3 years ago
Kyiv:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden today held talks on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, discussing financial support and sanctions against Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, said Western sanctions and the implementation of a no-fly zone were akin to a declaration of war, as his forces resumed their offensive against the key Ukrainian city Mariupol after a ceasefire -- agreed upon to allow the evacuation of civilians -- failed to take place. An evacuation of some 400,000 trapped residents will be attempted once again today.
Ukraine has reported that over 11,000 Russian troops have been killed so far in the war.
Here are the Highlights on Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Mar 07, 2022 04:02 (IST)
Russia-Ukraine War: UK Releases $100 Million More In Aid For Ukraine
Britain is releasing another $100 million to help Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Sunday and promised fresh efforts to rally international opinion against Russia's invasion.
The $100 million, to be provided via the World Bank, is in addition to the £220 million ($290 mln) of overall aid support to Ukraine, said a statement from Downing Street.
The new funding will go towards keeping key state functions operating, it added.
Mar 07, 2022 03:36 (IST)
Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday said Ukraine has not fulfilled its commitments with regards to organizing humanitarian corridors to help people leave Mariupol.
Mar 07, 2022 02:49 (IST)
Diplomats were working to ensure the release of seven-time WNBA All-Star player Brittney Griner after Russia said it had detained the player last month for possession of vape cartridges containing hash oil, US said.
Mar 07, 2022 02:46 (IST)
Over A Million Refugees From Ukraine Have Arrived In Poland: Border Guards
More than a million refugees have crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland since Russian troops invaded on February 24, Polish border guards said on Sunday.
"Today at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) the number of people from Ukraine into Poland exceeded a million. This is a million human tragedies," the border guard service said on Twitter.
Mar 07, 2022 02:05 (IST)
The next round of G7 sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine should hit those oligarchs who have got rich under President Vladimir Putin, Germany's finance minister said Sunday.
Mar 07, 2022 01:40 (IST)
Russia-Ukraine War: France To Send Ukraine Drugs Including iodine Tablets
France is to send medical aid to Ukraine including iodine tablets, which help protect against the effects of exposure to radiation, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday.
"Yes, we have sent different medical products," Le Drian told France 2 television in response to a question about iodine tablets following comments by France's ambassador in Ukraine that 2.5 million doses were to be sent.
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Mar 06, 2022 23:47 (IST)
"They're Destroying Us," Says Ukraine City Mayor From Bombarded Basement
A few weeks ago, the mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, was working on a plan to revitalise the Ukrainian port city, appearing at public meetings in shirt and tie to talk about new investment in tech, medicine and education.
On Saturday, he was speaking from a basement on a patchy phone line to anyone who would listen about Russia's siege of the city, a Ukrainian flag tacked to the wall behind him.
He wore a T-shirt and had dark circles under his eyes. Much of the city lay in ruins, he said.
Mar 06, 2022 22:46 (IST)
Israeli PM Vows More Ukraine Talks, Even If Prospects 'Not Great'
Israel's premier said Sunday his country had a "moral obligation" to help stem fighting in Ukraine, after shuttle diplomacy saw him visit the Kremlin and as hundreds of Jewish Ukrainians landed in Israel.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met for three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, before flying to Berlin to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Bennett, acting after Kyiv asked him to launch a dialogue with Moscow in the wake of Russia's invasion, has also held three phone calls in 24 hours with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking before his weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said Israel would press on with diplomatic efforts "as needed".
"Even if the chance is not great -- as soon as there is even a small opening, and we have access to all sides and the capability -- I see this as our moral obligation to make every effort," he said.
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Mar 06, 2022 22:08 (IST)
"Bundle Of Lies": Minister Slams Rahul Gandhi's Ukraine Evacuation Tweets
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tweets on the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Sunday said they are senseless and "a bundle of lies". Read more
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tweets on the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Sunday said they are senseless and "a bundle of lies". Read more
Mar 06, 2022 22:00 (IST)
Over 1,000 Students Back Home: Tamil Nadu Government
Of the 1,011 Tamil Nadu students who arrived in Delhi from Ukraine so far, 852 of them have reached the state and arrangements are on to bring the remaining 159, the government said on Sunday.
