Russia-Ukraine war LIVE Updates: Polish jet offer to Ukraine will create 'potentially dangerous scenario', warns Kremlin

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Ukrainian civilians head to Kyiv in hopes for evacuation

Civilians from besieged towns northwest of Kyiv worked their way toward the capital Wednesday, crossing over a small river via a damaged bridge.

The bridge area has come under sporadic mortar fire in recent days, with civilians killed. But there was little shelling reported in the area Wednesday morning, so civilians took their chance to leave their homes in the hope of finding safety.

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Over 1.4 lakh people flee Ukraine in a day: UN

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine increased by more than 140,000 in 24 hours, according to United Nations figures issued Wednesday, with more than 2.15 million now having fled since Russia invaded on 24 February.

UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, recorded 2,155,271 refugees on its dedicated website - 143,959 more than the previous count on Tuesday.

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Polish jet offer to Ukraine will create 'potentially dangerous scenario': Kremlin 

The Kremlin on Wednesday said that a Polish offer to deliver Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase could lead to a "dangerous scenario", as Russian troops continued their advance into Ukraine. 

"This is a highly undesirable and a potentially dangerous scenario," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

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Power cut at Chernobyl nuclear plant

Power has been entirely cut to the Chernobyl power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986, and its security systems, Ukraine's energy operator Ukrenergo said Wednesday.

The nuclear power plant "was fully disconnected from the power grid," it said in a statement on its Facebook page, adding that military operations meant "there is no possibility to restore the lines".

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Russian oil ban has forced the US to turn to Venezuela

As Russia refused to slow down its invasion of Ukraine despite repeated warnings from the West, the United States decided to strike hard. President Joe Biden ordered an immediate ban on oil and other energy imports from Russia in a crucial trade decision.

Biden’s decision came after a delegation from Washington met Venezuelan president Nicolàs Maduro in the capital Caracas over the weekend. This was the first high-level talk between the two countries in years.

“Last Saturday night a delegation from the government of the United States of America arrived in Venezuela, I received it here at the presidential palace,” Maduro said on Monday in a televised address to the nation. “We had a meeting, I could describe it as respectful, cordial, very diplomatic,” he added.

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Fears in Russia over pharmaceutical supplies

Russia is running low on insulin and other important medical supplies produced abroad, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday, including raw materials key for production of drugs at home. 

The concerns come after a wave of Western sanctions over conflict in Ukraine began battering the Russian economy and dozens of major Western brands announced their departure from the market. 

The federal medical regulator Roszdravnadzor and a national association of pharmacies attributed insulin shortages to "urgent consumer demand," Kommersant said.   

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Russia says 'some progress' being made in talks with Ukraine

Russia said Wednesday negotiations with officials from Kyiv to resolve the conflict in Ukraine were making headway and underscored that Moscow's troops were not working to topple the Ukrainian government.

"Some progress has been made," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing, referring to three rounds of talks with Kyiv. She said the Russian military had not been tasked to "overthrow the current government."

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China sends aid to Ukraine, nixes sanctions

China says it is sending humanitarian aid including food and daily necessities worth 5 million yuan ($791,000) to Ukraine while continuing to oppose sanctions against Russia over its invasion.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters an initial batch was sent to the Ukrainian Red Cross on Wednesday with more to follow “as soon as possible.”

China has largely backed Russia in the conflict and Zhao reiterated Beijing’s opposition to biting economic sanctions against Moscow.

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First Lady Olena Zelenska writes open letter condemning Putin 

The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, on Tuesday condemned the Kremlin's "mass murder" of civilians, including children, in an open letter to the global media on the Russian invasion. In a passionate statement, Zelenska said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "was impossible to believe.

"On February 24th, we all woke up to the announcement of a Russian invasion," she wrote. "Tanks crossed the Ukrainian border, planes entered our airspace, missile launchers surrounded our cities. She singled out the child casualties as "perhaps the most terrifying and devastating", naming several of those killed. 

