Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates: Russia seizes Chernobyl, Zelenskyy says Ukraine left alone
Ukrainians spent a horrific first day facing the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there have been 137 casualties on their side and several more have been injured. He also said that Ukraine has been left alone to fight Russia. Missiles have been raining down on various Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv.
On the other hand, Russia’s Vladimir Putin said that the first day of the invasion was successful. The Russian forces continue to press further into Ukraine surrounding the capital Kyiv. The first day and night were spent fighting and shelling across several Ukrainian cities. Many Ukrainians either took shelter at metro stations, bomb shelters, in basements, or fled across the border to Poland.
Ukraine has ordered general mobilisation prohibiting men aged 18-60 from leaving the country.
World leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been urging Russia to put down its weapons and stop the violence, but so far, in vain. Indian authorities have also been corresponding with neighouring countries for the evacuation of some 20,000 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, after the country shut off its airspace on February 24, 2022, Thursday.
Here are the latest updates on the fighting:
- EAM SPEAKS TO UKRAINE FOREIGN MINISTER
EAM Jaishankar said he spoke to Ukraine Foreign Minister and discussed the predicament of Indian nationals stranded in the country. He also reiterated that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the way out of the conflict.
- 40 INDIAN STUDENTS WALK 8 KM TO POLAND BORDER
- 'OVER 1,000 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILLED'
Ukraine's Defence Ministry said that over 1,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the Ukraine conflict so far.
- KREMLIN READY TO SEND DELEGATION TO MINSK FOR TALKS
Kremlin says it is ready to send a delegation of high-ranking officials to Minsk to hold talks with Ukraine.
- RUSSIA CLAIMS TO HAVE CUT OFF KYIV FROM THE WEST
BNO News reported that the Russian military has claimed to have cut off Kyiv from the west by seizing a strategic airport.
- UKRAINE URGES THE WEST TO REMOVE RUSSIA FROM SWIFT SYSTEM
Ukraine's Foreign Minister thanked Turkey for their support and also Japan for imposing the sanctions against Russia. At the same time, he urged Western nations to ban Russia from the SWIFT payments system.
- ZELENSKYY THANKS SWEDEN FOR AID
Zelenskyy thanked his Swedish counterpart for helping Ukraine with military, humanitarian and technical support.
- CHINA'S XI SPEAKS TO PUTIN
China's Premier Xi Jinping spoke to Vladimir Putin on the phone and urged for negotiations with Ukraine.
- RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX CANCELLED
Formula One announced that the Russian Grand Prix scheduled for September this year has been cancelled owing to the invasion of Ukraine.
- EU COMPARES PUTIN TO 'NAZIS'
An EU spokesperson said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is behaving like 'Nazis' in Ukraine.
- POPE EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR WAR
The Pope met the Russian ambassador and expressed his 'concern for the war' over invasion of Ukraine.
- ZELENSKYY SAYS WEST IS SLOW TO ACT AGAINST RUSSIA
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the West for its slow action against Russia as it continues to barge through the former Soviet Union country. He also called upon Europeans with 'combat experience' to fight for Ukraine.
- SYRIA SIDES WITH RUSSIA ON INVASION
The Syrian Presidency sided with Russia in its actions and during a call with Putin said that the invasion was a 'correction in history'.
- RUSSIA EXPECTS INDIA'S SUPPORT AT UNSC
Russia said it expects the support of India at UNSC when the council takes up a resolution against it.
- PICTURES SHOW DEVASTATION IN A SUBURB OF KYIV
Pictures showed a damaged residential building at a suburb in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv due to shelling. Another image showed a blood-soaked and wounded woman waiting outside a hospital.
- TURKEY HITS OUT AT NATO, EU
Turkey hit out at NATO and EU countries for their lack of action against Russia.
- RUSSIA SAYS READY TO 'TALK' IF...
