Top story: Ukraine to let foreigners fight without visas
Hello, I’m Warren Murray with Tuesday morning’s essential reading.
Russia has assembled a military convoy north-west of Kyiv that stretches for 40 miles, according to satellite images, as a major assault by Vladimir Putin’s forces on the Ukrainian capital appears increasingly likely. It is reported this morning that more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, while video showed fires at a military base that was hit by an air strike in the city of Brovary, 25km north-east of the capital. Russian forces have been accused of unleashing terrifyingly destructive thermobaric weapons, also known as “vacuum bombs”, which Ukraine has condemned as a breach of the Geneva conventions.
“Dozens” of civilians have died in Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv after “horrendous” heavy bombardment by Russian forces in the past 24 hours, according to local officials. Footage shows Grad missiles raining down on the city. The international criminal court’s prosecutor has announced that he will launch an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The office of the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) has reported at least 406 civilian casualties, including at least 102 dead.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, has signed an official request for Ukraine to join the EU. A senior EU official said leaders might discuss it at an informal summit in March. Ukraine has opened its border to foreigners willing to fight, and Zelenskiy has issued a decree temporarily lifting requirements for entry visas.
Boris Johnson will fly to Nato’s border with Russia today to meet leaders of Poland and Estonia, and to visit British troops. The US is expelling 12 members of Russia’s UN mission, accusing them of having “abused their privileges” by engaging in espionage that is harmful to national security. Earlier, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN read out a text message exchange said to be between a Russian soldier in Ukraine and his mother shortly before he was killed. A campaign to save independent Ukrainian media from the war is gathering pace – the Kyiv Independent is spearheading the raising of money to help journalists relocate operations from Kyiv to neighbouring capitals. Further developments are being covered at our live blog.
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NICs rethink urged – Rishi Sunak is facing renewed pressure from business leaders to delay a planned £12bn rise in national insurance as the Russian invasion of Ukraine drives up inflation. The manufacturing trade body Make UK warned the government that pressing ahead would risk firms slamming the brakes on recruitment and putting the economic recovery from Covid at risk. Economists have said UK inflation could rise from the current 5.5% to peak above 8% within months – the highest level for three decades. Ahead of Sunak’s spring economic forecast this month, the Confederation of British Industry has urged the chancellor to set out tax cuts and spending commitments to offset the impact on firms.
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‘We need justice’ – The family of Sasha Johnson have vowed to get justice after the collapse of the prosecution of four suspects over her shooting. Johnson, 28, who came to prominence through Black Lives Matter, was shot in the head in May 2021.
Detectives believed she was hit by mistake after masked men burst into a party in a garden. Her mother, Ellet Dalling, urged those at the party to come forward with evidence: “Don’t go silent. These people that did this to Sasha need to come off the street.”
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SOTU debut – Joe Biden will deliver his first state of the union address today before a bitterly divided Congress, seeking to inspire a pandemic-weary nation unhappy with its leaders and government while projecting US strength after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Lauren Gambino writes. Biden will have to balance addressing the war with the domestic challenges most important to American voters – such as the economy, inflation and a stalled political agenda.
Biden will be able to cite his $1.9tn stimulus package passed in 2021, and bipartisan infrastructure law, while calling for Congress to enact new measures designed to lower the costs of childcare, healthcare and prescription drugs. Biden will take the opportunity to tout his nominee for the supreme court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would be the first black woman to serve on that bench.
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‘Let down by system’ – “Obstruction and delay” have scuppered investigations into police misconduct, MPs have warned. The home affairs select committee’s report on the IOPC watchdog found there is little public confidence that complaints are likely to succeed or result in proper sanctions against officers. The committee said complainants had been left “feeling let down by a system failing to treat their complaints with the severity they merited”. The IOPC took over police misconduct complaints in England and Wales from the Independent Police Complaints Commission four years ago.
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Muscles for life – Half an hour per week of muscle strengthening activity such as weights, push-ups or heavy gardening could help reduce the risk of dying from any cause by 10-20%, according to a global analysis of studies conducted over three decades. The analysis covered participants varying in age from 18 to 97. Joint analysis of muscle strengthening and aerobic activities showed the reduction in risk of death from any cause, heart disease and cancer was even greater when these two types of activities were combined: 40%, 46% and 28% lower, respectively.
Today in Focus podcast: Remaking of Volodymyr Zelenskiy
When the comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy ran for the Ukrainian presidency in 2019, he was treated as a joke. Now, as Luke Harding reports from Lviv, he personifies the defiance and dignity of Ukraine’s embattled population.
Lunchtime read: Maddening, miraculous Barbican hits 40
Conceived as a utopian city within a city, the labyrinthian London landmark had a troubled path on its way to being hailed as an architectural icon. But is this world-class arts centre in danger of being turned into a shopping mall?
Sport
Fifa and Uefa have acted in unison to suspend Russian teams from international football competition as global sport closed the door on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be prevented from competing in international events. Jesse Marsch has been confirmed as the new head coach of Leeds United, after the struggling Premier League club moved swiftly to replace Marcelo Bielsa.
Dan Lawrence appears poised to resume his Test career against West Indies in Antigua next week after being preferred to Ollie Pope in the rebooted England team that begins its solitary warm-up match on Tuesday. British boxing authorities have confirmed an investigation into the scoring of Josh Taylor’s controversial victory over Jack Catterall. The English Football League has asked Derby’s administrators for an “urgent update” on how the club will be funded for the rest of the season. And Steve Borthwick has underlined the effort and sacrifices made by the Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs in order to break the England men’s appearance record.
Business
Asian shares have been rising today – benchmarks were higher in early trading in Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai. Hong Kong declined and markets were closed in South Korea for a holiday. US futures edged lower and oil prices rose. The Russian rouble has plunged to record lows. Futures trading suggests the FTSE will open lower while the pound is worth $1.341 and €1.197 at time of writing.
The papers
Our Guardian page one lead is “Russia’s deadly raids defy sanctions and peace talks”. The i has “Putin bombs civilians”. Most of the front pages are aghast at the killing of civilians by the military of Russia and furious at its president: “Show this to Putin” – the Metro echoes the words of a Ukrainian ambulance officer who tried in vain to save a wounded six-year-old girl, who is not named. The Telegraph’s headline is the same.
A number of papers use pictures of a schoolgirl named Polina, killed with her parents and brother in Kyiv. “Her name was Polina”, says the Sun. “Fight for the innocents”, says the Mirror, branding Putin “a coward who kills little girls in slippers and unicorn pyjamas”.
The Express puts it bluntly: “Monstrous”. The Times has “‘Barbaric’ strikes on Ukraine”. “Humanity – and Putin’s inhumanity” – the Mail contrasts its reader fundraising campaign with the Russian president’s war. “Russian rockets pound Kharkiv”, says the Financial Times of the assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city.
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