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Summary
Russia’s war on Ukraine has now entered its third week. Here is a recap of where the crisis currently stands:
- US president Joe Biden labelled Vladimir Putin “a murderous dictator,” and “a pure thug” during an address for St Patrick’s day.
- Biden will speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at 9am Eastern time (1300 GMT) on Friday to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine “and other issues of mutual concern” the White House said.
- Meanwhile, a Chinese foreign ministry official met with Russia’s ambassador to China on Thursday to exchange views on bilateral relations, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
- The World Health Organization said it has so far verified 43 attacks on health care, with 12 people killed and 34 injured, including health workers in Ukraine. The agency said the war is having “devastating consequences for the health of Ukraine’s people; consequences that will reverberate for years or decades to come” during remarks made at the United Nations security council meeting on Thursday.
- Russia is being forced to divert “large numbers” of troops to defend its supply lines rather than continuing its attacks in Ukraine, British defence intelligence analysts believe. The UK Ministry of Defence’s latest intelligence report says logistical problems continue to beset Russia’s troops.
- The Ukrainian military claims Russia is taking up measures to “make up for the loss of personnel at the expense of foreigners” while preparing for a possible attack on Kyiv.
- A Russian editor who protested against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine during a state TV news broadcast says she is quitting her job but not accepting France’s asylum offer, calling herself “a patriot”.
- More than 320,000 Ukrainian citizens have returned to help their country fight since Russia began its invasion, according to the state border guard service of Ukraine.
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Canada will offer Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion a temporary Canadian residence permit for up to three years.
- The Australian government has imposed sanctions on two Russian oligarchs who have assets in the country as well as placing sanctions on Russia’s finance ministry and 11 additional banks and government organisations.
- Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his latest address: “The occupants thought they were going to Ukraine which they had seen before, in 2014-2015, which they corrupted and were not afraid of, but we are different now.”
- About 130 people have been rescued so far from the basement of a theatre hit by a Russian airstrike in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, officials said. Hundreds of people were hiding beneath the theatre, which was designated as a shelter for displaced civilians, when it was struck on Wednesday.
- Meanwhile, about 30,000 civilians have fled Mariupol city so far, local authorities said. Mariupol’s city hall said that “80% of residential housing was destroyed” and about 350,000 residents were hiding in shelters and basements in Mariupol.
- More than 20 people were killed and 25 injured when a Russian airstrike destroyed a school and community centre in Merefa, close to the north-east Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, on Thursday local officials said.
- The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Melitopol, who was allegedly abducted by Russian forces, was freed in exchange for nine captured Russian conscripts, according to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office.
- Russia says it will raise allegations that the United States has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine during Friday’s UN security council meeting, claims that Washington says are disinformation and part of a potential “false-flag operation” by Moscow.
- Lawyers are drafting a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow but a breakthrough depends on the Kremlin accepting a ceasefire, Ukraine’s defence minister said.
