multiple rocket launcher system referred to as 'heavy flamethrower' by the Soviets is positioned in Eastern Ukraine to increase firepower in the ongoing war. In a video accessed by Republic TV, a TOS-1 thermobaric multiple rocket launcher system is seen firing at Ukrainian positions. 

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Hollywood actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have raised over USD 3 million in aid of Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-ravaged country following Vladimir Putin's invasion. As the full-fledged Russia-led invasion of Ukraine has entered Day 26, countries have increasingly shown solidarity with the eastern European country. Acknowledging their contribution, Ukrainian President Volodymyr held a video call with the celebrity couple and extended his gratitude for their efforts. 

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In an endorsement of India's approach towards the Russia-Ukraine war, Australia acknowledged that PM Modi had used all his contacts to try and end the conflict. This comes amid disquiet in the West over India's refusal to outrightly condemn Russia's aggression and abstain from resolutions tabled on the Russia-Ukraine war in the UN Security Council as well as the UN General Assembly.

"The Quad countries have accepted India's position. We understand that each country has a bilateral relationship and it is clear from the comments of the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and Prime Minister Modi himself that he has used his contacts to call for the end of the conflict and no country will be unhappy with that," Barry O'Farrell was quoted as saying by PTI.

Over 900 civilians have reportedly been dead in Ukraine ever since Russia announced an all-out military attack on Kyiv, the Office of the UN OHCHR said on Sunday. The report by the commission also informed that the casualties were mostly from explosives detonated by Russian forces, shelling from heavy artillery, airstrikes, and multiple-rocket systems. However, the on-ground toll is expected to be 'considerably' higher since the agency has not been able to verify or determine the death toll from severely-hit cities, including Mariupol.

Ukrainian firefighters and relief workers were seen pulling out persons who were stuck under the debris and structure of the mall. Kyiv's state public service released the video wherein the explosion at the mall was visible and caught on a nearby CCTV camera. While the alleged Russia-led attack jolted the area, the building is seen catching massive fire seconds after the missile strike. 

Ammonia leaked from Sumykhimprom chemical plant at 4:30 am local time as a result of Russian airstrike, said Governor of Sumy, Oblast Dmytro Zhyvytsky, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The affected area is estimated to be around 2.5 km from the site: The Kyiv Independent

Over 900 people have been arrested in Russian anti-war protests. On March 21, 936 protestors against Russian president Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine were detained. The arrests were made from 37 Russian cities, OVD-Info reported.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations are likely to resume talks in a virtual manner on Monday, March 21, reported the Ukrayinska Pravda media outlet on Sunday. This came at a time when Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling upon Russian President Vladimir Putin for "peace talks". 

Ukraine on Monday rejected Russia's demand to lay down arms in the besieged city of Mariupol in exchange for safe passage out of town, but officials in Kyiv immediately rejected the offer as out of the question. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said “there can be no question of any surrender, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this,” as quoted by news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

As the Ukrainian City Mariupol continues to remain under heavy bombardment, Russian forces have given Ukrainian forces a deadline till 5:00 AM (Moscow time) (2 AM GMT) on Monday, March 21 to lay down their arms in the city citing a "terrible humanitarian catastrophe" unfolding. As reported by the Ukrainian media, the director of the Russian National Defence Management Center, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev during a briefing on Sunday had asked the forces to lay down their arms stating that a terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed and further all those who lay their arms will be provided a safe passage out of the city. He also claimed that humanitarian corridors will be opened for civilians.

Mariupol's council on Monday through a Telegram post claimed that several thousand residents had been "deported" to Russia over the past week. The post added that Russian news agencies reported buses had carried hundreds of refugees from Mariupol to Russia in recent days.

US President Joe Biden is set to travel to Warsaw, Poland on March 25 as the Russian war against Ukraine escalates. Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and discuss the response by Allies and partners to the manifold humanitarian crisis that has emerged in Ukraine. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war escalated to day 26, the United States informally raised a request with Turkey to deliver Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems to Ukraine, in a bid to bolster the fight against Moscow. However, Ankara is "unlikely" to accept Washington's proposition, calling it "American intelligence propaganda," chairman of the left-wing Turkish Vatan Party, Dogu Perincek told Sputnik news.

"The US does not have the authority to order Turkey around. The Turkish government will by no means accept an order like handing over Russian S-400s to Ukraine," Perincek said.

"The Turkish government has no such chance. It is impossible that the Turkish government will be willing to even listen to such orders. This information is typical American intelligence propaganda," he added, as quoted by Sputnik.

Daleep Singh, who is the deputy national security adviser for the international economy, stated that the US could impose new sanctions on Russia, and the White House is "nowhere near" removing any of the limitations.

He stated that they have the ability to broaden their punishments. So, they will take the measures and sanctions that we've already implemented and apply them to new targets and apply them to a wider range of industries. he also said that Russia's financial sector, as well as oil and gas, are among the areas that could be targeted.

Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko said that several explosions have occurred in Kyiv's Podilskyi district. He further stated that current information suggests that some houses and one of the commercial centres were affected. He went on to say that rescuers, medics, and police have already arrived and that they are extinguishing a large fire in one of the shopping centres. He further said that there was one victim.

Despite the fact that the port city of Mariupol in Ukraine is under seize, Ukraine has rejected Russia's demand to surrender the city. Iryna Vereshchuk, who is Ukraine's deputy prime minister stated that the city will not be handed over to Russia. She further said that there will be no talks of surrendering and laying down weapons and that the Russian side has been informed about this.

In the meanwhile, thousands of inhabitants are stranded in the city, with little to no food, water, or power, which has been attacked by Russian forces for more than two weeks.

Finland's Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, declared that Finland is prepared to receive more Ukrainian refugees. She also stated that just a limited number of refugees had landed in Finland and they will be happy to welcome more.

Marin stated that the Finnish authorities will try to provide normal conditions for individuals arriving from Ukraine and that Finns are aware of what is going on and wish to help.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suggests that Lybia will send volunteers to fight for Russian forces in Ukraine amid war. General Staff stated during the visit of Libyan National Army Chief Khalif Haftar to Moscow, an agreement was struck to send Libyan volunteers to Ukraine to participate in combat operations on the Russian Federation's side. It was also stated that the transfer of military mercenaries is anticipated to be carried out at the expense of a private military corporation "Liga" by Russian Federation forces.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov warns the Belarusian military about the consequences of a possible invasion of Ukraine. Danilov stated that Russia is now using the territory of Belarus for its military purposes in the unleashed war against Ukraine, but if one Belarusian soldier crosses the border with Ukraine, it will be destroyed.

In the Korosten district of the Zhytomyr region, which is in the northern part of Ukraine, 3 people were injured and 13 buildings were destroyed as a result of the Russian airstrike, according to Ukrainian media. However, the fire caused by the shelling was stopped and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) continues to remove the remains at the site of the destroyed buildings.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is turning to desperate measures because he is failing to meet his objectives. She further claimed that Putin and his administration will be held accountable for this.

Truss also said that she is shocked by Russian atrocities in Mariupol, especially attacks on schools that house people and the kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainians.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova has stated that six countries have begun investigating war crimes in Russia, which includes Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. We are collaborating closely with them to expedite the exchange of information and evidence.

International Criminal Code suggests that a state's prosecutor's office can investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity anywhere in the world. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the International Criminal Court announced the start of an investigation into war crimes in early March, at the request of 39 countries.

As Russian aggression in Ukraine continues after 25 days, Ukrainian people are protesting against the Russian invaders in Kherson. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba shared a video of people protesting in Kherson stating, "Brave Ukrainians in Kherson keep protesting against Russian invaders. Peacefully and fearlessly. They literally forced two huge Russian trucks to retreat simply by their peaceful pressure. These people are from Ukraine. Their spirit of freedom is truly unbreakable."

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty will not be jeopardised. In an interview, he said that there will be no compromises regarding their territorial integrity or sovereignty, as is the wish of the Ukrainian people. He further said that they did not greet the Russian soldiers with flowers, instead, they greeted them bravely, with guns in their hands.

Zelenskyy also said that Russia cannot earn the favour of the inhabitants of another country by force and that it cannot compel the president of another country to recognise anything. He further stated that he is willing to engage in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but cautioned that if all attempts to negotiate fail, the conflict between the two countries could lead to "a third world war."

The bells of St. Paul’s Cathedral rang out Sunday as a gesture of support for Ukraine.

The London landmark rang its 12 bells at 4 p.m. (1600GMT), the same time as church bells were due to sound in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. Durham Cathedral in northern England and other churches around Britain also joined in.

Dean of St. Paul’s David Ison said he hoped Ukrainians would “find comfort in this act of solidarity.” He said “we continue to pray for strength and safety for the many people affected by the conflict, and for peace in Ukraine and around the world.”

Ukrainian politicians have likened their fight against Russian invasion to Britain’s struggle against Nazi Germany in World War II.

One of the most iconic images of British wartime resilience is a photo showing the dome of St. Paul’s surrounded by thick smoke during a night of heavy German bombing in 1940.

