Ukraine-Russia Crisis: Russia says it has used hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine (File)
Dozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck a Ukrainian military barracks in the southern city of Mykolaiv, witnesses told AFP on Saturday while a rescue operation was underway.
"No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP without providing his last name.
"At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble," he said.
Another soldier estimated that the bombing could have killed around 100 people.
Authorities have not yet released an official death toll.
The military facility located in the north of the city was fully destroyed after being hit by several rockets Friday morning.
Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west, the defence ministry said.
Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.
"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region", the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.
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Ukraine city of Mykolaiv facing air raids: Official
Russian air raids on Mykolaiv were taking place in quick succession Saturday, a regional official said, a day after a deadly strike on a military barracks in the southern Ukrainian city.
Vitaly Kim, head of the regional administration, said there wasn't even enough time to raise the alarm over the raids "because by the time we announce this tornado, it's already there".
"The (alert) message and the bombings arrive at the same time," he said on social media. He gave no details about the extent of the damage or on any possible victims.
Dozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck the military barracks in Mykolaiv early Friday, witnesses told AFP on Saturday, as a rescue operation was under way. Authorities have not yet released an official deaths.
Ukrainian authorities say that Mykolaiv, which they describe as being a "shield" to the key strategic military port of Odessa, some 130 kilometres (85 miles) further west, is resisting Russian attacks and pushing back the invaders' assaults.
Ukraine says 6,623 people were evacuated from cities on SaturdayA total of 6,623 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Saturday, a senior official said, considerably fewer than managed to escape the previous day.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president's office, said in an online post that 4,128 people had left the besieged city of Mariupol.
On Friday, he said 9,145 people had managed to leave cities across the country during the day.
Kyiv says 228 killed in capital since start of war, including four children
Kyiv city authorities on Saturday said 228 people had been killed in the capital since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, including four children.
A further 912 people have been wounded, the Kyiv city administration said in a statement.
Reuters has not been able to independently confirm casualty figures.
Chinese official calls sanctions on Russia increasingly 'outrageous'A senior Chinese government official said on Saturday that sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia over Ukraine are increasingly "outrageous".
Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng also acknowledged Moscow's point of view on NATO, saying the alliance should not further expand eastwards, forcing a nuclear power like Russia "into a corner".
China has yet to condemn Russia's action in Ukraine or call it an invasion, though it has expressed deep concern about the war. Beijing has also opposed economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, which it says are unilateral and are not authorised by the U.N. Security Council.
"The sanctions against Russia are getting more and more outrageous," Le said at security forum in Beijing, adding that Russian citizens were being deprived of overseas assets "for no reason".
At Least 847 Civilians Killed In Ukraine Since Conflict Began: UN The U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) said on Saturday that at least 847 civilians had been killed and 1,399 wounded in Ukraine as of March 18.
Most of the casualties were from explosive weapons such as shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes, OHCHR said.
Russia warns of Ukrainian mines in Black SeaRussia on Saturday warned that mines that Ukrainians had deployed in the Black Sea against its "military operation" could drift as far as the Straits of Bosphrous and the Mediterranean Sea.
"After the start of the Russian special military operation, Ukrainian naval forces had deployed barriers of mines around the ports of Odessa, Ochakov, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny," the FSB security service said in a statement, adding that the mines were "dilapidated" and made in the first half of the 20th century.
Storms have cut cables to some of those mines that are now floating freely in the western Black Sea, pushed along by wind and the currents, it said.
Given the direction of the currents "the floating of the mines toward the Bosphrous and then on to the Mediterranean is not excluded", it said.
Russia Ridicules Idea That Cosmonauts Wore Yellow In Support Of UkraineRussia's space agency on Saturday dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) had chosen to wear yellow suits with a blue trim in support of Ukraine.
"Sometimes yellow is just yellow," Roscosmos' press service said on its Telegram channel.
"The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colours of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from ... To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy."
Ukraine Calls On China To "Condemn Russian Barbarism"Ukraine on Saturday called on China to join the West in condemning "Russian barbarism", after the US warned Beijing of consequences if it backed Moscow's attack on the country.
"China can be the global security system's important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries' coalition and condemn Russian barbarism," presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
JustIn | Ukraine calls on China to 'condemn Russian barbarism', news agency AFP reported
Russia ally Kazakhstan blocks Ukraine peace rallyActivists in Kazakhstan said Saturday they were refused permission to hold a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as tensions over the war spill into Moscow's neighbourhood.
Kazakhstan, which enjoys traditionally cordial relations with the West, is seeking a balance between distancing itself from the Kremlin's brutal campaign in Ukraine and not riling its northern ally.
Earlier this month Kazakh authorities allowed activists in the former capital Almaty to hold a rally against the invasion that gathered more than 2,000 people and featured chants and slogans insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But activists on Saturday showed AFP a letter from the Almaty mayor's office refusing them permission to hold a second demonstration, explaining a square designated for demonstrations was being used for a rally in support of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instead.
Russian Claims Of Bat Bioweapon Labs In Ukraine Dismissed By USRussia is using the UN Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine, six Western members states said Friday.
They made the allegation at a council meeting called at Russia's request to discuss its allegations that Ukraine is developing biological weapons.
"Russia is once again attempting to use this council to launder its disinformation, spread its propaganda, and justify its unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine," the six countries with seats on the council said in a statement read out by US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
UK warns against post-Ukraine reset with PutinThe West must not try to "normalise relations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday, calling the crisis a "turning point for the world".
"There are some around the world... who say that we're better off making accommodations with tyranny... I believe they are profoundly wrong," the British leader told his Conservative Party's Spring conference in Blackpool, northwest England.
"To try to renormalise relations with Putin after this, as we did in 2014, would be to make exactly the same mistake again, and that is why Putin must fail.
Putin 'in better shape than ever', Belarus leader saysRussian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane and "in better shape than ever", his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.
"He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal."
Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
More Than 3.3 Million Flee Ukraine, 6.5 Million Internally Displaced: UNMore than 3.3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said Saturday, while nearly 6.5 million are thought to be internally displaced within the country.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,328,692 Ukrainians had left since the war began on February 24, with another 58,030 joining the exodus since Friday's update.
"People continue to flee because they are afraid of bombs, airstrikes and indiscriminate destruction," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.
"Aid is vital but can't stop fear. Only stopping the war can."
Some 90 percent of those who have fled are women and children. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are eligible for military call-up and cannot leave.
Hold Peace Talks Or Suffer For "Several Generations": Ukraine To RussiaPresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Saturday for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow to stop its invasion of Ukraine, saying it would otherwise take Russia "several generations" to recover from its losses in the war.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the assault on Feb. 24, Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled, with long columns of troops that bore down on Kyiv halted at its suburbs.
However they have laid siege to cities, blasting urban areas to rubble, and in recent days have intensified missile attacks on scattered targets in western Ukraine, away from the main battlefields in the north and east of the country.
On Saturday Russia's defence ministry said it had destroyed a large underground depot for missiles and aircraft ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region using hypersonic weapons, missiles that can travel at five times the speed of sound or faster.
Dozens Dead After Military Barracks Hit In South UkraineDozens of soldiers were killed after Russian troops struck a Ukrainian military barracks in the southern city of Mykolaiv, witnesses told AFP on Saturday while a rescue operation was underway.
"No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP without providing his last name. "At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble," he said.
JustIn | Dozens dead after shelling of military barracks in south Ukraine, news agency AFP reported quoting witnesses
Dead buildings tower over uncollected corpses in Mariupol, on the front line of Ukraine's warIn Mariupol daily life is a series of harrowing escapes from bomb blasts and basic survival rituals, amid the rubble that lies everywhere.
Uncollected corpses wrapped in blankets, coats or any available covering lie in courtyards cleared of debris. Those killed are often buried in common graves.
All around are the blackened shells of the sprawling tower blocks typical of Soviet-era dwellings. Twisted metal on balconies, shattered windows, woods, metal and other wreckage scattered between buildings and in streets.
Some 400,000 people have been trapped in the strategic port city on the Sea of Azov for more than two weeks, sheltering from heavy bombardment that has severed central supplies of electricity, heating and water, according to local authorities.
9 Killed In Shelling By Russia In Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Curfew ImposedNine people were killed and 17 wounded in shelling of the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on Friday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said on Saturday.
