Prime Minister Narendra Modi separately held a telephonic conversation with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He urged both the leaders to hold direct talks to diffuse the situation.
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, according to the latest data from the United Nations on Monday.
As Russia instensified its shelling of Ukranian regions Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that Russia would only halt its military operation if Ukraine stopped fighting and Moscow’s demands were met.
Civilian evacuation from the port city of Mariupol was halted was for a second time due to continued Russian offensive.
India has so far evacuated nearly 16,000 nationals, as more flights are scheduled to evacuate Indian citizens over the day.
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.
Here are the latest updates:
Pentagon says Russia's move to longer-range strikes increasing civilian casualties
Russia's growing reliance on longer-range strikes on Ukrainian targets is increasing the number of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, the Pentagon said on Monday, stopping short of saying the casualties were intentional.
"More civilians are being killed and wounded ... and Mr. Putin still has a choice," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt his invasion of Ukraine.—Reuters
Russia-Ukraine delegations end third round of conflict talks
Ukraine negotiator says talks with RUssia led to small positive developments in terms of humanitarian corridors. However, he added that the talks did not lead to results that significantly improve the situation.
The negotiator at talks, Mykhailo Podolyak, with Russia on Monday said some small progress had been made on agreeing logistics for the evacuation of civilians, but no agreement was reached that significantly improves the broader situation.
The two sides will continue talks on a ceasefire, said Podolyak in a video statement.—Reuters
WHO says at least nine killed in 16 attacks on Ukraine health care
The World Health Organization said on Monday at least nine people had died in 16 attacks on health care in Ukraine.
"As of 7 March, WHO has verified 16 attacks on health care in Ukraine. These attacks took place between 24 Feb and 3 March. More reported incidents are currently in the process of being verified," it said via Twitter.
"These attacks have led to at least 9 deaths and 16 injuries. At least 7 of those injured are health workers.—Reuters
Ukrainian minister puts war damage to infrastructure at about $10 billion
Ukraine has suffered about $10 billion in damage to infrastructure since Russia invaded the country, Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov said on Monday.
He said in televised comments that the figure stood as of Sunday, and added: “The majority of (damaged) structures will be repaired in a year, and the most difficult ones – in two years.”
Mr. Kubrakov said 40,000 people had been evacuated from the eastern city of Kharkiv on Sunday. But Ukraine has appealed to Russia to let civilians leave other cities and an Interior Ministry official, Vadym Denysenko, said 4,000 civilians still needed to be evacuated from the outskirts of the capital Kyiv. - Reuters
At least 13 killed in shelling on Ukrainian industrial bakery: rescuers
At least 13 people were killed on Monday when shelling hit an industrial bakery in Makariv, around 50 kilometres west of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Ukrainian rescue services said.
Rescuers posted a message on Telegram saying around 30 people were within the area of the bakery at the moment of the shelling. The message was deleted shortly afterwards with no further details provided. - AFP
U.S. says may become harder to ship arms to Ukraine
Western nations have so far been succesful in delivering arms to Ukraine, but this may become harder in the coming days, United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Monday.
“I think it has been extraordinary the amount of arms supplies that are getting in to Ukraine even under the most difficult of circumstances,” she told a media briefing in Madrid.
“The international community has been tremendously responsive and has found ways to get the material in. That may become harder in the coming days and we will have to find other ways to manage this,” she said without elaborating. - AFP
Possible Russia oil embargo drives US outreach to Venezuela
Senior U.S. officials secretly traveled to Venezuela over the weekend in a bid to unfreeze hostile relations with Vladimir Putin’s top ally in Latin America, a top oil exporter whose re-entry into U.S. energy markets could mitigate the fallout at the pump from a possible oil embargo on Russia.
The outcome of the talks with President Nicolas Maduro’s government wasn’t immediately clear.
The surprise visit came together after months of quiet back-channelling by intermediaries — American lobbyists, Norwegian diplomats and international oil executives — who have been pushing for President Biden to revisit the failed “maximum pressure” campaign to unseat President Maduro he inherited from the Trump administration.
