This image made from a video shows Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine on Oct. 20, 2015. (AP Photo)Russia Ukraine Crisis Live: Russian forces that seized Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Friday have now placed staff running the facility under their command and have restricted communications with the outside world, according to UN nuclear watchdog.
At least 364 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since Russian troops invaded on February 24, and another 759 wounded, although the true numbers are probably “considerably higher”, a UN monitoring mission said on Sunday. The updated figures, relating to casualties through March 5, added a further 13 deaths and 52 injuries to the casualties that the monitors from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that the military operation in Ukraine will only be halted if Russia’s demands are met. He has also likened the West’s sanctions on Russia to “declaring war”, while a second attempted ceasefire in the besieged port city of Mariupol collapsed on Sunday, with Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine’s National Guard accusing each other of failing to establish a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to leave.
Meanwhile, the number of people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has topped 1.5 million, making it Europe’s “fastest-growing refugee crisis” since World War-II, the United Nations said on Sunday. More than 11,000 Russian troops have been killed since Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said on Sunday. A day earlier, it put Russian casualties at over 10,000. It did not report Ukrainian casualties.
A woman reacts as paramedics perform CPR on a girl who was injured during shelling, at city hospital of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, February 27, 2022. The girl did not survive. (AP)
TikTok said Sunday that users won't be able to post new videos in Russia in response to the government's crackdown on social media.
“In light of Russia's new fake news' law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” the company said in a statement on Twitter. “Our in-app messaging service will not be affected.” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on Russia's war in Ukraine, blocking Facebook and Twitter and signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports.
TikTok is part of the larger Chinese tech company ByteDance. (AP)
Netflix Inc has suspended its service in Russia, a company spokesperson said on Sunday.
Earlier this week, Netflix temporarily stopped all future projects and acquisitions in Russia as it assessed the impact of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia," the Netflix spokesperson said.
Netflix had earlier said it had no plans to add state-run channels to its Russian service, despite a regulation that would require it to distribute state-backed channels. (Reuters)
The United States does not believe a Russian amphibious assault in or near the Ukrainian city of Odessa is imminent, a senior US defence official said on Sunday, amid growing concern about a potential attack on the city.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, estimated Russia had launched about 600 missiles since the start of the invasion and deployed into Ukraine about 95 per cent of combat forces it had pre-staged outside of the country.
Russian forces continued to try to advance and isolate Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv and are meeting "strong Ukrainian resistance," the official said. (Reuters)
Russian forces that seized Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have now placed staff running the facility under their command and restricted communications with the outside world, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sunday. (Reuters)
American Express Co said on Sunday it was suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus, joining a growing number of Western corporations to boycott business there over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"In light of Russia's ongoing, unjustified attack on the people of Ukraine, American Express is suspending all operations in Russia," the credit card company said in a statement on its website.
"We are also terminating all business operations in Belarus," American Express said. (Reuters)
Just six weeks ago, Poland began construction on a wall along its border with neighboring Belarus. It was meant to ward off refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who were attempting to reach Europe via Minsk.
The fate of thousands of individuals was up in the air for many days, stuck along the border in freezing temperatures, unable to advance into Poland or return to Belarus.
And now? Just over a week ago, Poland, like all other EU member states, flung its borders open to take in war refugees from Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised that everyone will be welcomed. Read more
At least 364 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24, and another 759 wounded, although the true numbers are probably "considerably higher", a U.N. monitoring mission said on Sunday.
The updated figures, relating to casualties through March 5, added a further 13 deaths and 52 injuries to the casualties that the monitors from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported on Saturday. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Russia's military operations in Ukraine and to ensure the protection and security of Ukraine's nuclear sites, said an official from Macron's office.
The French official confirmed that Macron had held a phone exchange of nearly two hours on Sunday with Putin.
Russian media had earlier reported the latest talks between Putin and Macron. Macron has stayed in regular contact with Putin but, as with other international efforts, has yet to persuade Moscow to call off a campaign now into an 11th day.
