Russia airstrikes pounded the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol
Ukrainian officials say Russian airstrikes pounded the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and street fighting raged Tuesday, a day after Kyiv rejected Moscow’s demands for surrender. According to the city council, Mariupol was being reduced to “ashes of a dead land” as a result of the bombardment.
There has been a request by Belarus for some Ukrainian diplomats to leave the country
In response to Poland’s decision to expel 45 Russian intelligence agents, Belarus on Wednesday ordered some Ukrainian diplomats to leave the country.
The Russian government plans to demand payment in rubles when it purchases gas from nations it deems hostile
According to The Spectator Index, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia will demand payment in rubles for natural gas purchases from ‘unfriendly countries’.
Report on the departure of President Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Anatoly Chubais, a Russian reformer with more than two decades of experience, has resigned as President Vladimir Putin’s representative to international organizations. Chubais had left the country and had no intention of returning, the source told NPR on condition of anonymity. Among the biggest figures to step down in Ukraine is Chubais, who has been called a “special military operation” by Russia.
According to Ukrainian advisers, the active phase of the Russian invasion will conclude by April
The Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych predicted on Wednesday that the active phase of the Russian invasion will be over by the end of April since the Russian advance had already stalled in many places.
Ukraine’s War in Pictures
In Kyiv, Ukraine March 23, 2022, a firefighter works in a residential district that has been damaged by shelling, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. RENEW/Marko Djurica
According to the Russian ambassador to Indonesia, President Putin plans to attend the G20 summit
A Russian envoy said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend later this year’s G20 summit in Indonesia, disputing suggestions it could be excluded from the group over the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Scholz’ letter to Putin, it is requested that he should not use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in personal talks not to use chemical weapons in Ukraine, just days after the chemical weapons incident in Syria. A government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, confirmed Scholz’ warning.
A Reuter’s content marketplace is no longer offering TASS content for the Ukraine-Russia conflict
Reuters, which operates its business-to-business marketplace for customers, has removed TASS from it following a message sent Wednesday, amid complaints about the way Russian state-owned news agency TASS is portraying the war in Ukraine. In a memo to staff on Wednesday morning, interim CEO of Reuters Matthew Keen wrote, “Our view is that the availability of TASS content via Reuters Connect is not in line with Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.”.
At the G7 summit, the Japanese Prime Minister will announce greater support for Ukraine
As part of the G7 summit in Brussels, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to announce more measures of support for Ukraine and strengthen Tokyo’s sanctions against Russia.
Talks between Ukraine and Russia are ‘difficult,’ according to a Ukrainian negotiator
An AFP reporter reports that the Ukrainian negotiator says current negotiations with Russia are difficult.
In an open letter, Zelensky calls on Japan to ratchet up sanctions pressure on Russia
As part of his latest request for increased sanctions pressure on Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested that Japan implement a trade embargo on Russian goods. In an address via video link to the Tokyo parliament, Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to Japan for leading among Asian countries by condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and introducing sanctions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister visits Syria to talk about the Ukraine war and ties with Arab nations
Syria’s foreign minister Faisal Mekdad said an upcoming meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran and Syria, two allies of Russia, will include discussions about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and other issues. “Our discussion today will discuss the dramatic developments that have occurred since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine today,” said Mekdad. Our discussion will centre on what lies behind it as well as how we are positioned toward these developments in common.
The Red Cross chief will be in Moscow to discuss aid during the Russia-Ukraine war
The head of the International Committee of Red Cross has been invited to Moscow for two days of talks with senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to discuss “pressing humanitarian issues” facing Ukraine. ICRC President Peter Maurer said in a statement that Donbas — the region of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists — has seen “a tremendous amount of devastation,” referring to the conflict in recent weeks as well as the eight years of conflict. “There are practical measures the parties must take to limit suffering that is guided by international humanitarian law,” Maurer said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense says it will retaliate against the expulsion of 45 Russians suspected of spying
According to officials, Poland has discovered the presence of 45 Russian intelligence officers using diplomatic status as a cover to stay in the country. Authorities are seeking to expel these officers. Internal Security Agency in Poland asked the Foreign Ministry to expel the Russians immediately, describing them as a threat to Poland’s security. RIA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that Russia would retaliate if its diplomats weren’t allowed to enter Poland.
Ukrainian government asks West to provide offensive weapons to combat Russia
In a recent interview with the Ukrainian presidential advisory, Andriy Yermak reiterated the country’s call to Western leaders to provide Kyiv with advanced weapons to fight the Russians. The armed forces of the United States and its citizens are holding out with superhuman courage, but it would be impossible to win a war without offensive weapons and medium-range missiles, Yermak stated during a panel discussion on Tuesday later in the evening.
