Footage shows dozens of Grad missiles raining down on centre of Ukraine’s second biggest city
At least nine people have been killed and 37 injured after Russian forces launched multiple rocket strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in what appeared to mark a change in tactics by Moscow towards bombing civilian areas.
The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the toll included the deaths of three children.
Continue reading...Thousands of Ukrainians are streaming out of the capital. As the Russian attack continues, the residents who remain are taking cover and taking up arms, Emma Graham-Harrison reports
When the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, began his invasion of Ukraine he expected to quickly take control of the capital, Kyiv, and install a pro-Kremlin government. But the resistance his forces have encountered has been greater than he anticipated, Emma Graham-Harrison tells Michael Safi.
Continue reading...Negotiations come as western nations agree to send advanced arms to Ukraine and rouble enters free fall
Russian rocket attacks killed “dozens” of people in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as officials from both countries met for ceasefire talks, with Moscow facing unprecedented western sanctions that it said had created “a new economic reality”.
The Élysée Palace said after a call between Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin that the Russian president had said he was “willing to commit” to ending attacks on civilians and civil infrastructure while the talks were taking place.
Continue reading...Move could happen this week as official says Minsk is ‘now an extension of the Kremlin’
Belarus may be preparing to send its soldiers into Ukraine in support of the Russian invasion, perhaps as soon as this week, according to a US defence official, amid mounting concern about Minsk’s military preparations.
Belarus has already been used as a staging post by Russian forces, who gathered there on the pretext of joint military exercises before last week’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now there is increasing evidence that Minsk may be moving towards becoming an explicit participant in the war.
Continue reading...Analysis: Images of war, US and UK allies and Volodymyr Zelenskiy have all helped create a new political necessity
A bonfire of EU shibboleths on the economy, conflict, finance, energy supply, migration, and even the bloc’s future shape and size, has been lit by the conflict raging in Ukraine.
Battlefield images, the leadership of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has framed the war as being between European democracy and brute bullying power, and the challenge of coordinating with UK and US allies who are pushing for more while having less to lose, has created a new political necessity.
Continue reading...A group of about a dozen students and young professionals in Ukraine have come forward to help the war effort against the Russian invasion by making bombs in a basement factory
Russian president has ordered nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. We look at what that means
Russia’s president summoned the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and military chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, to a public meeting on Sunday and ordered them to “transfer the deterrence forces” – a reference to nuclear weapons – “of the Russian army to a special mode of combat duty”.
Continue reading...Spokesperson for billionaire says Russian owner of football club was contacted by Ukrainian side
The Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club, is reportedly mediating over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although his spokesperson has acknowledged he would have “limited” influence.
The move comes amid pressure from campaigners and MPs for Abramovich to be targeted by western sanctions. He made his first public comment since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, via his Chelsea spokesperson, to claim his help had been requested.
Continue reading...We look at different economic measures deployed around world to counter aggression from Putin
Countries around the world have imposed an unprecedented array of economic and other sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting its finance, energy and military-industrial sectors as well as individuals and sporting events.
Here are some of the measures adopted by the US, EU and UK, with countries including Japan, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand all taking similar steps:
The EU, US, UK and Canada have agreed to prevent the Russian central bank from deploying its €640bn (£540bn) of international reserves “in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions”.
The EU has banned all transactions with the institution. The US has done the same, and added the Russian finance ministry and national wealth fund. The Russian state has, in effect, been banned from raising sovereign debt; shares of Russian state-owned entities may no longer be listed on EU stock exchanges.
A range of Russian banks – their names have not yet been announced – are also being cut out of the Swift international payments system by the EU, US, UK and Canada. Brussels has said this will “stop them from operating worldwide, and effectively block Russian exports and imports”.
The US has placed Russia’s top 10 financial institutions, representing about 80% of the country’s banking sector, under restrictions, including cutting off the biggest – Sberbank, which accounts for about 30% of Russian banking – and its subsidiaries from conducting transactions through the US system.
The assets of many other Russian banks, including VTB, the country’s second largest, Bank Rossiya and Promsvyazbank, have also been hit with strict asset freezes and/or new business restrictions in the EU, UK, US and elsewhere.
The foreign assets of the Russian president, his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, have been frozen in the EU, US and UK, as have those of the FSB security head, Alexander Bortnikov, the armed forces chief, Valery Gerasimov, and members of the Kremlin’s security council. The EU has imposed sanctions on all 351 members of Russia’s parliament, the Duma; the US and UK are punishing selected members as are Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
More than a dozen billionaire oligarchs with ties to Putin’s regime, including Andrey Patrushev (oil company Rosneft), Petr Fradkov (Promsvyazbank), Yury Slyusar (United Aircraft), Boris Rotenberg (gas pipeline company SMP), Denis Bortnikov (VTB bank) and Kirill Shamalov, ex-husband of Putin’s daughter Katarina, are on asset freeze and travel ban lists around the world. The US is also sanctioning top state-owned bank executives from VTB and Sberbank. Canada and Australia have also imposed sanctions on multiple oligarchs.
The UK has imposed a £50,000 limit on bank accounts held by Russian nationals in the UK), and the EU a limit of €100,000 in EU banks.
Russian airlines and private jets have been progressively banned from UK and EU airspace and the US is considering similar action but has yet to make a final decision. Aeroflot has said it will cancel all flights to European destinations; multiple European airlines have said they are halting routes to Russia.
The US has in effect banned the Russian energy company Gazprom, the oil pipeline company Transneft, and the power company RusHydro, as well as the country’s biggest freight, rail and telecoms companies, from its credit markets.
