Russia has stepped up strikes on residential areas in Kyiv © AFP / Aris Messinis
Kyiv (AFP), Mar 14 – Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:
– US announces $800 mn in assistance –
US President Joe Biden will announce $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, a White House official says — the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to deliver a speech to the US Congress.
The announcement brings “the total (aid) announced in the last week alone to $1 billion,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says.
– European leaders visit Kyiv –
A trio of leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenian meet Ukraine’s president in his besieged capital, with Warsaw calling for a NATO peace mission “protected by armed forces” to help Kyiv.
“This cannot be an unarmed mission,” Vice Premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski says. “It must seek to provide humanitarian and peaceful aid to Ukraine.”
– Journalists killed –
Two journalists from the US Fox News network are killed in fighting near the Ukrainian capital.
Cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova die and correspondent Benjamin Hall is wounded when their vehicle is struck by incoming fire in Horenka, outside Kyiv.
– Russia says quitting Council of Europe –
Russia says it would pull out of the Council of Europe as pressure mounts for Moscow to be expelled from the pan-European rights body over its invasion of Ukraine.
– 35-hour curfew in Kyiv –
A 35-hour curfew begins in the Ukrainian capital.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has warned of a “difficult and dangerous moment” for the city as Russian forces have stepped up strikes on residential buildings.
– 20,000 leave besieged city –
Around 20,000 people manage to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol by driving along a humanitarian corridor agreed with Russian forces, a Ukrainian presidential aide says.
– Refugees top 3 million –
More than three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion, the UN says © AFP / Armend NIMANI
More than three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion, the UN migration agency IOM says.
Around half are minors, says the UN children’s agency.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says 1.8 million people have fled to Poland.
– 97 children killed –
Ninety-seven Ukrainian children have died since the invasion began, Zelensky tells Canadian lawmakers.
He renews his calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine to “stop the bombing”. NATO allies, including Canada, have rejected the proposal, fearing it would lead to an expansion of the conflict.
– TV protester fined, released –
Marina Ovsyannikova, the journalist who protested against the conflict during a prime-time news broadcast on Russian state television, is fined and released.
A Moscow court ordered her to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles ($280, 247 euros) after she barged onto the set of Russia’s most-watched evening news broadcast holding a poster reading “No War”.
– ‘Fundamental contradictions’ in talks –
Ukrainian negotiations team member Mykhailo Podolyak says there are “fundamental contradictions” in talks aimed at ending Russia’s military attack.
“We’ll continue tomorrow. A very difficult and viscous negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise,” Podolyak tweets.
– Brent drops below $100 a barrel –
Brent oil futures finish under $100 a barrel for the first time since the second day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost three weeks ago.
– No NATO for Ukraine –
Zelensky says his country should accept that it will not become a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, a key Russian concern it used to justify its invasion.
“Ukraine is not a member of NATO… We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It’s a truth and it must be recognised,” Zelensky tells military officials.
– Russia to exit Council of Europe –
Russia’s foreign ministry says it is launching a procedure to exit the Council of Europe, amid growing pressure for its expulsion from the pan-European rights group.
– Russia ‘enlists 40,000 Syrian fighters’ –
Russia has drawn up lists of 40,000 fighters from the Syrian army and allied militias to be put on standby for deployment in Ukraine, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor says.
– Five journalists killed –
An Irish cameraman for Fox News and a Ukrainian working as a producer for the US television network have been killed in fighting near Kyiv, Fox News says.
Two other Ukrainian journalists, as well as a US documentary filmmaker, have also been killed, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights chief Lyudmyla Denisova says.
– ‘Massive’ damage to airport –
Russian bombardment causes “massive” damage to the airport of the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, destroying the runway and damaging the terminal, regional authorities say.
– China wary of sanctions –
China’s foreign minister says Beijing “is not a party to the crisis” in Ukraine and does not want to be affected by Western sanctions following US reports that Moscow asked Beijing for military and economic aid.
– German warning on software –
Germany’s cyber security agency BSI urges consumers not to use the anti-virus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky, warning the firm could be implicated in cyber warfare.
The United States already banned government agencies from using the software in 2017. Kaspersky denies being in league with the Kremlin.
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