Ukraine War: Russia's invasion of its neighbor is entering its ninth day.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was on fire early morning today after an attack by Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said.
There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians, officials from both sides said yesterday, the only tangible progress from a second round of talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier yesterday that Moscow's advance in Ukraine is going "according to plan", as he opens a meeting with his security council. Russia is at war with "neo-Nazis" and that "Russians and Ukrainians are one people", he added.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called for direct talks with Putin, as the "only way to stop the war", urging the West to increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Russia will advance on the rest of Europe otherwise, with the Baltic states first in line.
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Strategic Ukrainian port Mariupol 'blockaded' by Russian forcesUkraine's strategic port city of Mariupol is under a "blockade" by the Russian army after days of "ruthless" attacks, its mayor said on Saturday, calling for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.
Ukraine War: UN Security Council to meet Monday on humanitarian crisis in Ukraine: diplomats The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, diplomats said Friday.
After this public session, the 15 members of the council will confer behind closed doors to discuss a possible draft resolution, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.
(AFP) Ukraine War: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky To Address US Senate Today
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leading his country's battle against the Russian invasion, will address the US Senate on Saturday, a US legislative aide said.
Zelensky will speak to senators via Zoom in the morning Washington time at the request of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukraine War: CNN to stop broadcasting in Russia after new law
CNN will stop broadcasting in Russia, the news channel said on Friday after the introduction of a new law there that could jail anyone intentionally spreading "fake" news. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Zelensky condemns NATO for ruling out Ukraine no-fly zoneUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed NATO on Friday for ruling out a no-fly zone over his country saying the Western military alliance knew further Russian aggression was likely.
"Knowing that new strikes and casualties are inevitable, NATO deliberately decided not to close the sky over Ukraine," he said in a video published by the presidency. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Russia 'restricts access' to Twitter amid invasion of UkraineRussia's media regulator Roskomnadzor "restricted access" to social media network Twitter after blocking Facebook in the country, Russian news agencies reported Friday.
According to Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies, access to Twitter was restricted on the basis of a request of the Prosecutor General from February 24 -- the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Facebook says Russia block 'cuts off millions' from reliable information
Facebook attacked Russia's block on Friday of the dominant social media network, saying the move will cut millions off from reliable information and a forum to share their views.
Russia asserted that it had blocked Facebook over "discrimination" of Russian state media outlets, which have faced restrictions on various online platforms over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Putin signs law introducing jail terms for 'fake news' on armyRussian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for fake news about the Russian army, as Moscow pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine.
The bill, adopted by lawmakers earlier on Friday, sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military, with harsher penalties to hit when dissemination is deemed to have serious consequences. (AFP)
Ukraine Russia War Live Updates: Russia Says Facebook Blocked Inside The CountryRussia is blocking social media staple Facebook in the country, the media regulator said Friday, over a week after Moscow invaded its neighbour Ukraine. "On March 4, 2022 it was decided to block access to Facebook (belonging to the company Meta) on the territory of the Russian Federation," Roskomnadzor said citing "26 instances of discrimination toward Russian media" by Facebook. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live Updates: At UN, India Cautions Against Attacks On Nuclear Facilities
In the wake of Russia's attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in Ukraine, India today cautioned that any accident involving nuclear facilities may have severe consequences for public health and the environment, while asserting that the UN Security Council "must acknowledge" the pressing humanitarian crisis confronting Ukraine. "India attaches the highest importance to ensuring safety and security of nuclear facilities as any accident involving the nuclear facilities may have severe consequences for public health and the environment," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told the UN Security Council. (PTI)
