Live blog: World Bank preparing $3B aid package for Ukraine

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

World Bank preparing $3 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine

The World Bank has announced that it is preparing a $3 billion aid package for war-torn Ukraine which will include at least $350 million in immediate funds.

The first tranche of the aid "will be submitted to the Board for approval this week, followed by $200 million in fast-disbursing support for health and education," the World Bank said in a joint statement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF will consider the country's latest request for emergency financing "as early as next week."

The heads of the IMF and the World Bank warned that the war threatened to create "significant spillovers" to other countries.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass warned that commodity prices were rising, which risked further fueling inflation, and disruptions in financial markets would continue to worsen should the conflict persist.

The leaders said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the war, but did not explicitly mention Russia, which is a shareholder in both institutions.

Russia sees 'no desire' from Ukraine to find legitimate solution 

Russia sees "no desire on the part of Ukraine" to try to find a legitimate and balanced solution to the problems between the two countries, Gennady Gatilov, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Lebanese television in an interview aired on Tuesday.

Gatilov said Russia "supports diplomacy based on respect for the positions of all countries and equality, but for now, we don't see that", the Russian news agency RIA quoted him as saying in the interview.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a first round of talks on Monday following Russia's invasion of its neighbour on February 24, but made no substantial progress, merely agreeing to meet again. 

No date was set for a second round.

Gatilov also said the time had come to remove nuclear weapons from Western and Eastern Europe, according to RIA.

Türkiye has no intention of joining sanctions against Russia

Türkiye has no intention of joining in international sanctions against Russia over its war with Ukraine, the Turkish foreign minister has said.

"As a principle, we didn't participate in such sanctions in a general sense. We have no intention of joining in these sanctions, either," Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Turkish TV news channel Haberturk.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia. 

Touching on the Montreux Convention, a 1936 accord on the governing of the Turkish Straits, Cavusoglu said Ankara had sent official notifications about its position on the matter to the countries involved in the war.

He added that Russia had accepted when Türkiye asked Russia to withdraw its request for warships not registered in its Black Sea fleet to pass through Turkish straits.

Earlier, the Turkish president reiterated his call for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as the war continues on its sixth day.

"Our call on both Russia and Ukraine is for them to cease their fire as soon as possible," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a joint press conference alongside his Kosovar counterpart Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu at the presidential complex in Ankara.

Erdogan called on both Moscow and Kiev to "make a good contribution to world peace."

Zelenskyy speaks with Biden 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken with US President Joe Biden about US leadership on sanctions against Russia and defence assistance to Ukraine.

"Just had a conversation with the US President. The American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defence assistance to Ukraine was discussed," Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

"We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible," Zelenskyy added.

The White House said the leaders spoke for "just over 30 minutes" during the phone call that came on day six of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Five killed in Kiev TV tower strike: Ukraine 

Russian forces have fired at the Kiev TV tower and Ukraine's main Holocaust memorial, among other civilian sites, Ukrainian officials have said.

Ukraine’s State Service for Emergency Situations said the strikes on the TV tower killed five people and left five more wounded. The structure was intact.

As a blast sounded around the city and smoke was seen rising in the Babi Yar district, the interior ministry said equipment had been damaged and "channels won't work for a while". 

It said back-up systems would be put into operation to restore programming.

Babi Yar, a ravine in Kiev, is where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed within 48 hours in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation.

Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, posted a photo of clouds of smoke around the TV tower, which is a couple miles from central Kiev and close to numerous apartment buildings.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an electrical substation powering the tower and a control room on the tower were damaged.

US calls for departure of Russian at UN accused of spying

The United States has called for the United Nations to expel an employee allegedly working as a "Russian intelligence operative," the US mission has told AFP.

The United States "initiated the process to require the departure of one Russian intelligence operative working at the United Nations who has abused their privileges of residence in the United States", a US spokesperson said.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed the request but declined to comment further.

"In deference to the privacy of the individual concerned and the sensitivity of the matter, I will not comment further," Dujarric said, calling the employee a "staff member in the secretariat."

The United States had on Monday asked for the removal of 12 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN by March 7, accusing them of spying.

Russia said it will retaliate against the US move. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the US action "will not remain without a proper reaction and an answer - not necessarily symmetrical".

