Russia-Ukraine War: "We are at war with neo-Nazis," Russian President Vladimir Putin said
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow's advance in Ukraine is going "according to plan" and ordered large compensations for Russian soldiers killed in the invasion.
"I want to say that the special military operation is going strictly according to schedule, according to plan," he said, opening a meeting with his security council. "We are at war with neo-Nazis," the Russian leader said, adding: "I will never give up on my conviction that Russians and Ukrainians are one people."
Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West on Thursday to increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Russia would advance on the rest of Europe otherwise.
"If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!" Zelensky told a press conference. "If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next," he said, adding: "Believe me."
He called for direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying it was "the only way to stop this war."
"We are not attacking Russia and we do not plan to attack it. What do you want from us? Leave our land," he said, addressing Putin.
"Sit down with me. Just not 30 metres away like with (French President Emmanuel Macron)," the Ukrainian leader said, referring to Putin receiving world leaders at a now famous enormously long table.
Here are the Highlights on Ukraine-Russia War:
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Fire At Ukraine's Nuclear Power Plant After Russian Attack: Report
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was on fire early on Friday 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 War: Facebook, Top Media Websites Partially Down In Russia: Report
Facebook and multiple media websites were partially inaccessible in Russia on Friday, as authorities crack down on critical voices as fighting escalates in Ukraine.
AFP journalists in Moscow were not able to access Facebook, as well as the sites of media outlets Meduza, Deutsche Welle, RFE-RL and the BBC's Russian-language service. The monitoring NGO GlobalCheck also said the sites were partially down. (AFP)
Ukraine War: US grants 'temporary protected status' to UkrainiansThe United States announced on Thursday that it was granting "temporary protected status" to Ukrainians in the country for the next 18 months.
The move by the Department of Homeland Security allows Ukrainians currently in the United States to remain here and lifts the threat of deportation.
(AFP) Ukraine War: European, US stocks fall as markets fear long Russian attack
European and US stocks tumbled as investors monitored the worsening toll of the Russian invasion of Ukraine amid worries over high oil prices.
Brent North Sea crude reached $119.84 per barrel, the highest level since early 2012, while WTI touched a 14-year peak -- but both gave up ground mid-session and finished lower.
New US sanctions target Russia's pro-Putin oligarchs
The United States imposed sanctions on the ultra-wealthy Russian oligarchs at the heart of President Vladimir Putin's regime Thursday in the latest ratcheting up of pressure on the Kremlin to halt its invasion of Ukraine.
They and their family members "will be cut off from the US financial system, their assets in the United States will be frozen and their property will be blocked from use," the White House said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Saudi crown prince offers war mediation in call with Putin
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered to host mediation talks between Russia and Ukraine in a phone call Thursday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as the conflict entered its second week.
The Gulf state's de facto leader called for a "political solution" after the Russian invasion and also reiterated his support for the OPEC+ group of oil producers, which includes Russia, to stabilise oil markets. (AFP)
Ukraine War: UK sanctions Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov
The UK government said Thursday it was imposing sanctions on billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov and former deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov as part of punitive measures over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The pair, who are worth a combined $19 billion (£14 bn) and have "significant interests in the UK and close links to the Kremlin", are "sanctioned with immediate effect", the Foreign Office said.
They face a full asset freeze and a travel ban, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying that the sanctio
Ukraine War: UK sanctions Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov
The UK government said Thursday it was imposing sanctions on billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov and former deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov as part of punitive measures over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine, Russia Agree For Humanitarian Corridors To Evacuate CiviliansUkraine and Russia agreed to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians on Thursday in a second round of talks since Moscow invaded last week, a top Ukrainian official said.
"The second round of talks is over. Unfortunately, Ukraine does not have the results it needs yet. There are decisions only on the organisation of humanitarian corridors," Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.
JustIn | Kyiv, Moscow agree on humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians, news agency AFP reported quoting Ukraine official
Putin Says Russian Military Advance In Ukraine "Going To Plan"Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow's advance in Ukraine is going "according to plan" and ordered large compensations for Russian soldiers killed in the invasion.
