Capital’s residents enter 35-hour lockdown after Russian airstrikes and shelling kill dozens of people
President Zelensky says he is ‘thankful’ to Russian journalist who protested live on TV
The Russian offensive on Ukraine intensified on Wednesday as explosions were reported amid continuous air sirens in the suburbs of Kyiv as the war entered its 21st day.
Around midnight, Russian warships fired missiles and a “huge amount of ammunition” at the Ukrainian sea coast “from a great distance” to the south of Odesa, Ukraine’s interior ministry adviser said.
This came hours before Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the US Congress to bolster support against Russia’s military invasion, which has left thousands of people dead and displaced millions.
Earlier in a video address, Mr Zelensky hinted that the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were yielding results as Moscow’s “demands were becoming more realistic”.
“However, time is still needed for the decisions to be in Ukraine’s interests. Our heroes, our defenders give us this time,” he said.
Mr Zelensky also warned that the war will end in shame and poverty for Russia.
Ukraine troops bomb Russian military choppers
Russian military helicopters parked at Kherson international airport have been bombed by Ukraine’s military strikes, reported CNN.
Satellite images showed at least three helicopters and military vehicles engulfed in a huge black smoke cloud at the Ukrainian airport.
Military vehicles near the airport have also reportedly come under attack.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 05:29
US Senate passes resolution condemning Putin as war criminal
The US Senate has a passed a unanimous resolution condemning Russian president Vladimir Putin as a war criminal for invading Ukraine, a sovereign country, and leading to the bloodiest siege Europe has seen since the second world war.
The resolution encourages the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague and other nations to corner Russian military in any probe of war crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine.
“All of us in this chamber joined together, with Democrats and Republicans, to say that Vladimir Putin cannot escape accountability for the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people,” democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the majority vote, which marked a rare unity among Senate members.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 05:20
Russian warships fire missiles, says Ukraine
Russian warships have fired missiles and artillery at the Ukrainian sea coast, interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said.
The missiles, fired around midnight, was targeted at the coast to the south of Odesa, near Tuzla.
“They fired a huge amount of ammunition from a great distance,” the minister said, adding that Russia wanted to test Ukraine’s coastal defense system.
There was no attempt to land troops.
It is not immediately clear if the shelling hit anything or if there was any damage.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 04:38
Over 28,000 civilians left Ukraine in the last 24 hours
Thousands of civilians from Ukraine have fled the country through nine humanitarian corridors in the last 24 hours, officials said.
A total of 28,893 people from across the country were recorded to be leaving Ukraine.
Of these, an estimated 20,000 people have left from Mariupol, even as the attacks from Russian troops continued on the already battered port city.
Amid the evacuation, Russian troops did not allow aid to be sent into Mariupol for those still in the city, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 04:08
Russia detonated explosives at damaged Ukrainian nuclear plant, IAEA told
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that the Russian military detonated unexploded munitions left at Europe’s largest nuclear plant.
According to Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator, Russian forces “blew up part of the ammunition on the site of the Zaporizhzhia NPP [nuclear power plant] near the ruins of the training centre and power unit No 1”.
Citing Ukrainian regulators, the IAEA said that the staff at Zaporizhzhya had “confirmed reports that the Russian military had detonated unexploded munitions left on the site following events on 4 March”, reports Andy Gregory.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 03:53
Three million people have now fled war in Ukraine: UN
The Russian war in Ukraine has led to three million refugees leaving the besieged country since the war began on 24 February, the United Nations said.
At least 3,000,381 people have left Ukraine in the 20 days of Russian invasion, according to the figures from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), mainly comprised of border agency data.
Last week, the refugee agencies had warned that they were bracing for as many as 4 million refugees to leave Ukraine.
My colleague Andy Gregory has the full report here:
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 03:38
Russia-Ukraine war talks likely to continue today
Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia’s demands were becoming more realistic, after Ukraine and Russia met on Tuesday via video.
The delegations from both countries are expected to speak again on Wednesday.
“As I am told, the positions in the negotiations sound more realistic. However, time is still needed for the decisions to be in Ukraine’s interests. Our heroes, our defenders give us this time,” the president said.
“Efforts are still needed, patience is needed,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Any war ends with an agreement,” he added.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 03:02
Zelensky invites people to visit Kyiv: ‘Can be dangerous here’
Seeking solidarity amid war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky invited people supporting his country in the Russian invasion to visit Kyiv. But he warned that the skies over Kyiv are not closed yet.
“I invite all friends of Ukraine to visit Kyiv. It can be dangerous here. Because our sky is not yet closed to Russian missiles and planes. The decision to strengthen our arsenal in the air has not yet been made. We have not received planes,” Mr Zelensky said.
He added: “But… You know for sure that the eyes of all the people of the world are now focused on our capital, on Ukrainians. So everyone who is with us will receive gratitude. Not only ours, but also of other nations of the world.”
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 02:58
Russian war putting safety of journalists at risk, says Blinken
US secretary of state Antony Blinken expressed his condolences to the journalists attacked and killed outside Kyiv on Monday.
“Very saddened to hear that @FoxNews cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova were killed covering Russia’s war against Ukraine. My deepest condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery to our @StateDept correspondent who was injured in the attack,” Mr Blinken said in a tweet.
He added: “I am grateful to all those risking their lives to show the world what is happening in Ukraine. The United States condemns Russia’s ongoing violence, which is putting the safety of journalists and other media workers in Ukraine at risk.”
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 02:53
Two more journalists killed in Ukraine war, says Zelensky
At least two more journalists — a Fox News representative and a Ukrainian journalist — have been killed in Ukraine due to an artillery strike, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on late Tuesday.
“Two more journalists were killed in an artillery strike by Russian troops. Ukrainian Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Fox News representative Pierre Zakrzewski. Another journalist was heavily wounded,” the president said.
The shelling took place in the Kyiv region, Mr Zelensky confirmed.
Arpan Rai16 March 2022 02:39
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