Here’s a round-up of all top developments to date:
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India abstains on UN vote against Russia: India’s abstention from the vote on the draft resolution with text “deploring in the strongest terms” Russia for its operations inside Ukraine was no surprise, given the fine balance Delhi has sought to strike between crucial partnerships with both Moscow and Western allies over the last month of the escalating crisis. With the abstention, India has managed to hold its balancing act for another day, despite the considerable pressures from the West to get off the fence, and an open call from the Russian envoy in Delhi for its support.
219 Indians evacuated from Ukraine: Beaming, elated and relieved, 219 Indians, mostly students studying medicine in Ukraine, stepped off the Air India aircraft that flew them home from Bucharest in Romania — the first batch of Indian nationals evacuated Saturday under Operation Ganga after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who was at Mumbai airport to receive those evacuated, said: “We are happy that 219 of our citizens who are mostly students, the majority of them girls, have come back safely.
Zelenskyy calls Modi, seeks support: Hours after India abstained during a vote Saturday on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution that deplored “in the strongest terms” Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been leading the defence of Kyiv, spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought India’s “political support” at the UNSC. Modi, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, expressed “deep anguish” over the loss of life and property, and reiterated his call for “immediate cessation of violence” and return to dialogue.
‘World must do more to put pressure on Russia’: Explaining the current situation and what could be a way further, Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses unprecedented risks for the global system. It brings back the spectre of a major war to Europe. If the Ukrainians manage to resist, the war will be long drawn; if they don’t, the precedent of an important country of the size of Ukraine being reabsorbed will haunt Europe. Russian actions create more uncertainty in Great Power politics. Every country in the world will now start reassessing the gains and risks of economic interdependence. But if the crisis continues, everything from energy to fertilisers might be potentially affected.”
‘For us, Ukraine is the same as Pakistan for India’: Alexey Kupriyanov, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, while speaking with The Indian Express, said, “The Ukrainian issue has to be decided by compromise, not by incorporation. For us, Ukraine is the same as Pakistan for India. And so, we are going to have our peaceful Pakistan, and pro-Indian Pakistan on our border.”
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The U.S., 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.
The measures were announced jointly as part of a new round of financial sanctions meant to impose a severe cost on Russia for the invasion.
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In Brussels, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said cutting several commercial banks from SWIFT "will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally." She said more banks could be hit "as appropriate." Von der Leyen said the EU would "commit to taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship — so-called golden passports — that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems." (AP)
Air India's second evacuation flight from Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine landed at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Sunday, government officials said.
India on Saturday began the evacuation of its stranded citizens amid the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, with the first evacuation flight, AI1944, bringing back 219 people from Bucharest to Mumbai in the evening.
The second evacuation flight, AI1942, carrying 250 Indian citizens landed at the Delhi airport around 2.45 am on Sunday, the officials said.
Air India's third evacuation flight, AI1940, which will depart from Hungarian capital Budapest, is also scheduled to return with evacuees to Delhi on Sunday, they said. (PTI)
France will send defensive weapons and fuel to Ukraine, the French presidential office said on Saturday, adding that the country would also take action against Russian media and influencers spreading misinformation about the Ukraine war. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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. (AP)
Youtube on Saturday blocked Russian State-controlled international television network RT and other Russian channels from generating revenue amid the nation's continuing attack into Ukraine territory.
The German government confirmed Saturday that it has approved the shipment of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. According to reports, Germany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 'Stinger' surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine.
The Karnataka government will arrange free connecting flights for the state's students from Ukraine arriving in the country to Bengaluru, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said. A group of students from Karnataka landed in Mumbai from Romania on Saturday. A batch of 13 students will reach Delhi from Romania late at night and another 5 students from the state will reach the National Capital around 7 am tomorrow.
A USD 350 million package of additional US military assistance to Ukraine announced 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 U.S. 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." (AP)
Around 50 students from Gujarat, evacuated from Chernivtsi in Ukraine, were among the 214 Indians who returned on the Air India evacuation flight to Mumbai from Bucharest in Romania.
