- Street fighting has broken out with Russian forces in the capital, Kyiv, which was rocked with intense gunfire and explosions overnight.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy has pledged to not surrender and continues fighting to defend his country.
- The Russian army said it has taken control of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol and targeted the country’s military infrastructure with air and sea-based cruise missiles.
- United States says it will sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
- Meta, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, has barred Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on its platform.
- UN says more than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled to other countries since the fighting started.
Here are the latest updates:
Poland will not play a World Cup match with Russia
Poland will not play a World Cup qualifying football match against Russia next month because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the president of Poland’s Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, said.
“In light of the escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, the Polish national team is not going to play a match against the Russian Republic,” Kulesza said on Twitter.
“This is the only right decision. We are in talks with the Swedish and Czech associations to present a common position to FIFA.”
Russia is due to host Poland in the semi-finals of its strand of the World Cup playoffs on March 24 and, if its team advances, is scheduled to host either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 in the Path B final.
Residents donate blood in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol
Dozens of residents have made their way to Mariupol’s hospital to donate blood, as Ukrainian forces are blocking the southeastern city’s main roads with trees to stave off Russian forces from entering.
“Heavy fighting is taking place near Mariupol,” Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelenksyy’s adviser, told a briefing earlier. “But there is no chance that Mariupol will surrender or be captured.”
Ukraine says 198 civilians killed in the Russian invasion
Ukraine’s health minister said 198 civilians, including three children, have been killed so far by Russian forces.
“Unfortunately, according to operative data, at the hands of the invaders we have 198 dead, including 3 children, 1,115 wounded, including 33 children,” Health Minister Viktor Liashko wrote on Facebook.
Ukrainians crowd Kyiv’s train stations
Masses of people poured into Kyiv’s train stations to escape the city as Russian forces continue their assault on Ukraine.
“We have been trying to leave all day since this morning but as you can see it’s unrealistic,” a young girl at the train station told Al Jazeera.
Soldiers reportedly fired into the air to disperse the crowd.
More than 100,000 people have already arrived in neighboring countries – a figure that the United Nations estimated could rise up to five million.
(Al Jazeera)
Russia warns local media over Ukraine war coverage
Russia’s communications regulator accused 10 local media outlets of falsely depicting what Russia calls a special military operation in Ukraine and distributing false information about events there.
Roskomnadzor, the regulator, ordered a number of independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and Echo of Moscow radio to delete the offending information or face restricted access to their websites and media resources.
It called on the outlets to remove reports describing Moscow’s attack on Ukraine as an “assault, invasion, or declaration of war”.
Zelenskyy calls for Ukraine to be granted EU membership
President Zelenskyy has called for his country to be admitted to the European Union.
“It is a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the EU,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
Zelenskyy said he had discussed “further effective assistance” as well as “the heroic struggle of Ukrainians for their free future” with European Council President Charles Michel.
Ukraine embassy staff evacuating from Moscow, Latvia says
The staff of Ukraine’s embassy in Moscow is evacuating to Latvia, the Latvian foreign ministry told Reuters.
“It was their plea, we readily agreed. We are assisting them in the process and help with settling down,” Latvian foreign ministry spokesperson Janis Bekeris said.
He declined to say whether the embassy staff had already arrived in Latvia, citing security concerns.
Fighting continues but Kyiv ‘is under control’
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelenskyy, said Ukrainian forces have been able to mount a strong defense against the Russians.
Russian forces are still trying to move a large number of troops and equipment into the city, and fighting continues to take place on the outskirts, he said.
“Both in the city itself and on the outskirts of Kyiv, the situation is under control,” Podolyak said, according to the country’s UNIAN news agency.
Russia: Over 800 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites destroyed
Russia has crippled the operations of more than 800 Ukrainian military infrastructure sites so far, the defense ministry in Moscow said.
Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said 14 military airfields, 19 command posts, 24 S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems and 48 radar stations were destroyed. In addition, eight Ukrainian naval boats were hit, he said.
