Russia Ukraine War: US President Biden announces additional $800mn military aid to Ukraine

President Joe Biden said Wednesday the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to Ukraine to assist in its defense against Russia.

The president's comments came as he formally announced his administration was sending an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, making a total of $2 billion in such aid sent to Kyiv since Biden took office more than a year ago. About $1 billion in aid has been sent in just the last week.

“We’re going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead," Biden said.

Biden spoke hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address to members of U.S. Congress in which he made an impassioned plea for the U.S. and West to provide more help to save his young democracy than world leaders have so far pledged to provide.
 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has categorically ruled out any role for the military organization in setting up and policing a no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect against Russian airstrikes.

Stoltenberg says “NATO should not deploy forces on the ground or in the air space over Ukraine because we have a responsibility to ensure that this conflict, this war, doesn’t escalate beyond Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed for NATO to set up a no-fly zone given Russia’s air superiority, as civilian casualties mount three weeks into the war.

Speaking Wednesday after chairing a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg conceded that “we see human suffering in Ukraine, but this can become even worse if NATO (takes) actions that actually turned this into a full-fledged war between NATO and Russia.”

He says the decision not to send air or ground forces into Ukraine is “the united position from NATO allies.” Earlier Wednesday, Estonia urged its 29 NATO partners to consider setting up a no-fly zone.

(AP)
 

Amid intensifying the Russian attack on Ukraine, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional security funding worth $800 million for Ukraine, bringing the total to $1 billion in just a week.

Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion continued to arrive at the Romanian border town of Siret on Wednesday.
Emergency services personnel and volunteers are working around the clock to assist them, while a nearby sports hall has been turned into a refugee centre.

Mihaita Musteata, a social worker and volunteer at the centre, said Wednesday many of those arriving have been twice displaced.

"We've had some people who've lost their home a second time. They first lost their home in Donbas, then moved to Kyiv, and now they lost that home too," Musteata explained. 

Alexandra Stoleriu, a 19-year-old volunteer said the children at their center do not really understand what has happened in their country.

"We are here to support them," Stoleriu said. 

More than 3 million Ukrainians fled their country since the invasion began on February 24.  
An estimated 1.8 million have crossed into Poland, while others first arrived at the borders of Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.   
 

Extraordinary sanctions imposed against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis will weaken financial intermediation and trade and will surely lead to the recession, International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials said in a blog published on Tuesday.

"The toll is already immense in Ukraine. Unprecedented sanctions on Russia will impair financial intermediation and trade, inevitably causing a deep recession there," the article, written by Alfred Kammer, Jihad Azour, Abebe Aemro Selassie, Ilan Goldfajn and Changyong Rhee, said. "The ruble's depreciation is fueling inflation, further diminishing living standards for the population."

The authors went on to say that energy is the "main spillover channel for Europe" due to Russia being a vital source of natural gas imports.

"Wider supply-chain disruptions may also be consequential," the blog said. "These effects will fuel inflation and slow the recovery from the pandemic."

Moreover, Eastern Europe will see increasing financing costs and a refugee influx, the authors added.

"European governments also may confront fiscal pressures from additional spending on energy security and defence budgets," the article said. "While foreign exposures to plunging Russian assets are modest by global standards, pressures on emerging markets may grow should investors seek safer havens. Similarly, most European banks have modest and manageable direct exposures to Russia."

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Sunday that the fund believes that the Ukrainian crisis and sanctions against Russia will not lead to a worldwide crisis. Russia, however, is expected to experience a deep recession, she added, due to sanction pressure. She also said the IMF does not consider a default in Russia as an impossible scenario, given its funds to pay the state debt are frozen.

On Sunday, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Moscow remained committed to its obligations on the state debt and will continue to pay it in rubles until the West unfreezes its gold and foreign currency reserves.

On February 24, Russia undertook a special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine in response to requests from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics to defend themselves from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry has said the special operation is solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure. In response, the United States, European Union and their allies have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Russia.

(ANI/Sputnik)
 

The United Nations’ top court on Wednesday ordered Russia to stop hostilities in Ukraine granting measures requested by Kyiv, although many remain sceptical that Russia would comply.

Ukraine had two weeks ago asked the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, to intervene, arguing Russia violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by falsely accusing Ukraine of committing genocide and using that as a pretext for the ongoing invasion.

The court’s president, U.S. judge Joan E. Donoghue, demanded that “the Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the special military operations it commenced on Feb. 24.”
 

If there was a ceasefire many military experts say it'd benefit the Russians, to give them time to re-arm and re-group: Former US NSA John Bolton tells Republic.

Former US NSA John Bolton speaks to Arnab; says "most observers had rated Russia's chances of winning pretty high, pretty early. That's clearly not happened".

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan spoke and Gen. Nikolay Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, spoke by phone on Wednesday, the highest level engagement between the U.S. and Russia since the invasion nearly three weeks ago.

Sullivan warned Patrushev “about the consequences and implications of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine,” according to national security council spokesperson Emily Horne. The White House last week accused China of spreading Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons.

Patrushev spoke of “the need to stop Washington’s support for neo-Nazis and terrorists in Ukraine and to facilitate the transfer of foreign mercenaries to the conflict zone, as well as to refuse to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime,” council spokesman Yevgeny Anoshin said.

The call marked the highest-level conversation between the two sides since the invasion began. 

Lower-level interactions between two sides have been ongoing, with the embassies in Moscow and Washington passing messages, much as they do with their missions at the United Nations. Those exchanges have been largely confined to informing the other side of diplomatic expulsions.
 

World number one Daniil Medvedev and his fellow Russian tennis players, have been cleared to play at this years French Open.

Organisers of the second Grand Slam of the year made the announcement on Wednesday and said Medvedev and his countrymen can compete as neutral athletes because of the war started by their country in neighbouring Ukraine.

Wimbledon organisers are having conversations with the British government about whether Russians should be allowed to compete at the tournament this year if they don’t distance themselves from President Vladimir Putin because of his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The French Open is due to start in Paris on Sunday 22nd May.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke today with General Nikolay Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, to reiterate the United States’ firm and clear opposition to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine: White House

International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday said it is aware of human tragedy in Ukraine and regretted the non-appearance of Rusia. "Use of force raises a serious issue of international law." 

While Russia claims that it killed 180 'foreign mercenaries' in Ukraine, a former Korean Navy UDT SEAL Rhee Keun, who has joined Ukraine's army as a volunteer, is reportedly alive in Ukraine and currently undergoing the military operation.

According to the Munhwa Il-bo on the 14th, Rhee's close aside said in the interview that he recently contacted Rhee. He said,

"Rhee is currently carrying out the operation well, and I'm in regular contact with him to check his safety in Ukraine." He added, "It is difficult to disclose the operation in detail for security reasons."

He also said that Rhee is not included in 180 foreign soldiers that Russia claims it killed. He said, "I heard that there are more Korean volunteers who have joined the Ukrainian army, including reserve officers and non-commissioned officers. Most of them entered Ukraine through the Poland route."

Another community user also claimed that Rhee's death is not true because Rhee recently read his SNS message.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for an end to the “bloodshed and tears” from the conflict in Ukraine during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart.