The military has since declared a 38-hour curfew in Zaporizhzhia, which was being attacked by Russian forces with mortars, tanks, helicopters and rocket systems, Kurtiev said in an online post.
Russia Uses Advanced Hypersonic Missiles In Ukraine For First TimeRussia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west, the defence ministry said.
Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.
"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region", the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.
Ukraine's prosecutor office says 112 children killed in war in UkraineThe Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said on Saturday that 112 children have been killed so far in the war in Ukraine.
It also said on Telegram that 140 children had been wounded.
Reuters could not immediately verify the information.
Ukraine military orders 38-hour curfew in southern Zaporizhzhia city
The Ukrainian military imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, starting at 1400 GMT on Saturday and ending early on Monday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said.
Ukraine's prosecutor office says 112 children killed in war in Ukraine
The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said on Saturday that 112 children have been killed so far in the war in Ukraine. It also said on Telegram that 140 children had been wounded.
Russia has never used energy resources as pressure instrument: Foreign MinistryMoscow has never used the export of energy resources as an instrument of political pressure, since Russian energy companies have always fully fulfilled their obligations and continue to do so now, Director of the First European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Paramonov told Sputnik.
"Moscow has never used the export of energy resources as an instrument of political pressure. Russian energy companies have always fully fulfilled their obligations. They continue to do so now," he said.
China calls for inquiry on chemical weapons claims
Russia says used hypersonic weapons in western UkraineRussia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west, the defence ministry said.
"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition" in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region," the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.
UK Foreign Secretary believes sanctions against Russian businessmen will not be liftedUK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss believes that the sanctions against Russian businessmen imposed over the military operation in Ukraine will not be lifted.
"It's extremely difficult. These oligarchs have enabled Vladimir Putin to do what he's doing. There is blood on his hands," Truss told the Times newspaper when asked if the sanctions against the Russian businessman will be lifted.
Humanitarian corridor for evacuation in Ukraine's Luhansk region will be open todayA humanitarian corridor for evacuations in Ukraine's Luhansk region will be opened on Saturday morning, regional governor Serhiy Gaiday said on Telegram.
"A humanitarian corridor has been agreed, we will try to evacuate people and bring food today. A 'regime of silence' has been agreed for March 19, starting at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT)," Gaiday said.
Will Donate Son's Body For Research, Says Naveen's Father
Will China Provide Military Help To Russia In Ukraine?
The United States is still concerned about China providing military support to Russia even after President Joe Biden spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, on Friday to discourage him from aiding Moscow in its military operation in Ukraine, said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki.
US will neither engage in hostilities in Ukraine nor establish no-fly zone: Pentagon ChiefThe United States will neither engage in hostilities in Ukraine nor establish a no-fly zone over the country, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told the CNN broadcaster.
"Well, the President's [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we won't have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no fly zone," mr Austin said.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry donate to charities in Ukraine Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are continuing to do their bit for the people of Ukraine. The couple has made donations to charities to support Ukrainians as they paid tribute to Invictus Games athlete Serhii Karaivan, who died while fighting against Russian forces.
As per Fox News, the couple's Archewell Foundation announced on Friday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have donated to several organisations working on the ground to support the Ukrainian people.
Japan Prime Minister In Delhi Today, May Discuss Ukraine War With PM Modi
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to India gains significance amid the western countries slapping sanctions against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine.
Here's Why Ukraine Has Turned To Crypto Donations
Cryptocurrencies have taken on an unprecedented role in the war in Ukraine, helping the government raise millions of dollars to fund its fight against the Russian invasion. Crypto donations are of value to Ukraine because they are less influenced by geopolitical or macroeconomic factors
Sheikh Hasina thanks PM Modi for evacuating Bangladeshi nationals from UkraineBangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for their assistance in evacuating Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in the Sumy oblast of Ukraine.
"I write to express my sincere thanks to you and your government for extending support and assistance in rescuing and evacuating some Bangladeshi nationals along with the Indians who were stranded in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine," Hasina said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi.
French President "extremely concerned" over Ukraine war
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed Friday his "extreme concern" over the fate of Ukraine's Mariupol in over an hour of talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, urging "a lifting of the siege and humanitarian access" to the city.
It's Time For Meaningful Talks With Russia, Says Ukraine PresidentUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.