US says Russian advance on Kiev stalled

The Russian military advance on Kiev has momentarily stalled, hampered by Ukrainian resistance as well as fuel and food shortages, a senior US defence official has said.

The Pentagon believes that the advance of the 150,000-strong combat force Russia has committed to invading Ukraine — around 80 percent of which has so far entered the country — has moved much more slowly than planned.

"In many cases, what we're seeing are columns that are literally out of gas," the defence official said. "Now they're starting to run out of food for their troops."

The official also said, but offered no evidence, that there were signs of morale problems in the Russian force, which makes use of a large number of conscript soldiers.

"Not all of them were apparently fully trained and prepared, or even aware that they were going to be sent into a combat operation," the official said.

ICJ to hold Ukraine war hearings on March 7, 8

The International Court of Justice has said it will hold hearings on March 7 and 8 over the war in Ukraine.

"The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will hold public hearings in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 March 2022,", the court said in a statement.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan already announced he was launching an investigation on the "situation in Ukraine" following Russia's invasion.

UK sanctions Russia's largest lender Sberbank

Britain has said it is adding top lender Sberbank to its list of Russian entities sanctioned over the invasion of Ukraine, and warned that the costs would only increase for the Kremlin.

The Treasury updated its sanctions list to add Public Joint-Stock Company Sberbank, whose European arm is already tottering after it was sanctioned by the EU.

It later added the Russian Direct Investment Fund and its head Kirill Dmitriev to the list, a day after they were both sanctioned by the United States.

Separately, Britain also said it had imposed sanctions against Belarusian individuals and organisations over the country's role in facilitating the Russian invasion .

Four defence officials, including the Belarus Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Victor Gulevich, and two military enterprises have been included, the British foreign office said.

NATO to hold emergency meeting

NATO foreign ministers will hold emergency talks in Brussels on Friday over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the alliance has said in a statement.

NATO allies have rushed to bolster their eastern flank after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the attack, but remain adamant that they will not get involved militarily in the war in non-NATO member Ukraine.

NATO has for the first time activated its rapid response force to add to thousands of troops already sent by allies to eastern members.

Russia moves to block two independent media outlets

Russia has moved to block an independent TV channel and a liberal radio station over the "deliberately false information" about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian news agencies have reported.

The prosecutor general ordered Russia's media watchdog to "restrict access" to the Dozhd TV channel and Ekho Moskvy radio.

Soon after, Ekho Moskvy head and one of Russia's most prominent journalists, Alexei Venediktov, said on social media that the radio station had been taken off air.

The websites of the radio station and the TV Rain online news channel are also partly down in Moscow after Russian prosecutors' request to restrict access to them. 

Spain to take in Ukrainian refugees

Spain's leftist government has said it will allow in Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion and send another 150 troops to Latvia as part of a NATO buildup in the region.

Government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said Ukrainian refugees would be "full citizens" from the moment they arrived in Spain, notably "in terms of access to employment".

The European Union is mulling giving Ukrainians special status under an as yet unused 2001 Temporary Protection Directive that would allow them to live and work in the bloc for up to three years.

There are provisions for handling a massive inflow of people and measures to distribute them across the EU's member states.

For the tool to be used, though, a qualified majority of EU states — 15 of the 27, representing at least 65 percent of the bloc's population — need to back it.

World's biggest shipping groups suspend Russian deliveries

The three biggest container shipping groups in the world have announced that they are suspending non-essential deliveries to Russia, adding to the country's economic isolation following a raft of sanctions by the West.

Danish shipping giant Maersk, Switzerland-based MSC and France's CMA CGM all announced that they would no longer take bookings for goods from Russia and were suspending most deliveries in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Citing the impact of sanctions, "bookings to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended, with exception of foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies", Maersk said in a statement.

EU Parliament calls for tougher sanctions

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution demanding EU candidacy for Ukraine and calling for tougher sanctions in response to the Russia-Ukraine war.

With 637 votes in favour, 13 against and 26 abstentions, EU lawmakers condemned "in the strongest possible terms Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine", said a statement by the European Parliament.

Lawmakers called on EU institutions to grant candidate status to Ukraine and urged to the bloc to speed up Kiev's integration into the single market.