Speaking after a meeting with Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday, Cavusoglu also called for an immediate cease-fire for the besieged city of Mariupol to allow the evacuation of stranded civilians, including Turkish citizens.

“This state of events must come to an end, the bloodshed and tears must be stopped now,” Cavusoglu said. “There can be no winners in war and no losers in peace.”

Cavusoglu is visiting Moscow as Turkey — a NATO member — has maintained close ties to both Ukraine and Russia, positioning itself as a mediator between the two sides. He is scheduled to travel to Ukraine on Thursday.

Dozens of Turkish nationals and others have been sheltering inside a mosque in Mariupol, seeking refuge from the Russian attack on the encircled port.

Cavusoglu said Turkey has so far evacuated more than 15,000 of its citizens from Ukraine.

(AP)

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said as per the feedback received from the industry, exports of certain products such as pharmaceuticals, telecom instruments, tea, coffee, and marine goods from India are likely to be affected due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
 

The Council of Europe on Wednesday expelled Russia from the continent’s foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine.

The 47-nation organization’s committee of ministers said in statement that “the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership.”

Early in the week, the group’s parliamentary assembly already initiated the process of expulsion and unanimously backed that Russia would be kicked out.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted Wednesday that it would have left the body regardless. In an interview with Russian broadcaster RBK, he accused NATO and EU countries of “abusing their majority in the council, eventually transforming it into a tool for anti-Russian policy.” Ukraine is also a member of the Council of Europe. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba immediately welcomed the decision, tweeting that there was “no place for Russia in European bodies as it wages a barbaric war of aggression against Ukraine and commits multiple war crimes." 

It was unclear what the extent of support was for the expulsion since the Committee of Ministers arrived at a “consensus” behind closed doors, making it impossible to have a full breakdown of votes.

(AP)
 

In the latest video message, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has no interest to attack Ukraine. He accused Kyiv of ignoring implementations of the Minsk Agreements.

Ukraine is grateful to the US for their overwhelming support: President Zelenskyy addresses a joint session of US Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again reiterated his demand for Western countries to implement a no-flight zone over Ukraine’s airspace in the fight against Russia’s military.  

“Is this a lot to ask for? To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people,” he asked members of Congress. 

Just remember Pearl harbour, September 11 when innocent people were attacked; Ukraine is experiencing the same, says Ukraine President Zelenskyy in his address to US Congress.

Russia has attacked not just us and our cities but it went against our values and our right to live freely in our own country, just like you have yours: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses US Congress

Ukraine President Zelenskyy addresses US Congress virtually as the Russia-Ukraine war continues unabated for the 21st consecutive day.

Japan’s prime minister says his country will revoke Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status over its invasion of Ukraine, as Tokyo steps up sanctions against Moscow in line with other Group of Seven countries.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Wednesday that Japan is also barring the export of luxury products to Russia and is to stop importing selected Russian goods. 

He said Japan will also step up efforts to prevent Russia from obtaining loans from global financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund.

The measures are the latest Japan has taken against Moscow in recent weeks. Japan has also frozen the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and top officials and billionaires close to him and banned exports of high technology goods that could be used for military purposes.

Japan will also step up humanitarian support for the Ukrainians, including shipping medical supplies and other relief goods, while taking in those who flee the country, Kishida said.
 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underlined the importance of relations between Russia and Turkey on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow.

Lavrov admitted that the positions of Russia and Turkey on Ukraine did not coincide, but that Russia "greatly appreciates and respects the position that Turkey takes".

He also expressed his appreciation of Turkey complying with the obligations under the Montreux Convention.
 

World chess bodyFIDE has suspended Russia and Belarus from all its tournaments until further notice due to the invasion of Ukraine. Two countries were suspended from participation in the 44th Chess Olympiad in India later this year

Earlier, the International Olympic Committee had recommended all the sports federations exclude Russia and Belarus

Ukraine's president was preparing to make a direct appeal for more help in a rare speech by a foreign leader to the US Congress, even as Russia continued its bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Wednesday. 

NATO defence ministers met in Brussels Wednesday morning to discuss the war in Ukraine.

The alliance is weighing options for bolstering its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia for the next five to 10 years. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia's "brutal invasion" is set to "have long-lasting consequences for our security." 

In talks at NATO headquarters Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his counterparts will consider what kind of longer-term defences to set up in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and how to help Black Sea region allies like Bulgaria and Romania. 

The aim is to deter Russisan President Vladimir Putin from ordering a Russian invasion of any of the 30 allies. 
Putin has demanded that NATO withdraw its forces from the east. The opposite is happening.
 

According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, over 13,800 Russian troops were killed by the Ukrainian forces and 1375 armoured vehicles were destroyed. Ukraine also destroyed 108 helicopters and 84 aircraft.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on a nationwide minute of silence "Every morning at 9 o'clock in the whole territory of our state we will remember the Ukrainians who gave their lives, all those who fought, all military, civilians and children."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in the Gulf on Wednesday for meetings in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia aimed at easing skyrocketing gasoline prices, as the West grapples with economic headwinds from Russia's war in Ukraine.

Johnson will be seeking greater investments in the U.K.'s renewable energy transition and ways to secure more oil to lessen British dependence on Russian energy supplies.

His visit, though, is also about pressing these two major OPEC producers to pump more oil, which would have an immediate impact on Brent Crude prices that nearly touched $140 a barrel in trading last week. Prices have eased to around $100 in recent days, in large part due to  new pandemic lockdowns in China.

Russian President Vladmir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine is “causing global uncertainty and a spike in the price of oil,” Johnson told reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

“Everybody can see the effect of the increase in gas prices that’s coming through,” he added.
Because of Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and gas, Putin has been “been able to blackmail the West to hold Western economies to ransom,” he said.

“We need independence,” Johnson added. 

Pressing for more oil is a tall order to ask of Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, which are benefiting richly from high energy prices that boost their revenues and spending powers. 

Moreover, ties between Western governments and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remain tarnished by the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi. The prince has yet to hold a direct call with U.S. President Joe Biden, who is trying to revive Iran's nuclear accord to the frustration of some Gulf states and Israel. 

Biden ordered a  U.S. ban on Russian oil imports  after the war, and cautioned that Americans will feel pain, too — at the gas pump. Yet, he declared, “Defending freedom is going to cost.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic  pushed demand for oil down, with Brent Crude prices averaging around $42 a barrel in 2020 before climbing to $70 last year on the back of a deal by major oil producers to drastically curb production.

The deal, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, calls for gradually increasing production levels each month as economies recover, but it did not account for the impact of the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia three weeks ago. 

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have the spare capacity to pump more oil, but they've so far been unwilling to change course from the deal forged with Russia. The UAE’s energy minister as recently as last week said the country is “committed to the OPEC+ agreement and its existing monthly production adjustment mechanism". His statement followed a conflicting comment from the UAE's ambassador in Washington, who seemed to suggest the UAE was in favor of releasing more oil on the market. 
Western leaders have signaled that current wartime energy security demands that allied nations pump more. 

The Biden administration dispatched two officials last month to Riyadh to talk about a range of issues — chief among them global energy supplies. In a call with Biden prior to the visit, King Salman doubled down on “the importance of maintaining the agreement” that is in place between OPEC producers and Russia, according to a Saudi readout of the call. 

