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Russia-Ukraine crisis: US sends more troops to Europe, says all Russia forces deployed
20,000 Indian students evacuated from besieged cities, others still trapped
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 03, 2022, US troops deploy for Europe from Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Photo: AFP
The Russian military assault on Ukraine is on its 12th day.
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,” 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.
Kuleba also urged Ukrainians living in other countries to begin a campaign to push for Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
Here's the latest of all top developments on March 7
11:55pm: US sends more troops to Europe, says all Russia forces deployed
The United States is sending 500 more troops to Europe to boost NATO security, an official said Monday as the Pentagon determined Russia has committed nearly all its combat power stationed along the border into Ukraine.
With President Vladimir Putin intensifying operations, a senior US defense official also warned that Russian strikes on civilians were mounting and that Moscow was seeking to recruit foreign fighters, notably Syrians, for the war.
The United States has already deployed 12,000 additional soldiers to Europe this year, but President Joe Biden has stressed that US troops will not engage in a conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.
11:40pm: US, France, Germany, Britain vow to further raise ‘costs’ on Russia
The leaders of the United States, France, Germany and Britain vowed Monday to further punish Russia over its attack on Ukraine, the White House said after video teleconference talks.
Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Boris Johnson “affirmed their determination to continue raising the costs on Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine,” a US statement said.
Western allies have maintained a unified front on sanctions against Russia over its assault on Ukraine, but cracks emerged Monday over the prospect of an embargo on Russian oil and gas imports — a move unpalatable to Germany, which is dependent on Russian gas.
10:59pm: Zelensky to give historic UK address to Parliament tomorrow
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will give an historic address to UK's House of Commons chamber tomorrow.
The embattled leader, whose messages in military fatigues to his nation and Russia have inspired millions, will be beamed in on TV screens in the chamber.
It comes days after he gave a similar address to EU politicians where he raised his fist in defiance and declared glory to Ukraine.
10:42pm: WHO says at least nine killed in 16 attacks on health care
The World Health Organization has confirmed at least nine people had died in 16 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine since the start of a Russian attack on Feb. 24, it said on Monday.
The WHO said the attacks took place between Feb. 24 and March 3. In addition to the nine deaths, 16 people were injured, including seven health workers.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter on Sunday that several attacks had occurred, without giving details, adding they were a violation of international humanitarian law.
10:40pm: Eight Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian air strike
Eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 19 wounded on Monday after a Russian rocket struck their barracks in the southern city of Mykolayiv while they were sleeping, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Monday.
10:40pm: Ukraine helps evacuate 20,000 Indian students from besieged cities, other students trapped
A man holds up a paper reading "Indian Students" as people walk at the railway station in Budapest after arriving from the eastern border of Hungary on March 1, 2022.Photo: AFP
Ukraine’s government has helped evacuate about 20,000 Indian students from areas attacked by Russian forces but another 2,000 foreign students are still trapped in besieged towns and cities, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 2,046 foreign students from 27 countries had been unable to leave cities or towns including Sumy, Chernihiv, Mariupol and Kherson.
10:38pm: Russia says no positive developments yet in Ukraine talks
Russian negotiators on Monday said they did not have positive developments to report following talks with Ukraine and warned not to expect the next round to bring a final result.
The talks “are not easy. It is too early to talk about something positive,” negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said following the talks. “Hopefully next time we can take a bigger step forward.”
9:24pm: At least 13 killed in shelling on Ukrainian industrial bakery
Ukrainian serviceman Andriy Yermolayev, 50, who lost part of his leg during Russian shelling on February 24, is evacuated from the city of Irpin, west of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022. Photo: AFP
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.
9:20pm: Ukrainian minister puts war damage to infrastructure at about $10B
Ukraine has suffered about $10 billion in damage to infrastructure since Russia attacked 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.”
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.
