President Vladimir Putin ordered his military command to put Russia’s nuclear deterrent on high alert on Sunday in the face of a huge Western response to his war on Ukraine, which said it had repelled Russian ground forces nearing its biggest cities.
The United States responded by saying Mr. Putin was escalating the war in a “totally unacceptable” way, amid signs that the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two was not producing rapid battlefield victories for Russia.
The Ukrainian President’s office said negotiations with Moscow without preconditions would be held at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The Kremlin said talks had started.
As missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities, nearly 4,00,000 Ukrainian civilians, mainly women and children, have fled into neighbouring countries. Hundreds were stranded in Kyiv on Sunday waiting for trains to take them west, away from the fighting.
The capital remains in Ukrainian Government hands, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rallying his people despite Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure.
Sanctions on Russia have been intensified with U.S., European Union, and United Kingdom agreeing to block “selected” Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial system.
Ground report | Ukrainian refugees in Poland speak of wanting to fight, conflicted loyalties
Read | What is SWIFT and why is Russia being threatened with exclusion from the service?
Read |How has India voted on UNSC resolutions regarding international conflicts in the past?
India began efforts to evacuate its citizens via Ukraine’s neighbouring countries after the strife-torn country shut its airspace for commercial flights. As many as 688 Indian nationals returned on Sunday from Ukraine on board three Air India evacuation flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest.
The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.
Read | When and how did Ukraine give up its nuclear arsenal?
Here are the latest updates:
Ukraine says 352 civilians dead so far in war
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed during Russia’s invasion, including 14 children. It said an additional 1,684 people, including 116 children, have been wounded.
The Ministry’s statement on Sunday did not give any information on casualties among Ukraine’s armed forces.
Russia has claimed that its troops are targeting only Ukrainian military facilities and says that Ukraine’s civilian population is not in danger.
Russia has not released any information on casualties among its troops. The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged on Sunday only that Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded, without giving any numbers. — AP
U.N. Security Council votes to discuss Ukraine at General Assembly, India abstains
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on February 27 afternoon, voted to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly to consider a resolution, vetoed by Russia on Friday, on the situation in Ukraine. The resolution condemned Russia’s aggression and calling for it to withdraw from Ukraine unconditionally. The General Assembly will take up the issue at 10 a.m. New York time on Feb. 28, Secretary General Antonio Guterress announced.
India, along with China and the UAE, abstained from Sunday’s vote, as was the case on Friday. Russia voted against the resolution and eleven UNSC members voted in favour of it. Given the vote was procedural, no country had a veto, and the resolution was adopted. — Sriram Lakshman
New York orders Russia sanctions, invites Ukrainian refugees
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order forbidding her state from doing business with Russia, including cancelling its investments there.
The Governor also said that New York will welcome Ukrainian refugees in response to Russia’s invasion, noting at a press conference in Albany on Sunday that her state is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the U.S.
“We have said we’ll open up our hearts, our homes, our resources to the people of the Ukraine, to say, We stand with you,” Ms. Hochul said. Federal estimates show that around 1,40,000 of the more than 1 million people in the U.S. who report Ukrainian ancestry live in New York.
“If you need a place to stay, you want to come over here, we will help you become integrated into our community,” she said, “as we have been open so to so many other refugees in the past, including those from Afghanistan most recently.” Ms. Hochul didn’t immediately get into specifics regarding her state’s economic sanctions against Moscow, but pointed out that New York’s economy is larger than that of Russia. — AP
U.S. to send anti-aircraft Stingers to Ukraine
The U.S. for the first time has approved the direct delivery of Stinger missiles to Ukraine as part of a package approved by the White House on Friday.
The exact timing of delivery is not known, but officials say the U.S. is currently working on the logistics of the shipment. The officials agreed to discuss the development only if not quoted by name.
The decision comes on the heels of Germany’s announcement that it will send 500 Stinger missiles and other weapons and supplies to Ukraine.
The high-speed Stingers are very accurate and are used to shoot down helicopters and other aircraft. Ukrainian officials have been asking for more of the powerful weapons.