“The reason for coming here is that it’s not just that they’ve got oil. They’re also some of the biggest investors here, in the Gulf, in U.K. renewables,” Johnson said in Abu Dhabi. 

Many U.K. lawmakers, including those in Johnson’s own Conservative party, have questioned the decision to turn to Saudi Arabia, citing its recent mass execution of 81  people on Saturday. The U.N. human rights chief said that just over half were Saudi Shiites who had taken part in anti-government protests a decade ago, calling for more rights. Some were executed after trials that failed to meet due process guarantees, said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
Boris said he's raised human rights issues many times and will raise them again during this trip. 

“But we have long, long standing relationships with this part of the world and we need to recognize the very important relationship that we have and the strength of that relationship,” he said.

(AP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a “business-like spirit” is emerging at talks with Ukraine that are now focused on a neutral status for the war-torn country. 

“A neutral status is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees,” Lavrov said Wednesday on Russian channel RBK TV. “There are concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed.” 

He didn’t elaborate, but said “the business-like spirit” starting to surface in the talks “gives hope that we can agree on this issue.”

Russia’s chief negotiator in the latest round of talks with Ukraine, which started Monday and are set to continue Wednesday, said earlier the sides are discussing a possible compromise idea for a future Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military.

“A whole range of issues tied with the size of Ukraine’s army is being discussed,” Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said, according to Russian news agencies. 

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that the country realizes it can’t join NATO. Ukraine’s bid to join the Western military alliance has been a sore point for Moscow.
 

Refugees continued to pour into Poland on Wednesday at a border crossing connecting Ukraine to the Polish village of Medyka.

Overall, more than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the U.N. said Tuesday - Europe's largest refugee crisis since WWII. 

Nicolas Kusiak, who leads NGOs and volunteers at the Medyka border crossing, said that while they’re seeing mostly refugees entering Poland, some are headed the other way.

 Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Spain has seized a Russian oligarch's yacht in Barcelona.

Russia’s chief negotiator in talks with Ukraine says the sides are discussing a possible compromise whereby Ukraine will in future have a smaller, non-aligned military.

“A whole range of issues tied with the size of Ukraine’s army is being discussed,” Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said Wednesday, according to Russian news agencies. “Ukraine is proposing an Austrian or Swedish option of a neutral state, but a state that has its own army and navy.”

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. It’s not clear how such an option would work if the future Ukrainian military remains hostile to Russia.

Medinsky said the issues are being discussed in the Russian and Ukrainian defence ministries.

He noted that a key question is the status of Crimea, annexed by Russia, and the separatist-held Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognizes as an independent. Ukraine considers both part of its territory.

A new round of Ukraine-Russia talks about the war is expected later Wednesday.
 

Ukrainian members of parliament held an emergency session at the legislature in Kyiv on Tuesday amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

MP Inna Sovsun, a former deputy minister of education and science, said the session had been "highly emotional."

Sovsun added, "we are standing and we hope the world will see that and will help us to keep on fighting."

Ukrainian defence has frustrated the progress of Russian forces nearly three weeks after their invasion, but on Wednesday they blasted Ukraine's capital region and other major cities.

According to media sources on March 16, Russia has banned access to the website of "Euroradio." It's worth mentioning that this is the third time that Belarusian media outlets have been blocked in both Belarus and Russia.

Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook that Over 100 children have also been injured since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Ukraine is not going to join NATO 'any time soon'.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Ukraine can’t have weapons that pose threat to Russia.

"There can be no weapons in Ukraine that pose a threat to Russia. We are ready to coordinate those types of weapons that do not pose a threat to us," Lavrov said.
 

The Central Election Commission of #Russia also now uses the Latin Z letter, which has now emerged as the pro-war symbol amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia has claimed that it has captured Ukrainian weapons and handed them over to DPR and LPR forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov termed the ongoing talks with Ukraine 'difficult'. According to Sputnik, he also said that there was some room for compromise. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser has said that country's forces have launched a counteroffensive against Russia. Taking to Twitter, he said, "What's going on right now. 1. Counteroffensive of the AFU in several operational areas. This radically changes the parties’ dispositions. 2. Russian journalists start quitting TV channels. 3. RF leaders are trying to find allies whose soldiers will be ready to die in Ukrainian fields."

United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "Our presence here (in Brussels) sends a signal to the world that we remain united in support of Ukraine... And we will continue to support Ukraine's self-defence capabilities."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke ahead of the key meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels. The ministers, including US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, are meeting amid the Russia-Ukraine war. NATO chief said, "Evil can kill a person but never conquer a people”

“The answer to violence is even more democracy, even more humanity...” he also said. Stoltenberg also mentioned that hundreds of thousands of troops being mobilized for Eastern Europe, including 100,000 from the US.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is all set to address the US Congress today where he is expected to urge members of the House of Representatives and Senate to intensify pressure on US President Joe Biden to allow the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine. According to The Guardian, Zelenskyy’s upcoming address could prove his most powerful plea yet for the US to take a tougher line against Russia. He will be speaking at 9 am Washington time on Wednesday. 

In a joint letter to members, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, had said, “The Congress, our country and the world are in awe of the people of Ukraine, who have shown extraordinary courage, resilience and determination in the face of Russia’s unprovoked, vicious and illegal war.”

As per The Guardian, they added that “the Congress remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting Ukraine as they face Putin’s cruel and diabolical aggression, and to passing legislation to cripple and isolate the Russian economy as well as deliver humanitarian, security and economic assistance to Ukraine.”

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has accused Russia of grossly violating the ceasefire agreements, stated The Kyiv Independent. She said, Russia fires on convoys of buses, settlements and evacuation points. Ukraine hasn’t received a confirmation about the opening of humanitarian corridors on March 16.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News, "What we know is that Vladimir Putin’s plans are not going according to plan. He is not making the progress expected, and we know the sanctions we’ve put on are working. They are having a debilitating affect on the Russian economy... Those sanctions are really beginning to bite." She went on to say that more British sanctions must be expected as "we’ve got more individuals on our list” as well as companies to target, but called for allies to do more.

The emergency services in Ukraine’s eastern region of the Kharkiv region said on Wednesday that at least 500 residents of the city have been killed since Russia invaded on 24 February, as per reports.

More than 3,000 cars transporting evacuees from besieged Mariupol arrive in Zaporizhzhia, the head of the regional administration, Oleksandr Starukh, said on his Telegram channel, according to CNN. He reportedly also said that among the arrivals given shelter in the city were 772 children.

Deputy of Novosibirsk City Council Pirogova Helga, as per Nexta Tv, came to the session wearing blue and yellow, which are colours of Ukraine's national flag. But, her colleagues started to shout at her, demanded to take away her mobile phone and to throw her out of the session.

Ukraine's armed forces have said that Russia has lost 13,800 personnel, 430 tanks, 190 artillery systems among other losses.

State Service of Ukraine for Emergencies has said "Russia is systematically destroying Ukraineʼs civilian infrastructure, it destroyed 3,500 infrastructure facilities: transport, social, health care facilities, educational and social institutions. More than 2700 houses were destroyed".

Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos called the president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dvorkovich a "son of a b****", stated Nexta TV. His abusive remarks came a day after he issued an anti-war statement.

According to Nexta TV, Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said that demining in the war zones after the war may take several years, and #Ukraine will inevitably need help from other countries. He also said that his colleagues are already preparing such assistance.

According to the State Emergency Service, a 12-story residential building in Kyiv’s central Shevchenkivsky district was hit early on March 16. Two people were injured and 37 were evacuated. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 21st day on Wednesday, videos continue to surface from various parts of the country showing the Russian aggression in the cities as well as on the civilians. In a recently released video, a civilian standing with his hands in the air was seen shot dead by Russian invaders near Kyiv. 

The video clearly shows a civilian trying to flee the Ukrainian capital in his car while he was being followed by Russian troops. Later when he came out of his car and raised his hands in the air as a bid to surrender, he was immediately shot by the Russian military on the spot. The drone video reportedly provided by the German media, ZDF Frontal shows the barbaric activities of Russia towards the Ukrainian civilians contrary to its claim of saving the citizens. 

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin while earlier announcing his 'special military operation' in Ukraine specifically mentioned that it is not aimed against civilians. However, the video recorded several kilometres west of Kyiv shows how the Russian soldiers attacked an unarmed civilian.

Read more here

Korean Air on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of the passenger flights to Moscow and Vladivostok and cargo planes that transit in Moscow until the end of April, considering concerns over operation disruptions at local airports and safety due to the Ukraine crisis. In a bid to avoid Russian and Ukrainian airspace, some flights to Europe or Eastern US will also take a detour.

Ukraine's defence forces said, "Uninvited guests will not sleep peacefully on Ukrainian land - everywhere "hot" welcome them by our gunners" and posted a video of the machine launching multiple strikes.

Explosions reported in railway station in Zaporizhzhia stated Kyiv Independent on Wednesday, It is to note that it is the same place where a nuclear power plant is located. Secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council Anatoliy Kurtev confirmed reports of explosions at the city’s railway station.

According to Sky News, the Russian shelling of the capital city of Kyiv appears to be becoming more systematic and moving closer to the centre, targeting apartments, an underground station and other civilian sites on Tuesday.  But, senior US defence official has said while Russian forces are using long-range missiles to hit Kyiv their ground forces have made little to no progress around the country.

Even though Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing for the opening of Winter Olympics 2022 and met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, China's ambassador to US Qin Gang said in an op-ed published on Wednesday on Washinton Post that, "There have been claims that China had prior knowledge of Russia’s military action and demanded Russia delay it until the Winter Olympics concluded. Recent rumours further claimed that Russia was seeking military assistance from China."

"Let me say this responsibly: Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation. All these claims serve only the purpose of shifting blame to and slinging mud at China. There were more than 6,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine. China is the biggest trading partner of both Russia and Ukraine, and the largest importer of crude oil and natural gas in the world. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine does no good for China. Had China known about the imminent crisis, we would have tried our best to prevent it," he also wrote for the Post.

Former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna talks to Republic TV as Ukrainians continue to endure at least 21 days of the Russia-Ukraine war. Says "we are still fighting". She has taken up arms to fight Russian aggression and said "We are still fighting".

Oleh Ustenko, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that $300 billion of the Russian Central Bank has already been set aside for Ukraine. 

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that extraordinary sanctions imposed against Moscow will weaken financial intermediation and trade and will surely lead to recession. In a blog post, published on Tuesday, IMF asserted that the depreciation of the Russian Ruble has already caused inflation in the country and will further pull down the living standards of the population. Notably, the value of the Ruble has plunged to 0.0091 United States Dollar amidst the ongoing war.

"The consequences of Russia’s war on Ukraine have already shaken not just those nations but also the region and the world, and point to the importance of a global safety net and regional arrangements in place to buffer economies," IMF asserted. 

According to Sky News, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko has said that Russian troops have seized a hospital in Mariupol and taken around 500 people hostage. He also said that the Russian forces drove 400 people from neighbouring houses into Regional Intensive Care Hospital, where they joined around 100 doctors and patients inside. Kyrylenko alleged that Russian troops are using the people inside the hospital as human shields and not allowing anyone to leave. He said, "It’s impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard".

UK Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence report said, "Russia is increasingly seeking to generate additional troops to bolster and replace its personnel losses in Ukraine. As a result of these losses it is likely Russia is struggling to conduct offensive operations in the face of sustained Ukrainian resistance."

"Continued personnel losses will also make it difficult for Russia to secure occupied territory. Russia is redeploying forces from as far afield as its Eastern Military District, Pacific Fleet and Armenia. It is also increasingly seeking to exploit irregular sources such as Private Military Companies, Syrian and other mercenaries," it said.

"Russia will likely attempt to use these forces to hold captured territory and free up its combat power to renew stalled offensive operations," it added.

Touting the country's defence, Ukrainian armed forces posted a video showing the scenes from 20 days of Russain military aggression and said it was the "heroic defense of the Ukrainian people against the Nazi invaders".

Responding to the sanctions imposed by Russia on US officials including Joe Biden, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said "None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia. None of us have bank accounts that we will not be able to access".

United States President Joe Biden is going to provide $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, stated media reports. Additionally, he will also travel to Poland. The White House has not confirmed the visit officially. 

In 21 days of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine has killed at least 10 most important officers in Russian forces involved in the 'special' operation in Ukraine. These included 4 major generals, 3 colonels and 3 lieutenant colonels. Most recently, A Russian major general Oleg Mityae was killed by Ukrainian armed forces. He was the Commander of the 150th motorized rifle division

.

A rally in support of Russia's war against #Ukraine was held in Caracas. It is also pertinent to note here that recently Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, in a conversation with Vladimir Putin, had expressed strong support for Russia's decisive actions in Ukraine.

General-Secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday announced an "extraordinary meeting" of Allied Heads of State and Government on March 24 at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The heads of states will address the consequences of the ongoing Russian aggression and strong support for Ukraine, the alliance chief wrote in a Twitter post. During the meet, the leaders will discuss further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence.

The United Nations (UN) top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had said that it will give a judgment Wednesday on Ukraine's charge that Russia falsely justified its invasion by accusations of genocide. Kyiv had failed a case at ICJ shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 demanding that the tribunal order an end to the offensive.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy had also called for stopping "all trade with Russia"  so that Moscow "can't sponsor the killing of our children. Ukrainians all over the world! Contact politicians, talk to journalists, put pressure on business to leave the Russian market. So that their dollars & euros aren’t paid for our blood."

As US continues to cement its support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that there will be an independent Ukraine “a lot longer than there's going to be a Vladimir Putin”. Blinken’s remarks came as the Russian President continues his military’s onslaught into Ukraine for the third week. The top US diplomat also said that presently, the United States is trying to prevent as much death and destruction as possible.

In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on ‘The Situation Room’, US Secretary of State said, “First of all, there’s going to be a Ukraine, an independent Ukraine a lot longer than there’s going to be Vladimir Putin.”

“One way or the other, Ukraine will be there and at some point Putin won’t,” Blinken added. 

The ministry said it handed a formal notice about Russia’s decision to leave the continent’s leading human rights organization to the Council of Europe’s Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on Tuesday.