"I want to say that the special military operation is going strictly according to schedule, according to plan," he said, opening a meeting with his security council. "We are at war with neo-Nazis," the Russian leader said, adding: "I will never give up on my conviction that Russians and Ukrainians are one people."
JustIn | Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia fighting 'neo-Nazis' in Ukraine, news agency AFP reported
JustIn | Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russian military advance in Ukraine 'going to plan', news agency AFP reported
JustIn | Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine and Russia are 'one people', news agency AFP reported
Ukraine President says if Ukraine falls, Baltic states 'next' Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West on Thursday to increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Russia would advance on the rest of Europe otherwise.
"If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!" Zelensky said at a press conference. "If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next," he said, adding: "Believe me."
Ukrainian official says talks with Russia startedTalks between Russian and Ukrainian officials to secure a ceasefire in fighting in Ukraine have started on the Belarus-Poland border, Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhailo Podolyak said Thursday.
Podolyak posted a photo of the Russian and Ukrainian representatives on Twitter, saying that an "immediate ceasefire" as well as "humanitarian corridors" for civilians were on the agenda, one week after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine.
JustIn | Ukrainian official says ceasefire talks with Russia started, news agency AFP reported
"Worst Is To Come" In Ukraine, Says French President After Call With PutinFrench President Emmanuel Macron believes "the worst is to come" in Ukraine after a 90-minute phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who appears intent on seizing "the whole" of the country, an aide to the French leader said.
"The expectation of the president is that the worst is to come, given what President Putin told him," a senior aide to the French leader told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"There was nothing in what President Putin told us that should reassure us. He showed great determination to continue the operation," the aide continued.
China Asks Russia, Ukraine To Ensure Safety Of Nuclear FacilitiesChina has called on Russia and Ukraine to ensure the safety of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, as fears mount over a potential environmental disaster amid an intensifying military offensive by Russia in the former Soviet state.
Addressing an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's top officials in Vienna on Wednesday, China's envoy Wang Qun said that China hopes that the relevant parties will act cautiously to avoid causing "man-made nuclear safety and security incidents." "China is concerned about the safety, security and safeguards of nuclear facilities in Ukraine," Wang told the UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted a Chinese statement in UN.
Top US general hails 'very effective' Ukraine defenceTop US General Mark Milley on Thursday hailed the "very effective defence" being put up by Ukrainian forces as they battle invading Russian troops.
Western officials say Moscow has been surprised by the ferocious resistance being put up by Ukrainian forces and that it has thwarted the Kremlin's plan for a lightning advance.
"The Ukrainian military is fighting with extraordinary courage and skill against Russian forced that significantly outnumber them and outgun them," Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told journalists on a visit to NATO in Brussels.
Putin tells France President Russia will achieve its goals in UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the goals of Russia's operation in Ukraine - its demilitarisation and neutral status - will be achieved in any case, the Kremlin said.
Putin said that any attempts by Kyiv to delay negotiations would results in Moscow adding more items to its list of demands.
JustIn | 6,400 Indians brought back under Op Ganga, 18,000 Indians have left Ukraine, says government
JustIn | Ukraine says wants to agree 'humanitarian corridors' at Russia talks, news agency AFP reported
Nuclear threat over Ukraine shows 'all of humanity' at risk: UNThe UN human rights chief slammed Thursday Russia's attack on Ukraine, warning of a "massive impact" on the rights of millions, and cautioning that heightened nuclear threat levels showed all of humanity was at risk.
"Elevated threat levels for nuclear weapons underline the gravity of the risks to all of humanity," Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council, as it began an urgent debate on violations committed in the conflict.
JustIn | Ukraine delegation headed to conflict talks with Russia: Kyiv
France President held new 90-minute call with PutinFrench President Emmanuel Macron held a new 90-minute phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday, his office said, the third conversation since the invasion of Ukraine.
