Ukraine-Russia war: Oil depot set ablaze in Chernihiv city after hit by Russian shelling

As Russia continues to attack its former Soviet ally, an oil depot was set ablaze after a shell hit it in Ukraine's Chernihiv city. Ukraine State Emergency Services (SES) stated that the attack took place around 8:10 am on Thursday (local time). Visuals of the incident, shared on social media by the Ukraine State Emergency Services, showed billows of thick smoke rising out of the oil depot which came under attack. Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian air force, military, and territorial defence units had destroyed a Russian column of military vehicles in Chernihiv. 

A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine, a massive fire engulfed SBU headquarters in Chernihіv after two shells hit it, as per the local newspaper Suspilne Chernihiv. Amid the ongoing fighting between two countries, Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is ready for negotiations to cease the war in Ukraine but, will continue to press its effort to destroy Ukraine's military infrastructure. He stated that Russia had presented its proposals to Ukrainian negotiators earlier this week and is now waiting for a response from Kyiv in Thursday's meetings, the Associated Press (AP) reported. 

Ukraine bans payment cards issued by Russia and Belarus banks

Meanwhile, Ukraine has outlawed payment cards issued by the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus banks. Payment cards issued by Russian and Belarusian banks are no longer accepted in Ukraine, including transfers, settlements, and cash withdrawals, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The Biden administration in Washington announced further sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including tightening export bans on Russian oil refining and entities that support both countries' militaries. In addition to Europe and Canada, the United States has also closed its airspace to Russian airlines. 

Russia-Ukraine war

It should be mentioned here that Russia had launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after recognising the independence of Ukraine's separatist regions-- Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). Meanwhile, several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the European Union, have strongly condemned Russia's unjustified military operations in Ukraine and also imposed numerous sanctions on Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday claimed that Russia has lost around 9,000 of its personnel, however, Russia has refuted this claim.

Image: AP/Twitter/@dsszzi