It said the move followed the Council of Europe’s decision to suspend Russia’s membership that was taken on Feb. 25.

The ministry charged that the Council of Europe has become an instrument of exerting pressure on Russia and alleged that it has been heavily influenced by NATO and the European Union. It said in a statement that its withdrawal from the Council of Europe wouldn’t impact human rights and freedoms in the country, which officials said are safeguarded by the Russian constitution.

Russia’s invasion has sparked widespread allegations of war crimes, as hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been killed and numerous residential areas have been targeted by Russian troops.

(AP)

A  total of 53 United Nations member states on Tuesday condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a joint statement, the member states along with the European Union Delegation at the UN slammed Russia for its actions and reaffirmed their support to the people of Ukraine. According to the joint statement, the member states of the UN showed deep concern for the safety of civilians in Ukraine, including women and girls.

Singapore has urged China to mediate peace between both sides and voice support for Ukraine, given its dynamics with Moscow and stature in the international community. Since the inception of the war on Ukraine on February 24, the international community has not refrained from calling out complacency and dubious stand on the part of the other, while coming forth in absolute support of Kyiv and against the Kremlin-led military offensives.

Outpouring solidarity with Ukrainians at present, countries have not only penalised Moscow by declaring sanctions on the Vladimir Putin-led regime but instigated other countries to come in support of Kyiv and Ukrainians. As per reports, Singapore has urged China to make use of its 'enormous influence' on Russia to end the war on Ukraine. A week after Singapore slapped penalties on the Russian Central Bank as well as a number of other Russian banks. The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had stated that the sanctions will also include a prohibition on the export of certain goods to Russia, such as electronics, computers, and military hardware. 

Ukraine's armed forces have said, "Overall, as of March 15, 2022, the enemy had lost (completely destroyed or lost combat capacity) up to 40% of the units involved in the t. zv. "operations" in Ukraine."

According to Kyiv Independent, air raid alerts have been heard in several Ukrainian cities and oblasts. The newspaper reported that sirens have been activated in Cherkasy, Dnipro, Lviv, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, and Khmelnytskyi Oblasts.

As well as in the cities of Kyiv, Izyum, Kremenchuk, Bila Tserkva, Nikopol, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Izmail, Odesa, Poltava, and the Kryve Ozero area. Additionally, CNN stated that its journalists heard loud explosions were heard in Kyiv's suburbs.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that 3 million people have left Ukraine since Russia on February 24 announced the invasion of its neighbouring country. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, decried the "senseless war.

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov will address the NATO defence ministers meeting Wednesday, said a senior US official, according to CNN. The official further said that the Ukrainian Defence Minister's remarks have been previously recorded. 

The meeting where Rezniko will deliver his speech will be focused on comparing assessments of different European nations on the Ukraine war. According to the official cited by the media outlet, NATO allies and partners and how NATO will determine "where Russia’s military operations are."

The official added that NATO ministers will also examine what this invasion means not just now, but also “thinking about the implications for the strategic environment and the security environment for the Transatlantic Alliance going forward".

New satellite images from Planet Labs have revealed that the Ukrainian military destroyed at least three Russian military helicopters at the Kherson International Airport Tuesday. According to CNN, as a number of helicopters were seen catching fire, it was also one of the most destructive known strike the Ukrainian military has conducted against Russian helicopters during the war. 

Hackers from the group, Anonymous claimed on Tuesday that they hacked into the site of the Russian state corporation for nuclear energy Rosatom. The Russian corporation is reportedly controlling at least two nuclear power plants in Ukraine which were seized after Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine. 

The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation or FIDE is moving 2022 World Chess Olympiad from Moscow, Russia to Chennai, India. 

In the late-night address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy touched upon a number of things. Apart from saying that talks would continue on Wednesday, the leader of the war-torn nation said, "The third week is coming to an end. We all want peace. We all want victory. And there’s a feeling that just a little bit longer and we will achieve what we, Ukrainians, are entitled to by right."

Zelenskyy also said,  "Many Russian conscripts have been killed. There are tens of officers among killed invaders, and one more general was killed today. The occupants committed new and apparent war crimes, shelled on peaceful cities, civilian infrastructure."

"The number of rockets used by Russia against Ukraine has already exceeded 900. There are so many air bombs that it’s impossible to count them," he added. 

In a show of solidarity prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia arrived in Kyiv earlier on Tuesday when Polish PM Fiala said, "You are not alone. Our countries stand with you. Europe stands with your country”. The European leaders also thanked Ukrainians for defending “fundamental European values”. 

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution late Tuesday seeking investigations of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime for war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine.

The bipartisan measure from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says the Senate strongly condemns the “violence, war crimes. crimes against humanity” being carried out Russian military forces under Putin’s direction. It encourages international criminal courts to investigate Putin, his security council and military leaders for possible war crimes.

“These atrocities deserve to be investigated for war crimes,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The measure was approved swiftly and without dissent as lawmakers in Congress continue to muscle a bipartisan show of force against the Russian war in Ukraine. First introduced almost two weeks ago, the Senate resolution would not carry the force of law, but is another example of Congress providing the Biden administration political support to take a tough line against Putin’s aggression.

Last week, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris embraced calls for an international war crimes investigation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, citing the “atrocities” of bombing civilians, including a maternity hospital.

Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda at a press conference in Warsaw, Harris stopped short of directly accusing Russia of having committed war crimes.

“Absolutely there should be an investigation, and we should all be watching,” said Harris, noting that the United Nations has already started a process to review allegations.

The International Criminal Court had earlier announced it has launched an investigation that could target senior officials believed responsible for war crimes and other violations over the war in Ukraine.

The resolution approved by the Senate has been embraced by senators from both parties, Republicans and Democrats.

It says the Senate condemns Putin, the Russian Federation, the Russian Security Council, members of the Russian military and others of committing flagrant acts of aggression and other atrocities that rise to the level of war crimes.

The resolution calls for the U.S. and others to seek investigations of Putin and his regime at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice for potential war crimes.

(AP)

Following the fifth round of Russia-Ukraine talks on Tuesday, Member of the Ukrainian delegation and presidential aide, Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted late at March 15, "We'll continue tomorrow. A very difficult and viscous negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise. During the break, work in subgroups will be continued..."

Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday at a press conference that “talks are now continuing on giving Ukraine neutral military status, in the context of security guarantees for all participants in this process” and on “demilitarising Ukraine”, the Interfax news agency stated.

In a national address, just before 2 AM (local time) in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope in the talks going on with Russia amid the war. He said, "Meetings continue. I am told that the positions at the negotiations sound more realistic. However, more time is still needed for decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine."

In a virtual address to the Canadian lawmakers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that nearly 100 children have died since the beginning of the Russian invasion. 

During a press conference in Kyiv alongside Zelenskyy, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Jaroslaw Kaczynski said, "I think that it is necessary to have a peace mission - Nato, possibly some wider international structure - but a mission that will be able to defend itself, which will operate on Ukrainian territory".