The document also asked for tougher sanctions against Moscow, including barring Russian oil and gas imports into the bloc and a two-way ban on investment.

Ukraine: Over 5700 Russian troops killed

The Ukrainian General Staff has announced that Russian forces attacking Ukraine have lost more than 5,700 soldiers.

Altogether 5,710 Russian army soldiers were killed and 200 taken as prisoners, according to a statement.

During the past five days, the Ukrainian army has destroyed 29 Russian-owned aircraft, 29 helicopters, 198 tanks, 846 armoured vehicles, 77 cannons and two ships.

Russian forces have also lost 24 rocket launcher systems, 305 vehicles, 60 fuel vehicles, seven air defence systems and three unmanned aerial vehicles, said the statement.

It added that the figures did not include data pertaining to the ongoing conflicts.

Meanwhile, the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy exchanged a captured Russian officer for five fighters from Ukraine's defence forces, governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on social media, adding that it was the first such swap in the area.

Ukraine asks Germany to help close skies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to help close the skies over Ukraine to halt the shelling of civilians by Russia. 

He also told Scholz to move swiftly on Ukraine's EU membership bid.

"Had a phone conversation with Chancellor Scholz. Spoke about Russia's shelling of residential neighborhoods in Ukrainian cities during peace talks. Emphasized the need to close the sky over Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

His Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine was in talks with allies on how to support its air defences.

"Everything they can help us with now - it's better to help now than find themselves eye to eye with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin later," Kuleba told an online news conference.

"No need to fear that NATO will find itself at war with Russia because of Ukraine. If Russia wins - you are next."

EU in talks with US over airspace ban for Russian carriers

European Union officials are speaking with their United States counterparts about extending the current airspace bans imposed on Russia.

Airlines are bracing for potentially lengthy blockages of key east-west flight corridors after the European Union and Moscow issued tit-for-tat airspace bans. Washington has not ruled out similar action.

"Yes, there are discussions with the US on what measures they will adopt," a senior EU official told reporters, adding that it was too early to assess the impact of the bloc's airspace ban.

Global supply chains, already hit hard by the pandemic, face increasing disruption and cost pressure by the closure of the skies which will affect over a fifth of air freight.

Blinken: Putin win in Ukraine would worsen humanitarian crisis

If Russian President Vladimir Putin achieves his goal of ousting the government in Kiev, the humanitarian and rights crises in Ukraine "will only get worse", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

He also warned the UN Human Rights Council that Russia's "premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine" was creating a dire human rights and humanitarian crisis there.

In a pre-recorded video, he questioned whether Russia should be allowed to hold onto its seat on the Geneva-based council after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

"One can reasonably ask whether a UN member state that tries to take over another UN member state, while committing horrific human rights abuses and causing massive humanitarian suffering, should be allowed to remain on this council," he said.

Putin, Abu Dhabi leader vow 'energy market stability'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed have vowed to maintain energy market stability, the UAE's state news agency has said.

They agreed in a phone call on the "need to maintain the stability of the global energy market," said the WAM news agency.

Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed by Putin on "the developments of the crisis with Ukraine", WAM reported.

The crown prince stressed the need for a "peaceful solution ... in a way that guarantees the interests and national security of all parties".

Türkiye urges Russia to enact ceasefire

The Turkish defence minister has told his Russian counterpart that there is an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

In a statement, the Turkish Defence Ministry said that Hulusi Akar spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu over the phone.

Akar stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire to improve the humanitarian situation there, including evacuations.

Türkiye will continue to work for peace and humanitarian aid in the region and is ready to do its part for this purpose, the statement added.

Draft IAEA resolution condemns Russian invasion

A draft resolution being prepared for Wednesday's emergency meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog's board condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters news agency.

Canada and Poland called the emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors, the agency's main decision-making body that convenes more than once a year, at Ukraine's request.

Canada and Poland are leading the process of drafting the resolution text, which has yet to be formally submitted.

The board "condemns in the strongest terms the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine", the draft seen by Reuters said in unusually strong and broad language, beyond the strictly nuclear sphere of the IAEA.

