🔴 Live: White House says Russian missile barrage on Ukraine 'brutal, unjustified'

This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on March 9, 2023 in Lviv region shows rescuers carrying the body of a man following a Russian missile strike. © AFP

The White House on Thursday called the latest barrage of Russian missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine "brutal" and "unjustified." The attacks, which included use of state-of-the-art Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, killed at least nine people, knocked out electricity for many Ukrainians and disrupted power at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).   

7:10pm: White House says Russian missile barrage on Ukraine 'brutal, unjustified'

The White House on Thursday called the latest barrage of Russian missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine "brutal" and "unjustified."

It is "devastating to see these brutal, unjustified attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine," Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One. The attacks, which included use of state-of-the-art Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, have killed at least nine people, knocked out electricity for many Ukrainians and disrupted power at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

6:21pm: Turkey, Sweden, Finland agree to more talks on NATO bids

Representatives from Turkey, Sweden and Finland agreed at a meeting Thursday to hold more talks on the stalled bids by the Nordic countries to join NATO, the alliance said.

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries still to ratify the applications, which must be accepted by all 30 existing members of the military organisation. Ankara has held up the process and is pushing a list of demands, including that Sweden expel dozens of mostly Kurdish residents it suspects of ties to separatist militants.

A statement from NATO said that "participants welcomed the progress that has been made" on a three-way deal struck last year aimed at satisfying Turkey's complaints. "They further agreed that rapid ratifications for both Finland and Sweden would be in everyone's interest, and that their membership will strengthen the alliance," NATO said after the talks chaired by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

6:12pm: Russia has resources for two more years of war, Lithuania says

Lithuania's military intelligence service on Thursday said it estimated that Russia had enough resources to wage two more years of war in Ukraine.

"Russia had been accumulating weapons and equipment over the long years of the Cold War," military intelligence chief Elegijus Paulavicius told reporters.

"We estimate that (its) resources would last for another two years of a war of the same intensity as today," he added.

He noted that the assessment depended on the perspective that no foreign country would provide military aid to Moscow.

6:07pm: Putin not ready to negotiate on Ukraine, Scholz says

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz can detect no willingness on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, he told the NBR group of German newspapers.

"Unfortunately, I see no willingness at the moment," Scholz was quoted by NBR as saying, adding Ukraine must decide what conditions it is ready to accept for peace.

5pm: 'Worst long-range rocket and drone attack' on Ukraine in weeks

"This Thursday morning has seen the worst long-range rocket and drone attack on Ukraine for several weeks, with [an] air alert that lasted for five hours overnight and nine regions of Ukraine affected," FRANCE 24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg reported.

"In at least two regions it's been deadly," Cragg continued. "In Lviv region in the west of the country, five people are reported killed; that's according to the regional governor. He says that it was by a rocket that fell; it's not clear whether that means it was intercepted and unfortunately fell in a place where there were some people, which does occasionally happen, or whether it hit a target. There's also one person reported killed in Dnipropetrovsk region, and in Kyiv too people have been hospitalised."

 

© France 24

 

 

4:35pm: EU tells member states to cut gas use further amid Ukraine war

The European Commission will tell EU member states to continue to reduce their gas consumption next winter after meeting a previous energy-saving target, a senior EU official said on Thursday.

Faced with sky-high energy bills after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the 27-member bloc agreed in July to cut gas usage between August 2022 and March 2023 by 15 percent compared to the average of the previous five years.

The drop in usage actually exceeded the "voluntary" target because of warmer-than-expected weather and high costs that pushed consumers to use less energy.

EU statistics agency Eurostat said gas consumption in the EU fell by 19.3 percent between August and January, compared to the same period between 2017 and 2022, but now Brussels wants to do more.

4:29pm: Russian strikes near Zaporizhzhia plant 'serious breach' of nuclear safety, EU says

The EU's top diplomat said Thursday that the Russian strikes in Ukraine, which caused the disconnection of the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant from the grid, was a "serious breach" of nuclear safety.

The interruption of the power supply, which was restored by midday on Thursday, meant that emergency diesel generators had to be used to cool the plant, had "significantly" increased the risk of a nuclear accident, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

4:27pm: Ukraine to jointly buy gas with EU countries

Ukraine will take part in the EU scheme to jointly buy gas in global markets, to procure 2 billion cubic metres of the fuel ahead of next winter, the EU energy policy chief said on Thursday.

EU countries plan to pool demand and sign their first joint gas contracts in the coming months, to help fill storage caverns ahead of peak winter demand as Europe replaces Russian gas.