Ukraine War Live: UN Food Agency Warns Of Global Hunger Due To Ukraine War
The United Nations' World Food Programme warned Friday about a looming food crisis in Ukraine in conflict areas, while disruptions in production and exports could lead to food insecurity globally. "In a year when the world is already facing an unprecedented level of hunger, it's just tragic to see hunger raising its head in what has long been the breadbasket of Europe,' said the UN agency's director, David Beasley. "The bullets and bombs in Ukraine could take the global hunger crisis to levels beyond anything we've seen before," said Beasley. (AFP)
Ukraine War: "Campaign Of Lies": Russia Denies Bombing Ukraine Nuclear Plant
Moscow's ambassador to the UN denied on Friday that Russian forces had shelled a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. "These statements are simply untrue," Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council. "This is all part of an unprecedented campaign of lies and disinformation against Russia." He said Russian troops had exchanged small arms fire with Ukrainian forces at Europe's largest atomic power plant in Zaporizhzhia but had not shelled the facility. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: G7 Nations Urge Russia To Stop Attacks Near Ukraine Nuclear Plants
G7 foreign ministers today urged Russia "to stop its attacks in the direct vicinity of Ukraine's nuclear power plants", following the overnight fighting and fire at the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant. "Any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of international law," they said in a joint statement. (AFP)
Ukraine Conflict Live: G7 Nations Call For "Rapid" Humanitarian Corridors In Ukraine
The G7 club of wealthy nations today called for the creation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate Ukrainian citizens, saying this needed to be done "reliably and swiftly". "We reemphasise that indiscriminate attacks are prohibited by international humanitarian law. We will hold accountable those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians," G7 foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States said in a joint statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Ukraine To Join NATO Cyber Defence Centre As "Contributing Participant"
Ukraine will join NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) as a "contributing participant", the NATO-accredited military research institution said in a statement. "Ukraine could bring valuable first-hand knowledge of several adversaries within the cyber domain to be used for research, exercises and training," CCDCOE Director Colonel Jaak Tarien said in a statement on the CCDCOE website. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: "Reckless" Russian Attack On Nuclear Plant Endangers Europe, Says US
Russia's "reckless" overnight attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine endangered all of Europe, the US ambassador to the United Nations said Friday. "Russia's attack last night put Europe's largest nuclear power plant at grave risk," Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council. "It was incredibly reckless and dangerous. And it threatened the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe," she said. (AFP)
Ukraine War: EU Says Ready To Adopt More Russia Sanctions If War Doesn't Stop
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said today the bloc was ready to hit Russia with more sanctions if President Vladimir Putin does not halt his war on Ukraine. "To be very clear, we are ready to take further severe measures if Putin does not stop and reverse the war he has unleashed," von der Leyen told reporters, speaking alongside US top diplomat Antony Blinken. (AFP)
Ukraine War: UN Political Chief Says Nuclear Plant Attacks Contrary Io International Law
Military operations around nuclear sites and other critical civilian infrastructure are "unacceptable" and "highly irresponsible", UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the United Nations Security Council on Friday. "Attacks on nuclear power facilities are contrary to international humanitarian law....Every effort should be taken to avoid a catastrophic nuclear incident," Di Carlo told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after Russian forces in Ukraine attacked and seized Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Russian Newspaper Says Deleting Content Over New Media Law
Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta said on Friday it would be removing content on Ukraine after lawmakers backed legislation that sets jail time and fines for "fake news" about Russia's army. In a statement on Telegram, the paper said it would continue working "under the conditions of military censorship" and "remove materials" on Russia's invasion of Ukraine from its website and social media. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Over 200 Students From Ahmedabad Still Stranded In Ukraine: OfficialAs many as 205 students from Ahmedabad district of Gujarat are still stranded in war-torn Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, a senior official said on Friday. Ahmedabad Collector Sandip Sagale, during the day, met the parents of one such stranded student, Shivam Sharma, and gathered information about his situation.
