PremiumOfficials from Kyiv will meet Russian counterparts at the Belarus border, hours after President Vladimir Putin put Russia’s nuclear forces on higher alert and even as fighting continues inside Ukraine.
Russia’s central bank raises rate effective today due to “cardinal" changes in economy, according to website statement. Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina will make a statement at 4 p.m. Moscow time.
The Ukrainian military today said that Russian troops had slowed down "the pace of the offensive", as Moscow's assault against Ukraine went into its fifth day. "The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive, but are still trying to develop success in some areas," the general staff of the armed forces said.
The rouble plunged to a record low on Monday and the dollar soared against most peers after Western nations announced fresh sanctions to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin put its nuclear forces on high alert. The rouble dropped to as low as 119 per dollar in early trading, tumbling beyond its previous low of 90 roubles per dollar. It was last at 109.
Belarus is preparing to send soldiers into Ukraine in support of Russia as soon as Monday, the Washington Post reported, citing comments from an unidentified U.S. official.
Russia's central bank has ordered brokers to suspend the execution of all orders by foreign legal entities and individuals to sell Russian securities. The bank also said in a statement it had yet to decide whether to open markets other than the forex and money market on Monday.
EU countries will send “fighter jets" to Ukraine at Kyiv's request to help it counter the Russian air and land assault, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. "We're going to provide even fighting jets. We're not talking about just ammunition. We are providing more important arms to go to a war," he told a press conference. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has told the EU "they need the kind of fighting jets that the Ukrainian army is able to operate... some member states have these kinds of planes," Borrell said.
Blasts were heard in Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and in the major city of Kharkiv on today morning, Ukraine's State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection said. Kyiv had been quiet for a few hours prior to that, it said in a brief statement on the Telegram messaging app. In a separate statement, the agency said a residential building in the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine was on fire after being struck by a missile.
US equity futures slid today after a strong rally on Friday amid heightened market uncertainty after Western nations unveiled harsher sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. S&P 500 contracts and those for the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 were down over 2%. Oil and palladium jumped, with Brent crude again vaulting above $100 a barrel while bonds rose.
The Australian government will provide lethal military equipment to Ukraine to help the Ukrainians resist the Russian invasion but it gave no details on what material it may be sending. Australia has also imposed sanctions on more than 350 Russian individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Alphabet Inc's Google confirmed on Sunday it has temporarily disabled for Ukraine some Google Maps tools which provide live information about traffic conditions and how busy different places are.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson by telephone on Sunday that the next 24 hours are crucial for Ukraine, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Johnson said the UK and its allies would do everything possible to guarantee that defensive aid reached Ukraine, the spokesperson said in a statement.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry says 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed during Russia’s invasion, including 14 children. It says an additional 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been wounded.
Canada will send an additional $25 million worth of defensive military equipment to Ukraine in an effort to help the country defend against Russia’s invasion.
The U.S. for the first time has approved the direct delivery of Stinger missiles to Ukraine as part of a package approved by the White House on Friday.
More than 500 people have been detained in Belarus for protesting against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the country’s most prominent human rights group.
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