"Eight-year-old Alice... died on the streets of Okhtyrka while her grandfather tried to protect her," she said. "Polina from Kyiv... died in the shelling with her parents."

She added: "14-year-old Arseniy was hit in the head by wreckage, and could not be saved because an ambulance could not get to him on time because of intense fires.

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Heineken halts beer production, sales in Russia

Dutch brewer Heineken became on Wednesday the latest foreign business to halt its operations in Russia over Moscow's war in Ukraine, saying it would stop selling and producing beer there.

The world's second-biggest beer company had already suspended new investments and exports to Russia last week. "We are shocked and saddened to watch the tragedy in Ukraine unfold," Heineken chief executive Dolf van den Brink said in a statement.

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EU agrees to toughen sanctions on Russia, Belarus over Ukraine

The EU has agreed to add more Russian oligarchs and officials to its sanctions blacklist, tighten controls on cryptocurrency transfers and target the maritime sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine, diplomats said Wednesday. 

The 27-nation bloc also gave the go-ahead to cut three Belarusian banks from the global SWIFT payments system over Minsk's support for the Kremlin's attack, the French mission, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, tweeted.  

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Adidas profits jump in 2021, outlook strong despite Ukraine

German sportswear giant Adidas reported an almost-fivefold leap in its net profit Wednesday, with the group betting on double-digit growth in 2022 despite the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Adidas booked a net profit of 2.1 billion euros ($2.3 billion) on its continuing operations in 2021, up from 432 million euros the previous year, the company said in a statement.

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Russia, Ukraine agree day-long evacuation corridors: Ukraine official

AFP reported that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a day-long evacuation process along humanitarian corridors, according to a Ukrainian official.

The latest ceasefires are part of a series of announcements by the Russian defence ministry of pauses in fighting in key cities, including Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol.

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Debunking fake news from the Russia-Ukraine conflict

It’s been two weeks since Russia’s Vladimir Putin announced a “special military exercise” in certain parts of Ukraine, which later turned into a war against Ukraine. Since then, social media has been inundated with visual and most often heart-breaking images —ranging from children confronting soldiers to heavily damaged buildings.

However, with the war, as was the case with the coronavirus pandemic, a slew of misleading information has been put up, making it very hard to sift the real from the fake. We examine a few of these instances and try to uncover the truth.

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Russia default 'imminent': Fitch 

Ratings agency Fitch downgrades Russia's sovereign debt rating further, saying the decision reflects the view that a default is "imminent". If Russia were to default on a debt payment, it would be the first time since 1998.

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Russia says it thwarted plot to attack Donbas

Russia’s Defense Ministry says its operation thwarted a large-scale plot to attack separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine.

Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov on Wednesday cited from what he claimed was an intercepted Ukrainian National Guard document laying out plans for a weekslong operation targeting the Donbas region.

Konashenkov said in a televised statement: “The special military operation of the Russian armed forces, carried out since 24 February, preempted and thwarted a large-scale offensive by strike groups of Ukrainian troops on the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, which are not controlled by Kyiv, in March of this year.”

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Russia is No 1: A look at the most-sanctioned countries in the world and their ‘crimes’

The consequences of the invasion of Ukraine are grave, even for Russia. The thousands of sanctions imposed on the country by the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan have made it No 1 on the infamous list of the most-sanctioned countries in the world.

Global sanctions-tracking database Castellum.ai released a list on Tuesday that puts Russia right on top with 5,542 sanctions. Before the war, it trailed Iran.

There has been a surge in sanctions on the country from 22 February, two days before President Vladimir Putin invaded neighbouring Ukraine. Russia was slapped with 2,778 new sanctions in a span of two weeks.

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10 dead in strikes in Severodonestk in eastern Ukraine: local official

At least 10 people were killed in a Russian military attack in the eastern Ukrainian town of Severodonestk on Tuesday, a local official for the Lugansk region said in a statement on Telegram. 