G7 sees 'massive impact' of Russia sanctions, weighs more

Western sanctions against Russia are having a significant impact, Germany's finance minister has said, as the G7 mulled further punitive measures in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Sanctions have "already had a massive impact on capital markets and the currency", said Christian Lindner, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the G7 club of wealthy nations.

G7 finance ministers at a meeting has "exchanged suggestions for further measures that could be taken", Lindner told a press conference.

Adidas suspends partnership with Russian football union

German sportswear company Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union (RFS) with immediate effect, a company spokesperson has said.

The spokesperson did not give additional details.

The decision is in line with a series of those made by sports bodies to cut ties to Russian-affiliated bodies or companies.

Russia to target Kiev security services

Russian troops will carry out an attack on the infrastructure of Ukraine's security services in Kiev and urged residents living nearby to leave.

"We call on...Kiev residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes," Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said.

"In order to suppress information attacks on Russia, the technological infrastructure of the SBU (Ukraine's Security Service) and the 72nd main PSO (Psychological Operations Unit) centre in Kiev will be hit with high-precision weapons." 

Konashenkov also said Russian troops and pro-Moscow rebels have linked up in a key region along the Azov Sea coast in eastern Ukraine.

Second round of 'talks on March 2'

The second round of Russia-Ukraine talks is planned for March 2, Russia's TASS news agency has reported, quoting a source on the Russian side.

After the first round of negotiations, which took place on Monday and produced no tangible results, the sides had said they would meet again in the coming days.

China 'deeply regrets' Ukraine-Russia conflict

China's foreign minister has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart and called for a resolution to the crisis through negotiation, Chinese state media has said.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing "deeply regrets that conflict has broken out between Ukraine and Russia, and is paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", state broadcaster CCTV reported.

It added that Wang called for the two countries to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations".

Kuleba asked his Chinese counterpart to use Beijing's ties with Moscow to stop Russia's military invasion, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Moscow to limit foreign investment being pulled from country

Russia is preparing a presidential decree aimed at preventing foreign investment exiting the country, its prime minister has said, after Moscow was hit by a barrage of sanctions.

"In the current sanctions situation, foreign investors will be guided not by economic factors, but by political pressure," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

"To enable businesses to make informed decisions, a draft presidential decree has been prepared to introduce temporary restrictions on exiting Russian assets."

He added: "We still consider foreign business as potential partners."

Ukraine invasion an attack on freedom: Prince Charles

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an attack on freedom and democracy, Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son and heir has said, in rare outspoken comments from a senior royal.

Prince Charles, 73, spoke out as he visited Southend-on-Sea, where local MP David Amess was stabbed to death in last October as he met constituents at a weekly public meeting.

He described Amess' death, for which one man is awaiting trial for murder and terrorism offences, as "an attack on democracy... on open society, on freedom itself".

"We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way," he said in a speech to mark Southend officially gaining city status.

"In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression."

EU chief: Europe's fate 'in the balance' 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "a moment of truth for Europe" and the future of the continent is at stake, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

"The destiny of Ukraine is at stake, but our own fate also lies in the balance," the European Commission president told the European Parliament.

As part of the EU's response, she said, Brussels would provide 500 million euros ($560 million) in extra funding to help deal with the "humanitarian consequences" of the war, including the flow of refugees into the bloc.

"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin was seeking to divide the EU, to weaken NATO, and to break the international community, he has achieved the exact opposite," she added.

UK: Evicting Russia from UN Security Council among 'options'

The UK government is open to removing Russia as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

"I think it's something we want to discuss with the UN obviously," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

"What is right to say is that we want to see Russia isolated diplomatically, and we will consider all options to achieve that," he said, adding that Johnson had yet to stake out a position himself on the question.

Britain is also one of the five permanent members alongside Russia, the United States, China and France.

Germany's Scholz: Russia must end Ukraine 'bloodshed'

Russia must immediately withdraw its troops and end the "bloodshed" in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said, warning of further sanctions to punish Moscow's aggression.

Russia should "immediately stop all hostilities, withdraw Russian troops to Russia and return to dialogue," Scholz told reporters in Berlin. "The bloodshed must end."

"We will certainly add more to the packages (of sanctions) that we have decided so far," he said, adding that "Ukraine is literally fighting for survival".

