Bhubaneswar: As Russia’s war in Ukraine entered the 16th day, several cities are under siege. Despite a sustained onslaught, Russian forces have failed to crush Ukraine’s military, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning Moscow that its invasion will backfire.
There is global outrage over the bombing of a hospital in Mariupol, which wounded 17 civilians. However, Russia has denied responsibility for the airstrike. Tune in to this space for the latest news on the Russia-Ukraine crisis:
- By end of May, we will propose to phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal by 2027: Ursula von der Leyen, president, European Commission;
- Kerala earmarks Rs 10 cr in budget to help students returned from Ukraine to continue studies;
- Russian Olympic body challenges ban from winter sports event;
- US bans exports of American luxury goods to Russia, Belarus;
- Austria’s OMV says no plans to refine Russian crude in ‘near future’;
- Russian invasion of Ukraine is a threat to world peace, says Canadian minister;
- US will revoke Russia’s ‘permanent normal trade relations’ status – Biden;
- US President Biden says Russia would pay a ‘severe price’ if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine;
- Biden warns direct NATO-Russia clash would trigger ‘World War III’;
- Cargill to scale back business in Russia, keep open food and animal feed facilities;
- UK sanctions 386 Russian parliamentarians over Ukraine crisis;
- Russia says Ukraine has only agreed 2 of 10 humanitarian corridors proposed by Russia, none to Russia;
- Ukrainian embassy says 86 Turks sheltering in Mariupol mosque;
- Ukraine’s military says Maj-Gen Andrei Kolesnikov has been killed;
- Russia confirms use of thermobaric ‘vacuum bombs’ in Ukraine, UK says;
- Kharkiv mayor describes “merciless shelling” and freezing conditions;
- Russian advances have stalled in Ukraine, says Ukrainian presidential adviser;
- Immediate ceasefire needed in Ukraine, Finnish president tells Putin;
- EBRD concerned about Chernobyl nuclear plant amid Ukrainian warnings;
- WHO recommends Ukraine destroy high-threat pathogens in health labs to prevent potential spills;
- UN agency warns war could trigger 20% food price rise;
- NATO must not allow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to spill over into a war between the alliance and Moscow: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg;
- Russian officials announce hasty recruitment of 16,000 ex-ISIS fighters: Ukraine President office head;
- UNSC to convene on Friday at Russia’s request;
- Russia’s ‘most favoured nation’ status to be revoked over Ukraine invasion: Report;
- Putin holds talks with Belarusian President to discuss Ukraine, western sanctions;
- Ukraine says Chernihiv left without water after Russian strike hits supply networks;
- Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are the first major Western banks to get out of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. More are likely to follow at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, CNN reported;
- Satellite images taken by a US firm of a large Russian military convoy near Kiev show that it has been “largely dispersed and redeployed”, BBC reported;
- Opinion is divided among western military experts as to whether Kyiv, will fall to Russian forces over the next few days;
- During a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin said that volunteers from the Middle East, who are ready to assist Russia in Ukraine, need to be helped to get to the war zone;
- Discussions at the informal European Council meeting in Versailles, France, will focus on Europe’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron said;
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said stranded Indian students who were evacuated from the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy are returning to India on Friday;
- Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko on Friday said the Ukrainian city is being shelled by Russian forces every 30 minutes;
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will likely downgrade its global growth forecast next month due to spillover effects from the Ukraine crisis, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said;
- One person was killed on Friday after three Russian airstrikes hit Dnipro, an inland city located on the Dnieper river deemed as a major stronghold in central-eastern Ukraine, the country’s State Emergency Services (SES) reported.
