
Seeking to cripple Russia's economy for invading Ukraine, the US and its key allies have decided to expel selected Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system and impose restrictive measures on its central bank to limit Moscow's ability to access its overseas reserves.
The leaders of the US, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Canada on Saturday also decided to launch a joint task force to hunt down assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs.
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is the world's main banking messaging service which links around 11,000 banks and institutions in more than 200 countries, including India.
Based in Belgium, the system is considered central to the smooth functioning of global finances and Russia's exclusion from it would hit the country hard.
"We stand with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people in their heroic efforts to resist Russia's invasion. Russia's war represents an assault on fundamental international rules and norms that have prevailed since the Second World War, which we are committed to defending," the leaders said in a joint statement released by the White House.
"We will hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (President Vladimir) Putin," the allies said in the statement.
Continued Live Coverage:
3 countries, including India, China, UAE abstained from voting. 11 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while Russia used its veto power (to block the resolution). pic.twitter.com/XJXlxn7Wip
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022
In its filing, Ukraine has accused Moscow of planning genocide and asked the court to intervene to halt the invasion and order Russia to pay reparations.
The case says Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine based on false claims of acts of genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine and now is planning genocidal acts in Ukraine.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday activated a dedicated Twitter handle, "OpGanga Helpline" (@opganga), to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine. The mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from Ukraine has been named as "Operation Ganga". (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Videos went viral of Malayali students, huddled in bunkers or underground metro stations in various parts of eastern Ukraine in below freezing temperatures, crying out for help or to evacuate them as they began running out of food and water which was difficult to procure in view of the constant shelling and gunfire around them. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Sitting with her teenage daughter in a hotel foyer in northern Romania, 38-year-old Viktoriya Smishchkyk breaks down in tears as she recounts her departure from Ukraine. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, after a grueling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Approximately 13,000 Indians are in Ukraine as of now, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who received the evacuees at the Delhi airport this morning, said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
“Peace. Human rights. Dignity for all. Equality. Justice. Solidarity. Like never before, core values are in the crosshairs,” Antonio Guterres said. “A sense of impunity is taking hold.” (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on increased alert on Sunday in an unprecedented escalation of tension with the West over Russia’s massive conventional assault of Ukraine, which entered its fourth day with fighting in the streets of the country’s second-largest city. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Ukraine’s tangled political history with Russia has its counterpart in the religious landscape, with Ukraine’s majority Orthodox Christian population divided between an independent-minded group based in Kyiv and another loyal to its patriarch in Moscow. But while there have been appeals to religious nationalism in both Russia and Ukraine, religious loyalty doesn’t mirror political fealty amid Ukraine's fight for survival. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden defended his decision to preserve access to Russian energy in order “to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.” But some academics, lawmakers and other analysts say that excluding an industry at the heart of the Russian economy essentially limits the sanctions and could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy office said Sunday on the Telegram messaging app that the two sides would meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border and did not give a precise time for the meeting. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
The order means Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch, raising the threat that the tensions could boil over into nuclear warfare. In giving it, the Russian leader also cited hard-hitting financial sanctions imposed by the West against Russia, including Putin himself. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
In an advisory especially in the eastern regions of Ukraine, and that it is in constant touch with the authorities for the safety of Indian citizens. (READ MORE)
As many as 688 Indian nationals returned here on Sunday from strife-torn Ukraine on board three Air India evacuation flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that approximately 13,000 Indians are stranded in Ukraine as of now, and the government is making efforts to bring them back as soon as possible.
The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Sunday said it is continuously exploring to facilitate opening up more border transit points with neighbouring countries for the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine. In an advisory, the embassy said it is closely monitoring the developing situation, especially in the eastern regions of Ukraine, and that it is in constant touch with the authorities for the safety of Indian citizens.
Indian students had to walk for about 5-8 kilometers to reach the Romanian border from battle scarred Ukraine, a Tamil Nadu student who arrived from the eastern European nation said here on Sunday.
Maharashtra Minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Sunday said some 1,200 students from the state are stranded in Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, of which just 300 have been able to contact their parents.
Danish Hassan and three other students from the district are pursuing studies in different medical universities in the East European country. (READ MORE)
Air India's third evacuation flight, AI1940, which was scheduled to land here at around 7 am, reached a couple of hours late at 9.20 am. (READ MORE)
The UN refugee agency said Sunday more than 368,000 people had fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on Thursday.