"Of the total 259 students who were stranded in Ukraine, 54 have come back and efforts are on to bring back remaining students. The Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Operation Ganga to evacuate stranded Indians," Mr Sagale said after meeting Shivam's parents at their residence in Ranip area. (PTI)
Ukraine War: Poland Arrests Spanish Journalist Suspected Of Spying For Russia
Poland has arrested a Spanish national on the suspicion of conducting intelligence activities for Russia, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence if he is found guilty, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) said on Friday. The man, identified as an agent of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU), was detained in Przemysl - near Poland's border with Ukraine on Sunday night, ABW said in a statement. It said he was of Russian origin. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: 2 Children Among 7 Killed In Russian Air Strike In Ukraine Capital - Police
A Russian air strike on a rural residential area in Kyiv region killed at least seven people on Friday, including two children, Ukraine state police said in a statement. Police said the strike hit the village of Markhalivka, around 10 kms from the southwestern outskirts of the capital. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: "Propaganda Fakes": Putin Denies Russia Bombing Ukraine Cities
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denied that Russian troops were bombing Ukrainian cities, dismissing such information as fake, the Kremlin said Friday. Putin said reports about "the alleged ongoing air strikes of Kyiv and other large cities are gross propaganda fakes," the Kremlin said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live Updates: BBC Says Pulling Its Journalists From Russia
BBC boss Tim Davie today said the corporation was halting its coverage in Russia, as new legislation passed "appears to criminalise independent journalism". "It leaves us no other option than to temporarily suspend the work of all BBC News journalists and their support staff within the Russian Federation while we assess the full implications of this unwelcome development," he added. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Putin Says Ready For Ukraine Talks If "All Russian Demands" MetRussian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a telephone call that Russia was ready for dialogue over Ukraine if all its demands are met, the Kremlin said Friday. Putin "confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the Ukrainian side, as well as with everyone who wants peace in Ukraine. But under the condition that all Russian demands are met," the Kremlin said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine Evacuation: AirAsia India Operating Evacuation Flight From Romania
Budget carrier AirAsia India today said it is operating an evacuation flight from Suceava city in Romania to fly back stranded Indians from the war-hit Ukraine. AirAsia India's maiden rescue flight under Operation Ganga, has departed from Suceava to Delhi carrying over 170 guests safely, the airline said on Friday. "The flight departed to Delhi from Suceava at 6.30 pm (local time) and it is being operated via Dubai. it is expected to arrive in Delhi at 4.30 am (on Saturday), subject to OCC approval," an AirAsia India spokesperson said. (PTI)
Ukraine War: Death Count In Russian Air Strike On Ukraine City Rises To 47Forty-seven people have been killed following a Russian air strike in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, regional authorities said Friday. "On March 3, 47 people (38 men and 9 women) were killed by a Russian air strike on a residential area in Chernihiv," local authorities said on Facebook. Since it invaded Ukraine over a week ago, Russia has said that it does not target civilian areas, despite widespread evidence to the contrary. (AFP)
Ukraine War: EU Says It Wants Ukraine To Be A Member "As Soon As Possible"
The European Union wants Ukraine to become a member state "as soon as possible", Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told journalists on Friday after a ministers' meeting. "It's time for signaling that the Ukrainian people is one of the European peoples and we want them in as soon as possible", he said, but added that at the moment, the bloc needed to focus on short-term measures linked to the war. "I think what (...) is the most important now is to help Ukraine in the fight", he added. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Besieged Ukraine City Of Mariupol Running Out Of Food, Says Mayor
The Ukrainian city of Mariupol has no water, heat or electricity and is running out of food after coming under attack by Russian forces for the past five days, its mayor said on Friday. Mayor Vadym Boychenko made a televised appeal for military help and said a humanitarian corridor should be created to evacuate civilians from the southeastern port city. "We are simply being destroyed," he said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Ukraine To Confront Russia At International Court Of Justice On Monday
Ukraine and Russia will face off Monday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a hearing on emergency measures sought by Kyiv to order Moscow to suspend military operations, with Russia's legal team weakened by the resignation of a key lawyer. The case lodged by Ukraine at the UN court centres on the interpretation of a 1948 treaty on the prevention of genocide, signed by both Russia and Ukraine. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Putin's Rival Navalny Calls On Russians To Protest Across The World