"Ukraine has indicated that on top of their own domestic production, they might need, for a secure winter, another 2 billion cubic metres," EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson told a news conference on Thursday.

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who leads the EU's joint gas-buying, held a video call with international gas suppliers on Wednesday.

3:43pm: Russia says to discuss Ukraine grain deal renewal with UN on Monday

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that delegates planned to discuss the renewal of the Ukraine grain deal in Geneva on Monday, after Moscow cast doubt over its extension.

"The next rounds of consultations are scheduled for March 13 in Geneva. The Russian interdepartmental delegation will take part [...] The deal will be discussed," Zakharova told reporters during a regularly scheduled briefing.

3:41pm: Russia says Brussels ignoring talks on inquiry into Nord Stream blasts

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the EU is completely ignoring any talks on the need to carry out an investigation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts.

Russia has repeatedly asked to be allowed to join the investigations into the blasts, which ruptured three of the four pipelines of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas links that connect Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

2:14pm: Ukraine says power restored to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukraine's national energy provider said Thursday it had restored power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was disconnected earlier during a wave of Russian strikes across the country.

"Ukrenergo specialists have restored energy supplies to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which was interrupted by today's missile strikes," the company said in a statement on social media.

1:19pm: Ukraine denies involvement in planned attack in Moldova, slams Kremlin 'provocation'

Ukraine's SBU security service on Thursday denied involvement in an alleged attack being planned in Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region, which borders Ukraine, that pro-Moscow separatist authorities said was organised by Kyiv.

"Any statements by representatives ... of the fake 'People's Republic of Transnistria' regarding the participation of the SBU in the preparation of a terrorist attack should be considered exclusively as a provocation orchestrated by the Kremlin," the SBU said in a statement.

1:12pm: Ukraine nuclear plant outages an 'unacceptable risk', France says 

France on Thursday warned of the "unacceptable risk for nuclear security" from power cuts at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia power plant, after a Russian missile strike left it running on diesel generators.

"France has taken note and is concerned over information of a new disconnection (from the grid) at the Zaporizhzhia plant," foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said.

12:31pm: Russia says Ukraine strikes 'retaliation' for border incursion

Russia confirmed Thursday a fresh wave of strikes against Ukraine, claiming the attacks including with its "Kinzhal" hypersonic missile had come in response to a border incursion earlier this month. 

"In response to the March 2 terrorist actions organised by the Kyiv regime in the Bryansk region, Russia's Armed Forces dealt a massive retaliatory strike," the defence ministry said in a statement.

12:11pm: Russian Defence Ministry says it hit Ukraine with "massive" strike in retaliation for 'terrorist attack'

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had carried out a "massive retaliatory strike" on Ukrainian infrastructure after what it called a terrorist attack in Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, last week.

11:37am: Poland says latest 10 Leopard tanks delivered to Ukraine

Poland on Thursday said it had delivered to Ukraine the additional 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks it had promised, while allies would send theirs shortly.

"We're talking about a battalion of heavy tanks, which in the case of Poland's share have already been delivered, and in the case of our allies, they will be delivered to Ukraine very soon," Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told reporters. 

11:14am: UN nuclear chief raises alarm over power outages at Ukraine plant

The UN nuclear agency's chief warned on Thursday of the danger of repeated power outages at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, after a fresh missile strike left it running on diesel generators.

"Each time we are rolling a dice," said IAEA atomic agency chief Rafael Grossi. "And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out."

10:59am: EU says Ukraine to join bloc's plan to jointly buy gas

Ukraine will take part in European Union countries' scheme to jointly buy gas, the bloc's energy policy chief said on Thursday.

"We have integrated Ukraine in the gas joint purchasing platform with a view to help secure 2 billion cubic meters of additional gas," EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson told a meeting of EU lawmakers.

EU countries plan to sign their first contracts to jointly buy gas by this summer.

10:50am: Kremlin doubts Nord Stream attacks could have happened without state support

The Kremlin said on Thursday it doubted the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines could have been carried out without state support, after the New York Times reported that a pro-Ukrainian non-government group might have been responsible for the blasts.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was vital to identify who was behind the attacks which ruptured the multi-billion dollar pipelines last September. He added that it was incomprehensible that Russia would blow up its own infrastructure.

10:44am: Kremlin says there are still questions over Black Sea grain deal

The Kremlin said on Thursday that there were still "a lot of questions" remaining over the Black Sea grain deal, and that there were currently no plans for a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows grain to be safely exported from Ukrainian ports, expires on March 18 but cannot be extended if Russia objects. Moscow has already signalled it is unhappy with aspects of the deal.