Estonia has also been providing Ukraine with Stingers since January, and in order to do that had to get U.S. permission. — AP
Sweden, Finland pledge military aid for Kyiv
The Nordic nations of Sweden and Finland said they will send military aid to Ukraine including anti-tank weapons, helmets and body armour.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said at a news conference on Sunday that Stockholm would ship 5,000 anti-tank weapons, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 units of body armour and 1,35,000 field rations in support to Ukraine’s military.
Neighbouring Finland said earlier on Sunday that it would send 2,000 helmets, 2,000 bulletproof vests, 100 stretchers and equipment for two emergency medical care stations as aid to Ukraine.
Russian forces invaded its smaller neighbour on Thursday, drawing sanctions and international condemnation. — AP
Protesters in France denounce Vladimir Putin
Hundreds of people protested on February 27 in Paris and in the Riviera city of Nice against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian flags and those of other eastern European nations hoisted high.
Some Russians opposed to the war were in the Paris crowd.
It was the second day of protests directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin around France, among a string of weekend rallies across Europe. On the famed Promenade des Anglais in Nice, a hub for Ukrainians, hundreds of people chanted slogans against the war Putin is waging and urged NATO nations to protect them from Russian bombs.
Protesters carried Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian and Chechen flags and banners denouncing Mr. Putin. — AP
66,000 Ukrainian refugees enter Hungary so far
Some 66,000 refugees have entered Hungary from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 27, with more than 23,000 entering on Feb. 26 alone, according to the Hungarian police and Hungary’s Foreign Minster.
Speaking from a border station between Zahony, Hungary and Chop, Ukraine on Feb. 27, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that his Government would send 1,00,000 liters (about 26,400 gallons) of gasoline and diesel to Ukrainian authorities for use by paramedics, medical institutions and disaster management.
“Hungary has a role to play in humanitarian disaster response and relief,” Mr. Szijjarto said.
Some 28 tons of food aid has also been sent into Ukraine so far, Mr. Szijjarto said, adding that Hungary would provide 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in aid to Ukraine on Feb. 28.
Hungary’s Government has said it will allow all citizens and legal residents of Ukraine to enter Hungary as refugees, emphasizing that none will be turned away if they can prove legal status in Ukraine.
Refugees arriving from Ukraine to the border town of Zahony will be able to continue their journey with a free “solidarity ticket” to any destination in Hungary, Hungarian state railway company MAV wrote in a statement on Sunday. — AP
Belarusians protest Russian attack on Ukraine
Hundreds of people protested Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Belarus on February 27. The protests came despite the fact that the authoritarian Belarusian Government has sided with Moscow.
The anti-war rallies spanned at least 12 Belarusian cities, and human rights advocates reported that more than 170 people have been arrested. In the capital of Minsk, demonstrators marched in different parts of the city carrying Ukrainian flags. A large pile of flowers kept growing at the building of Ukraine’s Embassy.
Pavel Latushko, Belarusian top Opposition figure in exile in Poland, condemned Belarus’ role in the Russian attack on Ukraine.
“The illegitimate regime in Belarus, headed by the usurper of power [President Alexander] Lukashenko, has made our country an accomplice in the aggression against the brotherly Ukrainian people,” Mr. Latushko said. “We consider aggression against Ukraine an international crime on the part of the Russian and Belarusian regimes.” — AP
Canada joins Europe, closes airspace to Russia
Canada is joining many European countries in closing its airspace to all Russian aircraft as the West ramps up pressure on Russia for invading Ukraine.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on February 28 that Canada will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks.
Most European countries have either announced they are closing their airspace or said they intend to do so. So far Spain, Greece, Serbia and Turkey are among the few left that haven’t joined in the move against Russia. — AP
Greece sending defence aid to Ukraine
Authorities say Greece is sending ammunition, assault rifles and missile launchers to Ukraine in response to a request by Ukraine’s Government.
The military aid was decided at a meeting on Sunday morning between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and senior defence officials.
A C-130 plane with the equipment has arrived in Poland, and a second one will arrive later, a Defense Ministry official said.