The Russian military "opened fire" on residential homes and other buildings in the town, he said, without immediately specifying whether it was an artillery attack.  The region has seen heavy fighting in recent days. 

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Conde Nast suspends Russian operations

Conde Nast, which publishes magazines such as Vogue, Glamour and Vanity Fair, has said it is suspending publishing operations in Russia, citing the Ukraine conflict and the safety of its editorial staff.In a statement published on Conde Nast's website on Tuesday, chief executive Roger Lynch said the company was "shocked and horrified by the senseless violence and tragic humanitarian crisis in Ukraine."He said new legislation in Russia -- which could see individuals jailed for up to 15 years for publishing "fake news" about the military -- meant the publisher could not guarantee the safety of its journalists and editors

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KFC and Pizza Hut suspend operations in Russia

KFC and Pizza Hut have suspended operations in Russia. The move comes as the tensions between Ukraine and Russia continues for over two weeks and civilians continue to evacuate the war-torn nation

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Asia stocks rebound after Wall St falls, US bans Russian oil

Asian stocks rebounded Wednesday after Wall Street declined and China reported inflation edged higher. Already high oil prices rose further, adding more than USD 2 per barrel following President Joe Biden's ban on imports of Russian crude.

Stock benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney rose while Hong Kong declined. South Korean markets were closed for a presidential election. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index sank 0.7 per cent amid enduring unease over the impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine.

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Mercenaries find a place in Russia-Ukraine conflict: Understanding who they are 

There seems to be no end in sight for the Russia-Ukraine war even as it enters Day 14 on Wednesday.

As the fighting and shelling continues, the Pentagon on Monday reported that Russia was recruiting Syrian fighters, who are experienced in urban warfare, to fight in Ukraine in order to overthrow the government in Kyiv.

And it’s not just Russia that is making use of mercenaries, according to reports. Moscow has stated that the West has despatched mercenaries to the combat zones in Ukraine.

As both sides claims the use of ‘soldiers of fortune’, here’s a better understanding of who they exactly are, what they do and their role in the ongoing war.

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NYT temporarily removes its journalists from Russia

The New York Times says that it is temporarily removing its journalists from Russia after Moscow imposed new legislation that effectively outlaws independent reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia’s new legislation seeks to criminalize independent, accurate news reporting about the war against Ukraine,” Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The Times, says in a statement. “For the safety and security of our editorial staff working in the region, we are moving them out of the country for now.”

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UK sanctions Russian banks, individuals

The UK announced sanctions against five major banks and three individuals on Tuesday in its first move to punish Russia for sending troops to Ukraine. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it the "first tranche, the first barrage" of sanctions over its aggression towards Ukraine.

The five banks are Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank, and the Black Sea Bank. Three individuals – Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg, and Igor Rotenberg – were also named.

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Ukraine: Plant staff forced to record address

Ukraine’s energy minister said Russian forces that now control a Ukrainian nuclear plant are forcing the exhausted staff to record an address that they plan to use for propaganda purposes.

Russian troops have been in control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, since seizing it an attack on Friday that set a building on fire and raised fears of a nuclear disaster. It was later determined that no radiation was released.

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Loud explosions heard in Kyiv

Loud series of explosions are being heard in Kyiv and the surrounding area since morning. Residents have been asked to go to the nearest shelter, The Kyiv Independent reports.

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Air alert declared in Kyiv as fighting continues

An air alert was declared Wednesday morning in and around Kyiv, with residents urged to get to bomb shelters as quickly as possible. “Kyiv region – air alert. Threat of a missile attack. Everyone immediately to shelters,” regional administration head Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.

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Ukraine aid grows to near $14 billion in $1.5 trillion government bill

A US aid package for Ukraine and its Eastern European allies grew to around USD 14 billion on Tuesday as lawmakers put finishing touches on a USD 1.5 trillion government-wide spending bill that leaders hope Congress will enact by week's end.