Fertiliser-maker Yara: Global food supply at risk

Russia's invasion threatens global food supplies, Norwegian fertiliser-maker Yara International has said, adding that the international community needs to reduce its dependence on Russian raw materials for agriculture.

Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of some of the world's most basic foodstuffs, together accounting for about 29 percent of global wheat exports, 19 percent of world corn supplies and 80 percent of world sunflower oil exports.

But Russia also exports crop nutrients as well as natural gas, which is critical for producing nitrogen-based fertilisers. Yara said that in total, 25 percent of the European supply of the key crop nutrients nitrogen, potash and phosphate come from Russia.

"With the geopolitical conditions out of balance, the biggest sources of raw material to Europe's food production are being subject to limitations, and there are no short-term alternatives," Yara said in a statement.

Ukraine recalls Georgia, Kyrgyzstan envoys

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kiev is recalling ambassadors from fellow ex-Soviet republics Kyrgyzstan and Georgia over their government's stance on Russia's invasion.

"We are recalling for consultations our ambassador from Kyrgyzstan over a justification of the aggression against Ukraine," he said in a video on Facebook.

"We are recalling our ambassador from Georgia, over the obstacles created to the volunteers who want to help us and over the immoral position on sanctions."

Harley suspends business, bike shipments to Russia

Harley-Davidson Inc says it has suspended its business and shipments of its bikes to Russia.

Many Western firms, including General Motors Co and Germany's Daimler Truck Holding AG, have idled operations in Russia.

Harley did not immediately respond to a request for additional details on the suspension.

Jaguar Land Rover 'pauses' Russia car deliveries

Indian-owned carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has said it is pausing deliveries of its vehicles to Russia, as an increasing number of companies react to the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

"The current global context... presents us with trading challenges so we are pausing the delivery of vehicles into the Russian market," a statement from Britain-based JLR, owned by India's Tata Motors, said.

Johnson: UK could take in over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned about the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, saying refugee numbers could run into the millions as he offered to take 200,000 of them into Britain.

"We will make it easier for Ukrainians already living in the UK to bring their relatives to our country. Though the numbers are hard to calculate, there could be more than 200,000," Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Dutch rail tickets will be given to Ukrainians in The Netherlands for free from Tuesday, the national rail agency has said.

"Our message to all the citizens of Ukraine who have to leave their homes and their country is simply: with immediate effect your passport or ID card is your train ticket (in) The Netherlands," said Marjan Rintel, Dutch Railways (NS) chief executive.

Zelenskyy: Russian shelling of Kharkiv a 'war crime'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Russian shelling of his country's second city as a war crime and said defending Kiev from Moscow's army was a top priority.

"The strike against Kharkiv is a war crime. This is state terrorism on the part of Russia," Zelenskyy said in a video statement.

"Kharkiv and Kiev are now Russia's most important objectives. The terror aims to break us and break our resistance," he said.

"They advance on the capital in the same way as on Kharkiv. This is why the defence of the capital today is the key priority for the state," he added in the video.

Emergency services said Russian shelling on Kharkiv killed at least 10 people and left many more injured on Tuesday. Ten people had been discovered alive under rubble.

UN scales up aid, appeals for $1.7 billion

UN agencies have launched an emergency appeal to respond to the soaring humanitarian needs in Ukraine, calling for $1.7 billion to help people who have fled the country and those still inside.

"The crisis has turned very ugly very fast," Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told journalists at a press conference in Geneva. He called for compassion to match the scale of the crisis.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that 150,000 more people had fled the country in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of refugees to around 677,000.

Kremlin: 'Too soon to assess' Ukraine talks

The Kremlin has said it is too early to draw conclusions from a first round of talks held with Ukraine on ending the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the talks and that "it is too soon to assess" their outcome.

Russian and Ukrainian officials met on Monday on the border between Belarus and Ukraine for the first talks since the outbreak of war.

Peskov also said Russian forces "do not carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure or residential complexes", despite widespread evidence otherwise.

UN: One million people displaced inside Ukraine

An estimated one million people have been displaced inside Ukraine by the Russian invasion, the UN refugee agency has said, in addition to hundreds of thousands who have fled elsewhere.

