Russian troops have been within the centre of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday after a day of conflicting claims over whether or not Moscow had captured a serious city centre for the primary time in its eight-day invasion.
Russia’s defence ministry mentioned it had captured Kherson on Wednesday however an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded that Ukrainian forces continued to defend the Black Sea port of about 250,000 folks.
“We’re a individuals who broke the enemy’s plans in per week,” Zelenskiy mentioned in a video tackle. “These plans had taken years to put in writing – they’re imply, with hatred for our nation, for our folks.”
The seize of the strategic southern provincial capital, the place the Dnipro River flows into the Black Sea, can be the primary important city centre to fall since Moscow launched its invasion on Feb. 24.
Russian forces have but to overthrow the federal government in Kyiv however 1000’s are reported to have died or been injured and greater than one million folks have fled Ukraine amid the largest assault on a European state since 1945.
“For a lot of hundreds of thousands extra, inside Ukraine, it’s time for weapons to fall silent, in order that life-saving humanitarian help may be supplied,” UN Excessive Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi mentioned in a tweet.
Russia’s assault has led to a barrage of worldwide sanctions that threaten the worldwide financial restoration from the COVID pandemic, and stoked fears of wider battle as Western international locations ship arms to assist the Ukrainian army.
Kherson Mayor Igor Kolykhayev mentioned late on Wednesday that Russian troops have been within the streets and had entered the council constructing. He known as on civilians to stroll via the streets solely in daylight and in ones and twos.
“There have been armed guests within the metropolis govt committee at this time,” he mentioned in an announcement. “I didn’t make any guarantees to them … I simply requested them to not shoot folks.”
The U.S. State Division known as on Putin and the Russian authorities to “instantly stop this bloodshed” and withdraw forces from Ukraine. It additionally accused Moscow of launching a “full struggle on media freedom and the reality” by blocking impartial information retailers and social media to stop Russians from listening to information of the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “particular operation” that’s not designed to occupy territory however to destroy its neighbour’s army capabilities and seize what it regards as harmful nationalists.
It denies concentrating on civilians though there have been widespread experiences of civilian casualties and the shelling of residential areas.
Bombing in Kharkiv, a metropolis of 1.5 million folks, has left its centre a wasteland of ruined buildings and particles.
Russians have shelled town of Izyum, about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, killing six adults and two youngsters, Ukraine‘s parliament mentioned. Reuters was unable to confirm the casualties.
The U.N. Human Rights Workplace has confirmed the deaths of 227 civilians and 525 accidents through the battle as of midnight on March 1, cautioning that the true toll can be a lot larger attributable to reporting delays.
An explosion additionally rocked the Kyiv railway station the place 1000’s of ladies and kids have been being evacuated. The blast was brought on by wreckage from a downed Russian cruise missile, a Ukrainian inside ministry adviser mentioned, and there have been no rapid experiences of casualties.
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INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
A U.N. decision reprimanding Moscow was supported by 141 of the meeting’s 193 members, a symbolic victory for Ukraine that will increase Moscow’s worldwide isolation. Learn full story
“Extra is at stake even than the battle in Ukraine itself. This can be a risk to the safety of Europe and all the rules-based order,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned.
Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned Moscow nonetheless sought Ukraine‘s “demilitarisation” and that there ought to be a listing of specified weapons that would by no means be deployed on Ukrainian territory. Moscow opposes Kyiv’s bid to affix NATO.
Oil and commodity costs spiralled ever larger on Thursday in a grim omen for international inflation. Learn full story
For Russians, the fallout has included queues outdoors banks, a plunge within the worth of the rouble which threatens their residing requirements, and an exodus of Western corporations who refuse to do enterprise within the nation.
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Russia’s central financial institution, itself beneath sanctions, has doubled rates of interest to twenty% and Fitch downgraded Russia’s sovereign credit standing to ‘junk’ standing. Learn full story
A Ukrainian delegation had left for a second spherical of talks with Russian officers on a ceasefire after a primary spherical made little progress on Monday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak instructed Reuters.
Forbes reported Germany had seized Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s mega yacht in a Hamburg shipyard, whereas no less than 5 superyachts owned by billionaires have been anchored or cruising in Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the US, information confirmed. Learn full story
Russian businessman Roman Abramovich mentioned he would promote London’s Chelsea Soccer Membership and donate cash to assist victims of the struggle in Ukraine. Learn full story
(Reuters)