It will be a mission that will strive for peace, to give humanitarian aid, but at the same time it will also be protected by appropriate forces, armed forces,” said Kaczynski, stated The Guardian.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday to ask the Gulf states to produce more oil as he seeks to reduce Britain's dependency on Russian oil. The Downing Street statement said, that Johnson called Saudi Arabia and the UAE “key international partners” in his bid to take the West away from Russian oil and gas, improve energy security and coordinate action against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday.

Biden will meet with NATO and European leaders in Brussels on March 24.

The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration's support for NATO allies.

China is "not a party" to Russia's war with Ukraine, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday after U.S. officials claimed Moscow had requested military equipment from Beijing.

This remark comes as reports emerged that the US warned Beijing of serious action against China if Beijing helped Russia bypass Western sanctions.

"China is not a party to the crisis, still less wants to be affected by the sanctions, and it has the right to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests," Wang reportedly told his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, over the phone, according to Xinhua, China's state press agency.

Wang's remarks come as China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi also spoke with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Rome on Monday.

During the phone call, Wang said China has been pushing for peace talks since the first day of the Ukraine crisis, and hopes that the fourth round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks can achieve progress.

"Some forces have been constantly smearing China's objective and just position on the Ukraine issue and creating disinformation," Wang said, noting that China has always made its judgment according to the "merits of the matter itself."

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports that Moscow is seeking help from Beijing, and said, "Russia has an independent potential to continue the operation" and therefore "no reason" to seek military assistance from anyone else.

On February 24, Russia began a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Despite sharing strong ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticizing the West over the sanctions against Russia, China's President Xi Jinping has found himself in a tough position amid the Russia-Ukraine war. 

Amid persisting Ukraine crisis, some countries have even called on China to play a leadership role to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.

Experts believe that China has found itself in a precarious position with its leaders attempting to maintain the growing ties with Moscow, while minimising any further fallout in the relationship with the Western countries.

(ANI)

The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday released video of what it claimed were captured Western-made portable missile systems.

Video showed Russian soldiers standing over the weapons, which it alleged were supplied by western countries.

An unidentified soldier said the weapons had been captured from Ukrainian "nationalists" and included anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers. 

He said they would be handed over to pro-Russia separatist fighters in the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday he is concerned that Russia might be trying to create a pretext to use chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said Russia's "absurd claims" about biological labs and chemical weapons in Ukraine are "an absolute lie."
"This is just another lie. And we are concerned that Moscow could stage a false-flag operation, possibly including chemical weapons," he told reporters in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said that any use of chemical weapons by Russia would be a violation of international law but he refused to say whether it would be a red line that might draw a military response from NATO.

He didn't give any specific endorsement of Tuesday's trip by three eastern European leaders to Ukraine.
Instead, he hailed the "extensive contact" NATO members and European leaders had kept with the Ukrainian political leadership throughout the crisis.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday criticized NATO for not imposing a no-fly zone in Ukraine, saying the collective defense of the bloc has never been so weak.

War zone veteran Zakrzewski was working with correspondent Benjamin Hall when an incoming fire hit their vehicle outside of Kyiv, Fox News reported.

Russia imposed sanctions against US President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton and other top US officials on Tuesday in retaliation against economic sanctions on Moscow.
 

UEFA ban on Russian soccer teams upheld in court; interim verdict does not apply to World Cup.

More than 500 refugees from Ukraine arrived at a port near Stockholm on Tuesday morning, joining an ever-growing number of people fleeing the war for Sweden.  They arrived by ferry from Gdansk in Poland. 

Since the beginning of the war, around 7,500 Ukrainian citizens have sought asylum or residence permits under special EU measures, but many more are thought to be in Sweden already, some staying with relatives. 
 

NATO Secretary-General addresses media amid the Russia-Ukraine war, as Zelenskyy gives up the thought of Ukraine joining NATO

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko appealed to civilians to take shelter in bunkers as Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv.

A series of strikes hit a residential neighbourhood Tuesday.

Three Indians stranded in Kherson, Ukraine have been evacuated via Simferopol and Moscow. They boarded their flight from Moscow a short while ago. Embassy of India in Russia facilitated their transit and accommodation en route: Ministry of External Affairs

The United Kingdom government on Tuesday slapped an additional 35% import tariff on several Russian goods, including vodka, and prohibited exports of luxury products amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine

The government on Tuesday said in Lok Sabha that it is ready to hold discussion on the Ukraine issue.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said this has been decided in the Business Advisory Committee of the House. 

"The government is ready for discussion on the Ukraine issue. Please give notice for that," he said after the Opposition sought clarification on a statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

In his statement on the situation in the war-torn country, Jaishankar said that 22,500 Indian citizens have returned safely from Ukraine. 

Jaishankar made a similar statement in Rajya Sabha earlier.

Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the chair, rejected the demand for clarification.

He said that in Lok Sabha, there is no provision for clarifications on a statement given by a minister.

According to Russian-state owned media Sputnik, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine must accept fact that it won't join NATO.

Russia was "forced" to intervene in Ukraine to protect Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country, Russia's ambassador to France said Tuesday. 

The ambassador, Aleksey Meshkov, said the operation was necessary to stop Ukrainian forces from "seizing" the rebel-held self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

He told journalists in Paris that for the operation to be halted, Ukraine would need to adopt laws banning "neo-Nazi" organisations and to abolish measures that he said amounted to a ban on the Russian language. 

He added that Ukraine would need to demilitarise and adopt neutrality.

In addition, he called on Ukraine to recognise Crimea as an integral part of Russia.

(AP)

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its twentieth day, Kyiv has imposed a new curfew from 8 pm (Local Time) on March 15 until 7 am on March 17, said the Ukrainian local media.

Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said that the residents are only allowed to go outside to head to the bomb shelters, reported the Ukrainian media outlet The Kyiv Independent.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid where Lapid assured Kuleba that Tel Aviv will not be the route for Moscow to bypass sanctions.

Kuleba expressed his gratitude for Israel's mediation efforts and for providing humanitarian aid. "We discussed ways of ending the war in Ukraine. Agreed that the rights of Ukrainians arriving in Israel will be respected," wrote Kuleba in his tweet.

Earlier on Monday, at a joint press conference in Bratislava, Slovakia with his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Korcok, Lapid condemned Russia's military offensive as unjustified. Lapid said that Israel is working to ensure that the country's financial institutions do not make possible the circumvention of crippling sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, reported The Times of Israel.

"Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other Western countries," Lapid said adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the issue together with partners, including the Bank of Israel, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Airports Authority, the Energy Ministry, and others."

Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia.

(ANI)
 

Ukraine’s president has told northern European leaders that they could “help yourself by helping us,” as he appealed for more weapons to counter Russia’s invasion of his country.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking to leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force via videolink Tuesday, said the Ukrainian military is rapidly using up weapons and other hardware that western nations have shipped to his country. 

He also appealed for a full trade embargo on Russia, saying sanctions have not been enough to counter the Russian advance.
“We have to acknowledge Russia as a rogue state and there has to be a trade embargo with Russia,” Zelenskyy said. “This is something that we need and you need as well, just like the rest of the world, to make sure there is peace in Europe and Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy also repeated his frustration with NATO over its refusal to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine as he addressed JEF leaders meeting Tuesday in London. 