#BREAKING Russian Orthodox patriarch calls Moscow's foes in Ukraine 'evil forces' pic.twitter.com/rjVUEw18pt
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now & expect trials to start next week: Ukraine President
#UkraineRussiaCrisis Indian citizens are being evacuated from Ukraine through Romania & Hungary. We are continuously exploring and working to open up more borders with the neighboring countries for our citizens: Embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine in an advisory to Indian nationals pic.twitter.com/SQPe0L0fm1
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022
Puducherry CM N Rangasamy on Sunday announced that the territorial government would bear the travel expenses of the students returning to the Union Territory from war-torn Ukraine, where they are stranded now.
#UPDATE Belgium is closing its airspace to Russian flights, the country's prime minister said on Sunday, adding to a growing number of EU countries that have done the same pic.twitter.com/afU6bMJZm6
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
Tears of joy, happy faces and smiles marked the arrival of the first batch of 56 students to their home state Gujarat from Ukraine on Sunday, as anxious parents welcomed them upon arrival from Mumbai after an overnight journey. (READ MORE)
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan sent a letter to PM Narendra Modi seeking his immediate intervention to bring all Indians, most of them students, back from war-hit cities of Ukraine. In the letter, he said some of the Indians have taken refuge in bunkers in eastern cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv and Sumi with food and water shortage.
As Air India ferries hundreds of Indians stranded in Ukraine, the cost of operating a two-way evacuation flight will be more than Rs 1.10 crore and the amount will go up depending on the duration of the flights. (READ MORE)
PM Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Uttar Pradesh elections are a fight between the dynasts and diehard nationalists, which the opposition parties do not understand.
#UPDATE The Russia-Ukraine conflict could last a "number of years" and the world needs to be prepared for Moscow "to seek to use even worse weapons", British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned Sunday pic.twitter.com/VhbBAHH7LH
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
CM Hemant Soren, sending a list of persons from Jharkhand stuck in Ukraine, has requested MHA to direct concerned officials to take proper steps for their safe return. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/LYXJLEtlax
— Mukesh Ranjan (@Mukesh_TNIE) February 27, 2022
#UPDATE Russian president Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF) due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine the sport's governing body announced#AFPSports pic.twitter.com/mQsdTkHQRk
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
Minister @PRajeevOfficial receive students who arrived at @KochiAirport from war-torn Ukraine on Sunday afternoon. 11 students reached Kochi today. @NewIndianXpress @xpresskerala pic.twitter.com/szAbjaTEsE
— Rajesh Abraham???????? (@pendown) February 27, 2022
Heavy clashes ongoing in Hostomel area near Kyiv #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/HRxYSRXhMf
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) February 27, 2022
The government is working tirelessly to bring back all Indians stuck in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Ukraine Railways is additionally organising emergency trains at no cost, first come basis from Kyiv. Schedule can be found at train stations.
— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 27, 2022
????????n diaspora is advised to move away from conflict zones to the Western region subject to security situation and the extant regulations.
Air India's two evacuation flights, one from Romanian capital Bucharest and another from Hungarian capital Budapest, carrying 490 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine landed at the Delhi airport on Sunday morning, government officials said.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says ready for talks with Russia, but not in Belarus.
Indian students who were pursuing medical studies in #Ukraine arrived at Chennai International Airport.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) February 27, 2022
Express photos | @ddmallick.@xpresstn pic.twitter.com/2G2inDO3fH
Minutes ago, Ukrainian Air Force shot down a cruise missile launched at the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, by a TU-22 bomber from the territory of Belarus. This is another war crime committed against Ukraine and its people. #StopRussianAggression
— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) February 27, 2022
#BREAKING Finland to close airspace to Russian planes: ministry pic.twitter.com/1HedGLHov3
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
It’s Special Forces Day in Russia. Putin thanks them in this video address.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 27, 2022
“Particular gratitude to those who in these days are heroically fulfilling their warrior’s duty during the special operation to help the people’s republics of the Donbas,” he says. pic.twitter.com/9eOQVKYjUt
Students stuck at Poland border. Around 900 students are waiting for a confirmation from Indian Embassy ?@NewIndianXpress? ?@MEAIndia? pic.twitter.com/xwZARSrp2m
— Ankita Upadhyay (@ankitaup) February 27, 2022
Moscow claimed its troops had "entirely" besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the city of Berdyansk in the southeast, as the Russian army pressed ahead with the invasion of the pro-Western country.
"Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Russians have entered Kharkiv. Street battles audible pic.twitter.com/JX1eZfCe9h
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) February 27, 2022
Russia has praised India's "independent and balanced" position after Delhi abstained from a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow's "aggression" against Ukraine. India, along with China and the UAE, did not vote on the resolution Friday, a move in line with the fine balance Delhi has sought to strike between partnerships with Moscow and Western allies.
China's envoy to Ukraine said current conditions were too unsafe to evacuate citizens, days after the embassy said it would prepare plans to help people leave after the Russian invasion.
In a lengthy video message on the embassy's official WeChat account, Chinese ambassador Fan Xianrong sought to dispel rumours he had left Kyiv and reassure Chinese nationals left stranded in the war-torn country.
"We must wait until it is safe before leaving," said Fan from his office, seated in front of a Chinese flag and what appeared to be a fold-out camp bed frame.
"As long as safety conditions are met and everyone's safety is guaranteed, we will make appropriate arrangements."
An oil depot in Vasilkyv has been hit during the night and is on fire. Kyiv authorities ask that people keep their window tightly shut pic.twitter.com/XdEytm56hq
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) February 27, 2022
13 students from #Ukraine reached #Delhi in 2nd batch, 5 in 1st batch. Will reach #Bengaluru soon
— Bosky Khanna (@BoskyKhanna) February 27, 2022
12 from #mumbai reached @BLRAirport 8.45am:@KarnatakaSNDMC.@NewIndianXpress @XpressBengaluru @KannadaPrabha @santwana99 @NammaBengaluroo @NammaKarnataka_ @CMofKarnataka @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/sBshD30F0q
Elon Musk says his company SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service had been activated in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.
With the evacuation of Indian students trapped in Ukraine picking up speed, the Bihar government has started helplines for boys and girls hailing from the state who had gone to the war-torn country for pursuing higher education and are now anxious to make an exit in the wake of the military crisis. The helpline numbers issued by the state Disaster Management Department are 0612-2294204, 0612-1070 and 7070290170.
The Ukrainian health minister says that 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Russian offensive. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that there were three children among those killed. His statement made it unclear whether the casualties included both military and civilians.
He said another 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion that began Thursday with massive air and missile strikes and troops forging into Ukraine from the north, east and south.
Some bars and liquor stores in US think they've found a potent way to punish Russia for invading Ukraine: They're pulling Russian vodka off their shelves and promoting Ukrainian brands instead.
"I woke up yesterday morning, and I saw that Russia had invaded Ukraine. You wonder what you can do,'' said Bob Quay, owner of Bob's Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
POTUS and the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Canada decided to take specific measures to further isolate Russia from the international financial system @mea ?@NewIndianXpress? https://t.co/cmavdo9yj7
— Yeshi Seli (@YeshiSeli) February 27, 2022
A Ukrainian company in charge of building and maintaining roads said it was removing all road signs that could be used by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country: Reuters
The Ukrainian president's office said Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city. The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection warned that the explosion, which it said looked like a mushroom cloud, could cause an "environmental catastrophe" and advised residents to cover their windows with damp cloth or gauze and to drink plenty of fluids.
State Govts set up help desks&appoint Nodal Officers to assist people from their state amid #RussiaUkraineConflict
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2022
Karnataka Help Desk's Ravi Kumar, at Delhi's IGI Airport, says, "We've instructions to drop people from our state at Karnataka Bhawan; dropped 13 children till now" pic.twitter.com/D9tHLzDKg7
Indian Embassy in Slovakia has issued a statement saying those in proximity to their border should fill a google form and connect @mea @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/Nl6hIP2xdm
— Yeshi Seli (@YeshiSeli) February 27, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stunned the global community with his ruthless use of military force to alter the political map of central Europe and the implications of this action are complex and multi-layered. The immediate fallout is on the urban citizenry of Ukraine whose population roughly is pegged at 41 million. Television visuals of the destruction of military assets by Russian ordnance bear similarity to the deadly convulsions witnessed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the last two decades. (READ MORE)
Indian nationals, mostly students, who were evacuated from Ukraine heaved a sigh of relief as the Air India flight carrying them landed at the airport in the early hours of Sunday.