Smoke and flames rise during the shelling near Kyiv, as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine on February 26, 2022 [Gleb Garanich /Reuters]
Ukrainian foreign minister calls for the Russian oil embargo
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba called for full isolation of Russia, including an embargo on the purchase of Russian crude.
“I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, the oil embargo, ruin its economy,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Damage to a residential building near Kyiv airport
The mayor of the Ukrainian capital says a missile hit an apartment building but no casualties were immediately reported.
Vitali Klitschko said the missile slammed into a high-rise building on the southwestern outskirts of Kyiv near Zhuliany airport. He said rescue workers were heading there.
Kyiv apartment building hit by raid [Al Jazeera screengrab]
Poland, Lithuania, and Germany to discuss sanctions on Russia
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin to discuss sanctions on Russia, Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller said on Twitter.
“At the initiative of Prime Minister Morawiecki, a meeting will be held in Berlin today. Prime Minister Morawiecki together with the President of Lithuania will hold talks with the German Chancellor,” Muller said in a tweet.
“The European Union must immediately adopt a package of ruthlessly harsh sanctions against Russia.”
Russia suspends space launches from French Guiana over sanctions
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.
“In response to EU sanctions against our enterprises, Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners over organizing space launches from the Kourou cosmodrome and withdrawing its technical personnel… from French Guiana,” Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency, said on messaging app Telegram.
Russia targets Ukraine’s military infrastructure with cruise missiles
The Russian army has targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure with air and sea-based cruise missiles, the defense ministry said.
“During the night, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike with long-range precision weapons using air and sea-launched cruise missiles against the military infrastructure of Ukraine,” defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in televised remarks.
The ministry also said its troops have captured the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.
‘We won’t put down weapons’: Zelenskyy vows to fight on in Kyiv
The Ukrainian president recorded a video address outside his presidential office in Kyiv urging residents not to believe in “fakes” about the surrender of the Ukrainian army.
“I am here. We will not put down any weapons. We will defend our state because our weapons are our truth,” Zelenskyy said, denouncing as disinformation claims that he had surrendered or fled.
Biden signs order to give Ukraine $600m in military assistance
US President Joe Biden has signed a memorandum to provide up to $600m in “immediate military assistance” to Ukraine.
The order directs Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide “immediate military assistance to Ukraine” of up to $250m “in assistance without regard to any provision of law”.
A further $350m was allocated “in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training,” the order said.
‘Extraordinarily awful night’ on Kyiv
Ukraine’s capital witnessed relentless bombardment by Russia’s Air Force, shuddering the city with ballistic missiles, Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons said.
“Here in the capital, the force of the conflict has reached a seismic level,” he said, speaking from Kyiv.
“During the night, everyone has taken some form of shelter, most of them below the ground, some of them in whatever form of handy shelter people could get. No one slept properly tonight.”
Ukraine reports fresh air, cruise missile strikes
Ukraine’s military command said areas near the cities of Sumy, Poltava and Mariupol were hit by air raids on Friday, with Russian Kalibr cruise missiles launched at the country from the Black Sea.
Russian and Ukrainian forces clash near Kyiv
Russian and Ukrainian forces have clashed on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as authorities urged citizens to help defend the city from advancing Russian forces.
Meta to bar Russian state media from running ads, monetizing on the platform
Meta Platforms Inc is barring Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on its platform anywhere in the world, the parent company of social media giant Facebook has said.
“We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media,” its security policy head, Nathaniel Gleicher, said on Twitter. “These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.”
He added, “We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world.”
Day three of Russian attack on Ukraine: What we know so far
Japan considering imposing sanctions against Belarus
Japan is considering imposing economic sanctions on Belarus, in line with the United States, for its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two government officials with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters news agency.
It was not immediately clear which individuals or entities would be targeted by such sanctions. The officials said Tokyo will coordinate with other members of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers.
Japan has announced sanctions on Russia over the invasion, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida terming Moscow’s moves an unacceptable violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and international law.
Russian troops attack Kyiv military base, are repelled, Ukraine army says
Russian troops attacked an army base in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv but the assault was repelled, the Ukrainian military has said in a Facebook post.