Two more planes carrying humanitarian aid such as blankets and food have also left Athens International Airport for Poland, the spokesman said. — AP
Russia admits ‘killed and injured’ troops in Ukraine
Russia’s army admitted on Sunday that there were “killed and injured” soldiers among its troops in Ukraine on the fourth day of its invasion, without saying how many had died there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. File | Photo Credit: AP
“Russian servicemen are showing courage and heroism while fulfilling combat tasks in the special military operation,” Moscow’s army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on state television.
“Unfortunately, there are killed and injured among our comrades.”
This was the first time Moscow had spoken about losing men in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in the early hours of Thursday.
Konashenkov said the Russian army would return Ukrainian prisoners of war “who surrender” to their families. - AFP
Air India’s three more flights bring back 688 Indians from Ukraine
As many as 688 Indian nationals returned here on Sunday from strife-torn Ukraine on board three Air India evacuation flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that approximately 13,000 Indians are stranded in Ukraine as of now, and the government is making efforts to bring them back as soon as possible.
Following the Russian military offensive against Ukraine, India has brought back a total of 907 stranded citizens from that country since Saturday when the first evacuation flight from Bucharest with 219 people on board landed in Mumbai under Operation Ganga.
The second flight (AI1942) departed from Bucharest with 250 Indian citizens and landed at the Delhi airport around 2.45 a.m. on Sunday, officials said.
With 240 Indian nationals on board, the third evacuation flight from Budapest landed at the Delhi airport around 9.20 a.m. on Sunday, followed by another Tata Group-run carrier’s flight from Bucharest with 198 Indian nationals at 5.35 p.m.
France joins others closing airspace to Russia
France is joining many other European countries in closing their airspace to all Russian aircraft as the West ramps up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering an invasion of Ukraine.
Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Luxembourg have already announced they were closing their respective airspace to Russian planes.
“To the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe responds with total unity,” Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari tweeted Sunday. Separately, Air France announced that it was suspending flights to and from Russia for safety reasons “until further notice.” -AP
2,000 Indians evacuated from Ukraine: Foreign Secretary
India has evacuated around 2,000 of its citizens from Ukraine after the conflict began and efforts are on to facilitate the exit of the remaining stranded Indians through various border transit points to the neighbouring countries, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Sunday.
At a media briefing, Mr. Shringla said he held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia and shared with them the locations of the Indian citizens in Ukraine for ensuring their protection.
The Foreign Secretary said though the border crossings to Hungary and Romania are functioning, the exit point to Poland has been clogged with lakhs of Ukrainians and foreign nationals trying to leave the strife-torn through it. “This is a problem area,” he said.
Mr. Shringla said that Indians who are near the borders with Hungary Romania and Slovakia are being guided towards the respective border points in phases.
India is using the land routes to evacuate its citizens as Ukraine has closed its airspace for civilian aircraft following the Russian attack.
Ukraine, Russia diplomats to meet on Belarus border
The office of Ukraine’s President has confirmed that a delegation will meet with Russian officials as Moscow’s troops draw closer to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy office said on the Telegram messaging app that the two sides would meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border and did not give a precise time for the meeting.
The announcement on Sunday came hours after Russia announced that its delegation had flown to Belarus to await talks. Ukrainian officials initially rejected the move, saying any talks should take place elsewhere than Belarus, where Russia placed a large contingent of troops before it invaded Ukraine starting Thursday.
The meeting news came shortly after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces put on high alert in response to what he called “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers.
Putin nuclear alert ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible’: NATO chief
President Vladimir Putin’s decision to place his nuclear forces on alert amounts to “irresponsible” behavior, NATO charged Sunday.
“This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a behavior which is irresponsible,” the alliance’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told CNN amid heightened tensions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“And, of course, if you combine this rhetoric with what they’re doing on the ground in Ukraine, waging war against the independent sovereign nation, conducting a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, this adds to the seriousness of the situation,” he added. -AP
Putin puts Russia’s nuclear forces on alert, cites sanctions
In a dramatic escalation of East-West tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces put on high alert on Sunday in response to what he called “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers.