An address by the Ukrainian president will be delivered to the Swedish parliament
A statement released by the Swedish Parliament said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would speak at 0955 GMT on Thursday via video link to the Swedish Parliament.
NATO’s sending of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine could result in a confrontation with Russia, Moscow says
Asked on Wednesday if sending peacekeepers to Ukraine might lead to a confrontation between Moscow and NATO, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted at such a confrontation. In a statement last week, Poland urged the United Nations to establish an international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine and give Ukraine the means to defend itself.
In Mariupol, a relief convoy was seized by Russia, according to the Ukrainian government
Russia has been accused of capturing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy, which was attempting to deliver badly needed food and other supplies into the bloodied city of Mariupol, which has also been subjected to aerial and land attacks.
In Mariupol, the scene of some of the most devastating destruction of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated that 100,000 civilians remained as Russia continues its nearly month-old offensive by airstrikes on civilian targets. There were reports of a shattered city from those who made it out.
The bombs have been falling nonstop for the past 20 days,” Viktoria Totten, 39, told Reuters after fleeing into Poland. In the last five days, planes flew over us every five seconds and dropped bombs on various buildings, such as residential buildings, kindergartens, art schools, and so on.
The Russian government continues crackdowns, but there are small signs of defiance
Tens of thousands of Russians filled the streets in January 2021 to protest Alexei Navalny’s arrest, demanding the top Kremlin critic be released and chanting slogans against Vladimir Putin. There were tens of thousands arrested.
The second sentence for Navalny was handed down a few months after that. As a result, his organization, close associates and other opposition activists were either prosecuted, fled the country or were forced to adhere to draconian new laws and decrees. The government also blocked independent news outlets and prohibited social media platforms.
Nizhny Novgorod already had an arrest of a silent antiwar protester who held up a blank sign earlier this month.
According to a Russian ally, the United States is trying to destroy its economy
On Wednesday, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies said that the United States intended to humiliate, divide and ultimately destroy the country, and vowed the country would never allow it to happen.
In an interview with Reuters, Russian former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy secretary of the country’s Security Council, said such a plan – if accomplished – would be disastrous for the world.
Russian government won’t allow such a development, he wrote in a message on Telegram.
Live updates from the war in Ukraine and Russia:
A day after Mariupol rejected Moscow’s demand to surrender, intense Russian airstrikes targeted the besieged Ukrainian port city and some street fighting broke out on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said. Mariupol has been reduced to “ashes of a dead land” following the bombardments, according to the city council.
The country’s RIA news agency cited a separatist leader as saying Russian forces and units of Russian-backed separatists had seized about half the city.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky stated Wednesday that Russian forces not only blocked a humanitarian convoy on Tuesday that was trying to reach besieged Mariupol with desperately needed supplies but also captured some of the rescue workers and bus drivers. He stated that the route was agreed on ahead of time by the Russians. According to Zelenskyy’s nighttime video message, the government is trying to establish stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents. Sadly, nearly all of those attempts are foiled by the Russian occupiers, who shell the area or resort to deliberate terror.
In the meantime, NATO has invited Zelensky to participate in a summit via video link on Thursday
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced that the Russians seized 11 bus drivers and four rescue workers, along with their vehicles. Whether or not they will be deported remains unknown. In this moment, there is no way to substantiate this information. On Tuesday, 7,000 residents were evacuated from Mariupol. However, about 100,000 residents remain trapped in the city under inhumane conditions, thanks to a complete blockade, without food, without water, without medicine and under constant shelling, Zelenskyy said.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN International that Russia would only use nuclear weapons to resolve the Ukraine conflict if an “existential threat” was imminent.
During an interview, US State Dept spokeswoman Ned Price was asked whether the Biden administration has made up its mind about applying or waiving sanctions under CAATSA concerning the S-400. Mr Price said that the State Department does not have any updates, and the US continues to work with Congress and our Indian partners.
The US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, responded to ANI’s question about whether all QUAD partners are in sync with India’s historic relationship with Russia by saying, “We’re a partner of India when it comes to shared interests. ” In the present, the US has been chosen as India’s partner.
Antonio Guterres, chief of the United Nations, said on Tuesday that the conflict in Ukraine was “unwinnable” and that Russia needed to give up the absurd war.
edited and published by nikita sharma