"There has been a lot of attention on those who flee to neighbouring countries," Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR representative to Ukraine, told reporters in Stockholm.

"...but it's important to remember that the largest number of people affected are located within Ukraine," Lindholm said.

"We still don't have reliable figures regarding the number of people displaced inside Ukraine, but we estimate that it has to be about one million people who have fled internally or who are currently on a train, a bus or in a car trying to get to safety." 

Separately, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said: "We have now over 660,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past six days alone."

Iran's Khamenei: Ukraine is 'victim' of US policy

Iran's supreme leader has said US policies are to blame for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to the war.

"The root cause of the Ukraine crisis is the US and the West's policies," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech.

"The United States regime is a crisis-creating and crisis-living one. It feeds on crisis."

"In my opinion, today Ukraine is also the victim of such policy. Today, the Ukraine situation is related to this US policy. The US has dragged Ukraine to this point," he added.

Indian student killed in Ukraine shelling

An Indian student has been killed in shelling in Ukraine, New Delhi has said, as it urged both Moscow and Kiev to secure safe passage for around 12,000 of its stranded nationals.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.

He added that the foreign secretary was "calling in the Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones".

Lavrov faces fresh diplomatic boycott at UN rights council

Numerous diplomats have walked out when Russia's foreign minister addressed the UN Human Rights Council, after a similar boycott of his speech at the nearby Conference on Disarmament.

The diplomats filed out of the room when Sergei Lavrov's pre-recorded video message began to play.

"Thank you very much for this wonderful show of support...," Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, who led the walkout, told a crowd gathered outside the chamber.

"Any invasion constitutes a violation of human rights... massive violations and civilian losses," French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said.

NATO chief: Putin has 'shattered peace' in Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin has "shattered peace in Europe", NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said. 

He added that the Western defence alliance would defend "every inch of our territory".

He spoke during a visit to the Lask airbase in NATO member Poland, whose neighbour Ukraine has been fighting back against a Russian offensive that is now on its sixth day.

"President Putin has shattered peace in Europe. Allies condemn the unjustified and brutal invasion of Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda.

"Russia must immediately stop the war, pull out all its forces from Ukraine, and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace."

Putin-friendly French actor objects to 'fratricidal' war

French actor Gerard Depardieu, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has come out against the war in Ukraine and called for negotiations.

"Russia and Ukraine have always been brother countries," the 73-year-old film star told AFP in a phone call. "I am against this fratricidal war. I say 'stop the weapons and negotiate'." 

In 2013, he sparked a huge outcry by leaving France and taking Russian nationality in protest at a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland.

Nokia halts deliveries to Russia

Nokia will stop deliveries to Russia to comply with sanctions imposed on the country following the invasion on Ukraine, the Finnish network equipment-maker has said.

"This is a complex situation which is evolving rapidly and we continue to assess it", the company, which supplies MTS , Vimpelcom, Megafon and Tele2 in Russia, told Reuters.

Central square of Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, shelled

Kharkiv has been shelled by advancing Russian forces who hit the central square and headquarters of the local administration, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said.

"Russian occupiers continue to use heavy weaponry against the civilian population," he said, adding that the number of victims was not yet known.

An Indian student was among those killed in shelling in Kharkiv, India's foreign ministry said.

Ukraine's Mariupol port under constant shelling

The mayor of Ukraine's Mariupol has said that the southern port city was under constant shelling which had killed civilians and damaged infrastructure, as Russia started day six of its invasion.

"We have had residential quarters shelled for five days. They are pounding us with artillery, they are shelling us with GRADS, they are hitting us with air forces," told Vadym Boichenko.

"We have civilian infrastructure damaged - schools, houses. There are many injured. There are women, children killed," he added.

Russia to continue Ukraine operation until "goals achieved"

Russia will continue its military operation in Ukraine until it achieves its goals, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said, as reported by the Interfax news agency.

Shoigu said Moscow's main goal was protecting itself from threats created by the West and said Russia was not occupying Ukraine's territory.

Ukraine: Russia shelling cities to cause mass panic

An adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of deliberately shelling cities, including residential areas and civilian infrastructure, to spread panic among Ukrainians.

"The veil has come down. Russia is actively shelling city centres, launching direct missile and artillery strikes on residential areas and administration sites," said Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak.