Putin said on Sunday that his campaign in Ukraine was going according to plan and would not end until Kyiv stopped fighting, as efforts to evacuate the heavily bombarded city of Mariupol failed for a second day in a row. (Reuters)
Map of Europe showing the influx of Ukrainian refugees into European countries, as of March 6, according to the UNHCR. (Infographics by AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron blamed Kyiv for failed civilian evacuations from the key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol which is surrounded by Russian troops, the Kremlin said Sunday. (AFP)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States has seen ‘very credible reports’ of deliberate attacks on civilians by Russians forces in Ukraine, and that Washington was documenting these reports to make sure relevant organizations can investigate whether war crimes have been committed. (Reuters)
The centre of Kyiv is deserted, but John and Natasha -- an American couple who refuse to leave Ukraine -- go out quietly to walk their dogs, accepting that it may be their "destiny to die" rather than leave.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian rockets have completely destroyed the civilian airport of Vinnytsia. Emergency services were working to put out fires at the airport due to the strikes, authorities said.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the largest conflict that Europe has seen since World War II, with Russia conducting a multi-pronged offensive across the country. The Russian military has pummeled wide areas in Ukraine with airstrikes and has conducted major rocket and artillery bombardments, resulting in large numbers of casualties. Here is a look at some of the weapons being used in the conflict. Read more
The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Sunday asked all Indians who are still stuck in the conflict-stricken country to fill up an online form on an urgent basis.
“All Indian nationals who still remain in Ukraine are requested to fill up the details contained in the attached Google Form on an URGENT BASIS. Be Safe Be Strong,” it said in a tweet. Read more
Ukrainian soldiers bolstered defences around Kyiv on Sunday, digging trenches, blocking roads and liaising with civil defence units as Russian forces bombarded the surrounding areas and attacked towns and villages nearby.
While the armed forces and civilian volunteers dug in, thousands of people continued to try to flee the city of 3.4 million as fears of a full assault spread.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and has concentrated its heaviest attacks on the south and east of the country, besieging cities including Mariupol and Kharkiv with artillery fire and air strikes and causing extensive damage and casualties. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed directly to Russians on Sunday to take to the streets in protest against the Kremlin's invasion of his country or risk their own poverty and repression.
Since last week, thousands of people in Russia have been detained for protesting against the invasion of Ukraine or what the Russian authorities call a "special military operation" that began on Feb 24.
"Citizens of Russia! For you, this is a struggle not only for peace in Ukraine! This is a fight for your country," Zelenskiy said in a televised address, switching from Ukrainian to Russian.
"If you keep silent now, only your poverty will speak for you later. And only repression will answer," he said. (Reuters)
Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine's National Guard accused each other of failing to establish a humanitarian corridor out of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Sunday, the second time the sides attempted to arrange it.
Ukraine 24 television showed a fighter of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard who said Russian and pro-Russian forces that have encircled the port city of about 400,000 continued shelling the areas that were meant to be safe.
The Interfax news agency cited an official of the Donetsk separatist administration who accused the Ukrainian forces of failing to observe the limited ceasefire.
The separatist official said only about 300 people have left the city. Ukrainian authorities have earlier said they planned to evacuate over 200,000 people from Mariupol. (Reuters)
Erdogan has talked with Putin and called for an 'urgent general ceasefire'. Meanwhile, Pope Francis has deplored what he termed the "rivers of blood and tears" flowing in Ukraine following the Russian invasion and demanded the creation of humanitarian corridors for refugees. (AFP)
The city council of Ukraine’s Mariupol said an evacuation of some of 400,000 residents trapped by Russian forces would start at noon (1000 GMT) under a temporary ceasefire that will last till 9 pm. A similar plan had to be abandoned on Saturday after the ceasefire was not fully observed, with both sides trading blame.