9pm: UK says mobilising Ukraine visa officers in France after criticism
Britain said Monday it was sending visa officers to the French port of Calais to help expedite the processing of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s aggression, after its response was slammed as a “disgrace” by one lawmaker.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced £175 million ($230 million, 210 million euros) in new funding for Ukraine’s government, taking its total aid to nearly £400 million.
“We are absolutely determined to be as generous as we possibly can and as I speak to you all we are processing thousands of applications,” he told reporters after talks with the Dutch and Canadian prime ministers.
“We are putting people out in all the surrounding countries — into Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as into Calais, France — to make sure we receive people and help people to come.”
9:02pm: European leaders oppose banning Russian energy imports
EU leaders talk prior to a round table during an emergency European Union (EU) summit at The European Council Building in Brussels on February 24, 2022, on the situation in Ukraine after Russia launched an attack. Photo: AFP
The leaders of Germany, Britain and the Netherlands cautioned Monday against abruptly banning Russian energy imports as part of sanctions against Moscow over its attack on Ukraine, saying there were no immediate alternative supplies.
The pushback came after the United States on Sunday said it was in “active discussions” with European nations about shutting down Russian oil imports as further economic penalty over Moscow’s aggression.
Europe’s top economy Germany is heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels, importing an estimated 55 percent of its gas and 40 percent of its oil and coal from Russia.
Like other European nations, Germany has vowed to wean itself off Russian energy by boosting the use of renewables, but the government has stressed that the switch will take time.
7:31pm: At least 13 civilians killed in air strike on Ukrainian bread factory
The bodies of 13 civilians were recovered from rubble after an air strike on a bread factory in the Ukrainian town of Makariv in the Kyiv region on Monday, local emergency services said in an online statement.
Five people were rescued, it said, adding that in total around 30 people were believed to have been at the factory before the attack.
7:27pm: Poland proposes support scheme for Ukrainian refugees
Evacuees stand under a destroyed bridge, waiting to be told they can move on by a Ukrainian serviceman, as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022. Photo: AFP
The Polish government on Monday proposed a law making it easier for Ukrainian refugees to stay in the country, which has already taken in more than a million people.
The bill, which must be approved by parliament, would allow Ukrainian citizens to remain in Poland for 18 months and renew their permit for a further 18.
Ukrainians would also be allowed to work and access both healthcare and schools.
The Warsaw government is also proposing to provide financial aid for refugees, host families and local authorities offering support to Ukrainians.
6:23pm: Ukraine says Russian shelling prevents evacuation, aid deliveries
Russian shelling is preventing the evacuation of civilians from Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy, Kharkiv, Volnovakha and Mykolayiv, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
“This prevents the safe passage of humanitarian columns with Ukrainian and foreign citizens, as well as the delivery of medicines and food,” it said in a statement.
The ministry called on foreign leaders to force Russia to observe a ceasefire to prevent what it said could be a humanitarian catastrophe.
6:15pm: Russia sets cease-fire 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 Monday. But the evacuation routes led mostly to Russia and its ally Belarus, drawing withering criticism from Ukraine and others.
Russian forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets even after the new announcement of corridors and fierce fighting continued in some areas, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities.
Efforts to set up safe passages for civilians to leave besieged areas over the weekend fell apart. But the Russian Defense Ministry announced a new push Monday, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, the southern port city of Mariupol, and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.
5:40pm: UN confirms more than 400 civilian deaths in Ukraine
The United Nations’ human rights office said on Monday it had confirmed the deaths of 406 civilians, including 27 children, in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s attack on Feb. 24, but it said the real figure was likely to be much higher.
The latest figures from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has a monitoring mission in Ukraine, cover the period from Feb. 24 to March 6. The figure compared with 364 confirmed deaths in its report on Sunday.
4:31pm: World Court to rule ‘as soon as possible’ on Ukrainian demands against Russia
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday said it would decide “as soon as possible” on the Ukrainian demand for an emergency order to Russia to halt hostilities immediately.
