Russia-Ukraine War News Highlights: British journalist associated injured in Kyiv

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations will continue Tuesday. Speaking in a video address, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation did good work during Monday’s talks. He didn’t provide further details.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes a grim new reality for millions of Ukrainians, the tens of thousands who make the increasingly treacherous journey toward safety each day in the European Union are left with no sense of when, or if, they’ll ever return home.

More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion, according to the UN refugee agency, the vast majority seeking refuge in Poland, which has taken in more than 1.7 million refugees in the last 19 days.

Ukraine's economy is expected to shrink by 10% in 2022 as a result of Russia's military operations, Ukrainian media reported citing the International Monetary Fund report. Ukraine's government continues to function, the banking system is stable and debt payments are viable in the short term, the IMF said, Daily Sabah reported.

The United States has highlighted ongoing Russia's advancement in Georgia and Moldova during the UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the region on Monday. While speaking about the illegal activities of Russia in both Georgia and Moldova, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills, accused Moscow of deploying its forces in the region. According to Mills, Russia has not informed the host countries before deploying their forces in their territory. 

The US State Department stands ready to assist injured Fox News correspondent Ben Hall in any way they can, spokesperson Ned Price said Monday (local time). "I'm heartbroken by reports that my colleague, a State Department correspondent, was injured in Ukraine today. Our thoughts are with him, his family, and all of his colleagues, and we wish him a full recovery. We stand ready to assist in any way we can," Price said in a tweet.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday has extended the martial law for the next 30 days-- nearly 19 days after it was first introduced after Russia's military started operations in the country. Notably, Martial law is the temporary imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to a temporary emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in occupied territory.

Russian Foreign Ministry, on Monday, accused Ukrainian forces of hitting a residential building in Donetsk with a Tochka-U tactical missile, resulting in the killing of 20 civilians.
As per the statement released by the ministry, Ukraine has used cluster munition warheads that are prohibited under international law. "Such strikes are sanctioned by the country's leadership at the highest level. We strongly condemn this atrocity committed by the Kyiv regime," it added. 

US President Joe Biden, on Monday, announced to provide Ukraine with weapons against Russia. In a tweet, POTUS vowed to provide humanitarian needs to Ukrainians and assured accepting refugees from Kyiv.

During the “Vremya” news program on Russia’s main TV channel, Maria Ovsyannikova, a Channel One employee, rushed in front of the camera with a poster saying “stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda", The Kyiv Independent reported. Before committing the "mistake, in a pre-recorded video, she explained that she has a Ukrainian father and was disgusted by the war.

According to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, at least a hundred Russian soldiers were killed and six vehicles were destroyed. The Russian forces tried to break through Ukrainian defences in Donetsk Oblast to no avail, the army reports.

Kidnapped mayor of occupied Melitopol taken to Russian-controlled Luhansk, The Kyiv Independent reported on Monday. According to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Russian forces took abducted Mayor Ivan Fedoriv to Russian-occupied Luhansk, where he is being accused of “terrorism.” Luhansk is a Ukrainian regional capital occupied by Russia in 2014.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Irina Venediktova said Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was wounded while covering the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to the social media post of Venediktova, the British journalist belongs to FOX News and has suffered major leg injuries. She informed that the incident happened on Monday and the journalist has been admitted to a hospital. 
"The explosive fracture of two lower ends - a "russskomirnyj" diagnosis, made by Ukrainian doctors to a British journalist. At the moment, the journalist is in intensive care under the supervision of doctors. The tragedy happened 2 hours ago today," she wrote in her Facebook post. 

“We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a message to Fox employees.

Spain’s Prime Minister says that authorities in the northeastern city of Barcelona have “immobilized” an 85-meter (279-foot) superyacht valued at 140 million euros ($153 million) while links to a prominent Russian armament tycoon are investigated. The boat, named Valerie, has been moored at an exclusive shipyard in the port.

Moscow and Washington are not looking at organizing a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Monday. "No, there are no such discussions," Peskov said when asked whether a possible meeting between Presidents Putin and Biden is being looked at.

Ambassadors of the EU member-states approved the next passage of sanctions against Russia that will come into force after the publication in the EU Official Journal, TASS News reported on Monday. "The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU countries (Coreper) in coordination with international partners agreed on the fourth package of sanctions aimed against individuals and legal entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine and against certain sectors of the Russian economy," the presidency stated.

The United States, on Monday, expressed concern for China and other countries supporting the Russian government in a war against Ukraine. While addressing a press conference, US Dept of State spokesperson, Ned Price said that the Biden administration was watching very closely the extent to which China or any other country provides any form of support, whether that's material, economic or financial support to Russia. He said any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to the world.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is threatening the global food supply and putting some of the world’s poorest countries at risk, the United Nations chief and the executive director of the World Food Program warned on Monday.

More than 40 African and least-developed countries import at least one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and 18 of them import at least 50%, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. These countries include Egypt, Congo, Burkina Faso, Leban, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, he said.

“All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe,” the secretary-general warned.

More than two weeks into a war he expected to dominate in two days, Vladimir Putin is projecting anger, frustration at his military’s failures and a willingness to cause even more violence and destruction in Ukraine, in the assessment of U.S. intelligence officials.

Officials in recent days have publicly said they’re worried the Russian president will escalate the conflict to try to break Ukraine’s resistance. Russia still holds overwhelming military advantages and can bombard the country for weeks more. And while the rest of the world reacts to horrific images of the war he started, Putin remains insulated from domestic pressure by what CIA Director William Burns called a “propaganda bubble.”

AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday, has expressed concern about the death of a US Journalist who was killed at a checkpoint in Kyiv on Sunday. In a letter shared on his microblogging site, the President called him a brave journalist for capturing footage of Russian aggression in Ukraine. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Brent Renaud who lost his life while documenting the ruthlessness & evil inflicted upon Ukraine people by Russia. May Brent’s life & sacrifice inspire the world to stand up in the fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness," he wrote.

Amid the ongoing war, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, on Monday, met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission, Yang Jiechi in Rome. During the meeting, both the countries discussed the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine.

The International Court of Justice will deliver its Order on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Ukraine in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on Wednesday, March 16 at 4 pm. "A public sitting will take place at 4 p.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which the President of the Court, Judge Joan E. Donoghue, will read out the Court’s Order," according to the statement released by the ICJ.
 