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Kremlin was ready to sit down for talks if Ukraine lays down arms. Kremlin also said that Western sanctions and restrictions are yet to be analysed, but Russia will retaliate against those measures.
- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JUSTIFIES KREMLIN'S ACTIONS
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Kremlin is only freeing Ukraine from oppression by invading it. Kremlin also reacted to UEFA barring Russia from hosting the Champions League Final and called it a 'shame'.
- INDIA TO REPORTEDLY BEAR THE COST OF EVACUATING NATIONALS
ANI reported that the Indian government may bear the cost of evacuating its nationals from Ukraine. Already authorities are working to establish evacuation routes from Hungary and Romania.
- ANDHRA ISSUES HELPLINE NUMBERS TO STRANDED RESIDENTS
Andhra Pradesh issued helpline numbers for the state's residents stranded in Ukraine.
- INCREASE IN RADIATION LEVELS AT CHERNOBYL REPORTED
An increase in radiation levels at Chernobyl was reported due to the displacement of soil caused by the movement of heavy military vehicles. However, Ukraine's nuclear agency clarified that no damage to any nuclear plant was reported.
- RUSSIA STRIPPED OF HOSTING UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Russia has been stripped from hosting UEFA Champions League Final. The tournament was to be held in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin's hometown. Now, Champions League Final will be held in Paris.
- ZELENSKYY SAYS HE SPOKE TO EU PRESIDENT
Ukraine President said that he spoke to the President of European Union about increasing pressure on Russia. He added that not all sanctions have been exhausted yet.
- TANKS ROLL INTO THE STREETS OF KYIV
Gunfire was heard in northern Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. Some videos also showed Russian military vehicles rolling onto the streets of northern Kyiv.
- UK SAYS OVER 450 RUSSIAN FORCES DEAD
BNO News reported that the British estimate the casualty on the Russian side to be more than 450 soldiers.
- RUSSIA BANS SOME FLIGHTS FROM ITS AIRSPACE
Russia has banned UK-linked flights from its airspace, as it continues its military barrage through Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine President Zelenskyy has asked Western nations to respond with tougher measures.
- INDIA TRYING TO ESTABLISH EVACUATION ROUTES
Indian authorities are trying to establish evacuation routes from Hungary and Romania. Currently, reports say around 16,000 Indian nationals are stranded in Ukraine including students. Authorities have advised those nearest to the above-mentioned border checkpoints to depart first.
- UKRAINE SOLDIERS TELL RUSSIAN SHIP TO 'GO F*CK YOURSELF'
13 Ukrainian border guards holding Snake Island in the Black Sea refused to surrender to the Russian forces and told the Russian ship to 'go f*ck yourself'. All the 13 soldiers were killed by the Russian forces. Ukraine's President said that the 13 soldiers will be honoured posthumously with the title 'Hero of Ukraine'
- ZELENSKYY HOLDS TALKS WITH UK PM
Ukraine's President held talks with Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson and urged for effective counteraction to the Russian Federation.
- RUSSIAN MILITARY VEHICLES DESTROYED
BNO News reported that Russian military vehicles were destroyed in a suburb outside of Kyiv. On the other hand, clashes have been reported in the northern district of Kyiv city.
- MICRONESIA CUTS DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH RUSSIA
Micronesia, an archipelago in Oceania, announced that it is cutting all ties with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
- 'RUSSIA TARGETTING CIVILIANS'
Ukraine President claimed that Russia has been targetting civilians and civilian buildings despite saying that their targets are only Ukrainian military forces and establishments. Zelenskyy calls it another lie by Moscow. He also spoke in Russian saying that Ukrainians are watching the protests in Russia against the war and urged them to continue their protests. Zelenskyy also called out for tougher action against Russia by the West saying that the current sanctions have clearly not deterred Kremlin from continuing its aggression.
- UK SAYS RUSSIA INTENDS TO TAKE ALL OF UKRAINE
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday that Russia intends to take all of Ukraine, Reuters reported. Earlier, it was said that Russia may only intensify its military presence in the eastern regions of Ukraine held by rebels.
