Live blog: Humanitarian situation in Ukraine 'catastrophic' — Russian army

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Humanitarian situation in Ukraine 'catastrophic' — Russian army

The humanitarian situation in Ukraine is deteriorating quickly and has become catastrophic in a number of cities, the Russian military said, speaking on the 17th day of what Moscow has termed a "special military operation."

"Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is continuing to deteriorate rapidly, and in some cities it has reached catastrophic proportions," said the head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre Mikhail Mizintsev.

He accused Ukrainian "nationalists" of laying mines in residential areas and destroying key infrastructure, including roads and bridges, leaving civilians with no access to electricity, water, food and medicine.

Mizintsev said that an especially dire humanitarian situation was developing in the southeastern port city of Mariupol, accusing Ukraine's "nationalists" of trapping hundreds of thousands of people in the besieged city.

IAEA: Ukraine said Russia aims to take full control of NPP

The UN nuclear watchdog said Ukraine told it on Saturday that Russia was planning to take full and permanent control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's biggest, but that Russia later denied this.

"The President of Ukraine's nuclear power plant operator Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said in a letter to the DirectorGeneral that around 400 Russian soldiers were 'being present full time on site' (at Zaporizhzhya)," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) added in a statement.

The IAEA said the Ukrainian regulator had also informed it that efforts to repair damaged power lines at the Chernobyl nuclear plant were continuing and that diesel generators were providing back-up power to systems relevant for safety.

Zelenskyy asks Israel's assistance on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and discussed the prospects for peace talks to end the conflict with Russia.

Zelenskyy made the announcement in a tweet and also said he had asked Bennett for help in freeing the mayor of the city of Melitopol, whom Ukraine says was abducted by Russian forces.

Around 13,000 civilians evacuated Saturday - Ukraine

Around 13,000 people were evacuated from a number of Ukrainian cities on Saturday, said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, almost twice the number who managed to get out the previous day.

Vereshchuk said in an online message that no one had managed to leave the besieged city of Mariupol and blamed obstruction by Russian forces. Moscow had earlier accused Ukrainian forces of intentionally trapping people there.

Türkiye evacuated around 500 from Ukraine - FM

Türkiye has evacuated 489 people from various Ukrainian cities on Saturday amid Russian incursion, foreign minister said.

The evacuees were stationed in Kiev, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Kherson and Konotop, Mevlut Cavusoglu said, adding the total number of evacuees brought home is 14,480.

Foreign minister: Ukraine needs more military supplies

Ukraine is ready to negotiate to end the conflict, but would not surrender or accept any ultimatums, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

Speaking at a virtual event, Kuleba said civilian lives would be saved if Ukraine had fighter jets and more attack planes to destroy large military columns.

"We will continue to fight. We are ready to negotiate but we are not going to accept any ultimatums and surrender," Kuleba said, adding that Russia was putting forward demands that were "unacceptable".

The foreign minister added that Ukraine needed more military supplies and that more steps were needed to hit the Russian economy despite recent sanctions.

Ukraine: 7 civilians dead after Russia fired at convoy

Russian troops have shot at a group of women and children evacuees leaving a village near Kiev, killing seven, one of them a child, Ukraine's military intelligence service has said.

"During an attempt to evacuate from the village of Peremoga...along an agreed 'green' corridor, the occupiers opened fire on a column of civilians, consisting exclusively of women and children," Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said on Facebook.

Peremoga, which means victory in Ukrainian, is a small village around 36 kilometres (22 miles) from Kiev's northeastern suburbs, where Russian tanks are advancing towards the capital.

The military intelligence service said that Russian troops forced the group of evacuees to return to their village after the attack, with the number of injured unknown. It added that the incident happened on Friday.

US authorises $200 million in new weapons, military training

US President Joe Biden has authorised $200 million in weapons and other assistance for Ukraine, the White House has said. The decision brings total US security aid provided to Ukraine over the past year to $1.2 billion.

In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden directed that up to $200 million allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act be designated for Ukraine's defence.

The new US assistance will provide immediate military aid, including anti-armour, anti-aircraft systems, and small arms, a senior administration official said. The funds can also be used for military education and training to help Ukraine.

The fresh funds come days after the US Congress approved $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion measure to fund the US government through September.