Polish State Secretary Maciej Wasik said on Monday that over 1.8 million refugees from Ukraine had crossed the border with Poland since the start of the Russian military operation. "Eighty-two thousand people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border yesterday. The situation is stable today. The influx is almost half of what it was at its peak a week ago. Nevertheless, the influx of refugees is very large, and we already have 1.8 million people who have fled from Ukraine to Poland since the beginning of the conflict," Wasik told a briefing.

Ukrainian forces control the city of Irpin where an American journalist was shot and killed at a checkpoint, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said Monday. "We regret all people who die in the conflict but I would like to make two clarifying points," Nebenzia said. "Firstly, he is not a journalist, that was something that The New York Times itself stated ... Secondly, Irpin is fully controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukrainian units. Given what his colleague, who survived the incident, is saying, it was them who opened fire on their vehicle."

Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks on Monday even as Moscow’s forces pounded away at Kyiv and other cities across the country in a punishing bombardment that the Red Cross said has created “nothing short of a nightmare” for the civilian population.

Meanwhile, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine.

The White House is weighing the possibility of President Joe Biden travelling to Europe in the coming weeks for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations.

The prospective trip is yet to be finalized. One possible destination for the meetings would be Brussels, which is the headquarters for NATO, one of the officials said Monday. Another official said the White House was looking at Biden visiting NATO headquarters on March 24, with other potential stops in Europe.

All of the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as none was allowed to comment publicly.

Amid the ongoing crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday, spoke to the President of the 
EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen where discussed resisting Russian aggression. According to the tweet of Zelenskyy, both of them discussed increasing sanctions pressure on Russia in order to penalise Moscow for its actions. "Discussed with President of the Commission @vonderleyen the ’s support for in countering Russian aggression. Increasing sanctions pressure on Russia is important. We also appreciate significant financial assistance. Ukraine continues to move towards membership in the EU," he added. 

At the UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Ukraine, India highlighted the need to engage in direct talks and appeal to negotiate on green corridors in order to evacuate civilians safely from the war-torn regions. India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, R Ravindra noted a series of positive developments and said New Delhi was in touch with Ukraine and Russian delegates to resolve the matter. "We continue to underline the need to respect the UN Charter, international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states."

At the UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Ukraine, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine Permanent Representative to UN, expressed his concern over the ongoing Russian aggression and said that Moscow has now started bombarding civilians areas. He reiterated that the Russian troops were now targetting civilians, journalists and front line workers. The representative urged the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to pay attention to the ongoing Russian aggression.

The United Nations will allocate a further $40 million from its central emergency response fund to ramp up humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

"Ukraine war is challenging for developing countries. The war also shows that the world economy is at the mercy of geopolitics. Security and safety of nuclear facility must be preserved," said the UN Chief.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver a virtual address to the U.S. Congress as the Russian war on his country intensifies.

Zelenskyy will speak Wednesday to members of the House and Senate, the Democratic leaders announced.

The Congress, our country and the world are in awe of the people of Ukraine, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement Monday.

They said all lawmakers are invited to the talk that will be delivered via video at the U.S. Capitol. 

It comes as Congress recently approved $13.6 billion in the emergency military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
 

The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, General Mykola Zhirnov has assured that Kyiv was not under siege, and the city was not surrounded.

"A technical pause has been taken in the negotiations until tomorrow. For additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions. Negotiations continue," Ukraine President's advisor informed.

"Maintaining the supply of medicines to Russia does not mean we will continue doing business as usual in Russia. Today we are announcing that effective immediately Pfizer will donate all profits of our Russian subsidiary to causes that provide direct humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. This will be in addition to all other recently announced donations from Pfizer to Ukraine," the company said in a statement.

Poland and Lithuania call for "immediate" granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine - Lublin Triangle statement.

"Russia continues to destroy our infrastructure, continues to beat our cities. But we will rebuild every street in every city. Every house, apartment of every Ukrainian. Now that the occupier is still on our land, we must beat him as best we can, says Zelesnkyy.

Hungarian FM Peter Szijjártó will not send troops or weapons to Ukraine. Earlier, the Hungary PM said the country will stay out of the conflict and that Hungary itself will not supply weapons to its neighbour. The country has condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine. 

"Currently Russia is creating disinformation. Here are cases where people were killed for not giving Russian phones. Russia has tried to stop information resources, they want to hinder Ukraine's information," the Defence Ministry alleged.

Berlin says will stop publicly informing about details of supply of weapons to Ukraine for security reasons, Sputnik reported. Earlier, Russian Deputy FM Sergey Ryabkov said that Moscow had warned the U.S. that convoys of foreign weapons would be “legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces,” as cited by Russian media RIA Novosti.

EU is finalizing the fourth package of sanctions against Russia, including personal and sectoral.

Team Zelenskyy speaks to Republic. The first Indian channel to get Zelenskyy's core team member amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Stay tuned for the super-exclusive interview here:

After stepping in as a mediator, Israel has promised that the country will not become a route to circumvent sanctions against Russia.

Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak: Israel is going to mediate in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. 

Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi has arrived at the venue in Rome to meet with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The meeting comes as concerns grow that China is amplifying Russian disinformation in the Ukraine war and may aid Russia in evading sanctions. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov holds presser with Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Moscow.

As per the Russian media, Ukrainian missile wreckage has fallen in Donetsk region, killing 20 civilians including children.

Rapper Morgenshtern, who left Russia, has recorded a music video with an anti-war message.

10 humanitarian corridors negotiated for March 14. According to Kyiv Independent, seven corridors will be open in Kyiv Oblast and three in Luhansk Oblast. Still no corridor for the besieged Mariupol has been discussed. Ukrainian authorities continue trying to get a humanitarian convoy to the city.

Around 90 children have been killed and more than 100 wounded in Ukraine since Russia invaded on 24 February, the Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office said on Monday.

“The highest number of victims are in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolayiv and Zhytomyr regions,” it said in a statement.

Russia releases video of a damaged Su-25 aircraft after its pilot managed to land the aircraft upon being hit by a Ukrainian missile.

At least 3 civilians were killed by bombardment in Sumy Oblast's Okhtyrka. According to Kyiv Independent, the mayor said Russia’s attack on residential areas in the north-eastern city happened overnight and the search for victims continues.