On Sunday, Ukrainian media stated that Russian and Ukrainian delegates are likely to restart online talks on March 21. Citing high ranking sources, the media suggests that an online meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations is planned for March 21.

David Arakhamia, who is the leader of the ruling Servant of the People party's parliamentary faction in Ukraine claimed that the conversations are ongoing every day and today is no exception.

During his address to Knesset legislators, Zelenskyy said that "102 years after the Nazi party was established, on February 24, an order was given for a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine."

“The Russians use the terminology of the Nazi party, want to destroy everything. The Nazis called this ‘the final solution to the Jewish question,'” he said..

Zelenldy appealed to Israeli lawmakers for assistance, citing the Russian airstrike that struck near Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial in Kyiv. He questioned Israel for not providing weapons and sanctioning Russia.

“You need to provide answers to questions and live with them. Ukraine decided 80 years ago and saved Jews. The people of Israel, you also have a choice,” he said.

More than 8,000 people are attending an open-air concert in the German capital to express their support for Ukraine.

The “Sound of Peace” concert at the city’s landmark Brandenburg Gate on Sunday features German music stars such as Marius Mueller-Westernhagen, who was to perform his iconic song Freiheit, or freedom in German, violinist David Garrett, singer Peter Maffay, and the bands Revolverheld and Silbermond.

Up to 20,000 people were expected at the concert which started in the early afternoon and was supposed to last into the night.

On Sunday afternoon, police called on visitors that the main streets leading to the venue where so crowded that newcomers should look for others ways to get to the concert, German news agency dpa reported.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai thanked PM Narendra Modi for his efforts in bringing back the mortal remains of Naveen Shekharappa Gyangoudar, who was killed in a shelling attack in Ukraine️.

The mortal remains of Naveen will reach Bengaluru at 2:45 am on March 21.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver a speech to Knesset legislators. His speech will be screened at a rally at Habima Square in Tel Aviv.
 

Russian State TV on Sunday broadcast video which it said showed people preparing for evacuation from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

According to the rebel Donetsk government, over 500 people left Mariupol, including 114 children.  

In the footage from RU-RTR, local residents told reporters what they witnessed in the city. 

"I've been sitting in a basement for two weeks," one of them said.

"The house was bombed. We have no place to live. We think about where to live," another resident said. 
 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he had offered Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family refuge in the United Kingdom amid Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

Johnson told the Sunday Times that Zelenskyy has regular conversations with him and is an "absolutely charming guy but he's also proved to be an inspiration."

According to the British prime minister, the possibility of Zelenskyy and his family getting refuge in the UK had been discussed, but "Volodymyr has always been clear, his duty is to the Ukrainian people; he's going to stay there, he's going to look after them. I have to say I admire him."

In the early hours of February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kyiv forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted - the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, "who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years."

In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.

(ANI/Sputnik)
 

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a ceasefire from both sides in Ukraine, on Sunday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, but fell short of criticizing Russia.

He made his comments during a joint news conference with his visiting Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra in the central-eastern city of Huangshan, Anhui province

CCTV cited Wang saying "NATO's unrestricted eastward expansion deserves reflection", shifting blame for the war to Western countries.

China's leader Xi Jinping and top diplomats have in the past refrained from criticizing Russia, nor use the terms war or invasion to describe Russia's actions. 

Wang also renewed China's criticism of sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion, saying "escalating unilateral sanctions against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic will disrupt global industrial and supply chains."

(AP)
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin but warned that if the talks fail it could mean World War III. 

"I'm ready for negotiations with Putin, but if they fail, it could mean World War III," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by The Kyiv Independent.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said that China is not considering any form of military or technical support to Russia as it amplifies attack on Ukraine following its invasion on February 24, Ukrainian media reported. He said that the Xi Jinping administration intends to continue its independent position in the Ukraine crisis.

The US' Indo-Pacific strategy is as "dangerous" as NATO's eastward expansion in Europe resulting in Russia's military offensive against Ukraine, a senior Chinese diplomat has said.

"With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) should have been consigned to history alongside the Warsaw Pact," China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said while addressing the International Forum on Security and Strategy hosted by the Centre for International Security and Strategy of Tsinghua University on Saturday.

"However, rather than breaking up, NATO has kept strengthening and expanding. One could well anticipate the consequences going down this path. The crisis in Ukraine is a stern warning," he said.

Chinese officials say NATO's plans to admit Kyiv heightened Russia's insecurity resulting in Russian President Vladimir Putin's military action against Ukraine. Ever since Russia began military operations in Ukraine last month, China, a close ally of Moscow, has been treading a fine line, declining to condemn it as an invasion.

"All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace," Le said.
(PTI)

Ukraine’s General Staff sees a high risk of attack from Belarus on western Ukraine. Ukraine’s Armed Forces have said that according to Ukrainian intelligence, in the next several days, Belarus will join Russia in its invasion of Ukraine: The Kyiv Independent

Several hundred protesters gathered at the border crossing between Poland and Belarus on Sunday demanding the European Union halt all trade with Russian and its ally Belarus.

Officials in Poland say that trucks headed for Belarus are waiting in a 40-kilometer (25-mile) line to reach the Koroszczyn border point due to the demonstrations.

The protesters, Ukrainians and Poles, have been blocking access to the crossing – on and off – for some two weeks, to pressure Moscow into ending its war on Ukraine, in which civilians are being killed. 

Russian troops invaded Ukraine February 24.

"We keep fighting and we will stand until the end, until all this is really over," one demonstrator said on Sunday.

"Please understand, if these goods continue to enter Belarus, then all the money will work against us (Ukraine)," another said. 

"We are waiting for Europe (EU), we are waiting for help," they added.

The latest round of the "NO Trade with Russia!" protest in eastern Poland began early Saturday, largely extending the usual lines at the crossing.

Some 950 trucks were waiting to cross into Belarus early Sunday, according to spokesman for the local tax office, Michal Derus. 

The waiting time was 32 hours, he said.

The road leading to the border point has been closed and the police were separating the protesters from the trucks and the drivers, road infrastructure authorities said.

The pressure of truck traffic on the Koroszczyn border point increased after Poland's largest crossing into Belarus, in Kuznica, was closed in November, following border guard clashes with Middle Eastern migrants who were trying to illegally cross into Poland, European Union member.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has called on the European Union to halt all land and sea trade with Russia.
(AP)

As per The Verge, the company will donate its Fortnite proceeds between March 20 and April 3 for the relief operations.

The action will include all "real-money purchases" in the game, which means purchased V-bucks, subscriptions, gifted battles passes, and certain cosmetic packs. The company also noted that 'using V-Bucks in Fortnite will not be included as those are not real-money purchases.

It will also include retail gift card purchases so long as they're redeemed during the two-week window.
As part of the effort, Microsoft will also be "committing their net proceeds for Fortnite during this time, so that we can get more aid to the people of Ukraine."

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, over 600 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

(ANI)
 

Pope Francis has denounced Russia’s “repugnant war” against Ukraine as “cruel and sacrilegious inhumanity.” 

In some of his strongest words yet since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, Francis on Sunday told thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square that every day brings more atrocities in what is a “senseless massacre.” 

“There is no justification for this,’’ Francis said, in an apparent reference to Russia, which sought to justify its invasion as vital for its own defense. But Francis again stopped short of naming Russia as the aggressor. Pontiffs typically have decried wars and their devastating toll on civilians without citing warmongers by name. 

Francis also called on “all actors in the international community” to work toward ending the war. “Again this week, missiles, bombs, rained down on the elderly, children and pregnant mothers,’’ the pope said. His thoughts, he said, went to the millions who flee. “And I feel great pain for those who don’t even have the chance to escape,’’ Francis added. 

The pope said that “above all, defenseless life should get respected and protected, not eliminated.” That priority “comes before any strategy,’’ Francis said, before leading those in the square in a moment of silent prayer.

(AP)

Ukrainian authorities said Sunday that Russia's military bombed an art school sheltering some 400 people in the embattled port city of Mariupol, where Ukraine's president said an unrelenting Russian siege would be remembered for centuries to come. 

It was the second time in less than a week that city officials reported a public building where residents had taken shelter coming under attack. A bomb hit a Mariupol theatre with more than 1,300 believed to be inside on Wednesday, local officials said. 

There was no immediate word on casualties from the reported strike on the art school, which The Associated Press could not independently verify. Ukrainian officials have not given an update on the search of the theatre since Friday, when they said at least 130 had been rescued. 

Mariupol, a strategic port on the Azov Sea, has been under bombardment for at least three weeks and has seen some of the worst horrors of the war in Ukraine. 

At least 2,300 people have died, some of whom had to be buried in mass graves, and food, water and electricity have run low.

(AP)
 

Officials in Poland say that trucks headed for Belarus are backed up for 40 kilometres (25 miles) while they wait to reach the Koroszczyn border point as a group of protesters is blocking the road there. The protesters are calling for a ban on trade with Russia and its ally Belarus.

