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We are now into day 11 of Russia‘s invasion into Ukraine. With the situation showing no sign of slowing down just yet, and Vladimir Putin ordering plenty of shelling overnight once again, we will look to keep you up to date with the key information about what is going on in this live blog.
Russia Ukraine Live Blog
Stay up to date with the latest developments in Ukraine in this live blog.
05:30 GMT / 23:30 CST: Russian ceasefire begins at 09:00 AM
Russian ceasefire will reportedly start at 09:00 AM local time in parts of Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol. The announcement comes in the wake of an Indian request as Modi told Putin its unacceptable that innocent, Indian civilians are in danger amid the Ukraine war.
04:00 GMT / 22:00 CST: 50 Russian diplomats leave NYC to return to Moscow
CNN reported 50 Russian diplomats and their families left New York City to return to Moscow. The diplomats were removed due to actions that were “not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats,” according to Ambassador Richard Mills.
03:00 GMT / 21:00 CST: Nancy Pelosi announces $10 billion in aid for Ukraine
In a letter by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, she announced the Biden Administration requested $10 billion in humanitarian, military and economic support for Ukraine. She also stressed that American troops will not go to war in Ukraine.
“In addition, the House is currently exploring strong legislation that will further isolate Russia from the global economy,” Pelosi said.
02:00 GMT / 20:00 CST: Explaining Putin’s hypocrisy in 60 seconds
Mehdi Hasan of MSNBC highlighted Putin’s hypocrisy when it comes to the invasion of Ukraine, saying that the Russian leader called such military operation an illegal invasion back in 2003. During the 60-second segment of The Mehdi Hasan Show, the host went through Putin’s previous comments on Iraq to display his hypocrisy.
01:00 GMT / 19:00 CST: Britain to provide $100 million in new aid to Ukraine
Over $100 million has been raised by the British public to provide additional aid for Ukraine. The funds will be used to provide war refugees with food, water, medical assistance, and more.
00:00 GMT / 18:00 CST: TikTok suspends posting, live-streaming in Russia
The social media platform announced it is suspending all new posting and live-streaming services for users in Russia in light of Russia’s ‘fake news’ law. In-app messaging between users will remain active, the company added.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend live-streaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” TikTok said on its official Twitter account.
23:36 GMT / 17:36 CST: Fleeing civilians in Irpin, Ukraine, killed in Russian military strike
22:54 GMT / 16:54 CST: “God will not forgive,” Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published a new Facebook video with a powerful message.
“Today is Forgiveness Sunday. But we cannot forgive the hundreds upon hundreds of victims. Nor the thousands upon thousands who have suffered,” the video was captioned.
“And God will not forgive. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never. And instead of Forgiveness, there will be Judgment.”
“For tomorrow Russia has officially announced the shelling of our territory. Our enterprises of the defense complex. Most were built decades ago by the Soviet government, built in cities. And now they are in the middle of an ordinary urban environment,” Zelensky said. “Thousands of people work there. Hundreds of thousands live nearby.”
22:25 GMT / 16:25 CST: Russian missiles in flight near airport in Vinnytsia
Videos show Russian missiles in midair heading toward the Vinnytsia airport in Ukraine, about 120 miles southwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
A Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesperson initially said on Facebook the missiles were launched from the Transnitsia region in Moldova.
22:15 GMT / 16:15 CST: Netflix suspends service in Russia
Netflix said Sunday it will stop selling and providing its streaming video service in Russia for the time being. The company did not specify what would happen to existing subscriber accounts or when it would reevaluate the matter.
Netflix and other major entertainment companies have shunned Russia in a variety of ways in the past week and a half. Netflix put productions in Russia on hold after the war in Ukraine began.
21:16 GMT / 15:16 CST: French President Macron speaks to Ukraine President Zelensky
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday and updated him on his earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his call with Zelensky, Macron had “reiterated the absolute necessity to avoid any attack on the integrity of Ukrainian civil nuclear facilities.” Macron also told Zelensky that he will pay “close attention to the needs of Ukraine and France will continue to increase its support in this area.”
