35 Killed, 134 Injured By Russian Missile Strikes Near Polish Border

American Journalist Killed In Ukraine

American journalist Brent Renaud was killed Sunday in Irpin, a small city outside of Kyiv, according to a social media post reportedly from the Kyiv regional police chief and later acknowledged by the New York Times, where Renaud’ had contributed through the years.

Cliff Levy, a Times deputy managing editor, said in a Sunday morning tweet the Times is “deeply saddened” to hear about Renaud’s death, calling him a “ talented photographer and filmmaker.”

Renaud was a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, producing humanitarian documentaries across several continents alongside his brother, Craig Renaud. The Times said he last worked for the publication in 2015, though used a Times press badge in his Ukraine coverage.

Jane Ferguson, a contributor to PBS and the New Yorker, said a Ukrainian police officer told her at the site where Renaud was killed: “Tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist,” indicating Russian forces killed Renaud.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on CBS’ Face The Nation the news was “shocking and horrifying,” and the U.S. “will be responding accordingly.”

—Derek Saul

Key developments: Ukraine Alleges Another Mayor Abduction, Pope Calls Russian Tactics ‘Barbaric’

Russian forces kidnapped the mayor of Dniprorudne, a small city in southern Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, said in a Sunday tweet. Ukrainian authorities alleged Russian forces kidnapped Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, earlier this week.

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, said the EU “strongly condemns” alleged abduction in Dniprorudne in a Sunday tweet, writing, “It is yet another attack on democratic institutions in #Ukraine and an attempt to establish illegitimate alternative government structures in a sovereign country.”

Here are additional updates from Sunday morning:

• Almost 125,000 Ukrainians have evacuated via humanitarian corridors, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, and a convoy of humanitarian supplies is about 50 miles from Mariupol, a besieged city of about 400,000 that’s received widespread international attention for unsafe conditions for civilians.
• Pope Francis called Russia’s targeting of civilians “barbaric” during a Sunday morning address in Vatican City, adding, “All that is needed is to stop the unacceptable armed aggression before it reduces cities to cemeteries.”
• Polish President Andrzej Duda said it would be a “game changer” for NATO if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine during a Sunday interview with the BBC, coming shortly after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia may soon resort to chemical weapons.

—Derek Saul

Death Toll From Russian Missile Strike Near Lviv Rises To 35

The death toll from Russia’s air strikes on a military training center on the outskirts of Lviv—near the Polish border—rose to 35, the Lviv regional administration announced on Sunday.

An additional 134 people were injured in the strike and are now hospitalized, the authorities added, noting that the early morning strikes were carried out warplanes flying over the Azov and Black Sea.

In a statement on Facebook, the regional governor of Lviv Maksym Kozytskyy said “Once again I stress and appeal to all governments of NATO countries: NATO, close the sky over Ukraine! Close the sky over Ukraine or provide us military planes! Now that the shelling is approaching the borders of NATO countries, is that crucial moment!”

— Siladitya Ray

U.K. Gov’t Urges Companies To Inflict ‘Maximum Economic Pain’ On Putin’s Regime

The U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, issued a warning to companies on Sunday “to think very carefully” about any investments that would aid Vladimir Putin’s regime, as London looked step up economic sanctions against Moscow.

Sunak said he was clear that there is no case for new investment in Russia and welcomed commitments made by companies to divest away from Russian assets.

“I welcome the consensus on the need to inflict maximum economic pain on Putin and his regime.” Sunak added.

— Siladitya Ray

Nine Dead, 57 Injured After Russian Missile Strike Near Lviv

Nine people were killed by a barrage of Russian missiles which struck the Yavoriv military training ground near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Sunday, regional authorities said.

An additional 57 people were injured in the strike and are now hospitalized, the authorities added, noting that not all casualties were military personnel.

The strike took place a few dozen kilometers near the Polish border with more than 30 missiles being fired, according to the authorities. They added that the region’s air defense systems managed to intercept some of the projectiles but were overwhelmed by the sheer number Russian missiles.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted:

— Siladitya Ray

Russian Forces Trying To ‘Envelop’ Ukrainian Soldiers In The East, U.K. Defense Ministry Says

Russian forces are attempting to “envelop” Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern part of the country as they advance both from Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Sunday.

The report notes that Russia’s southern advance from Crimea is now looking to drive west towards Odessa, circumventing Mykolaiv where they have faced stiff resistance.

The update claims that Russia is “paying a high price” for each of its advance.

— Siladitya Ray

Russian Forces Fire Missiles At Lviv In Western Ukraine

Russian forces fired as many as eight missiles at a military base in western Ukraine on Sunday, regional governor of Lviv said on Facebook.

The missiles reportedly struck the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC), a large military base that trains soldiers—primarily for peacekeeping missions.

The strikes come after several news outlets reported air raid sirens and explosion on the outskirts of the city of Lviv earlier. The city which is close to the Polish border has emerged a refuge for people fleeing fighting in the eastern half of the country and an important transit point for supplies entering the country.

The western city had largely been left untouched by the invading Russian forces so far. However, Sunday’s attack indicates that Russia may be expanding its offensive.

— Siladitya Ray

Russia Installs New Mayor In Melitopol After Abduction Of Previous One

The Russian military has installed a new mayor in the occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday after the alleged abduction of the city’s mayor Ivan Fedorov earlier in the week.

The newly installed mayor, Galina Danilchenko, issued a video statement stating that her main task is to lead the city to adjust to “a new reality.” However, she has immediately been denounced as a “traitor” by regional officials.

Danilchenko, reportedly a former member of the city council, claimed in her televised announcement that there were people still in Melitopol who would try to destabilise “the situation and provoke a reaction of bad behaviour.”

— Siladitya Ray

Ukraine Says Russia Seeking To Take Permanent Control Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Ukraine believes Russia is taking steps to seize “full and permanent” control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where around 400 Russian soldiers are present, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement Saturday, adding that Russian authorities denied the accusation.

Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-run nuclear energy company, told the IAEA that Russia plans to hand over the management of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which its troops seized last week, to Russia’s state-run company Rosatom, the statement said.

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev denied to the IAEA that it had any plans to take over management of the power plant but admitted Russian experts were at the plant to provide “consultative assistance,” the statement said.

Energoatom said Saturday morning that one of the 11 Rosatom officials who arrived at the plant Friday claimed the plant belonged to Russia, CNN reported.

Russian military forces captured the plant March 4, which has six reactors, and Energoatom has said its employees have since been working at “gunpoint,” CNN reported.

Two of the four high voltage offsite power lines have been damaged but a functioning power line can provide the power the plant needs, the IAEA said.

– Lisa Kim

Around 13,000 Ukrainians Evacuated From Cities Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Says

Around 13,000 people evacuated embattled Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, according to Reuters.

Russian troops prevented anyone from leaving the besieged city of Mariupol, she said, refuting accusations by Moscow that Ukrainian forces were keeping people in the city. Mariupol is in a dire humanitarian situation, with Doctors Without Borders warning that residents have not had drinking water for weeks, food is running out and patients are dying from a lack of medicine, CNN reported. Russian attacks had killed more than 1,500 civilians in Mariupol as of Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet.

— Lisa Kim

Moscow Stock Exchange To Stay Closed For Third Week

The Russian Central Bank said the Moscow Stock Exchange will remain closed next week through March 18, marking the third week in a row that trading will be halted on the country’s main stock market. The central bank said foreign exchange transactions will be allowed to resume Monday morning.

The Moscow Exchange hasn’t opened since February 25, one day after the Russian invasion into Ukraine began, and days before several Western countries imposed harsh economic sanctions on Russia’s economy. Shares of Russian companies listed on overseas exchanges have plummeted since the invasion began.

— Anna Kaplan

Ukrainian Civilian Casualties Rise Over 1,500, U.N. Says

Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has caused 1,581 casualties since the war began, the United Nations said Saturday, though the organization believes the actual figures are “considerably higher.” The U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said 579 civilians had been killed, including 42 children, and 1,002 had been injured.

The U.N. office said most of the casualties had been caused by “explosive weapons with a wide impact area,” including shelling and missile strikes. The organization cited delayed information from areas with intense fighting and reports pending corroboration as reasons why its figures may be an underestimate. It noted reports from the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, which alleged 79 children had been killed, and allegations of hundreds of casualties in the cities of Izium, Mariupol and Volnovakha. The figures released Saturday do not include casualty statistics from those areas.

— Anna Kaplan

White House Authorizes Another $200 Million In Military Aid For Ukraine

President Joe Biden authorized a $200 million aid package for Ukraine on Saturday that will provide defense articles and services, and military education and training. In a memo released by the White House, Biden delegated Secretary of State Antony Blinken to direct the funds to Ukraine as part of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which allows a president to authorize a drawdown, or the “disposition of United States property or services,” to a foreign nation during an emergency.

White House officials told reporters the new aid includes more man-portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia could attack shipments of military aid for Ukraine, describing them as “legitimate targets.”

This is the fourth drawdown package from the U.S. to Ukraine in the past year, and a senior U.S. defense official told reporters last week Biden’s last drawdown of $350 million constituted “the largest presidential drawdown package in history.” Another senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Wednesday the U.S. is very close to delivering the $350 million aid package, and expected for it to be completely closed out “in the coming days.”

Congress also passed a $1.5 trillion spending bill earlier this week, which appropriated $13.6 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine to help displaced refugees, provide military assistance and for any macroeconomic needs, according to the House Committee on Appropriations.

— Anna Kaplan

Ukraine Reveals Winning Design For ‘Russian Warship, Go F—k Yourself’ Stamp

The Ukrainian postal service announced the winning design of its “Russian Warship, Go F–k Yourself” stamp contest Saturday to commemorate the soldiers who reportedly cursed at invading Russian troops on Snake Island when they were asked to surrender. Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar shared the design in a tweet, and said the postal service will soon publish the stamp.

Ukrposhta, the country’s postal service, offered up 20 designs for a public vote. The winner was made by Boris Groh, a Ukrainian who was forced to move from his home in Crimea after Russia’s annexation of it in 2014, according to Ukrposhta.

The stamp commemorates one of the most inspiring acts of defiance in the war so far by outgunned Ukrainians. In the early days of the invasion, a Russian warship hailed a small force of 13 Ukrainian border guards on Snake Island, which is about 186 miles west of Crimea, and told them to surrender. They reportedly responded, “Russian warship, go f–k yourself.”

All 13 were initially thought to have been killed, leading Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce he would posthumously award them with the Hero of Ukraine award. However, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine later wrote in a Facebook post it has a “strong belief” they may still be alive.

— Anna Kaplan

Ukraine Is Inflicting ‘Biggest Blow’ To Russian Army In Decades, Zelensky Claims

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Saturday in a speech that Ukrainian forces had battered 31 Russian battalion tactical groups out of action in what he called the “biggest blow” to the Russian Army in decades. Zelensky said Russia had lost more than 360 tanks, 1,205 armored vehicles, about 60 planes and more than 80 helicopters. Forbes could not independently verify these claims.

Zelensky added during a separate news conference that between 500 and 600 Russian soldiers had surrendered to Ukrainian forces Friday, and that about 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the invasion began, according to multiple news outlets. Zelensky said during his speech Russia is recruiting reservists, conscripts and mercenaries to replenish its forces. He also called on Russia to “ensure silence” on more than 15 humanitarian corridors Ukraine has tried to establish for civilians to receive water, food and medicine.

Zelensky lauded a group of about 2,000 protesters who demonstrated against the Russian occupation of the city of Melitopol, and to demand the release of the city’s mayor, Ivan Fedorov. Multiple media outlets reported Russia took Fedorov into custody on Friday, and CNN reports he could face terrorism charges from the government of the self-styled Luhansk People’s Republic, a Russian-backed separatist state in east Ukraine. The New York Times reports the size of the protests were in the hundreds, and that Russian forces moved quickly to shut them down.

— Anna Kaplan

Premier League Disqualifies Roman Abramovich As Director Of Chelsea FC

Roman Abramovich has been disqualified to serve as a director of British soccer team Chelsea FC due to government sanctions imposed on the billionaire earlier this week, the Premier League said in a statement on Saturday. The Premier League’s board said the decision does not impact the club’s “ability to train and play its fixtures.”

His disqualification comes days after the U.K. government sanctioned Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs over their ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich has previously denied reports he has links to the Kremlin. The U.K. established a special license to allow Chelsea to continue to play games and engage in other soccer-related activities amid the sanctions.

A disqualified director cannot own a club, and must put it up for sale, according to Premier League rules, however, Abramovich already announced last week he intended to sell the club. The billionaire, who’s net worth is about $7.8 billion, bought the club for about $190 million in 2003. Chelsea is now valued at more than $3 billion, according to Forbes estimates.

— Anna Kaplan

Italian Police Reportedly Seize Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Melnichenko’s Yacht

Italy’s financial police have seized a 469-foot superyacht that belongs to Russian industrial magnate Andrey Melnichenko, CNN reported late Friday. The sailing yacht is known as “SY A,” and it’s worth about $578 million, according to CNN, which cited a police statement.

The yacht was reportedly seized in Trieste, a port city on the Adriatic Sea.

Forbes estimates Melnichenko’s net worth at $11.6 billion, partly due to his majority stakes in coal company SUEK and fertilizer company Eurochem. The European Union sanctioned him earlier this week, in the latest round of asset freezes against well-connected Russian elites following the invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for Melnichenko called the sanctions unjustified in a statement to Forbes, arguing he “has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine” and “has no political affiliations.”

In addition to “SY A,” Melnichenko owns another 390-foot yacht called “A.” He also owns several properties in Western countries, including a mansion in Monaco, a villa in the French town of Cap d’Antibes, homes in Italy and Switzerland and a penthouse condo in Manhattan, Forbes reported.

— Joe Walsh

Zelensky Compares Russian Forces To ‘ISIS Terrorists’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at Russia in a late-night speech after the mayor of Melitopol was reportedly taken into custody, calling the move a “crime against democracy” and arguing Russia’s behavior “will be equated with the actions of ISIS terrorists.”

The mayor of Melitopol—a southern Ukrainian city occupied by Russian forces—was detained by armed men, and an official for the pro-Russian separatist government in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region suggested he could face terrorism charges, CNN reported earlier Friday. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the move as an “abduction” and a “war crime under the Geneva Convention.”

— Joe Walsh

Zelensky Says Over 7,000 People Fled 4 Cities Friday—Down From A Day Earlier

Some 7,144 Ukrainian civilians escaped from four cities—Enerhodar, Hostomel, Bucha and Kozarovychi—on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late-night speech. It’s a steep decrease from the nearly 40,000 evacuees from seven cities reported by Zelensky a day earlier, as Ukrainian officials seek to create evacuation routes in cities besieged by Russian forces.

Zelensky said “these are 7,144 reasons to try to organize evacuation for Ukrainians from the besieged cities tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” according to a translation from his office.

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have sought to set up temporary, localized ceasefires that would allow residents of some cities to flee via “humanitarian corridors.” However, Ukraine has accused Russia of repeatedly violating ceasefire agreements, and the Ukrainian government has rebuffed Russia’s proposal to set up evacuation corridors that lead to Russia or Belarus.

Zelensky also accused Russia of blocking aid to the southeastern port city of Mariupol, which has run low on basic supplies amid a siege and frequent shelling by Russian forces. He said the government will attempt to deliver food, water and medicine again Saturday.

— Joe Walsh

In Photos: Artillery Fire And Burning Homes Visible Outside Kyiv

Russian and Ukrainian forces are engaged in heavy fighting near an airport northwest of Kyiv, and satellite images taken Friday morning by Maxar Technologies show artillery firing and destruction less than 20 miles from the center of Ukraine’s capital.

Some Russian military units could be as close as nine miles from central Kyiv, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Thursday. The fighting spotted in Maxar’s images is somewhat further away: The artillery battalion was photographed in the town of Ozera, which is just north of Antonov airport and about 18 miles northwest of Kyiv. The company spotted a set of homes on fire almost five miles southeast of the artillery units, though the units’ targets are unclear.

— Joe Walsh

Deutsche Bank ‘Winding Down’ Business In Russia

Deutsche Bank is currently “winding down” its presence in Russia and will not do any new business in the country, it announced Friday, making it the latest bank to distance itself from Russia.

In a statement, Deutsche Bank cited “legal and regulatory obligations” for its exit from Russia. The German financial institution said Wednesday it has scaled back its presence in Russia since 2014, and its gross loan exposure to the country stood at around $1.5 billion, with net exposure reduced to $650 million after accounting for guarantees and collateral.

Deutsche Bank initially declined to leave the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine, with CFO James von Moltke telling CNBC on Thursday the bank has a duty to continue serving its clients in Russia and leaving the country wouldn’t be “practical.” The decision drew criticism from Bill Browder, a former investor in Russia and staunch regime critic who told Reuters earlier Friday the move was “completely at odds with the international business community.”

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs announced earlier this week they will wind down their presence in Russia, joining a growing list of Western companies that have sought to exit the Russian market, likely due to a combination of public pressure and sanctions. Read more here.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Sanctions Billionaire Viktor Vekselberg And Russian Lawmakers

The Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions Friday targeting Russian elites, including billionaire Viktor Vekselberg.

The U.S. sanctioned three members of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s immediate family, along with the management board of VTB Bank, Russia’s second-largest financial institution. Twelve members of the Russian State Duma who signed a letter urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize two pro-Kremlin breakaway states in eastern Ukraine as independent were also sanctioned.

All of those sanctioned Friday will be blocked from accessing any property they may own in the U.S., among related penalties.

As part of the actions against Vekselberg, whose fortune Forbes estimates at $6 billion, Treasury blocked an Airbus A319 jet registered in Aruba and his Cook Islands-flagged yacht, which the government believes are worth a total of $180 million.

“Treasury continues to hold Russian officials to account for enabling Putin’s unjustified and unprovoked war,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. “Today’s actions also further isolates the severely damaged Russian economy by prohibiting trade in products that are key to the economic and financial interests of all Russian elites.”

— Nicholas Reimann

Melitopol Mayor Taken Into Custody–Could Reportedly Face Terrorism Charges From Russia-Backed Separatists

The mayor of Russian-occupied Melitopol in southern Ukraine was taken into custody Friday, according to multiple reports, in what’s believed to be the first case of a Ukrainian official being detained since the Russian invasion began.

Fedorov could now face terrorism charges from the government of the Luhansk People’s Republic, a Russian-backed breakaway state in eastern Ukraine, according to CNN.

A statement posted on the Luhansk prosecutor’s website accused Fedorov of financing terrorist operations and being a member of a far-right Ukrainian nationalist group, the news outlet reported.

It’s not apparent that Fedorov has any connection to nationalist groups, but Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely claimed the Ukrainian government was being run by neo-Nazis to justify an invasion.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in a Facebook post Friday said Fedorov was the victim of an “abduction,” which it called a “war crime under the Geneva Conventions.”

— Nicholas Reimann

Facebook Will Only Allow Calls For Violence Against Russians In Ukraine—Not Nearby Countries

A spokesman for Facebook parent company Meta said Friday the platform’s temporary move to allow posts calling for violence against Russians will only apply “in Ukraine itself.”

A Reuters report Thursday about the change drew widespread attention, and claimed Facebook would allow users based in multiple countries to call for violence.

Facebook’s community standards ban posts that call for violence, but Meta spokesman Nick Clegg said in a statement the platform would allow Ukrainians to express “their resistance and fury at the invading military forces,” but not against Russian civilians.

Clegg did not address Reuters’ reporting that calls for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko would be allowed.

“We have no quarrel with the Russian people,” Clegg said. “We will not tolerate Russophobia or any kind of discrimination, harassment or violence towards Russians on our platform.”

— Nicholas Reimann

YouTube Blocks Access To Russian-Backed Channels Worldwide

YouTube announced Friday afternoon it would immediately start the process of blocking access to Russian-funded channels globally, expanding on a ban that covered Europe.

The video platform tweeted it was making the move in line with community guidelines that prohibit “content denying, minimizing or trivializing well-documented violent events.”

Russia has repeatedly spread disinformation about Ukraine leading up to its invasion of the country two weeks ago and has continued doing so throughout the conflict, notably making the false claim a maternity hospital it bombed on Wednesday was a military target and questioning whether images of wounded women were legitimate.

The move from YouTube comes after it banned all ads in Russia, saying it aims to suspend “all of the ways to monetize on our platform in Russia.”

Read more about companies cutting ties with Russia: JPMorgan, Disney, Goldman Sachs—Here Are The Companies Cutting Ties With Russia Over Ukraine Invasion

— Nicholas Reimann

Russia Struggles With Improper Planning Two Weeks Into Invasion, U.S. Says; No Signs Belarus Joining Fight

With Russian forces continuing to struggle to meet their objectives in Ukraine two weeks after their invasion began, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday that Russia did not properly plan supplies and resources for the scale of the operation.

Here are additional updates on the situation from the senior defense official:

• Russian forces have not moved closer to Kyiv since Thursday, though rear elements have been moved closer to the front of the advance, and portions of a 40-mile-long military convoy are moving off-road and into the tree line, which the U.S. believes is to better protect the vehicles from Ukrainian forces.
• After reports of air strikes in western Ukraine for the first time since the invasion began, the official said “long range” Russian missiles struck two airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.
• Chernihiv, a city north of Kyiv, is now isolated by Russian troops, which are “right outside,” according to the official.
• Russia has fired nearly 810 missiles since the invasion began, with about half coming from inside Ukraine, and the other half coming from Russia and Belarus.
• Both Ukraine and Russia have about 90% of their combat power available, though the official noted Russia has an advantage in “sheer numbers.”
• The official said 80% of Ukraine’s fixed-wing aircraft are intact, but they are making limited numbers of sorties, with Ukraine effectively defending against Russian air attacks with surface-to-air missiles.
• The U.S. has seen no substantive indications that Belarusian troops have joined the Russian offensive.
• The U.S. is aware of recruiting efforts from Syria, but has not seen evidence or indications of any arrivals from outside countries.