The protesters, Ukrainians and Poles, have been blocking access to the crossing – on and off – for some two weeks, to pressure Moscow into ending its war on Ukraine. 

The latest round of the “NO Trade with Russia!” protest in eastern Poland began early Saturday.

Some 950 trucks were waiting to cross into Belarus early Sunday, according to a spokesman for the local tax office, Michal Derus. The waiting time was 32 hours, he said.

The road leading to the border point has been closed and the police were separating the protesters from the trucks and the drivers, road infrastructure authorities said.

The pressure of truck traffic on the Koroszczyn border point increased after Poland’s largest crossing into Belarus, in Kuznica, was closed in November, following border guard clashes with Middle East migrants who were trying to illegally cross into Poland, European Union member.

Commenting on the protest on Saturday, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on the European Union to halt all land and sea trade with Russia.

(AP)

Slovakia’s Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad says the first multinational NATO units with the Patriot air defense systems have been moving to his country. Nad said on Sunday the transfers will continue in the next days.

Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to send their troops armed with the Patriots to Slovakia. The troops are some of the 2,100 soldiers from several NATO members, including the United States, who will form a battlegroup on Slovak territory as the alliance boosts its defenses in its eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Nad says the Patriots will be initially deployed at the armed forces base of Sliac in central Slovakia before they will be stationed at various places to protect the largest possible Slovak territory.

He thanked Germany and the Netherlands for their “responsible decision” to fundamentally boost Slovakia’s defenses.
At the same time, Nad said, the Patriots would not replace the Russian-made S-300 air-defense system his country has relied on, calling their deployment “another component to protect Slovakia’s airspace.”

Nad previously has said his country will be willing to provide its S-300 long-range air defense missile system to Ukraine on condition it has a proper replacement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the S-300s when he spoke to U.S. lawmakers by video Wednesday, appealing for anti-air systems that would allow Ukraine protect its airspace against Russian warplanes and missiles. NATO members Bulgaria, Slovakia and Greece have the S-300s.

The Slovak minister said Sunday his country will work to replace the S-300s with a different system that would be compatible with the systems used by the allies.
(AP)

Russian forces are continuing to encircle a number of cities across eastern Ukraine... Russia has increased its indiscriminate shelling of urban areas resulting in widespread destruction and large numbers of civilian casualties: UK Ministry of Defence

115 children killed in Ukraine since the start of Russian invasion. 140 more have been injured, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, reports The Kyiv Independent.

The authorities in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol say that nearly 40,000 people have fled over the past week. That's nearly 10% of its 430,000 population.

The city council in the Azov Sea port city said Sunday that 39,426 residents have safely evacuated from Mariupol in their own vehicles. It said the evacuees used more than 8,000 vehicles to leave via a humanitarian corridor via Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia.

The strategic city has been encircled by the Russian troops and faced a relentless Russian bombardment for three weeks, coming to symbolize the horror of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Local authorities have said the siege has cut off food, water and energy supplies, and killed at least 2,300 people, some of whom had to be buried in mass graves.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that the siege of Mariupol would go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.

Authorities in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv say at least five civilians have been killed in the latest Russian shelling.

Regional police in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, said the victims of the Russian artillery attack early Sunday included a 9-year-old boy.

Kharkiv has been besieged by Russian forces since the start of the invasion and has come under a relentless barrage.

In a stark reminder to his adversary of Moscow’s strategic nuclear might, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered the Kremlin officials to kick start the nuclear war evacuation drill in an apparent threat to the West, and the Alliance. Putin has put “doomsday” planes including Ilyushin Il-80 Maxdome on standby, a Telegram channel linked with the Russian presidency said in several disturbing claims, adding that the embattled ex-Soviet ruler has moved close allies, family, into an underground city in Siberia, purportedly a nuclear bunker in the Altai Mountains. Read Full Story.

Ships of the Russian navy have destroyed an armored vehicles repair plant of Ukrainian forces with Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.

According to the spokesman, the Russian armed forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities with long-range precision weapons on the evening of March 19 and on the morning of March 20.

The Russian military said on Sunday that it has carried out a new series of strikes on Ukrainian military facilities with long-range hypersonic and cruise missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that the Kinzhal hypersonic missile hit a Ukrainian fuel depot in Kostiantynivka near the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv. 

The strike marked the second day in a row that Russia used the Kinzhal, a weapon capable of striking targets 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) away at a speed 10 times the speed of sound.
 

As the Russian soldiers flooded the streets of Berdyansk in armoured vehicles marked with the “Z” symbol, elsewhere making the fierce advancement deeper into the Ukrainian city Mariupol on the 25th day of the siege, a Ukrainian journalist of Hromadske television Victoria Roshchyna is being reported as “missing.”

The Ukrainian journalist, who had been widely covering the war from the hotspots in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, was taken hostage by Russians in occupied Berdyansk, the media outlet informed in a Twitter update. 

Social networks of the Mariupol City Council reported that Russian troops drop bombs on art schools in Mariupol, where hundreds of people were hiding. 

"About 400 Mariupol residents were hiding there - women, children, and the elderly. It is known that the building was destroyed, and peaceful people are still under the rubble. The information on the number of victims is being clarified, ”the City Council said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine claim to have killed the Deputy Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Andriy Paliy. 
 

The National Security and Defense Council has suspended all activities of a number of political parties during martial law, including parties with ties to the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced this in an address on March 20. The suspended parties include: 

1. Opposition Platform for Life (Opzzh) 
2. The Shariy Party
3. The Nashi 
4. The Opposition Bloc and Other Socialist Parties

Switzerland is ready to mediate or to hold negotiations. This was stated by the president of the confederation, Ignazio Cassis, speaking at a rally in Bern under the slogan "Solidarity with Ukraine, stop the war!"

More than 75 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to the residents of Kherson by Russian servicemen, the country's Defence Ministry stated. 

The Belgian government has decided to postpone for ten years the plan to abandon nuclear energy in 2025 due to the rapid rise in energy prices provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

According to him, such a decision will strengthen the country's independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment. It is noted that energy prices for Europeans have risen sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and EU leaders will meet next week to agree on new emergency measures to mitigate the blow to consumers and businesses.

Amid the Russian aggression, Ukraine fired an OTR-21 Tochka ballistic missile in the port of Berdyansk, which is in the southern part of Ukraine. Local reports claim that the missile was intercepted by Russian air defense before it could reach the intended target. Russian forces have stated that Ukraine is firing its limited stockpile over the front lines as well as in cities and villages where Russian troops are very few.

A video was circulated featuring the remains of the Ukrainian OTR-21 ballistic missile in the civilian port of Berdyansk. The experts suggest that the destruction could have been catastrophic had the missile not been intercepted by the Russian air defense.

The price of used cars in Japan began to decline rapidly against the backdrop of anti-Russian sanctions and falling exports to Russia. This was reported on Sunday by the Nikkei newspaper.

For the first two weeks of March, the average price for a car in the Japanese secondary market was 785 thousand yen ($6.5 thousand), which is immediately 5% less than at the end of February. Economic sanctions have led to a sharp reduction in demand in Russia, which was Japan's largest destination for used cars.

The Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki stated that it is necessary to prepare a plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine, which should be co-financed by the wealthiest European countries. He will raise this issue at the next European Council (24-25 March).

"Today's Ukraine is being affected by fear, but it is also being marked by the courage of soldiers, who have been fighting, and by the hope of the entire nation for the rebirth of a sovereign state after the war. This hope must be based on a real foundation, namely, on a No. 2 Marshall Plan for Ukraine," — said Morawiecki.

 According to the Prime Minister, the wealthiest countries should join the plan because they "overslept" the moment when it was possible to stop Russian aggression.

Russian forces pushed deeper into the besieged and battered port city of Mariupol, where heavy fighting on 
Saturday shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the war's worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

Amid escalating fight between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said that Moscow's cooperation with Beijing will "get stronger" in the face of western sanctions.

During a media event, he said, "At a time when the west is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, we -- as two great powers -- need to think how to carry on in this world," 

As hundreds of people have lost their lives in Ukraine since the Russian invasion started on February 24. A huge number of locals were seen on their knees along the road to pay tribute to fallen Ukrainian fighters who are being returned to their homeland for burial. Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a video featuring the people on their knees showing their respect to the fallen Ukrainian. It stated, "Eternal Memory and Glory to our Fallen Heroes."

Chairman of the Donetsk Military-Civil Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko stated that thousands of Mariupol civilians have managed to flee Russian bombings in seized Manhushi and Melekin, however, the Russian forces have refused to provide them food, water, or safe passage.

In a televised interview on Saturday, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov stated that Ukraine will receive a new shipment of US weapons in the coming days, including Javelin and Stinger missiles. Danilov further stated that in the near future the weapons will be in their country.

Allies of Ukraine have given planeloads of weapons to reinforce the country's military in the face of the Russian invasion. In the meanwhile, deliveries by NATO members have been criticised by Russia.