Separately, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency said Russian soldiers were trying to capture one of the city’s electricity generating stations.
Frequent artillery blasts heard in Kyiv: Witness
Frequent artillery blasts could be heard in Kyiv, coming from an unspecified location some distance from the city center, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a witness.
‘Nazi-style course of action’: Ukraine blasts Russia at UNSC meet
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations has railed against Russia at a meeting of the UN Security Council, calling the Russian invasion “a Nazi-style course of action”.
Sergiy Kyslytsya also accused Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia of violating Security Council rules by continuing as president of the council during votes and actions that concerned his country.
For his part, Nebenzia thanked the Security Council members who did not support a draft resolution condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which he described as anti-Russian.
“Your draft resolution is nothing other than yet another brutal, inhumane move in this Ukrainian chessboard,” Nebenzia said after the vote.
Guatemalan president orders return of ambassador to Russia
Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei has said that he has ordered the return of the Central American country’s ambassador to Russia, adding that his government rejected Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Giammattei had earlier expressed “full support for the sovereignty of Ukraine as like-minded countries and stand in solidarity with its people and government”.
UN chief says Russian soldiers should ‘return to their barracks’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on soldiers in Russia’s war on Ukraine to “return to their barracks”.
“We must never give up. We must give peace another chance,” he told reporters after Moscow vetoed a UN resolution condemning its “aggression” in Ukraine.
Australia seeks to join global move to hit Putin with sanctions
Australia seeks to join others in imposing direct sanctions on Putin and has extended its punitive financial measures to members of Russia’s parliament and more oligarchs, Foreign Minister Marise Payne has said.
“It is an exceptional step to sanction leaders, but this is an exceptional situation,” Payne said at a press conference, adding that the government is seeking advice on how to follow other nations in the move.
“Vladimir Putin has unparalleled personal power over his country and he has chosen to go to war against a neighbor that posed no threat to Russia because he wants to reverse history and take away the freedom and the democracy that the Ukrainian people chose for themselves.”
In its new sanctions, Payne said Australia will target 339 members of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament and eight more oligarchs. The new measures follow a series of Australian sanctions announced earlier in the week.
Ukraine says two commercial ships hit by Russian missiles near Odesa port
Ukraine has said Russian warships shelled a Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship due to load grain near the Odesa port in the Black Sea.
A total of three non-military vessels have now been hit since the start of the invasion. On Thursday, the Turkish-owned Yasa Jupiter cargo ship was struck off Odesa.
Ukraine’s president says Russia will try to ‘storm’ Kyiv overnight
Zelenskyy has said that Russian troops would attempt to take the capital city, Kyiv, during the night.
“I have to say absolutely openly. This night will be more difficult than the day. Many cities of our state are under attack,” Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.
“Special attention on Kyiv – we cannot lose the capital,” he added in the clip released by the presidency.
“I am turning to our defenders, male and female, on all fronts: this night the enemy will use all the forces it has to crush our defense in a treacherous, harsh and inhumane way,” he said. “Tonight they will attempt a storming,” he added, in an apparent reference to the capital.
White House asks Congress for $6.4bn for Ukraine crisis
The White House asked Congress to approve $6.4bn in aid to address the Ukraine crisis, including $2.9bn in security and humanitarian assistance and $3.5bn for the defense department, Biden administration and congressional aides have said.
“In a recent conversation with lawmakers, the administration identified the need for additional US humanitarian, security, and economic assistance to Ukraine and Central European partners due to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion,” an official from the White House Office of Management and Budget said.
Russia ‘cannot veto our voices’, US envoy to UN says
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy to the United Nations, has said that Russia “will not veto accountability” shortly after Moscow vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning its attack on Ukraine.
“Russia can veto this resolution, but cannot veto our voices,” she wrote on Twitter.
Moody’s puts Russia, Ukraine ratings on review for downgrade
Moody’s said it has put the credit ratings of Russia and Ukraine on review for a downgrade.
There are “serious concerns” around Russia’s ability to manage the disruptive impact of new sanctions on its economy, public finances and financial system, the rating agency said.