21:11 GMT/ 15:11 CST: Australia to send missiles to Ukraine
Australia will send missiles as part of a $50 million package of lethal and non-lethal aid to help Ukraine repel Russian forces, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
A further $25 million will go toward humanitarian support and helping international organizations meet the needs of people fleeing violence inside Ukraine.
20:31 GMT / 14:31 CST: American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus
American Express is the latest credit card company to announce it is ending its operations in Russia an Belarus as its invasion into Ukraine escalates.
This is in addition to the previous steps we have taken, which include halting our relationships with banks in Russia impacted by the US and international government sanctions,” American Express said in a statement Sunday.
19:38 GMT / 13:38 CST: 8 dead in Kyiv after new shelling hits residential district
Eight civilians were killed in the midst of an evacuation in the Irpin district of Kyiv after intense shelling was reported this Sunday according to the mayor of Irpin Oleksandr Markushyn.
“A family died,” he said, “in front of my eyes two small children and two adults died,” Markushyn continued. “Irpin is at war, Irpin has not surrendered. Part of Irpin was indeed captured by Russian invaders, but part of Irpin is fighting and not surrendering.”
Evacuations continue this morning.
18:50 GMT / 12:50 CST: Claims that Russian troops are deliberately attacking civilians
According to the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, the USA has very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians. This would constitute a war crime and American intelligence will look into this matter further.
18:30 GMT / 12:30 CST: Marriage on the front line
A couple from Ukraine’s defence forces have had a wedding this Sunday, getting married at a checkpoint near Kyiv. Valery and Lesya were both dressed in camouflage as they said “I do”.
18:10 GMT / 12:10 CST: Reports of civilian deaths near Kyiv
Eight people, including two children, are believed to have been killed while trying to flee Irpin, a city near the capital of Kyiv. It is believed Russian troops opened fire on their buses.
17:45 GMT / 11:45 CST: Staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant are under Russian orders
The staff at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are still running the plant and generating power, but they’re now doing so with Russians overseeing the operation and in control.
17:20 GMT / 11:20 CST: Airport destroyed in Vinnytsia
After Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported earlier in the day that an airport had been destroyed in Vinnytsia, footage has now emerged showing smoke coming from the site.
17:00 GMT / 11:00 CST: Arrests at anti-war protests in Russia
There have been some anti-war protests in Russia, with many ending up arrested. Reports say that Russian police detained more than 4,300 people across the country on Sunday.
16:15 GMT / 10:15 CST: Ukraine want Russia kicked out the International Monetary Fund and World Bank
Denys Shmygal, Ukraine’s prime minister, has released a statement in which he called for Russia to be stripped of their membership of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. They want Belarus kicked out too.
15:45 GMT / 09:45 CST: 364 civilians confirmed dead
A report from the UN has stated that at least 364 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the conflict, while 759 have been wounded. These figures are accurate as of Saturday.
15:15 GMT / 09:15 CST: Von der Leyen wants war crimes investigation
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has said that there needs to be “a strong and clear investigation” on whether or not Russia have committed war crimes.
14:30 GMT/08:30 CST: Putin blames Ukraine for fire at Zaporizhzhia power plant
Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian radicals of being behind the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 3.
“Vladimir Putin informed about the provocation by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” the Kremlin said. “The radiation levels are normal.”
14:00 GMT/08:00 CST: Evacuation of Mariupol halted again
The evacuation of residents from besieged Mariupol has been halted for a second day, with Mariupol city council stating that the evacuation was not possible due to Russian shelling.
“Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt. The failed attempts yesterday and today underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict,” said the Red Cross.
“Today, our teams began opening up the evacuation route from Mariupol before hostilities resumed. Our teams remain in Mariupol and are ready to help facilitate further attempts if the parties reach a detailed agreement, which is for the parties alone to implement and respect.”