- UKRAINE SHARES IMAGES OF DESTRUCTION
Ukraine's State Emergency Service shared pictures of destruction caused by Russian attack in the eastern Luhansk region.
- UKRAINE FIGHTING RUSSIAN FORCES
The fight has reached the gates of Ukraine's capital city Kyiv. Ukrainian forces are currently battling Russian forces outside the city.
- UKRAINE DEMANDS RUSSIA TO BE REMOVED FROM TWITTER
The official account of Ukraine asked people to remove Russia's official account from Twitter in retaliation for its invasion of its neighbour.
- UKRAINE'S FOREIGN MINISTER COMPARES RUSSIA TO NAZI GERMANY
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the last time Kyiv experienced an attack like the current one, it was in 1941 by Nazi Germany. He said that Ukraine defeated the Nazi evil and 'will defeat this one'. He called the world to stop Putin's war by severing all ties and removing Russia out of everywhere.
- ZELENSKYY SPEAKS TO VARIOUS WORLD LEADERS
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he spoke to various world leaders including Canada's President Justin Trudeau, Poland's President, French President Emmanuel Macron and others regarding forging an anti-Putin coalition to put economic and military pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops.
- TAIWAN TO SANCTION RUSSIA
- BRACING FOR ATTACK ON CAPITAL
Ukrainian officials are bracing for a Russian attack on the capital Kyiv as a rocket crashed into a civilian apartment in the city on Friday, February 25, 2022.
- RUSSIA SEIZES CHERNOBYL
Alarmingly, Russian forces have also seized control of Chernobyl and the now-defunct nuclear power station near Pripyat, which is nearly 100 km from the capital Kyiv. Chernobyl was the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986. Now, concerns have mounted whether the nuclear power plant, though for decades defunct, but radioactive for miles is safe after an attack by the Russians.
Why did the Russians seize a largely uninhabitable land? Reuters reported that for the Russians it is the fasted invasion route from Belarus (an ally of Putin) to Kyiv and Chernobyl just happens to fall in that route. By seizing Chernobyl, Russia is staging grounds for its troops to the capital Kyiv.
- 'RUSSIA'S NO 1 TARGET'
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said in a televised address that he is Russia’s No 1 target and his family the No 2 target. He said that Putin wants to destroy the head of state.
- 'US WILL GET INVOLVED IF...'
US President Joe Biden said that they will get involved if Russia moves the aggression into NATO countries emboldened by his Ukraine attack. Biden said that he also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and assured him of humanitarian relief to the people of Ukraine. He also stated that they are making sure the Russian invasion of Ukraine doesn’t spiral into a larger conflict by ensuring military support to all eastern European nations that are members of NATO.
- NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA
US President Joe Biden also slapped Russia with tough new economic sanctions, vowing to turn Russia into a ‘pariah’ nation. The new sanctions announced Thursday cut off some of Russia’s largest banks and some oligarchs' access from much of the global financial system. Under the new sanctions, Russia cannot import US technology critical to its defense, aerospace and maritime industries.
- BIDEN ON INDIA'S STANCE
US President Joe Biden was also asked about India’s stance on the issue and he said that the issue has not been resolved.
- PM MODI SPEAKS TO PUTIN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urging the latter to cease violence and adopt the path of dialogue to resolved issues between Russia and NATO. Putin also outlined Kremlin’s reasons for launching a military operation in Ukraine, saying that NATO’s plans to expand into the region posed security threats to Russia.
- ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS IN RUSSIA DETAINED
While Russia continued its unabated military aggression through Ukraine, back home, the Russian police detained over 1,700 people protesting against the invasion across various cities, AFP reported.
- WORLD BANK PROMISES TO HELP
The World Bank on Thursday said that it is ready to provide immediate aid to Ukraine.