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny told Russians today to protest against the war in Ukraine in Russian cities and across the world on March 6, and accused President Vladimir Putin of bringing shame on the Russian national flag and language. Navalny, Putin's most prominent domestic opponent, told Russians in a post on his blog to shrug off fears of protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to take to the squares of their cities even if they had already left Russia. (Reuters)
Operation Ganga: 3,000 Indians Evacuated From Hungary Till Yesterday, Says Minister
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said 3,000 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Budapest till Thursday and another 1,100 citizens are expected to leave on Friday amid the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine. Speaking to news agency ANI, Mr Puri said, "From Budapest, 3000 people have been evacuated till yesterday, another 1,100 expected to leave today." He added, "We've asked for seven more flights, which will make it another 1,400 people being evacuated tomorrow." (ANI)
Ukraine War: Microsoft "Suspends" New Sales Of Products, Services In Russia
Microsoft is halting new sales of its products and services in Russia, the tech giant announced Friday, in the latest fallout over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The US-based company behind software that runs on over one billion devices, said it would "suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services" in Russia, but declined to elaborate on how the policy would be applied. (AFP)
US Embassy In Ukraine Calls Nuclear Power Plant Attack "War Crime"The US Embassy in Ukraine said that attacking a nuclear power plant is a war crime on Friday after Russia seized a Ukrainian nuclear facility that is the biggest in Europe. The statement on the embassy's Twitter account went further than any US characterization of Russia's actions in Ukraine since it launched its invasion on February 24. "It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant. Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further," US Embassy Kyiv said in its post.
(Reuters)
Ukraine War: Ukraine Plans Third Round Of Russia Talks This Weekend
Ukraine plans to hold a third round of talks this weekend with Russian officials to try to end the fighting triggered by Moscow's invasion, one of Kyiv's negotiators said Friday. "The third leg could take place tomorrow or the day after, we are in constant contact," Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said, on the eighth day of the war. Podolyak said Kyiv was just waiting for a response from Russian President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin to confirm the timing of the talks. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Minister Kiren Rijiju Meets Slovakia PM Over Ukraine Evacuation
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju who is overseeing the evacuation of Indians from war-hit Ukraine through Slovakia on Friday called on the prime minister of the Slovak Republic. The Indian embassy in Slovakia tweeted about the meeting. Mr Rijiju is among the four Union ministers sent by PM Modi as his special envoys to Ukraine's neighbouring countries as part of the Operation Ganga to evacuate Indian nationals. (PTI)
Ukraine War: Russian Parliament Adopts Anti-Sanctions Law
Russia's parliament today approved legislation aimed at countering the effects of sweeping Western sanctions on the country's economy imposed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The package of bills aims at "defending the economy and citizens in the face of foreign sanctions," according to the website of the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: US Says Committed To Do All Necessary To Make Ukraine War Stop
Washington is committed to doing every needed to stop the war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday as he went into a meeting with his EU counterparts praising the bloc for the "historic" steps it has taken against Russia. "We are faced together with what is President Putin's war of choice: unprovoked, unjustified, and a war that is having horrific, horrific consequences for real people. For mothers, fathers. For children. We see the images on TV, and it has to stop," he told reporters in Brussels. "We're committed to doing everything we can to to make it stop. So the coordination between us is vital," he added, standing alongside the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: This Is Putin's War, And Putin Has To Stop It, Says European Union
The European Union's foreign policy chief called on Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Friday to stop indiscriminate shelling and bombing of Ukraine. "This is Putin's war, and Putin has to stop this war," Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels before a meeting of EU and other foreign ministers to discuss the Ukraine crisis. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: Ukraine Civilian Death Count Rises To 331, Says UN Rights OfficeThe UN human rights office said today it had confirmed 331 civilians have been killed and 675 injured in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began on February 24, adding that the real death count was likely much higher. The death count, through to midnight on Thursday, rose from 249 in its previous report from a day earlier. Among the 331 killed were 19 children, the UN rights office said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Ukraine Warns Of New Phishing Campaign Against Officials, CitizensA new wave of malicious emails is being sent to Ukrainian officials, the country's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) said in a statement published Friday. The statement posted to Facebook said there was a "mass mailing" of messages loaded with malicious software to unspecified government officials and citizens. Few other details were provided. Ukraine has been buffeted by malicious intrusions blamed on Moscow since even before the start of Russia's invasion last week. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: EU Considering Curbing Russia's Rights In IMF Over Invasion: Report