13:30 GMT/07:30 CST: More than 2,000 anti-war protestors arrested in Russia
Russian police have arrested more than 2,034 people at anti-war protests in cities across Russia on Sunday, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.
13:00 GMT/07:00 CST: Putin holding talks with Macron
Russian state television has confirmed that Russian president Vladimir Putin is holding talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. This comes after Putin spoke with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan earlier today.
12:30 GMT/06:30 CST: Turkish president encourages Putin to sign peace agreement
Earlier news came out that Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and after the one-hour call a statement from Erdogan‘s office declared that Turkey wants to help broker peace.
“President Erdogan renewed his call of ‘let’s pave the way for peace together,'” his office said.
“Erdogan emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to achieve a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement.”
12:00 GMT/06:00 CST: Conflict will only end if Ukraine stops fighting – Putin
Russia will only stop its invasion of Ukraine if Volodymyr Zelenskiy‘s country stops fighting and Moscow‘s demands are met, the Kremlin has said in a statement.
11:30 GMT/05:30 CST: Pope Francis discusses Ukraine conflict
Pope Francis has rejected the notion that Russia is carrying out a “a special military operation” in Ukraine, as he states that Vladimir Putin‘s country has started a war in the neighbouring country.
“In Ukraine, rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which is leading to death, destruction and misery,” Pope Francis said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square.
11:00 GMT/05:00 CST: Zelenskiy’s plea to the Russian people
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has encouraged the Russian people to help bring an end to this war.
“This is the time that we can overcome evil, when it’s not too late. You can only lose your job… don’t miss your opportunity,” said Zelenskiy.
“Russian nationals, this is a fight not just for peace in Ukraine, this is the fight for our freedom.
“If you stay silent now, then in the future only your poverty will speak on your behalf. Don’t be silent.
“Hundreds of Russian soldiers and pilots who were dropping bombs on our cities, we heard their evidence, we saw documents, evidence such as maps.
“This is not some improvised war, it is a deliberate, determined intention. They planned this war.”
10:30 GMT/04:30 CST: Fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since WW2
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has issued a warning to the world, stating that the refugee crisis as a result of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine is the fastest growing since World War II.
“More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days – the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II,” tweeted Grandi.
10:00 GMT/04:00 CST: Turkish president speaks with Putin
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has spoken with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the phone today and discussed the war in Ukraine, according to the RIA news agency.
09:30 GMT/03:30 CST: War could last months, if not years – Raab
The United Kingdom‘s deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, has warned that Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine could last months or even years.
“We ought to be under no doubt that our mission with our allies is to ensure [Vladimir] Putin fails in Ukraine and is going to take some time,” Raab said on Sky News on Sunday.
“We’re talking about months, if not years, and therefore we’ll have to show some strategic stamina because this is not going to be over in days.”
09:00 GMT/03:00 CST: Second chance for evacuations in Mariupol
The city council of Mariupol has confirmed a ceasefire will take place between 10am and 9pm local time today, which will allow ordinary citizens to leave the conflict zone.
08:30 GMT/02:30 CST: Russia surprised by strength of Ukraine resistance
According to British military intelligence, Russian forces are being slowed down in Ukraine by the strength of resistance they have encountered.
“The scale and strength of Ukrainian resistance continue to surprise Russia,” read the UK ministry of defence‘s daily intelligence report.
“[Russia] has responded by targeting populated areas in multiple locations, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol.
“This is likely to represent an effort to break Ukrainian morale.
“Russia has previously used similar tactics in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, employing both air and ground-based munitions.
“Russia‘s supply lines reportedly continue to be targeted, slowing the rate of the advance of their ground forces.”
08:00 GMT/02:00 CST: Biden and Zelenskiy discuss more support for Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed late on Saturday night that he has spoken with US president Joe Biden about ways that they further help Ukraine.
“As part of the constant dialogue, I had another conversation with @POTUS. The agenda included the issues of security, financial support for Ukraine and the continuation of sanctions against Russia,” read Zelenskiy‘s tweet.