The order means Mr. Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch, raising the threat that the tensions could boil over into nuclear warfare. In giving it, the Russian leader also cited hard-hitting financial sanctions imposed by the West against Russia, including Mr. Putin himself.
Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Mr. Putin directed the Russian Defense Minister and the Chief of the Military’s General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”
“Western countries aren’t only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country,” Mr. Putin said in televised comments.
The Russian leader this week threatened to retaliate harshly against any nations that intervened directly in the conflict in Ukraine, and he specifically raised the spectre of his country’s status as a nuclear power.
PM Modi to hold high-level meeting on Ukraine
Immediately on his return from Uttar Pradesh where he is campaigning for the ongoing Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a high level meeting on the Ukraine issue. - Nistula Hebber
Pope condemns ‘diabolical logic’ of war
Pope Francis has denounced the “diabolical and perverse logic” of launching a war in Ukraine in his strongest public comments yet.
Pope Francis also called on Sunday for humanitarian corridors to welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the “tragic” invasion of their homeland.
Pope Francis has refrained from calling out Russia by name as he seeks to mend ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and he again omitted any reference to Moscow on Sunday. But he said: “Those who make war forget humanity,” adding that warfare “relies on the diabolical and perverse logic of weapons, which is the farthest thing from God’s will.”
MEA summons Ukrainian, Russian envoys
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday summoned envoys of Ukraine and Russia to convey India’s concerns about safety of Indians in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.
He also acknowledged the challenges involved in evaluating the Indian citizens from the live conflict zone of Ukraine.
“India urges Red Cross to help in escorting citizens out of live conflict zones of Ukraine,” Mr. Shringla added.
When asked if India can play a role to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis, Mr. Shringla said, “We have been engaged with all sides. We are essentially a country with friends and equities there. If we or anyone else can contribute (to end the conflict) they should do so.” - Kallol Bhattacharjee
Ukraine lodges case against Russia in The Hague
Ukraine has lodged a complaint against Russia at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to get it to halt its invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
“Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression,” Zelenskyy declared in a tweet.
“We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week.
The Kremlin has tried to justify its operation to “demilitarise” Ukraine as an attempt to prevent the alleged persecution of the country’s Russian-speaking minority. - AFP
Ukraine army secures Kharkiv, expelling Russian troops: governor
Ukrainian forces had secured full control of Kharkiv on Sunday following street fighting with Russian troops in the country’s second-biggest city, the local Governor said.
“Kharkiv is fully under our control,” the head of the regional administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said on Telegram, adding that the army was expelling Russian forces during a “clean-up” operation.
Czechs join Poland, Sweden in refusing to play Russia
The Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden on Sunday in rejecting the to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup qualifying next month in response to that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Czech soccer association’s executive committee said it “unanimously approved a decision that the Czech national team will not in any case play Russia.” The soccer federations of Poland and Sweden made the same decision on Saturday.
The Czech Republic is a potential opponent of Russia in next month’s playoffs. The winner of the Poland-Russia match is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place at the World Cup being played in Qatar from November 21-December 18.
The executive committee asked Czech soccer federation head Petr Fousek to lead negotiations with UEFA and FIFA about the Czech position.
Belgium closes airspace to Russian airlines
Belgium is joining a growing list of countries closing their airspace to Russian airlines as the West ramps up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering an invasion of Ukraine.
Belgian Prime Minster Alexander De Croo tweeted Sunday that the country “has decided to close its airspace to all Russian airlines.” Mr. De Croo says that “our European skies are open skies. They’re open for those who connect people, not for those who seek to brutally aggress.”
Russia said Saturday that it was closing its airspace to planes from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Slovenia after they banned Russian planes from their skies. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, among several other countries, also have a ban in place.
Russians enter Ukraine’s 2nd-largest city, advance on ports
Street fighting broke out in Ukraine’s second-largest city and Russian troops squeezed strategic ports in the country’s south on Sunday, advances that appeared to make a new phase of Russia’s invasion following a wave of attacks on airfields and fuel facilities elsewhere in the country.