— Anna Kaplan

U.S. Bans Russian Diamonds, Alcohol And Seafood — And Will Move To Revoke Russia’s Trade Status

President Joe Biden called for the U.S., along with its G7 and European allies, to revoke Russia’s “most-favored nation” trade status Friday morning, as they look to raise the economic pression on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Stripping Russia of this status, which requires action from Congress, would allow the U.S. and other countries to impose higher tariffs on some Russian imports.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters the House will move to revoke Russia’s trade status next week, adding she hopes it will receive “a strong, bipartisan vote.” Canada was the first major U.S. ally to strip Russia of most-favored nation status last week.

The U.S. is also banning imports of Russian alcohol, seafood and diamonds, Biden said. The U.S. imported about $4.6 billion in seafood from Russia last year, according to federal trade data, leading some national food marketers to oppose a potential ban earlier this month. And while Russia is known for its vodka, U.S. imports of Russian vodka have declined by 79% since 2011, and it only accounts for 1.3% of vodka imports, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

— Anna Kaplan

Russia Opens Criminal Inquiry Into Meta, Moves To Block All Services

Russia launched a criminal investigation into Facebook’s parent company Meta on Friday, and applied in court to label the company as an “extremist organization” after the company confirmed reports it had eased its political speech policy.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed to multiple media outlets the company would allow users to post messages such as “death to the Russian invaders,” though it would not allow posts calling for violence against Russian civilians. Reuters reports internal Meta emails showed the company was also temporarily allowing posts that called for violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Russian State Prosecutor’s Office said Meta’s actions are “aimed at inciting hatred and enmity towards the citizens of the Russian Federation,” and Russia’s State Duma IT Committee first deputy head said all Meta services “will soon be blocked” in the country, Russian news agency Interfax reports.

— Anna Kaplan

UN Has ‘Credible Reports’ Of Russian Forces Using Cluster Bombs In Ukraine

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday it has received “credible reports” of Russian forces deploying cluster munitions in populated areas in Ukraine.

Cluster munitions are a class of weapon that break apart in the air and scatter a large number of smaller weapons across a wide area. While not prohibited—neither Russia nor Ukraine are party to the treaty banning them—their use in civilian areas can constitute a war crime. Human rights groups, watchdogs and journalists have repeatedly alleged their indiscriminate use by Russian forces since the start of the war.

“Due to their wide area effects, the use of cluster munitions in populated areas is incompatible with the international humanitarian law principles governing the conduct of hostilities,” UN spokesperson Liz Throssell said. Targeting civilians, area bombardment and “other forms of indiscriminate attacks” are banned under international law and “may amount to war crimes,” Throssell said.

Throssell told Forbes the organization is “in the process of corroborating” the reports.

— Robert Hart

Putin Calls On Foreign Volunteers To Fight In Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Russia would recruit foreign “volunteers” to fight in Ukraine, according to multiple news reports of him speaking at a Russian security council meeting. Putin said those wishing to fight “of their own accord, not for money,” should be allowed to do so and greenlit their deployment alongside Russian-backed forces in Ukraine’s breakaway Donbas region.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East willing to fight alongside the Russian-backed rebels and proposed sending captured Western military equipment to forces in the region. Putin supported the decision. Russia has already been reported to be hiring Syrian fighters familiar with urban conflict to help Moscow take and hold Ukrainian cities and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia already has a “large number of paid mercenaries” on the ground, according to the Financial Times.

Ukraine has been encouraging volunteers from around the world to come and help defend the country as part of an International Legion. Some 20,000 have reportedly expressed interest, according to Ukrainian officials.

— Robert Hart

Property Tycoon Nick Candy ‘Still Pursuing’ Chelsea Bid After Abramovich Sanctions

Sanctions against billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich have not deterred one bidder for the famous London club.

In a statement to Forbes, a spokesperson for property tycoon and Chelsea fan Nick Candy confirmed that he is “still pursuing his bid for Chelsea in light of yesterday’s news.”

“We are examining the details of yesterday’s announcement and we are still interested in making a bid. Clearly this is a time of great uncertainty for all Chelsea fans. In our view, no one is the owner of a football club – you are the custodian of it for the fans and the community,” the statement read.

Nick Candy, who likely does not himself have the financial muscle to fund Chelsea’s spending at its current level, confirmed this week that he is working with a consortium and was “actively exploring” a potential bid for Chelsea Football Club. A life-long fan who watched games at the club’s home of Stamford Bridge from the age of four, Candy’s bid pivots on slotting a new world-class stadium into London’s most exclusive postcode. “The club deserves a world class stadium and infrastructure,” the statement said, adding Candy’s “unique expertise and background in real estate would be a hugely valuable asset to delivering this vision.”

Following the announcement of U.K. sanctions against Abramovich on Thursday, a source at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport confirmed that the sale of Chelsea was now prohibited. However, the source added that U.K. lawmakers are very much “open to the sale of the club” and would consider it if Chelsea were to apply for a license to allow that sale to happen. Following the sanctions, Abramovich would receive none of the proceeds of a deal. Last week, he turned over stewardship (not ownership) of the club to the trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation.

Read more: Hurry Up And Wait: U.K. Sanctions Leave Roman Abramovich And A Growing List Of Chelsea Suitors In Limbo

— David Dawkins

2.5 Million Refugees Flee Ukraine — UN

Almost 2.5 million people have now fled Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion, the latest figures from the UN’s refugee agency show.

The majority of refugees have fled into neighboring Poland and the UN estimates some 4 million people could leave the country as the war continues.

On Thursday, President Zelensky said 100,000 residents had left Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors, but that routes were blocked out of the southeastern city of Mariupol, where Russian’s bombed a maternity hospital this week, killing three.

—Isabel Togoh

Biden, EU And G7 Will Reportedly Call For Russia To Have Trading Privileges Removed

President Biden, the EU and G7 nations will reportedly call for Russia to be removed from a key system Friday that prevents trading partners from discriminating against one another, Reuters, Bloomberg and the Associated Press report.

Under the “most favored nation” principle set up by the World Trade Organization, countries are prevented from giving special privileges to one country over others, ensuring equal treatment between members.

A removal of that status would further punish Russia economically by allowing countries to slap higher tariffs on Russian goods. It follows Western nations and allies continuing to sanction Russian oligarchs and financial institutions, the U.S. banning the import of Russian gas and oil, and multinational firms either pausing business in Russia or completely pulling out over its invasion of Ukraine.

—Isabel Togoh

U.K.: Russia Could Launch ‘Renewed Offensive Activity’ Against Kyiv

The Russian military’s progress in Ukraine has been “limited,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in a Friday morning intelligence update, but Russia is probably “seeking to reset and re-posture its forces for renewed offensive activity in the coming days”—including a likely push toward Kyiv.

Western officials believe Russia is aiming to encircle Kyiv. A group of Russian forces moved three miles closer to the city in a 24-hour period ending Thursday afternoon, and some units are now about nine miles northwest of the city center, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters. Troops are also approaching Kyiv from the east, and remain about 25 miles away.

However, Russia’s progress toward Kyiv—a city of about 3 million people—has been slow and halting so far, partly due to pervasive logistical snags and stiff Ukrainian resistance, according to U.S. and U.K. assessments.

“It remains highly unlikely that Russia has successfully achieved the objectives outlined in its pre-invasion plan,” the Ministry of Defense said.

— Joe Walsh

Biden Will Reportedly Push To End Normal Trade Relations With Russia

President Joe Biden will announce a plan Friday to revoke permanent normal trade relations with Russia, making it easier to impose additional tariffs on Russian goods, several news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.

The measure will require action from Congress, but both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have backed the idea in recent days.

The European Union and the G7—a group of wealthy countries that includes the U.S.—are reportedly expected to unveil similar moves.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two weeks ago, the United States and its allies have unveiled several rounds of penalties aimed at choking Russia’s economy. The Biden Administration has sanctioned Russia’s central bank and the country’s two largest banks, banned Russian oil and gas imports and imposed sanctions on several Russian oligarchs and politicians.

Forbes has reached out to the White House for comment.

— Joe Walsh

Senate Passes $13.6 Billion In Aid For Ukraine

The U.S. Senate passed a $1.5 trillion spending package that includes $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine late Thursday. The bill passed the House on Wednesday and is now headed to the desk of President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it.

The bill will fund normal government operations until late September, staving off a government shutdown set to begin Friday. The Ukraine-related portion includes military and economic aid for Ukraine as it fights back against Russian troops, as well as assistance to neighboring countries that have accepted millions of refugees and additional funding for the Pentagon, which has deployed extra troops to nearby NATO member states.

The bill passed the Senate 68-31, with 18 Republicans joining every Democrat to vote in favor, and it passed the House by similar bipartisan margins.

Read more here.

Biden Administration Warns Of ‘Economic Pain’ If Russia Seizes Assets From Companies That Leave

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki castigated Russian officials on Thursday for suggesting they may try to seize the assets of multinational corporations that have abandoned the Russian market in recent weeks, warning the move could further isolate the country’s economy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday this government will seek “legal solutions” to the corporate exodus, including imposing “external management” and then “transfer[ring] these enterprises to those who want to work,” according to CNN and the Financial Times. Under one proposal reportedly floated by the economic ministry, departing firms whose foreign ownership exceeds 25% could be temporarily placed under local management.

In a series of tweets Thursday evening, Psaki said any move to seize assets “will ultimately result in even more economic pain for Russia” by signaling to other foreign enterprises that the country “is not a safe place to invest and do business.” Russia could also face stiff legal blowback, Psaki warned.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, dozens of Western companies like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and BP have announced plans to suspend business in Russia or exit joint ventures in the country. The moves come amid public outcry and hefty sanctions that make it difficult to do business in Russia. Psaki said any voluntary moves to leave the Russian market are “ultimately up to companies,” but the Biden Administration “welcome[s] the decisions.”

— Joe Walsh

Large Russian Convoy Disperses Outside Kyiv

A large convoy of Russian military vehicles last seen northwest of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv has “largely dispersed” into surrounding areas, according to satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies Thursday morning.

The convoy was last spotted near Antonov airport, which is about 17 miles northwest of central Kyiv. Its vehicles have been redeployed: Some military vehicles have moved through towns near the airport—an area that has seen heavy fighting in recent days—and some units entered forests a few miles north, according to Maxar.

Maxar spotted a 40-mile-long Russian convoy that ended at Antonov airport last week. The convoy, which included armored vehicles and artillery, was stalled for days due to heavy Ukrainian resistance and logistical issues, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters last week. Maxar did not specify whether the stalled 40-mile convoy is the same column that appeared to be dispersed in Thursday’s images.

Russia’s advance toward Kyiv has been slower than expected, amid intense fighting from Ukrainian forces. Some Russian troops are now just over nine miles northwest from Kyiv, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.

Images taken by Maxar on Thursday also showed property damage near Kyiv and in the northern city of Chernihiv, which is now surrounded by Russian forces, according to local and U.S. officials.

Senators Urge Biden To Reconsider Nixing Transfer Of Polish Jets To Ukraine

The vast majority of the Republican Senate caucus urged the Biden administration Thursday to reverse its opposition to supplying Ukraine with Soviet-era warplanes from Poland—a proposition the Pentagon said would’ve been too “high risk” without providing much aid to Ukrainian forces.

In a letter addressed to the president, 42 Republican senators called on the administration to “work with Poland and our NATO allies to expedite the transfer of urgently-needed airpower, air defense systems, and other combat and support capabilities,” pointing to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians and commending the Biden Administration for the aid it has sent to Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday the U.S. would not take up Poland on its public offer to fly dozens of its MiG-29 fighters to a German air base used by U.S. forces, from which it proposed the U.S. could transport them to Ukraine, stating that supplying the planes to Ukraine was a decision for the Polish government. Kirby also said the Pentagon did not think it made sense to give the planes to Ukraine at all, stating it“is not likely to significantly change the effectiveness of the Ukrainian air force relative to Russian capabilities,” and it “may be mistaken as escalatory” by Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested warplanes in a Zoom meeting with members of the U.S. Congress last weekend, in addition to the imposition of a no-fly zone—an ask the Biden Administration has said is a non-starter as it would put the U.S. in direct conflict with Russia.

The Pentagon is considering facilitating the transfer to Ukraine of mid- and high-altitude Russian-made anti-aircraft systems that would give the Ukrainians a powerful complement to the portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that the U.S. has provided.

—Mason Bissada

Ukraine Claims Civilian Deaths Outnumber Troop Deaths—And About 280 Schools Were Damaged

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Thursday Russian forces have killed more Ukrainian civilians than military personnel since they first invaded two weeks ago. The claim has not been independently verified, and Reznikov didn’t list the number of military or civilian deaths in his Thursday evening Facebook post.

“The Kremlin is bombing schools and hospitals, including maternity hospitals. Moscow does not protect anyone. It destroys,” Reznikov said of the death tolls. Ukrainian officials said at least 17 people were wounded Wednesday after airstrikes and shelling destroyed a maternity hospital and other civilian buildings in the besieged port city of Mariupol.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science also said in a Thursday Facebook post more than 280 educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed by bombing and shelling. The ministry linked a website showing nine schools had been destroyed and 277 had been damaged, citing news outlets and videos of damaged buildings.

Since the war began, both Russian and Ukrainian officials have made claims about civilian and military fatality counts that haven’t been independently verified by third parties.

The United Nations has verified 549 civilian deaths during Russia’s invasion, including 41 children, though it said Thursday the actual death toll could be “considerably higher.” The UN pointed to “heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes” as reasons for many of the deaths. Nearly 1,000 more civilians have been injured, the UN said.

—Mason Bissada

Russian Forces Move 3 Miles Closer To Kyiv, U.S. Says

Some Russian units have moved about three miles closer to Kyiv in the last 24 hours, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday, as Russian troops approach the capital city from multiple angles and appear to be aiming to encircle it—but their advance is facing heavy resistance.

Some of the Russian forces that moved forward—an advance the senior defense official cast as relatively modest—could be less than 10 miles northwest of central Kyiv, and are largely “in the vicinity of” an airport in the town of Hostomel. Irpin and other towns near the airport have faced heavy fighting in recent days, and the U.K. Ministry of Defense accused Russia of intentionally targeting evacuation routes in the area earlier this week, leading to multiple civilian deaths in Irpin.

Russia is also approaching Kyiv from the east, along two parallel lines that are as close as 25 miles from the capital, according to the U.S. defense official. And Russian forces have “isolated” Chernihiv, a city of almost 300,000 people that lies about 80 miles northeast of Kyiv, though that contingent hasn’t moved past Chernihiv.

Russia has aimed to encircle Ukrainian cities like Chernihiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, but surrounding Kyiv—a sprawling city of around 3 million—could be a more difficult task, especially as Ukrainian forces continue to put up stiff resistance. The senior U.S. defense official said it’s tough to predict how long it will take Russia to encircle Kyiv, but an unnamed American official told NBC News on Thursday it could take one or two weeks, and seizing control of Kyiv would likely take four weeks or more.

“Kyiv is being well-defended, and the Ukrainians are putting a lot of energy … into protecting their capital city,” the senior defense official told reporters Thursday.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Ambassador Says Russia Committing ‘War Crimes’ In Ukraine

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told BBC Newshour Thursday that Russia is committing “war crimes” in Ukraine, becoming the highest ranking American official to accuse Russia of doing so.

“I still see images of women being rolled out of a hospital, pregnant, bleeding, people screaming, children crying. It is just unconscionable,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

The White House has criticized Russian attacks as “atrocities” but has been careful about alleging war crimes, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying Thursday the Biden Administration was waiting for a “legal assessment” before making any war crimes claim.

Read more about these accusations here.

—Mason Bissada

European Leaders Rule Out Ukraine’s Hopes Of ‘Fast-Tracking’ Its EU Membership

Western European leaders said at a European Union summit Thursday they won’t grant Ukraine’s request to let the country swiftly join the EU by creating a “fast-track” procedure, instead requiring it to go through the normal years-long membership process. “Can we open today a procedure of accession with a country at war? I don’t think so,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, according to the Associated Press, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stressed “there is no fast-track procedure to become a member of the EU.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Ukraine’s application to join the EU on February 28 after Russia’s invasion and called for Ukraine’s “immediate accession under a new special procedure.” Speeding up the process had been viewed as a long shot, but had gained steam with a number of leaders in Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. EU leadership has been supportive of Ukraine eventually joining the bloc, but without a quicker procedure the process will likely stretch on for years; Croatia, the last country admitted, joined the EU in 2013 after a 10-year process.

— Alison Durkee

At Least 549 Civilians Dead From Russian Invasion — UN Says Actual Figures ‘Considerably Higher’

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has killed 549 civilians, including 41 children, according to the United Nations, though the organization noted it believes the actual figures are “considerably higher.” The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said an additional 957 people, 52 of whom are children, have been injured since the invasion began two weeks ago.

The UN blamed many casualties on “heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” in a statement. The UN acknowledged there are allegations of hundreds of civilian casualties in the towns of Volnovakha, Mariupol and Izium, and said its figures released Thursday do not include casualty statistics from those areas.

— Anna Kaplan

Twitter Takes Down Russian Embassy’s Tweets About Pregnant Ukraine Hospital Victim

Twitter took down posts from the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom’s official account on Thursday, in a rare disciplinary action by the social media platform against a government account. The embassy’s tweets included unsupported accusations that a widely circulated photograph of a pregnant woman wounded in an attack on a maternity hospital was faked. A Twitter spokesperson told Forbes the removal was due to a violations of its policies “related to the denial of violent events.”

Read more on Twitter’s removal here.

—Derek Saul

Goldman Sachs Becomes First Major Wall Street Bank To Announce Russia Exit

Goldman Sachs is “winding down its business in Russia in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements,” a spokeswoman for the investment bank told Forbes Thursday. Goldman Sachs joins dozens of other major American companies in exiting Russian business dealings, but is the first major U.S. bank to announce such plans.

Read more here.

—Derek Saul

Zelensky Says More Than 60,000 Ukrainians Evacuated Wednesday

More than 60,000 Ukrainians evacuated cities under attack by Russian forces Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a Thursday speech. Zelensky mentioned several cities under siege, the largest of which is Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, but didn’t specify how many evacuees came from each city. The Red Cross estimated Sunday 200,000 people seek evacuation in Mariupol alone.

Efforts to evacuate Ukrainian civilians from dangerous areas have repeatedly failed over the last week, and Ukraine has blamed Russian shelling for breaking ceasefire agreements in humanitarian corridors. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declined to guarantee safe passage for fleeing civilians during their Thursday meeting.

—Derek Saul

Half Of Kyiv Residents Have Evacuated, Mayor Says

About half of Kyiv’s residents have fled since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine last month, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Ukrainian television Thursday, according to multiple outlets. “According to the latest data, every second citizen of Kyiv has left the city,” Klitschko said, according to the Ukraine branch of the Interfax news agency, estimating two million people remain in the Kyiv metropolitan area.

Klitschko’s estimates come as Russian forces slowly close in Kyiv and amid a wider refugee crisis in the country. More than two million Ukrainians have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the United Nations, a majority of whom have fled to Poland. It’s unclear how many people fleeing Kyiv have left the country or moved within Ukraine.

—Derek Saul

Vice President Harris Underscores U.S. Commitment To NATO In Poland Visit

The United States is “prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory” and is firmly committed to the alliance and its eastern flank, Vice President Kamala Harris said at a press conference with the President of Poland in Warsaw on Friday. The two Patriot missile systems the U.S. promised to the country have now been delivered, Harris said, also noting the Biden administration’s decision to send an additional 4,700 troops to Poland.

Harris praised the people of Poland for their “generosity and kindness” towards more than 1.4 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing to the country. The U.S. will send an additional $50 million in aid through the United Nations food program to assist refugees in the region, Harris said.

— Robert Hart

Meeting Between Putin And Zelensky Possible: Russian Foreign Minister

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following his meeting with his counterpart from Kyiv, Dmytro Kuleba.

“I hope that this will become necessary at some point. But preparatory work needs to take place for this,” Lavrov said in a press conference following his meeting.

Responding to a reporter, Lavrov said Russia was not planning to attack other countries. “We didn’t attack Ukraine, either,” repeating Moscow’s claims that it was carrying out a “special military operation.”

When asked about the Russian strike on a maternity hospital—condemned by Ukrainian officials as a war crime—Lavrov claimed without evidence that the building was being used by Ukrainian nationalist militias.

— Siladitya Ray

Russia Has No Ceasefire Plans, But Ukraine Will Not Surrender: Ukrainian Foreign Minister

Thursday’s meeting between Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Turkey ended with no progress made on a possible ceasefire.

In a press conference following the meeting, Kuleba said Russia had no plans to establish a ceasefire and was instead seeking a surrender from Ukraine. “This is not what they’re going to get. Ukraine is strong, Ukraine is fighting.”

Kuleba said that Ukraine has ensured the failure of Russia’s initial invasion plans and was now seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. “But we will not surrender.” The Ukrainian minister added he spent most the time during the meeting trying to address humanitarian issues, seeking a humanitarian corridor in the port city of Mariupol where a maternity hospital was hit by Russian strikes on Wednesday.

According to Kuleba, Lavrov told him he did not have the authority to agree this measure, but would take the proposal back to the Kremlin. The Ukrainian minister then added: “Lavrov has a different impression of what foreign ministers do in a crisis.”

— Siladitya Ray

Billionaire Roman Abramovich Among 7 Russian Oligarchs Sanctioned By The U.K.