The United Kingdom-led JEF is a grouping of 10 north Atlantic countries designed to react quickly to international crises. It includes NATO members such as Britain and the Baltic states, as well as non-NATO countries such as Sweden and Finland.

A senior German official predicted on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a massive boost for the means and measures needed to curb climate change.

Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduces countries' reliance on imports from Russia.

The core technologies to become independent of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and to drive forward climate protection are the same, he told reporters in Berlin.
 

The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday shared video of a drone strike it said was targeting Ukrainian armour.

"Two UAF (Ukrainian Armed Forces) combat vehicles were located by an RFAF (Russian Federation's Armed Forces) unmanned aerial vehicle," the ministry said. 

"The targets were destroyed with a direct hit by a high-precision ordnance."

Chief spokesman of Russian Defence Ministry Igor Konashenkov said that "136 Ukrainian military sites" had been struck by

"tactical operative army aviation along with combat drones". 

Fourth-round talks between Russia & Ukraine have resumed via video link, according to reports citing the Ukrainian delegation.

Russia has released a video of special operations in Ukraine, purportedly as an intimidatory tactic.

The International Organisation for Migration says more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian invaded last month. 

The new milestone also indicated that some 157,000 third-country nationals  people who aren't Ukrainian  were part of the outflow in what UN officials have called the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

IOM spokesman Paul Dillon said at a UN news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday that the totals were compiled from figures provided by national authorities.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR, which provides a more detailed count than the IOM though based on similar data, has reported that more than 1.8 million of the refugees were in Poland. 

UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said some 300,000 had moved on from there to Western Europe and noted that the vast majority of those fleeing have been women and children.

(AP) 
 

Local authorities say the number of people killed in a Russian rocket attack on a TV tower in western Ukraine has risen to 19.

The Rivne regional government posted on its Facebook page Tuesday that 19 people were killed and nine were injured in the strike on the TV tower in Antopol, a village outside the city of Rivne.

The village is only about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the border of NATO member Poland and comes as Russia presses its invasion of Ukraine.

Initial casualty reports had put the death toll from Monday's TV tower attack at nine.

(AP)
 

The International Organisation for Migration says more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded, reports AP.

Curfew imposed in Ukraine's capital city Kyiv till 10.30 AM on March 17, amid heavy shelling in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweets information on the "losses of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, March 15."

In a tweet, Ukraine's foreign ministry reiterates the call to 'Close the Sky,' saying that this is not just Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the start of a war against Europe. The ministry tweeted, "This is not just Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine, this is the beginning of a war against Europe. Look up! Close the sky!"

Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba had a call with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid and discussed that "Israel won’t be the route for Russia to bypass sanctions. Grateful for Israel’s mediation efforts and humanitarian aid."

"We discussed ways of ending the war in Ukraine. Agreed that the rights of Ukrainians arriving in Israel will be respected," tweeted Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said that war in Ukraine is at a crossroads that could lead to an agreement at talks with Russia or a new Russian offensive. According to The Guardian, Arestovych said, "We are at a crossroads. Either we will agree at the current talks or the Russians will make a second attempt [at an offensive] and then there will be talks again." His remarks came as the UK Foreign Office minister said that he "hopes" talks between Russia and Ukraine proceed towards a positive outcome. 

At least 19 are killed and the other nine were left injured after Russian forces attacked the TV tower in Rivne. According to Rivne Oblast Governor Vitalii Koval, there is a possibility of more victims, as the rescuers are still working at the scene. The strike happened on March 14 in Rivne which is a regional capital in northwestern Ukraine, stated the Kyiv Independent.

According to Nexta Tv, the Ukrainian railways have started the process of nationalizing Russian railcars that are on Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has announced that nine humanitarian corridors had been approved for Tuesday for the evacuation of citizens. Vereshchuk said in a video address, "Humanitarian Corridor Plans: Nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for today. The Donetsk region: a humanitarian cargo will leave the city of Berdyansk for the city of Mariupol, which will bring tens of tonnes of water, medicines, food to people who are looking forward to it in Mariupol. On the way back, it will take women, children and everyone who needs it from Mariupol to Zaporozhie", stated Sputnik.

Republic's largest war reporting team on the ground amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Republic's crew reporting #LIVE from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. Watch the multi-nation war coverage, here -

Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers - Mateusz Morawiecki,  Petr Fiala, and Janez Janša respectively will travel to Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Fiala said, "Today, we are going together with PM of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, deputy PM Jarosław Kaczyński and PM of Slovenia Janez Janša to Kiev as representatives of the European Council to meet with president Zelensky and PM Shmyhal."

Follow live coverage here -

The European Union (EU) on Tuesday has agreed to a fourth package of sanctions against Russian individuals,  including an asset freeze and travel ban on Roman Abramovich. The European Commission said, "These sanctions will ramp up economic pressure on the Kremlin and cripple its ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine."

The Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podoliyak has said on Tuesday, "The 20th day of 🇺🇦 heroism. True freedom always comes at a cost. The rest is unchanged. Russia fights only with peaceful cities, destroying them at night with missiles. Our army beats Russians in all directions. Partners still stand aside, afraid of becoming global leaders."

As of March 15, the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said that Russia lost over 13,500 persons, 404 tanks 150 units of artillery systems among other losses. In the operational update on Tuesday, the Ukrainian armed forces also reiterated, "Beat the occupant! Together we will win! Strike the occupier! Let's win together!"

Kyiv Independent stated four people were killed following the Russian attack in Rubizhne. The newspaper added, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, said on March 15 that Russian forces destroyed three school buildings along with a boarding school for visually impaired children and a hospital in the city of Rubizhne.

France set to impose sanctions on 600 Russian businessmen in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Head of the Investigative Committee of #Russia Bastrykin instructed to initiate a case under Article 299 (illegal initiation of criminal proceedings) because of the cases opened in Ukraine against Russian officials. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that the Russian Armed Forces have taken under full control the entire territory of the Kherson region on day 20 of war. Russian forces shot down six Bayraktar TB-2 drones in the last 24 hours, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the ministry.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation started an inquiry into Marina Ovsyannikova after she was arrested. The news agency had previously called her an “outsider” before later calling her an editor at Channel One, the state TV network in question. TASS stated that Ovsyannikova could be held liable for her actions under the nation’s criminal code, which Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ally recently expanded, criminalizing even calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a “war”. 

Maria Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia’s state TV Channel One, on Monday interrupted her network’s own live broadcast, protesting her opposition to the invasion of the former Soviet nation. Holding up a sign behind the studio presenter with slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine, Ovsyannikova on Monday told viewers that they are being lied to. During the "Vremya" news program, she rushed in front of the camera with a poster that read “Stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda”. 

The sign, in English and Russian, read, “NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war," was partly obscured.

The Kyiv Independent stated that the shock wave damaged the facade of the Lukyanivska metro station in Kyiv early on March 15.  The station will now be closed for transit users.

The Russian forces reportedly shot at evacuating citizens in Hostomel, Citing the National Police, The Kyiv Independent stated that the first 10 buses of evacuees safely left the town, when Russians opened fire on the next four buses. One woman was killed, two men were injured as a result of the attack.