But the impetus for a risky outreach to Maduro — who has been sanctioned and is indicted in New York on drug trafficking charges — took on added urgency following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ensuing U.S. sanctions, which promises to reshuffle global alliances and add to rising gas prices driving inflation already at a four decade high. - AP
Ukraine rejects Russian humanitarian corridors offer as routes allegedly lead to Russia, Belarus
Ukraine dismissed Moscow’s offer to create humanitarian corridors from several bombarded cities on Monday after it emerged that exit routes would lead refugees into Russia or Belarus.
The Russian proposal of safe passage for people from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy came after terrified Ukrainian civilians came under fire in previous failed ceasefire attempts.
Violence raged 12 days into the war, even as a third round of peace negotiations was starting on Monday and the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers eyed talks in Turkey later this week.
Russia arrests over 5,000 in single day for protesting Ukraine war
Russia detained more than 5,000 people protesting President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine in dozens of cities on Sunday -- an unprecedented number as Moscow clamps down on anyone opposing the Kremlin's military assault on the country.
OVD-info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained at least 5,016 people in 60 cities during the anti-war protests.
That is an unprecedented number for a single day and far higher than arrests made during a wave of protests that broke out in the country last year when opposition leader Alexei Navalny was imprisoned.
EU agrees to start examining Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova membership bids
European Union nations agreed Monday to start the lengthy process of examining membership bids submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova in the wake of Russia’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, diplomats said.
The ex-Soviet states last week rushed in highly symbolic applications to join the bloc after the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine.
The move by the 27 member states is the first step in the bloc’s notoriously complex process for deciding whether to allow new members to join, which can drag on for years. - AFP
Russia sets ceasefire for evacuations but battles continue
Russia announced yet another limited cease-fire and the establishment of safe corridors to allow civilians to flee some besieged Ukrainian cities on Monday. But the evacuation routes led mostly to Russia and its ally Belarus, drawing withering criticism from Ukraine and others.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to “medieval siege” tactics in places, and in one of the most desperate of the encircled cities, the southern port of Mariupol, there were no immediate signs of an evacuation. - AP
Five million Ukrainian refugees could flee to Europe: EU foreign policy chief
Europe could see the entry of five million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their country if the assault continues, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday.
“If the indiscriminate bombardments of cities continues, we can expect five million exiles,” Mr. Borrell said after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Montpellier.
Ukraine, with a population of nearly 44 million, has seen over 1.7 million people flee since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, according to the latest data from the United Nations on Monday.
Russia snubs ICJ hearings in case brought by Ukraine
Ukraine pleaded with the United Nations’ top court on Monday to order Russia to halt its devastating invasion, saying Moscow is already committing widespread war crimes and “resorting to tactics reminiscent of medieval siege warfare” in its 12-day-old military onslaught.
Russia snubbed the International Court of Justice hearings and its seats in the Great Hall of Justice remained empty.
On a lawn outside the court’s headquarters, the Peace Palace in The Hague, a protester placed coloured candles spelling out the words: “Putin Come out.” A small group of protesters holding Ukrainian flags chanted antiwar slogans outside the building’s gates.
Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych told judges at the International Court of Justice: “Russia must be stopped and the court has a role to play in stopping it.”
Canada announces new sanctions after Ukraine invasion
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced new sanctions against 10 people he said were “complicit” in the “unjustified” invasion of Ukraine.
“This includes former and current senior government officials, oligarchs and supporters of the Russian leadership,” he told a joint press conference with his United Kingdom counterpart Boris Johnson and Mark Rutte of the Netherlands.
Indian student Harjot Singh who was shot in Kyiv arrives in Delhi on IAF flight
An Indian Air Force flight carrying Indian student Harjot Singh, who was shot in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv a few days ago, landed at the Hindon airbase here Monday evening, officials said
.Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said 205 Indian students returned to India on the flight that had left from Rzeszów in Poland at 10.30 a.m and landed here at 6.15 p.m, they said.
Mr. Singh was in Poland to facilitate the evacuation of students.