The U.K. government on Thursday sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, freezing all his assets including the English Premier League soccer club Chelsea, as part of a broader sanctions effort that targets assets owned by several Russian oligarchs with close ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Read more: U.K. Sanctions Roman Abramovich And Six Other Russian Oligarchs, Freezes Assets Including Chelsea F.C.

— Siladitya Ray

Russian And Ukrainian Foreign Ministers Begin Talks In Turkey

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Antalya, Turkey on Thursday morning for a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The ongoing discussion is the highest level meeting between the two sides since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine more than 2 weeks ago.

Turkish president Recep Erdogan on Wednesday said: “We are working to stop this crisis transforming into a tragedy. I hope the meeting between the ministers will open the way to a permanent ceasefire.”

— Siladitya Ray

‘Notable’ Drop In Russian Air Activity Due To Effectiveness Of Ukrainian Air Defenses: U.K. Defense Ministry

There has been a “notable decrease” in Russian air activity over Ukraine in the past few days, owing to the unexpected effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense forces, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Thursday.

The large Russian column north west of Kyiv has made very little progress in the past week and continues to suffer losses at the hands of the Ukrainian forces, the statement said.

The update also noted that Russia has deployed conscripts, despite previous assurances by Putin that he will not do so. This has also been acknowledged by the Russian defense ministry which added that a “number” of conscripts had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

The intel update adds that Russia may be forced to draw from across the Russian Armed Forces and “other sources” to replace losses in Ukraine.

— Siladitya Ray

House Passes Bipartisan Bill Banning Russian Energy Imports

The House on Wednesday passed a bipartisan bill that will ban Russian energy imports—after its final passage in the Senate—building on an executive order signed by President Joe Biden Tuesday.

The Suspending Energy Imports from Russia passed 414 to 17, with 194 Republicans joining 220 Democrats in support, setting up a final vote in the Senate as soon as Thursday.

The 17-page bill will suspend the import of Russian oil and energy products into the U.S. beginning 45 days after the legislation is enacted but give Biden the authority to waive the ban for any products necessary for the “national interest of the United States.”

Read More Here: House Passes Russian Oil Ban Building On Biden’s Executive Order After Ukraine Invasion

— Jonathan Ponciano

Between 5,000 and 6,000 Russian Troops Have Been Killed So Far, According To U.S. Estimates

Between 5,000 and 6,000 Russian troops have been killed during the first two weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a U.S. official told various news outlets. That number is significantly higher than the Pentagon’s previous estimate of between 2,000 to 4,000 deaths shared earlier this week.

According to CBS News, the official noted that while accurate casualty numbers are difficult to determine, Russia has suffered “very, very significant casualties,” comparable to some battles from World War II.

While there are no estimates from the number of wounded Russian soldiers, CBS notes that they are generally around three times as many killed, putting that estimate between 15,000 to 18,000.

— Siladitya Ray

House Passes $13.6 Billion In Aid For Ukraine

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved $13.6 Billion in aid for Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill.

According to the House Committee on Appropriations the aid package includes $4 billion to help displace refugees, $6.5 billion for military assistance and $1.8 billion for any macroeconomic needs.

Read more here: House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill With $14 Billion For Ukraine Aid—Here’s What’s In It

— Jonathan Ponciano

IMF Approves $1.4 Billion Disbursement To Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund has approved $1.4 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, the international lender announced Wednesday.

“The war in Ukraine is resulting in tragic loss of life and human suffering,” the IMF said in its release. “While the outlook is subject to extraordinary uncertainty, the economic consequences are already very serious.”

The IMF said it will disburse the loan using its Rapid Financing Instrument, an emergency assistance policy designed to quickly provide funds during a conflict or natural disaster.

The IMF’s emergency funding follows a $723 million support package for Ukraine approved Monday by the World Bank. The bank said another $3 billion package would be sent “in the coming months” for Ukraine and its neighbors, which are receiving millions of refugees.

U.S. lawmakers said it aims to pass a $13.6 billion package that includes military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, unnamed members of Congress and aides told the New York Times Tuesday. The aid is expected to be passed in a larger government spending package that Congress must approve by Friday in order to avoid a government shutdown, following last month’s approval of a short-term spending bill.

‘He Sees That We Are Strong’: Zelensky Thinks Putin Will Eventually End Hostilities In Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Vice News on Wednesday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will eventually “stop the war” and “begin to speak,” as Ukrainian forces continue to push back against invading Russian troops.

“I think he sees that we are strong,” Zelensky said in an in-person interview with Vice. “He will [cease fighting]. We need some time.”

Zelensky added that he does not trust Putin: “I only trust my family,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are expected to meet in Turkey on Thursday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose top diplomat has hosted several calls between the two parties since the invasion began, said the meeting could “crack the door open to a permanent cease-fire.” Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have met for several rounds of talks to discuss temporary local ceasefires to allow civilians to evacuate from besieged cities.

Russia has said one of its demands for a permanent ceasefire is that Ukraine remain neutral and not join NATO—a desire Zelensky said he has “cooled down” on recently because “NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” according to a translation of an ABC News interview.

Russia has bombarded Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, but its ground forces have struggled to make extensive progress in the country’s north. Western officials say the invasion’s slower-than-expected pace is partly due to stiff resistance from Ukrainians.

Russia ‘Likely’ Deploying Private Mercenaries In Ukraine, U.K. Says

The British Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update Wednesday Russia is “likely deploying” private military companies as part of its invasion of Ukraine.

Mercenaries were reportedly deployed in Ukraine weeks before Russia began its invasion, unnamed security officials told Reuters last month. The U.S. had warned of Russia using private contractors to stage “false flag” operations in Ukraine to justify its eventual invasion.

Mercenaries from the Wagner Group—a secretive Russian contracting organization—appeared to enter regions of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists, the New York Times reported hours before the invasion started two weeks ago. A senior U.S. defense official told reporters last week there are indications the Wagner Group is present in Ukraine, but it’s unclear how many of their staff are participating in the war.

Private military contractors such as the Wagner Group have been accused of committing human rights violations in several countries, including the Central African Republic and Syria. Last year, the United Nations raised concerns the group—operating as security and military personnel in the Central African Republic—committed crimes such as arbitrary detention, torture, disappearances and summary execution, along with reports of rape and sexual violence. Russia has denied ties to the Wagner Group.

—Mason Bissada

White House Warns Russia Could Use Chemical Weapons In Ukraine

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Wednesday the world should “be on the lookout” for Russia possibly using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, after the Kremlin accused the U.S. of backing a bioweapons program for the Ukrainian government.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed without offering any proof Wednesday that Russia had amassed evidence of a U.S.-backed chemical weapons program in Ukraine, which Psaki called “preposterous.”

Psaki said Russia might be setting the stage for a false flag operation to use its own chemical weapons in Ukraine, noting Russia has “long maintained a biological weapons program in violation of international law” and backs the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has used chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war.

“Russia has a track record of accusing the West of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating,” Psaki tweeted. “This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday there currently isn’t any intelligence indicating that Russia has brought chemical or biological weapons into Ukraine, but he warned “it is … a piece of the Russian playbook to blame others for that which you are about to do.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine by falsely claiming ethnic Russians were facing a genocide in the Donbas region and inconceivably accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, of heading a neo-Nazi government.

— Nicholas Reimann

U.S. Doesn’t Support Giving More Fighter Jets To Ukraine

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby pushed back Wednesday against proposals to supply Ukraine’s air force with Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets, rebuffing Ukraine’s request for planes and Poland’s offer to make the jets available.

Kirby said extra fighter jets are unlikely to significantly tip the sales in Ukraine’s favor, especially since Ukraine’s air force still has some planes in working condition. He also warned Russia may perceive a transfer of warplanes to Ukraine as an escalation.

“At this time, we believe the provision of additional fighter aircraft provides little increased capabilities at high risk,” Kirby told reporters Wednesday.

Read more here.

— Joe Walsh

Zelensky Brushes Off Putin’s Nuclear Threats As A ‘Bluff’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he does not take Russian President Vladmir Putin’s move to put nuclear forces on high alert seriously, telling a German news outlet escalating the conflict into nuclear war would amount to Putin’s “suicide.”

In an interview published Wednesday by German newspaper Die Zeit, Zelensky said Putin is only floating the nuclear threat because “nothing else is working” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s one thing to be a murderer. It’s another to commit suicide,” Zelensky said. “Every use of nuclear weapons means the end for all sides, not just for the person using them.”

Putin on February 27 said he was placing the country’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, an action U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield called “totally unacceptable.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov followed Putin’s move last week by warning that a potential third world war would certainly be a nuclear conflict.

Many Western officials, including President Joe Biden, also appear to be unfazed by Putin’s move. Biden on February 28 said Americans did not need to worry about nuclear war over Putin’s threat.

— Nicholas Reimann

Satellite Images Show Toll Of Russian Bombing In Mariupol

The satellite company Maxar released images of the bombarded southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has come under heavy shelling from Russians.

Ukraine has accused Russia of committing war crimes by targeting civilians in the city, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeting a video Wednesday appearing to show an attack on a maternity hospital.

Capturing the port city is considered key for the Russians since it would connect Russian-controlled Crimea to the Donbas region.

It was confirmed Wednesday Russia has used thermobaric weapons in Ukraine, which is illegal for targeting civilian structures. It’s unclear if those weapons have played a part in the widespread damage across Mariupol. Read more here.

— Nicholas Reimann

At Least 18 Attacks On Health Facilities Confirmed In Ukraine, WHO Says

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday there have been at least 18 attacks on hospitals, ambulances and health workers in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.

Tedros said at a news conference the WHO is aware of 10 deaths and 16 injuries resulting from the attacks.

The WHO has delivered 81 metric tons of health supplies to Ukraine and is aiming to generate pipelines to funnel supplies to health care facilities, Tedros said.

Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that a Russian strike had devastated a maternity hospital in Mariupol, with President Vladimir Zelensky tweeting a video said to be of the damage. The number of casualties has not yet been announced.

— Nicholas Reimann

EU Sanctions 4 More Russian Billionaires

The European Union announced a new round of sanctions Wednesday against 146 Russian lawmakers and 14 business leaders, which include at least four billionaires.

Andrey Melnichenko, whose net worth Forbes has estimated at $16.2 billion, was among those hit with sanctions, which includes asset freezes and a travel ban.

Andrei Guriev, who has a net worth of $4.9 billion, along with Dmitry Pumpians and Vadim Moshkovich, who are both worth an estimated $1.2 billion, were also sanctioned.

Read more here.

— Nicholas Reimann

U.K. To Supply Ukraine With Air Defense Systems

The United Kingdom will begin sending air defense systems to Ukraine in response to Russia’s bombardment of the country, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at a briefing Wednesday alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. She didn’t specify the weaponry it will provide.

Truss reiterated that the U.K. has no plans to set up the “no-fly zone” Ukrainian officials have requested. Western leaders have repeatedly denied the request over concerns shooting down Russian planes could escalate the conflict into a world war.

“The best way to help protect the skies is through anti-air weaponry, which the U.K. is now going to be supplying to Ukraine,” Truss said.

— Nicholas Reimann

Russia May Be Dropping ‘Dumb Bombs’ In Ukraine As Patriot Missile Batteries Reach Poland, U.S. Says

The U.S. has seen indications Russia is using “dumb bombs,” or unguided munitions that have limited ability to hit precise targets, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Wednesday. Military experts told the Washington Post last week Russia may be experiencing a shortage of specific weapons, including guided munitions, as Russian forces appeared to begin their attack in Ukraine with guided missiles, but began firing weapons that can be difficult to aim precisely days after the invasion began.

The senior U.S. defense official also confirmed the two Patriot missile batteries the Pentagon said it would send to Poland on Tuesday have been delivered, and that “they are manned.” The U.S. European Command said in a statement the repositioning of the Patriot batteries would “proactively” counter “any potential threat” to the U.S. and its allies in NATO territory.

Polish officials signed an agreement in 2018 to receive the batteries, which were due to be delivered by the end of this year. Poland also hosts one of the two Aegis Ashore missile defenses in Europe, which Russian officials have expressed concerns about, fearing the U.S. could use the defensive batteries to fire offensive attacks. U.S. officials offered to allow Moscow to inspect the facility last month in an effort to ease tensions, USNI reports.

Here are additional updates from the 14th day of Russia’s invasion, according to the senior defense official:

• The official said the U.S. sees “increasing damage to civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties” in Ukraine.
• Russian forces appear to be “just outside of the city” in Kharkiv, and have moved about 12 miles closer since Tuesday, though there is still “heavy fighting.”
• In Mykolaiv, Russian troops have advanced from the north and are about 9 miles outside of the city.
• There has been “no real ground progress to speak to” in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol.
• The U.S. is very close to delivering the $350 million aid package approved by President Joe Biden at the end of February, and the official expects it will be completely closed out “in the coming days.”
• Russia has launched more than 710 missiles since the invasion began, with the majority coming from Russia and inside Ukraine.
• The airspace remains contested over Ukraine, and Russia has not reached air superiority.

— Anna Kaplan

Retired Military Leaders Call For Supplying Ukraine With Air Defense Systems

A group of retired senior military leaders from the United States and Europe have penned a letter obtained by CNN that calls for transferring Russian-made air defense systems to Ukraine to thwart Russia’s continued bombardment of the country.

The military leaders proposed that countries with similar mid- and high-altitude air defense systems to Ukrainian ones that have been destroyed should transfer them to the besieged nation, saying the world has a “moral duty and humanitarian obligation” to limit the damage Russia is inflicting.

The retired generals and admirals framed the move as an alternative to creating a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine. NATO and U.S. officials have dismissed Ukraine’s entreaties to establish one, arguing that shooting down Russian planes could spark a full-blown world war.

“We cannot stand idly by and wish them well as Russia prosecutes an unrestricted campaign of destruction on the Ukrainian government, its infrastructure, and its people,” the letter said.

Signatories include retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Phillip M. Breedlove, who served as supreme allied commander Europe; Sir Richard Shireff, a former U.K. general who served as deputy supreme allied commander Europe; and retired generals from Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

— Nicholas Reimann

Mariupol Maternity Hospital Destroyed By Russian Strike, Ukraine Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted a video Wednesday of an alleged Russian strike on a maternity hospital in the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol. Zelensky said the “direct strike” caused an unknown number of casualties, including children. The video and attack have yet to be independently verified. The Mariupol city council first shared news and videos of the attack on its Telegram account, appearing to show the hospital in complete ruins.

The alleged attack would be a violation of a ceasefire agreement to enable civilians to evacuate Mariupol and several other Ukrainian cities. Evacuation attempts in Mariupol and elsewhere have repeatedly failed since Saturday amid allegations of shelling from Russian forces. The Red Cross estimates 200,000 civilians are seeking to flee the city of 400,000, and residents have been without electricity, running water and heat since March 2, according to Human Rights Watch.

—Derek Saul

Russia Defense Ministry Admits Conscript Soldiers Are Fighting In Ukraine A Day After Putin Said They Weren’t

Russian conscript soldiers are fighting in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said in a statement shared by Russian state media Tuesday. The admission comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised conscripts would not participate in the invasion, saying in a televised Wednesday address, “I emphasize that conscript soldiers are not participating in hostilities and will not participate in them.”

Konashenkov claimed Russia still has “comprehensive measures” in place to keep conscripts—who are completing their mandatory military service—out of battle, but admitted “a number” of conscripts and other soldiers have been captured.

—Derek Saul

Chernobyl Power Outage Poses No ‘Critical’ Safety Risk, International Nuclear Watchdog Says

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Wednesday morning a power outage at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant presents “no critical impact on safety” shortly after Ukraine’s government said a radioactive leak appeared imminent. Even without electricity, the IAEA said Chernobyl’s cooling mechanism are sufficient to effectively cool spent nuclear fuel and thus block the release of nuclear discharge.

Earlier Wednesday, Ukraine’s state security communications service reported Russian forces damaged a power line to Chernobyl, claiming the plant will not be able to prevent the release of radioactive substances without electricity. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, warned “radiation leaks [are] imminent” and the power loss “puts entire Europe in danger.” Russia captured Chernobyl on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine, and the IAEA has previously expressed concern in Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants in the war.

—Derek Saul

U.K. Reportedly Impounds Private Jet Linked To Russian Oligarch

A private jet has been impounded in England over its suspected ties to Eugene Shvidler, a Russian oil billionaire, according to multiple news reports. The jet, a Bombardier Global 6500,

was reportedly grounded on the orders of British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps using new aviation sanctions that came into force Tuesday night. The restrictions prohibit Russian aircraft from landing in the U.K. as well as any owned or chartered by those on the sanctions list.

While the jet is registered to a Luxembourg company, ownership of private planes can involve third parties and be hard to trace precisely. The plane will stay impounded while investigators examine its ownership in more detail.

— Robert Hart

Power Outage At Chernobyl Threatens Radioactive Leak, Ukraine Warns

Radioactive materials could be released from Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a power line to the station was cut, the Ukrainian government said Wednesday. The power plant relies on electricity to cool spent nuclear fuel, which can release radioactive substances if allowed to overheat. All personnel at Chernobyl will receive a “dangerous dose of radiation” if this happens, the government warned, and wind could carry a radioactive cloud to other parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and across Europe.

Nuclear power plants typically have backup sources of power, though it is unclear whether these are operational after fighting around the plant.

The Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst accidental nuclear disaster, is under Russian control and officials say they do not know what levels of radiation there are at the plant. On Tuesday, the UN’s atomic energy agency said it was no longer receiving monitoring data from Chernobyl.

— Robert Hart

U.S. Is Waging Economic War Against Russia, Says Kremlin Spokesperson

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday accused the U.S. of waging an economic war against Russia.

“The US, undoubtedly, declared an economic war against Russia and they are waging this war. Yes, de facto this is exactly what it is,” Peskov told the state-backed news agency TASS.

The Kremlin official said Moscow will do “what in the best way corresponds to our interests,” without elaborating any possible retaliatory sanctions.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Russian foreign ministry official said that Moscow was working on a set of counter sanctions that will be “swift, thoughtful and sensitive for those it addresses.”

— Siladitya Ray

EU Agrees To A New Set Of Sanctions Targeting Kremlin Officials, Russian Oligarchs

The European Union has agreed to a new set of sanctions aimed at Kremlin officials and Russian oligarchs.

France, which currently hold the rotating presidency of the European council, announced the measures which include the expulsion of three Belarusian banks from the SWIFT remittance system and sanctions targeting the Russian maritime sector.

The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell told the European parliament that the sanctions which will target “around 100 people responsible at different levels of (the Russian) government.”

These additional sanctions will be formally approved by leaders of the bloc’s 27 member states later this week.

— Siladitya Ray

U.S. Lawmakers Reach Deal For $13.6 Billion Aid Package For Ukraine

U.S. lawmakers early on Wednesday agreed to a bipartisan deal to provide $13.6 in aid to Ukraine and other European allies, the Associated Press reported.

Last week President Joe Biden had requested $10 billion to provide military, humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine. But strong bipartisan support for the package allowed it to grow to $13.6 billion.

More than $4 billion of the aid package will be allotted to help Ukraine and its Eastern European neighbours cope with the influx over 2 million refugees and other internally displaced civilians who have been forced to flee the fighting zones. Another $6.7 billion will be used to fund the deployment of U.S. troops and equipment to the region and transfer of military weapons to Ukraine.

— Siladitya Ray

Kamala Harris Will Arrive In Poland Amid Disagreements Over Fighter Jets To Ukraine

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will begin her three-day trip to Poland and Romania on Wednesday amid an unexpected diplomatic disagreement between the NATO allies over providing fighter jets to Ukraine.

Earlier on Tuesday, Poland offered its Soviet-era MiG-29 jets to the U.S. “free-of-cost” to hand over to the Ukrainian military, which had put out several pleas for it. This idea—which would also have involved sending U.S.-made jets as replacement to the Polish Air Force—was quickly rejected by the Pentagon as “not tenable.”

Regardless of the differences over sending fighter jets to Ukraine, Poland remains critical to NATO’s efforts to aid Ukraine as it fights against the Russian invasion.

While announcing the trip last week, the White House said, Harris will discuss “security, economic, and humanitarian assistance” to Ukraine with the leaders of Poland and Romania.

— Siladitya Ray

Ukrainian Air Defenses Enjoying ‘Considerable Success’ Against Russian Warplanes: U.K. Defense Ministry

Ukrainian air defense systems “appear to have enjoyed considerable success” against Russia’s modern fighter jets, preventing them from gaining air superiority, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Wednesday.

This echoes what U.S. intelligence officials have said about the air space above which they believe continues to remain contested.

The report states that fighting in Kyiv’s north-west region is ongoing but Russian forces have failed to make any significant breakthroughs.

Russian forces, however, have managed to encircle the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol which continue to face heavy bombardment, the update adds.

— Siladitya Ray

Evacuation Of Civilians From Sumy Will Continue On Wednesday

Evacuation of civilians from the city of Sumy in north-east Ukraine will continue on Wednesday, according to the region’s governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky.

Reuters reports that around 5,000 people were evacuated from the city on Tuesday after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a brief ceasefire to allow a humanitarian corridor. Additionally, around 1,000 cars were also able to leave the city.

The corridor connecting Sumy to Poltava in central Ukraine was the only corridor where a ceasefire remained in place on Tuesday and both sides accused each other of violating it in Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv.

Zhyvytsky also added that a residential block in Sumy was bombed overnight, with one bomb killing 22 civilians.

— Siladitya Ray

IAEA Warns Of ‘Increasingly Urgent’ Need To Rotate Staff At Chernobyl, Says

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing Ukrainian officials, said on Tuesday that it was becoming “increasingly urgent” to rotate some of the 210 technical personnel and guards at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant who have been working there since Russian forces took control of the site two weeks ago.