Manufacturers of confectionery products notified retailers in Russia of a 10-67% price increase due to currency appreciation in the face of sanctions imposed by a range of nations, stated Nexta Tv. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the west must end its “addiction” to Russian energy. It is to not that the British PM would travel to Saudi Arabia to push for increased oil and gas production. While writing in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, the British prime minister said western leaders had made a “terrible mistake” by letting Vladimir Putin “get away with” annexing Crimea back in 2014 and then eventually becoming “more dependent” on Russian power sources.

An apartment building in Kyiv caught fire after Russian overnight shelling and the blazes were finally put out by 6:51 AM according to the State Emergency Service, stated Kyiv Independent. One person has been hospitalized in the incident.

As of March 14, the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy has reported that 2,000 vulnerable children were evacuated from social welfare institutions and orphanages in the country amid Russia's military aggression. 

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny has said that 'since the beginning of the open war of the Russian Federation against our state, 45 air targets of the enemy have been destroyed by means of air defense of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
19 aircraft,
 20 helicopters,
 5 UAVs,
 1 cruise missile.'

Ukrainian Defence Ministry has said that its forces hit at least four Russian helicopters, one of their planes and an "enemy" missile. In the operational update on Tuesday, the defence ministry said, "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are facing devastating strikes on the grouping of troops and the occupiers' back infrastructure. Four helicopters, one plane and an enemy missile wing were hit by the air force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

"Occupation troops involved in the conduct of the offensive operation had no significant success in all directions of suspension. The focus of main efforts on keeping busy boundaries continues," it said. 

The ministry also said, "The total loss of the enemy consisted of about 150 people, 2 tanks, 7 BMP and one BTR. After the losses suffered, the occupiers stopped the offensive actions and stepped down."

According to Kyiv Independent, China has requested talks between Europe and Russia citing the reason as to “set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework.”

The Ukraine 24  television station has stated that the power supply has been renewed to Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant and that Ukrainian authorities had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency. This comes after IAEA noted that power had been restored.

European Council President Charles Michel told El Pais in an interview published on Monday that the EU is "not at war with Russia". He urged that Western nations should not get into the Russia-Ukraine conflict and argued that a confrontation between Russia and NATO would mean nothing short of a nuclear world war. 

"Russia is a nuclear power and we are well aware that if this conflict turns into [a conflict] between NATO and Russia, we will roll down into the Third World War,” he said.

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Maria Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia’s state TV Channel One, on Monday interrupted her network’s own live broadcast, protesting her opposition to the invasion of the former Soviet nation. Holding up a sign behind the studio presenter with slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine, Ovsyannikova on Monday told viewers that they are being lied to. During the "Vremya" news program, she rushed in front of the camera with a poster that read “Stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda”. 

The sign, in English and Russian, read, “NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war," was partly obscured.

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According to Kyiv Independent, a senior US Department of Defense official said during a closed-door briefing on March 14 that Russia has fired over 900 missiles against Ukraine.

As per reports, Russia is expected to lose billions of dollars in the advertising market. It is to note here that in the top 30 largest advertisers in Russia, more than half of them are foreign brands. Out of those 16, at least 13 have already announced their withdrawal from Russia and the suspension of business.

On Tuesday morning the 20th day of Russia-Ukraine war, two massive explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. One of Nexta Tv's subscribers stated, "In the southwest of the city it was so loud and strong that the bed vibrated and the windows went shifting".

Korean Air will temporarily suspend all passenger and cargo services to and from Moscow and Vladivostok until the end of April, the airline confirmed, according to CNN. Cargo flights that stopover in Moscow are also included in the suspension.

Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, told Washington on Monday that Beijing regrets the war in Ukraine. However, he also added that Chian would not stand any attempts to "smear" China over its position, reported CNN citing a readout from the Chinese side. Yang's remarks came as he met with US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan in Rome Monday amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 

The international court of justice (ICJ) has said it will rule in the case that Ukraine has brought against Russia on March 16 at 8:30 PM IST or 4 PM (The Hague).  While Russia boycotted the proceedings from the start, ICJ said that it will deliver its Order in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on Wednesday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had a call with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and both agreed to pressure Russia with sanctions.

Noting the 'false' information spreading online regarding the death toll in Mariupol, the City Council has confirmed that around 2,357 people in the city have died as a result of the Russian war as of March 14.

Zelenskyy on Tuesday shared the letter he wrote to the family of American journalist Brent Renaud, who was killed in Ukraine amid Russian shelling. In a copy of a letter addressed to Renaud’s family posted on Twitter, the Ukrainian President said, "It is with deep sadness that I am writing to extend my heartfelt condolences to you on the tragic loss of your beloved son and brother, Brent Renaud."

“With all his courage and determination, he travelled to the most dangerous war zones to film the unprecedented ruthlessness and evil, also inflicted upon our nation by the aggressor state," he also said.

According to Kyiv Independent, a non-governmental group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has stated that more than 40,000 Syrians have registered to travel to Ukraine and fight for Russia. The group also said that no Syrian fighters have left the country as of March 14.

Alexey Polishchuk, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second CIS Department, said in an interview with Sputnik that Russian servicemen are controlling the situation at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants (NPP) together with the Ukrainian guards and officials at the facility. 

"Currently, Russian servicemen, together with Ukrainian guards and plant personnel, control the situation at the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants. The plants are operating normally, the radiation background remains normal, which is confirmed by the IAEA," Polishchuk told the Russian media outlet.

"Now the main efforts are aimed at preventing provocations by the Ukrainian nationalist forces against these critical infrastructure facilities," he said.

A retired US Army General has said that Russia is expected to exhaust the ability to fight within ten days. Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe, told CBS News that Russia was running out of time, ammunition and manpower as a “quick operation” turned into a war of attrition.

Among the assistance that Russia requested from China, according to CNN sources, was also packaged non-perishable military food kits, known in the United States as "ready-to-eat meals". As per the report, the request underscored the basic logistical challenges that military analysts and officials say have stymied Russian progress in Ukraine -- and raises questions about the fundamental readiness of the Russian military. 

in the wake of escalating the Russia-Ukraine war, Japan has imp[osed sanctions on 17 Russian individuals. Among the sanctioned State Duma officials is Renova Group owner Viktor Vekselberg and relatives of Yury Kovalchuk.

United States State Department imposes sanctions on at least 11 high-ranking Russian defence officials including the head of the Russian Federal Guard Zolotov, Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation's Shugaev, Rosoboronexport's Mikheev, and 8 deputy defense ministers.

At the end of the "19th day of resistance" and as the war entered the 20th day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the Russian forces to "choose dignity". He called on the "enemy" forces to give up arms over the “shame” of continuing with the war. 

Speaking in Russian, Zelenskiy said: “On behalf of the Ukrainian people, we give you a chance to live. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you as humans have to be treated: with dignity. The way you have not been treated in your army. And the way your army doesn’t treat our people. Choose.”

In the latest national address, Zelenskyy also said that Russia-Ukraine negotiations will continue to take place on Tuesday. He informed that he spoke to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett as part of a negotiation effort to end the war with Russia “with a fair peace”. Ukrainian President said, "Our delegation also worked on this in negotiations with the Russian party" and added, "Pretty good, as I was told. But let’s see. They will continue tomorrow."