European Union officials are examining curbing Russia's influence and access to finance at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following its invasion of Ukraine, six officials told Reuters. One option under consideration is to remove Russia entirely from the institution that acts as a lender of last resort, officials said, though some noted that would prove difficult if not impossible. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Several Explosions Heard In Quick Succession In Ukraine Capital
Several explosions were heard in quick succession in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Friday and an air raid siren blasted out, a Reuters reporter said. The exact origin of the explosions could not be immediately established. Russia has launched a multi-pronged invasion of Ukraine. Moscow describes its actions as a "special operation". (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: 5,245 Indians Airlifted From Romania Till March 3, Says Centre
A total of 5,245 Indian nationals were airlifted from Romania to India till March 3 amid Russia's military operations in Ukraine, informed Centre on Friday. Over 20,000 Indians have left the Ukraine border since we issued our advisories. There are more people, but it's reassuring to see that these many people have left Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Sixteen flights scheduled for the next 24 hours, including IAF's C-17 aircraft, the MEA added. (ANI)
Ukraine Live: Russia Dropping Cluster Bombs On Ukraine, Says NATO Chief
Russia is using cluster bombs in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. "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," he told reporters in Brussels. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: UNSC To Hold Emergency Meeting On Ukraine On Friday: ReportThe UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting requested by Britain Friday morning after Russian forces attacked Europe's largest nuclear plant in Ukraine, diplomatic sources said. The session was requested by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, diplomats told AFP, with the United States, France, Norway, Ireland and Albania joining the call for an urgent meeting. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: NATO Rejects Calls For No-Fly Zone Over UkraineNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today said the alliance would not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine after calls from Kyiv to help stop Russia's bombardments. "Allies agree that we should not have NATO planes operating over Ukrainian airspace or NATO troops on Ukrainian territory," Stoltenberg said after an urgent meeting with NATO foreign ministers. (AFP)
Ukraine War: 11 Civilian, 4 Air Force Flights To Bring Back Indians On Saturday: Centre
Eleven civilian and four Indian Air Force flights will return to India on Saturday with Indians from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, the Civil Aviation Ministry stated today. The 11 civilian flights on Saturday are expected to bring back more than 2,200 Indians, with 10 landing in Delhi and one in Mumbai, the ministry's statement noted. The statement did not say how many Indians will be coming on the four IAF flights. (PTI)
Ukraine Live: IndiGo To Operate 12 Evacuation Flights Between Friday-Sunday
IndiGo said it will operate 12 evacuation flights with over 2,600 Indians from war-torn Ukraine's neighbouring countries between Friday and Sunday. In a statement, IndiGo said 42 evacuation flights with 9,200 Indians had been scheduled to operate between February 28 and March 6. "We have already operated 30 flights bringing back more than 6,600 of our citizens till today," the airline's Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said on Friday. (PTI)
Ukraine Russia War: 2 Air India Express Flights Bring Back 369 Indians From Ukraine
Two Air India Express flights today brought 369 Indian nationals who were stranded in war-hit Ukraine to Mumbai from Romania's capital Bucharest and the Hungarian capital Budapest, the airline's spokesperson said. So far, a total of 951 Indians stuck in Ukraine, most of them students, have landed in Mumbai by five evacuation flights operated by Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express since February 26. (PTI)
Ukraine Live: Air Raid Earning In Ukraine's Mykolayiv City As Russians Attack
Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Mykolayiv issued an air raid warning on Friday after the authorities reported fighting around the city as Russian forces sought to advance. Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian authorities said the Russian advance on the ship-building hub had been halted after Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim reported Russian troops entering the city. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Russia Says Awaiting Ukraine's Response After Ceasefire TalksThe Kremlin told Russians today to rally around President Vladimir Putin and said that what happened next in the negotiations over Ukraine would depend on Kyiv's reaction to this week's talks between the two sides. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that no documents had been agreed yet with Ukraine at the talks, but that Moscow had told the Ukrainian side how it saw the solution to the war. Russia invaded Ukraine last week in a move it describes as a "special military operation". (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says Russia's Power Plant Grab Risked Nuclear DisasterUkraine's foreign ministry today called on the international community to take decisive action after Russian forces in Ukraine seized Europe's largest nuclear power plant, a move the ministry said risked nuclear disaster. Officials have said Zaporizhzhia plant in southeastern Ukraine is operating normally after it was captured by Russian forces in fighting overnight. But the ministry said any damage to a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel could release nuclear radiation. "As a result, a nuclear disaster of this scale may exceed all previous accidents at nuclear power plants," it said in a statement. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: India Abstains At UN Rights Council Vote Over Russia-Ukraine War Probe
India today abstained in a vote in the UN Human Rights Council that has decided to urgently establish an independent international commission of inquiry as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The 47-member Council voted on a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted with 32 votes in favour, two against (Russia and Eritrea) and 13 abstentions, including India, China, Pakistan, Sudan and Venezuela. The countries voting in favour included France, Germany, Japan, Nepal, UAE, UK and the US. (PTI)
Ukraine Live: Putin Says Russia's Neighbours Should Not Escalate Tensions
President Vladimir Putin has urged Russia's neighbours not to escalate tensions, eight days after Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine. "There are no bad intentions towards our neighbours. And I would also advise them not to escalate the situation, not to introduce any restrictions. We fulfil all our obligations and will continue to fulfil them," Putin said in televised remarks. "We do not see any need here to aggravate or worsen our relations. And all our actions, if they arise, they always arise exclusively in response to some unfriendly actions, actions against the Russian Federation." (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: "Whole World Is Against You", Ukraine Envoy Tells Putin After UN Vote
An overwhelming vote at the UN Human Rights Council today to probe abuses following Russia's invasion of Ukraine should show President Vladimir Putin "the whole world is against you", Kyiv's ambassador said. "The message to Putin has been clear: You're isolated on a global level and the whole world is against you," Ukrainian ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko told reporters after the vote. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Germany Says Extremists Going To Fight In Ukraine Are Isolated Cases
There have been "significantly fewer" than 10 recorded cases of Germans from the right-wing extremist spectrum who have traveled to Ukraine to take part in combat operations there, a German Interior Ministry spokesperson said today. One way to stop the extremists from leaving the country is to take away their passports and security officials are currently working on this, the spokesperson said. However, German law does not allow for prohibiting Ukrainian nationals or German Ukrainians to travel back to Ukraine to take part in the defence of their country, he said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: UK Wants Urgent UNSC Meeting Over Ukraine Nuclear Site AttackUK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss today said the UK wants an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after Russian forces attacked a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The attack was "a threat to European security and stability and we need those responsible to be held to account," she told British television on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.(AFP)
Ukraine Live: West Eyes More Pressure On Russia After Ukraine Nuclear Plant AttackWestern allies have condemned Russia over the shelling of a nuclear plant in Ukraine, but pushed back against calls for a no-fly zone from Kyiv to halt Moscow's bombardments. Foreign ministers meeting in Brussels at NATO and the European Union said they were weighing more sanctions to keep up the pressure after hitting Moscow with a wave of economic punishment over its Ukraine invasion. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live News: Don't Think India Is In Russia's Camp, Says Top US DiplomatThe US head of mission to India told NDTV that the US is very concerned about unprovoked attacks and extended condolences to Indian families. "We will hold Russia accountable," the US envoy said. "The US agrees with India's position on abiding by UN charter," he said, adding that, "I wouldn't say US is disappointed with India's position. The US understands that India's relationship with Russia...is very different with US-Russia relationship." He said US does not believe India is in Russia's camp. He said the US secretary of state and the US President will decide on whether India will face sanctions for Russia defence purchases.