Russia currently has an investment-grade rating of Baa3; a downgrade will lower its rating to junk status. Ukraine has a B3 rating and Moody’s said an extensive conflict could pose a risk to the government’s liquidity and external positions, given the country’s sizeable external maturities in the coming years and the reliance of its economy on foreign-currency funding.
Russia vetoes UN Security action on Ukraine, China abstains
Russia has vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained from the vote – a move Western countries view as a win for demonstrating Russia’s international isolation.
The United Arab Emirates and India also abstained from the vote on the US-drafted text. The remaining 11 council members voted in favor. The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member UN General Assembly.
Russia’s invasion ‘threatens international system’, US envoy to UN says
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy to the UN, has accused Russia of threatening the international system with its invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia’s latest attack on our most fundamental principles is so bold, so brazen that it threatens our international system as we know it. We have a solemn obligation to not look away,” she told the UN Security Council.
Echoing Biden’s comments from earlier this week, Thomas-Greenfield said Russia is engaged in a “war of choice” in Ukraine.
“Russia chose to inflict untold suffering on the Ukrainian people and on its own citizens,” she said. “Russia chose to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty, to violate international law, to violate the UN Charter.”
Russia will ‘most likely veto any resolution’: Amnesty chief
Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, has said that Russia “will most likely veto any resolution” at the UN Security Council meeting.
“If the UNSC is paralyzed, it is up to the entire membership to step up,” she said.
She called for the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution denouncing Russia’s “unlawful attack” and “calling for an end to all violations of humanitarian law and human rights”.
“The lives, safety and wellbeing of millions of civilians are at stake,” she added, though a UNGA resolution would be non-binding.
IMF says Ukraine requested emergency funding
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Ukraine has requested emergency funding.
Georgieva said the IMF will “work closely with the authorities to support Ukraine” in all ways it can.
“Beyond Ukraine, the repercussions of the conflict pose significant economic risks in the region and around the world,” she added in a statement. “We are assessing the potential implications, including for the functioning of the financial system, commodity markets, and the direct impact on countries with economic ties to the region.”
Canada to impose sanctions on Russia’s Putin
Canada is imposing sanctions on Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said.
“We will be imposing sanctions on President Putin and his fellow architects of this barbaric war, his chief of staff and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” Trudeau told a news conference. “These men bear the greatest responsibility for the death and destruction occurring in Ukraine.”
Canada will also levy additional sanctions on Belarus and its leaders for “abetting” Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Trudeau said.
He also expressed support for barring Russia from the SWIFT international financial messaging system.
Ukraine and Russia are discussing place and time for talks: Reports
Ukraine and Russia are discussing a place and time for talks, Zelenskyy’s spokesman has said.
“Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace,” spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov said on social media.
Ukrainian diaspora in the US, Canada rallies against ‘surreal’ attack
The Ukrainian diaspora in the US and Canada is demonstrating, fundraising and organising social media campaigns, as well as calling on their elected leaders to act after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Bulgaria closes its airspace to Russian carriers
Bulgaria will ban flights into the country operated by Russian airlines and will close its airspace to all Russian aircraft from Saturday, the country’s transport ministry has said.
The ministry said the move was a result of the escalation of the military conflict and as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
US to provide additional security aid to Ukraine, Pentagon says
The US will provide additional security assistance to Ukraine, the Pentagon has said, adding it was determining the best way to deliver that support.
“I’ll be very clear here: We are going to provide additional security assistance for Ukraine. We will. How that is going to be done is still being worked out,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said during a news briefing, adding: “The airspace over Ukraine is contested.”
The UK bans Russian private jets from its airspace
UK transport minister Grant Shapps has said that no Russian private jet can fly in UK airspace or touch down, effective immediately.
“Putin’s actions are unlawful and anyone benefitting from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is not welcome here. I’ve strengthened our ban in the UK so that no Russian private jet can fly in UK airspace, or touchdown – effective immediately,” Shapps tweeted.
Poland and the Czech Republic also said they were banning Russian airlines from their respective airspace, while other air passenger carriers, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, began routing flights around Russian airspace.