Following its gains on the ground, Russia sent a delegation to Belarus for peace talks with Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Ukraine’s President suggested other locations, saying his country was unwilling to meet in Belarus because it served as a staging ground for the invasion.
Until Sunday, Russia’s troops had remained on the outskirts of Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south of the border with Russia, while other forces rolled past to press the offensive deeper into Ukraine and Ukrainian fighters put up determined resistance.
Videos posted on Ukrainian media and social networks showed Russian vehicles moving across Kharkiv and Russian troops roaming the city in small groups. -AP
Germany to close airspace to Russian flights for three months
Germany will close its airspace to Russian planes and airlines for three months from 3 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Sunday, its transport ministry said.
Humanitarian aid flights are excluded from the ban, a spokesperson for the ministry said.
The ministry had said on Saturday that it was preparing to close German airspace to Russian flights, following similar moves by other European country in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.—Reuters
Ukraine calls for removal of Russia from U.N. Security Council seat
Ukraine's president says Russia should be thrown out of the United Nations Security Council following its invasion of his country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message on Sunday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine amounts to an act of genocide, saying that “Russia has taken the path of evil and the world should come to depriving it of its U.N. Security Council seat.” Russia is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, giving it veto power over resolutions.
Zelenskyy said that Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities should be investigated by an international war crimes tribunal and denounced the Russian invasion as “state terrorism.” He dismissed Russia's claims as lies that it wasn't targeting civilian areas.—AP
EU could ban Russian flights from its airspace: official
A European Union-wide ban for Russian flights could be part of a fresh package of sanctions on Moscow to be discussed later on Sunday by the bloc's foreign ministers, an EU official said.
A vast majority of EU member states have already closed their airspace to these flights, and a more formal decision could be taken shortly, the official added. —Reuters
Russia has warned Ukraine its offensive will not stop for talks, says Kremlin
The Kremlin on Sunday said it has warned Ukraine that Russia’s military operation would not be suspended during any potential talks, the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia earlier said its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel, a location Kyiv rejected as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion.-Reuters
UAE not taking sides in Ukraine conflict, favours negotiations - official
The United Arab Emirates wants to encourage a political solution in the Ukraine conflict and taking sides would only encourage violence, a senior UAE official said on Sunday.
The comment, posted by Anwar Gargash on Twitter, comes after the UAE abstained to vote on Friday on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution deploring Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. It did not pass because of Russia’s veto.
The UAE “believes that taking sides would only lead to more violence,” said Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan..
“The UAE has a firm position regarding the United Nations, international law and the sovereignty of states, rejecting military solutions,” he said.-Reuters
Zelensky says Russia striking residential areas in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Moscow was bombarding residential areas in Ukraine as its invading forces sought to push deeper into the pro-Western country.
“The past night in Ukraine was brutal, again shooting, again bombardments of residential areas, civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky said in an address posted online.
“Today, there is not a single thing in the country that the occupiers do not consider an acceptable target. They fight against everyone. They fight against all living things -- against kindergartens, against residential buildings and even against ambulances.”
He said Russian forces were “firing rockets and missiles at entire city districts in which there isn’t and never has been any military infrastructure”.
“Vasylkiv, Kyiv, Chernigiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and many other towns in Ukraine are living in conditions that were last experienced on our lands during World War II.”-AFP
Smoke rises after shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 27, 2022. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Ground Report | Ukrainian refugees in Poland speak of wanting to fight, conflicted loyalties
Russian is going to be an even more familiar language on the streets of Polish cities in the coming months. Most Ukrainians can speak perfect Russian in addition to their mother tongue; in fact, many speak it as their first language. With the onset of the war with Russia, the UN anticipates more than one million Ukrainians will travel to Poland, a country that already hosts two million Ukrainians as a legacy of the previous war.
“We would like to thank the Polish people and government for their generosity, they have made us feel welcome,” says Aleks, a young man who works in the southern Polish city of Bielsko-Biala, which is four hours’ drive from the Ukrainian border. Inter-city trains are providing free transport for refugees and many Polish citizens have volunteered their time and resources and are sharing their homes during this difficult moment.