Ukraine Live: 184 Indian Students Evacuated From Ukraine Land In Mumbai
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today welcomed Indian students who returned from war-hit Ukraine under Operation Ganga, at the Mumbai airport. As many as 184 students returned from Ukraine at 12.15 pm today. The students reached Budapest and were evacuated from there in Air India IX 1602. According to MoS External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, so far 9,000 Indian citizens have returned from the war-torn country. Three more Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft returned to Hindan airbase late last night and early morning today carrying 630 Indian nationals from Ukraine, using airfields in Romania and Hungary. (ANI)
Ukraine Live: UN Rights Council Votes For Probe Into Ukraine Conflict ViolationsThe UN Human Rights Council voted overwhelmingly today for a resolution condemning alleged rights violations during Russia's military actions in Ukraine and setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate them. "It is our common duty to ensure accountability by mandating the documentation and verification of Russia's crimes and identification of those responsible," Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the Council minutes before the vote. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Indian Air Force's IL-76 Planes On Standby For Evacuation Via Russia
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept two IL-76 military transport aircraft on standby to evacuate Indians who are stranded in conflict-hit eastern Ukrainian cities like Sumy and Kharkiv from Russian capital Moscow, officials said on Friday. Two IL-76 aircraft -- which are of Russian origin -- have been kept on standby so that they can immediately depart for Moscow and evacuate Indians, the officials added. Till date, the IAF has evacuated a total of 1,428 Indians on seven flights from Ukraine's western neighbouring countries. These seven flights were operated through US-origin C-17 planes. (PTI)
Ukraine War: Russia Fights Back In Information War With Jail Warning
Russia's parliament today passed a law imposing a jail term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally "fake" information about the armed forces as Moscow fights back in what it casts as an information war over the conflict in Ukraine. Russian officials have repeatedly said that false information has been intentionally spread by Russia's enemies such as the United States and its Western European allies in an attempt to sow discord among the Russian people. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: UN Nuclear Watchdog Head Offers To Travel To Chernobyl In UkraineThe head of the UN nuclear watchdog has offered to travel to Chernobyl to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia to try to ensure the security of Ukraine's nuclear sites. "I have indicated to both the Russian Federation and Ukraine my availability... to travel to Chernobyl as soon as possible," Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told reporters. "Both sides are considering" the possibility, he added. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Russia Ally Belarus Says Its Forces Will Not Take Part In Ukraine War
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said today that the Belarusian armed forces were not taking part and would not take part in Russia's military operation in Ukraine. A close Russian ally, Lukashenko said he spoke to Vladimir Putin at length by telephone on Friday. Russia has used Belarusian territory to carry out a multi-pronged invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Fire Extinguished At Europe's Biggest Nuclear Plant In UkraineA huge blaze in a building at the site of Europe's biggest nuclear power station was extinguished today and officials said the plant was operating normally, seized by Russian forces in heavy fighting that caused global alarm. Officials said the fire at the Zaporizhzhia compound was in a training centre and not at the plant itself. An official at Energoatom, the state enterprise that runs Ukraine's four nuclear plants, said there was no further fighting, the fire was out, radiation was normal and Russian forces were in control. "Personnel are on their working places providing normal operation of the station," the official told Reuters in a message.