Ukrainian media suggests that more than 6,600 individuals were evacuated from hotspots on March 19. The report says that 4,128 people evacuated from Mariupol to Zaporizhia, which included more than 1,100 children. It was also stated that around 1,820 individuals were evacuated from  Kyiv Oblast. the local media also claims that eight of the ten humanitarian corridors planned were completed.

Russia’s National Defense Control Center Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev has stated that Russia has opened 10 humanitarian corridors in Kyiv, Mariupol, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv directions on March 19. However, the Ukrainian side has confirmed only three and requested 11 further routes.

In a television interview on Saturday, Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko warned that since the Russian invasion, which started on February 24, 30% of Ukraine's economy has stopped working. The Finance Minister also stated that their tax earnings are insufficient to meet their needs, which gives them the option of borrowing as the primary source of revenue.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have destroyed a column of Russian soldiers in the direction of Zaporozhye. It killed around 60 soldiers and destroyed many armoured vehicles. It was stated that Ukrainian Armed Forces also downed a Russian Ka-52 helicopter and destroyed another of the same type.

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed the Speakers of the Parliaments of 10 countries expressing his gratitude for their support to Ukraine stating that acts of Russian terrorism against Ukraine cannot be overlooked by the democratic world today and that he is confident that all of the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be apprehended in the near future.

He urged his Argentine, Brazilian, Guatemalan, Honduran, Dominican, Costa Rican, Paraguayan, Panamanian, Peruvian, and Uruguayan allies, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to take all necessary steps to remove Russian troops from the NPP and secure these and other nuclear weapons.

He expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their unwavering support for Ukraine, particularly at the United Nations, as well as their forceful condemnation of Russia's invasion of the country. Simultaneously, he emphasised the importance of the international community taking more decisive and active steps to discourage the aggressor and bring the war to an end.

He also stated that he is eager to assist Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru in joining sanctions on Russia that will prevent it from committing war crimes against Ukraine.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "very serious" matter, saying it has "shaken" the roots of international order.

The visiting leader made the comments in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a joint media briefing after the 14th India-Japan summit here.

A joint statement said that Modi and Kishida, in their talks, called for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine, pitched for resolution of the conflict through dialogue besides underscoring the importance of safety and security of nuclear facilities in that country.

It said the two leaders expressed serious concern over the conflict and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

"We discussed the situation in Ukraine. The Russian attack on Ukraine is a very serious matter that has shaken the roots of the international system. We need to approach the matter with a strong resolve," Kishida said at the media briefing.

"I told Modi that one-sided efforts to change status quo by force can't be allowed in any sector. We both agreed on the need for a peaceful solution to all conflicts on the basis of international law," he added.

The joint statement said Modi and Kishida reiterated their call for an "immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict."

While Japan has been severely critical of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, India has been pitching for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

"The prime ministers expressed their serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region,"  the joint statement issued after the talks said.

"They emphasised that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," it said.

It said the leaders underscored the importance of the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and acknowledged active efforts of the  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) towards it.

"The leaders affirmed that they would undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," it added.

Modi and Kishida highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

They also emphasised the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.

"In this regard, they reaffirmed their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion," the joint statement said.

"They shared the view that the economies of both countries in such a world would be powered by robust bilateral investment and trade flows through diversified, resilient, transparent, open, secure and predictable global supply chains that provide for economic security and prosperity of their peoples," it said.

Reaffirming that the two countries would continue to work together to realise the shared objectives, they resolved to further advance the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The leaders emphasised that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect.

"They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritising the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas," the statement said.

They emphasised the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint.

"They further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS, without prejudice to the rights and interests of all nations including those not party to these negotiations," it said.

(PTI)

British Prime Minister 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 on Saturday, Johnson claimed Putin was “terrified” that the example of a free Ukraine would spark a pro-democracy revolution in Russia.

He said “a victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine, and the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.”

On Saturday, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that it has used hypersonic missiles for the first time to destroy an ammunition depot in western Ukraine. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, who is the spokesperson of the Russian Defence Ministry stated that the "Kinzhal aircraft missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles" was deployed in the village of Delyatyn, a small settlement around 611 kilometres west of Ukraine's capital Kyiv. He further said that it destroyed a massive subterranean warehouse storing missiles and aviation ammunition.

U.S. oil field services companies Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger said they are suspending operations in Russia as the Houston, Texas-based businesses respond to U.S. sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Halliburton announced Friday that it suspended future business in the country as the company complies with sanctions that prohibit transactions and work, including for certain state-owned Russian customers. Halliburton said it will prioritize safety and reliability as it winds down its remaining operations in Russia.

Haliburton said it halted all shipments of specific sanctioned parts and products to Russia several weeks ago. Halliburton said it has no active joint ventures there.

Schlumberger said Friday that it immediately suspended investment and technology deployment to its Russia operations. It said it will continue to actively monitor this “dynamic" situation.

“Safety and security are at the core of who we are as a company, and we urge a cessation of the conflict and a restoration of safety and security in the region," Schlumberger CEO Olivier Le Peuch said in a statement. 

As the war continues, and the deadly violence and humanitarian crisis worsens, companies that remain are under increasing pressure to leave. 

More than 400 U.S. and other multinational firms have pulled out of Russia, either permanently or temporarily, according to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for Executive Programs at Yale University’s School of Management, who has publicized a list of corporate actions in Russia. 

Oil companies ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP, along with some major tech companies like Dell and Facebook, were among the first to announce their withdrawal or suspension of operations. Many others,  including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Estee Lauder, followed. Roughly 30 companies remain. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday asked Congress to press U.S. businesses still operating in Russia to leave, saying the Russian market is “flooded with our blood.”
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the Swiss government to freeze the bank accounts of all Russian oligarchs.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that Zelenskyy, who spoke via livestream on Saturday to thousands of antiwar protesters in the Swiss city of Bern, said “in your banks are the funds of the people who unleashed this war. Help to fight this. So that their funds are frozen. (...) It would be good to take away those privileges from them.”

Zelenskyy could be seen on a big screen sitting behind a desk wearing a short-sleeved camouflage T-shirt. His speech was dubbed into German. When he called for the blocking of oligarchs’ accounts, great applause erupted.

SRF also reported that the Ukrainian president criticized the Swiss multinational food conglomerate Nestle, which has decided not to withdraw from Russia for the time being, as opposed to many other international companies.

(AP)
 

"I am a military, I am going to war to fight," said Ukrainian Rosa Bilousova as she waited to board a train back to Lviv from Poland on Saturday.

As thousands of refugees continue to arrive in Poland fleeing the Russian invasion, some are choosing to return home.

Bilousova was among those boarding the train in Przemysl, 10 kilometers from the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine.

She works and lives in Poland, but has decided to go back to Ukraine to join the Territorial Defense Forces reservists and medical personnel in Odesa. 

"I have a three years of military experience. Now I am going to defend Ukraine. There is nothing for me to do in Poland now," she said, adding "Ukraine is most important for me know. My husband is back home and together we will go and fight."
Bilousova already has military training, she explains. 

"I have already held a machine gun, that is why I need to fight for Ukraine. If not us, who (will fight) then?" she said. 

According to Polish border authorities 238,000 Ukrainians crossed back into their country since the start of the war, many are joining the local combat forces, but it is unclear how many effectively went back to stay since many go in an out to bring supplies. 

The fighting has led more than 3. 3 million people to flee Ukraine, the U.N. estimates. The death toll remains unknown, though Ukraine has said thousands of civilians have died. 

According to border authorities Poland hit 2 million refugees mark on Friday.

A Chinese diplomat says NATO should stick to what he claimed was a promise not to expand eastward.

In a speech on Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng criticized the far-reaching Western sanctions imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine and said the root cause of the war in Ukraine “lies in the Cold War mentality and power politics.”

Echoing a Kremlin talking point, the Chinese envoy said if NATO's “enlargement goes further, it would be approaching the ‘outskirts of Moscow’ where a missile could hit the Kremlin within seven or eight minutes."

“Pushing a major country, especially a nuclear power, to the corner would entail repercussions too dreadful to contemplate,” he said.

He expressed an understanding for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s oft-repeated position, saying that NATO should have disintegrated and “been consigned to history alongside the Warsaw Pact.”

“However, rather than breaking up, NATO has kept strengthening and expanding, and intervened militarily in countries like Yugoslavia, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan,” he said. “One could well anticipate the consequences going down this path. The crisis in Ukraine is a stern warning.”

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping in talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday urged the parties in Ukraine to demonstrate “political will and keep the dialogue and negotiation going. The U.S. and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.”
(AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday presented state awards to soldiers of the Rapid Operational Response Unit of the National Police.

The unit is designed to respond to emergency situations and perform complex duties. 

Zelenskyy thanked the officers for taking part in countering the Russian invasion.
Fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine more than three weeks after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. 

U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 800 civilian deaths since the war began but say the real toll is considerably higher. 

The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees. 
 

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, tweeted: "China can be the global security system’s important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilized countries’ coalition & condemn Russia's barbarism. It is a chance to sit at the table as equals. The West must explain to Beijing how $1.6 trillion differs from $150 billion." 