Fourth evacuation flight carrying 198 Indians leaves for Delhi from Bucharest
A fourth evacuation flight carrying 198 Indians from Romanian capital Bucharest left for India on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said.
Following the closure of Ukranian airspace, India is facilitating evacuation of stranded Indians from Ukraine through its land border crossings with Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Ukraine rejects Russian offer of talks in Belarus
Ukraine’s president says his country is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus, which was a staging ground for Moscow’s 3-day-old invasion.
Speaking in a video message Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues. He said other locations are also possible but made clear that Ukraine doesn’t accept Russia’s selection of Belarus.
The Kremlin said Sunday that a Russian delegation had arrived in the Belarusian city of Homel for talks with Ukrainian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation includes military officials and diplomats.
“The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians,” Peskov said-AP
U.N. reports at least 240 civilian casualties, 64 deaths in Ukraine
At least 64 civilians have been killed and more than 1,60,000 are on the move after Russian troops entered Ukraine this week, a United Nations relief agency said.
"As of 5:00 p.m. on 26 February, (U.N. human rights office) OHCHR reports at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 dead," the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a status report.
It added the actual figures were likely to be "considerably higher".
More than 43,000 Ukrainians entered Romania since Russian invasion
More than 43,000 Ukrainians have fled to Romania in the three days since Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air, border police data showed on Sunday.
They have entered Romania through its four land border checkpoints with Ukraine, but also through its checkpoints with Moldova, data showed. Thousands of them have already exited the country on their way to Bulgaria and Hungary. Reuters
A view shows a burning oil depot reportedly hit by shelling near the military airbase Vasylkiv in the Kyiv region, Ukraine on February 27, 2022. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
IAEA calls on all parties to refrain from actions that threatens safety of Ukraine nuclear power plants
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has called on all parties to refrain from any actions that could threaten the safety and security of nuclear power plants in Ukraine amid an intensified Russian military offensive in its capital Kyiv and other areas.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Ukraine has four nuclear power sites with a total of 15 reactors, providing roughly half of the country’s electricity.
Expressing grave concern over the situation in Ukraine, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on Saturday called on all parties to refrain from any measures or actions that could jeopardise the security of nuclear material, and the safe operation of all nuclear facilities, as any such incident could have severe consequences for human health and the environment.
He said that Ukraine on Saturday informed the agency that the country’s nuclear power plants remained stable and in normal operation.-PTI
Fighting under way in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv
Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said Sunday that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes.
Russian troops approached Kharkiv, which is located about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south of the border with Russia, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. But until Sunday, they remained on its outskirts without trying to enter the city while other forces rolled past, pressing their offensive deeper into Ukraine.
Videos posted on Ukrainian media and social networks showed Russian vehicles moving across Kharkiv and a light vehicle burning on the street.-AP
Ukraine says it downed missile launched by Russian bomber flying over Belarus
Ukrainian forces have downed a cruise missile that was launched by a Russian Tu-22 strategic bomber from the territory of Belarus, Valery Zaluzhny, the chief commander of the armed forces, said on Sunday.-Reuters
Ukraine pipeline operator says gas transit is normal
The transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine continues normally and the pipeline has not been damaged by any blasts, Ukraine’s gas pipeline operator said on Sunday.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials had said Russian troops blew up a gas pipeline in the northeastern region of Kharkiv but it was unclear if the affected section was part of a transit pipeline or a regional distribution network.-Reuters
Ukraine establishing foreign legion for volunteers from abroad
Ukraine is establishing a foreign “international” legion for volunteers from abroad, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
“This will be the key evidence of your support for our country,” Mr. Zelensky said in a statement.- Reuters
Flowers, soft toys and posters are placed as a sign of support outside the main gate of the embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi on February 27, 2022, following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. | Photo Credit: AFP
Russia claims to have besieged two big cities in Ukraine south and southeast
Moscow claimed Sunday its troops had “entirely” besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the city of Berdyansk in the southeast, as the Russian army pressed ahead with the invasion of the pro-Western country.
“Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.- AFP
Russian troops enter Ukraine’s Kharkiv -Ukrainian official
Russian troop vehicles were seen on the streets of Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv on Sunday, Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote on Telegram.
Videos published by Mr. Herashchenko and Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection showed several light military vehicles moving along a street and, separately, a burning tank.-Reuters
Ukraine’s top diplomatic envoy in the U.S. urges countries to sever diplomatic relations with Russia
Ukraine’s top diplomatic envoy in the U.S. is urging countries to sever diplomatic relations with Russia over its invasion of their country.
Ambassador Oksana Markarova’s request came in an emergency meeting Friday at the Washington-based Organization of American States, whose members were debating a resolution condemning the military attack ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s hard to imagine that something like this happens in the center of Europe in the 21st Century,” an emotional Ms. Markarova said during the meeting. She urged delegates to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons and follow the lead of the Federated States of Micronesia, a Pacific island nation that earlier Friday broke all ties with Russia.- AP
Karnataka Minister for Revenue R. Ashok recevied students who came from Ukraine via Mumbai today morning at Kempegowda International Airport. Photo: Handout
Pope makes personal appeal in remarkable Russia embassy trip
Pope Francis went to the Russian Embassy on Friday to personally “express his concern about the war” in Ukraine, in an extraordinary, hands-on papal gesture that has no recent precedent. Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do “everything I can” to help.
Usually, Popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican, and diplomatic protocol would have called for the Vatican foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador. Pope Francis is the Vatican head of state, and for him to leave the walled city state and travel a short distance to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See was a sign of his anger at Moscow’s invasion and his willingness to appeal personally for an end to it.
“The Holy See press office confirms that the pope went to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See on Via della Conciliazione, clearly to express his concern about the war. He was there for just over a half-hour,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
Pope Francis has called for dialogue to end the conflict and has urged the faithful to set next Wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine. But he has refrained from publicly calling out Russia by name, presumably for fear of antagonizing the Russian Orthodox Church.- AP
NATO leaders agree to bolster eastern forces after invasion
U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts agreed Friday to send thousands of troops backed by air and naval support to protect allies near Russia and Ukraine in response to President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade, the organization’s top civilian official said.
Speaking after chairing a NATO summit, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the 30-nation organization will send parts of the NATO Response Force and elements of a quickly deployable spearhead unit to the alliance’s eastern flank. It’s the first time the force has been used to defend NATO allies.
Stoltenberg did not say how many troops would be sent or where they might go, but he did confirm that the move would involve land, sea and air power.
In response to Europe’s biggest security crisis in decades, Stoltenberg said, “We are now deploying the NATO Response Force for the first time in a collective defense context. We speak about thousands of troops. We speak about air and maritime capabilities.”- AP
EU agrees to freeze assets of Putin, foreign minister Lavrov
With a military intervention in Ukraine off the table, countries around the world looked to heap more financial punishment on Moscow, including the European Union’s approval of an asset freeze on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The EU’s unanimous decision, part of a broader sanctions package, indicated that Western powers are moving toward unprecedented measures to try to force Putin to stop the brutal invasion of Russia’s neighbor and from unleashing a major war in Europe.-AP
Indian nationals, evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, upon their arrival at the IGI Airport, in New Delh. Air India’s second evacuation flight from Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine landed at the airport in the early hours of February 27, 2022 | Photo Credit: PTI
Russia booted from Eurovision Song Contest over Ukraine
The European Broadcasting Union says that Russia will not be allowed an entry in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
The union said in a statement Friday that given the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry would bring the competition into “disrepute.’‘
“The EBU is an apolitical member organisation of broadcasters committed to upholding the values of public service,’’ the union said on Twitter. “We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage.”-AP
Russia puts ‘partial restriction’ on Facebook access
Russian authorities on Friday announced the “partial restriction” of access to Facebook after the social media network limited the accounts of several Kremlin-backed media over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said Friday it demanded that Facebook lift the restrictions it placed Thursday on state news agency RIA Novosti, state TV channel Zvezda, and pro-Kremlin news sites Lenta.Ru and Gazeta.Ru. The agency said Facebook didn’t reinstate the media outlets.