The 852 students includes 180 who were brought here from Delhi on Sunday by a special flight chartered by the Tamil Nadu government. On arrival, they were sent in government arranged vehicles to their home districts.
Arrangements are on to bring 159 more TN students to the state from Delhi, a government release said.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore towards expenditure in connection with evacuation of Tamil Nadu students which includes flight fare.
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Mar 06, 2022 21:43 (IST)
Russia Sanctions Fallout: Inflation, Black Marketing Rise, Payments Fail
Black market fears, problems with online payments and the looming spectre of inflation -- Russian officials are scrambling to deal with the effects of sanctions imposed on Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. Read more
Mar 06, 2022 21:42 (IST)
More Than 1.5 Million People Flee Ukraine War
More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, according to the latest UN data on Sunday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had recorded 1,534,792 refugees on its dedicated website by 1335 GMT, almost 166,000 more than the previous count on Saturday.
Authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify as the Russian army continues to advance into Ukraine, particularly as it approaches the capital, Kyiv.
"More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days -- the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, tweeted.
According to the UN, four million people may seek to leave the country to escape the war.
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Mar 06, 2022 21:42 (IST)
Ukraine Capital Digs In For Battle As Fighting Flares In Areas Nearby
Ukrainian soldiers bolstered defences around Kyiv on Sunday, digging trenches, blocking roads and liaising with civil defence units as Russian forces bombarded the surrounding areas and attacked towns and villages nearby. Read more
Mar 06, 2022 19:26 (IST)
1,234 Haryana Students Evacuated From Ukraine: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said around 1,800 students from the state were stuck in the war-torn Ukraine, of which 1,234 have been evacuated.
The Chief Minister said this after interacting with students who returned from that country.
Of the remaining students, 80 are still stuck in Ukraine cities while the others have reached the country's borders, Mr Khattar told mediapersons.
Mr Khattar said the students who have completed their course in Ukraine will be given internship opportunities.
Mar 06, 2022 19:22 (IST)
Crash Course In Fighting For Ukraine's Men Who Never Held A Gun
Before Russia launched its assault on Ukraine, Andriy Senkiv was a pacifist who blogged about sport and had never held a gun in his life.
Eleven days later, the 27-year-old Ukrainian was learning how to handle an assault rifle with 30 other men in the western city of Lviv. Among them were salesmen, IT experts, a chef and a footballer.
"It's very scary that, in the 21st century, skills that should have died out a long time ago are again in high demand," said Senkiv. Read more
Mar 06, 2022 19:21 (IST)
French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin Hold New Telephone Talks Lasting 1 Hour 45 Minutes
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday held new telephone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Elysee said.
The call, which a presidential official said lasted 1 hour 45 minutes and was at Macron's request, was the fourth time they had spoken since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
It came after a tense call on March 3 which the Elysee said had left Macron feeling "the worst is to come" in Ukraine with Putin intent on seizing "the whole" of the country.
Mar 06, 2022 19:19 (IST)
Civilian Safe Passage From Ukraine's Mariupol "Halted": International Committee Of The Red Cross
Civilian safe passage from Ukraine's besieged eastern port city of Mariupol was "halted" on Sunday for a second consecutive day, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
"Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt," the ICRC said.
"The failed attempts yesterday and today underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict," it added.
Mar 06, 2022 18:53 (IST)
Ukraine Says Airport Destroyed In Russian Airstrike
A barrage of Russian missiles destroyed the airport in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Read more
A barrage of Russian missiles destroyed the airport in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Read more
Mar 06, 2022 18:50 (IST)
Besieged Ukraine Port City Mariupol Begins New Evacuation Bid
Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol began a new attempt at evacuating civilians on Sunday, as fierce battles raged around the country and the Ukrainian president warned that Russian forces were preparing to bombard Odessa on the Black Sea coast.
Ten days after Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 1.5 million people have fled the former Soviet state, the United Nations said, calling it "Europe's fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II".
Hundreds of civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in the war, now into an 11th day, sending hundreds of thousands of mostly women and children pouring into neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania or Moldova for refuge.
The economic bill is lengthening by the day after the West imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russian businesses, banks and billionaires in a bid to choke off the country's economy.