The U.N.’s highest court closed a hearing on Monday afternoon, a day earlier than planned, as Russia boycotted the proceedings in The Hague.
4:25pm: Ukrainian forces have retaken Mykolayiv regional airport, says governor
Servicemen of the Ukrainian Military Forces gather after fighting with Russian troops and Russia-backed separatists near the village of Zolote, in the Lugansk region on March 6, 2022. Photo: AFP
Ukrainian forces have retaken the regional airport in the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolayiv from Russian forces, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Monday.
“The roads are open, we control the bridges, you can safely leave Mykolayiv (city) and other towns,” he said in a televised statement.
4:12pm: Roads in Ukraine’s ‘humanitarian corridor’ mined, says ICRC
Ukrainian soldiers help an elderly woman to cross a destroyed bridge as she evacuates the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022. Photo: AFP
Refugees trying to escape the besieged Ukraine city of Mariupol using so-called humanitarian corridors were left stranded as the road they were directed towards was mined, the ICRC said on Monday.
Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, urged both military forces to come to an immediate agreement on the exact routes and times available for those seeking safe passage out of the country.
“So far we have seen, unfortunately, only agreements in principle. But they have immediately broken down because they lack precision,” he told BBC radio.
4:10pm: Russia accuses Ukraine of thwarting humanitarian corridors
Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine on Monday of not complying with agreements to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians, Interfax news agency reported.
Russia announced new “humanitarian corridors” earlier on Monday to transport Ukrainians trapped under its bombardment - to Russia itself and its ally Belarus, a move immediately denounced by Kyiv as an immoral stunt.
3:48pm: New negotiations at 1400 GMT Monday: Kyiv
The third round of talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine will take place at 1400 GMT on Monday in Belarus, a Ukrainian negotiator said in a tweet.
“Third round. Start at 1600 Kyiv time. Delegation unchanged,” Mikhailo Podolyak wrote. There was no confirmation yet from Russia.
3:41pm: 2,000 civilians evacuated from Irpin near Kyiv
Map of Kyiv showing major developments in the Kyiv region, as of March 6. With zones under Russian control as of March 5 - Photo: AFP
About 2,000 civilians have so far been evacuated from the town of Irpin near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, police said on Monday.
A police statement did not make clear over what period the evacuations had taken place. Ukrainians fleeing Irpin were caught in shelling by Russian forces on Sunday and forced to dive for cover, Reuters witnesses said.
3:35pm: Russia demands protection of diplomatic missions in France
A spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry on Monday demanded France protect Moscow’s representative offices in the country, claiming an attack had occurred at a building used by a Russian government agency in Paris.
“We demand that the French authorities ensure the proper security of our official institutions,” wrote Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, on Telegram.
3:30pm: Russian, Ukrainian foreign ministers to meet on Thursday - Turkey’s formin
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Russian counterpart Sergi Lavrov have agreed to meet during a diplomacy forum in Turkey’s Mediterranean coastal province Antalya, their Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
In brief remarks to Turkish media, Cavusoglu said he will attend the meeting scheduled for Thursday.
More details here
3.03pm: Mayor of town near Kyiv killed by Russian fire
Russian forces have killed the mayor of Gostomel, a town near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv that is home to a strategic airport, city authorities said on Monday.
“The head of Gostomel, Yuri Illich Prylypko, died while distributing bread to the hungry and medicine to the sick,” the city said on its Facebook page.
2.42pm: Ukraine rejects corridors to Belarus, Russia
Russian President Putin's adviser Vladimir Medinsky
A senior Ukrainian official on Monday rejected a Russian proposal to evacuate civilians from besieged Ukraine to Russia and Belarus.
“This is an unacceptable option for opening humanitarian corridors,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said at a briefing.
According to the Russian proposal, the only options for civilians fleeing Kyiv and its suburbs would be to go to Gomel in neighboring Belarus. Civilians in Kharkiv and Sumy in eastern Ukraine would have to flee to the Russian city of Belgorod.