“I am happy to inform you that we have landed at Hindon Airforce Station. All 205 Indian students are back safe and sound. Harjot is under transfer to the Army Hospital (R&R). I thank the crew for taking care of us,” he said in a tweet.
Russia, Ukraine start talks in Belarus: Interfax
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine have started a third round of talks in Belarus, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday, the 12th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. - Reuters
More than 1.7 million people flee war in Ukraine: UNHCR
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, according to the latest data from the United Nations on Monday.
UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, recorded 17,35,068 refugees on its dedicated website, just over 2,00,000 more than the previous count on Sunday.
UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, believes around half of them are youngsters.
Authorities and the U.N. expect the flow to intensify as the Russian army advances deeper into Ukraine, particularly as it approaches the capital, Kyiv. - AFP
Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministers to meet on March 10: Russian news agencies
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba plan to meet on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort of Antalya on March 10, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.
Sensex nosedives 1,491 points amid jittery global markets, elevated oil prices
Equity benchmarks received a severe drubbing on Monday, with the Sensex tumbling 1,491 points amid extremely weak global markets and elevated oil prices triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Extending its downtrend for the fourth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a weak note and slumped 1,966.71 points or 3.61% to 52,367.10 during the day. It finally managed to recover some of the lost ground and settled at 52,842.75, a decline of 1,491.06 points or 2.74%.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty tanked 382.20 points or 2.35% to close at 15,863.15.
PM Modi speaks with Putin
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Russia President Vladimir Putin, in which he is learnt to have urged the latter to hold direct talks with Ukraine.
The phone call lasted for about 50 minutes, sources in the government said.
"Prime Minister Modi appreciated the announcement of ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy," the sourced said adding that Mr. Putin assured Mr. Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation. - Nistula Hebbar
Antony Blinken visits Baltic states
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun a lightning visit to the three Baltic states that are increasingly on edge as they watch Russia press ahead with its invasion of Ukraine.
The former Soviet republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are all members of NATO and Blinken aims to reassure them of the alliance’s protection in the event Russia chooses to expand its military operations to other neighboring countries. - AP
Ukraine says humanitarian corridors are ‘unlikely’ while Russia keeps attacking
Ukraine said on Monday negotiations were taking place with Russia on establishing humanitarian corridors but that they were unlikely to be set up while Russian forces keep trying to advance.
Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said each Ukrainian should be allowed to decide where they want to go but advised against evacuating to Russia.
Ukraine earlier on Monday that a Russian proposal on humanitarian corridors was “completely immoral” after Moscow suggested it would allow people to flee Ukrainian cities provided they exited to Belarus or Russia.-Reuters
Macron keeps an open line to Putin as war in Ukraine rages
While most of the world is shunning President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the few leaders keeping an open line of communication is French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron’s diplomatic efforts to prevent the war failed, but he’s not giving up: the two men have spoken four times since Russian forces attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, and 11 times over the past month.
“He is keeping a diplomatic channel open for the West in case Putin might want to de-escalate and look for a way out of this crisis,” said Benjamin Haddad, a senior director for Europe at the Atlantic Council in Paris and a member of Macron’s party.
Macron has also spoken to Putin on behalf of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr. Haddad said, trying to extract some mercy from Putin: local cease-fires, safe passage for trapped civilians and access to humanitarian aid.
During their most recent call on Sunday that came at Macron’s request, the French leader and Putin focused for nearly two hours on the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants.-AP
Indian students, who were stranded in Ukraine amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, arrive at IGI Airport in New Delhi on March 7, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
UN court hearings to open in Ukraine case against Russia
As Russian forces pound Ukrainian cities with rockets despite announcing a cease-fire to allow civilians to flee some areas, lawyers representing Kyiv and Moscow face off Monday at the United Nations’ top court in a legal bid to halt the devastating war.
The International Court of Justice is opening two days of hearings at its headquarters, the Peace Palace, into Ukraine’s request for its judges to order Russia to halt its invasion. Ukraine is scheduled to present its arguments Monday morning and Russia can respond Tuesday.