Suriya Subhash from Maharashtra's Solapur, who was among the 250 Indian citizens brought back on the flight from Romanian capital Bucharest, said she was relieved to be back in her country after a "hectic journey".
The United States, European Union and United Kingdom agreed to block "selected" Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial messaging system and to impose "restrictive measures" on its central bank in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President is welcoming efforts to open talks with Russia.
In a video message Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered to help organise talks and that "we can only welcome that".
Diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed have so far faltered.
Zelenskyy offered Friday to negotiate a key Russian demand: that Ukraine declare itself neutral and abandon its ambition of joining NATO. But movement to actually advance any diplomacy has appeared to sputter.
The Russian military on Saturday released images of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine that it seized after President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the country this week.
Russian troops took control of the area -- one of the most radioactive places on earth -- on the first day of their offensive into Ukraine.
Images released by Moscow's defence ministry showed Russian soldiers patrolling the plant, which is encased in a giant sarcophagus, with snipers dressed in black uniforms and a tank parked on the territory.
Lines of vehicles miles long are clogging border crossings out of Ukraine, as tens of thousands rush to neighboring countries to escape danger from invading Russian troops.
Nearly 120,000 people have so far fled Ukraine into Poland and other neighbouring countries in the wake of Russian invasion, the UN refugee agency said Saturday.
The largest numbers were arriving in Poland, where 2 million Ukrainians have already settled to work in recent years. Poland's government said Saturday that more than 100,000 Ukrainians had crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in the past 48 hours alone.
Authorities in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv extend a curfew until early Monday amid fighting with Russian troops, reports AP.
A USD 350 million package of additional US military assistance to Ukraine announced on Saturday includes "anti-armour, small arms and various munitions, body armour and related equipment," according to John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary.
Separately, a senior defense official said the assistance includes Javelin anti-tank weapons and that it will be delivered to Ukraine in phases and as soon as possible. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said the US has delivered military assistance to Ukraine by unspecified means as recently as "the last couple of days", and that ground routes for delivery of the additional material would certainly be on the list of options we would consider.
EAM S Jaishankar said the second Air India flight for evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine has departed from Bucharest with 250 passengers.
#OperationGanga continues.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 26, 2022
The second flight from Bucharest has taken off for Delhi with 250 Indian nationals. pic.twitter.com/zml6OPNirN
UK’s Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force deployed to bolster NATO’s eastern front.
UK @RoyalNavy, @BritishArmy and @RoyalAirForce deploy to bolster @NATO's eastern front.
— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) February 26, 2022
HMS Diamond to join HMS Trent
Challenger 2 tanks arrive in ????????
RAF Typhoon jets completing air policing missions
Read more: https://t.co/PTwYWP5OUb and https://t.co/twB9hFmXpO pic.twitter.com/npLIPInC6K
The Russian army has been ordered to broaden its offensive in Ukraine “from all directions” after Kyiv refused to hold talks in Belarus, Moscow’s defence ministry said in a statement Saturday. “After the Ukrainian side rejected the negotiation process, today all units were given orders to develop the advance from all directions in accordance with the operation’s plans,” Russian Army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
Ukraine on Saturday rejected Russian suggestions that it was refusing to negotiate a ceasefire but said it was not ready to accept unacceptable conditions, according to media reports.
The first evacuation flight carrying 219 passengers from Ukraine, has landed in Mumbai.
"Since the beginning of this crisis, our main objective was to bring back each & every Indian stranded in Ukraine. 219 students have arrived here. This was the first batch, the second will reach Delhi soon. We'll not stop until all of them are back home," tweeted Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
#WATCH | Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomes the Indian nationals safely evacuated from Ukraine at Mumbai airport pic.twitter.com/JGKReJE1ct
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2022
Russia on Saturday closed its airspace to flights from Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic in tit-for-tat punitive measures following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Britain has banned Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot from flying over the UK and several countries, including Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic, have closed their airspace to Russian carriers.
Russia is suspending space launches from French Guiana and withdrawing its technical personnel in response to EU sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the space agency said Saturday.
Moscow may respond to Western sanctions by opting out of the last nuclear arms deal with the US, cutting diplomatic ties with Western nations and freezing their assets, a senior Russian official warned Saturday as Russia's ties with the West dived to new lows over its invasion of Ukraine.
The Embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine, issued another advisory on Saturday urging Indian nationals not to move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday told the state Assembly that 130 state residents are stuck in Ukraine and 32 of them are being brought back to India on two chartered flights.
Spoke with Prime Minister @narendramodi. Informed of the course of repulsing aggression. More than 100,000 invaders are on our land. They insidiously fire on residential buildings. Urged to give us political support in Security Council. Stop the aggressor together!
— ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
Indian students stranded in crisis-stricken Ukraine are advised to carry the national flag on their vehicles for safety, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday.
The Indian Embassy in Hungary on Saturday issued a fresh advisory for Indians in Ukraine baring them not to cross the border from other checkpoints than Zahony- Uzhhorod as there is no presence of the Indian Embassy unit to facilitate entry into the Hungarian side.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said the Russia-Ukraine war will affect the entire world including India, causing spike in inflation that will severely hit the poor sections and remote areas of the country.
The Goa government is working with the Embassy of India to ensure safe evacuation of stranded Goans from Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday.
Amid the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and India's attempts to bring back stranded students from the Eastern European country, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday said that the Central government is taking all necessary measures to evacuate its citizens from the country.
Amid chaos and confusion, 21-year-old medical student Mehul Rathore and his elder sister Meghna travelled in a bus for 200 kilometres from the Ukrainian city of Ternopil and walked for around 20 kilometres at night in freezing cold to reach the Ukraine-Poland border to seek safe shelter in Poland, but they have no option other than waiting in a long queue, that too in uncertainty.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said six students from the state, who have been stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine, are on their way to Romania in a specially arranged bus, as part of the evacuation mission.
Rocket impact reported against a building in Chernihiv Bjelova street #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/6GzMq7KQ5y
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) February 26, 2022
Middle East experts say their reticence is understandable given what's at play - energy, money and security. (READ MORE)
After a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country, Russian forces were closing in on Ukraine's capital on Saturday. (READ MORE)
The street clashes followed fighting that pummeled bridges, schools and apartment buildings, and resulted in hundreds of casualties. (READ MORE)
Some oligarchs have also obtained dual citizenship in Britain and other Western countries, adding legal complications to attempts to unilaterally seize their assets. (READ MORE)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian forces have managed to 'derailed' Russian attack plan.
The rallies on Friday night appeared smaller than on Thursday, when thousands took to the streets across Russia. (READ MORE)
Stoltenberg did not say how many troops would be sent or where they might go, but he did confirm that the move would involve land, sea and air power. (READ MORE)
"France supports banning Russia from SWIFT. I urged to immediately introduce the third package of EU sanctions to stop Russian invasion. France is also ready to supply weapons and military equipment to help Ukraine defend itself."@DmytroKuleba
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 26, 2022
Serbia remained a rare European state not to join a call for Western sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of a sovereign European state. (READ MORE)
The world is already facing high energy prices and a supply crunch that has hit consumers with high utility bills and pain at the gasoline pump. (READ MORE)
Though the invasion, for U.S. kids, is playing out several thousand miles from home, social media and television coverage can make it seem just next door. (READ MORE)
The Kerala government will bear the cost of flight tickets for the students arriving in Delhi and Mumbai on evacuation flights arranged by the Union Government from Ukraine which is under attack from Russian forces, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday.
Air India's first evacuation flight departed from Romanian capital Bucharest on Saturday afternoon for Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine due to the ongoing Russian military offensive, officials said.
???????? is still trying to secure a quick victory, developing an offensive in the direction of the settlements: KYIV, CHERNIHIV, SUMY, HLUHIV, KHARKIV, KHERSON and ZAPORIZHZIA. 4/4#StopRussianAggression #StandWithUkraine
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) February 26, 2022
The Union Cabinet was learnt to have been briefed on Saturday about the situation in Ukraine and efforts being taken to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-hit country. The Cabinet Committee on Security is also learnt to have met on Saturday amid the crisis in Ukraine after it was attacked by Russia.
