Russia-Ukraine war LIVE: NATO says 7,000 to 15,000 Russian troops dead

The NATO said on Wednesday that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian troops have died in the Ukraine since February 24. 

A Western official, on the condition of anonymity said on Wednesday that the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin's adviser Anatoly Chubais is encouraging. 

"I think it's encouraging that there are senior members of the Russian political class that are doing such things, but it doesn't lead me to a conclusion that this is in any way undermining the security of Putin and his regime, given the iron grip that he holds together with those at the centre of his power," the official told news agency Reuters.  

Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko on Wednesday urged citizens not to buy extra supplies of medicines as many fear shortages and price hikes due to Western sanctions over Putin's war on Ukraine. 

The Swedish government has announced that it will provide Ukraine with an additional 5,000 anti-tank weapons to fight the Russian forces. Previously, Ukraine had received 5,000 anti-tank weapons, along with other military material. 

Anatoly Chubais, an advisor of President Vladimir Putin, has stepped down and has left Russia, citing his opposition to Moscow's war on Ukraine. 

United States President Joe Biden departed for Brussels to hold emergency talks with European and NATO leaders regarding the escalating war in Ukraine. He will also visit Warsaw and hold consultations with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, told Ukraine to cut its diplomatic presence in the country citing unfriendly actions and meddling in its internal affairs. 

According to a statement issued by the Belarusian foreign ministry, unspecified number of Ukrainian diplomats will have to leave within 72 hours and the Ukrainian consulate in Brest would be closed because of lack of staff.

The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday that it is suspending all technical cooperation with Russia until the latter stops its war in Ukraine. 

"The ILO decides temporarily suspend technical cooperation or assistance from the ILO to the Russian Federation, except for the purpose of humanitarian assistance, until a ceasefire is agreed and a peaceful resolution is implemented", the agency said. 

The United Nations said on Wednesday that 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of war on February 24. 

"Millions more will have their lives upended if the war persists," UN's International Organization for Migration said. 

Swiss food company Nestle announced on Wednesday that it is suspending majority of its manufacturing activity in Russia and stopping the sale of products such as KitKat and Nesquik. 

“As the war rages in Ukraine, our activities in Russia will focus on providing essential food, such as infant food and medical/hospital nutrition — not on making a profit,” Nestle said in a statement. 

The Ukrainian government on Wednesday called for West's sanctions against Russian television personalities accusing them of espousing propaganda and calling for violence against Ukraine.

"Russian TV propagandists are worse than even Russian pilots," Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. 

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has told Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, a report by the Die Zeit weekly said on Wednesday.

Russia on Wednesday termed Poland's proposal to send international peacekeepers into Ukraine as reckless. The Polish government had said on March 18 that it would Moscow slams Poland's peacekeepers proposal on Ukraine

The Ukrainian government renewed its call to the West to supply weapons to fight the Russian forces, by saying, "Our armed forces and citizens are holding out with superhuman courage, but we cannot win a war without offensive weapons, without medium-range missiles that can be a means of deterrence."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday asked the Japanese government increase sanctions pressure on Moscow by introducing a trade embargo on Russian goods.

"You were the first in Asia who really began to put pressure on Russia to restore peace, who supported sanctions against Russia, and I urge you to keep doing this," Zelensky told the Japanese Parliament via video conferencing. 

The Ukrainian government said on Wednesday that Russian forces have seized 15 relief workers from a humanitarian convoy that were trying to get in food and other supplies into the city of Mariupol, which has been worst-hit by the ongoing conflict. 

The Ukrainian central bank has asked the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) to disconnect Bank of Russia from its system. 

"We hope for your support and assistance in order to save the lives of thousands of Ukrainians and protect the sovereignty of our country," Kyrylo Shevchenko, the chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine said on Wednesday. 

Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and a former President himself, has accused the United States of trying to ‘humiliate, divide and ultimately destroy Russia.’

Sergei Lavrov will meet Peter Maurer in Moscow on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry informed on Wednesday.

The war in Ukraine has killed 121 children so far, while as many as 167 kids have sustained injuries, claims the prosecutor general's office.

The UN General Assembly is scheduled to start considering two rival resolutions, one supported by Ukraine and western nations, and the other sponsored by South Africa that doesn't mention Russia. The Security Council will vote on the third, which is sponsored by Russia.

From March 25 and until further notice, all Vietnam Arlines regular flights from Hanoi to Moscow suspended to review procedures, requirements and regulations related to flight operations in Russia: Statement

Russia has reportedly destroyed a new laboratory at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that, among other things, works to improve management of radioactive waste.

US President Joe Biden is likely to announce this week sanctions against more than 300 members of Duma, the lower house of Russia's Federal Assembly, over Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Ukrainian President's Office launches help.gov.ua to help find out how and where to send humanitarian aid. The portal will also display contacts of foreign and Ukrainian humanitarian hubs.