An aide to Macron, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said the French leader had spoken with Putin "then called President (Volodymyr) Zelensky" in Kyiv.
"Let Them Fly On Broomsticks": Russia Stops Rocket Engines Supply To USRussia has decided to stop supplying rocket engines to the United States in retaliation for its sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, Dmitry Rogozin, head of the state space agency Roscosmos, said on Thursday.
"In a situation like this we can't supply the United States with our world's best rocket engines. Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks, I don't know what," Rogozin said on state Russian television.
According to Rogozin, Russia has delivered a total of 122 RD-180 engines to the U.S. since 1990s, of which 98 have been used to power Atlas launch vehicles.
Ikea suspends Russia, Belarus operations, affecting 15,000 staffSwedish furniture giant Ikea said Thursday it would suspend its activities in Russia and Belarus, affecting nearly 15,000 employees, 17 stores and three production sites, in response to the war in Ukraine.
"The war has had a huge human impact already. It is also resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions. For all of these reasons, Ikea has decided to temporarily pause operations in Russia," the company said in a statement to AFP.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday promised Ukrainians that damage to infrastructure inflicted by invading Russian forces would be repaired and that Moscow would foot the bill.
"We will restore every house, every street, every city and we say to Russia: learn the word of reparations and contributions. You will reimburse us for everything you did against our state, against every Ukrainian in full," Zelensky said in a video statement.
EU Set To Offer Protection To Fleeing Ukrainians The EU is expected to rapidly approve a protection mechanism for war refugees fleeing Ukraine -- so far numbered at one million -- and to also set up a humanitarian hub in Romania, officials said Thursday.
The moves by the European Union came in parallel to its muscular sanctions on Russia imposed in successive waves over the course of the invasion, now in its eighth day.
EU interior ministers turning up for a Brussels meeting on how to address the growing wave of Ukrainian refugees said they expected the gathering to give political assent to a Temporary Protection mechanism.
The mechanism was drawn up two decades ago, in response to the wars in the former Yugoslavia, but never used.
The proposal by the EU's executive would give refugees from Ukraine and family members a residence permit and the right to access work and education for an initial year, renewable every six months after that.
Currently, Ukrainians with passports bearing biometric data have only the right to visit the EU's Schengen area for up to three months, without the right to work.
If agreed, as expected, by a majority of EU countries, the legal document enshrining the temporary protection mechanism for those fleeing the war in Ukraine could be enacted "in the coming days," French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said.
No Doubt That Solution To Ukraine Crisis Will Be Found, Says Russia's Foreign MinisterRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state television on Thursday he had no doubt that a solution to the Ukrainian crisis will be found, but Russia's dialogue with the West needs to be based on mutual respect.
Lavrov reiterated that Moscow could not tolerate military threat from Ukraine which he said was taking orders from Washington.
JustIn | Russian foreign minister accuses West of considering 'nuclear war'
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Continues Contacts With US, Says Deputy Minister
Moscow is continuing contact with Washington, mostly through embassies, and believes talks with Ukraine in Belarus can produce results, the TASS news agency quoted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian Diplomats In Moscow Moved To Latvia Ukrainian diplomats formerly based in Moscow arrived in Latvia on Wednesday evening, Latvia's foreign minister said.
"Latvia welcomes Ukrainian diplomats who left Moscow and crossed Latvian-Russian border last night," minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted on Thursday.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine Says 34 Civilians Killed In Kharkiv RegionRussian shelling and attacks on civilian populations killed 34 civilians in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region in the past 24 hours between March 2-3, the emergency services said on Thursday.
Separately, the governor of the Ukraine-controlled eastern Donetsk region said the port city of Mariupol, one of the first targets of the Russian invasion, was without electricity or water supplies.
Russia-Ukraine War: UK Sanctions Insurance Services For Russian Aviation CompaniesBritain on Thursday announced new sanctions preventing Russian companies in the aviation and space industry from accessing British insurance and reinsurance services following the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Around 575,100 People Entered Poland From Ukraine, Official SaysAround 575,100 people have enetered Poland from Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion of the country on Feb 24, the Polish border guard said on Thursday.