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 self-proclaimed separatist Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine are “leading to numerous civilian casualties.”

Bettel tweeted Saturday about his call with Putin, too. He stressed that since their first call earlier this week “the situation on the ground has worsened, especially in the city of Mariupol.”

Bettel added that “the images that reach us (from Mariupol) are intolerable. The goal needs to remain de-escalation, adoption of ceasefire & furthering negotiation processes.”
(AP)

According to Ukraine's armed forces, Russian Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev, who commanded the 8th guards combined arms army, was killed in southern Ukraine amid ongoing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, local media reported on Saturday. 

This comes after Ukraine's armed forces in early March killed Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv, reported The Kyiv Independent quoting Ukraine's Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Defence Ministry.

Moreover, as Russia has threatened to attack supply chains of S-300 air defence systems to Ukraine after Slovakia announced that it is willing to support Kyiv with the defence system, NATO will send air defence systems to Slovakia.

Germany and the Netherlands will deliver MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 air defence systems to Slovakia, reported The Kyiv Independent.

Earlier on Thursday, Slovakia's defence ministry said that the country is willing to send S-300 long-range air defence systems to Ukraine provided that Western allies give them a "proper replacement" to avoid creating a security gap.

According to Ukraine's armed forces, approximately 14,400 Russian troops have been killed with 466 Russian tanks being destroyed since Russia began its war on Ukraine.According to the data shared by Ukraine's media outlet citing armed forces, 1,470 armoured vehicles of different types, 95 aircraft, 115 helicopters, 213 artillery pieces, and 72 MLRs were hit during the combat.

Furthermore, the destroyed facilities also include 60 fuel tanks, 914 vehicles, 17 UAVs, and 44 Russian anti-aircraft warfare systems. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine.

(ANI)
 

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday it was "vital" that Russian President Vladimir Putin fail in his invasion of Ukraine, claiming a victory could give a "green light for autocrats everywhere".

A Ukrainian military official has confirmed to a local news outlet 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.

Ukraine's Air Forces spokesman Yurii Ihnat told the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper Saturday, however, that it is yet to be confirmed whether the missile the Russians used was indeed Kinzhal, the county's latest hypersonic missile, or some other kind.

Earlier on Saturday, a spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said the Russian military hit the underground warehouse in Delyatyn on Friday with the hypersonic Kinzhal missile in its first reported combat use. According to Russian officials, the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to 2,000 kilometres and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been healthy, sane and “in better shape than ever” Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian leader's closest ally said in an interview. "He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview with Japanese television channel TBS, shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal." Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging post for launching an armed assault on Ukraine on February 24. While British Prime Minister Boris Johnson labelled Putin as being "irrational," for attacking a sovereign nation, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte described Russian leader as "totally paranoid".

German broadcaster RTL has hired a Ukrainian presenter to host a daily news show for others who have fled their homeland after the Russian invasion. The commercial broadcaster said Karolina Ashion will present a 10-minute Ukrainian-language news program Mondays to Fridays addressed to the almost 200,000 people who have already arrived in Germany from Ukraine in the past month.

“We want to reach the people who are fleeing right now, who have to leave their home country, who may not speak English, and that’s why we are making a news offer in Ukrainian,” said Malte Baumberger, the project manager for RTL’s “Ukraine Update” program. “So that these people can find out what is going on in their country right now and what is the political situation.”

Ashion only made it to Germany about a week ago herself, following an arduous journey from Kyiv via Moldova and Romania.

Her male colleagues, who aren’t allowed to leave Ukraine if they are between 18 and 60, are still broadcasting out of a bomb shelter in the country’s capital, she said. “My life has changed completely,” Ashion said. “But I’m Ukrainian, and I want to be like a voice of freedom for people. For all the people suffering from this (war).” RTL said it is planning on further expanding their “Ukraine Update” news offer by hiring more Ukrainian journalists. The show is available via various RTL and N-TV online platforms and YouTube.

Ukrainian anchor Karolina Ashion is pictured in the RTL television studio in Cologne, Germany. German broadcaster RTL has hired a Ukrainian presenter to host a daily news show for others who have fled their homeland after the Russian invasion. Credit: AP

Source: AP

Russia's assault on Ukraine is hindering the country's production of crops and there may not be enough to export if this year's sowing is halted due to Russia's invasion, presidential adviser Oleh Ustenko on Saturday warned in a state televised interview. "Ukraine has enough grain and food reserves to survive for a year, but if the war continues ... (Ukraine) will not be able to export grain to the world, and there will be problems," he reportedly said in televised remarks. Ukraine is the world's fifth-largest wheat exporter.

Putin's victory and the end of freedom in Ukraine will be a “turning point” for the entire world as it will be a 'green light' for autocrats in the far East, and the Middle Eastern nations, UK PM warned in his address at the Conservative party conference in Blackpool. If the Russian President succeeded in his armed invasion of Ukraine, a “new age of intimidation” awaits that will stretch from the Baltic to the Black Sea, warned Boris Johnson. Russia's victory will be the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova and in other Baltic nations, Johnson noted. 

"It will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across the whole of Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea,” said UK Prime Minister. “If Putin succeeding crushing Ukraine, it will be the green light for autocrats everywhere in the Middle East, in the Far East. This is a turning point for the world. It’s a moment of choice. It’s a choice between freedom and oppression," he warned. 

UK PM Boris Johnson appealed to the world to change the stance of “realpolitik” towards Russian leader Putin. “I know there are some others around the world who say it’s better to make an accommodation with tyranny. To try to normalize relations with Putin after this, as the west had done in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, would be to make exactly the same mistake again," he said. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday at the Conservative party conference in Blackpool, saying that he made a 'catastrophic mistake' by invading Ukraine. Johnson in his address stated that the UK stands with the people of Ukraine. “With every day that Ukraine’s heroic resistance continues, it is clear that Putin has made a catastrophic mistake,” he said. UK PM challenged Russia for launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine threatening that the EU stands united against aggression perpetrated on the Ukrainian civilians. He also rejected the Russian-backed claims that the so-called military offensive was to prevent Kyiv from joining NATO.

“He [Putin] was frightened of Ukraine because in Ukraine, they have a free press. And in Ukraine, they had free elections and with every year Ukraine has progressed, not always easily, towards freedom and democracy and open markets, he feared the Ukrainian example, and he feared the implicit reproach to himself,” Johnson said. “Because in Putin’s Russia, you get jailed for 15 years just for calling an invasion an invasion. And if you stand against Putin, in an election, you get poisoned, or shot," he asserted. UK PM further said that Russia's invasion has failed, adding that the “victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine”.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Saturday lambasted the Western government, labelling them as "ruing elites" as he derided their 'short-sighted policies' that he claimed has caused the economic crisis worldwide as opposed to so-called "Russia’s hostile actions" that the West is claiming to deter. "I want ordinary Western people to hear me," President Vladimir Putin said in his message according to the official telegram channels of the Russian Federation. "You are being persistently told that your current difficulties are the result of Russia’s hostile actions and that you have to pay for the efforts to counter the alleged Russian threat from your own pockets. All of that is a lie," he said. 

"The truth is that the problems faced by millions of people in the West are the result of many years of actions by the ruling elite of your respective countries, their mistakes, and short-sighted policies and ambitions. This elite is not thinking about how to improve the lives of their citizens in Western countries," asserted Russia's leader Putin. "They [Western government], he said, "are obsessed with their own self-serving interests and super profits. The entire planet is now paying for the West’s ambitions and the West’s attempts to maintain its elusive dominance by any means possible."

Dozens are being reported dead in the intense shelling on the military barracks in south Ukraine by the Russian forces. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, appeared in a Loro Piana jacket, in the first public appearance, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin, wearing the jacket, priced approximately 1.5 mn rubles (over Rs 10.57 lakh), has come under severe criticism on social media, as Russians face massive financial crises amid the heavy sanctions imposed by Western nations.

Russian President appeared before a crowd of over 2,00,000 people at the Luzhniki stadium, AP quoting Moscow police, reported. The event included patriotic songs, including a performance of “Made in the USSR,” with the opening lines “Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, it’s all my country”, AP reported.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Three Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on Friday wearing yellow flight suits with blue accents, colors that appeared to match the Ukrainian flag. The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.

Russian space corporation Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft at 8:55 p.m. Friday (11:55 a.m. EDT). They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans and a German on the orbiting outpost.

Video of Artemyev taken as the spacecraft prepared to dock with the space station showed him wearing a blue flight suit. It was unclear what, if any, message the yellow uniforms they changed into were intended to send. When the cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth, Artemyev was asked about the suits. He said every crew chooses their own.

“It became our turn to pick a color. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that’s why we had to wear yellow,” he said.

Since the war started, many people have used the Ukrainian flag and its colors to show solidarity with the country. The war has resulted in canceled spacecraft launches and broken contracts. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has warned that the US would have to use “broomsticks” to fly into space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines to US companies. Many worry, however, that Rogozin is putting decades of a peaceful off-planet partnership at risk, most notably at the space station.

“That’s just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he’s worked with us," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. 