In the latest efforts to freeze Moscow out of the world economy, US-based card payment giants Visa and Mastercard announced they would suspend operations in Russia, while world leaders vowed further punitive action if Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to change course.
Mar 06, 2022 18:49 (IST)
'Unlawful' For Britons To Fight In Ukraine: UK Military Head
The head of the UK armed forces Admiral Tony Radkin said on Sunday that it was "unlawful and unhelpful" for Britons to go and fight against Russia in Ukraine.
His comments contradict British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said she supported anyone who wanted to volunteer and follow an appeal for foreign fighters to come to Ukraine from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"We've been very clear that it's unlawful as well as unhelpful for UK military and for the UK population, to start going towards Ukraine," Chief of the Defence Staff Radkin told BBC television.
"Support from the UK, support in whatever way you can. But this isn't really something that you want to rush to, in terms of the sound of gunfire."
Truss said last week that she would "absolutely" support Britons wanting to go to Ukraine to fight, and an unknown number have already gone.
Mar 06, 2022 18:17 (IST)
Just In| Vinnytsia airport in central Ukraine destroyed by Russian strike, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: news agency AFP
Mar 06, 2022 17:38 (IST)
Pope Deplores Ukraine "Rivers Of Blood And Tears"
Pope Francis on Sunday deplored what he termed the "rivers of blood and tears" flowing in Ukraine following the Russian invasion and demanded the creation of humanitarian corridors for refugees.
"Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. This is not just a military operation but a war which is sowing death, destruction and misery," said the pontiff.
Mar 06, 2022 17:15 (IST)
Russia Detains Over 1,100 At Ukraine Conflict Protests
More than 1,100 people in cities across Russia have been detained at protests Sunday against Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, a protest monitor said, more than one week after the assault began.
The OVD-Info group said that by around 2:20 pm Moscow time (1120 GMT) Sunday, 1,103 people had been detained across 35 cities, bringing the total number of demonstrators detained to 9,472 since February 24, when President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine to carry out a "special operation".
Mar 06, 2022 17:00 (IST)
Russia Banks Turn To China After Visa, Mastercard Suspension
Russian banks said Sunday they planned to issue cards using China's UnionPay system after Visa and Mastercard moved to suspend operations in Russia over Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine.
Russian Visa and Mastercard bank cards will no longer be valid abroad, and cards issued abroad will no longer work in Russia, the global payments companies announced Saturday.
Major Russian lenders Sberbank and Alfa Bank said they are working on a rollout of UnionPay cards.
"Sberbank is working on the possibility of issuing co-branded Mir-UnionPay cards. We will inform you later about the timeframe for the issue," Russia's largest bank Sberbank said in a statement.
The country's largest private lender Alfa Bank said it is "already working on launching cards on UnionPay, China's national payment system".
Rosbank, Tinkoff Bank, and the Credit Bank of Moscow (MKB) are also working on releasing UnionPay cards, Russian news agencies reported.
Mar 06, 2022 16:59 (IST)
Ukraine Warns Russia Preparing To Shell Port City Odessa
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that Russian forces are preparing to shell Odessa, a historic port city on the Black Sea coast.
"This is going to be a military crime. This is going to be a historical crime," he declared.
Russian forces have made progress in southern Ukraine since their February 24 invasion, overrunning the city of Kherson and besieging the port of Mariupol, but Odessa has so far been largely spared.
Mar 06, 2022 16:34 (IST)
Ukraine Is Europe's "Fastest Growing Refugee" Crisis Since World War II
The number of people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine has topped 1.5 million, making it Europe's fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II, the United Nations said on Sunday.
"More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees tweeted.
The UN described the outflow as "the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II", having reported on Saturday that nearly 1.37 million refugees had fled.
UN officials said they expected the wave to intensify further as the Russian army pressed its offensive, particularly toward the capital Kyiv.
Since Russia invaded on February 24, a total of 922,400 people have fled Ukraine to Poland, Polish border guards said Sunday.
Mar 06, 2022 16:32 (IST)
US "Working Actively" On Deal For Polish Fighter Jets To Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States was "working actively" on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with jets.
