Ex-Ukraine security service deputy head shot dead by police in Kyiv: Report

Amid escalations in the Russia Ukraine war, the Ukrainian media on Friday reported that a car with the former deputy head of the Main Directorate of the SBU (The Security Service of Ukraine) in Kyiv and the region Dmitry Demyanenko was shot and killed. According to reports, the car was shot multiple times by police killing Demyanenko. The CCTV footage showing the reported shooting is now doing rounds online.

According to Ukrainian media reports, a firefight broke out on the streets of Kyiv on the evening of March 10, after policemen chased down the former deputy head of the Main Directorate of the SBU’s car. As mentioned by the reports, policemen from the Peacemaker Special Purpose Regiment shot the high-ranking SBU officer after he refused to stop the car at the checkpoint.

The forces chased down the former deputy head and fired multiple rounds at his car. However, reports also claim that the killing of Demyanenko by the Ukrainian security forces is on suspicion of him “working for Russia.” A journalist from Kyiv published the video and claimed that Demyanenko himself started shooting and the policemen shot back. An official statement is awaited on the incident.

Zelenskyy ready to talk to Putin 'anytime he is ready', says adviser

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s deputy on Friday said that the President is 'ready to talk to Russian President Putin anytime he is ready. Igor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine told CNN that even though Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers meeting in Turkey did not fetch any results, Ukraine hadn't been too optimistic from the start. “This is a really good thing that they met, but unfortunately, we can say that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia is not the one making the final decision. The final decision to stop the war, to make a ceasefire, to withdraw troops is made by one person only," he said, apparently referring to Putin, stated CNN.

Russia agrees to open daily humanitarian corridors

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered the third week on Thursday, Moscow agreed on opening daily humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians fleeing the country. However, the move was staunchly opposed by Kyiv as Kremlin said that all the corridors would open into Russian territory. Later, the Russian Defence Ministry called on the International Committee of Red Cross and the UN to ensure to inform people about the corridor.

In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson said, “Humanitarian corridors towards the Russian Federation will now be opened, without any agreements, every day from 10:00 am." Mikhail Mizintsev further said that evacuation routes in other directions would proceed "in agreement with the Ukrainian side". Notably, both sides have been negotiating to open three more corridors as the conflict entered its third week.

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