???????? has repeatedly used operational and tactical aircraft in the areas of YUZHNYI and ODESA, at OZERNE airfield, and at civilian infrastructure facilities in the KYIV region. 3/4
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) February 26, 2022
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, on Saturday urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop supplying products and services to Russian users as a response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Single air strikes were carried out in the districts of SUMY, POLTAVA, MARIUPOL. From the Black Sea, ???????? launched Caliber naval-based cruise missiles across Ukraine. Tactical aviation operations from the territory of Belarus and the TOT Crimea are controlled by ???????? Air Forces. 2/4
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) February 26, 2022
The Haryana government has assured the state's residents who are stuck in Ukraine due to a Russian military offensive that the Centre is making all-out efforts to evacuate stranded Indians. Officials of the Haryana government's Foreign Cooperation Department interacted with some members of the Haryanvi community stuck in Ukraine and their relatives back home virtually on Friday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday assured Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai full cooperation and support from the Government of India to evacuate people from Karnataka who are stranded in Ukraine.
The third day of ???????? military operation against Ukraine is underway. The enemy has begun redeploying reserve units on the border w/ ????????, continues to carry out air strikes on airfields, groups of troops of the ???????? AF in Eastern Ukraine and in the Northern part of KYIV region. 1/4
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) February 26, 2022
Ukrainian forces resisting
Ukrainian forces are putting up resistance and inflicting damage on Russia's invading military as it seeks to push deeper into the country, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says after an alliance video summit.
'Take power', Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls on the Ukrainian army to overthrow the government whose leaders he describes as "terrorists" and "a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis".
Battles north of Kyiv
Ukraine says it is battling with Russian armoured units in two locations between 40 and 80 kilometres (25 and 50 miles) north of Kyiv.
Three Russian aircraft shot down
Ukraine claims to have shot down a Russian bomber and helicopter in the east as well as a transport plane southwest of Kyiv.
50,000 flee country
More than 50,000 people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, mainly to Poland and Moldova, the United Nations refugee chief says.
This is potentially a bigger deal than even Germany signing on – Cyprus is one of Russia's biggest foreign investors (it's Russians with Cypriot offshore companies investing back in Russia) and the second biggest bank in Cyprus is Russian https://t.co/nKOZfE1dg6
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 26, 2022
The Ministry of Education (MoE) appealed to the Indian students stranded in Ukraine on Saturday to follow all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy. It also assured the students that all possible efforts are being made by the government to bring them back from Ukraine.
Putin, Lavrov sanctioned
The United States and the European Union add Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to their sanctions list. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also says he is planning "imminent" sanctions against them.
NATO deploys force
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance is deploying its rapid response forces to bolster defences on its eastern flank.
Chernobyl radiation increases
Ukrainian officials say radiation levels have increased in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and warn the capture of the plant by Russian soldiers could have "terrible consequences".
Council of Europe suspends Russia
The Council of Europe says it is suspending Russia from the rights body over the attack against Ukraine.
Spain and Rome protests
Anti-war rallies against the invasion are held in Madrid, Rome and Barcelona with Russians marching alongside Ukrainians.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday highlighted the plight of Indian students stuck in Ukraine and appealed to the central government to carry out their evacuation urgently.
"Visuals of Indian students in bunkers are disturbing. Many are stuck in eastern Ukraine which is under heavy attack. My thoughts are with their worried family members. Again, I appeal to Government of India to execute urgent evacuation," Gandhi said on Twitter.
Battle for Kyiv
Ukrainian soldiers beat back a Russian attack in the capital Kyiv only hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warns Moscow would attempt to take the city before dawn.
Civilians against tanks
Civilians -- some of whom have never held a gun before -- prepare to battle with Russian tanks with the Ukrainian defence ministry urging them "to make Molotov cocktails and neutralise the enemy".
Dead in the streets
After an earlier Russian attack was repulised in the centre of the city, AFP saw a dead man in civilian clothes lying sprawled on the pavement as nearby medics helped another whose car was crushed by an armoured vehicle.
Cruise missile attacks
Russia says it is bombarding Ukraine's military infrastructure with air- and sea-based cruise missiles.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday spoke to some of the students from the state stranded in Ukraine, against which Russia has mounted a military offensive since February 24.
An Air India Boeing aircraft, which departed from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here for Romanian capital Bucharest early morning on Saturday to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive, is expected to arrive here at 8 pm, the airport operator said.
With Russian troops advancing on Kyiv and other key cities, India on Saturday asked its nationals stranded in Ukraine to exercise caution at all times and not move towards any border post to exit the country without prior coordination with its officials.