Ukrainian authorities informed the IAEA that the staff at Chernobyl had access to food, water, and medicine “to a limited extent,” but their condition was worsening.

The agency’s director general “indicated” that the IAEA has stopped receiving data transmissions from monitoring systems installed at the Chernobyl plant. The agency added that it was “looking into the status” of similar monitoring systems installed in other sites in Ukraine.

— Siladitya Ray

U.S. Sends Two Patriot Missile Batteries To Poland

Washington is sending two Patriot missile batteries to Poland as a “defensive deployment” to counter “any potential threat” to the U.S. and its NATO allies, the Pentagon said on Tuesday night.

The statement stressed that the move was a defensive measure—previously used to protect U.S. troops in the Middle East—and it “will in no way support any offensive operations.”

The Washington Post reports that the batteries include both the Patriot surface-to-air missile system and powerful radars which can track incoming aerial threats like jets or missiles.

— Siladitya Ray

Fitch Downgrades Russia’s Credit Rating Amid Fears Of ‘Imminent’ Sovereign Default

Credit agency Fitch Ratings lowered Russia’s sovereign rating from a ‘B’ to a ‘C’ Tuesday, warning a default on its debt is “imminent” as Russia faces harsh sanctions and trade restrictions following its invasion of Ukraine.

Fitch and the other two major U.S. credit rating agencies—Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poors—downgraded Russia to junk status within a week of the invasion, and have further downgraded the country in recent days. Moody’s lowered its rating of Russia to a ‘Ca’ on Sunday, and S&P lowered its rating to ‘CCC-minus’ last week.

In a press release Tuesday, Fitch cited a recent decision by Russia to let the government and companies pay foreign creditors in rubles. The firm also warned that sanctions on Russia—including new limits on the country’s crucial oil export industry—“increase the probability of a policy response by Russia that includes at least selective non-payment of its sovereign debt obligations.”

U.S. Rejects Poland’s Offer To Hand Over MiG-29s To Aid Ukraine

The Pentagon on Tuesday rejected Poland’s offer to transfer dozens of aging Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to the United States, which could then hand the planes off to Ukraine.

Earlier Tuesday, Poland proposed sending its MiG-29s—a model also flown by the Ukrainian air force—to the U.S.-run Ramstein Air Base in Germany “immediately and free of charge,” with the U.S. giving used fighter jets to Poland in return. The proposal came as NATO members looked for a way to give warplanes to Ukraine to aid in its fight against invading Russian troops.

But Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said hours later “we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.” Kirby warned that sending planes from a base in Germany to contested Ukrainian airspace “raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance.”

Some U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday the prospect of transferring planes from Poland to Ukraine—with the U.S. military backfilling Poland’s supply—raised logistical challenges, and Russia may interpret the move as NATO’s entry into the war.

Read more here.

— Joe Walsh

Congress Crafting $13.6 Billion Ukrainian Aid Package As Shutdown Looms

U.S. lawmakers are coming close to agreement on a $13.6 billion package of military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, unnamed lawmakers and aides told the New York Times Tuesday. The figure is $3.6 billion more than the $10 billion package House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress planned on passing this week, following the White House’s request for Ukrainian aid and Pentagon funding.

The Times says the aid will be a part of a larger government spending package that will need to be approved by both the House and Senate by Friday in order to avoid a government shutdown, following last month’s approval of a short-term spending bill.

On Monday, the World Bank approved a $723 million support package for Ukraine, and said another $3 billion package would be sent “in the coming months” for Ukraine and its neighbors, which are receiving millions of refugees.

—Mason Bissada

McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola: More Companies Exit Russian Market

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola announced Tuesday they will suspend business in Russia, and McDonald’s and Starbucks are temporarily shuttering Russian stores, as a growing list of American consumer brands leave Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine.

McDonald’s said it will continue to pay its Russia-based employees after closing 847 stores, and Starbucks says the licensee that runs its Russian shops will “provide support” to employees despite the closures. Yum! Brands—the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut—also announced Tuesday it has “suspended all investment and restaurant development in Russia,” though it didn’t specify whether existing stores will remain open, noting that the vast majority of its 1,000 Russia-based KFCs and 50 Pizza Huts are run by independent operators.

Read more about the corporate exodus from Russia here.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Threatens To Cut Off Chinese Companies If They Defy Russian Sanctions

The U.S. threatened to cut off supplies of vital semiconductors, microchips, and other American-made technology essential to Chinese companies if they continue to supply Russia with equipment, according to an interview in the New York Times Tuesday. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told the Times that the Chinese state-owned Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and any other Chinese company that supplies equipment to Russia in defiance of U.S. sanctions could be cut off from U.S.-made supplies, which would “essentially shut” down those companies.

Under recently issued sanctions and export controls, companies like SMIC are not allowed to sell products that use American technology (even if the companies themselves are not American) to Russia. The White House said last week these restrictions were put in place to “choke off Russia’s import of technological goods critical to a diversified economy and Putin’s ability to project power.”

“We could essentially shut SMIC down because we prevent them from using our equipment and our software,” Raimondo told the Times.

Prior to Russia’s invasion, China had maintained close ties with its neighbor. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said at a press conference Monday, “The China-Russia relationship is valued for its independence,” adding his country aimed to keep ties “free from interference or discord sown by third parties,” according to CNBC.

—Mason Bissada

Roughly Four In Five Americans Support Ban On Russian Oil, Poll Shows

On the same day President Joe Biden announced a decision Tuesday to ban the import of Russian oil and natural gas as further punishment for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Wall Street Journal poll found 79% of surveyed Americans support the ban and just 13% oppose it—despite the uptick in prices at the pump.

The poll pulled from 529 registered voters over the last four days. Left-leaning voters were more in favor of the move, with 88% of surveyed Democrats saying they favored the ban compared to 77% of surveyed Republicans and 72% of surveyed voters who said they would support the re-election of Donald Trump.

Gas prices in the U.S. surpassed their all-time highest average price Tuesday, reaching $4.17 a gallon and exceeding costs last seen during the 2008 recession. Read more about why Americans will “feel the pain” of these high costs for a while here.

—Mason Bissada

Poland Offers MiG-29 Fighter Jets To Assist Ukraine

Poland is ready to transfer more than two dozen Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. air base in Germany “immediately and free of charge,” allowing the planes to be made available to Ukraine, the Polish government announced Tuesday. The offer comes as Ukrainian officials urge NATO countries like Poland to send fighter jets to aid in its war against Russia.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the United States to give used jets to Poland in return. American officials have reportedly discussed sending the country F-16 fighter jets, as the Polish air force replaces its aging Soviet-made planes with U.S.-made F-16s.

Read more here.

— Joe Walsh

Russia Advances On Kyiv From New Direction — But ‘Stiff’ Ukrainian Resistance Slows Progress

A new column of Russian forces is advancing on Kyiv from the east as bombardment of the capital city continues, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday, though Ukrainian resistance efforts are still slowing down Russian troops, particularly in northern Ukraine. The eastern advance toward Kyiv supports the U.S. assessment that Russia aims to encircle the city, according to the official.

Here are additional updates from the senior defense official:

• Russian troops are advancing on Kyiv from three sides, with a new force from the east about 37 miles outside of Kyiv.
• One contingent of Russian forces headed for Kyiv from the north is “stuck” in Chernihiv and “can’t get past it,” according to the official.
• The key port city of Mariupol is now isolated from Ukraine, and has been disconnected from the power grid since March 2, but “stiff” Ukrainian resistance has kept Russian forces from taking control of the city.
• Bombardment and shelling of Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea, has increased from yesterday, but Russian forces have not taken control of the city.
• Russian shelling damaged a major gas pipeline in eastern Ukraine—24 gas distribution centers were switched off and about 1 million consumers are without gas in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
• Nearly 100% of Russian forces assembled for the invasion have been sent into Ukraine, and about 95% of the combat power assembled is still “intact.”
• Nearly 670 missiles have been launched since the invasion began, with the majority coming from Russia and inside Ukraine.
• Most of Ukraine is under threat from Russian surface to air missiles, but Russia has not achieved air superiority, and Ukraine can still fly aircraft and conduct viable and effective missile defense.
• The U.S. cannot confirm that Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov had been killed following a Ukrainian government claim that he died in a battle near Kharkiv.

— Anna Kaplan

Biden Announces U.S. Ban On Russian Energy

President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. will ban all imports of Russian energy, including oil and natural gas, in the latest step by the White House to cut off Russia economically for invading Ukraine. Biden said the move will target “the main artery of Russian economy” — energy products accounted for roughly 50% of Russia’s $489.8 billion in exports in 2021.

Russian crude accounted for 3% of U.S. oil imports in 2021, according to the trade group American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.

Biden said the U.S. is working with European countries, which are heavy importers of Russian oil and gas, on a long-term strategy to reduce their reliance.

The U.K. will also stop importing Russian oil through a gradual phaseout over the course of 2022, Kwasi Kwarteng, the British secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, announced in a tweet.

—Derek Saul

Market Reaction To Oil Bans: Gas Prices Skyrocket, Stocks Continue Dip

Average gas prices reached a record high of $4.17 per gallon Tuesday, a 55-cent increase from last week, as reports of the United States and United Kingdom’s impending Russian oil bans surfaced. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at fuel savings company GasBuddy, predicted average gas prices may soon near $4.50 in a statement.

Stocks dipped slightly in early Tuesday trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all falling between 0.3% and 0.7%, building off of significant Monday losses. Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda, predicted “ultimately the economy will fall into a recession at some point over the next 24 months” due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Read more here:

Gas Prices Surge To Record High Ahead Of Russian Oil Ban—Americans Will ‘Feel The Pain’ For A While

Stocks Weigh Historic U.S. Ban On Russian Energy, Oil Nears $130 Per Barrel

—Derek Saul

U.K. Will Ban Russian Oil Imports

The United Kingdom will ban Russian oil imports, according to Politico and Bloomberg, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expected to announce the move Tuesday, according to Politico. Both outlets report the embargo will be gradual and take place over the course of several months—and the ban does not include Russian gas.

The United States will soon announce a blanket ban on all Russian energy imports, numerous outlets reported Tuesday morning. The European Union released a plan Tuesday to cut EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of 2022 and make the EU energy “independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030,” but isn’t expected to announce a ban on Russian oil due to opposition from several member countries, most notably Germany.

—Derek Saul

U.N.’s Official Civilian Death Toll In Ukraine Nears 500

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) updated its civilian casualty total from the war in Ukraine to 474 deaths and 861 more injuries in a Tuesday statement, increasing its death total estimate by 68 since Monday. The OHCHR stipulated the real tally is likely much higher. The statement noted, “Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.” There have been numerous reports about Russian shelling targeting Ukraine’s civilian population and infrastructure, including hospitals and schools.

—Derek Saul

U.S. Expected To Announce Ban On Russian Oil Imports

The U.S. will soon announce a ban on Russian energy imports, several news outlets reported Tuesday morning, citing anonymous sources. The move will ban Russian coal, natural gas and oil imports, according to CNN and CBS News.

President Joe Biden is expected to formally announce the ban Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. EST, according to the New York Times. The White House did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.

The prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent Crude both spiked Tuesday morning in response to the reports: Brent jumped 4.4% to $128.64 and WTI spiked 3.9% to $123.98 as of 9:15 a.m EST.

Russia accounted for 3.5% of U.S. oil imports and 21% of its gasoline imports in 2021. U.S. gas prices hit their highest-ever price Tuesday, according to AAA data.

A bipartisan group of Congressmen sitting on finance committees said Monday they agreed to legislation banning Russian energy imports. The U.S.’ European allies are not expected to announce similar bans Tuesday, Bloomberg reports, after several European leaders cast doubt on the feasibility of a ban Monday given Europe’s stronger reliance on Russian energy.

—Derek Saul

Shell Says It Will Stop Buying Russian Oil And Gas, Shuts Russian Service Stations

Shell has pledged to stop buying Russian oil and gas and will immediately stop buying Russian crude oil, the company announced on Tuesday, as the firm’s boss apologized for purchasing discounted crude oil from Russia last week amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Read more here: Shell Pledges To Stop Buying Russian Oil And Gas

– Robert Hart

The U.S. Wants To Send Soviet-Era MiG 29 Jets To Help Ukraine—Here’s Why That May Be Difficult

A proposal to send Soviet-built fighter jets to Ukraine has found support among several U.S. lawmakers following “desperate” pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the past few days. But such a plan faces multiple logistical and geopolitical hurdles that may be difficult to overcome.

On Sunday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has given a ‘greenlight’ to a proposal that involves Poland sending its MiG-29s to Ukraine in exchange for new American F-16 jets. However, the response from Poland has been guarded—after an initial outright rejection—as the logistics of such a move may prove to be too challenging.

Read more here.

— Siladitya Ray

London Metal Exchange Halts Trading Of Nickel As Price Soars To $100,000 A Tonne

The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Tuesday suspended trading of Nickel following an “unprecedented” 70% jump in its price to a record $100,000 a tonne.

Announcing the suspension, the exchange attributed the sharp increase to the “evolving situation in Russia and Ukraine,” forcing the LME to halt trading on “orderly market grounds.”

The massive surge in the price of Nickel—a key component in stainless steel and rechargeable batteries—comes as Washington mulls more severe sanctions against Russia, including a ban on all energy imports from the country. Russia is one of the world’s top producers of Nickel which traders fear may be included in the import ban.

— Siladitya Ray

Humanitarian Corridor Created In Sumy, Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Says

A humanitarian corridor was created in the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, Tuesday, allowing civilians safe passage from Russian attacks into other parts of the country, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

Russia and Ukraine agreed to the move, Reuters reports, citing Vereshchuk. It comes after Ukraine rejected Russia’s proposal of humanitarian corridors into Russia and Belarus on Monday.

A planned 5-hour ceasefire in Mariupol that would allow civilians to seek safe passage on Saturday failed after Russian forces continued firing, Ukrainian officials said at the weekend.

Hundreds of international students, including from India and Nigeria, are also stuck in Sumy and have told of running out of food and water.

Read more here: Humanitarian Corridors: What You Need To Know As Refugees Seek Safe Passage To Leave Ukraine

– Isabel Togoh

At Least 1.2 Million Refugees From Ukraine Have Crossed Into Poland

At least 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine have entered Poland since the Russian invasion of their country began last month, the Polish Border Guard said on Tuesday.

Some 141,500 refugees passed through the Polish border on Monday, the guard added. The number of Ukrainian refugees pouring into Poland may continue to rise as fighting in Ukraine continues to intensify.

As of Monday, more than 1.7 million refugees had left Ukraine, according to the United Nations. Besides Poland refugees have also streamed into Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania and Russia.

— Siladitya Ray

Venezuelan Leader Says He’s Ready To Step Up Oil Production After ‘Cordial’ Meeting With U.S. Officials

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday indicated his willingness to increase his country’s oil production if the import of Russian oil is cut off, in a surprising move by the Russian ally.

According to the New York Times Maduro said that Venezuela has the capacity to produce more than 3 million barrels of crude oil per day “if necessary for the stability of the world.” The comments come after he engaged in what he called a “respectful, cordial, very diplomatic” meeting with U.S. officials over the weekend.

Venezuela’s oil industry is currently under heavy American sanctions and Maduro’s regime has close ties with Putin and Russia. However, Washington is now reportedly trying to court Maduro to help address rapidly rising crude oil prices by easing some of these sanctions.

The move is facing some resistance from U.S. lawmakers, including Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who warn against propping up the Venezuelan strongman.

— Siladitya Ray

U.S. Embassy Says Situation In Ukraine Remains Unpredictable

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday stated that the security situation in Ukraine continues to remain “unpredictable” and warned Americans trying to flee the country to not cross into either Russia or Belarus.

The embassy noted that “conditions at each border can change very quickly and wait times can increase without warning.”

The advisory issued by the State Department warns Americans escaping Ukraine against traveling into Belarus due to “arbitrary enforcement of laws, the risk of detention.” U.S. citizens have also been advised against entering Russia as they may face “potential harassment…by Russian government security officials.”

Escaping U.S. citizens have been advised to go to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova. The advisory however, urges them to avoid the pro-Russian separatist enclave of Transnistria in eastern Moldova.

— Siladitya Ray

Ukraine claims a Russian General Was Killed During Combat In Kharkiv

The Ukrainian military on Tuesday claimed that its forces have killed a Russian general near the besieged eastern city of Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian defense ministry identified him as Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, the first deputy commander of Russia’s 41st army, claiming that he previously fought with Russian forces in Syria, Chechnya and Crimea.

If the claim is accurate, Gerasimov may be the second senior Russian commander to be killed in combat in Ukraine. Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky was killed by Ukrainian forces late last month, following the invasion.

While Sukhovetsky’s death has been acknowledged by Russian officials, they has been no official statement on Gerasimov.

— Siladitya Ray

Proposal To Send Polish MiG-29 Fighters To Ukraine Reportedly Hits Roadblock

A proposal to send Poland’s Soviet-built fighter jets to Ukraine has hit a logistical roadblock, according to an NBC News report with the Biden administration now reviewing the plan’s feasibility.

The proposed idea involves Poland sending its old but still operational Russian-made MiG-29 jets to Poland and in return the U.S. would replace them with American F-16 planes.

However, such a plan may be difficult to implement soon, NBC reports, noting that such major weapon transfers take time and the U.S. does not have a surplus of F-16s.

— Siladitya Ray

U.K. Says Russia Is Targeting Civilians Evacuating Kyiv Suburb

The Russian military “continues to directly target” evacuation routes in the town of Irpin, killing multiple civilians who tried to flee the Kyiv suburb, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in a tweet late Monday evening. The report follows days of heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces near Irpin, forcing residents to attempt to leave the town while Russia launched shells at a route used by evacuating civilians Sunday.

The U.K. also said Ukrainian resistance “endures” near Irpin and in the nearby towns of Bucha, Hostomel and Vorzel. The fighting has left Irpin—a town of about 60,000 people less than 15 miles outside Kyiv—without water or electricity for days, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Ukrainian and Russian officials have discussed establishing temporary, local ceasefires to allow residents of some cities to evacuate. Negotiations have been frayed, partly because Russian officials wants civilians to flee via “humanitarian corridors” into Russia and Belarus, an idea the Ukrainian government has cast as a propaganda effort. Ukraine is also wary of trusting the Russian military to abide by the terms of any local ceasefires, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told CNN last week.

— Joe Walsh

World Bank Approves $723 Million Support Package For Ukraine

The World Bank’s board of directors approved a $723 million support package to aid Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, the institution announced Monday. The package brings together loans, loan guarantees, grants and parallel financing from several countries, and the World Bank says it will help pay for “critical services” in Ukraine like hospital wages and social programs.

The World Bank says it is preparing another $3 billion package for Ukraine “in the coming months,” in addition to aid for surrounding countries that are receiving millions of Ukrainian refugees.

The World Bank has committed nearly $14 billion to Ukraine since the country first joined the organization in 1992, which was shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Sunday night Congress is aiming to approve $10 billion in support for Ukraine, a sum initially requested by the White House to pay for military and humanitarian assistance as well as extra Pentagon spending. It adds to over $650 million in security aid and $50 million in humanitarian aid already sent to Ukraine by the United States over the last year.

Ukraine Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov said Monday in a televised address Russia’s invasion had already destroyed $10 billion worth of the country’s infrastructure, and it will take years to fix the damage inflicted on many of Ukraine’s cities by Russian shelling, according to Reuters.

—Mason Bissada

Shelling Damages Nuclear Research Facility In Kharkiv

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Monday a nuclear research facility in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv was damaged by shelling, though radiation levels at the site did not increase, according to Ukraine’s nuclear regulator. This facility—which IAEA said produces “radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications”—did not have a large inventory of radioactive material, so there is little risk of disaster, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement.

However, the IAEA says it remains concerned about the state of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants amid Russia’s invasion. The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the country’s largest, is now under Russia’s control after Russian forces seized it last week, starting a fire at a nearby training facility in the process—an act the U.S. embassy in Kyiv deemed a war crime. The plant was not damaged during the fire, but U.S. officials said the attack could’ve easily led to a nuclear disaster. The IAEA said Monday it is not possible to get medicine or spare parts to the Zaporizhzhya plant, adding to earlier concerns that staff are overworked and outside communication has largely been cut off. Grossi noted all of these factors pose safety risks.

—Mason Bissada

‘I’m Not Hiding’: Zelensky Appears In Office For First Time Since Invasion Began

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself in his office in Kyiv late Monday night, the first time Zelensky has appeared in the aboveground space since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began almost two weeks ago, CNN and The Guardian noted.

“I stay in Kyiv. On Bankhova Street. I’m not hiding. And I’m not afraid of anyone,” Zelensky said in the video, according to a translation released by his office that referenced the presidential administration building’s location on Bankhova Street in central Kyiv.

Zelensky has posted several video messages to social media in recent weeks, but aside from a pair of defiant videos recorded on the streets of Kyiv, many of Zelensky’s public appearances have appeared to take place in a bunker in an undisclosed location in Ukraine’s capital.

Zelensky has declined U.S. offers to evacuate him from Ukraine’s capital city as Russian ground troops loom just miles away, at one point telling American officials he needs “ammunition, not a ride,” the Associated Press reported. Still, Zelensky has acknowledged threats to his safety, as Western officials warn Russia is likely angling to oust the Ukrainian government. He called himself “target number one” for Russia shortly after the invasion began, and he reportedly told European Union officials during a call last week it could be the last time they see him alive.

— Joe Walsh

Russia Claims To Offer Ceasefire For 5 Ukrainian Cities

Russian state media claims a temporary ceasefire could start Tuesday to allow evacuations from five of Ukraine’s biggest and hardest-hit cities.

The ceasefire would start at 2 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday morning in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chernihiv and Sumy, Russian outlets Interfax and TASS reported Monday, citing the Russian government. As part of the arrangement, Russian officials are reportedly requiring Ukraine to agree to let residents flee via “humanitarian corridors” into Russian and Belarusian territory, which Ukrainian officials have derided as “propaganda corridors.”

Ukraine did not appear to immediately respond to the ceasefire offer, and it’s unclear what other terms Russia might be demanding. Ukrainian officials reportedly have until 7 p.m. Eastern time Monday to accept the offer.

The two sides last week agreed in principle to set up humanitarian corridors, giving survivors of besieged cities a chance of fleeing to safety, but Ukrainian officials have questioned Russia’s proposals so far. Ukraine rebuffed a similar offer to set up “humanitarian corridors” in four cities—including Kyiv—earlier Monday, and an attempted ceasefire to evacuate the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha on Saturday collapsed within hours.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Monday talks with Russian officials yielded “small positive” progress in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors.

— Nicholas Reimann

White House Says ‘No Decision’ Yet On Russian Oil Ban

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday President Joe Biden has not made a decision yet about whether to ban the import of Russian oil.

“Those discussions are ongoing internally and also with our counterparts and partners in Europe and around the world,” Psaki said at a press briefing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said last week she supported a ban, wrote in a letter to colleagues last night that Congress should explore banning the import of Russian oil. A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled the framework of an agreement Monday to “ban the import of energy products from Russia and to suspend normal trade relations with both Russia and Belarus.”

Psaki said any decision Biden makes will come with the rapidly spiking price of gas across the U.S. in mind. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. has soared more than 49 cents in the past seven days, according to GasBuddy, surpassing the period after Hurricane Katrina as the quickest weekly rise in history.

— Nicholas Reimann

Ukraine President Zelensky Will Address U.K. Parliament

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will deliver a speech to the U.K. House of Commons at 12 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, according to a statement from House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.

The address will take place through a video link, which will mark the first time an address has been given to the chamber via video, according to the statement. There will be no questions-and-answers session following Zelensky’s speech.

“Every parliamentarian wants to hear directly from the president, who will be speaking to us live from Ukraine, so this is an important opportunity for the House,” Hoyle said.

Western countries like the U.K. have faced growing calls to put further sanctions on Russia, such as a ban on the import of Russian oil, though Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed caution when pressed on the issue Monday. Zelensky has also called on NATO members to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, reportedly pushing the idea during a call with U.S. lawmakers on Saturday, but NATO has ruled out a no-fly zone and warned any attempt to force Russian planes out of Ukraine’s airspace could spark a broader conflict.

— Nicholas Reimann

Third Round Of Ukraine-Russia Talks Ends With ‘Small Positive’ Progress On Humanitarian Corridors

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Monday talks with Russian officials yielded “small positive” progress in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors allowing survivors of besieged cities the chance to flee to safety.

The two sides agreed in principle to allow for humanitarian corridors at an earlier round of talks, but Ukrainian officials have slammed the agreement as a sham so far after Russian officials proposed corridors that would lead into Russia and Belarus, a Russian ally.

“Intensive consultations have continued on the basic political block of the regulations, along with a ceasefire and security guarantees,” Podolyak said.

It’s not immediately clear if another round of talks is planned.

— Nicholas Reimann

Ukraine Claims It Has Suffered $10 Billion In Damage So Far

Ukraine Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov said Monday the Russian invasion has already inflicted around $10 billion in damage to the nation’s infrastructure, as shelling continues around the country while Russian troops advance on larger cities.

In a televised address, Kubrakov estimated it would take a year to repair most of the structures damaged so far, with “the most difficult ones” taking two years to fix, according to a Reuters translation.

Kubrakov also used his speech to urge Russian troops to allow civilians to safely leave cities, accusing Russia of “doing all it can” to prevent humanitarian corridors, according to the Guardian.

About 40,000 people were evacuated from Kharkiv on Sunday, Kubrakov said.

— Nicholas Reimann

UK, Germany Push Back On Russian Oil Ban

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed hesitation on a ban of Russian oil Monday, a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. is in “very active discussions with our European partners” on a ban.

Scholz said in a Monday statement he opposes a blanket ban, saying Russian oil is of “essential importance” and Germany will “continue the activities of business enterprises in the area of energy supply with Russia.” The European Union hasn’t publicly weighed in on a ban, and Bloomberg reports its members are split on the decision.

Johnson similarly noted the logistical challenges of a ban, saying, “You can’t simply close down use of oil and gas overnight, even from Russia.” However, Johnson was less resolute on ruling out a ban, saying it remains “on the table.”

Russia accounts for about 40% of the EU gas supply and about 4% of the UK’s. Brent crude briefly hit a 14-year high of $139.13 early Monday, but quickly fell, trading at $123.08 at 12 ET Monday.

— Derek Saul

UN Says More Than 1,200 Civilian Casualties So Far

• Since Russia invaded Ukraine February 24, 406 civilians have died and 801 more were injured, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a Monday statement.
• The OHCHR “believes that the real figures are considerably higher,” as reports of further casualties await confirmation.
• The OHCHR said 27 children have died in the war so far.
• Civilian casualties were most densely concentrated in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, with 93 civilians dead and 435 more injured.
• Ukraine has yet to release an official civilian death total, but the OHCHR noted it is working to verify reports from the Ukraine government of hundreds of additional civilian casualties in separate incidents Sunday and Monday.

— Derek Saul

Photos: Scenes Of Evacuation Near Kyiv

The struggle to safely evacuate civilians from fighting in Ukraine has drawn significant international attention, and a Russian plan to open a humanitarian corridor for fleeing Ukrainians only to Russia and Belarus was dismissed by Ukraine Monday as an “immoral stunt.”

Irpin, a small city less than 15 miles outside of Kyiv, became symbolic of the crisis as thousands of residents flee from advancing Russian forces by crossing under a demolished bridge. Russian shelling killed at least four civilians in Irpin Sunday.

Here are photos Monday from Irpin:

— Derek Saul

Russia Issues Demands Of Ukraine—The Same Ones From Before Invasion

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told Reuters Monday it will stop its war in Ukraine “in a moment” should Ukraine meet its lengthy set of demands, which includes recognizing the Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk rebel states in eastern Ukraine as independent, the Crimean peninsula seized by Russia in 2014 as Russian territory, and amending its constitution to commit to neutrality, promising never to join a group such as NATO.

The demands Peskov outlined Monday match hose Russia asked for before its full-scale invasion. Peskov parroted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments leading up to the war, claiming Russia was forced into the invasion due to Ukraine and the West’s actions.

Peskov claimed Russia was pushed into invasion because of an impending invasion of eastern Ukraine—an unfounded claim—saying “what tipped the balance was the lives of these 3 million people” and believing “they would be attacked.” Russia has consistently advanced baseless claims of genocide against Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

The United States and European Union sanctioned Peskov last week, and the White House called him a “top purveyor of Putin’s propaganda” in its announcement of the penalties.

— Derek Saul

Putin Will Not Stop In Ukraine, Lithuanian President Tells Blinken

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday warned U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spiral into a global conflict and urged him to do more to help Kyiv.

Nauseda told Blinken, who is on a tour of the Baltic states, that Vladimir Putin “will not stop in Ukraine” and the world had a duty to help Ukrainians by “all means available,” Reuters reported.

“I mean indeed all means if we want to avoid the Third World War. The choice is in our hands,” Nauseda said. He added that the policy of deterrence was no longer adequate and “forward defense” was now needed.

Blinken reiterated that NATO was defensive alliance and stressed that U.S. commitment to NATO’s mutual defense pact is “sacrosanct.” He added: We will defend every inch of NATO territory if it comes under attack. No one should doubt our readiness, no one should doubt our resolve.”

Blinken was set to visit neighboring Baltic nations of Latvia and Estonia later on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

— Siladitya Ray

Ukraine Dismisses Russia’s Offer For A Humanitarian Corridor For Fleeing Civilians

Moscow on Monday announced new “humanitarian corridors” for Ukrainian civilians that would lead them into the territory of Russia and its ally Belarus, an offer that was immediately rebuked by Kyiv who called it an “immoral stunt.”

The new “corridors” would be opened at 10 a.m. Moscow time on Monday from the capital Kyiv and the cities of Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol, Russia’s defense ministry said.

Maps of these corridors published by Russian state controlled outlet RIA showed the corridor from Kyiv leading to Belarus, while the corridors out of Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol only lead to Russia.

According to Reuters, a spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the offer as “completely immoral” and added that the citizens of Ukraine should have the right to “evacuate to the territory of Ukraine.”

— Siladitya Ray

Russia Is Targeting Ukraine’s Communication Infrastructure, U.K. Defense Ministry Says

The Russian military is likely targeting Ukraine’s communications infrastructure in an effort to prevent the country’s citizens from accessing reliable news and information, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Monday.

The report notes that Russia struck a TV tower in Kharkiv on Sunday, halting broadcasts.

The update also warns that Ukraine’s internet access is highly likely to be disrupted due to collateral damage on infrastructure caused by Russian air strikes. So far, internet outages have been reported in Mariupol, Sumy, Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Ukrainians have effectively used the internet and social media to rally global support for their cause, while Russia’s cyber efforts have been severely hamstrung as U.S. internet giants have cracked down Moscow-backed outlets and individuals.

— Siladitya Ray

Global Stocks Slump, Oil Prices Touch 14-Year High

Global stock markets slumped on Monday while crude oil prices briefly hit a 14-year high after Washington indicated that a ban on Russian oil imports may be on the table.

Brent crude oil futures rose to $139 a barrel in early trade—the highest since August 2008—before settling at around $129 per barrel—8.52% up from Friday. The U.S. oil benchmark is up more than 9%—hitting $130.50 at one point—before settling at around $125 per barrel.

U.S. markets are also bracing for losses on Monday as futures for the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq were down 1.14%, 0.86% and 1.65%, respectively, at 2.30 am E.T.

— Siladitya Ray

Moscow Is Reportedly Recruiting Syrian Fighters For Urban Combat In Ukraine

Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters, experienced in urban combat, to fight in Ukraine as its forces move closer into major cities, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Russia has been fighting in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime since 2015. Moscow reportedly believes that to tap into the fighters’ expertise in urban combat could help capture Kyiv.

While exact numbers are unclear, the report notes that some such fighters are already in Russia and preparing to enter the conflict.

Last week, Syrian publication DeirEzzor24 reported that Russia has offered volunteers between $200 and $300 “to go to Ukraine and operate as guards” for six months at a time.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime is heavily reliant on support from Moscow, backed Russia’s invasion of Moscow last week calling it a “correction of history.”

— Siladitya Ray

New Zealand Government Working On Legislation That Would Allow It To Sanction Russia

New Zealand’s government is working to swiftly pass legislation that will allow it to join Western sanctions against Russia.

So far, the South Pacific nation has not been part of a multinational effort to impose economic sanctions on Moscow outside of voting in the U.N. as it lacked the legal means to do so.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said that the new laws would enable her government to target people, companies and assets linked to the invasion. Ardern also noted that New Zealand may also freeze assets linked to Russian oligarchs and block their superyachts or planes from arriving.

“The creation of this targeted sanctions bill will send a very clear signal that New Zealand will not be a safe haven for those wishing to move their investments here.”

— New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta

— Siladitya Ray

South Korea Will Suspend Transactions With Russia’s Central Bank

South Korea announced on Monday it plans to suspend transactions with the Russian central bank, joining the U.S. and several other nations in targeting Russian financial institutions.

According to Yonhap news agency, the Korean government will announce details of the move after consulting government agencies.

Prior to this, South Korea also joined multinational sanctions against Russia, including the suspension of transactions with seven major Russian banks and a ban of exports to 49 Russian organizations and firms last week, including Russia’s defense ministry.

— Siladitya Ray

Around 50 Expelled Russian Diplomats And Family Members Leave New York

Around 50 Russian diplomats including their family members left New York for Moscow on Sunday, CNN reported, citing Russian state news outlet RIA.

The reported departure comes days after the U.S. sought the expulsion of 12 Russian diplomats from the United Nations, accusing them of engaging in “activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats.”

Reuters reported on Saturday that the Russian government had sent a chartered plane operated by the Rossiya Special Flight Squadron from St. Petersburg to Washington to fly out the expelled diplomats.

The State Department noted that the chartered plane had been given special permission to land in the U.S. to evacuate the expelled diplomats. Last week, President Joe Biden announced a ban on all Russian aircraft entering U.S. airspace.

FlightRadar24 reports that the chartered plane has left New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and is en route to Moscow.

— Siladitya Ray

House Explores Russian Oil Ban, Plans $10 Billion Aid Package, Pelosi Says

• The House of Representatives is exploring legislation that would “further isolate Russia from the global economy,” in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a letter to Democratic colleagues Sunday night.
• Pelosi said Congress intends to pass $10 billion in humanitarian, military and economic support to Ukraine this week following the Biden administration’s request.
• Pelosi says the legislation would ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the U.S., and seek to deny Russia access to the World Trade Organization by repealing its normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
• The legislation would also empower President Joe Biden’s administration to raise tariffs on Russian imports.
• Pelosi reiterated Biden’s statements that U.S. troops would not enter Ukraine, but the country would provide military equipment “and support our allies who are supplying airplanes to Ukraine.”

Russia Increases Shelling Reportedly Killing Evacuating Civilians

• The Russian military has increased its shelling of Ukraine across several cities, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said on Ukrainian television late Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
• Arestovich said the most recent wave of missile strikes came at night, hitting the southern city of Mykolaiv, the northeast city of Kharkiv, and the outskirts of the capital city of Kyiv.
• Arestovich said residents were unable to evacuate in the Kyiv suburbs, but the Ukrainian government is working to resume evacuations.
• The New York Times reported at least four civilians died as a result of mortar shells during these evacuations.
• In Kharkiv, officials reported the shelling of its residential areas, along with the city’s television tower, according to the Associated Press.

U.K. Promises $100 Million More In Ukraine Aid

• The U.K. will provide the Ukraine with $100 million in financial support aimed to help the war-torn country pay its public-sector workers and fund pension and social security payments, Reuters and the Financial Times reported Sunday.
• Britain had already committed nearly $300 million in aid to Ukraine.
• “While only Putin can fully end the suffering in Ukraine, today’s new funding will continue to help those facing the deteriorating humanitarian situation,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement Sunday, according to Reuters.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF), a global organization made up of over 190 countries, announced Saturday it aims to bring Ukraine’s emergency financing request of $1.4 billion to its executive board for consideration “as early as next week.”
• In the announcement, the IMF warned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions brought on as a result of the war would “have a severe impact on the global economy.”

—Mason Bissada

Zelenksy Vows To Punish ‘Everyone Who Committed Atrocities’; Russia Commits 95% Of Combat Power In Ukraine

• In an address Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodamir Zelensky vowed to punish those that have committed atrocities since the war began, proclaiming, “We will find every scum who was shelling our cities, our people, who was shooting the missiles, who was giving orders,” adding, “You will not have a quiet place on this earth – except for a grave,” according to the Guardian and the Ukrainian news service the Kyiv Independent.
• Russia has amassed approximately 95% of its combat power in Ukraine as its invasion continues, an unnamed senior US defense official told CNN Sunday.
• The senior official said Russia has launched 600 missiles since it began its invasion last week.
• Ukrainian resistance has slowed Russian advances toward several cities, including Khakhiv, Chernihiv, and Mariupol and the capital city of Kyiv, the official said, but could give no update on whether the Russian convoy (last reported as 16 miles from Kyiv’s city center) has progressed further toward Kyiv.

—Mason Bissada

Russia Shuts Off Communication From Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA Says

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported Sunday Russian forces have switched off phone lines, emails and fax at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which Russia took control of last week, further threatening the stability of Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.

“Reliable communications between the regulator and the operator are a critical part of overall nuclear safety and security,” Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi said in a release Sunday.

The update, based on the IAEA’s communication with Ukraine’s nuclear regulator, said mobile phone communication was still available, “but with poor quality.”

The IAEA said the plant is now under the command of the Russian military leader that took the plant last week and alleged that plant management, made up of Ukrainian staff who have been working in inhumane conditions, must seek approval from the commander before taking any action.

American Express Suspends Operations In Russia And Belarus, Joining Visa, Mastercard

American Express is suspending all operations in Russia in response to the country’s “unjustified attack on the people of Ukraine,” the credit card company announced Sunday in a release. Globally issued American Express cards will no longer work at merchants or ATMs in Russia, and cards issued in Russia by Russian banks will no longer work internationally. The company said it is also ending all business operations in Belarus.

“We stand by our colleagues, customers, and the international community in hoping for a peaceful resolution to this crisis,” the company said.

American Express joins other major credit card companies Visa and Mastercard, along with dozens of other corporations, in a stance against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Visa and Mastercard released statements announcing their respective suspensions of service in Russia within 16 minutes of each other Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

“When it is appropriate, and if it is permissible under the law, we will…work to restore operations,” Mastercard announced in a release, confirming its cards would no longer work in Russia, and cards issued by Russian banks will not be supported on the Mastercard network internationally.

“We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed,” Visa chairman and CEO Al Kelly said in the company’s release, announcing the same changes.

—Mason Bissada

Putin Stands Firm In Call With Macron

Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron during a Sunday phone call he plans to achieve his goals in Ukraine “through negotiation or war,” according to the AFP and New York Times, citing the the Élysée Palace.

The French presidency’s official readout of the call didn’t mention this statement on Putin’s aims. The readout said Macron called for Russia to respect international humanitarian and nuclear law and expressed concern about reports of an imminent Russian attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa.

Macron is the latest leader to attempt desperate diplomacy with Putin, who spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett Saturday and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday.

Macron and Putin have maintained consistent dialogue leading up to and during Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine. A senior French official said Thursday Macron left his most recent conversation with Putin believing Russia plans to overtake all of Ukraine and “the worst is yet to come.”

—Derek Saul

Blinken: U.S. Discussing Ban On Russian Oil

The U.S. is in “active discussions” with its European allies to ban Russian oil imports, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday. The move would be the latest designed to cut off Russia from the West economically, and petroleum is Russia’s primary export. The White House initially resisted a ban, though there is strong bipartisan support for the measure in Congress.

Read more here.

—Derek Saul

Evacuation From Mariupol Stopped For Second Straight Day

Attempts to evacuate an estimated 200,000 people out of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol besieged by Russian forces failed Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. Evacuation efforts failed Saturday, too, as both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking a ceasefire. Mariupol is out of power and water, and mobile networks are down, according to the city’s mayor. The Red Cross said the failed evacuations “underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between parties to the conflict,” calling on Russia and Ukraine to establish a clear agreement to allow for a safe evacuation route.

—Derek Saul

Key developments: Zelensky Warns Of Odessa Bombing As Pope Calls For Humanitarian Aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he believes Russia plans to bomb Odessa, a southern Ukrainian port city on the Black Sea home to about 1 million. “Artillery, bombs against Odessa. This will be a war crime. This will be historic crime,” Zelensky said in a video posted to his Facebook, adding to prior allegations that Russia’s invasion constitutes war crimes, under investigation by the United Nations.

Here are additional updates from Sunday morning:

• Addressing a Vatican City crowd Sunday, Pope Francis denied Russia’s claim it launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine, saying “This is not just a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery.”
• The pope called on allowing humanitarian aid into Ukraine and the “return to the respect of international law,” after Russian forces allegedly refused to allow the supply of humanitarian aid or the evacuation of civilians in Ukraine.
• A Russian missile attack destroyed the Vinnytsia airport in central Ukraine using eight missiles, Zelensky said during his Sunday speech, marking the latest Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure.
• Ratings agency Moody’s downgraded Russia’s credit outlook to the second-lowest Ca rating — propelling it further into junk territory — explaining in a statement: “Moody’s view is that the risk of a default occurring has significantly increased.”
• Russian authorities arrested at least 1,950 antiwar protestors Sunday, according to Russian human rights group OVD-Info, bringing the total protest arrests in Russia since the war began to over 10,000.

—Derek Saul

More Than 1.5 Million Refugees Have Fled Ukraine, UN Says

More than 1.5 million refugees have been force to leave Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion of the country, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted on Sunday.

Grandi added that the situation has now snowballed into the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Refugees fleeing from Ukraine have crossed into several neighboring countries including Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, and Russia. As of late last week, Poland had accepted more than half a million refugees from Ukraine—more than any other country.

— Siladitya Ray

South Korea Will Tighten Export Controls Against Belarus

The South Korean government on Sunday said that it will ban the export of certain strategic items to Belarus starting this week, due to its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“As we have concluded that the Republic of Belarus has been effectively supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have decided to implement the export ban on Belarus as well,” the South Korean Economy and Finance Ministry said.

Seoul noted that it will promptly notify the United States about this decision.

Last week, South Korea announced plans to ban exports to 49 Russian organizations and firms last week, including Russia’s defense ministry. Seoul has also joined the U.S. and its western allies in suspending financial transactions with major Russian banks.

— Siladitya Ray

Surprised By Ukrainian Resistance, Russia Is Targeting Populated Areas: U.K. Defense Ministry

The Russian military has resorted to targeting populated areas in Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol after being surprised by the “scale and strength” of Ukrainian resistance, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Sunday.

The update notes that Russia’s supply lines continue to be targeted, slowing the speed of its advance.

The update adds that there is a “realistic possibility” that the Russians are attempting to disguise their fuel trucks as regular support vehicles to minimize losses.

— Siladitya Ray

Biden Speaks With Zelenskyy Again, Highlights Actions Undertaken To Raise Costs On Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Saturday evening where he highlighted efforts undertaken by the U.S. government, its allies and partners, and the private industry “to raise the costs on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.”

According to a readout of the call published by the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision by Visa and Mastercard to suspend service in Russia.

Biden said his administration continues to surge security, humanitarian, and economic aid to Ukraine and he will work closely with Congress to secure additional funding for more of the same.

— Siladitya Ray

Ukrainian MMA Fighter Moroz Emotional After Dominant Victory At UFC 272

Ukrainian fighter Maryna Moroz received a huge ovation from the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas as she waved her country’s flag after pulling off a dominant submission victory against her opponent Mariya Agapova in a fight that lasted 3 minutes and 27 seconds.

Following her victory at the prelims of UFC 272 event Moroz was visibly emotional thanked the crowd for their support and said “This week was hard for me. I want to cry.”

“All this week I feel nervous, I cried. I tried to focus. Many people don’t know, but it was really hard for me. I see in Ukraine how terrible the situation is. It was really my heart almost crying. But I did it. I focused, and I did fight,” she said during her post match interview.

Several Ukrainian athletes have vocally come out in opposition of Russia’s invasion of their country and some of them including boxer Oleksandr Usyk and tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky have signed up to fight for the Ukrainian army.

— Siladitya Ray

Beijing Opposes Moves That ‘Add Fuel To The Flames’ Wang Yi Tells Blinken

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Beijing opposes any adverse moves that would “add fuel to the flames” in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.

Wang spoke with Blinken by phone on Saturday.

Wang reiterated Beijing’s calls for dialogue and negotiations to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and also urged U.S. and its Western allies to heed Russia’s concerns about the eastward expansion of NATO. The Chinese minister added that the U.S., NATO and the European Union should engage in “equal dialogue” with Russia.

According to a readout of the call previously released by U.S. State Department, Blinken told Wang that the “world is watching to see which nations stand up for the basic principles of freedom, self-determination and sovereignty.” Blinken also noted that the world was “acting in unison” to push back against Russia’s aggression, ensuring a high price for Moscow.

— Siladitya Ray

Germany And Israel ‘Share A Common Goal’ Of Ending Ukraine Invasion

In a statement issued early on Sunday, the German government said its shares a common goal with the Israeli government of ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.The statement was issued after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s met with Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Berlin.

The focus of the 90-minute meeting between the two leaders were the results of talks held on Saturday between Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the statement added.

— Siladitya Ray

U.S. Eyes Deal In Which Poland Would Provide Warplanes To Ukraine In Exchange For F-16s

The United States is in discussions to supply Poland with F-16 fighter jets in return for the former Soviet Bloc country sending its aging MiG-29s to Ukraine, U.S. officials told Politico and the Wall Street Journal late Saturday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned plea on a video call earlier in the day with U.S. lawmakers for Russian-made warplanes to help his country fight off a Russian invasion.

An EU promise last week to provide used Russian fighter jets to Ukraine fell through after member countries possessing the planes balked.

Poland has been updating its air force: starting in 2006 it acquired 48 F-16s that serve as its main frontline fighter, and in 2020 it inked a $4.6 billion contract to buy 32 F-35s. But it still has about two dozen old MiG-29 twin-engine fighters — a type that Ukraine’s air force also flies. Poland is reportedly asking the U.S. to sell it more F-16s to make up the difference if it hands the planes over to Ukraine.

To the surprise of many military experts, Russia has so far failed to establish air superiority over Ukraine, despite on paper possessing a far superior air force and air-defense systems. Ukraine still has a “significant majority” of its military aircraft available, a U.S. defense official said Friday.

But Ukraine still appears overmatched, and Zelenksy has repeatedly asked the U.S. and NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something Western officials have said is out of the question given the likelihood that would lead to a wider war with Russia. On Saturday, he reportedly told U.S. lawmakers, “if you can’t do that, at least get me planes.”

Mastercard And Visa Suspend Operations In Russia Over Invasion Of Ukraine

Mastercard and Visa are suspending operations in Russia with its invasion of Ukraine stretching into a 10th day, the two companies said Saturday, deepening the country’s economic isolation following a wave of sanctions.

Mastercard said in a statement that cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by the Mastercard network and that any Mastercards issued outside of Russia will not work in Russia or ATMs there.

Visa said in a statement it will work with clients and partners in Russia to stop all Visa transactions in the coming days. It added that all transactions initiated with Visa cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside of the country and any Visa cards issued outside of Russia will no longer work in Russia.

Mastercard and Visa cards accounted for nearly 74% of card payment transactions in Russia in 2020, according to the Nilson Report.

–Lisa Kim

Russia Resumes Offensive In Southern Ukraine As U.K. Accuses It Of Using Ceasefire To Reset Forces

Russia has restarted offensive operations in Mariupol and Volnovakha, the two southern cities where Ukrainian and Russian officials arranged to allow civilians to evacuate through humanitarian corridors as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement that collapsed hours after it began, with the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense accusing Russia of abusing the agreement to reset its forces.

“Due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence the nationalists or to extend the ceasefire, offensive operations have been resumed from 18:00 Moscow time,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia’s Defense Ministry, said in a statement to Russian news agency Tass. Konashenkov claimed “not a single civilian” was able to leave the two cities through the corridors because “nationalists” prevented them from leaving.

However, in an intelligence update, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense alleged Russia likely agreed to the ceasefire in Mariupol only to provide cover to reset some of its forces for a continued offensive attack without receiving “international condemnation.”

“By accusing Ukraine of breaking the agreement, Russia is likely seeking to shift responsibility for current and future civilian casualties in the city,” it said.

The evacuation process for children, women and the elderly to escape the fighting in the two cities in southern Ukraine was postponed hours after it began, after Ukrainian officials said Russia broke the agreement by shelling the cities and nearby areas along the evacuation routes.

— Anna Kaplan

U.N. Counts 351 Civilian Deaths In Ukraine As Russian Attack Continues

The United Nations’ human rights office said Saturday 351 civilians had died and 707 had been injured as of Friday since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started last week, noting that the actual figures were likely “considerably higher.”

The figures include 329 adult deaths and 22 child deaths, and 671 adult injuries and 36 child injuries.

The U.N. has said the actual numbers were undoubtedly much higher given difficulties in reporting and corroborating casualties amid the ongoing fighting. The U.N. alleged “hundreds of civilian casualties” in Volnovakha, the Ukrainian government-controlled area of Donetsk.

Most civilian casualties continued to be caused by “explosive weapons with a wide impact area,” including shelling from heavy artillery, multi-launch rocket systems and missiles and airstrikes, the U.N. said.

— Lisa Kim

Zelensky Pleads For Planes, Russian Oil Embargo In Call With U.S. Lawmakers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged U.S. lawmakers Saturday to supply Ukraine with warplanes to fight Russian forces and to embargo Russian oil, multiple news outlets report.

Zelensky spoke to more than 300 members of Congress and aides on a Zoom call and made a “desperate plea for Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes to Ukraine,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. Schumer said the warplanes are much needed, and that he “will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.”

An EU promise last week to provide used Russian fighter jets to Ukraine fell through after member countries possessing the planes balked.

Zelensky called for the U.S. to ban the import of Russian oil—a move the Biden administration is reportedly weighing, amid concerns that it could drive up domestic prices. He also reiterated his desire for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which Western leaders have rejected multiple times this week due to the likelihood that it would drag them into a wider war with Russia.

Schumer reportedly pledged to Zelensky that lawmakers were working to pass a $10 billion aid package for Ukraine, which the Biden administration requested earlier this week. The package aims to deliver additional humanitarian, security, and economic assistance to Ukraine and its neighboring countries, according to the White House.

— Anna Kaplan

State Department Urges U.S. Citizens To Leave Russia ‘Immediately’ As American Basketball Player Detained

The State Department warned U.S. citizens in Russia to depart immediately Saturday – ramping up the level of alarm from a February 27 advisory in which it told Americans to “consider” leaving immediately – and continued to direct Americans not to travel to the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The State Department warned that Russian security officials could harass U.S. citizens while the U.S. Embassy has “limited ability to assist” Americans, and the sharply diminished number of flights into and out of the country.

A WNBA player was detained at Russia’s Sheremetyevo airport, near Moscow, after officials found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage, the New York Times and USA Today reported on Saturday, citing the Russian Federal Customs Service. Russian news agency Tass identified the player as Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, citing an anonymous law enforcement source.

The Times reports Griner could face up to 10 years in prison, and the WNBA said in a statement to USA Today her “her swift and safe return” is the organization’s main priority. Read more about her detainment here.

— Anna Kaplan

Aeroflot Suspends International Flights, Except To Belarus

Aeroflot, Russia’s flagship carrier, is suspending all international flights from Monday, except to the country’s ally Belarus, it said in a statement Saturday, following a warning from Russia’s aviation authority that Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes should stop flying overseas due to the likelihood they could be seized.

The airline said the suspension is due to “additional circumstances impeding the operation of flights.”

The move follows the recommendation from Russia’s aviation authority that Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes halt international flights as they risk being seized after the European Union forbade leasing of jets to Russian airlines in its package of sanctions. The EU has given leasing companies until March 28 to end their Russian contracts.

A growing number of countries have closed their airspaces to Russian aircraft, including the United States, Canada and most European countries.

Boeing and Airbus have also halted supplying aircraft parts and services to Russian airlines following the invasion of Ukraine.

— Lisa Kim

Weaponless Kherson Residents Turn To Protests To Resist Russians After Army Retreats, Mayor Says

Armed resistance to Russian forces has ended in the strategically important southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, where the city’s mayor told CNN the local population was unarmed, and a large protest was staged Saturday morning, according to the New York Times.

“We don’t have more weapons to resist, to put up an armed resistance,” said Mayor Ihor Kolykhaiev, who told CNN the army had retreated toward Nikolaev.

A senior U.S. defense official told reporters as recently as Friday the Pentagon could not independently verify reports Russian forces had control of Kherson, as there were still clashes in and around the city.

Saturday morning, a crowd that Kolykhaiev estimated at 2,000 gathered in the city center to protest the Russian occupation of the city.

Kolykhaiev called for humanitarian assistance as “all city services are down,” including water and power. He noted logistical issues with receiving the aid, as the only route to receive supplies is through Crimea, which has been Russian-controlled since its annexation in 2014. The citizens of Kherson also only want to take aid from Ukrainians, according to Kolykhaiev.

“Russians want to send their humanitarian aid, but the people of Kherson are refusing it, because they are patriots and they don’t want aid from Russians,” he said. “So we are not receiving humanitarian aid at the moment.”

— Anna Kaplan

Resistance Of Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Calls ‘Into Question’ Its Statehood, Putin Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Ukraine is at risk of losing its statehood if officials continued to resist his invasion of the country, and denied that Russian conscripts are involved in the fighting.

Claiming there was a possibility of nuclear weapons being placed in Ukraine, Putin said, “Those from today’s leadership should understand that if they continue doing what they are doing, they call into question the future of Ukrainian statehood. And if it happens it will be wholly and fully on their conscience,” Interfax quoted Putin as saying during a meeting Saturday with female crew members of Russian airlines.

In his first extended remarks since the war began, Putin claimed Russia would not need to conscript soldiers to help fight in the invasion, nor would the country need to impose martial law. There have been multiple reports from Russian soldiers and family members of servicemen that conscripts are being put into action in Ukraine, though the military is not legally allowed to employ them in combat.

“Only professional military servicemen take part in this operation, officers and contract soldiers,” Putin claimed, according to the New York Times. “Not a single conscript takes part in it, and we don’t plan to send them there.”

Putin said he did not plan to impose martial law in Russia, unless other countries became aggressive toward the country, including implementing a no-fly zone, which Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for. “The realization of that demand would bring catastrophic results not only to Europe, but to the whole world,” he said.

Western nations have rebuffed the calls for a no-fly zone due to the likelihood that it would lead to a wider war with Russia.

In the meeting, Putin also attacked the sanctions countries have imposed on Russia in retaliation for invading Ukraine, describing them as “like the declaration of war.”

— Anna Kaplan

Temporary Ceasefire Collapses As Ukrainian Officials Say Russian Shelling Continues

Ukrainian officials said Russia had violated the terms of a temporary ceasefire agreement Saturday between the two countries to allow civilians to escape the fighting in two southern cities, Volnovakha and Mariupol. Iryna Vereshchuk, deputy prime minister, said in a video posted on Facebook that Russian forces began shelling Volnovakha around 11:45 a.m., CNBC and CNN report.

“I hereby state that Russia has violated [the ceasefire] agreement, failed to fulfill its duty and shells the town of Volnovakha,” Vereshchuk said, according to a translation from NBC News. “Moreover, there has been fighting in the direction between Mariupol and Zaporizhia.”

Authorities also postponed evacuations from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhya around 12:45 p.m. due to attacks along the route, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the eastern Donetsk region, said in a tweet.

Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a tweet the “ongoing Russian bombardment makes it impossible to open humanitarian corridors for safe evacuation of civilians.” “We call on Moscow to order Russian troops to cease fire immediately,” Nikolenko said.

Earlier on Saturday, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire so that civilians could evacuate through humanitarian corridors from the two cities. Mariupol has faced heavy bombardment this week, leading to supply shortages and utility outages. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko wrote in a Facebook post earlier this week Russian troops “deliberately destroyed” the city’s infrastructure, and that the city is working to restore heat, water and light for residents.

— Anna Kaplan

Russia Declares ‘Ceasefire’ In 2 Southern Ukrainian Cities—And Will Open ‘Humanitarian Corridors’

Russia declared a temporary “ceasefire” early Saturday so civilians in the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha can evacuate through “humanitarian corridors,” the New York Times and Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted Saturday morning “humanitarian evacuation corridors are being prepared for opening” in Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southeastern Ukrainian cities that have seen intense fighting in recent days. He said “the parties temporarily ceased fire in the area of ​​the corridors.”

Russia’s statement claimed the ceasefire will begin at 10 a.m. Moscow time, but didn’t specify how extensive or long-lasting it will be.

On Thursday, delegations from Russia and Ukraine tentatively agreed to open “humanitarian corridors” in certain cities. Podolyak told CNN on Friday these corridors—which could be used to evacuate residents of besieged cities and replenish food and medical supplies—will likely be temporary.

— Joe Walsh

Singapore Unveils Rare Slate Of Sanctions Against Russian Banks And Tech Imports

Singapore will restrict military and high-tech exports to Russia and sanction four Russian banks, including VTB, the Singaporean government announced Saturday morning, an unusual move for a country that normally doesn’t impose sanctions on its own. Singapore is also prohibiting financial institutions from helping Russia’s Central Bank or the Russian government raise funds, and barring the use of cryptocurrency to evade sanctions.

Officials in Singapore first indicated they will roll out sanctions against Russia on Monday. Singapore usually does not enforce sanctions against foreign countries unless they are approved by the United Nations Security Council, Reuters and Bloomberg noted earlier this week. But the government has argued Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is uniquely worrisome because, as a tiny island nation, Singapore views respecting borders as sacrosanct.

“While we continue to value good relations with Russia and the Russian people, we cannot accept the Russian government’s violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another sovereign state. For a small state like Singapore, this is not a theoretical principle, but a dangerous precedent,” the government said in a statement Saturday.

Dozens of other countries have enacted financial penalties similar to Singapore’s. The United States and United Kingdom sanctioned VTB—Russia’s second-largest bank—last week, and U.S., U.K. and European Union leaders plan to halt some technology exports to Russia.

— Joe Walsh

Russia Reportedly Planning To Send 1,000 Additional Mercenaries Into Ukraine

Russia plans to send as many as 1,000 additional private mercenaries to Ukraine over the next few weeks, CNN reported Friday, citing an unnamed U.S. official—joining a corps of Russian mercenaries who are widely suspected to have already entered Ukraine.

CNN reports the 1,000 extra mercenaries could work alongside the Russian military’s ground troops, who have faced morale problems amid resistance from Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters earlier this week.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine last week, the New York Times reported mercenaries from Russia’s secretive Wagner military contracting firm—known for its purported work in Syria and Africa—had quietly entered separatist-run parts of eastern Ukraine. A senior U.S. defense official said Monday the Pentagon has seen “some indications” the Wagner group is present in Ukraine, but it’s unclear how many operatives are in the country.

— Joe Walsh

Zelensky Advisor: Ukraine Working To Create ‘Humanitarian Corridors’—But Trusting Russia Could Be Difficult

One day after Ukraine and Russia tentatively agreed to create “humanitarian corridors” to access besieged Ukrainian cities, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN Friday evening “the work on the logistics is now in progress” to set up temporary routes to evacuate civilians and resupply certain cities with food and medicine.

Zelensky’s advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told CNN Russia hasn’t agreed to create permanent humanitarian corridors, but Ukraine hopes to establish temporary routes that could be free of fighting for several hours at a time.

Podolyak also acknowledged it will be difficult to trust Russia’s military to respect ceasefires near agreed-upon corridors because “its current tactics [are] aimed at spreading panic among people.” Russia has ramped up bombardments of cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv in recent days, destroying apartment complexes and endangering civilians. He suggested international organizations could act as mediators to monitor the status of any humanitarian corridors.

— Joe Walsh

Samsung Is Latest Tech Company To Cut Off Exports To Russia

Samsung Electronics is halting shipments to Russia, the tech company told Reuters and Bloomberg Friday, joining a litany of companies that have stopped selling their products in the country since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine.

Forbes has reached out to Samsung for comment.

Several other companies have distanced themselves from Russia in recent days. Apple paused product sales in Russia on Tuesday, Microsoft took similar action on Friday, and platforms like YouTube and Facebook have imposed restrictions on Russian state-controlled media outlets.

— Joe Walsh

CNN Stops Broadcasting In Russia Amid Kremlin Media Crackdown

CNN will halt broadcasting in Russia, the cable network said Friday, making it the latest Western news outlet to scale back its presence in the country amid tightening government restrictions while it prosecutes an invasion of Ukraine.

A CNN spokesperson told Forbes the network “will stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to evaluate the situation and our next steps moving forward.” A source at CNN said the outlet doesn’t plan on pulling its staff out of Russia.

The Russian government has sought to tightly control how media outlets report on the war with Ukraine, passing a law that threatens journalists with prison sentences of up to 15 years if they report what the Kremlin deems to be fake information about the invasion. Two of the country’s only remaining independent broadcasters left the airwaves earlier this week amid pressure from Russian authorities. Earlier Friday, access to Facebook and the BBC’s website was blocked, and the BBC said it would suspend local reporting in Russia.

— Joe Walsh

Zelensky Excoriates NATO For Rejecting No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said NATO “gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages” by refusing to implement a no-fly zone over his country, in a speech late Friday night translated by Reuters. Zelensky also called a summit of NATO countries earlier Friday “weak” and “confused,” pushing the alliance to take further action.

As Russia escalates its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, Zelensky has repeatedly urged Western leaders to force Russian warplanes to stay out of Ukraine’s airspace. The United States and its allies have categorically rejected the idea and warned enforcing a no-fly zone would require Western militaries to confront and shoot down Russian aircraft, leading to the risk of a broader war between nuclear-armed powers. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday “we have a responsibility to ensure [the war] does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine. That would be even more devastating and dangerous.”

Beyond the risks, some military experts argue a no-fly zone’s impact on the war in Ukraine could be fairly muted, since most Ukrainian civilian deaths so far appear to have been caused by artillery fire and missile strikes rather than attacks from aircraft.

“Contrary to what so many in the commentariat seem to believe, a no-fly zone is not a military half-measure. It is a combat operation designed to deprive the enemy of its airpower, and it involves direct and sustained fighting,” the national security website War on the Rocks wrote.

— Joe Walsh

White House ‘Looking At Options’ To Limit Russian Oil—But Blinken Finds ‘No Strategic Interest’ In Supply Cuts

The federal government is considering ways to reduce U.S. imports of Russian oil, Council of Economic Advisors Chair Cecilia Rouse said Friday, though the Biden Administration still appears hesitant to pursue a strategy that could cause prices to spike even higher.

Rouse said during a White House press briefing “we are looking at options that we can take right now if we were to cut the U.S. consumption of Russian energy, but what’s really most important is that we maintain a steady supply of global energy.”

However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back on the idea of restricting Russian oil Friday, telling reporters “there’s no strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy.” He didn’t rule out the idea, but warned sanctions against Russian energy exports—a key part of Russia’s economy—could add fuel to the fire of the recent sharp rise in oil prices, an argument the Biden Administration has often articulated this week.

Earlier Friday, Bloomberg reported the Biden Administration has discussed the possibility of a ban on Russian oil with both federal staffers and the petroleum industry, citing unnamed sources. But oil is fungible, and Bloomberg reports the administration is concerned any Russian crude oil that the United States stops importing may just go to other countries, causing U.S. prices to increase without any tangible impact on Russia’s bottom line.

Last year, the United States imported around 72.6 million barrels of Russian crude oil, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s statistics, a small fraction of the roughly 2.2 billion barrels of crude oil imported into the U.S. from all countries in the same year, with Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia ranking as the top foreign sources of oil. (Russia accounted for about 20% of the 861 million barrels of refined petroleum products the U.S. imported last year, but imports are small compared to domestic production.)

Even though sanctions from Western countries haven’t directly targeted oil imports, some of the other severe economic penalties imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine could disrupt the country’s energy sector. Russia has reportedly struggled to find buyers for its oil, as traders steer clear of the country to avoid violating financial industry sanctions.

— Joe Walsh

About 100 People Believed Trapped In Rubble Of Destroyed Apartment Building Near Kyiv, CNN Reports

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service believes around 100 people are still trapped in the rubble of a heavily bombarded apartment building in an area north of Kyiv, but an official told CNN rescue crews have been unable to reach them due to constant shelling from Russian forces.