The Border Guard said that on Wednesday around 95,000 people entered, and that as of 0600 GMT on Thursday about 27,100 people had crossed the frontier.
Russia-Ukraine War: Liberal Russian Radio Station DissolvedEkho Moskvy, a liberal radio station in Moscow, has been dissolved by its board, its editor Alexei Venediktov said, in a move eliminating one of the few remaining liberal media that the Kremlin has tolerated until now.
The move came shortly after the prosecutor general's office demanded that access be restricted to Ekho Moskvy and the TV Rain online news channel because of their coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: France Advises Its Citizens To Leave Russia
The French government on Thursday advised French citizens to leave Russia where possible, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: Pro-Russian Separatists Threaten Ukraine's Mariupol With StrikesPro-Russian forces may launch targeted strikes on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol unless Ukrainian forces there surrender, the Interfax news agency quoted Donetsk separatist commander Eduard Basurin as saying on Thursday.
Russia and separatists say they have encircled the city of 430,000 located on the Azov Sea coast.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine Presidential Adviser Urges Humanitarian CorridorsUkraine needs humanitarian corridors supported by bodies such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the wake of Russia's invasion, an adviser to Ukraine's presidential office said on Thursday.
"The villages and towns where Russian troops' columns are stationed immediately turn into places of looting, robbery, murder," Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
Over 139,000 Ukrainians Entered Romania Since Russian InvasionMore than 139,000 Ukrainians have fled to Romania in the first seven days since Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air, border police data showed on Thursday.
They have entered Romania through its four land border checkpoints with Ukraine, but also through its checkpoints with Moldova, data showed. Just under 88,000 of them have already driven or flown out of Romania.
Ukraine Food Queues Seen From Space, See PicsNew satellite images on the war in Ukraine show long lines of people waiting for essentials outside shops, burning buildings and long convoys of military vehicles. The long queues waiting for food were seen outside supermarkets in Chernihiv and Kyiv.
Russia-Ukraine War: Bangladeshi Sailor Killed In Ukraine, Company SaysA Bangladeshi sailor has been killed in an attack on his vessel in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Olvia, the state shipping company said Thursday.
The Banglar Samriddhi, a bulk carrier, arrived in the country on February 22, a day before Russia invaded, and has since been unable to leave.
Pijush Dutta, executive director of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, told AFP that the vessel was hit in a "rocket or bomb" attack on Wednesday.
The third engineer was killed and the bridge caught fire, he said, but the remaining 28 crew -- all Bangladeshis -- were still on board.
"The fire has been brought under control," he added. "Other crew in the ship are safe."
Russia-Ukraine War: "India Focused On 2 Things": US Diplomat On Stand On Russia War In Ukraine The Biden administration is trying to urge India to take a "clear position" on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, US diplomat Donald Lu said. Mr Lu noted that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been on the "frontlines of that battle" and that US President Joe Biden and other senior officials in the State Department have been relentlessly conducting various "very serious" high-level dialogue with their Indian counterparts over Ukraine.
Read more Russia-Ukraine War: Roman Abramovich To Sell Chelsea, Proceeds Will Go To Ukraine War VictimsChelsea's Russian owner
Roman Abramovich said on Wednesday he had made the "incredibly difficult" decision to sell the Premier League club, pledging that proceeds would go to victims of the war in Ukraine. The billionaire believes it is in the "best interest" of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since he bought it in 2003. The dramatic development comes days after Abramovich said he was handing over control of Chelsea to trustees of its charitable foundation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War: No Report Of Students Taken Hostage In Ukraine: India After Russia Charge The Indian government today denied reports of Indian students being held as "hostages" in Ukraine, stating that it was in constant touch with Indian nationals in the war-torn country.