"Can't speak to a timeline but I can just say we're looking at it very, very actively," he told reporters during a visit to Moldova.
Blinken said the US was "in very active conversation with Ukrainian officials... to get an up-to-the-minute assessment of their needs".
"As we get that assessment, we are working on seeing what we and allies and partners can deliver" to bolster Kyiv's defenses against the Russian invasion, he said.
"We are looking actively now at the question of airplanes that Poland may provide to Ukraine and looking at how we might be able to backfill should Poland decide to supply those planes."
Multiple US news outlets reported Saturday that US officials told them of the possible deal, in which Poland would send Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in return for American F-16 fighter jets.
Mar 06, 2022 16:15 (IST)
How A Team Of 30 Working From Budapest Hotel Is Guiding Operation Ganga
The Embassy of India has set up a control room in Budapest, Hungary under 'Operation Ganga' to coordinate the evacuation of Indians stranded in Ukraine.
Young Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officers are spearheading the evacuation efforts, working as a team to make 'Operation Ganga' successful.
In a small hotel room in Budapest, set up as the control room by the Indian Embassy, young Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officers work with a team of technical staff as well as hundreds of volunteers.
Rajiv Bodwade, Deputy Chief of the mission from Israel on special duty here in Budapest, while speaking with ANI said, "When we started, it was just a few students but gradually their number started rising and called for an organised structure in place. We had managed to get more than 150 volunteers but a collated effort was needed."
Mar 06, 2022 16:13 (IST)
Just In| Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian forces preparing to bombard Ukraine port city Odessa: news agency AFP
Mar 06, 2022 16:13 (IST)
Just In| Ukraine crisis: Aviation Ministry says 8 flights will bring back more than 1, 500 Indians on Monday.
Mar 06, 2022 15:50 (IST)
"Rhetoric And Brinkmanship": UK Deputy PM On Putin's Nuclear Threat
British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab described talk of the threat of Russia using nuclear weapons in its invasion of Ukraine as brinkmanship and rejected President Putin's statement that likened Western sanctions to a declaration of war. Read more
Mar 06, 2022 15:49 (IST)
More Than 1.5 Million Refugees Flee Ukraine In Past 10 Days: UN
The number of people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine has topped 1.5 million, making it Europe's "fastest growing refugee crisis" since World War II, the United Nations said.
"More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days -- the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," it said in a statement on Twitter.
Mar 06, 2022 15:11 (IST)
Just In| More than 1.5 million refugees flee Ukraine in past 10 days, says UN: news agency AFP
Mar 06, 2022 14:47 (IST)
Russian shops to limit food sales to counter black market
Retailers in Russia will limit sales of essential foodstuffs to limit black market speculation and ensure affordability, the government said Sunday, as sanctions imposed over Moscow's military incursion into Ukraine began to bite.
The trade and industry ministry over the weekend said there had been cases where essential foodstuffs had been purchased "in a volume clearly larger than necessary for private consumption (up to several tons) for subsequent resale".
Essential goods, whose prices are subject to state controls, include bread, rice, flour, eggs and selected meats and dairy products among others.
Mar 06, 2022 14:35 (IST)
More than 64 people detained at anti-war protests in Russia
More than 64 people have been detained at anti-war protests in Russia's Far East and eastern Siberia, OVD-Info protest monitor said.
The monitoring group said people were detained at protests in the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok and the Siberian city of Irkutsk.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the information. Reuters was unable to reach spokesmen for the police in either city.
Mar 06, 2022 14:17 (IST)
Ukraine port city Mariupol to attempt civilian evacuation again amid temporary ceasefire
The city council of Ukraine's Mariupol said an evacuation of some of 400,000 residents trapped by encircling Russian forces would start at 12:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) on Sunday under a temporary ceasefire that will last till 9:00 p.m..
"From 1200 (1000 GMT) the evacuation of the civilian population begins," city officials said in a statement, which said a ceasefire was agreed with Russian-led forces surrounding the city.
A similar plan had to be abandoned on Saturday after the ceasefire was not fully observed, with both sides trading blame.