Drone footage published Thursday showed large chunks of a multi-story apartment complex essentially leveled by shelling in Borodyanka just north of Kyiv, as Russian forces attempt to advance toward Ukraine’s capital.

“We are ready to evacuate people as soon as there is an agreement on a ‘green corridor,'” State Emergency Service spokesperson Viktoriya Ruban told CNN, appearing to refer to “humanitarian corridors” Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed to in principle during talks on Thursday.

The agreement appears to involve temporary ceasefires to evacuate survivors of besieged cities, though exact logistics have not been confirmed and no corridors have been set up yet.

Russia Blocks Access To Facebook, Twitter

Russia blocked access to Facebook across the country Friday in what Russian regulators said was retaliation for the social media giant restricting access to Russian media, and soon after blocked Twitter as well, according to Interfax. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, restricted access to posts from state-sponsored media outlets like RT and Sputnik earlier this week, while Twitter took steps to limit the reach of tweets linking to Russian state-affiliated news sources.

Read more about the bans here.

— Anna Kaplan

U.S. Officials Say Russian Attack On Power Plant A ‘War Crime’ That Almost Caused ‘Nuclear Catastrophe’

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Friday that Russia nearly caused a “nuclear catastrophe” during an overnight attack that sparked a fire in the administration building at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Thomas-Greenfield called Russia’s decision to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant “madness” that threatened the security of both Ukrainians and Russians if there had been a meltdown and release of radiation.

The State Department also condemned the attack in a statement to Forbes. “The intentional targeting of civilians or civilian objects, including nuclear power plants, is a war crime, and we are assessing the circumstances of this operation,” a State Department spokesperson said. “But — regardless of the legality — this action was the height of irresponsibility, and the Kremlin must cease operations around nuclear infrastructure.”

Russian forces now control the facility after intense fighting overnight. The fire has been put out and the International Atomic Energy Agency hasn’t found any evidence radioactive material was released into the environment.

Ukrainian workers running the plant have reportedly been forced to remain on the job at gunpoint.

— Nicholas Reimann and Anna Kaplan

State Department Tells U.S. Embassies In Europe Not To Retweet Kyiv Embassy’s ‘War Crime’ Tweet, Reports Say

The State Department sent a message Friday to U.S. embassies in Europe, asking for staffers not to retweet a tweet from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv calling Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine a “war crime,” NBC News and CNN report, citing an internal email.

“All – do not/not retweet Embassy Kyiv’s tweet on shelling of the facility being a possible war crime,” the message reportedly said. “If you have retweeted it – un-retweet it ASAP.”

The State Department did not comment on the email, but a spokesperson said in a statement to Forbes “the intentional targeting of civilians or civilian objects, including nuclear power plants, is a war crime,” and that the department is “assessing the circumstances” of the Russian operation.

NBC News reports the State Department also sent a memo to its public affairs offices in Europe asking them not to endorse the message of the tweet. The U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s tweet said the shelling takes Putin’s “reign of terror one step further,” and had not been taken down as of 2:15 p.m.

— Anna Kaplan

UN Confirms 331 Civilian Deaths In Ukraine—But Real Number Likely To Be Much Higher

The United Nations said it had counted 331 civilian deaths and 675 civilian injuries in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion as of Thursday, adding the real number was likely to be higher.

The UN’s toll includes 312 adult deaths and 19 child deaths, and 644 injured adults and 31 injured children. It said the figures “could rise considerably further” as Russian attacks were delaying the verification of Ukrainian casualties, including the alleged “hundreds of civilian casualties” in the Ukrainian government-controlled area of Donetsk. Volnovakha was heavily damaged Thursday by Russian forces that used airstrikes and artillery shelling to attack the city, according to Forbes Ukraine.

Most civilian casualties were caused by “explosive weapons with a wide impact area,” including shelling from heavy artillery, multi-launch rocket systems and missiles and airstrikes, the UN said.

The Ukrainian government puts the death toll far higher than the UN. Ukraine’s emergency service said Wednesday more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians had been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country last week.

–Lisa Kim

Russian Forces Repelled From Mykolaiv In Southern Ukraine, Official Says

The Russian advance in southern Ukraine made its way to the city of Mykolaiv on Friday, but forces were pushed back from the city’s center to its outskirts, according to regional governor Vitaliy Kim.

Kim said in a video message that most of the Russian machinery was “destroyed and kicked out of the city,” according to a translation tweeted by former Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba.

A U.S. official told reporters at a Pentagon press briefing Friday American intelligence had observed fighting near Mykolaiv.

Russian forces appear to be having the most success taking the southern portion of Ukraine, which is the site of Kherson, the largest Ukrainian city to fall so far in the war. Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine is reportedly without access to power or water amid a Russian siege. Capturing Mariupol would create a landbridge connecting Russian forces in Crimea to the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

Odessa, a major Black Sea port in southwestern Ukraine and the country’s third-largest city, remains under Ukrainian control.

— Nicholas Reimann

Russian Forces Remain Stalled Outside Kyiv As ‘Vast Majority’ Of $350 Million U.S. Aid Package Reaches Ukraine

Russian troops remain about 15 miles north of Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv, as Ukrainian attacks combined with a destroyed bridge have slowed their advance, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday. “We certainly believe that the Ukrainians blowing up that bridge absolutely had an effect on stopping and curtailing the movement of that convoy,” the official said. “But we also believe that they have hit the convoy at other places as well in direct attacks.”

Another senior U.S. defense official said about $240 million worth of aid from a $350 million U.S. security assistance package approved last week has been delivered to Ukraine, and the rest should arrive within the next few weeks. It’s the largest presidential drawdown package in history, according to the State Department, and it contains equipment Ukrainian forces have already been trained on. A total of 14 countries have provided security assistance to Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the official, who declined to specify the countries by name.

Among other updates:

• The Pentagon has “no reason to doubt” claims that Russia has taken control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to the official, after Russian shelling sparked a fire near the plant overnight, which the first official described as “recklessness.”
• There is no evidence of radioactive leakage from the facility, all of the fires are out and the U.S. Department of Energy is monitoring the situation.
• Russian forces remain about 6 miles outside of the cities of Chernihiv and Kharkiv, though due to the urban sprawl of Kharkiv, the distance “equates to really being on the outskirts of the city.”
• The U.S. sees Russian forces having more success in the south, and is not disputing reports that Russia has taken Kherson, though there have been clashes and conflicts near the city.
• Mairupol remains under Ukrainian control, though the city is under heavy bombardment and Russian troops are continuing to advance, leading to utility outages and supply issues.
• There is also fighting near the city of Mykolaiv, northwest of Kherson.
• About 92% of Russian forces assembled for the invasion have entered Ukraine, up from 90% on Thursday.
• More than 500 Russian missiles have been launched since the invasion began, up from about 480 on Thursday.
• The airspace over Ukraine remains contested – “a significant majority” of Ukraine’s aircraft remain available, the official said, and Ukrainian air and missile defenses remain effective.

— Anna Kaplan

Historically Neutral Switzerland Announces New Sanctions Against Russia

The Swiss government on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia, including banning all transactions involving the Russian Central Bank.

The sanctions mainly impact Russia’s ability to secure financing and conduct international trade, such as suspending the use of public financing for investments in Russia and prohibiting the export of goods for use in Russia’s oil and aerospace industries.

Switzerland took up the sanctions in line with penalties already approved by the European Union, including freezing the assets of dozens of Russian oligarchs with ties to Vladimir Putin.

The country on Tuesday closed its airspace to Russian flights as part of an earlier round of sanctions.

The Swiss government said in a statement it believes the sanctions are “compatible with Switzerland’s neutrality” while “due consideration is being given to humanitarian activities.”

— Nicholas Reimann

UN Security Council Calls Emergency Meeting After Attack On Nuclear Plant

The United Nations Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting at 11:30 a.m. Friday in New York to discuss the Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power facility in Europe, according to multiple reports.

Russian forces have seized the plant after a battle with Ukrainians early Friday morning that included shelling, which caused a fire at one of the facility’s buildings and prompted concerns the attack would lead to a catastrophic nuclear meltdown.

Fighting at the plant has since subsided and the International Atomic Energy Agency reported there was “no release” of radioactive material from the facility.

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine tweeted Friday that Russia’s attack on the plant constituted a “war crime.”

— Nicholas Reimann

Russia Says ‘No Talk’ Of Formalizing Agreement For Temporary Ceasefires

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday Russia has no plans at this point to sign any documents formalizing a tentative agreement that appeared to allow for temporary, localized ceasefires in Ukraine.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted Thursday that a second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials yielded a “solution” to create “humanitarian corridors” allowing survivors the chance to safely evacuate from besieged cities through temporary ceasefires.

The agreement marked the first progress made so far in two rounds of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials since the start of the war, but there wasn’t any headway made on Ukraine’s top two goals: a nationwide ceasefire and armistice.

Formal documents could provide more certainty to the tentative agreement made Thursday, though Russia has put little value in existing international agreements since invading its neighbor last week, and the nation is now under investigation by the International Criminal Court for potential war crimes over shelling civilian targets.

Russian officials did acknowledge Thursday’s agreement was very important, according to pool reports, and plans have been made for a third round of talks.

— Nicholas Reimann

NATO Rejects Creating A No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine To Avoid Direct Conflict With Russia

NATO foreign ministers rejected the idea of establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine on the grounds it would cause the war to spread beyond that country, the alliance’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference Friday,

“We are not part of this conflict,” Stoltenberg said, “and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine.”

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said Friday any demands for the alliance to implement a no-fly zone are “irresponsible” as it would require the alliance getting involved in military conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the alliance to create a no-fly zone over the country as Russia escalates bombardment of major cities in Ukraine.

The U.S. has previously ruled out enacting a no-fly zone. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday at a press briefing that it “would require, essentially, the U.S. military shooting down Russian planes and causing a — prompting a potential direct war with Russia, something — the exact step that we want to avoid.”

— Lisa Kim

‘Worse Days’ Likely To Come For Ukraine, NATO Chief Warns

Speaking at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels Friday, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said things are likely to get worse for Ukraine in the near future, with Russian forces expected to bring in “heavier weaponry” as they continue attacks across the country. “The days to come are likely to be worse, with more death, more sufferings, and more destruction,” he said.

“We have seen the use of cluster bombs and we have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which would be in violation of international law,” Stoltenberg said. Cluster bombs are widely condemned in the international community due to the risk of civilian casualties in densely populated areas. Stoltenberg called on the International Criminal Court to make a decision to open an investigation into the use of these types of weapons in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg described the conflict as the “worst military aggression in Europe for decades” and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop this war immediately.” The chief reiterated that NATO is “not part” of the conflict but is committed to defending itself and ensuring hostilities do not spread beyond Ukraine. Stoltenberg said the alliance’s relationship with Russia has been “fundamentally changed” in the long-term as a result of the invasion.

– Robert Hart

U.S. Accuses Russia Of War Crime After Attack On Nuclear Power Plant

Russia’s attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is a “war crime,” the U.S. embassy in Kyiv said on Friday. “It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant,” the embassy tweeted, after Russian forces reportedly seized control of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.

The embassy added: “Putin’s shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of nuclear terrorism. In addition to Zaporizhzhia, Russia has also seized the Chernobyl site.

The accusation by a U.S. entity goes a step further than previous criticisms of Russian aggression in Ukraine, which have alluded to, but stopped short of, explicit accusations of war crimes. Russia has been accused of using prohibited weapons like vacuum bombs and cluster munitions in Ukraine and of intentionally targeting civilians.

A fire broke out at the plant overnight Friday when a Russian projectile hit the complex, sparking fears of a nuclear incident and international condemnation. Three Ukrainian troops were killed and two security staff at the plant injured, according to Ukraine’s state nuclear company and the UN’s nuclear watchdog, which said the projectile did not hit a reactor and no radioactive material had been released. However, the situation “remains very challenging,” said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi.

– Robert Hart

UN Human Rights Council Backs Probe Into Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday voted overwhelmingly to create a high-level investigation into alleged human rights violations committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thirty-two out of the council’s 47 members backed the probe, which aims to hold responsible parties accountable if violations have occurred. Russia—which denies committing any human rights violations like targeting civilians in Ukraine—was one of two countries to vote against the investigation. Eritrea also voted against establishing the probe, and remaining countries including India, Kazakhstan, Sudan and Cuba, abstained. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the decision and said “Russian war criminals will be held accountable.”

States are elected to serve three year terms on the UNHRC by members of the UN’s General Assembly. The council’s inclusion of countries accused of human rights violations is controversial and widely criticized by Western governments. Russia is no exception and rights groups pointed to alleged war crimes before it was reelected in 2020. Russia’s membership on the council has become another flashpoint following its invasion of Ukraine, where it has been accused of targeting civilians, nuclear facilities and using prohibited weapons including cluster munitions and vacuum bombs.

– Robert Hart

More Russian Banks To Be Removed From SWIFT In New Round Of EU Sanctions, Irish Minister Says

Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said the next salvo of EU sanctions will take “more Russian banks” out of SWIFT, a crucial part of the global financial system, according to RTE. Several Russian banks have already been cut off from SWIFT in earlier waves of sanctions and Coveney did not specify which banks are set to be barred.

Coveney said the bloc will be “significantly adding” to its sanctions on Russia today, which are about “isolating” the country on the international stage, and he expects it will ban imports like steel, timber, aluminum and potentially even coal, noting the latter could have an impact on already volatile fuel prices in Europe. Russian flagged ships will also likely be banned from entering EU ports, Coveney added.

“These are big decisions by the European Union that are going to have an impact on Ireland and EU countries,” Coveney said. “But they’re decisions that need to be taken to send very, very strong messages to Russia that this madness must stop.”

– Robert Hart

Attack On Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant Demonstrates ‘Recklessness’ Of Putin’s War, NATO Chief Says

NATO Secretary General Jens Stontenberg on Friday condemned Russia’s “brutal” invasion of Ukraine and its attacks on civilians. He said Russian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine “demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it.” However, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO “is not part of the conflict,” despite support to Ukraine and “unprecedented” sanctions against Russia. “We don’t seek war, conflict with Russia…. NATO is a defensive alliance,” he said.

Speaking at the same press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that while NATO does not seek conflict, it is “ready for it… if conflict comes to us.” U.S. and European allies are set for a day of talks on Saturday.

– Robert Hart

IAEA Says ‘No Release’ Of Radioactive Material After Attack On Europe’s Largest Nuclear Plant

Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have not damaged any of the site’s six nuclear reactors and there has been no release of radioactive material, said International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi at a press conference Friday. Five of the plant’s reactors are offline, Grossi added, with the remaining reactor operating at 60% capacity. Safety systems were “not affected at all” in the attack, which hit an “adjacent” building. Two security personnel died in the attack, Grossi said.

Grossi added the situation is “fragile” and “unstable,” and offered to personally travel to Chernobyl, which is under the control of Russian forces, in order to speak with Russia and Ukraine. The agency head stressed the initiative is about ensuring the safety of nuclear operations and has “nothing to do” with the political situation between Russia and Ukraine as this is beyond the IAEA’s remit. “I am not a self-appointed mediator.”

– Robert Hart

BBC, Radio Liberty Restricted In Russia

Russia’s censorship of the war intensified Friday after the country’s communications regulator blocked access to the BBC’s local website and Radio Liberty.

According to GlobalCheck, which tracks site outages and availability, Twitter and Facebook were also restricted in Russia as of Friday morning, while Radio Liberty reports that Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store were also blocked.

The move comes a week after Russia partially blocked access to Facebook, citing a violation of “the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens” and accusing the platform of “censorship.”

Russia’s domestic coverage of the war is largely sanitized and independent broadcasters have been taken off air over the past week.

Russian state-backed channel RT came off air in the U.K. and EU Thursday and CNN reported the channel’s U.S. arm was shutting down the same day.

– Isabel Togoh

Stocks In Asia, Europe Drop

Stocks in Asia slid Friday and in pre-market trading in Europe as investors react to the ongoing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index and Tokyo’s Nikkei were down more than 2%, while stocks in Shanghai fell almost 1%.

The drop comes after a blaze broke out at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, following shelling by Russian forces, but was later extinguished and no deaths were reported.

Benchmarks in London and across Europe were down around 2% in pre-market trading.

Moscow’s stock exchange will remain closed for a fifth day Friday. On Thursday, the Kremlin admitted that Russia’s economy was “experiencing serious blows” amid the impact of Western sanctions and as dozens of multinational firms pull out or halt operations in the country. Regulators in the U.S. along with the London Stock Exchange also halted trading with dozens of firms linked to Russia this week.

– Isabel Togoh

Fire Extinguished at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Ukraine Says

Emergency personnel have extinguished a fire that broke out at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant early Friday morning, with no casualties reported, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine announced on Facebook.

The fire was in a training building at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is Ukraine’s largest nuclear power station. Ukrainian regulators told the International Atomic Energy Agency earlier Friday that radiation levels haven’t increased and the fire did not endanger any “essential” equipment.

The fire broke out after Russian forces began approaching the plant, with heavy fighting reported in a town just miles away from the facility. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s military was “firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia.” The nuclear plant is located along the Dnieper River in the country’s south, which has faced an onslaught of invading Russian forces in recent days.

— Joe Walsh

Airbnb Halts Operations In Russia

Short-term apartment rental service Airbnb is “suspending all operations” in Russia and allied nation Belarus, CEO Brian Chesky tweeted Thursday, the latest company to pull out of the Russian market.

Airbnb has halted all new bookings in both countries, and will prevent users in Russia and Belarus from making reservations, the company told Forbes in a statement.

Chesky has been outspoken about the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, offering earlier this week to house as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees free of charge. More than 1 million people fled Ukraine in the first week of Russia’s invasion, according to the United Nations.

Several other Western companies have distanced themselves from Russia over the last week, including petroleum giants BP and Shell. For more details on corporate responses to Russia’s invasion, click here.

— Joe Walsh

U.K. Calls For UN Security Council Meeting Over Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Fire

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting “in the coming hours,” after a fire broke out at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid heavy Russian fighting early Friday morning, Johnson’s office said.

Johnson says he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the “gravely concerning situation” at the power plant, and called on Russia to cease all attacks near the facility, echoing a similar message from U.S. President Joe Biden. The International Atomic Energy Agency says radiation levels haven’t increased since the fire began, citing Ukraine’s nuclear regulator, but warned fighting near the plant is extremely dangerous.

The UN Security Council has met to discuss Ukraine several times in recent weeks, but Russia is one of five Security Council members with the ability to veto resolutions, which limits the body’s ability to respond definitively to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Last week, a resolution calling for an end to the war failed after Russia wielded its veto power.

— Joe Walsh

Biden Urges Russia To Stop Fighting Near Ukrainian Nuclear Plant After Fire Breaks Out

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy late Thursday night, as a fire broke out at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In a readout, the White House said Biden “joined President Zelenskyy in urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.”

The fire began after Russian troops started fighting in a town just miles away from the Zaporizhzhia plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Twitter that Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has reported “no change” in radiation levels, and the fire hasn’t impacted critical plant equipment, but an attack on one of the plant’s reactors could lead to “severe danger.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm tweeted that American officials also haven’t observed elevated radiation levels, noting the Zaporizhzhia plant’s reactors are surrounded by “robust containment structures.”

— Joe Walsh

‘No Change’ In Radiation Levels After Fire Breaks Out At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Ukraine Says

Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has observed “no change” in radiation levels after a fire broke out early Friday at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency tweeted. The fire also hasn’t impacted “essential” equipment, Ukrainian officials told the IAEA.

The fire at Zaporizhzhia—the largest nuclear plant in Ukraine—was reported after Russian troops began fighting in the nearby town of Energodar. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Russia is “firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia.”

The IAEA warned of “severe danger” if one of Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear reactors is hit, and called for an end to the use of force near the plant.

— Joe Walsh

Fire Reported At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant As Russian Troops Approach

A fire has broken out at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant—amid intense fighting with nearby Russian forces, local and national officials said early Friday morning.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Russia is “firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia,” causing a fire to start, and Dmytro Orlov—the mayor of nearby Energodar—confirmed the fire on social media, according to Reuters. Orlov and Kuleba didn’t offer further details on the extent of the fire.

Russian ground troops are fighting within several kilometers of the nuclear plant and are “moving directly towards” the site, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator told the International Atomic Energy Agency, a situation Ukrainian officials called “critical.” The IAEA said in a press release the Russian military “broke through the block-post” outside the town of Energodar, and fighting is now ongoing in the town and on the road to the nuclear plant. On Wednesday, a crowd of civilians had blocked Russian troops from entering Energodar.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the second-largest nuclear plant in Europe, and one of the 10 largest in the world, with six pressurized water reactors. Last week, Russian forces also captured Chernobyl, the site of a massive nuclear disaster in 1986.

U.S. Offers Temporary Immigration Protections To Ukrainians Amid Russian War

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will offer Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians who entered the United States by March 1, allowing them to temporarily remain in the country without fear of deportation, DHS said Thursday. The move comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced more than 1 million Ukrainians to flee their home country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also paused deportation flights to Ukraine, a spokesperson for the agency told Forbes earlier Thursday.

Temporary Protected Status allows people from countries devastated by wars or natural disasters to temporarily live and work in the United States, even after their current U.S. visa expires. TPS for Ukraine will last 18 months, DHS said, though the Biden Administration has the power to extend it. The Migration Policy Institute, a think tank, has reportedly estimated there are about 30,000 Ukrainians in the United States who are neither U.S. citizens or permanent residents, making them potentially eligible for Temporary Protected Status.

