Ukrainian president also warned other European nations they could be targeted by Russia next
President Zelensky says he is ‘thankful’ to Russian journalist who protested live on TV
Kyiv residents have entered a 35-hour curfew after Russian airstrikes and shelling killed dozens of people, as Vladimir Putin’s troops continued on their mission to seize Ukraine’s capital city.
Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, announced earlier that civilians would have to stay home from Tuesday 8pm local time (6pm GMT). The curfew will last until 7am local time (5am GMT) on Thursday, he added.
“Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe’s freedom and security, will not be given up by us,” Mr Klitschko said. It came after a number of people were killed when four multi-story buildings were bombarded.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said the country must accept it can’t ever join Nato. “Ukraine is not a member of Nato,” he told representatives of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) via video link. “We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It’s a truth and it must be recognised.”
Breaking: Number of people leaving Ukraine surpasses three million, UN says
More than three million people have now left Ukraine since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
You can refresh this breaking story below for updates:
Andy Gregory15 March 2022 21:23
‘Certainly room for compromise’ in Kyiv-Moscow talks, Ukrainian negotiator says
“There is certainly room for compromise” in talks between Kyiv and Moscow, a senior Ukrainian negotiator has said.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke to Russian negotiators by video link on Monday and Tuesday, described the talks as “very difficult”, but said they will continue on Wednesday.
He said “there are fundamental contradictions”, but also that “there is certainly room for compromise”.
This week’s talks follow three rounds of negotiations in Belarus which failed to produce any visible progress.
Andy Gregory15 March 2022 21:12
Watch: Ukrainian mother plays piano in home destroyed by Russian bomb
Ukrainian mother plays piano in home destroyed by Russian bomb
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 20:50
Ukrainian journalist killed with Fox cameraman was freelancer for network
Fox News has announced that Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova was working as a freelancer for the network when she died in Monday’s attack that also killed its cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and injured correspondent Benjamin Hall.
CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that Ms Kuvshynova, 24, was killed when the vehicle the three were traveling in was struck by incoming fire in the field. She was working as a freelance consultant for the FOX News team in Ukraine at the time of her death, writes Rachel Sharp.
The attack also claimed the life of Fox News cameraman Mr Zakrzewski and hospitalised State Department correspondent Mr Hall, the network confirmed earlier.
Read more:
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 20:49
Blinken discussed Ukraine’s security needs with foreign minister
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, has spoken to Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the country’s security needs amid its conflict with Russia.
They also discussed the ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop the war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, the State Department said.
It comes after the US, on Tuesday, imposed sanctions on Russian military leaders and people it accused of being connected to human rights violations while imposing fresh measures on Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
Mr Kuleba tweeted after his call with Mr Blinken to say he welcomed the new round of personal sanctions against Russian officials but added that there was a need “to step up economic pressure on Russia.”
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 20:41
Almost 30,000 Ukrainians evacuated from cities on Tuesday
An estimated 20,000 civilians have fled the besieged city of Mariupol via a humanitarian corridor, a Ukrainian official has said.
In the northeastern city of Sumy, the Red Cross says it was able to evacuate thousands of civilians in 100 buses after Russia gave the greenlight for a humanitarian corridor out of the city today.
It comes after it was announced roughly 29,000 people were able to flee Ukrainian cities on Tuesday alone.
Local authorities reported that Russian forces were preventing buses from evacuating civilians from Mariupol, which is facing intense Russian bombardment, despite the Kremlin claiming otherwise (see my post from 7.47pm).
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 20:26
Watch: TV editor tells Russians ‘they’re lying to you’ in on air protest
TV editor tells Russians ‘they’re lying to you’ in on air protest
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 20:03
Joe Biden says Putin’s aggression has ‘united’ Americans
US president Joe Biden on Tuesday said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had united Americans and people across the world in opposition to him by invading Ukraine last month.
Speaking at a signing ceremony for a bill to fund US government operations for the remainder of the 2022 fiscal year, Mr Biden praised legislative leaders for including a “historic” level of funding — $13.6 billion — to ensure sufficient “economic, humanitarian and security” resources to continue the “forceful” US response to the crisis.
“Putin’s aggression against Ukraine has united people all across America. united our two parties in Congress and united the freedom-loving world,” the president said.
Our White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 19:54
Russia claims it has helped evacuate civilians
The Russian Ministry of Defence claims Russian troops have helped evacuate thousands of civilians in Ukraine to western parts of the country in the past 24 hours.
Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defence Control Centre, said more than 36,000 were evacuated “thanks to the unprecedented security measures taken by the Russian Armed Forces”.
He added that an evacuation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia was ongoing, while reiterating claims previously made by Russia that Ukrainian forces were hampering evacuation efforts.
Nearly three million people have now fled Ukraine because of the conflict, according to the latest data from the United Nations (UN) refugee agency.
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An evacuated resident is comforted by a Ukrainian rescue staff member outside a burning apartment building in Kyiv after Russian shelling
(AFP via Getty Images)
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 19:47
Biden signs bill to provide record aid funding to Ukraine
US president Joe Biden says he has just signed a funding bill that will provide a record $13.6bn (£10.4bn) in aid to Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Sam Hancock15 March 2022 19:27
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