Mar 06, 2022 14:08 (IST)
Russia strikes Ukrainian military air base with long-range weapons
Russia struck and disabled Ukraine's Starokostiantyniv military air base with long-range high-precision weapons, Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday.
"The Russia armed forces continue to strike the military infrastructure of Ukraine," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"On the morning of March 6, strikes were carried out by high-precision long-range weapons. The Ukrainian air force base near Starokostiantyniv was disabled."
He said a Ukrainian-controlled S-300 missile system had also been destroyed by Russian rocket forces. He said Russia had downed 10 Ukrainian planes and helicopters over the past 24 hours.
Mar 06, 2022 14:07 (IST)
Ukraine health centres have been attacked, WHO chief says
The World Health Organization has confirmed "several" attacks on health care centres in Ukraine and is investigating others, the agency's chief said on Sunday.
The attacks caused multiple deaths and injuries, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added in a Twitter message.
"Attacks on healthcare facilities or workers breach medical neutrality and are violations of international humanitarian law," he said.
In his brief post, Tedros did not mention Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Mar 06, 2022 13:58 (IST)
Washington is working on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era warplanes to bolster Kyiv's defenses against the Russian invasion, according to US media.
Multiple news outlets reported Saturday that US officials told them of the possible deal, in which Poland would send Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in return for American F-16 fighter jets.
Since Russia invaded 10 days ago, the economic and humanitarian toll of the war has spiraled and officials have reported hundreds of civilians killed. Weapons, ammunition and funds have poured into Ukraine from Western allies.
"We are working with the Poles on this issue and consulting with the rest of our NATO allies," a White House official was quoted as saying in reports by the Wall Street Journal and NBC.
Mar 06, 2022 13:48 (IST)
Embassy asks Indians in Ukraine to "urgently" contact them with mobile number, location
Mar 06, 2022 13:38 (IST)
Ukraine says over 11,000 Russian troops killed in war
More than 11,000 Russian troops have been killed since Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Ukrainian armed forces' general staff said on Sunday. A day earlier, it put Russian casualties at over 10,000. It did not report Ukrainian casualties.
Mar 06, 2022 13:04 (IST)
Japan may take more action against Russia, could impact energy sector, says senior lawmaker
Japan may take more action in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine which could significantly impact Japan's energy sector, a senior ruling-party lawmaker said on Sunday, while expressing caution toward a complete end to Russia oil and gas usage.
Sanctions against Moscow - such as freezing assets, banning exports of high-tech goods and excluding some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments network - are having a major impact, said Hiroshige Seko, upper house secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party.
"What's important above all is to let Russia change action," Seko said. "There's a possibility we may impose further sanctions, which could have ramifications for the energy sector through financial institutions involved with transactions."
"Sanctions could have a big impact on (Japanese) people's livelihoods, so we would have to seek their understanding for the sake of solidarity with Ukraine," Seko told a political debate programme on public broadcaster NHK.
Mar 06, 2022 12:28 (IST)
UK intelligence says Russia targeting populated areas in Ukraine
British military intelligence said on Sunday that Russian forces were targeting populated areas in Ukraine but that the strength of resistance was slowing the Russian advance.
"The scale and strength of Ukrainian resistance continue to surprise Russia," British military intelligence said in an update. Russia "has responded by targeting populated areas in multiple locations, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol."
"Russia has previously used similar tactics in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, employing both air and ground-based munitions," British military intelligence said.
Russia has repeatedly denied that it is targeting civilian areas.
Mar 06, 2022 12:05 (IST)
Ukraine dominates the social media information war with Russia
Ukraine has succeeded in dominating social media in the first days since the Russian invasion, in an intensifying information war with Moscow that Kyiv so far appears to be winning, analysts say.
Even as President Volodymyr Zelensky remains bunkered down in Kyiv amid heavy bombardment and the fear of assassination, his government has forced an all-out assault on social media to win supporters for their cause.
Zelensky's daily video addresses, usually published with English subtitles, have become viral sensations, while the defence and foreign ministries tout the military resistance of Ukraine in snazzy graphics.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians have posted videos showing the success of their forces that have become viral trends, including a Ukrainian missile shooting down a Russian helicopter and a Ukrainian farmer towing away captured Russian military hardware on his tractor.