Even as a second set of Indian nationals, comprising mainly students, departed from Bucharest to New Delhi on Saturday, several others who are still stranded in conflict areas of Ukraine have sent desperate appeals for rescue and walked several miles to arrive at the borders of the countries on the Western end of Ukraine to seek evacuation. The 50 students will arrive in Gujarat on state transport buses that have been sent from Surat, officials said. (ENS)
A NATO battlegroup being formed for Slovakia in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine will include 1,200 foreign troops and a Patriot missile defence system manned by German and Dutch personnel, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Saturday.
NATO-member Slovakia shares a border with Ukraine and does not currently have foreign soldiers stationed on its territory. NATO, a Western military alliance, pledged to further reinforce its eastern flank after Russia attacked Ukraine this week.
Nad said Germany was providing the Patriot system.
"Germany will participate robustly," Nad said after a government meeting.
Slovakia will provide 300 soldiers to the NATO battlegroup, he said, taking its total size to 1,500. Slovakia was also in talks on providing troops for the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia, he said.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was deploying elements of its rapid response force, which is made up of land, air, maritime and special operations forces, on allied territory. (Reuters)
Russia closed its airspace for Romanian airliners "due to unfriendly decisions by Romanian aviation authorities", Russian federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said on Saturday.
Earlier Romania said it would ban Russian airlines from its airspace, joining other countries in central Europe doing the same after Russia invaded Ukraine. (Reuters)
All Russian units in Ukraine were on Saturday given the order to resume their offensive from all directions after a pause on Friday, the RIA news agency quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying.
Echoing similar comments by the Kremlin, the ministry said Friday's pause had been made in anticipation of talks between Moscow and Kyiv but the offensive resumed after Ukraine refused to negotiate. (Reuters)
Returnees from Ukraine who came on board the evacuation flight that landed in Mumbai (Express photos by Pradip Das)
Britain has cancelled visas for the Belarusian men's basketball team over their nation's support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, British interior minister Priti Patel said on Saturday.
"The UK will not welcome the national sports teams of those countries who are complicit in (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine," Home Secretary Patel said on Twitter. (Reuters)
The UK’s Ministry of Defence states that the overnight clashes in Kyiv “are likely to have involved limited numbers of pre-positioned sabotage groups”. It adds, “The capture of Kyiv remains Russia’s primary military objective.”
Russia has sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in the past 24 hours, says a senior US defence official.
Comparing the military strengths of Russia and Ukraine
Despite Zelenskyy’s earlier claim, Turkey has said it is yet to make a decision on closing its straits between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to the Russian navy, The Guardian reported. According to Reuters, a Turkish official said it “has not made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships”.
Ukraine has denied that it refused negotiations with Russia, The Guardian reported. The head of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, Mikhail Podolyak, said Kremlin’s statement was untrue and Russia had set out “unacceptable conditions [and] ultimatum demands”.
The first evacuation flight carrying 219 passengers from Ukraine, has landed in Maharashtra's Mumbai. The plane had taken off from the Romanian capital Bucharest this afternoon. (ANI)
Ukraine President Zelinskyy in a press briefing on Saturday said Ukrainian forces would win, The Guardian reported.
“Our military, our national guard, our national police, our territory defence, special service, nationals of Ukraine, please carry on. We will win. Glory to Ukraine.” Zelenskiy said, The Guardian reported.
He added, “We are successfully holding back the enemies attacks. We know we are defending our land and the future of our children. Kyiv and the key areas are controlled by our army. The occupiers wanted to set up their puppet in our capital. They didn’t succeed. On our streets, there was a proper fight going on. The enemy was using all its weapons, artillery, paratroops, all its weapons. They are hitting residential areas, they are trying to destroy energy infrastructure, and everyone should help us to stop this occupation.”