“The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they’re professional,” Nelson told the AP on Friday. “They don’t miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control. Despite all of that, up in space, we can have a cooperation with our Russian friends, our colleagues.”

Source: AP

With the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv continuing for the 24th consecutive day, the UK Defence Intelligence in their latest update claimed that Kremlin has failed to succeed in its original objectives. According to the Defence Intelligence update, Kremlin has been stunned by the "scale and ferocity" of the resistance put forth by Ukrainians in defending their homeland's sovereignty against Russia. UK Defence Ministry further added that troops of Russia have been forced to change their "operational approach."

"The Kremlin has so far failed to achieve its original objectives. It has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian Resistance," reads an excerpt from the statement released by the UK Defence Intelligence.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Bilateral cooperation between Russia and China will strengthen under the current circumstances, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday, according to the Interfax news agency. “This cooperation will get stronger, because at a time when the West is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, of course we – as two great powers – need to think how to carry on in this world,” Lavrov said. 

UK Home Office has said that it has issued over 8,600 visas under its family scheme for Ukrainians fleeing the war. The announcement comes after UK Home Office attracted flak for its process of visa issuance for Ukrainians that refugees labelled as ‘Afghanistan part 2.’ British diplomats derided UK’s immigration policies and hassle-prone lengthy visa process for the Ukrainians fleeing the war atrocities Russian forces inflicted in their homeland. The British embassy staff from Kyiv was blatantly told by the immigration officers that they will not get refuge in the UK “unless they can fulfil strict entry qualifications.”

At least 43,000 civilians fleeing Ukraine have applied for visas in the UK under the country's new family scheme and are waiting for their applications to be approved, UK Home Office said. Many are waiting in the hotels in countries bordering Ukraine.

After US president Joe Biden labelled Russian president Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal” publicly in front of the reporters, Russia, which has been embroiled in high profile cases of assassinations has scrambled to inspect details of leader Vladimir Putin's food for the poison and radioactive materials, Daily Beast has learned. Russian leader reportedly fired over 1000 staff members, after he appeared on Russian TV recently and accused those opposing his “special operation” in Ukraine from within as “traitors”. The leader of the Russian Federation has replaced his entire personal staff, the report suggests. This includes “laundresses, secretaries, cooks — to a whole new group of people."

“The assessment from the intelligence community is he’s scared" the newspaper reports. It links the scenario to the high-profile assassination 'Skripal case' in the UK, where both Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko were killed by what was believed by the Russian GRU Military Intelligence Unit that arrived in Salisbury as 'tourists' under disguised identity.

US Senator Lindsey Graham had earlier called for Putin to be assassinated. GOP senator Graham’s remarks, suggesting that Russians should “assassinate President Vladimir Putin” had attracted widespread ire and criticism of both Republicans and Democrats as Russian forces intensified their assaults in Ukraine. "Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?" the South Carolina Republican had tweeted. He then appeared to call for the assassination of Putin as he noted that the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus and others in the Rome Senate on the Ides of March. The US senator also reminded that German Lt. Col. Claus von Stauffenberg had also tried to kill Adolf Hitler in the summer of 1944.

As Graham’s remarks created a stir, Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, during White House news briefing on Friday afternoon dismissed such calls, stating, "That is not the position of the United States government.” Psaki further told reporters that such a statement “is certainly not what you'd hear come from the mouth of anybody working in this administration.”

The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country - and the world - a great service," Graham said in the tweet. 

An estimated 816 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 1,333 others have been injured since the onslaught of the fierce Russian invasion that began on 24 February, UN human rights office has said. The office however reports only the verified count and that implies the casualties may be vastly understated. Ukraine reports thousands of civilians that have been killed in Russia's offensive. 

Poland is calling on the European Union to implement a total ban on trade with Russia, the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki said in statement obtained by agencies. The EU nation is pushing for a total trade blockade in its proposal asking EU to impose total and strict trade embargo sanctions that will include the ban on land trade and seaports. The EU nation is asking the bloc to cut off Russia’s trade completely "to stop this cruel war,” according to Morawiecki's statement. This comes as French presidency also stated that Russia’s “most-favoured nation” trade status will be revoked.

Reports have emerged that there has been intense fighting ensuing to take control of Ukraine’s key industrial facilities – the Azov Steel plant in Mariupol. Earlier yesterday, Ukraine government advisor had said that the plant was in control of Russian soldiers after intense battle with the Ukrainian troops for control of the key site. On Saturday, the Azov battalion shared an update saying that they still have the plant's control. The steelworks plant is located in the east of Mariupol city center and is crucial as losing it to Russian forces will prove to be a mega setback to Ukrainian efforts to have the city under their control. 

“The enemy has not reached this far into the city. The [Ukrainian] navy, along with the Azov battalion, along with the police, continue defending the city and its civilians,” battalion member Vladislav Sobolievskyi said on Ukrainian television.  “Today the Azov Steel plant is under our control. Airstrikes hit the whole city, including the plant, but the enemy has not laid his hands on our plant," he added.

Switzerland’s president Ignazio Cassis on Saturday warned about the economic consequences due to the conflict in Ukraine, adding that "this war is driven by a devastating madness that shatters all the principles and values of our civilization."  Cassis told Swiss newspapers Schweiz am Wochenende and Le Temps that the war waged by Russia on Ukraine will have long-term consequences on the Swiss economy and trade. Cassis, who is also a foreign minister for Switzerland on Saturday defended the barrage of sanctions against Russia, stressing that Switzerland "is ready to pay the price for the defense of freedom." Switzerland has been heavily dependent on Russian gas and raw materials and the Western sanctions are slated to impact massively the Alpine nation's economy, said the Swiss President. 

Its "impossible to predict for how long and to what extent Switzerland will be affected or which sectors will suffer the most," the Swiss president told the newspapers. "There is no solution that will magically protect Switzerland from the consequences of the current situation," he added. However, he stated, that there are "no indications of a real economic crisis at the moment".

"On February 24, the face of the world has changed, and not for the better,” he said about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We must defend freedom and democracy courageously and relentlessly. This comes at a price. A price that Switzerland is ready to pay.” 

Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky says it will take years to defuse the unexploded ordnance once the Russian invasion is over. Monastyrsky told The Associated Press in an interview on Friday that the country will need Western assistance to carry out the massive undertaking after the war.

“A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at Ukraine, and a large part haven’t exploded. They remain under the rubble and pose a real threat,” Monastyrsky said in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. “It will take years, not months, to defuse them.”

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnance, Ukrainian troops have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key locations to prevent the Russians from using them. “We won’t be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our international partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to demine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling,” Monastyrsky said. 

Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. Monastyrsky said that it will take years to defuse the unexploded ordnance once the Russian invasion is over. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Source: AP

Ukraine's presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych on Saturday said that there have been no major changes in the intense fighting and assaults being launched in Ukraine over the past 24 hours by the Russian forces. Ukrainian forces are in front line areas battling Russian soldiers in the southeastern city of Mariupol, the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, and the eastern town of Izyum, he said in a video address. 

US will send the Stryker mechanized infantry company for Bulgaria under its commitment to NATO in order to bolster the Alliance's eastern flank and deter the threat of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to spill into the NATO-allied nations' territories. At a press conference on Saturday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov whose country was once Moscow’s closest ally during the Cold War era informed that Washington has agreed to send the Stryker army company to Sofia to strengthen its military capabilities. 

“The USA agreed to provide a Stryker company,”  Petkov told a press conference alongside US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “This is a strong sign to all of our allies in NATO.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as he accused Russia of “galvanizing the Ukrainian people, NATO, and the free world”. Austin condemned Russia’s "reckless and ruthless aggression against a peaceful neighbour" as he praised Bulgaria for helping Ukrainian civilians and standing firm with NATO. US Defense Chief is on a trip to Bulgaria and Slovakia this week to bolster NATO allies.

Russia is making "incremental gains" in Ukraine's south via techniques that are "brutal and savage'' by targeting the Ukrainian civilians, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Saturday. "In terms of Russians' progress in the south, I would say that they continue to make incremental gains. I would also say that they've used some brutal, savage techniques in terms of the way that they've been targeting civilian populations," Austin said during a joint press conference with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Kiril Petkov during his visit to Sofia. 

"And again, we would hope that they [Russia] would choose a different path," Austin added. The amount of pain that the civilians have endured "has been hard to watch," said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Austin warned that Europe faces "largest security challenge in generations" due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s "war of choice." Russia’s aggression, he stated, has "galvanized the Ukrainian people, NATO, and the free world. Furthermore he said, "Our commitment to Article 5 is ironclad. Improving Bulgaria’s military readiness and NATO interoperability is even more vital today," Austin said, adding "the United States will continue to stand strong with Bulgaria and our other NATO Allies."

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Saturday announced that at least four US soldiers have died in a plane crash during NATO exercise but the incident has no links to the Russian war. "It is with great sadness we have received the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night," he said on his official Twitter account. "The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives, and fellow soldiers in their unit," he added. 