Self-shot videos of Ukrainians sobbing amid the ruins of their towns after Russia stepped up bombardments have also gripped people around the world.
Mar 06, 2022 11:46 (IST)
Russia, without evidence, says Ukraine making nuclear "dirty bomb"
Russian media cited an unnamed source on Sunday as saying that Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb" nuclear weapon, although the source cited no evidence. The TASS, RIA and Interfax news agencies quoted "a representative of a competent body" in Russia on Sunday as saying Ukraine was developing nuclear weapons at the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was shut down in 2000. Ukraine's government has said it had no plans to rejoin the nuclear club, having given up its nuclear arms in 1994 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Mar 06, 2022 11:34 (IST)
Russian ambassador says US rhetoric becoming irresponsible, calls for dialogue
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov says that Washington's anti-Russia rhetoric is starting to pose a risk to international security and that he is ready to discuss the issue of strengthening strategic stability with any US politician.
US Senator Rick Scott said in an interview on "Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren" that will air on Sunday that sending US troops to Ukraine should not be completely excluded. "You should always keep all your options open ... I don't think you should ever take it off the table," Scott said as quoted by The Hill.
Commenting on Scott's remarks, Antonov told journalists that the "Anti-Russian rhetoric in the US has reached the point of absurdity. There is an impression that local politicians are not fully aware of their statements. The slogans voiced in Washington are becoming more and more irresponsible, provocative, and, most importantly, extremely risky for international security."
Mar 06, 2022 10:50 (IST)
Demanding fresh rounds of sanctions against Russia, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday called on governments of several countries, including India, to appeal to Russia to stop the ongoing conflict. Read more here.
Mar 06, 2022 10:41 (IST)
'I've run out of tears': Ukrainian mother flees but vows to return
Yulia Yanchar hopes that she and her family will return to the new home they were forced to abandon on Saturday as war came to their village just north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
"We lived in rented flats for 10 years in order to build our house. And now, finally, we were moving in. And we were excited about every picture we hung on the wall," Yanchar, who works as a PR director in a charity fund, told Reuters.
"And now we just have to leave it all behind and go because bombs can fall here, because tanks can drive through our streets."
A few days ago, as Russia pushed ahead with its invasion of Ukraine, a missile exploded in the air above the village located near the Dnieper River and a piece struck a house a few streets away, starting a fire, Yanchar said.
"Then it was really scary for everyone."
Yanchar's six-year-old daughter Eva has tried to keep focused on normal life.
"We will not be afraid of the fight, we will not hide, we will not be scared of the bombs, we will not be scared of anything," said Eva in a video recorded for social media.
But Yanchar eventually decided it was too risky to stay at home.
"We are constantly monitoring all the news. I have just run out of tears to cry," she said. "I really hope that we will survive, because we have just unbelievable people. We have people who are ready to take down tanks with their hands."
Yanchar said she would return to Khotyanivka one day.
"I believe that we will not lose our country, and I believe that we will be living in our country, and I believe that we will be fine and I will plant on my property all those spruces that I've been dreaming of."
Mar 06, 2022 10:26 (IST)
Following recent news of Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is the largest in Europe, there is great concern over the potential for a Chernobyl-esque release of radioactive material. Several security personnel at the plant were injured by the attack.
With six large nuclear power reactors, there is a significant quantity of nuclear material at the site. While these are not the same type of reactor as those at the Chernobyl plant, and are of a much safer design, this does not make them any less vulnerable to weapons of war.
Mar 06, 2022 09:40 (IST)
European Central Bank reckons with impact of war on eurozone's doorstep
Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has added an extra layer of complexity to the decisions facing European Central Bank policymakers as they meet on Thursday.
Already managing record inflation figures and a fragile recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, members of the bank's 25-member governing council now have to reckon with the impact of war on the edge of the eurozone.
The pace of consumer price rises shifted up a gear in February, rising to 5.8 percent from 5.1 percent the previous month, a new all-time high for the euro area.
The spike has been driven in no small part by soaring prices for energy, caught in the middle of the conflict with Russia, a major supplier to European countries.
ECB President Christine Lagarde responded to the February 24 invasion by saying the central bank would "take whatever action is necessary" to stabilise the euro region's economy.