He further said, “I want everyone in Russia to hear me. Everybody. Hundreds of captured soldiers who are here in Ukraine don’t know why they were sent here to kill people or be killed. People need to tell the government why the war has to be stopped, more people from your country will stay alive. Your nationals are voicing their opposition to this war. We know many people in Russia are shocked now by the brutality of the Russian government, this is the right reaction, I am grateful to this reaction.”
Turkey will stop warships passing through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits, which connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the Guardian reported. In a tweet, Ukraine President Zelenskyy said the country had pledged military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
Ukraine President Zelensky stated on Saturday that he has spoken with PM Modi and urged India to lend them political support in the UN Security Council.
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of prolonging the military conflict by refusing to negotiate as Russia pressed on with its invasion of the pro-Western country.
In a bid to clamp down on spread of information, Russia seems to have restricted access to Twitter. Netblocks, an account that monitors the internet, has found that Twitter could not be accessed on many providers.
Refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine continued to pour across its western borders on Saturday, with around 100,000 reaching Poland in two days, finding temporary sanctuary in sports halls and train stations.
As Russian forces launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv, fearful families thronged European Union borders hoping to enter Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. (Reuters)
The executive board of the Norwegian Ski Federation said on Saturday it does not want Russian athletes competing at upcoming World Cup races and world championships in Norway after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine this week.
Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv with artillery and cruise missiles on Saturday for a third day running. The invasion has drawn widespread international condemnation, including in the sports world. 'Russia's violations of international law and attacks on the Ukrainian people demand international condemnation and sanctions,' Norway's federation said in a statement. 'Sport is not detached from this and cannot remain passive to what is happening now. The Norwegian Ski Federation's message to Russia and Russian athletes is crystal clear - we do not want your participation.'
Norway is set to host events in Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined over the next few weeks.
The federation added that it would follow up with the International Ski Federation (FIS). Reuters has contacted the FIS for comment. (Reuters)
A man digs a trench in the middle of a main road in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, as Russia's invasion of the country enters its third day.
The Ukrainian defence forces, outmanned and outgunned, waged a ferocious resistance to the Russian invasion, battling to keep control of the capital, Kyiv, and other cities around the country. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted a video on Twitter on Saturday, telling the public not to believe false reports. Read more
The mayor of Ukraine’s capital is imposing an intensified curfew as Russian troops press in on the city.Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app that he is extending the curfew hours to run from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m.
“All civilians on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy’s sabotage and reconnaissance groups,” Klitschko said.The curfew imposed two days ago previously lasted from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. (Reuters)
The thuds of artillery start as a low-decibel rumble but rattle the rib cage as you get closer. A crossroads at the northern entrance of Kharkiv is about as close to the front lines as anyone would wish to be Friday, as Ukrainian soldiers waged a fierce battle to push Russian forces away from the city.
The empty carcasses of burned-out Russian armored personnel carriers and a Ukrainian police jeep littered the roadway, along with the scattered belongings of their former occupants — water bottles, a soldier’s boot, camouflage clothing. Read more
As Ukraine braces for an all-out conflict with Russia, it’s testing its ability to disconnect from Russian power supplies for three days, starting Feb. 24. Experts warn the timing could be risky. (NYT) Read more
Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday that the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Ukraine's capital Kyiv were now 30 km (19 miles) from the city centre.
Britain, which earlier disputed Russian reports that Russian forces had captured the southeastern city of Melitopol, said the Ukrainian military was continuing to put up staunch resistance across the country.
"Russian forces have continued their advance on Kyiv with the bulk of their forces now 30 km from the centre of the city," the defence ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter. (Reuters)
Russia's finance ministry said on Saturday that the sovereign rating cut by Standard and Poor's and a move to review the country's rating by Moody's were linked to geopolitical factors.
The finance ministry said in a statement that Russia remained financially stable and would continue following prudent financial and budget policy. (Reuters)
Russian missiles pounded Kyiv on Friday, families cowered in shelters and authorities told residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to defend Ukraine's capital as fighting was reported in the outskirts of the city. (Graphics by Reuters)
Here's what you need to know about the Ukraine crisis right now:
? Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Ukraine's capital Kyiv were now 30 km (19 miles) from the city centre.