"Russia's goal is clear - mass panic, civilian casualties and damaged infrastructure. Ukraine is fighting honourably."

Russian forces laying siege to Kiev and Kharkiv

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said Russian forces were trying to lay siege to Kiev and Kharkiv, while describing the current situation as under control.

Russian troops fired artillery at Kiev, Kharkiv and the southern port city of Mariupol overnight while the Ukrainian side shot down Russian military planes around the capital, Arestovych said in a televised briefing.

Russian-backed Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin said in a television interview that his forces aimed to encircle the Ukrainian port of Mariupol.

East Ukraine city Mariupol loses power after Russian assaults

The key south eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea has been left without electricity following attacks from advancing Russian forces, the head of the region Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

"Mariupol and Volnovakha are ours!" Kyrylenko wrote on Facebook. "The two cities are under pressure from the enemy but they are holding on. In Mariupol, electricity lines have been cut and the city is without power."

Both cities lie between territory held by Russian-backed separatists and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014, and Russian forces have been working to join the two regions.

Massive boycott of Lavrov speech at Conference on Disarmament

Ukraine's ambassador and diplomats from a wide number of countries staged a walkout as Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in protest against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Lavrov, quoted by Russian news agencies RIA and TASS, said Moscow found it unacceptable that some European countries hosted US nuclear weapons and was taking measures to prevent Ukraine from acquiring similar weapons.

Earlier in the conference, Ukraine’s foreign minister accused Russia of committing war crimes by shelling cities, killing and wounding civilians.

First group of Crimean Tatars from Ukraine arrive in Türkiye

A group of 45 Crimean Tatars including women and children have entered Türkiye through the Kapikule border crossing on the border with Bulgaria.

Crimean Tatar Turks are being evacuated from Ukraine by land as part of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's efforts.

An evacuee, told reporters that she witnessed the Russian shelling on their way to Lviv with her husband and three children. They were later brought to safe zones with Türkiye's support, she added.

More than 660,000 refugees flee Ukraine: UN

More than 660,000 refugees have fled the conflict in Ukraine to seek shelter in neighbouring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said.

"We have now over 660,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past six days alone," spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva.

"The numbers are exponentially increasing... At this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century."

Belarus leader says Minsk won’t join Russian operation in Ukraine

Belarus has no plans to join Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was quoted as saying by Belarusian state news agency Belta. 

Lukashenko denied Kiev's allegations that Russian troops were attacking Ukraine from Belarus' territory, Belta reported. 

YouTube blocks Russian channels RT, Sputnik in Europe

YouTube has blocked Russian channels RT and Sputnik in Europe "taking into account the ongoing war in Ukraine," the video-sharing platform said.

Fellow online giant Facebook took a similar decision on Monday by blocking content published by RT and Sputnik in the European Union.

Russian army on outskirts of southern Ukrainian city Kherson

The Russian army has reached the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, near annexed Crimea, and is setting up checkpoints on its outskirts, the city's mayor said.

"The Russian army is setting up checkpoints at the entrances of Kherson," mayor Igor Kolykhayev said on Facebook.

"Kherson has been and will stay Ukrainian," he added.

US won't be part of any move to create 'no-fly zone' in Ukraine

Washington has rejected the implementation of a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine, saying the move could result in direct conflict with Russia.

Speaking at a press conference, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki recalled that Biden has been clear that he is not intending to send US troops to fight a war with Russia.

"Because a no-fly zone would require implementation. It would require deploying the US military to enforce, which would be a direct conflict, potentially direct conflict and potentially war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of," she said.

Turkish, Belarusian presidents discuss Ukraine-Russia war

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko have spoken on the phone about the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

The leaders discussed Monday’s negotiations between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Belarus, the Turkish presidency said on Twitter.

Erdogan told Lukashenko that Türkiye “will continue to make efforts to stop this war and establish peace.”

OSCE monitors to leave Ukraine's Donetsk

All members of the special monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are set to leave the separatist-controlled Ukrainian city of Donetsk today, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

The mission used to monitor and report violations of a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's east.

Around 350,000 refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine

"Over the last 24 hours 100,000 people crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border," Maciej Wasik, a Polish deputy interior minister, told public broadcaster Polskie Radio 1.