"We have not received reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested support of the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. Read more
Russia-Ukraine War: UK Regulator Opens Probes Into Russia State Media Channel After BreachesThe British broadcasting regulator has announced another dozen investigations into the "impartiality" of news programmes aired on Russian state-funded television channel RT.
Ofcom said on Wednesday that it now has 27 open investigations into RT and is considering whether the channel should keep its UK licence.
"We are very concerned by the volume of programmes on RT that are raising potential issues under the Broadcasting Code," Ofcom said in a statement.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine Says Major City Lost, Russia Steps Up Bombing Near Kyiv: 10 Facts Russia is pushing hard to seize control in major Ukrainian cities as the country puts up the defiant stand. India has stepped up evacuation of its citizens from the war zone by roping in the Air Force.
Read more Russia-Ukraine War: "It's A Crime": UAE Tightens Entry For Ukrainians As Thousands Flee War The United Arab Emirates has temporarily suspended a visa waiver for Ukrainian citizens, Kyiv's embassy in the Gulf Arab state said, at a time thousands of people are fleeing war in Ukraine.
The UAE decision went into effect on Tuesday, the embassy said in a notice to citizens on its Facebook page, without providing a reason. Emirati authorities did not respond to a request for comment.
Russia-Ukraine War: Protesters Urge Closure Of Panama Canal To Russian ShipsA small group of protesters urged the Panamanian government Wednesday to close the Panama Canal to Russian ships as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.
The move would be symbolic at best because very few Russian vessels actually use the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific.
Under a 1977 treaty in which the US-built canal was handed over to local control, the waterway is supposed to remain neutral in the event of international conflict.
Russia-Ukraine War: 1 Million Refugees Fled Ukraine In Week Since Russia's Invasion: UN Body One million refugees have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia's invasion, the UN's refugee agency announced Thursday.
"In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries," the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted, while urging "guns to fall silent" in the country.
Russia-Ukraine War: Amazon CEO Pledges Logistics, Cybersecurity Support For Ukraine Amazon.com Inc is using its logistics capability to get supplies to those in need and cybersecurity expertise to help governments and companies as part of its support for Ukraine, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said on Twitter on Wednesday.
"Amazon stands with the people of Ukraine, and will continue to help," Jassy said, following Russia's invasion that Moscow has called a "special operation." Amazon, which earlier this week pledged to donate up to $10 million for humanitarian efforts, is the latest company to mobilize in offering aid.
Russia-Ukraine War: "We Are Living In Real Hell": Ukraine's Maternity Hospital Under SiegeSitting on a temporary bed set up along a gloomy underground passageway, expectant mother Alena Shinkar reads a book to try to stay calm.
The Ukrainian has been at a Kyiv maternity hospital since before the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24 waiting to give birth, but with the capital city under siege from rockets and missiles, her nerves are fraying.
"I should not be stressed now so I am trying to cool myself down, but of course it is terrible what is happening," she told Reuters in English.
Russia-Ukraine War: Mercedes-Benz Halts Russia Exports After German Rivals BMW, Volkswagen Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday it was suspending vehicle exports to Russia and local production in the country, becoming the latest carmaker to respond to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"Mercedes-Benz will suspend the export of passenger cars and vans to Russia as well as the local manufacturing in Russia until further notice," it said in a statement.
German rivals BMW and Volkswagen made similar announcements earlier this week as Western companies withdraw from sanctions-hit Russia.
Russia-Ukraine War: Japan's Pan Pacific International Says To Accept 100 Refugee Families From UkraineJapan's Pan Pacific International, formerly Don Quijote Holdings, said on Thursday it will accept 100 refugee families from Ukraine as Russia's invasion of the country continues.
The company said in a statement it will accept 100 Ukrainian families approved by the Japanese government to enter Japan as refugees, and provide financial support and job opportunities.
Russia-Ukraine War: India Abstains On UN Resolution "Deploring Russia's Aggression" In Ukraine India on Wednesday abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution that strongly deplored Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the third abstention in less than a week by the country in the world body on resolutions on the escalating crisis between Moscow and Kyiv.