Turkish mosque in Mariupol city ‘remains intact’

A Turkish mosque in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has remained intact, the head of the mosque association has said.

Clashes continued in a neighbourhood that is 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) away from the mosque, said Ismail Hacioglu, the head of the association of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Mosque. "Our mosque remain undamaged.”

Hacioglu said the Russian army has surrounded the city and has been shooting at the city centre. A rocket fell on Friday around 700 metres (2,297 feet) away from the mosque, which currently houses 30 Turkish nationals, he said.

In the city, along with those in the mosque, there are 86 Turkish nationals, Hacioglu said, adding that they are coordinating with the Turkish Foreign Ministry for evacuation.

Zelenskyy: Russians could take Kiev only if they kill us all

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian troops could take Kiev "only if they kill us all”. “Even if they bring a million Russians here, they can’t occupy Ukraine,” he said.

In a media briefing, Zelenskyy said Russia had adopted a "fundamentally different approach" in talks to end the conflict.

He said the approach was in contrast to earlier talks at which Moscow only "issued ultimatums", and that he was "happy to have a signal from Russia" after President Vladimir Putin said he saw "some positive shifts" in their dialogue.

Zelenskyy also said he’s open for talks with Putin in Israel, but only if there is a ceasefire in place.

US 'ready to take diplomatic steps' Ukraine will find helpful

The United States is willing to take diplomatic steps that the Ukrainian government would find helpful, a State Department spokesperson has said.

"If there are diplomatic steps that we can take that the Ukrainian Government believes would be helpful, we're prepared to take them," the spokesperson said.

"We are working to put the Ukrainians in the strongest possible negotiating position, including by increasing pressure on Russia by imposing severe costs and by providing security assistance to help Ukrainians defend themselves."

Thousands mass in Kiev's twin city Florence to back Ukraine

Thousands of people have packed into one of Florence's biggest squares to show their support for Ukraine and listen to a videoed speech from its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Florence has been twinned with Kiev since the 1960s, when Ukraine's capital sent aid to the Tuscan city to help it recover from a devastating flood.

The crowds waved blue and yellow flags in Piazza Santa Croce as church bells tolled 17 times — one for each day since Russia attacked Ukraine. A number of Ukrainian women in the crowd wore flower crowns as a symbol of peace.

Kremlin: Crisis talks with Ukraine have continued by video link

Crisis talks, which had been conducted in person in Belarus, have continued between Moscow and Kiev via a video link, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to the RIA news agency.

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had briefed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a call on Saturday about the negotiations held in video format in recent days.

He said Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Russia's delegation at the in-person talks, would continue to lead the negotiations on Russia's behalf.

Governor: Eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha destroyed

The eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha has been completely destroyed following the Russian attacks, but fighting continues there to prevent a Russian encirclement, Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

Ukraine: Russia lost around 12,000 men

Around 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of Russia's attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said at a media briefing. It is the first time that Kiev has given such a toll.

The Ukrainian president claimed that Russia lost around 12,000 men. It's "a ratio of one to ten, but that doesn't make me happy", Zelenskyy said. On March 2, Moscow said it had lost nearly 500 soldiers.  

Zelenskyy said the negotiating teams had started discussing concrete topics rather than exchanging ultimatums. He said the West should be more involved in negotiations, but welcomed mediation efforts by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Zelenskyy also said most Ukrainian businesses have stopped operating. His economic adviser had previously estimated that the conflict had already caused more than $100 billion of damage.

France, Germany urge Putin to end siege of Mariupol

France and Germany have urged Russia's Vladimir Putin to end a deadly days-long siege of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the French presidency has said.

After a three-way phone call with the Russian leader and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron's office also accused Putin of "lies" for alleging that Ukrainian forces had committed human rights abuses.

Putin did not show a willingness to end attacks on Ukraine, a French presidency official said. The French and German leaders reiterated their call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as a condition for full negotiations, the official added.

Czechs ask EU to help with Ukraine refugees

The Czech Republic has asked other European Union members to take in 50,000 refugees from Ukraine as its resources are now stretched, fire brigade spokeswoman Pavla Jakoubkova has said.

"Our absorption capacity is almost full," Jakoubkova said in a statement. "We are asking the EU to enable the Czech Republic to become primarily a transit country while the refugees will be accepted in other member states."