Deportations of Ukrainians are fairly unusual: ICE removed just 106 Ukrainian citizens from the United States in fiscal year 2020, a tiny share of the agency’s 185,884 total deportations that year. Some 125 Ukrainians were deported in 2019 and 105 were deported in 2018.

A dozen other countries racked by conflict or natural disaster are currently designated for Temporary Protected Status, including Haiti and Syria.

— Joe Walsh

Kherson Days Away From Running Out Of Food, City Official Says

Kherson, the southern Ukraine city surrounded by Russian troops, is “maybe three, four days” away from running out of food and medicine, the secretary of the city council, Galina Luhova, told the Washington Post Thursday.

“We’re running out of medicines, we’re out of baby food, we are running out of diapers, and we are running out of first aid in hospitals,” Luhova told the Post by telephone.

The city requires a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to safely evacuate the war-torn region, she said. Earlier in the day Ukrainian and Russian negotiators reached a tentative agreement to set up such corridors.

Another Kherson resident told CNN earlier Thursday the city is low on insulin as pharmacies are being looted by Russian troops and others.

On Wednesday, the city’s mayor, Ihor Kolykhaiev, said the city had already fallen to the Russians, and that Russian soldiers aimed to establish a military government despite President Vladimir Putin’s claims that he had no intention of occupying Ukraine. Neither the Pentagon nor the Ukrainian Defense Ministry could could definitively confirm that the city was under Russian control as of Thursday morning.

Kremlin-Controlled News Channel RT America Shuts Down

The American affiliate of Russian-government funded cable news network RT is suspending its operations and laying off most staff, CNN and CNBC reported Thursday, citing an internal memo from RT America’s production company T&R Productions.

RT Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anna Belkina said in a statement to Forbes the network is “sad and disappointed” that RT America is leaving the airwaves, citing “challenging external circumstances.”

RT has sought to build a U.S. audience for years, partnering with familiar American personalities like Larry King, William Shatner and Ed Schultz. The network has faced criticism for pushing inaccurate pro-Kremlin narratives, particularly since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the last week, DirecTV promised to remove RT America from its channel lineup, YouTube prohibited RT from monetizing its content and the European Union banned RT outright.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Pauses Deportations To Ukraine

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has “paused” deportation flights to Ukraine, an agency spokesperson told Forbes on Thursday, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine imperils civilians and forces over 1 million Ukrainians to flee.

“ICE will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and make operational changes as necessary,” the spokesperson said.

ICE removed just 106 Ukrainian citizens from the United States in fiscal year 2020, compared to 125 in 2019 and 105 in 2018.

— Joe Walsh

Macron Says ‘Vital To Maintain Dialogue’ Even As Putin Refuses To Stop War In Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Thursday afternoon he remains “fully determined” to continue to talk with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president told him Thursday morning he has no intention of halting his military offensive in Ukraine.

“I will continue my efforts and contacts. We must avoid the worst,” Macron tweeted, while saying Putin “refused to stop attacks in Ukraine.”

According to the Washington Post, citing a French official, Macron was convinced after the 90-minute phone call that Putin intends for Russia to take over all of Ukraine, believing “the worst is yet to come.”

The Kremlin said in a statement Thursday that Putin informed the French president that Russia would keep up the war until Ukraine is completely demilitarized and it is certain “a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory.”

— Nicholas Reimann

Russia Agrees To Allow ‘Humanitarian Corridors’—But No National Ceasefire In Ukraine

Russian and Ukrainian officials have reached a tentative agreement allowing residents of cities besieged by Russian forces to evacuate via “humanitarian corridors,” according to a Ukrainian official, which could involve temporary, local ceasefires.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted the tentative deal was made during a round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on Thursday, though he added no agreement was made on Ukraine’s top priorities—a nationwide ceasefire and armistice.

“The results Ukraine needs are not yet achieved,” Podolyak tweeted.

Russian officials called the agreements very important, according to CNN, citing pool reports from Moscow.

The two sides reportedly agreed there will be a third round of talks.

— Nicholas Reimann

U.S. Says 90% Of Russian Forces Are Now In Ukraine As Troops Remain ‘Largely Stalled’ In The North

Russia has directed about 90% of the combat power it assembled for its invasion across the border and into Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said during a press briefing Thursday. Ukrainian cities to the north and east remain under heavy bombardment a week into the invasion, though Russian forces are “largely stalled” in northern Ukraine.

Here are additional updates from the senior defense official:

• More than 480 Russian missile launches have been fired since the war began, with the majority coming from inside Ukraine, followed by Russia (more than 160), Belarus (more than 70) and the Black Sea (less than 10).
• The Pentagon cannot independently verify reports that the city of Kherson is under Russian control, as both sides are “still fighting.”
• Russian forces are on the outskirts of Kyiv to the north and northwest, and the 40-mile military convoy remains stalled.
• The senior defense official said Russian troops appear to be trying to get to Kyiv “every single day” and are facing strong Ukrainian resistance, along with supply issues, as they intend to encircle the city.
• None of the Russian forces outside of Kyiv are closer than 25 kilometers, or about 15 miles, from the city.
• There is increasing bombardment in Chernihiv and Kharkiv, and there are indications Russian troops are “just outside the city” in Kharkiv.
• Russian forces are advancing on Mariupol from the north and from the coastline “with the apparent intention to isolate the city.”
• The airspace over Ukraine remains “contested,” and Ukrainian air defenses remain intact and effective.

— Anna Kaplan

Russia Reportedly Considering Public Executions To Break Ukrainian Morale

Russia has drafted plans to crush the morale of the Ukrainian people in captured cities that include imprisoning political opponents and potentially public executions, according to Bloomberg, which cites a European intelligence official.

Russian soldiers have faced stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops as well as civilians who have taken up arms. Civilians have also attempted to stop Russian advances through tactics like laying on the ground to block military vehicles.

— Nicholas Reimann

Lukoil, Russia’s Second-Biggest Company, Calls For Peace Talks

Russia’s second-largest company has requested peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, according to multiple reports.

Lukoil, which is led by Russian billionaire Vagit Alekperov, joined the calls for peace Thursday after boycott threats against its gas stations in the U.S., though most are owned by Americans as franchises.

The company’s London-listed stock has plummeted more than 99% since Russia invaded Ukraine last week.

Alekperov’s net worth has declined to around $18.6 billion after peaking at nearly $25 billion last year, according to Forbes.

— Nicholas Reimann

Ukraine And Russia Begin Second Round Of Ceasefire Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said the second round of ceasefire talks with Russia began Thursday evening. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, said in a tweet the key issues include an “immediate ceasefire, armistice and humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from destroyed or constantly shelled villages/cities.”

— Anna Kaplan

Mariupol Mayor Says Russian Forces Created ‘Humanitarian Disaster’ In City

The mayor of Mariupol, a city in southeastern Ukraine that is surrounded by Russian forces, said Russian soldiers had destroyed bridges and created a “blockade,” trapping women, children and the elderly in the city. “We are being destroyed as a nation,” Mayor Vadym Boychenko wrote in a Facebook post. “This is the genocide of the Ukrainian people.”

Boychenko said Russian troops “deliberately destroyed” the city’s infrastructure for the past seven days, and that the city is working to restore infrastructure capabilities. Boychenko also called on international groups to create a humanitarian corridor to help get supplies to the city to aid the “humanitarian disaster.”

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian National Guard told CNN the situation in Mariupol “remains difficult,” but stressed that “the Ukrainian military is not going to surrender the city.”

— Anna Kaplan

Biden Wants $10 Billion More In Aid For Ukraine, Report Says

The Biden administration will ask Congress to approve an additional $10 billion in aid for Ukraine, the Washington Post reports, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the plans. The $10 billion request aims to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the country, supporting Ukraine’s defenses, protecting the country’s electrical grid and assisting other European allies, the Post reports.

Lawmakers have been working in recent weeks to create a long-term deal to fund the government, as the spending bill is set to expire on March 11. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said there had been a “snag” over Ukraine assistance, claiming Democrats were trying to take the money from funds they had planned to allocate to the Pentagon.

The Post reports the Biden administration’s new request may alleviate these concerns, as the funding would come from new emergency aid for Ukraine, not repurposed dollars for the Department of Defense.

— Anna Kaplan

UN Nuclear Watchdog Urges Russia To Cease Action At Ukrainian Nuclear Sites

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and called on Russia to “immediately cease actions” at Ukrainian nuclear sites, according to AFP and Reuters. Twenty six countries on the board of the UN’s nuclear watchdog supported the resolution, five abstained (India, Pakistan, Senegal, Vietnam and South Africa) and two (Mexico and Burundi) were absent. Just two voted against the resolution: Russia and China.

The resolution comes amid reports Russian forces have surrounded Ukraine’s biggest nuclear plant—the largest in Europe—and a day after IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned about the dangers of war around nuclear facilities. Russian forces have already taken control over the decommissioned Chernobyl power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

– Robert Hart

Formula 1 Cuts Ties With Russia Grand Prix

Formula 1 on Thursday cut ties with the Russian Grand Prix a week after cancelling the race this year.

In a statement reported by the BBC, F1 said it cancelled its “contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter meaning Russia will not have a race in the future.”

Read more about how the sports world has reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

– Isabel Togoh

IKEA Halts Russia Operations

Furniture giant IKEA temporarily halted its Russia operations Thursday, including closing its shops and stopping its sourcing from the country, as well as Belarus.

A statement from the companies in charge of IKEA’s stores and supply, reported by Reuters, read: “The war has both a huge human impact and is resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions, which is why the company groups have decided to temporarily pause IKEA operations in Russia.”

Read more about the growing list of firms cutting ties with Russia.

— Isabel Togoh

London Stock Exchange Suspends Trading With Dozens Of Russia-Based Firms

The London Stock Exchange halted trading Tuesday with more Russian-based firms, including Gazprom and Sberbank.

A statement by the LSE read: “Further to recent sanctions in connection with events in Ukraine, in light of market conditions, and in order to maintain orderly markets, the London Stock Exchange has suspended the admission to trading of the instruments…with immediate effect.”

The move follows Sberbank’s exit from Europe on Tuesday and a barrage of Western sanctions against Russia that has cracked down on financial institutions, Putin allies and oligarchs.

— Isabel Togoh

French Government Seizes Yacht Linked To Rosneft Chief Igor Sechin

French authorities on Thursday seized a yacht they believe is linked to Russian oil baron Igor Sechin, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, in the port of La Ciotat. This seizure by France follows a similar move by German authorities, who seized a mega yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov on Wednesday.

According to the French finance ministry the yacht was owned by an entity of which Sechin had been identified as the main shareholder.

Read more here.

— Siladitya Ray

Russian And Belarusian Athletes Banned From Winter Paralympic Games

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, the International Paralympic Committee announced Thursday. The move comes a day after the sporting body faced widespread criticism and threats of boycotts following it’s initial decision to allow athletes from those countries to compete under a neutral flag.

The number of athletes, teams and national Paralympic committees threatening to boycott the Games over Russian and Belarusian involvement was jeopardizing the “viability” of the Games, IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement explaining the u-turn.

The “situation in the athlete villages is escalating” and has become “untenable,” putting the IPC in a “unique and impossible position” close to the Games’ launch on Friday, Parsons added.

Read more here.

— Robert Hart

Biden Set To Meet Other Leaders Of The Quad Alliance Later Today

Leaders of the Indo-Pacific security alliance known as the Quad—including U.S. President Joe Biden—will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, the group’s first meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A statement put out by the Indian Foreign Ministry noted that the leaders in the meeting will “exchange views and assessments about important developments in the Indo-Pacific,” with no mention of the Russia-Ukraine situation.

The Quad—which Beijing has referred to as Indo-Pacific NATO—is made up of the U.S., India, Australia and Japan and is seen as counterbalance against China.

On the issue of Russia, however, the groups appears to be divided with Japan and Australia backing the U.S. and NATO’s condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, while India has chosen to remain on the sideline and has abstained from key votes on the issue in the U.N.

— Siladitya Ray

Oil Depot In Chernihiv Catches Fire After Being Struck By Shelling

Diesel tanks in an oil depot in the city of Chernihiv were hit by an airstrike on Thursday morning, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said in a post on Facebook.

The agency said it was still working to find out details of any casualties but noted that diesel tanks with a total capacity of 5,000 cubic meters have caught fire.

Photos shared by the agency showed massive clouds of thick black smoke billowing from a large tanker with firefighters at the scene.

— Siladitya Ray

Russia Column Outside Kyiv Has Made Very Little Progress, U.K. Defense Ministry Says

The Russian military’s massive convoy of soldiers, vehicles and weapons remain over 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the center Kyiv and have made “little discernable progress” in the past three days, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Thursday.

The update claims that the Russian convoy continued to face “staunch Ukrainian resistance, mechanical breakdown and congestion.”

The update also notes that despite heavy Russian shelling the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian hands.

— Siladitya Ray

Spotify Closes Russian Office, Blames ‘unprovoked attack on Ukraine’

Streaming giant Spotify shut down its Russian office indefinitely on Wednesday citing Moscow’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” according to Reuters.

“Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” Spotify said in a statement. The company also noted that it has reviewed thousands of pieces of content since the start of the war and has limited the discoverability of shows run by Russian state-affiliated media.

Spotify joins a growing list of tech companies that have taken action against Russia and its state-sponsored media following its invasion of Ukraine.

— Siladitya Ray

U.S. State Department Criticizes Russia’s Media Clampdown

The US State Department accused Moscow of launching a “full assault on media freedom and the truth” as various independent news outlets in Russia faced a government crackdown.

Earlier this week, the Russian Prosecutor General blocked access to two independent media outlets, Radio Ekho Moskvy and Dozhd TV, accusing them of reporting “false” information about the invasion. This followed moves by the communications regulator Roskomnadzor last week to restrict access to major social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

“The people of Russia did not choose this war. Putin did. They have a right to know about the death, suffering and destruction being inflicted by their government on the people of Ukraine. The people of Russia also have a right to know about the human costs of this senseless war to their own soldiers.”

– U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price

The State Department called on Vladimir Putin and the Russian government to immediately “cease this bloodshed” and withdraw troops from Ukraine.

— Siladitya Ray

New Delhi Denies Russian Claims That Indian Students Are Being Held Hostage In Ukraine

The Indian government on Thursday denied a Russian allegation that Indian students stranded in Ukraine were being held hostages and used as “human shields” by the Ukrainian military.

On Wednesday, following a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Kremlin has issued a statement noting that Putin had warned Modi about Indians students being taken hostage.

On Thursday, however, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that India had not “received any reports of any hostage situation regarding any student.” Bagchi added that many Indian students were able to leave Kharkiv on Wednesday “with the cooperation of Ukrainian authorities.”

Earlier this week, shelling in Kharkiv claimed the life of one Indian student who had been standing in a queue to buy food. The student’s death led to widespread criticism of the Indian government by opposition politicians who accused it of failing to safely evacuate Indians from the war zone. According to New Delhi, more than 17,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine as of Wednesday with a few thousand more remaining.

Despite its growing security partnership with the West, India has abstained from criticizing Russia’s invasion and has called for a diplomatic resolution to the situation. Amid growing tensions with its neighbor China both along its Himalayan mountain border and in the Indian Ocean, New Delhi has developed close security ties with the U.S. and its allies but still remains heavily reliant on Russian-made weaponry.

— Siladitya Ray

OSCE Monitoring Mission Member Killed In Kharkiv Shelling

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Wednesday announced that a member of its monitoring mission in Ukraine was killed during the shelling of Kharkiv a day earlier.

The victim, Maryna Fenina, was killed while she was out to get supplies for her family.

“In Kharkiv and other cities and towns in Ukraine, missiles, shells and rockets are hitting residential buildings and town centers, killing and injuring innocent civilians – women, men and children alike,” the agency said in its statement.

The OSCE “strongly condemned” the increased shelling of urban centers and once against urged Russia to immediately cease hostilities and “engage in a meaningful dialogue.”

The OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, made up of civilians, was established in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

— Siladitya Ray

Moody’s And Fitch Downgrade Russia’s Debt To Junk

Credit rating agencies Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings both downgraded the Russian government’s debt to junk status Wednesday, following a similar move by Standard & Poors last week, as strict Western sanctions threaten to upend Russia’s economy.

Both companies announced six-notch decreases Wednesday: Moody’s downgraded Russia from Baa3 to B3, and Fitch moved Russia from BBB to B.

The agencies cited tight international sanctions on Russian firms, particularly the United States and its allies’ joint decision last weekend to cut some Russian banks out of the SWIFT financial messaging system and ban transactions with the Central Bank of Russia. The restrictions on the Central Bank “will have a much larger impact on Russia’s credit fundamentals than any previous sanctions” by effectively freezing a large share of Russia’s international reserves, Fitch said.

The sanctions have imperiled Russia’s economy. The value of the ruble plunged earlier this week, and an executive at financial firm MSCI told Reuters on Monday the Russian market is “uninvestable.” The Moscow Stock Exchange has remained closed this week.

— Joe Walsh

1 Million Refugees Have Fled Ukraine, UN Says

About 1 million people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since Russia began its invasion last week, the United Nations’ refugee agency estimated Wednesday, a massive exodus for a nation of about 44 million.

The UN estimates 4 million people could ultimately leave Ukraine, though that figure may turn out to be even higher, according to the Associated Press.

“For millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

Most refugees are crossing into neighboring countries to Ukraine’s west like Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova. Poland says it is taking in 50,000 refugees every day, according to the BBC. Ukrainian officials have barred men ages 18 to 60 from leaving the country, part of a “general mobilization” as the country’s military and residents fight Russian troops.

Some African and Indian students say they’ve been subjected to racism while attempting to leave Ukraine, CNN reported. And racial discrimination has also been reported on the Polish side of the border, with right-wing nationalist groups harassing some refugees of color, ABC News reported.

— Mason Bissada

UN Verifies 227 Civilian Deaths In Ukraine—But Real Number Is Probably Far Higher

The United Nations has confirmed 227 civilian deaths and 525 civilian injuries in Ukraine from the start of Russia’s invasion until Tuesday, though it said the real number is likely “considerably higher,” as international monitors struggle to verify casualties in an active warzone.

The United Nations’ count includes 212 adult deaths and 15 child deaths, as well as 497 injured adults and 28 injured children. Most of these casualties were caused by artillery shelling, rocket launches and airstrikes, the United Nations said, as Russia ramps up its aerial attacks on cities like Kyiv.

The government’s casualty counts have been far higher. Ukraine’s emergency service said Wednesday approximately 2,000 civilians have died, according to several media outlets, though that figure hasn’t been independently verified.

— Joe Walsh

ICC Will Investigate Alleged War Crimes In Ukraine

The International Criminal Court will “immediately proceed” with an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine, prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced Wednesday, after 39 countries referred the case to the Hague-based court.

The investigation will not only examine possible war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but will also look into crimes that may have been perpetrated during the conflict between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine starting in 2014.

Khan said Monday there is a “reasonable basis” to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, but he needed a referral from a party to the Rome Statute—the treaty that established the ICC—in order to begin his probe (Russia, Ukraine and the United States are not parties to the statute).

If the ICC decides to indict anybody for alleged war crimes, its ability to take legal action is somewhat limited, as the organization relies on individual countries to make arrests and transfer arrestees to its custody. Khan says the support of the international community will be “essential” to the investigation.

— Mason Bissada

Oracle, H&M, EA Sports Are Latest Companies To Cut Ties With Russia

Technology company Oracle said Wednesday it has “suspended all operations” in Russia, and clothing retailer H&M has paused sales in Russia, the latest companies to distance themselves from the Russian market following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, EA Sports is removing the Russian national soccer team and Russian club teams from its FIFA-branded video games, it announced Wednesday. Two days earlier, the real-life Russian national team and Russian club soccer teams were banned from competitions run by FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations “until further notice.”

For more details on corporate responses to Russia’s invasion, click here.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Delivers Anti-Aircraft Stinger Missiles To Ukraine

The U.S. has delivered hundreds of anti-aircraft Stinger missiles to Ukraine over the past few days as part of the $350 million military aid package President Joe Biden promised last week, according to CNN.

The U.S. is sending weapons paid for through the Foreign Assistance Act, according to Reuters. Ukraine has also requested Javelin anti-tank weapons. The Pentagon told Reuters it would also be sending small arms, body armor, anti-armor and munitions to aid Ukrainian front-line personnel. The State Department said the U.S. has committed more than $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine over the past year.

“It is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a statement Saturday announcing the aid.

— Mason Bissada

Key Developments: Ukraine And Russia Plan To Meet Amid Intense Fighting, U.S. Cancels Missile Test

• Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet with a Russian delegation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office told the Eastern European news outlet NEXTA Wednesday.
• Russian troops have taken control of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing Kherson’s mayor and a senior Ukrainian official, marking the first major city to fall to Russia since the invasion started last week.
• Russia has continued its aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, reportedly hitting a railway station Wednesday, but Russian ground forces are largely stalled north of Kyiv amid logistical problems and intense Ukrainian resistance, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters.
• Russia’s defense ministry announced via state-run media outlets Wednesday 498 troops have died and 1,597 have been injured in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its first casualty update of the war—though Zelensky says nearly 6,000 Russian personnel have died.
• The United States has canceled an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch scheduled for this week to avoid escalating “heightened tensions” with Russia, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announced Wednesday, three days after Russia put its nuclear weapons on high alert.
• Senior Chinese officials asked Russia not to invade Ukraine until after the 2022 Olympics in Beijing ended on February 20, the New York Times reports, citing anonymous U.S. officials and an anonymous European official, who told the Times an intelligence report indicated the request came in early February.
• The United States has hit Belarus with the same export controls that Russia is now facing, after U.S. officials said Belarus—a key Russian ally—is “enabling” the invasion.

— Mason Bissada