Ukraine has asked the court to order Russia to “immediately suspend the military operations” launched Feb. 24 “that have as their stated purpose and objective the prevention and punishment of a claimed genocide” in the separatist eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.-AP
Putin, Rotenberg removed from all positions on Judo’s governing body
Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian businessman have been removed from all positions in the International Judo Federation (IJF), the sport’s governing body said, in the latest sporting rebuke following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The decision, announced in a brief statement, comes after Putin, a black belt who has co-authored the book titled “Judo: History, Theory, Practice”, was suspended as IJF honorary president last week..
Putin was also stripped of his honorary taekwondo black belt conferred in 2013 by World Taekwondo and a FINA Order, awarded to him in 2014 by swimming’s global body.-Reuters
China says friendship with Russia is ‘rock solid’
China’s friendship with Russia is “rock solid” and the prospects for cooperation are very broad, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.
Cooperation between the two countries brings benefits and well-being to the two peoples, he told his annual news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual meeting of parliament.-Reuters
PM Modi speaks to Zelensky, seeks continued support for evacuation of Indians from Sumy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for the help extended by the Government of Ukraine in evacuation of Indian nationals, government sources said.
Discussing the evolving situation in Ukraine, over a 35-minute phone call, Mr. Modi appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
Mr. Modi sought continued support from the Government of Ukraine in ongoing efforts for evacuation of Indian nationals from Sumy.-Nistula Hebbar
Ukrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee across the Irpin River in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 5, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
South Korea bans transactions with Russia central bank
South Korea said Monday it will halt all transactions with Russia’s central bank in the latest series of punitive actions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
The foreign ministry said in a statement it had decided to ban all financial dealings with the Central Bank of Russia “considering the international community’s financial restrictions against Russia”.
It did not provide further details on the scope of the move, saying more coordination with related agencies was required.-AFP
Russia announces opening of several humanitarian corridors in Ukraine
Russia said Monday it will open humanitarian corridors to allow the evacuation of civilians from several Ukrainian cities experiencing heavy fighting, including the capital Kyiv and the besieged port city of Mariupol.
“Russian forces, for humanitarian purposes, are declaring a ‘regime of silence’ from 10:00 am on 7 March and the opening of humanitarian corridors,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
It listed evacuation routes from the capital Kyiv as well as Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy -- all of which have been under heavy Russian attacks in recent days.
Moscow said the decision was taken after a “personal request” by French President Emmanuel Macron to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.-AFP
More than 261,000 Ukrainians fled to Romania since Russian invasion
A total of 261,445 Ukrainians have fled to Romania since a Russian invasion on Feb. 24, including 33,969 on Sunday, border police data showed on Monday.
They have entered Romania through its four land border checkpoints with Ukraine, but also through its checkpoints with Moldova, data showed. Of them, 182,312 have already left Romania.-Reuters
PM Modi to speak to Vladimir Putin
According to government sources, this afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Russia’s President Putin on the phone.-Nistula Hebbar
Refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, form a line as they approach the border with Poland in Shehyni, Ukraine, Sunday on March 6, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
Australian missiles ‘on the ground’ in Ukraine
Australia’s prime minister has described Russia and China’s closer relationship as opportunistic rather than strategic.
Australia last week promised Ukraine $50 million in missiles, ammunition and other military hardware to fight Russian invaders.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday: “Our missiles are on the ground now.-AP
West asks for Russia to be suspended from Interpol
Several Western countries, including the UK and the United States, have called on Interpol to suspend Russia from the international law enforcement organisation, according to British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The UK, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have requested “the immediate suspension of Russia’s access to its systems”, Ms. Patel tweeted on Sunday.
The grouping asked Interpol’s executive committee to make a decision this week.-AFP
PM Modi to speak to Ukrainian President Zelensky: Govt. sources
According to government sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Ukraine President Zelensky on the phone today morning. -Nistula Hebbar
Brent crude up $10, shares sink as Ukraine conflict deepens
The price of oil jumped more than $10 a barrel and shares were sharply lower Monday as the conflict in Ukraine deepened amid mounting calls for harsher sanctions against Russia.