Several loud explosions were heard in central Kyiv, according to reports. The explosions appear to be the city's air defence systems shooting down the missiles targeting Kyiv.

As the war between Russia-Ukraine enters day 19, the fourth round of peace talks between the two sides begins through video link. 

The Netherlands and Australia have filed a joint complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against Russia over the 2014 downing of the Malaysian Boeing.

Several people were injured as the Ukrainian Tochka-U missile was destroyed in Central Donetsk, Sputnik reported. 

Russia condemns the tactics of Azov and other radicals of using civilians as "human shields". Taking to Twitter, the Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia said that it is clearly against international law and basic human principles. It cannot be justified, he added.

Ukraine suffers $120 billion in damages from Russia's invasion. Ukraine's Deputy Economy Minister Denys Kudin said that Ukraine will start calculating its war-related GDP losses in April.

At least two apartments in Kyiv have been completely destroyed, others damaged by shelling and the resulting fire. According to Kyiv Independent, the rescue operation is almost completed at the site of the shelling in Obolon, a northern district of Kyiv. The State Emergency Service said that one person was killed in the early morning shelling of the apartment block in Kyiv. 

Azerbaijan has announced that it is going to increase natural gas supplies to Europe via Turkey.

US health secretary Sajid Javid has said that the 'Ukraine Family Scheme' for refugees was “being made easier and more straightforward” from Tuesday. Speaking to Times Radio, Javid revealed that “just over 3,000” visas had been granted through the programme”.

However, he said, "as well as that particular scheme, the extended family scheme being made easier and more straightforward by our online-only process from tomorrow, there are the new homes for Ukrainian families scheme, which will also go live later this week."

Javid said there would be a “basic level of security checks” in both schemes, and he added, "I think that is right because you want to get the right balance between sort of speed and the people that we’re trying to help are in a desperate situation, and you want to bring that help as quickly as possible, but also do some basic checks and I think what we have done here is the right balance."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister has called more sanctions on Russia. Taking to Twitter, Dmytro Kuleba urged the West to help Ukraine force Vladimir Putin into failure in order to avert a larger war.

On the 19th day of the war, Ukraine has claimed that more than 12,000 Russian soldiers have been killed. Ukraine forces also destroyed 389 tanks, 150 artillery systems and 34 anti-aircraft warfare systems belonging to Russia. 

Czech Republic authorities have suspended all visas, except humanitarian, for citizens of Russia.

Republic's Piyush Mishra reporting live from Gomel in Belarus ahead of the fourth round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which are to be held in a virtual format.

After it was reported that Russia asked China for military equipment, Beijing dismissed the claim and slammed it as 'US disinformation'. A report in Financial Times had revealed that the Kremlin has been asking for military aid from China since the start of its attack on Ukraine. Several other reports floating in American media suggest that Russian troops might be running out of weaponry as the conflict entered the third week. 

Airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Snihurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast kills at least 1 person, damages 5 houses. It is to mention that the city is home to 12,000 people.

Explosions are reported from shells that hit the territory of the Antonov aviation industry plant and a residential multistorey apartment block in Nyvky district in Kyiv.

The fourth round of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis is scheduled for 14 March.
Pyotr Ilyichev, the head of the Russian foreign ministry's international organizations department, said that Moscow does not rule out that a possible agreement on the settlement between Russia and Ukraine will require approval by a UN Security Council resolution. 

"At the moment, when the parties have not yet reached specific agreements, it is premature to talk about the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution that would officially fix them. Although it would not be worth excluding such a development," Ilyichev said.

Russian shelling destroyed 7 houses in Zhytomyr Oblast, injuring at least 4 people. Another attack hit the TV tower in Rivne, a northern-western city, stopping the TV signal, Kyiv Independent reported. 

Republic reports live from Poland amid multiple diplomatic engagements taking place while the Russia-Ukraine war continues unabated.

In its Latest Defence Intelligence update, UK has claimed that more than 2,500,000 refugees have been forced from their homes as a result of President Putin’s attack on Ukraine. It said that indiscriminate Russian shelling and air attacks are causing widespread destruction. The UK defence department said that the UN has reported that there have already been 1,663 civilian casualties since the Russian invasion began. As with previous such estimates, the true figures are likely to be significantly higher and will continue to climb as long as Russian operations continue, it added. 

The Ukrainian armed forces claimed to have shot down four Russian planes in a single day, as the conflict enters the 19th day. In an update posted to social media, Ukraine said it had inflicted "devastating blows" on Russian field bases and warehouses in recent hours. It added this would "disrupt the system of logistical support of the enemy in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the occupiers".

"Four planes, three helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles were hit by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (information on the type is being clarified)," the social media post read. 

The Kyiv city administration has said that the Antonov aircraft plant in Kyiv has been shelled by Russian forces. It is to note that the industrial plant is located about 11 km northwest of the centre of Kviv. 

Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 3,920 targets of Ukrainian Military infrastructure since the operation was launched, reported Sputnik citing Russian Ministry of Defence. 

At least three civilians died as a result of the nighttime bombing of Okhtyrka in Sumy region, informed mayor of the city Pavel Kuzmenko.

Director of the Department of International Organizations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Pyotr Ilyichev has stated that Moscow sees 'no grounds' for sending UN peacekeepers to #Ukraine as the issue is not on the agenda of the Security Council of the organization.

 A pregnant woman and her baby have died after Russia bombed the maternity hospital where she was meant to give birth, The Associated Press has learned. Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had circled the world, epitomizing the horror of an attack on humanity’s most innocent.

In video and photos shot Wednesday by AP journalists after the attack on the hospital, the woman was seen stroking her bloodied lower abdomen as rescuers rushed her through the rubble in the besieged city of Mariupol, her blanched face mirroring her shock at what had just happened. It was among the most brutal moments so far in Russia’s now 19-day-old war on Ukraine.

The woman was rushed to another hospital, yet closer to the frontline, where doctors labored to keep her alive. Realizing she was losing her baby, medics said, she cried out to them, “Kill me now!”

Surgeon Timur Marin found the woman’s pelvis crushed and hip detached. Medics delivered the baby via cesarean section, but it showed “no signs of life,” the surgeon said.

Then, they focused on the mother.

“More than 30 minutes of resuscitation of the mother didn’t produce results,” Marin said Saturday.

“Both died.”

In the chaos after Wednesday’s airstrike, medics didn’t have time to get the woman’s name before her husband and father came to take away her body. At least someone came to retrieve her, they said — so she didn’t end up in the mass graves being dug for many of Mariupol’s growing number of dead.

Accused of war crimes, Russian officials claimed the maternity hospital had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists to use as a base, and that no patients or medics were left inside. Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. and the Russian Embassy in London called the images “fake news.”

Associated Press journalists, who have been reporting from inside blockaded Mariupol since early in the war, documented the attack and saw the victims and damage firsthand. They shot video and photos of several bloodstained, pregnant mothers fleeing the blown-out maternity ward, medics shouting, children crying.

The AP team then tracked down the victims on Friday and Saturday in the hospital where they had been transferred, on the outskirts of Mariupol.

In a city that’s been without food supplies, water, power or heat for more than a week, electricity from emergency generators is reserved for operating rooms.

(AP)

Ukraine’s emergency services said, "As of 07:40 in a nine-storey residential building, 2 dead bodies were found, 3 hospitalized, 9 persons were given assistance on the spot. 15 people and 63 people were rescued by the Dsns units and the search is ongoing."

Advisor to Ukraine’s interior ministry, Anton Herashchenko confirmed the start time in an update posted to his official Telegram account that, "Negotiations with Russia will take place this morning via video link. They will start at 10:30".

After skipping the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing last week, Russia has now stated that the UN international court has no jurisdictional rights over the Ukraine matter. The Parliament of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, informed that the ICJ in The Hague received a written objection from Russia against the application of precautionary measures on Ukraine’s complaint. It said that the Russian Federation has stated that the UN court has no jurisdiction to consider the case of the use of force in Ukraine.

After skipping the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing last week, Russia has now stated that the UN international court has no jurisdictional rights over the Ukraine matter. The Parliament of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, informed that the ICJ in The Hague received a written objection from Russia against the application of precautionary measures on Ukraine’s complaint. It said that the Russian Federation has stated that the UN court has no jurisdiction to consider the case of the use of force in Ukraine.

Ukraine's State Emergency Services said that an apartment block in Kyiv caught fire after shelling by Russian forces. Presently, the firefighters are putting out the fire in the 9-story apartment block on 20 Bohatyrska St. in the Obolon neighbourhood. The building was white around 5 AM on Monday (local time).

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement, "A worst-case scenario awaits the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by heavy combat in Mariupol unless the parties reach a concrete humanitarian agreement urgently."

According to Kyiv Independent, Kyiv authorities have said that they have amassed essential food items for a minimum of 2 weeks. It is also estimated that 2 million people have stayed in the city.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will be making a statement on Ukraine on Tuesday in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

Head of Japan's Main Police Directorate, Kenichi Sakuradzawa has announced that the country is planning on ramping up security at nuclear facilities due to the situation around the nuclear power plant in Ukraine. 

According to Nexta Tv, Computer hardware company Asus might consider "evacuating its employees and business from Russia", said Minister of Economy of Taiwan Wang Mei-hua.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak has confirmed that talks will take place with Russia on Monday trough a video link. “Again. Negotiations go non-stop in the format of video conferences. Working groups are constantly functioning. A large number of issues require constant attention. On Monday, March 14, a negotiating session will be held to sum up the preliminary results…” Podoliak said in a Twitter post on Sunday.

The Czech Republic to provide additional military aid to Ukraine worth at least $31.5 million, announced the official speaker of the Czech government, Vaclav Smolka.

In response to the abduction of Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Southern Ukraine's Melitopol, the United States Conference of Mayors has demanded the immediate release of Fedorov, calling it an "intolerable" move. In a statement released by the conference, the conference stated that America's mayors demand the immediate release of the Melitopol mayor who was violently captured while caring for his citizens as they face unimaginable barbarism at the hands of the Russian forces.

Stating that such terrorism cannot be tolerated, the conference also called upon the international community to do whatever was necessary to secure his freedom. Furthermore, hailing the courage of the Ukrainian people and its leaders, the statement added, "America's mayors stand united in support of Ukraine and the country's mayors who continue to fight to protect their citizens at great personal risk. We remain humbled by the remarkable courage of the Ukrainian people and their leaders. We will do all that we can to bring Mayor Fedorov to safety."

In his latest speech last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Sunday as the “18th day of our war for life, for Ukraine for independence”. The Ukrainian President spoke a day after 35 people were killed and more than 130 injured when Russian troops launched an airstrike on a military training ground outside Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, near the border with NATO member Poland. In a video address, Zelenskyy urged NATO to impose a no-fly zone over his nation or see its member states attacked by Russia. 

"If you don't close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, on NATO territory. On the homes of citizens of NATO countries," Zelenskyy said. 

Financial Times has stated that the European Union (EU) discussed the imposition of sanctions against Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club. Additionally, sanctions against state-owned enterprises, additional restrictions on the banking sector and a ban on imports of iron and steel products are presently being considered.

The Japanese manufacturer of copying and laser equipment, cameras and camcorders Ricoh suspends exports to Russia.
 

UK government will supply over 500 mobile generators to Ukraine to supply power to critical infrastructures such as hospitals, shelters, and water treatment plants, according to Kyiv Independent.

According to The Guardian, the United States will try to persuade China to not supply arms to Russia during the high-level meeting in Rome. The upcoming meeting in Rome is seen as critically important not just for the war in Ukraine but also for the power balance of the world. US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi in the Italian capital amid media reports that Russia asked China for weapons to strengthen its military. 

The Financial Times report stated that US officials believe Russia has sought military support from China since the invasion started. However, the White House fears Beijing may undermine the West’s efforts to help Ukraine.

On Monday, Australia announced fresh sanctions targetting Russian oligarchs, crucial business people as well as their families. In a statement, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said, "The sanctions announced today reinforce Australia’s commitment to sanction those people who have amassed vast personal wealth and are of economic and strategic significance to Russia, including as a result of their connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin".

"Many of these oligarchs have facilitated, or directly benefited, from the Kremlin’s illegal and indefensible actions in Ukraine since 2014, " she added.

Amid the devastating situation in Ukraine, the local administration of Sumy where lakhs of civilians are still stranded said that there will be no "green corridors" in the region on March 14. According to a report by Nexta, 
none of the routes has been agreed upon for providing a safe passage on Monday.

Russia claimed it killed 180 "foreign mercenaries" in a missile strike on Yavoriv military training ground in western Ukraine, according to a media report. Kyiv, however, denied the report terming it "pure Russian propaganda". Responding to Russia's claim, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson Markiyan Lubkivsky said: "This is not the truth. Pure Russian propaganda," adding that there are still no foreigners confirmed among the dead in Yavoriv military base.

After a rocket attack killed 35 people and injured 134 injured others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said it is a “black day” for Ukraine and added he will continue negotiating with Moscow. Notably, Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a meeting with Putin. But so far, his requests have gone unanswered by the Kremlin. According to him, now both the countries will hold meetings virtually every day in order to establish peace. 

US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic interaction on Sunday. According to the White House, extensive both the leaders discussed the ongoing war and reviewed recent diplomatic engagements and underscored their commitment to hold Russia accountable for its actions. They also vowed to support the government and people of Ukraine.
 

The United States on Sunday (local time) condemned the Russian Federation's missile attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv city of Ukraine. Russia claimed that it killed 180 "foreign mercenaries" in a missile strike on Yavoriv military training ground in western Ukraine, according to a media report. Kyiv, however, denied the report terming it "pure Russian propaganda".

Amid the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, the fourth round of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow will be held on Monday, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and part of the negotiating team has said. The talks will be held virtually today at 10 am. 

Adam Delimkhanov, Member of the State Duma, on Sunday, took to the social media platform, Telegram and warned Ukraine President Zelenskyy and his colleague to kill them regardless of wherever they were hiding.   
"A personal appeal to Zelensky and his gang. Wherever you go, wherever you hide, our fighters will catch you up. They will napalm every one of your henchmen every one who has ever encroached on lives of the peaceful population of Ukraine," he warned.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday again reiterated for Ukraine no-fly zone over Ukraine and warned else the Russian rockets will fall on all NATO countries. In a video address, Zelenskyy said without preventive sanctions, Moscow would begin a war. He also warned that Russia would use Nord Stream 2 as a weapon. "I reiterate that if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, on NATO territory, on the homes of NATO citizens," he added.

UK Defense Ministry intelligence affirmed that Russia's navy has established a 'distant blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea Coast' that has isolated Ukraine from international maritime trade, reported The Spectator Index on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in a discussion with European Council President Charles Michel, special attention was given to the further negotiation process on Ukraine's EU membership.  Earlier, Zelenskyy spoke with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Petr Fiala Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and spoke about Ukraine's struggle against Russian aggression.

Russian missiles pounded a military base in western Ukraine on Sunday, killing 35 people in an attack on a facility that served as a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and the NATO countries supporting its defence. The barrage marked an escalation of Moscow’s offensive and moved the fighting perilously close to the Polish border.

The attack so near a NATO member country raised the spectre that the alliance could be drawn into the fight and was heavy with symbolism in a conflict that has revived old Cold War rivalries and threatened to rewrite the current global security order.

Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday held telephonic conversations with Liz Truss, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State and appealed to impose new sanctions to resist the Russian aggression. While taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Call with @trussliz
 on next steps to apply more sanctions on Russia. Pressure must increase until Russia ceases its meaningless aggression and stops barbaric war crimes. Grateful to the UK for stepping up support for Ukraine."

US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan on Sunday said that Washington has communicated to Beijing that it would take serious action against China if Beijing helped Russia bypass Western sanctions. According to Sullivan, the US believes that China was aware in advance of what Washington describes as an "invasion" of Ukraine, Sputnik reported.

Actor Rebel Wilson used her stage time at the 75th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards ceremony to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rebel showed middle finger to Putin while hosting the star-studded event on Sunday night.

As the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine entered the third week, the UK Defence Ministry on Sunday claimed that Russian troops are attempting to encircle Ukrainian soldiers in the east of the country as they move from Kharkiv in the north to Mariupol in the south. Amid this chaotic condition, heavy shelling was reported in Kharkiv on Sunday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for opening humanitarian corridors as "hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine in need of emergency assistance." 

The day on which the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis, has appealed to the Russian government to stop the war immediately "before cities are reduced to cemeteries", the Russian Orthodox Church "blesses" the head of the Russian Guard, Zolotov, for the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis, has appealed to the Russian government to stop the war immediately "before cities are reduced to cemeteries."
While addressing a gathering of about 25,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, Francis decried the “barbarianism” by the Russian forces and the killing of children and other defenceless civilians in Ukraine. "There are no strategic reasons that hold up in the face of such armed aggression," he told people gathered for his customary Sunday noon appearance.  

Over 2,100 residents of Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol have been killed since the Russian forces started its invasion, CNN reported citing officials on Sunday. Officials in the besieged city said, it has suffered 22 bombing attacks in the last 24 hours. “The situation in Mariupol continues to be very difficult. The city has no electricity, water, heat, almost no mobile communication, is running out of food and water,” CNN quoted officials as saying.

Ukraine says it has restored a broken power line to the Chernobyl power plant, the scene of a nuclear meltdown in 1986, which is held by Russian troops. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that “heroes” from the national power grid company managed to restore the connection. The power is used to run pumps that keep spent nuclear fuel cool to prevent radiation leaks.

The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline shot up a whopping 79 cents over the past two weeks to a record-setting $4.43 per gallon (3.8 litres). Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday the new price exceeds by 32 cents the prior all-time high of $4.11 set in July 2008. The price at the pump is $1.54 higher than it was a year ago.

Lundberg said gas prices are likely to remain high in the short term as crude oil costs soar amid global supply concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco Bay Area, at $5.79 per gallon. The lowest average is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at $3.80 per gallon. According to the survey, the average price of diesel also spiked, up to $1.18 over two weeks, to $5.20 a gallon. Diesel costs $2.11 more than it did one year ago.

AP

 The Red Cross is warning of a “worst-case scenario” for hundreds of thousands of civilians in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol unless the parties agree to ensure their safety and access to humanitarian aid.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, said in a statement said Sunday that residents of Mariupol “have endured a weeks-long life-and-death nightmare.”

The Geneva-based humanitarian agency said hundreds of thousands of people in the city are “facing extreme or total shortages of basic necessities like food, water and medicine.”

According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, the humanitarian aid convoy once again failed to reach Mariupol, "We stopped in Berdyansk because of the crushing airstrikes in Mariupol itself, but tomorrow morning we will try to break through again," said Vereshchuk.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Press Secretary, on Sunday, has announced that Russia and the war-ravaged country, Ukraine, will sit on the negotiations table on March 14. Amid escalating war between Moscow and Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday expressed his readiness to enter into negotiations with Russia in Jerusalem.

As Russian troops continue to slowly move closer to Kyiv, while cities in the southern and western parts of the country sustain ongoing attacks as well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday met the wounded military personnel in a hospital. "The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited the wounded defenders of Ukraine in the hospital," the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense wrote in a tweet. Moreover, Russian forces strike at a school in Mykolaiv Oblast on Sunday.

The U.N. human rights office says at least 596 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and at least 1,067 have been injured.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Sunday that 43 of those killed were children, while 57 were injured.

The Geneva-based office had documented 579 civilian deaths and 1,002 injured a day earlier.

According to a report by The Kyiv Independent, Russia claimed it has killed 180 'foreign mercenaries' in a missile strike on Yavoriv military training ground in western Ukraine. The Russian government added that it will continue to kill foreign nationals in Ukraine whom it considers mercenaries.

Dozens of cars drove through the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Sunday in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The occupants waved Russian and Serbian flags, honked horns and chanted pro-Putin slogans. Some cars had the letter Z painted on them — a symbol of support for the Russian president.

The protest was organized by a small far-right group.

Serbia has refused to join international sanctions against its ally Russia despite formally seeking EU membership and voting in favour of the U.N. resolution condemning Moscow’s aggression.

Serbia’s dominant state-controlled media are daily carrying Moscow’s war propaganda, creating a strong pro-Putin mood among Serbia’s ultranationalists and far-right groups.

(AP)

President Joe Biden is sending his national security adviser for talks with a senior Chinese official in Rome on Monday as concerns grow that China is amplifying Russian disinformation in the Ukraine war and may help Russia evade punishment from economic sanctions.

The talks between national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi will center on “efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security," said Emily Horne, speaking for the White House national security council.

The White House has accused Beijing of spreading false Russian claims that Ukraine was running chemical and biological weapons labs with U.S. support. U.S. officials said China was attempting to provide cover for a potential biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians by the Russian military.

(AP)

The head of a group providing humanitarian aid in Ukraine says the international community needs to start making plans for how to help the country when the war ends.

Pavlo Titko, who heads the Ukraine branch of the Germany-based Malteser aid group, says the conflict could worsen the already difficult demographic situation in Ukraine where many educated young people have moved abroad, leaving the poor and elderly behind.

Titko told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Sunday from Ukraine’s eastern city of Lviv that the country needs a “long-term perspective.”

He urged Western nations to create partnerships between cities and institutions such as those established with Ukraine during the 1990s that helped prevent some of the worst impacts of the economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Titko said Malteser Ukraine, which provides thousands of warm meals at train stations and border crossings each day, has also begun offering psychological help to those traumatized by the war. That need will dramatically increase in future, he predicted.

(AP)

"War is not only a military opposition on UA land. It is also a fierce battle in the informational space. I want to thank Meta and other platforms that have an active position that help and stand side by side with the Ukrainians," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Dozens of Russian nationals joined Ukrainians in the coastal resort town of Limassol, home to a sizeable Russian expatriate community, to protest the war in Ukraine.

About 50 Russians converged on Limassol’s promenade prior to joining with other protesters Sunday to chant slogans including “Stop the war, stop Putin” and “Russia without Putin." They waved blue and white flags that they said were the Russian national flag without the red stripe that represented “blood and violence.”

Protester Evgeniya Shlikava, who has been living and working in Cyprus for five years, told The Associated Press that despite Russian propaganda, Ukraine “didn’t deserve this action from our government” and that protesters are demanding an immediate end to the war “that we don’t support.”

“I do believe that the person who did the most to make Russia weak and not united is Putin himself,” said Shlikava, who faulted the Russian president and his supporters for bringing the world’s wrath on Russia that is proud of its humanistic values and culture. 

“But now Russia is the aggressor for the whole world, and we protest it,” Shlikava said.
 

American tech giant Google will now be adding Air Strike alerts for its Ukrainian Android users amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.

According to GSM Arena, this update comes as part of Google's Play Services and reportedly, the company is enabling it at the request of the Ukrainian government.

The feature is supposed to be supplemental to the already existing raid alert systems. The company's VP of Engineering said that Google has used the same low-latency system that it uses for detecting earthquakes.

Earlier, shortly after the Russian military operation in Ukraine commenced, the company had announced that it would disable some of its Google Maps features in Ukraine such as traffic information and crowd data. Their argument was that the data could be used as military intelligence.

At least 35 people were killed and 134 wounded in the Russian missile strike on a military training base near Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland.

More than 30 Russian cruise missiles targeted the sprawling facility, the governor of Ukraine's western Lviv region said on Sunday. 

Many of the injured were taken to a hospital in Novoiavorisk, where some of them were transferred to bigger hospitals in the region.

The training base near Yavoriv is less than 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the closest border point with Poland.

It appears to be the westernmost target struck during Russia's 18-day invasion. 

The facility, also known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, has long been used to train the Ukrainian military, often with instructors from NATO countries. 

The strike followed Russian threats to target foreign weapon shipments that are helping Ukrainian fighters defend their country against Russia's grinding assault.

Poland is a transit route for Western military aid to Ukraine, and the United States increased the number of America troops deployed there.

NATO said Sunday that it currently did not have any personnel in Ukraine.

(AP)

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demands a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops during talks with Russia.
 

Turkey’s foreign minister says his country is trying to evacuate Turkish citizens who were sheltering in a mosque in Mariupol.

Russian shells hit near the Sultan Suleiman Mosque Saturday. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the mosque had not been damaged and they had made contact with the Turkish nationals through satellite phones. He did not specify the number of people sheltering there. The Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara said Saturday 89 Turks, including 34 children, were at the mosque. 

The minister said he spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to ask for his support for a humanitarian evacuation corridor in Mariupol. Buses were ready for their evacuation Saturday but had not been able to enter the city because of clashes. Efforts continued Sunday.

Cavusoglu said 489 Turkish citizens had been evacuated Saturday from places where clashes continued, including Kherson and Kharkiv. 

Turkey firmly believes that sanctions against Russia will not resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis that has worsened as the war entered its 18th day today.

"Our position is open and clear: sanctions will not solve the problem," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference, reported Russian News Agency Sputnik.  

In the backdrop of the ongoing war, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday said that he has discussed the situation in Ukraine with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republic requested help in 'defending themselves.'

The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.

The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine.

(ANI)

"The United States made it clear to Beijing that it will face consequences if China tries to help Russia compensate for losses from Western sanctions," the White House said.

"The city named after the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mariupol, has become a martyr city of the soul-rending war that is ravaging Ukraine," Pope Francis said.

Ukraine's president says nearly 125,000 civilians have been evacuated through safe-passage corridors so far, and a convoy with humanitarian aid is headed to the besieged city of Mariupol.

We have already evacuated almost 125,000 people to the safe territory through humanitarian corridors," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address released Sunday. "The main task today is Mariupol. Our convoy with humanitarian aid is two hours away from Mariupol. Only 80km (left).

We're doing everything to counter occupiers who are even blocking Orthodox priests accompanying this aid, food, water and medicine. There are 100 tons of the most necessary things that Ukraine sent to its citizens, Zelenskyy 

Brend Renaud, who worked for New York Times as a video journalist, was killed in a Russian shelling in Irpin located near capital city Kyiv in northern Ukraine. In the incident, another journalist was wounded, the official Twitter handle of the Ukrainian Parliament informed.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather Sunday in cities across Europe to protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine, with small rallies taking place in Russia as well despite a crackdown by authorities against such demonstrations.

Trade unions called a protest in Berlin where sunny weather was expected to boost the turnout. Organizers planned to march from the city's Alexanderplatz — a large square named after Russian Tsar Alexander I — to a site near the Brandenburg Gate. 

Many participants carried flags in the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine, while others carried banners reading “Stop the War” and “Peace and Solidarity for the people in Ukraine.”

Protests were also planned in Warsaw, London, Madrid, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart.

In Russia, where protests against the war in Ukraine have typically met with a heavy police response, rights group OVD-Info said more than 200 people had been detained in 23 cities as of early afternoon Moscow time.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian nationals in Taiwan and supporters staged a march Sunday in Taipei to protest the Russian invasion.

(AP)

Rishi Sunak urges UK companies to stop investing in Russia, says I believe there is no argument for new investment in the Russian Economy'
 

"Condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s indiscriminate shelling of civilians in Ukraine as well as the abduction by Russia of Melitopol and Dniprorudnyi mayors and other Ukrainians," EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted.

Pope Francis has decried the “barbarianism” of the killing of children and other defenseless civilians in Ukraine and pleaded for a stop to the attacks “before cities are reduced to cemeteries.” 

In some of his strongest denunciations yet of the war in Ukraine, and in apparent reference to Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the pontiff said that “there are no strategic reasons that hold up” in the face of such armed aggression. 

Francis told about 25,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his customary Sunday noon appearance that Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian city which “bears the name” of the Virgin Mary, has “become a city martyred by the heartbreaking war that is devastating Ukraine.” 

“In the name of God, I ask: ‘Stop this massacre,’” Francis said, sparking applause from the pilgrims, tourists and Romans, some of whom held Ukrainian flags, in the square.
Francis prayed for an end of the bombings and other attacks and for ensuring that humanitarian corridors “are safe and secure.” 

(AP)
 

AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam on Sunday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the safe evacuation of Indian students, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh citizens, from the war-hit Ukraine and said this showed the height of diplomacy and rapport of the Prime Minister with foreign countries.

He was happy to learn that the government under the Prime Minister's "vibrant leadership" not only evacuated all Indian students from the war-hit Ukraine but also the citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh and made the "Operation Ganga" a grand success, Panneerselvam said in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister.

"The safe evacuation of Indian students who were caught in the conflict zone Sumy through humanitarian corridor with the cooperation of both Russia and Ukraine was truly remarkable. This shows the height of diplomacy and rapport of the Prime Minister with the foreign countries," Panneerselvam said.

Thanking the Prime Minister on behalf of the AIADMK and the people of Tamil Nadu, the former CM said "I would like to place my sincere thanks for the prompt and effective action taken by the government of India that has enabled the evacuation of all Indians from Ukraine." PTI JSP 

Isreal's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday met his Romanian counterpartBogdan Aurescu in Budapest.

Gas TSO of Ukraine LLC transports natural gas in a tweet informed that last night brought several damages to gas infrastructure in the Luhansk and Mykolaiv regions. Our repair crews run a race with new destructions and do their utmost to restore gas supply to people in Ukraine.

Israel's foreign minister is condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling on Moscow to halt its attacks and end the conflict.

Yair Lapid's criticism Sunday is among the strongest that has come from Israeli officials since the war began. His remarks set him apart from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has stopped short of condemning Russia.

Israel has walked a fine line in its response to the crisis. Bennett has voiced support for the Ukrainian people and the country has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine. But Israel relies on Russia for security coordination in Syria, where Russia has a military presence and where Israeli aircraft have frequently struck enemy targets over recent years. Bennett has been attempting to mediate between the Kremlin and Ukraine.

Lapid made his remarks in Bucharest, Romania, where he met his Romanian counterpart.

Pope Francis is renewing calls for an end to the war in Ukraine. He said that 'massacre' in Ukraine must stop.

Russian forces fired on the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra (Slavyansk) and the Holy Christ-Christmas Cathedral (Severodonetsk).

Russia has started to detain protesters who are raising their voices against Moscow's aggression in Ukraine. Recently, anti-war protesters were detained in Yekaterinburg city.

India has decided to temporarily relocate its embassy in Ukraine to Poland in view of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country.

The decision comes amid increasing Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and several other prominent cities.

"In view of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Ukraine, including attacks in the western parts of the country, it has been decided that the Indian Embassy in Ukraine will be temporarily relocated to Poland," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"The situation will be reassessed in the light of further developments," it said in a brief statement.