Amid speculations, Lebanese group Hezbollah on Saturday denied sending any fighters to Ukraine to support Russian troops and launch an assault on Kyiv.  “No one from Hezbollah, neither a fighter nor an expert, went to this battlefield," Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech. Ukraine has claimed that Moscow has recruited some1,000 fighters from Syria and Hezbollah that have been fighting alongside Russian soldiers.

“I categorically deny anything of these claims,” “These claims are lies that are bare of truth," he said. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov Saturday, where he condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adding it had "galvanised the Ukrainian people, NATO, and the free world". 

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev has announced 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia starting at 1400 GMT on Saturday. “Do not go outside at this time!” he said in a post. Nine people were killed and 17 others have been wounded in shelling of the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday, deputy mayor Kurtiev said. 

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has ruled out providing military aid to Ukraine but says his country, a NATO ally, will continue to provide humanitarian assistance. 

“Being so close to the conflict, right now I have to say that currently, we will not be able to send military assistance to Ukraine. This will not be possible,” Petkov said Saturday at a news conference in the Bulgarian capital with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 

Bulgaria, which does not border Ukraine but has received thousands of refugees, has agreed to host a new contingent of NATO troops as part of the alliance’s push to reinforce its eastern flank. That contingent includes about 150 U.S. Army infantry soldiers.
 

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced Saturday that 10 humanitarian corridors have been agreed on with the Russians. 

They include a corridor from the besieged port city of Mariupol, several in the Kyiv region and several in the Luhansk region.
She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the city of Kherson, which is currently under control of the Russian forces.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are blockading the largest cities with the goal of creating such miserable conditions that Ukrainians will cooperate. He said the Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in central and southeastern Ukraine.

Satellite images on Friday from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelenskyy said more than 9,000 people were able to leave the city in the past day.

(AP)
 

Russia said it used a “Kinzhal” hypersonic missile for the first time to strike a western Ukraine target on Friday. First revealed in 2018, the projectile travels 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome Air Defense systems. Notably, it is the first time that Kremlin has admitted to using the high tech weopon.

"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.

Putin's war of aggression aims at the Ukrainians' desire for freedom - and therefore at our European values & freedom, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Friday. Standing alongside NATO head Jens Stoltenberg, she asserted, “We (Germany) as NATO have to take this threat seriously”. Highlighting that the country has to build its security accordingly, she said, therefore, the govt. decided to allocate an additional 100 bn Euros on strengthening defence and alliance capabilities.

Investigative Journalism group Bellingcat has created a map tracking probable war crimes by Russia in Ukraine. The Netherlands based group has said that it will continue to update the map until the end of the ongoing conflict between Russian and Ukrainian troops. Notably, Bellingcat previously came under the spotlight after it said that Kremlin poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Earlier this week, Bellingcat founder wrote an op-ed in Financial Times urging people to not let “Putin’s disinformation distract from his war crimes”.

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that NATO will not interfere in the conflict in Ukraine and create a no-fly zone there. Ukraine not joining the North Atlantic treaty is one of the main demands of the Putin Administration. Meanwhile, Zelesnkyy recently said that NATO had no intention of granting membership to Ukraine, hinting that Kyiv might concede to the Russian demand. Ukrainian administration continues to demand for no-fly zone over the country.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, on Saturday, addressed media reporters in the morning briefing. She revealed that both Russia and Ukraine have agreed on new Humanitarian corridors on March 19. Watch it here:

Russia troops have intensified their attacks on Lviv, which was untouched since the start of invasion on February 24. On Friday, Russians bombarded the western city, leaving dense smoke pummeling out of buildings. The city borders Poland and is NATO’s doorstep to Ukraine. It also houses global heritage sites including ancient cathedrals, World War memorials and picturesque cafes.

(Image: AP)

Fighting in Mariupol continued on Saturday where over 350,000 people remain stranded with little or no food, water and electricity. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces were “tightening the noose” around the port city, and that “fighting against nationalists” was taking place in the city Centre. Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boichenko, appeared to confirm the claim, as reported by The Guardian. Experts have warned that in case, Mariupol falls, then it would give Russians direct access to the Sea of Azov.

Ukrainian authorities have announced a fresh curfew on Zaporizhzhya. According to Nexta TV, the new restrictions will be in force from 16:00 (local time) on March 19 to 06:00 on March 21, 2022. The reason behind the renewed curfew is not clear. Notably, Zaporizhzhya houses Europe's largest Nuclear Power plant which created headlines earlier this month after it caught fire. 

Russian troops, on Saturday, walked through armoured columns as they continued their assault on Mariupol. The port city has been under siege for weeks now, leaving city authorities urging international powers to intervene. More than 30,000 people are believed to be still trapped inside the city. Meanwhile, emergency services continue to save people from the rubble of the theatre which was bombed earlier this week. The port city holds strategic significance and if it falls, then it could give Moscow direct access to Sea of Azov. 

The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed to have destroyed an underground warehouse in western Ukraine using hypersonic missiles. Earlier on Saturday, it said that depot in the Ivano-Frankivsk region had contained missiles and aircraft ammunition, as reported by Sky News. Hypersonic missiles are able to travel five times faster than the speed of sound, at speeds of Mach 5 (more than 3,800 mph) and higher. Meanwhile, Russia says it also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centres near the port city of Odesa using a coastal missile system, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russian regulator, on Saturday, said that Google LLC wasn’t complying with the requirements to remove restrictions on Russian channels on YouTube. Earlier on February 26, Google had banned Russia's state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos. A similar move was made by Facebook after Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine.

German company Bosch has announced that it will halt production at its plants in Russia. The multinational firm said it made the decision amid information that its products could be used for military purposes. The engineering and technology company specializes in technology and services in the areas of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.

The Central Bank of Russia has allowed banks and other financial institutions not to disclose certain business information including major shareholders, beneficiaries and reorganizations - until the end of the year. The move comes as the West continues to bolster its sanctions on Russian institutions and oligarchs in a bid to pressurize the Kremlin to withdraw from Ukrainian territory.

Russian forces have agreed to allow residents to evacuate several towns and cities in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk after 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT), the region's governor Serhiy Gaidai said. However, he highlighted that continuous shelling by the Russian troops have hindered evacuations. Furthermore, he also stated that a total of 59 civilians had been killed in the region since the start of the war, which he said had entirely destroyed some residential areas.

The UK Ministry of Defense in its latest intelligence report stated that Russia has been forced to change its tactic and it was now pursuing a strategy of attrition. As per the ministry, it could worsen the ongoing humanitarian crisis as Russia is expected to indiscriminately use firepower, leading to more civilian casualties. It also stated that Kremlin, has so far, failed to achieve its original objectives.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry, on Saturday, released its daily report asserting that the enemy “continues to bear significant losses”. As the war continues for the fourth week, the ministry noted that there was a problem with the logistics of the units. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine and other units of the Defense Forces continued to strike on the groups of enemy troops, which tried to keep the occupied borders,” it said in the report.

“Also, during the day, Ukrainian defenders and defenders destroyed several columns of the occupiers' equipment in the Mykolaiv and Sumy region, the enemy's losses are currently being specified. In addition, the commander of the 8th military army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation of Lieutenant General Andriy Mordvichev was destroyed as a result of the fire attack on the opponent,” the ministry added in the statement.

Kyiv based theatre group Ivan Franko Drama performed Hamlet in a bomb shelter recently. They dedicated their performance to the people of the UK for their support of Ukraine & in recognition of the Blitz of WW2 in which the British civilian population was also bombed. They also thanked the British administration for their military, political and humanitarian aid.

Amidst the ongoing war with Russia, craftsmen in Ukrainian city of Odesa are now using their skills to make war equipment. Sharing a video on Twitter, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said that “Odesa Craftsmen make periscopes, anti-tank hedgehogs and other barriers”. Meanwhile, citizens have fortified the city by using sandbags, mines and roadblocks.

Late on Saturday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Russian forces were halted across many areas of the country. He said there was heavy fighting in the Kharkiv region, especially near Izyum, but that Russian troops were unprepared. His comments echo that of British intelligence which revealed that Russians have been battered with huge “personnel losses”.

Zelenskyy, on Friday, said that he would continue to appeal to world leaders to call for peace in Ukraine. He said that now he plans to address Switzerland, Italy, Israel and Japan. Notably, Tokyo has stricken its stance against Russian invasion by imposing new sanctions on Kremlin and calling ICJ investigation into the war.

Late on Friday, Ukraine’s embattled president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Vladimir Putin's administration that it was time for “immediate, meaningful and fair” negotiations. The war has continued for three weeks now and the Ukrainian leader, in his late-night address, asserted that would take several generations to rebound the losses caused. Thousands of people have lost their lives on both sides while major Ukrainian cities have been obliterated.

Zelenskyy said, “It’s time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound. Negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine - meaningful, fair and without delay - are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes.”

Belgium on Friday delayed by a decade a plan to scrap nuclear energy in 2025, spooked by the huge rise in energy prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "The federal government has decided to take the necessary steps to extend the life of two nuclear reactors by ten years," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement. "This extension will strengthen our country's independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment," he added. Notably, European Union has called its members to end their dependency on Russian Fuel. 