Brent crude oil surged over $10 early Monday. Benchmark U.S. crude was up nearly $9 at more than $124 a barrel.
The surge followed a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian statehood was imperiled as Russian forces battered strategic locations.-AP
Volunteers fill sandbags to build barricades during Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the city of Odessa, Ukraine on March 6, 2022. | Photo Credit: Reuters
New Zealand expands sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion
New Zealand’s government said on Monday that it will introduce legislation to allow it to bring first-of-its-kind sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the sanctions will give the country the ability to freeze Russian assets in New Zealand, prevent people and companies from moving their money and assets here to escape sanctions imposed by other countries, and stop super yachts, ships and aircraft from entering the country’s waters or airspace.
It has also released a list banning 100 individuals from traveling to New Zealand.-Reuters
Russian Kuliak faces disciplinary action for ‘shocking’ behaviour
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said it will open disciplinary proceedings against Russian artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak for his “shocking behaviour” in displaying a symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during an event.
The 20-year-old finished third in the parallel bars final at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha over the weekend and displayed the letter “Z” on the front of his outfit as he stood on the podium next to Ukrainian rival Illia Kovtun, who won the gold.
Russian forces have used the letter Z as an identifying symbol on their vehicles in Ukraine following Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour. -Reuters
Scores of foreign volunteers to fight
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said more than 20,000 people from 52 countries have already volunteered to fight in Ukraine, where they will serve in a newly created international legion. He did not say how many of the foreign volunteers have arrived in Ukraine.
“The whole world today is on Ukraine’s side not only in words but in deeds,” Mr. Kuleba said on Ukrainian television Sunday night.
He did not name the home countries of the volunteers, saying that some of them forbid their citizens from fighting for other countries.-AP
Ukraine says Russia steps up shelling of residential areas
Russian forces intensified shelling of cities in Ukraine’s center, north and south, a Ukrainian official said, as a second attempt to evacuate besieged civilians collapsed. With the Ukrainian leader urging his people to take to the streets to fight, Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted blame for the invasion, saying Moscow’s attacks could be halted “only if Kyiv ceases hostilities.”
The outskirts of Kyiv, Chernihiv in the north, Mykolaiv in the south, and Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, faced stepped-up shelling late Sunday, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said. Heavy artillery hit residential areas in Kharkiv and shelling damaged a television tower, according to local officials.
The attacks dashed hopes that more people could escape the fighting in Ukraine, where Russia’s plan to quickly overrun the country has been stymied by fierce resistance.-AP
A Ukrainian man rides his bicycle near a factory and a store burning after it had been bombarded in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 6, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
Britain pledges $100 million to help keep Ukrainian state running
Britain will provide $100 million (75.6 million pounds) to Ukraine through the World Bank, seeking to keep core state functions running and mitigate financial pressures caused by Russia's invasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said.
Britain has sought a central role in the international response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine by providing defensive military aid, arguing for tougher sanctions again the Kremlin and offering financial support.
Ukrainian port city evacuation bid again fails as civilian toll grows
A civilian disaster is growing in Ukraine as attempts to evacuate residents of besieged port city Mariupol failed for a second day, with President Volodymyr Zelensky denouncing “murder” as he warned of more shelling to come Monday.
New shelling and attacks have sent soaring numbers of refugees fleeing, sometimes under fire, as the death toll mounts.
“It’s murder, deliberate murder,” Mr. Zelensky raged in an address.-AFP
Netflix, TikTok block services in Russia to avoid crackdown
Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia's war in Ukraine.
TikTok said Russian users of its popular social media app would no longer be able to post new videos or livestreams and they also wouldn’t be able to see videos shared from elsewhere in the world.
Nearly 16,000 Indians evacuated from Ukraine so far, but it’s a long wait for 700 in Sumy
India has brought back its over 15,920 nationals on 76 flights under the evacuation mission ‘Operation Ganga’ that was launched following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials said on Sunday. However, around 700 students are still trapped in Sumy, waging a grim battle for survival with supplies depleting fast and exit routes to safety blocked by fierce fighting.