Democrats and Republicans rallied solidly behind the Ukraine aid, with Russia's attack devastating parts of the country and prompting Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Negotiators said the package of military, humanitarian and economic aid to the region had grown close to USD 14 billion, up from USD 12 billion just Monday and President Joe Biden's USD 10 billion request last week.

-AP

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Thousands evacuated from Ukraine through humanitarian corridors

Ukraine evacuates 5,000 civilians from the northeastern city of Sumy under a deal with Moscow to hold fire and set up humanitarian corridors in cities besieged by Russian forces. Convoys ferry the evacuees to the city of Lokhvytsia, around 150 kilometres to the southwest in Ukrainian-held territory.

Ukrainian authorities say 21 people, including two children, were killed in air strikes on the town on Monday. Kyiv and its Western allies had rejected a previous proposal to evacuate Ukrainians to Russia and Belarus.

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Central Bank of Russia limits foreign cash withdrawals until 9 Sept

The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) on Wednesday said it is imposing a USD 10,000 limit on foreign cash withdrawals from foreign currency accounts by clients until September 9.

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Ukraine drops pitch for NATO membership

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia's stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbor.

In another apparent nod aimed at placating Moscow, Zelensky said he is open to "compromise" on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent just before unleashing the invasion on February 24.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC News.

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Russia announces humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine

Russia announces a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine for Wednesday morning to carry out the evacuation of the civilian population, AFP reports, citing Russian news agencies.

A Russian defence ministry cell charged with humanitarian operations in Ukraine says that the ceasefire would be between 10 am and 3 pm Moscow Time (12.30 pm and 5.30 pm in India)

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Russia now global economic pariah, claims Joe Biden administration

Russia has become a global economic pariah after it attacked Ukraine and the international community has joined the US in imposing tough sanctions against Moscow, the Joe Biden administration has claimed.

US President Biden termed the package of economic sanctions enforced against Russia "most significant in history" and claimed that it has caused consequential damage to the Russian economy.

"It has caused the Russian economy to crater. The Ruble is now down 50 per cent and worth less than one American penny since Putin announced his war," he told reporters at the White House after announcing an immediate ban on import of Russian oil and gas.

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Pentagon says Poland's offer to give US its MiG-29s for Ukraine 'not tenable'

The Pentagon on Tuesday rejected Poland's surprise announcement that it would give the United States its MiG-29 fighter jets for use by Ukraine, a rare display of disharmony by NATO allies seeking to boost Ukrainian fighters while avoiding getting caught up in a wider war with Russia.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Poland's declaration that it intended to deliver the 28 jets to the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany raised the concerning prospect of warplanes departing from a U.S. and NATO base to fly into airspace contested with Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

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McDonald's, Coca-Cola join US firms halting Russia operations

McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks on Tuesday bowed to public pressure and suspended their operations in Russia, joining the international corporate chorus of outrage over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Several of these companies, symbols of American cultural influence in the world, have been the subject of boycott calls on social media as investors have also begun to ask questions about their presence.

"We cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine," the fast-food giant said, announcing the temporary closure all 850 restaurants in Russia, where it employs 62,000 people.

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IAEA says it has lost contact with Chernobyl nuclear data systems

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer transmitting data to the UN's atomic watchdog, the agency said Tuesday, as it voiced concern for staff working under Russian guard at the Ukrainian facility.

On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine and seized the defunct Chernobyl plant, the site of a 1986 disaster that killed hundreds and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi "indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP had been lost", the agency said in a statement.

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US announces ban on import of Russian oil: What does this mean?

With Russia intensifying its war on Ukraine, killing civilians and triggering a mass refugee crisis, President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a US ban on imported Russian oil. Critics of Russia have said that sanctioning its energy exports would be the best — perhaps only — way to force Moscow to pull back.

A full embargo would be most effective if it included European allies, which are also desperate to stop the violence in Ukraine and the danger Moscow poses to the continent. Yet it's far from clear that all of Europe would take part in an embargo, though Britain announced Tuesday that it would phase out Russian oil imports by year's end.