? Russian troops captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Russia's Interfax news agency said, as Moscow launched coordinated missile and artillery attacks on several cities including Kyiv.
? British armed forces minister James Heappey said Britain did not believe Russian forces had captured Melitopol.
? Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian attack in the Lviv region near Brody in western Ukraine, Lviv's mayor was quoted as saying by the Telegram messaging service.
? Around 100,000 people have crossed into Poland from Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, including 9,000 who have entered since 7 a.m. on Saturday, Poland's Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker told a news conference.
? A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters.
? Russia will respond to the seizure of money of Russian citizens and companies abroad by seizing funds of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia, RIA news agency quoted Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the security, as saying.
? At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian Health Ministry was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
? France has decided to send defensive military equipment to Ukraine to support the country against Russia's invasion, a French army spokesman said, adding the issue of sending offensive arms was still under consideration.
? Russian energy giant Gazprom said it was supplying gas via Ukraine in line with demand from European consumers despite the military conflict.
? A ship that according to French authorities could belong to a Russian company suspected of violating trade sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine was seized by French sea police early on Saturday, a state official told Reuters.
? Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Ukrainian military to overthrow the country's leadership and negotiate peace. (Reuers)
The Russian embassy in France is seeking explanations from the French authorities over the seizure of a Russian cargo ship in the English channel, Russia's RIA news agency quoted the embassy as saying on Saturday.
A ship that French authorities said could belong to a Russian company suspected of violating trade sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine was seized by French sea police early on Saturday. (Reuters)
Estonia will ban Russian airlines from using the Baltic nation's airspace, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas told public broadcaster ERR on Saturday. (Reuters)
The United Arab Emirates called at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council for an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, state news agency WAM said on Saturday.
It expressed "particular alarm at the consequences for civilians present in Ukraine, as well as for the region, and for the international community," WAM added. (Reuters)
Ukraine President Zelensky said that Ukraine has 'derailed' Russia's attack plan, reports news agency AFP. He also urged Germany and Hungary to support cutting Russia from SWIFT. Moreover, he urged Russians to pressure Putin into halting war.
Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv with artillery and cruise missiles on Saturday for a third day running and Russia's Interfax news agency said they had captured the southeastern city of Melitopol.
Ukrainian officials were not immediately available to comment on the fate of Melitopol and Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey cast doubt on the report, saying the city of some 150,000 people was still in Ukrainian hands.
"All of Russia's day one objectives ... and even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to have taken but we can't see anything to substantiate that, are all still in Ukrainian hands," he told BBC radio. (Reuters)
Around 100,000 people have crossed into Poland from Ukraine since Russia launched an invasion on Thursday, including 9,000 who have entered since 7 a.m. on Saturday, Poland's Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker told a news conference.
"Since 7 a.m. the Ukrainian side has closed part of the lanes for cars and allowed pedestrian traffic," Szefernaker told reporters. "The queue on the Ukrainian side should decrease." (Reuters)
Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been badly affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest, internet blockage observatory NetBlocks said on Saturday. (Reuters)
Poland will not play a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Russia next month because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the president of Poland's Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, said. Polish star footballer Robert Lewandowski said it was the right decision.
A child sits on a swing in front of a damaged residential building, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Reuters)
Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian attack in the Lviv region near Brody in western Ukraine, Lviv's mayor was quoted as saying on Saturday by the Telegram messaging service. "Russians landed three helicopters near Brody at 0900 a.m. About 60 people," mayor Andrey Sadovyi said. "The (Ukrainian) armed forces are repelling the occupier! We are keeping the situation under control," he added. (Reuters)
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. (AP)
An adviser to Ukraine's interior minister said that Russia has hit at least 40 civilian sites.