(PTI)

Today, Russian war criminals abducted another Ukrainian mayor, head of Dniprorudne Yevhen Matveyev. Getting zero local support, invaders turn to terror. I call on all states and international organizations to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and democracy: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

Polish President Andrez Duda, on Sunday, warned that there was a possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin using chemical weapons as he was in a “difficult situation.” Speaking to BBC News, Duda said that politically, Putin had already lost the war while “internally he is not winning” as well. Warning that the aforementioned situations would prompt Putin to use forbidden chemical weapons, the Polish leader said that if he does so, it would be a  “game-changer.”

“For sure the North Atlantic alliance [NATO], will have to sit at that table and really have to think seriously about what to do, because then it starts to be dangerous, not only for Europe or our region but the whole world,” Duda told BBC News. 

A Lyman-bound passenger train was hit by shrapnel near Brusyn station, north of Slovyansk overnight, Kyiv Independent reported on Sunday. In the attack, one train conductor lost his life while the other has been injured. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing their homes as Russian troops continue to shell cities in Ukraine's south and east. 

UK has issued more than 3,000 visas to Ukrainian families since the start of the Russian invasion, a British lawmaker told Sky News. Secretary of state for leveling up, Michael Gove, on Sunday, revealed that starting Tuesday, Ukrainians would no longer need a visa but only a Ukrainian passport to enter British territory. In addendum, he also said that residents who give shelter to refugees would be paid as well as be given assistance in medication, education and other services.

Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov has branded the missile strikes on International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security as a “terrorist attack”. Earlier on Sunday, Russian troops shelled the Centre located in Lviv, making it one of the most westward attacks conducted by the Russians till now. “According to the preliminary data, eight missiles were launched. Casualties are yet to be reported,” a report by the ministry stated.

According to Reznikov, many “foreign instructors” work at the military centre. Highlighting that the attacks took place just outside the NATO and EU border, the Ukrainian minister reiterated his call to “Close the Sky”.

An anonymous Twitter user, on Sunday, posted a video message urging Russian citizens to rise up against the country’s president Vladimir Putin and oust him from power. According to a translation of his statement, reported by The Guardian, the anonymous pointed out the “war crimes” that the Putin administration has been conducting with the recent invasion of Ukraine being direct proof of it.  He further reckoned that the 69-year-old Putin has been putting Russians as "sacrifice" to fulfil his personal agenda.

Here’s the complete translation:

You are being trapped behind an iron curtain of propaganda, with your government attempting to keep you from being a part of the international conversation, out of fear for what you might find out.

The regime of Vladimir Putin has been carrying out war crimes with his recent invasion of Ukraine, which has caused a massive refugee crisis and countless deaths.

It is a terrible situation that you have been put in, but your only option to prevent the impending economic collapse and potential world war is to take actions to resist the war and the regime of Vladimir Putin.

Putin has put the Russian population up as a sacrifice. At this point, the most peaceful way that this conflict could end would be for the people of Russia to rise up against Putin and remove him from power.”

Ukrainian Defence Ministry, on Sunday, released its operational report claiming to have killed over 12,000 Russian personnel since the start of the conflict on February 24. In addendum, it destructed 374 tanks, 1,226 armoured combat vehicles and 140 artillery systems. Meanwhile, it blamed the Russian troops to use civilian infrastructure for military purposes.

“The moral and psychological condition of enemy troops that participated in battles with the armed forces of Ukraine continues to deteriorate, desertion and refusal to comply with orders are increasing,” the Ukrainian military said accusing the Russians of breaking International Humanitarian Law.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues for the 18th day, reports have emerged that Russian troops have attacked the airport of Ivano-Frankivsk. The news was confirmed by the city's Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv who said that Russian troops targetted the airport for two straight days. He further asked people residing near the Airport complex to vacate their houses and take shelter in a safe location. 

In the latest development, a military training centre in Yavoriv has been attacked by Russian troops on Sunday. According to Buzzfeed reporter Christopher Miller, Lviv’s mayor’s office confirmed there was a missile strike on Yavoriv’s military facilities before daybreak. Notably, there were explosions heard on the outskirts of Lviv shortly before 6 am. 

On Sunday, the city of Ivano-Frankivsk witnessed fresh shelling by the Russian troops. According to reports by Kyiv Independent, air alerts are on in the city located 130 kilometres from Lviv. Meanwhile, authorities have asked residents to head to the nearest air shelter at the earliest. 

The northwestern Ukrainian city of Lviv witnessed explosions by Russian troops who continued their offensive on Day 18. According to The Guardian, multiple explosions were heard on the outskirts of the city around 6 am on Sunday. Later, local lawmaker Igor Zinkevych clarified that the explosions were a result of Ukraine’s air defence against Russian missiles. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia is trying to create new “pseudo-republics” in his country. Addressing Ukrainians late on Saturday, he asked people residing in captured or besieged cities to keep their resistance up. Zelenskyy asked them not to succumb to Russian “blackmail” and repeat the experience of Donetsk and Luhansk, as reported by The Guardian. 

Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu has admitted that his country is approaching a “breaking point” in its ability to shelter those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Moldova-a non-EU country- is bordered by Ukraine on three sides and has become one of the prime destinations for refugees. According to BBC, the country currently houses around 100,000 refugees representing a 4% increase in its national population and would be equivalent in proportion to 2.5 million refugees arriving in the UK in a fortnight. 

In a late-night address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked his compatriots to keep up the resistance against the enemy. “We do not have the right to let up our defence, no matter how difficult it may be,” he said. Additionally, he also said that Russian troops could only take over Kyiv if they raise the city to the ground. 

According to AP, over 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had died since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24. Meanwhile, a total of 600 Russian soldiers have surrendered. As the conflict enters its 18th day on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated the possibility of holding peace talks with the Russians in Jerusalem. 

British families who house refugees from Ukraine will get £350 a month in return, the Boris Johnson administration announced on Saturday. According to the government's Homes for Ukraine program, all British residents are urged to lend Ukrainian refugees a spare room or a vacant property for at least six months. Since the start of the war on February 24, more than 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine. 

Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Twitter to announce that he has continued dialogue with Israeli PM Naftali Bennett regarding the same. As per the tweet, both the leaders held a telephonic conversation wherein they discussed ‘Russian aggression’ and repression of civilians. In addition, Zelesnkyy also asked Bennett to help him in the release of the captive mayor of Melitopol.