Amidst continuous shelling by Russian troops, Kyiv residents are facing difficulties in breathing, according to a Nexta TV. Several residents reported difficulties in breathing due to smoke resulting from continuous bombardments. Notably, the concentration of pollutants in the area was reported to be 19.9 times higher than the norm recommended by the WHO.

Belgium on Friday delayed by a decade a plan to scrap nuclear energy in 2025, spooked by the huge rise in energy prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "The federal government has decided to take the necessary steps to extend the life of two nuclear reactors by ten years," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement. "This extension will strengthen our country's independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment," he added. Notably, European Union has called its members to end their dependency on Russian Fuel. 

Amidst continuous shelling by Russian troops, Kyiv residents are facing difficulties in breathing, according to a Nexta TV. Several residents reported difficulties in breathing due to smoke resulting from continuous bombardments. Notably, the concentration of pollutants in the area was reported to be 19.9 times higher than the norm recommended by the WHO.

In a meeting with Turkey President Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a list of demands for Russia’s attack to stop, BBC News reported. 

Amidst the ongoing war, a photograph of a mural on the street of Prague is circulating on the internet. The graphic shows a little girl hiding fairy tale characters from different countries under the flag of Ukraine. Users have opined that the graphic symbolizes that the future of the European subcontinent relies on Ukraine.

Amidst the ongoing war, a photograph of a mural on the street of Prague is circulating on the internet. The graphic shows a little girl hiding fairy tale characters from different countries under the flag of Ukraine. Users have opined that the graphic symbolizes that the future of the European subcontinent relies on Ukraine.

British PM Boris Johnson, on Friday, assured full support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the ongoing negotiations with Russia. The war has now entered its fourth week resulting in thousands of casualties on both sides. On Friday, Kyiv announced that it has "temporarily" lost control of the Sea of Azov. 

War hit Ukraine along with neighbour Moldova have synchronized with the European electric grid to ensure power supply to pivotal facilities. Also known as the Synchronous grid of Continental Europe, the electric grid supplies over 400 million customers in 24 countries, including most of the European Union. According to Samantha Power, who leads the US Agency for International Development, “this move will improve the stability of electric power to critical facilities amidst continuing war.”

War hit Ukraine along with neighbour Moldova have synchronized with the European electric grid to ensure power supply to pivotal facilities. Also known as the Synchronous grid of Continental Europe, the electric grid supplies over 400 million customers in 24 countries, including most of the European Union. According to Samantha Power, who leads the US Agency for International Development, “this move will improve the stability of electric power to critical facilities amidst continuing war.”

During his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that China could face “consequences” if it aids Kremlin in the ongoing Ukrainian war. “He (Biden) described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians,” a readout of the conversation stated. The American leader, which recently announced additional military aid to Kyiv, underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

During his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that China could face “consequences” if it aids Kremlin in the ongoing Ukrainian war. “He (Biden) described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians,” a readout of the conversation stated. The American leader, which recently announced additional military aid to Kyiv, underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Russia fired six missiles on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday, the country’s Ministry of Defense said. The city shares borders with Poland and its NATO’s doorstep into Ukraine. Experts have warned that attacks on the city could trigger international repercussions. 

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said people were being rescued from the rubble, and that more than 130 people had been rescued so far. “Some of them are seriously wounded. But at the moment there is no information about the dead,” he said. Earlier this week, Russians hit the theatre which was being used as a shelter for nearly 2,000 people.   

US Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program. “There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories – not near Russia’s border, not anywhere,” she said on Friday. The west has continuously warned that Kremlin could use chemical weapons in the ongoing war on the false pretext of Kyiv using the banned weapons. “It is Russia that has long maintained a biological weapons program in violation of international law," Thomas-Greenfield said.

In a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron expressed “grave concern” over the situation in Mariupol, where over 300,000 people are cut off from the world, according to the French president's office. The French leader asked Putin to immediately end the siege. On Friday, Kyiv revealed that they have lost asses to the Sea of Azov after invaders tightened their grip on the port of Mariupol.

As the war continues for the fourth week, Ukraine’s defence ministry said late on Friday it lost access to the Sea of Azov “temporarily”. Russians have tightened their grip around the Sea’s major port of Mariupol, which continues to be under siege. On Friday, 9,000 people were successfully evacuated as attacks continued.  

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues for the 24^th day, here are pictures showing its impact on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

(Images: AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday announced assistance for Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion. Addressing residents in a video message, Zelensky said the country's ministers are developing a program to support people who were forced to flee or lost their homes due to the war. As per the administration, the plan will help displaced people find jobs in the place of their current location, provide housing for displaced people amidst other things. 

Three Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing flight suits in yellow and blue colours that match the Ukrainian flag. The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated her support of Ukraine during a call with her Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on Saturday. “Prime Minister Shmyhal thanked New Zealand for being one of the first countries to take swift practical action against Russia’s aggression. As he noted, when it comes to the importance of the global response, there is no bigger or smaller country, there are only countries that are reacting,” Ardern said in a statement. Both the leaders also reiterated the need to establish immediate ceasefire the country. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Friday, held talks with President of the European Council Charles Michel. Both the leaders discussed further support to Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace. In a tweet, Zelesnkyy said that special emphasis was laid on Kyiv’s accession to the bloc.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there are 9,000 people were able to flee the besieged port city of Mariupol on Friday. Calling it a “deliberate tactic”, he said that Russians were cutting off supplies to Ukraine’s largest cities to create a “humanitarian catastrophe” with the aim of persuading Ukrainians to cooperate with them. 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.

On Friday, the UN and its partners in Ukraine delivered the first convoy of urgent humanitarian aid to the city of Sumy in the northeast, one of the most war-affected areas of the country. The UN hopes this is the first of many shipments delivered to the people trapped by fighting. The contributors of the aid include World Food Programme, UN Refugee Agency, World Health Organization, and the UN Children’s Fund, as well as the NGO People in Need.

According to the UN, “The 130 metric tons of essential aid includes medical supplies, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals and canned food that will directly help some 35,000 people. In addition to these items, the convoy brought equipment to repair water systems to help 50,000 people”.

On Friday, the UN and its partners in Ukraine delivered the first convoy of urgent humanitarian aid to the city of Sumy in the northeast, one of the most war-affected areas of the country. The UN hopes this is the first of many shipments delivered to the people trapped by fighting. The contributors of the aid include World Food Programme, UN Refugee Agency, World Health Organization, and the UN Children’s Fund, as well as the NGO People in Need.

According to the UN, “The 130 metric tons of essential aid includes medical supplies, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals and canned food that will directly help some 35,000 people. In addition to these items, the convoy brought equipment to repair water systems to help 50,000 people”.

Viktor Tereshchenko, mayor of the Velykoburlutska community in Ukraine, has been released, according to a Kharkiv official. On Friday, the Head of Kharkiv Regional Administration Oleh Syniehubov said Tereshchenko was released by Russian forces and is receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. He was captured on Thursday by Russian forces. 

Russians captured a secretary to the city council of Nova Kakhovka, Dmytro Vasyliev. He is now being investigated by Russians in a local detention facility. Nova Kakhovka is a city located in southern Kherson Oblast which has been under Russian control for days now.

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron personally drove to Poland’s border to deliver aid to Red Cross. The charity is aiding thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have fled their country amidst the ongoing invasion.

Russian diplomat Vladimir Medinsky, who led negotiators in several rounds of talks with Ukraine, has said that both sides have moved closer to an agreement on the issue of Ukraine dropping its bid to join NATO and adopting a neutral status. That is the issue where the parties have made their positions maximally close,” He further revealed that both Kyiv and Moscow were halfway on the issue of demilitarization of Ukraine.

However, Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dismissed the statement saying that it was intended to create chaos in media. “Our positions are unchanged. A ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas.”

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said his government is ready to rebuild a maternity hospital destroyed last week by Russian shelling in the southeast Ukrainian city of Mariupol. In a Twitter post, he made the revelation stating that Mariupol is the centre of the Greek minority in Ukraine. Notably, the ex-Soviet state houses thousands of ethnic Greeks with nearly 100,000 living just in the port city of Mariupol. 

“ I want to express my abhorrence for what is happening in Ukraine and in Mariupol in particular, which has become a symbol of resistance. You know of our specific interest, as there are more than 100,000 Ukrainians of Greek descent living there. As a minimum show of support, once the hostilities are over, the Greek government will take on the reconstruction of the maternity hospital in Mariupol that was bombed," Mitsotakis said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, appeared at a huge flag-waving rally at a packed Moscow stadium and lavished praise on his troops fighting in Ukraine. “Shoulder to shoulder, they help and support each other,” Putin said of the military forces in his rare public appearance since the start of the war. “We have not had unity like this for a long time,” he added. His remarks came as officials informed that the Russian side has suffered a heavy loss of personnel. They also said that the city of Mariupol had lost its control of the sea of Azov.