Belarus is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and served as a launching ground for the attack.
The Ukrainian government is proposing eight humanitarian corridors, including from the southern port of Mariupol, that would allow civilians to travel to the western regions of Ukraine, where there is no Russian shelling.
“We demand that the Russian Federation stop manipulating and abusing the trust of the leaders of France, China, Turkey and India,” Vereshchuk said.
2.13pm: Russian delegation arrives in Belarus for Ukraine talks - RIA
A Russian delegation has arrived in the Belarusian city of Brest for talks with Ukrainian negotiators on ending hostilities, the RIA news agency reported on Monday, citing the Flightradar plane tracker.
The sides have not disclosed the exact location and time of the planned meeting.
1.22pm: Russia says 6 humanitarian corridors to be opened around cities
Russia said on Monday that six humanitarian corridors would be opened around Ukrainian cities to allow civilians to escape.
“Detailed information about the humanitarian corridors was given to the Ukrainian side in advance,” Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
He said Russia had shot down three Ukrainian Su-27 fighters, one Su-25, two helicopters and some drones. It was not possible to independently verify the claims.
1.10pm: China to provide humanitarian aid, praises Russia ties
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
China’s Red Cross will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine “as soon as possible”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, as he praised his country’s friendship with Russia as “rock solid”.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine while asking Western countries to respect Russia’s “legitimate security concerns.”.
Wang said the causes of the “Ukraine situation” were “complex” and had not happened overnight.
12.32pm: Indian PM Modi to speak to Putin, Zelensky today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday afternoon, official sources said. The telephonic talks will follow Modi’s scheduled conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Modi’s interaction with the two leaders comes amid India’s all out efforts to evacuate its nationals, mostly students, from Ukraine, facing attack from Russia.
Modi had spoken to Putin earlier too when the war began.
11.28am: UAE sends 30 tonne emergency medical and relief aid to Ukraine
The United Arab Emirates today sent an aircraft carrying 30 metric tonnes of emergency health aid and medical supplies, as part of its emergency relief efforts to assist the needy civilians in Ukraine.
This came in response to the international humanitarian appeal to support displaced Ukrainians and refugees in neighbouring countries. There are more than 1.2 million refugees so far.
9.28am: Russia to open humanitarian corridors on March 7
The Russian military will hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in several Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv at 1000 Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Monday, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying.
The corridors, which will also be opened from the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy, are being set up at the personal request of French President Emmanuel Macron and in view of the current situation in those cities, it said.
9.18am: South Korea to cut transactions with Russia's central bank, says foreign ministry
South Korea on Monday toughened its financial sanctions against Russia by banning transactions with Russia's central bank, joining further global efforts to isolate Russia over its attack on Ukraine.
South Korea's foreign ministry said it has decided to immobilise any assets held by the Russian central bank in the won and to sever transactions with Russia's central bank, following similar moves by the United States and the European Union.
8.56am: 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”, Patel tweeted on Sunday.
The grouping asked Interpol’s executive committee to make a decision this week.
7.25am: Russian forces step up shelling of residential areas, official says
Russian forces intensified shelling of cities in Ukraine’s center, north and south, a Ukrainian official said, upending attempts to evacuate besieged civilians. With the Ukrainian leader urging his people to fight in the streets, Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted blame for the attack, 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.
7.03am: Oil prices jump as conflict in Ukraine deepens
File photo
The price of oil jumped more than $10 a barrel Monday as the conflict in Ukraine deepened amid mounting calls for harsher sanctions against Russia.
Brent crude oil briefly surged over $10 to nearly $130 a barrel early Monday. Benchmark US 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.
A temporary cease-fire in two Ukrainian cities failed — and both sides blamed each other.
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House was exploring legislation to further isolate Russia from the global economy, including banning the import of its oil and energy products into the US.
6.18am: 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 attack in Ukraine.
Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology and a variety of consumer products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the attack of Ukraine.
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