Ukraine moves ICJ, argues 'Russia manipulated notion of genocide to justify aggression'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday informed that the eastern European country has submitted its application against Russia to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He requested an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity and expects trials to begin next week. 

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Zelenskyy said, "Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week."

Russia launched an offensive on Thursday with a series of airstrikes on cities and Ukrainian military bases, followed by a ground assault that rolled forces in from several areas in the east; from Belarus to the north and from the southern region of Crimea.

Moscow is now moving towards the capital city Kyiv. While Russia has claimed that it is not targeting cities, the visuals being shared and the Republic Media Network team on the ground saw the destruction in civilian areas.

While many women, children and the elderly have left Ukraine, men have stayed back to fight for the country as Russia tries to make a deeper invasion. According to Ukraine's deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar, the country's army has killed approximately 4,300 Russian troops and has destroyed over 140 Russian armoured tanks, 27 aircraft and 26 helicopters.

Ex-Ukrainian PM says 'Russia's war against democracy, Putin fears it'

In an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not a war against the country, but against democracy. He said that crazy strong man' fears it.

"It is essential to show Putin that it is not right to use military power in the 21st century to attack a country. Putin fears democracy. Ukraine is an example for Russian people that it is possible to build a country on democratic principles." 

He added, "Russia's war is not against Ukraine but against democracy. It is important to understand that Russia uses a broad number of aggressive tools to undermine democracies."