10:43am: Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant down to diesel power, IAEA confirms

The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has lost all external power supply and is relying on diesel generators, a last line of defence to prevent meltdown from overheating reactor fuel, the UN atomic watchdog confirmed.

"This morning at around 5am local time Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost all off-site power when its last remaining 750 kilovolt line was disconnected, its only remaining back up 330 kilovolt line having been damaged a few days ago and under repair," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement on Thursday.

10:31am: Pro-Russian separatists in Moldova say foiled Ukraine attack

Pro-Moscow authorities in Moldova's separatist region of Transnistria, which borders Ukraine, said Thursday they had prevented a terror attack organised by Kyiv targeting separatist officials.

Separatist security officials said in a statement they had halted "a terror attack ... directed by Ukrainian security services, being prepared against a number of officials. The suspects have been detained. They have given confessions."

9:16am: Zelensky slams Russia's 'miserable tactics' after deadly missile barrage

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday lashed out at Russia after the largest barrage of missiles across Ukraine in weeks hit at least 10 of the country's 27 regions. 

"The enemy fired 81 missiles in an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians again, returning to their miserable tactics. The occupiers can only terrorise civilians," Zelensky said in a statement online, listing regions across Ukraine hit by the strikes.

8:52am: Ukraine's Kharkiv without power, water, heating after missile barrage, mayor says

Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv was left without power, water or heating on Thursday after Russia launched more than 80 cruise missiles at energy facilities across the country.

"There is no electricity in the whole city. We have switched to generators at critical infrastructure. Electric-powered transport is not working. There is no heating and water supply, due to the lack of voltage in the electricity network," Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said on local television.

08:25am: Ukraine military says Russia fired 81 missiles, eight drones in morning strikes

Russia fired 81 missiles, including six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and eight drones at Ukraine in early-morning strikes on Thursday, the Ukrainian air force said.

Ukraine destroyed 34 cruise missiles and four Shahed suicide drones, and eight drones and guided missiles were also prevented from reaching their targets, it said in a statement. The Ukrainian military cannot intercept the Kinzhal missile.

8:07am: 40% of Kyiv residents lack heating after strikes, authorities say

Forty percent of Kyiv residents lacked heating Thursday after Russian strikes overnight, the capital's military administration said on Telegram messenger.

"Emergency power outages currently prevent 40% of Kyiv consumers from being provided with heating," the military administration said. 

7:45am: At least 5 dead in Ukraine after Russian missile barrage

Russia unleashed a massive missile barrage targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine early Thursday, hitting residential buildings and killing at least five people in the largest scale such attack in three weeks, officials said.

Four people were killed in the Lviv region after a missile struck a residential area, Lviv Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said. Three buildings were destroyed by fire after the strike and rescue workers were combing through rubble looking for more possible victims, he said.

A fifth person was killed and two others wounded in multiple strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region that targeted its energy infrastructure and industrial facilities, Gov. Serhii Lysak said. 

6:46am: Ukrainian nuclear plant without power after Russian strike, operator says

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been left without electricity supply following a Russian strike and is currently running on diesel generators, the country's nuclear energy operator said on Thursday.

"The last line of communication between the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP and the Ukrainian power system was cut off as a result of rocket attacks," Energoatom said in a statement.

6:42am: Kyiv mayor reports another explosion, two injured

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people had been injured in an explosion in the west of the Ukrainian capital on Thursday amid a wave of Russian strikes across the country.

"Two people were injured" by an explosion in the Svyatoshynsky district, he wrote on social media, after earlier reporting "explosions" in a southern part of the city.

5:58am: Kyiv mayor reports explosions in wave of strikes on Ukraine

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday, amid a wave of strikes across different parts of the country.

"Explosions in the Holosiivskyi district of the capital. All services are heading to the spot," Klitschko said on social media, referring to a southern area of the city.

3:56am: Russian missiles target cities across Ukraine, officials say

Air raid sirens wailed all over Ukraine on Thursday morning as Russia launched air strikes on multiple cities.

The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, reported more than 15 strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.

“Objects of critical infrastructure is again in the crosshairs of the occupants,” he said in a Telegram post.

The governor of the southern Odesa region, Maksym Marchenko, also reported strikes on Odesa, saying that energy facilities and residential buildings were hit.

Explosions were also reported in cities in Dnieper, Lutsk and Rivne.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)