As Russia's offensive against Ukraine continued on Saturday, Indian students hailing from Tamil Nadu made a fervent appeal for their early evacuation, saying they were short on supplies and virtually feared for their lives amidst repeated sounds of explosions.
The Andhra Pradesh government has so far traced 423 students from the state studying in war-hit Ukraine and established contact with them, a senior official said on Saturday.
A baby was born in Kyiv subway, now being used as a bomb shelter, overnight on Feb. 25.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
Amid ongoing air raids as part of Russia’s war against Ukraine, people all across the country have been taking shelter underground and in subway stations. pic.twitter.com/G0RalS98EL
'This war will last,' warns French President Macron on Ukraine
Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles. One of them has hit a residential apartment in Kyiv. I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/c3ia46Ctjq
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 26, 2022
This apartment building in Kyiv was hit by shelling overnight, according to news agency @unian.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 26, 2022
Russian MFA Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that "nobody is going to attack the people of Ukraine," and there would be"no strikes on civilian infrastructure." pic.twitter.com/0T0BO9HYv0
Russian missile strike last night on an apartment block in Lobanovsky Avenue in central Kyiv. A large chunk torn out of the building, with multiple floors destroyed and smoke burning this morning. Number of casualties unknown pic.twitter.com/bkJ07QdiOT
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) February 26, 2022
Missile strikes an apartment building in Kyiv.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
After heavy fighting in the capital overnight, a residential apartment building not far from the Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) was struck by Russian missile attacks. There are no reported deaths. pic.twitter.com/8yau9qyEZ9
As the fighting in Ukraine intensifies by the hour, Indian students find themselves in a dangerous situation.
With the Indian embassy in Kyiv giving no clear guidelines about a possible evacuation, the students wait in agony.
TNIE has accessed visuals of students who are stuck in Kharkiv, a city on the eastern front of the Russia-Ukraine battle.
Students stuck in Ukraine’s Kharkiv ?@NewIndianXpress? ?@TheMornStandard? pic.twitter.com/EtjsaiOyf1
— Ankita Upadhyay (@ankitaup) February 26, 2022
A new day on the diplomatic frontline began with a conversation with Emmanuel Macron, tweeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He added that the anti-war coalition is working and his country's western partners are sending help in the form of weapons.
A new day on the diplomatic frontline began with a conversation with @EmmanuelMacron. Weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine. The anti-war coalition is working!
— ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
Citizens of various countries across the world have come out on streets to express solidarity with Ukrainians as they fight a deadly occupation by Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Citizens of various countries across the world have come out on streets to express solidarity with Ukrainians as they fight a deadly occupation by Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Citizens of various countries across the world have come out on streets to express solidarity with Ukrainians as they fight a deadly occupation by Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Zelensky posts another video filmed in central Kyiv.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
"There's a lot of fake information online that I call on our army to lay down arms, and that there's evacuation," he said.
"I'm here. We won't lay down our arms. We will defend our state." pic.twitter.com/VKVY4XRUip
1/ We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world. We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media. These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.
— Nathaniel Gleicher (@ngleicher) February 26, 2022
This morning: Smoke rising near the #Kyiv Zoo situated along Peremoy Avenue (via @SergUA63) pic.twitter.com/43oVqkbL2k
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) February 26, 2022
Advisory to all Indian Nationals/Students in Ukraine
— Yeshi Seli (@YeshiSeli) February 26, 2022
as on 26 February 2022 @mea @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/ZRE4U7kNTZ
Confirmed: Real-time network data show a major disruption to #Ukraine's internet backbone provider GigaTrans, which supplies connectivity to many other networks. The incident comes as heavy fighting is reported in #Vasylkiv and #Kyiv
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 26, 2022
Background: https://t.co/S0qJQ7CbNv pic.twitter.com/EksnZjs9Ay
State Department spokesperson Ned Price noted that the US shares important interests and values with India. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Ukraine's military said it has shot down a Russian military transport plane with paratroopers on board. According to a statement from the military's General Staff, the Il-76 heavy transport plane was shot down near Vasylkiv, a city 40 kilometres south of Kyiv. The Russian military has not commented on the incident so far, and the report could not be immediately verified.
UN Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops faced a straightforward defeat. Friday's vote was 11-1, with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining. It showed significant but not total opposition to Russia's invasion of its smaller, militarily weaker neighbour. (CHECK THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE)