Ukraine war highlights: UK PM Boris Johnson, Xi discuss Ukraine over phone

Russia-Ukraine war highlights: US President Joe Biden is in Poland today to discuss the crisis with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.

A shell crater in seen at a residential area amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region. (Reuters

Russia-Ukraine war updates: US President Joe Biden is in Poland to discuss the Ukraine crisis with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, a day after he arrived in Brussels, Belgium, where he participated in extraordinary summits of NATO and the G7 to discuss the war.  ...Read More

 

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• Mar 26, 2022 03:37 am IST

  Putin says Russian culture being 'cancelled' like JK Rowling

  President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused the West of trying to cancel Russia's rich musical and literary culture, including composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov, in the same way he said it had cancelled "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling. Also read

• Mar 26, 2022 02:00 am IST

  Ukrainians fighting to retake Kherson, now 'contested' city: Pentagon

  Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive in Kherson, the country's only major city seized by Russian troops, and it is once again "contested," a senior US defense official said Friday.

  "The Ukrainians are trying to take Kherson back, and we would argue that Kherson is actually contested territory again," the Pentagon official told reporters.

Mar 26, 2022 12:15 am IST

No consensus yet in peace talks: Ukraine foreign minister

Ukraine's Foreign Minister says there is no consensus yet in peace talks, says Russia is sticking to ultimatums, reports news agency Reuters.

Mar 25, 2022 11:01 pm IST

Won't surrender Mariupol to Russians, says top Ukraine military official

Ukraine's top security official has said that there is no way the forces will surrender Mariupol to the Russians. This comes amid claims by the regional governor that the strategic city is still under Ukrainian control

Mar 25, 2022 10:41 pm IST

Audio streaming platform Spotify suspends operations in Russia

The audio streaming platform Spotify closed its office in Russia indefinitely earlier this month in response to what it described as Moscow's "unprovoked attack on Ukraine."

Russia's new legislation makes it illegal to report any event that could discredit the Russian military.

Mar 25, 2022 10:22 pm IST

Ukrainian forces still control Mariupol, says regional governor

The governor of Ukraine's Donetsk region on Friday said Ukrainian forces still controlled the besieged southern city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, Reuters reported. Speaking on national television, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said around 65,000 people had so far fled the city in private vehicles or on foot although official efforts to organise mass evacuations under temporary ceasefires have mostly failed.

Mar 25, 2022 10:09 pm IST

UK PM Boris Johnson, Xi discuss Ukraine over phone

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to China's President Xi Jinping on Friday and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest - including the situation in Ukraine, ANI reported. "The leaders discussed a range of issues of mutual interest - including the situation in Ukraine. It was a frank and candid conversation lasting almost an hour. They agreed to speak again soon," the British Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

Mar 25, 2022 09:56 pm IST

France summons Russian envoy over embassy Twitter cartoon that mocked Europe

Russia's ambassador to France was summoned on Friday to the French Foreign Ministry over an earlier embassy Twitter post that Paris deemed unacceptable, AFP quoted the French foreign ministry. The Russian Embassy in Paris on Thursday had posted a picture depicting a body lying on a table called "Europe" with characters representing the United States and European Union jabbing needles into it

Mar 25, 2022 09:37 pm IST

EU leaders struggle on consensus to ease energy market crunch due to Ukraine war

European Union leaders struggled on Friday to agree on steps to ease the energy market crunch exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, seeking difficult compromises on how to limit the impact for hard-hit consumers of soaring gas and oil prices, Reuters reported

Mar 25, 2022 09:23 pm IST

Biden meets US troops stationed near Polish border with Ukraine

President Joe Biden visited U.S. troops stationed near Poland’s border with Ukraine on Friday and was getting a first hand look at the growing humanitarian response to the millions of Ukrainians who are fleeing to Poland to escape Russia’s assault on their homeland, AP reported

Mar 25, 2022 09:14 pm IST

China to offer some support to Russian economy amid Ukraine war, says US

China is likely to offer some support to Russia's economy amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but will engage in a "dance" to maintain economic ties with Europe and the United States, a senior White House official said on Friday according to Reuters

Mar 25, 2022 09:03 pm IST

3.7 million fled Ukraine since beginning of war: United Nations

The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday that as many as 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of war on February 24. 