The restrictions on the accounts, according to Roskomnadzor, included marking their content as unreliable and imposing technical restrictions on the search results to reduce the publications’ audiences on Facebook.-AP
Former tennis player Stakhovsky enlists in Ukraine's reserve army
Ukrainian former tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky enlisted in his country's reserve army last week prior to Russia's invasion, he said, despite a lack of military experience, although he can handle a gun.
The 36-year-old Stakhovsky, who won four ATP titles and had a shock win over Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon in 2013, said on Saturday he was willing to take up arms in Ukraine's defence.
Romania, which shares around 600 kilometres (372 miles) of borders with Ukraine to the north, is seeing an influx of refugees from the country as many flee Russia’s attacks.
Refugees who fled the conflict from neighboring Ukraine sit in the event hall of a hotel offering shelter in Siret, Romania on February 26, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
YouTube blocks RT, other Russian channels from earning ad dollars
YouTube on Saturday barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and other Russian channels from receiving money for advertisements that run with their videos, similar to a move by Facebook, after the invasion of Ukraine.
Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” YouTube said that it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions” such as the European Union’s. Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.
The EU on Wednesday announced sanctions on individuals including Margarita Simonyan, whom it described as RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.
Videos from the affected channels also will come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine due to a Ukrainian government request.
Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted earlier on Saturday that he contacted YouTube “to block the propagandist Russian channels — such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.”- Reuters
Musk activates Starlink internet service in Ukraine
Elon Musk said Saturday his company SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service had been activated in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.
“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” Musk tweeted, adding “more terminals en route.”
The tweet came some 10 hours after Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov urged Musk to provide Starlink services to Ukraine, days after it was invaded by neighboring Russia.-AFP
Ukraine roads company removing road signs to confuse Russians
A Ukrainian company in charge of building and maintaining roads said it was removing all road signs that could be used by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country.
“The enemy has poor communications, they cannot navigate the terrain,” the company Ukravtodor said in a Facebook update late on Friday.
It posted an edited photo of a standard road sign in which directions to nearby cities have been replaced with profanities-Reuters
Russian forces blow up gas pipeline in Kharkiv
The Ukrainian president’s office said Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.
The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection warned that the explosion, which it said looked like a mushroom cloud, could cause an “environmental catastrophe” and advised residents to cover their windows with damp cloth or gauze and to drink plenty of fluids.
Ukraine’s top prosecutor, Iryna Venediktova, said the Russian forces have been unable to take Kharkiv, where a fierce battle is underway.-AP
West unleashes SWIFT bans, more crushing penalties on Russia
The United States and European nations agreed Saturday to impose the most potentially crippling financial penalties yet on Russia over its unrelenting invasion of Ukraine, going after the central bank reserves that underpin the Russian economy and severing some Russian banks from a vital global financial network.
The U.S. and European allies announced the moves in a joint statement as part of a new round of financial sanctions meant to “hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin.”
The central bank restrictions target access to the more than $600 billion in reserves that the Kremlin has at its disposal, and are meant to block Russia’s ability to support the ruble as it plunges in value amid tightening Western sanctions.
Saturday’s move also includes cutting key Russian banks out of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world.
The fine print of the sanctions was still being ironed out over the weekend, officials said, as they work to limit the impact of the restrictions on other economies and European purchases of Russian energy.-AP
Russian troops zero in on Kyiv as 1,50,000 Ukrainians flee
Russian troops closed in on Kyiv and skirmishes flared on its outskirts on February 26 as Ukraine’s leader vowed to continue battling an invasion by a much better-armed adversary. Terrified men, women and children sought safety inside and underground amid a 39-hour curfew the Government imposed to keep people off the streets.
“We will fight for as long as needed to liberate our country,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised.
In a major shift, Germany will send weapons to Ukraine
In a significant shift, the German Government said it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine, which is fighting to keep Russia from invading its capital city. Germany is also ready to also support some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia, officials said.
Germany’s chancellery announced on February 26 evening that it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “as quickly as possible”.