More than 102,000 Ukrainian refugees have been registered in the Czech Republic. The real number was "certainly 200,000," she added.

UN reports 579 civilian deaths in Ukraine

At least 579 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, and more than 1,000 have been injured, the UN human rights office has said but officials believe the actual number of casualties is considerably higher.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said 42 of those killed were children, while 54 were injured. The Geneva-based office had documented 564 civilian deaths and 982 injured a day earlier.

It said most recorded civilian casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a “wide impact area,” such as shelling from heavy artillery and missile strikes.

Fitch downgrades Russia oil, gas firms on default risk

Credit rater Fitch has downgraded 28 Russian natural resources companies, including state gas giant Gazprom, warning they risk defaulting on payments under sanctions imposed on Russia.

Fitch Ratings said in a statement it had lowered the rating on the companies, which also include oil producer Lukoil and miner Rusal, from B to CC. The latter rating implies some form of default on their payments was "probable".

It cited a Russian decree on March 5 that authorised Russian companies to settle debts to certain blacklisted foreign companies in rubles rather than foreign currency.

Another major rating agency, Moodys, also downgraded Gazprom and Lukoil this week. Three major raters have classed Russia as at risk of defaulting on its long-term sovereign debt due to sanctions.

Putin briefed French and German leaders on talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed what he says is a "flagrant violation" of international humanitarian law by Ukraine's security forces, the Kremlin has said.

In a three-way phone call, Putin also told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.

Putin accused the Ukrainian army of "extrajudicial executions of dissenters" and "taking hostages and using civilians as human shields", the Kremlin said.

He claimed the Ukrainian army was deploying heavy weapons near hospitals, schools and kindergartens, and urged Macron and Scholz to pressure Kiev into halting these "criminal activities".

Ukraine bans fertiliser exports

Ukraine, a major global producer of agricultural products, has banned exports of fertilisers amid the Russian attacks, the agriculture ministry has said.

It said the ban would help "to maintain balance in the domestic market" and applied to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and complex fertilisers.

Ukraine has already banned exports of some agricultural commodities and introduced licenses for its key export goods — wheat, corn and sunflower oil.

Governor of Ukraine's Kiev region says evacuations ongoing

Evacuations of civilians from frontline towns in Ukraine's Kiev region have been proceeding — and there are plans to continue on Sunday, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba told local media.

"We will try to get people out every day, as long as it's possible to observe a ceasefire," he said.

US, Ukrainian diplomats discuss trilateral meeting in Türkiye

The US secretary of state has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart and discussed the trilateral meeting involving Türkiye, Russia and Ukraine that took place in Antalya province.

In a push for peace in the region, Türkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had met with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Antalya on Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Antony Blinken reiterated his country’s “commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity...”

UN seeking agreement on humanitarian corridors

The UN's crisis coordinator for Ukraine has said the global body is seeking an agreement with both sides in the conflict to establish corridors for delivering much-needed aid.

Amin Awad told The Associated Press news agency that progress is being made on the corridors and accompanying ceasefires, but expressed frustration over resistance to quickly implement them.

Awad said the most pressing humanitarian needs are in Mariupol. He added that overall as many as 12 million Ukrainians may need aid.

Russia: Security proposals sent to US no longer valid 

Russia has said its troops could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine and claimed that Washington had not taken Moscow's warnings on the matter seriously.

"We warned the United States that the orchestrated pumping of weapons from a number of countries is not just a dangerous move, it is a move that turns these convoys into legitimate targets," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state television.

He also added Moscow and Washington were not holding any "negotiation processes" on Ukraine. 

According to RIA news agency, Ryabkov also said proposals on security guarantees that Russia had sent to the US and NATO before Russian forces entered Ukraine last month were no longer valid.

Ukraine claims another Russian general killed

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, has said Russian Major General Andrei Kolesnikov was killed in action during the fighting over Mariupol. 

He would be the third Russian general to die in the conflict, according to Ukrainian officials.

Kolesnikov’s death wasn’t confirmed by the Russian military, which has kept a tight lid on information about its losses.

Ukraine: 79 children killed in conflict

At least 79 children have been killed and nearly 100  wounded since the start of Russia's attacks, the Ukrainian chief prosecutor’s office has said.

Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement that most of the victims were in the Kiev, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson and Zhytomyr regions. It noted that the numbers aren’t final because active fighting is continuing.

The prosecutor's office also said more than 280 educational institutions have been hit and nine of them have been completely destroyed, depriving large numbers of students of access to education.

Premier League: Abramovich disqualified as Chelsea director 

Roman Abramovich has been disqualified as a Chelsea director by the Premier League board after the British government sanctioned the Russian billionaire.

Chelsea owner Abramovich was one of seven more oligarchs sanctioned this week by the UK following Russia's attacks in Ukraine.

"Following the imposition of sanctions by the UK Government, the Premier League board has disqualified Roman Abramovich as a director of Chelsea Football Club," a Premier League statement said.

Italy seizes Russian oligarch Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

Italian police have seized a superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's attacks on Ukraine.

The 143-metre Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of $578 million (530 million euros), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said. 

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, it added.

Russia engineers inspect seized Ukraine nuclear plant

Russian engineers have arrived to measure radiation at a Ukrainian nuclear plant, the seizure of which during Moscow's advance sparked international alarm, officials have said.

Russia occupied Zaporizhzhia, Europe's biggest atomic power plant, after its forces attacked it on March 4. Its reactors appeared undamaged after the assault despite a fire that broke out there.

Officials from Russia's nuclear firm Rosatom arrived at the site on Friday, the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom said in a message on Telegram. 

The Russians told Ukrainian personnel they were there "to evaluate the radiation level" and "help to repair the plant" which was hit by shells, Energoatom said.

Kiev calls on Macron, Scholz to help abducted mayor

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the leaders of France and Germany to help secure the release of the mayor of Melitopol.

"I have already phoned (German) Chancellor Olaf Scholz. I have spoken to (French) President Emmanuel Macron... I will speak to all the necessary people to get our people released," Zelenskyy said in a video.

According to the Ukrainian president and parliament, mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted on Friday by Russian soldiers occupying Melitopol, a town in southern Ukraine halfway between Mariupol and Kherson, because he "refused to cooperate with the enemy."

Refugee arrivals dip, but challenges galore

Ukraine's neighbours have reported a dip in numbers of refugees as governments and volunteers struggled to find shelter for the nearly 2.6 million, mostly women and children, who have fled since Russia's attacks began two weeks ago.

Arrivals were still building on an influx that is overwhelming volunteers, non-governmental organisations and authorities in eastern Europe's border communities as well as the big cities to which most of the refugees head.

Poland's Border Guard said 76,200 people arrived on Friday — a drop of 12 percent from the day before. Slovak police reported a similar dip in numbers, to 9,581 people, and arrivals to Romania dropped by 22 percent to 16,348, police said.

Russian forces squeeze Kiev, surround Mariupol

Russian forces have stepped up the pressure on Kiev and pummelled civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities, including hospitals in Mykolaiv and a mosque in Mariupol, the port city already devastated by two weeks of siege.

Russian strikes destroyed the airport in the town of Vasylkiv, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Kiev, while an oil depot was also hit and caught fire, the mayor said.

The northwest suburbs of the capital, including Irpin and Bucha, have already endured days of heavy bombardment while Russian armoured vehicles are advancing on the northeastern edge.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak on Friday called it a "city under siege". 

Russian attacks continue during latest evacuation attempts

The governors of two Ukrainian regions, Kiev and Donetsk, said in separate statements that Russian attacks were continuing in areas where Ukraine was trying to evacuate people and bring aid through "humanitarian corridors."

"Humanitarian cargo is moving towards Mariupol, we will inform you how it develops ... The situation is complicated, there is constant shelling," Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told local media. "The situation is extremely difficult."

Israel, Ukraine deny report Bennett recommended yielding to Russian demands

 A top Ukrainian adviser and an Israeli official pushed back against a media report suggesting Israel tried to nudge Ukraine into caving to Russian demands during talks.

Israel has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to try to end the conflict in Ukraine. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy.

A report carried by Israel's Walla news, the Jerusalem Post and US news site Axios had suggested, citing an unidentified Ukrainian official, that Bennett had urged Ukraine to give in to Russia.

Russia is in constant contact with US, ready for arms control talks 

Russia is prepared to resume arms control talks with the United States if Washington is, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to RIA news agency.

Ryabkov said that Moscow and Washington remain in constant contact, but that the Kremlin sees no signs that Washington is ready to continue a dialogue on Ukraine. 

However, Ryabkov said proposals on security guarantees that Russia had sent to the United States and NATO before Russian forces entered Ukraine last month were no longer valid as the situation had now changed completely. 

Mosque housing 80 civilians shelled in Mariupol

A mosque in the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where 80 civilians were taking shelter, has been shelled by Russian forces, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.

"The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders.

More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Türkiye," the ministry wrote on its Twitter account. 

Russian forces hit Ukrainian airfield, intelligence centre - Moscow

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it hit Ukraine's Vasylkiv military airfield and an intelligence centre in Brovary, both near the capital Kiev, with high-precision weapons.

"On the morning of March 12, a strike was carried out with high-precision long-range weapons on the objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine. The military airfield in Vasylkiv and the main centre of radio intelligence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Brovary were disabled," ministry spokesman Igor said at a daily briefing in Moscow.

Also, Russian air defence systems have downed five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), added Konashenkov. 

Air raid sirens heard across most Ukraine

Air raid sirens were heard across most Ukrainian cities early on Saturday morning urging people to seek shelters, local media reported.

Sirens were heard in the capital city of Kiev, the western city of Lviv in Odessa, and Kharkiv, Cherkasy, as well as in the Sumy region in northeast of the country, a number of local Ukrainian media reported.

Russian forces appeared to be regrouping on Friday for a possible assault on Kiev, with satellite images showing them firing artillery as they closed in on the capital. 

Roscosmos: Sanctions could cause space station to crash

Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station to crash, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos warned, calling for the punitive measures to be lifted. 

According to Dmitry Rogozin, the sanctions could disrupt the operation of Russian vessels servicing the ISS. As a result, the Russian segment of the station — which helps correct its orbit — could be affected, causing the 500-tonne structure to "fall down into the sea or onto land".

Russia destroys 3,491 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities - Russian media

Russian troops have destroyed 3,491 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine so far, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Saturday.

Russian forces "continue the offensive in Ukraine on a broad front", Konashenkov said. 

Reuters was not immediately able to verify his statement. 

Ukraine hopes Russia will observe ceasefire to allow civilian evacuation

Several humanitarian corridors out of Ukrainian towns and villages including from the besieged southern port of Mariupol will be open on Saturday so civilians can leave, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, adding she hoped Russia would observe a ceasefire to allow this to take place.

She said Ukraine plans to evacuate residents of several towns and villages in the regions of Kiev and Sumy and some other areas where there is ongoing combat.

"I hope that the day will go well, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will fulfill its obligations to guarantee the ceasefire regime," Vereshchuk said in a video address.

Ukraine at 'turning point', Zelenskyy says as Russians regroup near Kiev

Ukraine was at a turning point in the conflict with Russian forces appearing to regroup for a possible assault on Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy has said.

With the Russian assault in its third week, Zelenskiyy, who has rallied his people with a series of addresses from the capital Kiev, said Ukraine had "already reached a strategic turning point".

"It is impossible to say how many days we still have (ahead of us) to free Ukrainian land. But we can say we will do it," he said. "We are already moving towards our goal, our victory."

US will not "fight World War 3" in Ukraine - Biden

US President Joe Biden emphasised that the US will not send ground troops into Ukraine. 

"We will not fight the third world war in Ukraine," Biden said after reiterating the United States' full support to its NATO allies and promising that the US will defend "every inch" of NATO territory.

He added: "I want to be clear though, we are going to make sure that Ukraine has the weapons to defend themselves of an invading Russian force. And we will send money and food aid to save Ukrainians lives. We're going to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if in fact they come all the way here." 

Russian warplanes, artillery widen attack, hit industry hub

Russia's airplanes and artillery widened their assault on Ukraine, striking airfields in the west and a major industrial hub in the east. 

Russian airstrikes targeted for the first time Dnipro, a major industrial hub in the east and Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, with about 1 million people. One person was killed, Ukrainian officials said.  

Russia's forces appeared to be trying to regroup and regain momentum after encountering heavier losses and stiffer resistance than anticipated over the past two weeks. Britain's Ministry of Defense said Russia is trying to “re-set and re-posture” its troops, gearing up for operations against Kiev.

Kidnap of city mayor 'crime against democracy' - Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president demanded the release of the mayor of Melitopol, calling his kidnapping a "crime against democracy."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Ivan Federov as "a mayor who bravely defends Ukraine and the members of his community" in a Telegram video.

"This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders," he said. "They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities." 

US sanctions Russian board members at Novikombank and ABR Management

The United States has sanctioned several board members at Novikombank and ABR Management, including Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Nikolaevich Knyaginin, over the Ukraine crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

US stresses that Russia sanctions extend to cryptocurrency

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued new guidance clarifying that US citizens and digital asset firms are required to comply with sanctions against Russia, even when facilitating transactions in cryptocurrency. 

OFAC said in the guidance that people in the United States as well as businesses that deal in cryptocurrency, "must be vigilant against attempts to circumvent OFAC regulations" and should "take risk-based steps to ensure they do not engage in prohibited transactions." 

The warning comes as many in the crypto industry are responding to concerns from some lawmakers that digital assets could be used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its attack on Ukraine. 

US welcomes Türkiye's diplomatic efforts in Ukraine conflict

The US welcomes Türkiye's role in finding a diplomatic solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, a State Department spokesman said.

"We welcome it, precisely because our Turkish allies have done so in full coordination and consultation with United States," Ned Price told reporters at a briefing when asked about Ankara's role to resolve the fighting. 

He said US President Joe Biden "had an opportunity to speak to" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a tripartite meeting on Thursday between Ankara, Moscow and Kiev on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye. 

 Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting hospital

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of damaging a cancer hospital and several residential buildings in the southern city of Mykolaiv with shelling from heavy artillery.

The hospital’s head doctor, Maksim Beznosenko, said several hundred patients were in the hospital during the attack but that no one was killed. The assault damaged the building and blew out windows.

Russian forces have stepped up their attacks on Mykolaiv, located 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of Kiev, in an attempt to encircle the city.

Over 7,000 civilians evacuated from Ukraine Friday - Zelenskyy

A total of 7,144 people were evacuated from four Ukrainian cities on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised address, a sharply lower number than managed to leave in each of the two previous days.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of the besieged city of Mariupol and said Ukraine would try again to deliver food and medicines there on Saturday.

US imposes fresh Ukraine-related sanction on Russia

The United States has sanctioned several board members at Novikombank and ABR Management, including Vice Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Nikolaevich Knyaginin, over the Ukraine crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Sattelite images show Russia inching towards Kiev

Satellite images taken showed that Russian military units were continuing to deploy closer to Ukraine's capital Kiev and actively firing artillery toward residential areas, a US private company said.

Maxar Technologies said on Friday multiple homes and buildings were on fire and widespread damage and impact craters were seen throughout the town of Moschun, northwest of Kiev.

Russia targets Ukraine's western cities of Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk

Britain said on Friday Russian air and missile forces had conducted strikes in the past 24 hours against western Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russian tactical aircraft supporting the advance of Russian ground forces were primarily relying on unguided 'dumb' munitions, British Ministry of Defence intelligence said.

US accuses Russia over nuclear safety in Ukraine

The United States has accused Russia of violating nuclear safety principles, saying it was concerned by "continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities" in Ukraine but added that there were no signs detected yet of any radiological release.

"We are monitoring reports of damage to a research facility in Kharkiv. Near-term safety risk is low, but the continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities must cease,” US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

UK freezes several Chelsea accounts - reports

Chelsea have had several accounts and credit cards suspended temporarily following sanctions imposed on club owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government, British media reported.

Russian-born billionaire Abramovich had all his British assets frozen on Thursday barring Chelsea, with the Premier League club allowed to continue with "football-related activities.”

But the European champions cannot operate as a business and have been banned from selling match tickets or merchandise.

Blinken speaks Kuleba after trilateral talks in Türkiye

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed his trilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the State Department said.

"They shared their concerns that Russia is escalating its disinformation campaigns to deceive the world, including at the United Nations," the State Department said in a statement.

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