Prices for gas and oil were "likely in the short term to increase inflation", she said, sustaining it for longer than the bank previously expected.
Mar 06, 2022 09:21 (IST)
Putin threatens Ukraine 'statehood' as Moscow sanctions tighten
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened the existence of Ukrainian statehood as his army's invasion of the neighbour faces stiff resistance and his economy is increasingly asphyxiated by sanctions.
In the latest efforts to freeze Moscow out of the world economy, US-based card payment giants Visa and Mastercard announced they will suspend operations in Russia, while world leaders vowed to act over the intensifying onslaught.
"The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood," Putin said on Saturday.
"And if this happens, they will be fully responsible."
Mar 06, 2022 09:19 (IST)
US officials travel to Venezuela over Russia invasion of Ukraine: Report
Senior US officials travelled to Venezuela Saturday to meet with the government of Nicolas Maduro, with Washington seeking to isolate Russia as the onslaught against Ukraine intensifies, The New York Times reported. Moscow's invasion of the former Soviet republic has pushed the United States to pay closer attention to Russian President Vladimir Putin's allies in Latin America, the paper said, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
Mar 06, 2022 09:13 (IST)
Russian armored personnel carriers are stalled by the roadside for lack of fuel. Soldiers forage for food in grocery stores. Trucks are backed up from Kyiv like a Friday night traffic jam.
Images of Russia's travails in the first week of its invasion of Ukraine have transfixed the world, raising questions over the assumed invincibility of President Vladimir Putin's modernized military. Yet one cause of its stumbles is very simple: the humble railway junction.
Mar 06, 2022 09:10 (IST)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden today to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia as his country faces an intensifying onslaught.
Mar 06, 2022 08:46 (IST)
Mar 06, 2022 08:45 (IST)
Ukrainian refugees near 1.5 million as Russian assault enters 11th day
The number of Ukrainian refugees was expected to reach 1.5 million on Sunday as Russia continued its attack 11 days after invading Ukraine and Kyiv pressed for further Western action, including more sanctions and weapons.
Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over a failed ceasefire plan that would have let civilians flee Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southern cities besieged by Russian forces. Another round of talks was tentatively planned for Monday as Ukrainians who could escape spilled into neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere.
Mar 06, 2022 08:44 (IST)
Russia Ukraine Crisis: Ukraine War Tests China's "No Limits" Friendship With Russia
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin toasted a friendship with "no limits" at a warm meeting in February, but just one month later that bond is being tested by the war in Ukraine.
Mar 06, 2022 08:21 (IST)
Following Russia's escalated bombardment of its Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky today said he spoke to billionaire Elon Musk, announcing that Ukraine will be receiving another batch of Starlink satellite broadband systems from Musk's company SpaceX.
Mar 06, 2022 07:41 (IST)
Canada urges citizens to leave Russia
Canada called Saturday on its nationals to avoid all travel to Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine and on Canadians in Russia to leave the country.
In an update to its travel advice, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that its nationals "avoid all travel to Russia due to the impacts of the armed conflict with Ukraine."
"If you are in Russia, you should leave while commercial means are still available," the statement added. Ottawa had previously advised its citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Russia.
Mar 06, 2022 07:08 (IST)
Card payment giants Visa and Mastercard announced Saturday they will suspend operations in Russia, the latest major US firms to join the business freeze-out of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Mar 06, 2022 06:43 (IST)
At New York protest, thousands call for Western intervention in Ukraine
Thousands of people gathered Saturday in Times Square in New York in support of Ukraine, demanding the United States, NATO or the European Union intervene to stop the unfolding war.
Some were Ukrainian-American, while others were just New Yorkers who wanted to express their opposition to Russia's invasion of the former Soviet republic.
The iconic New York square, known for its giant billboards, was a sea of blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Protesters of all ages waved signs for hours calling for the end of the war, a no-fly zone over Ukraine and to simply "stop Putin," with some photo collages comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hitler.
The rally easily filled Times Square, which extends for several blocks in the heart of Manhattan.
Mar 06, 2022 06:42 (IST)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Sunday to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia.