The EU has introduced a ban on exports of aircraft and aviation parts to Russia, as well as exports of hi-tech goods including semiconductors, computers, telecoms and information security equipment and sensors. UK and EU-based companies are also banned from exporting to a wide range of Russian defence, naval, transport and communications companies, including the infamous Internet Research Agency troll farm in St Petersburg.
The Uefa Champions League final has been removed from St Petersburg to Paris.
Fifa and Uefa have suspended Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions.
The Formula One grand prix and all World Cup skiing events in Russia have been cancelled.
Russia has been banned from taking part in the Eurovision song contest.
Continue reading...Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appealed to the European Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership immediately under a special procedure, as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.
'Our goal is to be with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be equal. I'm sure that's fair. I am sure we deserved it,' he said in a speech shared on social media
Continue reading...While thousands of refugees are fleeing Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion, others have sought to return to their embattled homeland from Poland – some to reunite with family, some to fight. 'I am afraid, but I am a mother and I want to be with my children", Lesa explained, as she readied herself to enter Ukraine, adding 'it's scary, but I have to'
NSW premier says ‘unprecedented’ floods expected to get worse; Lismore residents call for help on social media as flood level hits record high; Australia lists Russia as ‘do not travel’ zone; Frydenberg discusses financial support for Ukraine ahead of Scott Morrison’s call with president; at least 12 Covid-related deaths recorded. Follow the latest updates live
Josh Frydenberg was asked if he believed the Russian president Vladimir Putin could turn the invasion into Ukraine nuclear.
He says it’s no secret that Putin may have ambitions beyond simply controlling Ukraine.
No one wants to see an escalation ... but these are the dangers of the times and the insanity of what Putin has done ... I’m worried there could be an escalation beyond the borders ...
I’m worried that there could be an escalation beyond the borders and no doubt. That’s what other European nations or neighbouring countries are concerned about ...
Just to get a sense of when will we find out the amount of money we’re committing to this issue ... we’re working the details through you will find out probably today.
I mean, we’re going to start with an initial payment. It will be in the millions, and it’s not going to be the same sort of quantum that United States or the United Kingdom would provide but you know, where we can ...
Continue reading...An open letter written by five historians denounced the war and called on Beijing to make its stance clearer
For Xu Guoqi, a Chinese historian, Beijing’s reluctance to denounce Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is alarming. “I’m a historian of the first world war. Europe sleep-walked into a huge conflict over 100 years ago, which also had had enormous consequences for China,” Xu said. “The world may be at the point of no return again”.
But looking at how Chinese diplomats are responding to it, and how Chinese people have talked about it on social media in the past week, he said, “I’m afraid it seems we still have not learned the lessons of the past tragedies. As a historian I’m very disappointed.”
Continue reading...Star conductor and close friend of Putin dropped by his management ahead of deadline to speak out or be fired from Munich Philharmonic
Russia’s star conductor, Valery Gergiev, has been dropped by his management over his close ties to Vladimir Putin as he faces a looming deadline to publicly denounce the Russian president or lose yet another role in his rapidly crumbling career.
The 68-year-old Russian, an old friend and supporter of Putin, has faced increasing pressure to speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the last week. He has been removed from performances around the world and faces more professional punishment if he does not condemn Putin’s aggression in the next 24 hours.
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Continue reading...Putin change to Russia’s nuclear stance an ‘unacceptable’ escalation, says US, as rouble set to crash on Monday in wake of global sanctions
Continue reading...Families in Ukraine are being torn apart with many women and children having no choice but to leave their husbands and fathers behind after Ukrainian authorities ordered men aged 18-60 to stay and fight Kremlin forces.
'We left Dad in Kiev and dad will be selling things and helping our heroes, our army, he might even fight,' Mark Goncharuk, a young boy choking with tears, said as he and his relatives fled the capital.
As missiles fell on Ukrainian cities, nearly 400,000 Ukrainian civilians, mainly women and children, have fled into neighbouring countries.
• This video was amended on 28 February 2022 to correct an error in Reuters wires copy.
Deterrence order given as Zelenskiy says Ukraine delegation will meet Russian officials at Belarus border
Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, in the latest signal from the Russian leader that he is prepared to resort to the most extreme level of brinkmanship is his effort to achieve victory in Ukraine.
The US accused Putin of “totally unacceptable” escalation and made clear that it would keep up its support of Ukraine and punitive measures on Russia. With the EU also announcing unprecedented new measures against Moscow, it was clear that Putin’s assault on Ukraine had failed to yield the quick victories he had anticipated but had instead rallied a concerted western response that was potentially devastating for Russia’s economy.
Continue reading...Russian currency expected to plunge in first day’s trading since Swift ban and ECB says state-owned Sberbank subsidiaries are set to collapse
Moscow is bracing for economic panic when markets open on Monday morning, with the value of the rouble expected to plummet at least 25% after the US and European Union announced unprecedented sanctions over the weekend.
Those measures targeted the Russian central bank, which has intervened to prop up the value of the rouble following Vladimir Putin’s order to invade Ukraine. They also marked the first time Russian banks have been excluded from the Swift international payments system.
Continue reading...Oleg Deripaska and Ukrainian-born Mikhail Fridman call for peace, as activities come under threat from sanctions
Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska have become two of the country’s first leading businesspeople to speak out against Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Fridman, who is one of Russia’s richest men, controls private equity firm LetterOne and was a founder of Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest private bank. In a letter to his employees he called for an end to the “bloodshed”.
Continue reading...The NS Champion oil tanker, majority-owned by the Russian state, is due to berth in Orkney on Tuesday
The UK government is considering restricting Russian ships from using British ports after it emerged that a Russian-owned oil tanker is due to dock in Orkney this week.
The NS Champion, operated by Sovcomflot, a large shipping company majority-owned by the Russian state, is due to berth at Flotta oil terminal in Orkney on Tuesday to collect crude oil.
Continue reading...