Protests held in Sydney and Tokyo against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Joe Biden has instructed the U.S. State Department to release $350 million in military aid to Ukraine as it struggles to repulse a Russian invasion. In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden directed that $350 million allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act be designated for Ukraine's defense. (Reuters)
Russia's communications regulator has urged media to remove reports describing Moscow's attack on Ukraine as an "assault, invasion, or declaration of war".
In a statement, Roskomnadzor accused a number of independent media outlets, including television channel Dozhd and Echo of Moscow radio, of spreading "unreliable socially significant untrue information" on the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army and civilian deaths. (AFP)
The United States and other global powers moved to freeze the assets of Putin and his foreign minister as part of tougher sanctions on Russia as the invasion reverberated through the world's economy and energy supplies.
Here's a list of key sanctions announced so far.
Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday asking the Apple CEO to stop supplying products and services to Russian users after the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The letter, which can also be seen on Fedorov’s Twitter, appeals Cook to “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation.” Fedorov also asks Apple to clock access to the App Store.
“We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression,” Fedorov adds. (Read more)
Russian forces have not captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol and armoured columns advancing on the capital Kyiv have been held up by Ukrainian resistance, British armed forces minister James Heappey said Saturday.
Heappey said it was the British assessment that Russia had so far failed to capture any of its day one targets for its invasion of Ukraine, which began on Thursday.
"Even Melitopol, which the Russians are claiming to have taken but we can't see anything to substantiate that, are all still in Ukrainian hands," Heappey told BBC radio. Heappey had earlier told British House of Commons that British and Nato troops should not play an active role in Ukraine.
"The fighting ... reported on the outskirts of Kyiv overnight, we understand to just be Russian special forces and pockets of paratroopers," he said. "The reality is that the armoured columns that were coming down from Belarus and the north that were going to encircle Kyiv are still some way north because they've been held up by this incredible Ukrainian resistance," the minister said. (Reuters)
As missiles dropped on Kyiv on the third day of the Russian invasion, a Ukrainian media outlet has shared news of the birth of a baby girl. They were moved to a bomb shelter immediately after giving birth, the outlet said.
As Russian troops approached, civilians have been moved to underground metro stations and bomb shelters while men aged 18 to 60 years have been drafted to civilian defence troops.
As many as 23 more students of Rajasthan were evacuated from Ukraine via Bucharest in Romania Friday, taking the total figure to 57. The students will be reaching New Delhi and Mumbai soon, said a Rajasthan government press statement.
At Kharkiv at the moment, Mohit Kalal from Dungarpur in Rajasthan, who has been pursuing MBBS from the Kharkiv National Medical University, said, “This is the worst situation I have ever witnessed or been a part of. My parents are extremely worried. I want to leave as soon as possible. Kharkiv is in a very bad state right now. When I went back to my flat Saturday, I heard loud explosions and saw smoke coming out from buildings. We mailed and tweeted to the Indian Embassy even before the war began but we got no response because they probably thought everything was okay. The government’s response was extremely delayed."
"Even the coordination between our university and the embassy was bad since our university kept telling us that everything was going to be okay and the classes were to continue normally. Our university asked us to stay back and convinced us that the situation wouldn’t escalate. The problem was, we trusted them,” he said. (Read more)
A Ukrainian journalist working with the BBC teared up on live television on Friday as she was shown footage of her house in Kyiv, destroyed in the Russian invasion.
Olga Malchevska was discussing the latest developments in the war with her colleague Karin Giannione, when the footage appeared on the screen. “This building is my home,” Malchevska told presenter Giannone at the studio in London. “I can’t believe what I am seeing is where I used to live.” (Read more)
Dozens of people were wounded in overnight fighting in Kyiv, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said Saturday morning.
As of 6 am local time (0400 GMT), 35 people, including two children, had been wounded, he said. It is unclear whether he was referring only to civilians. Klitschko added there was currently no major Russian military presence in Kyiv, although he said saboteur groups were active. (Reuters)