"In total, since Thursday, there have already been 350,000 refugees" who have entered Poland from Ukraine.

Türkiye evacuates citizens from Ukraine 

Türkiye has begun evacuating its citizens from Ukraine amid Russia’s war against the country.

As part of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's evacuation plan, a total of 220 Turkish nationals entered Türkiye through the Kapikule Border Gate at the Turkish-Bulgarian border in five buses.

Russia's Chechen leader reports first casualties in Ukraine

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechen republic and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said two Chechen servicemen had been killed in Ukraine and six were wounded.

Russian advance on Kiev has made 'little progress'

"The Russian advance on Kiev has made little progress over the past 24 hours probably as a result of continuing logistical difficulties," the British defence ministry said in a military intelligence update.

It added that the army increased its use of artillery north of the capital in Kharkiv and Chernihiv, noting that "use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties."

"Russia has failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses," it said.

Dozens of Ukraine soldiers killed in military base attack

More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kiev, the head of the region wrote on Telegram.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble. 

In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting. 

The report could not immediately be confirmed.

Americans, Canadians respond to Ukraine's call for foreign fighters

A Texas software developer and a cook in British Columbia are among dozens of Americans and Canadians answering Ukraine's call for foreign volunteers to fight Russia's troops.

With their governments refusing to send troops to Ukraine out of fear of sparking World War Three, Americans and Canadians told Reuters news agency they were inspired by Ukrainians' fierce resistance. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the formation of an "international legion" and signed a decree making it possible for volunteers to enter Ukraine without a visa.

Some young volunteers travelled straight to Ukraine to enlist.

Others were applying at Ukrainian embassies and consulates before quitting jobs or dropping out of university.

The mobilisation was taking place as Russian artillery bombarded Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv. 

"I feel guilty to not go," said Dax, 26, a veteran of the elite US Army 82nd Airborne infantry division, who planned to deploy with other former US military personnel. 

Like many volunteers, the Alabama native declined to give his full name amid discussion on social media of the need to keep their identities and movements secret for security reasons.

Canadian Bryson Woolsey quit his job as a cook on Sunday after seeing Zelenskyy's appeal. He has no military training and plans to buy a plane ticket to Poland, cross into Ukraine and volunteer for combat.

"I felt like I had to do something," said Woolsey, 33, of Powell River, British Columbia, who became restless as he watched images of wounded women and children in Ukraine.

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Sunday told reporters it was up to individual Canadians to decide whether they wanted to join Ukraine's international brigade. A US State Department spokesperson, in an email to Reuters, said US citizens are urged not to travel to Ukraine.

READ MORE: The Russo-Ukrainian War shows that Türkiye remains an important NATO ally

Russian military convoy headed for Ukraine capital keeps stretching

Satellite images have shown a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev that stretches for about 64 km, substantially longer than 27 km reported earlier, a US private company has said.

Maxar Technologies also said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were seen in southern Belarus, less than 32 km north of the Ukraine border.

The Maxar photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus.

Maxar said that "along parts of the route, some vehicles are spaced fairly far apart while in other sections military equipment and units are traveling two or three vehicles abreast on the road."

"A number of homes and buildings are seen burning north and northwest of Ivankiv, near the roads where the convoy is traveling," it added.

Since the start of the Russian offensive on Thursday, Ukrainian forces have defended the roads leading into central Kiev against assaults by Russian forces that are massing around the capital.

According to two sources interviewed by the AFP news agency, one diplomatic and the other a security official, Moscow is preparing to launch a new military push imminently.

The Ukrainian Army General Staff official page on Facebook said that Russian forces were massing over the past 24 hours and accumulating armored vehicles and artillery weapons "primarily to encircle and take control of Kiev and other major cities of Ukraine."

READ MORE: Ukraine refugees: where are they fleeing to?

UAE reiterates importance of reaching ceasefire in Ukraine 

The United Arab Emirates mission to the United Nations has reiterated the importance of working to reach an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and seeking peaceful solutions that serve regional and international security and stability, the Mission said in a Twitter post.

"We deplore the ongoing violence in Ukraine and reiterate the need for restraint, a cease-fire, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict", the mission added in its statement. 

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