(Reuters)
Ukraine-Russia War: NATO Meets As Ukraine Seeks No-Fly Zone To Hinder Russia
NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels today to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine as Kyiv called on Western allies to implement a no-fly zone or provide them with more planes to protect civilians and infrastructure including nuclear plants. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has consistently called for a no-fly zone since Moscow's invasion more than a week ago, but NATO allies have resisted a step that could drag them into the war with nuclear-armed Russia. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: 400 Students Have Flown Back From Slovakia, Says Indian Envoy
India's Ambassador to Slovakia, Vanlalhuma informed today that around 400 Indian students have already flown back to India. In an exclusive interview with news agency ANI in Kosice, he said, "About 400 have already gone back on two flights. Then we have two more flights to go today and one more flight tomorrow." The ambassador said that a SpiceJet flight left for India with 188 students today morning and an Indian Air Force aircraft will be leaving in the afternoon with about 210 students. (ANI)
Ukraine War: "Recklessness": NATO Chief Slams Russia Over Nuclear Plant Shelling
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today decried Russia's "recklessness" over the shelling of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine and demanded Moscow stop the war against its neighbour. "Overnight we have also seen reports about the attack against the nuclear power plant. This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging good faith in diplomatic efforts," Stoltenberg said ahead of talks with Western foreign ministers. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine President Urges Russians To Protest Over Nuclear Plant Attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to Russians today to stage protests over the seizure of nuclear power infrastructure by Russian troops in Ukraine. "Russian people, I want to appeal to you: how is this possible? After all we fought together in 1986 against the Chernobyl catastrophe," he said in a televised address. (Reuters)
Russia-Ukraine War: Death Count From Russian Air Stikes On Chernihiv City Rises To 47
Forty-seven people were killed in Russian air strikes on a residential district of the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Thursday, regional authorities said on Friday, updating an earlier death count of 33 killed.
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Limits Major Independent Media Websites Amid Ukraine Invasion Russia's media watchdog said Friday it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites, tightening controls over the internet more than one week after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Access to websites of the BBC, the independent news website Meduza, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and the Russian-language website of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Svoboda, were "limited" by Roskomnadzor following a request from prosecutors.
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Seizes Ukraine Nuclear Plant Hours After Attack: 10 Points A fire that broke out in Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine after a Russian attack has been extinguished. Ukraine has condemned Russia for the attack on the facility, which could turn catastrophic.
Read more Russia-Ukraine War: More Than 167,600 Ukrainians Entered Romania Since Russian InvasionMore than 167,600 Ukrainians have fled to Romania in the first eight days since Russia invaded Ukraine, border police data showed on Friday.
They have entered Romania through its four land border checkpoints with Ukraine, but also through its checkpoints with Moldova, data showed. Of them, 109,687 have already driven or flown out of Romania.
Russia-Ukraine War: Drone Video Shows Extent Of Damage In Ukraine's Borodyanka As the war in Ukraine rages on, Russian forces are moving ahead, destroying key cities and even attacking a nuclear plant. A video has now emerged on social media, which shows the extent of damage in Borodyanka, 60 kilometres northwest of capital Kyiv.
The drone footage shows destroyed trucks clogging the town's main street and smoke coming out of the buildings. Watch
Russia-Ukraine War: Putin's "Reckless Actions" Threaten Europe's Safety, Says UK's Boris Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of endangering all of Europe Friday, after invading Russian forces attacked a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
Russia-Ukraine War: "Terrorist State (Russia) Resorted To Nuclear Terror": Ukraine's Zelensky Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Friday of resorting to "nuclear terror" and wanting to "repeat" the Chernobyl disaster after he said invading Russian forces shot at a nuclear power plant.
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Attacks Ukrainian Nuclear Plant, Kyiv Urges Ceasefire: 10 Facts Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia facility in Ukraine, was on fire after a Russian attack, the mayor of a nearby town said. Firefighters could not battle the blaze because they were being fired upon by Russian troops.
Read more Russia-Ukraine War: "Will Be 10 Times Larger Than Chernobyl": Ukraine's SOS On Nuclear Plant Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Russian troops to stop attacking Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Friday after a fire broke out.
The blaze erupted at a power unit of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following Russian strikes, according to spokesman Andrei Tuz.
The station at Zaporizhzhia, an industrial city in southeastern Ukraine, supplies an estimated 40 percent of the country's nuclear power.