Out of this figure, 2.2 million people fled for  Poland while more than half a million have made it to Romania and 20,000 have gone to Russia.

Mar 25, 2022 08:49 pm IST

Focus on liberating Donbas region, says Russian general

Russia has said it will focus on ‘liberating’ Donbas region, news agency AFP reported. "The main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed," said Sergei Rudskoi, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of Russia's armed forces.

Mar 25, 2022 08:47 pm IST

Talks with Russia very difficult, says Ukraine

Ukraine said Friday that talks with Moscow were "very difficult" and vowed not to back down on its demands, more than a month into Russia's invasion, AFP reported. "The negotiation process is very difficult," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Mar 25, 2022 08:18 pm IST

Hungary PM rejects Zelensky appeal for tougher sanctions against Russia, cites ‘national interests'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dismissed Friday an EU summit appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia as it would be "against Hungary's interests", AFP reported.

The nationalist premier "rejected (Zelensky's) demands at the European Council because they are contrary to the interests of Hungary," said Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs.

Mar 25, 2022 08:05 pm IST

India's position over Ukraine ‘unsatisfactory’, says US

A senior White House official said on Friday India's position at the United Nations over the crisis in Ukraine has been "unsatisfactory" but was also unsurprising given its historical relationship with Russia, Reuters reported. Mira Rapp-Hooper, director for the Indo-Pacific on the White House National Security Council, told a panel discussion it was necessary to provide India with alternatives to continued close ties with Russia.

Mar 25, 2022 07:40 pm IST

Dozens of Ukrainian officials, journalists detained, disappeared: UN

Dozens of Ukrainian officials, journalists and activists have been detained or forcibly disappeared by invading Russian forces, the UN said Friday, warning that some cases resembled "hostage-taking".

Mar 25, 2022 06:52 pm IST

Russian army says 1,351 soldiers killed in Ukraine

The Russian army on Friday updated its losses in Ukraine to 1,351 soldiers, while saying that it had evacuated more than 400,000 civilians and condemning Western supplies of weapons to Kyiv.

Mar 25, 2022 06:18 pm IST

West is seeking to destroy Russia, says Russian foreign minister

The U.S. and the European Union announced an agreement to help Europe wean itself off Russian fuel imports. A European Union summit focused on Russia continues in Brussels with a modest tightening of sanctions likely.

Mar 25, 2022 05:00 pm IST

Ukraine reports 300 died in Russian strike on theater

Ukrainian authorities in the besieged ruins of Mariupol said Friday that about 300 people died when a Russian airstrike blew up a theater where hundreds of civilians were sheltering — a catastrophic loss of civilian life that, if confirmed, is likely to further crank up pressure on Western nations to step up military aid.

Mar 25, 2022 04:31 pm IST

Russia hits Ukraine fuel storage site outside Kyiv

A huge plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday, AFP reporters saw, as Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles, reported AFP. 

Mar 25, 2022 04:03 pm IST

Kremlin says Biden 'diverting attention' from US chemical, biological weapons programme

Kremlin says Biden 'diverting attention' from US chemical, biological weapons programme, reports AFP.

Mar 25, 2022 03:33 pm IST

Officials: 300 dead in airstrike on theater in Mariupol

The government of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol says 300 people died in a Russian airstrike on March 16 on a theatre being used as a bomb shelter, reported AFP.

Mar 25, 2022 03:29 pm IST

Russian strikes kill four at Kharkiv medical facility: police

Russian strikes killed four civilians and wounded several others while targeting a medical facility in Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv on Friday, reported AFP.

Mar 25, 2022 02:42 pm IST

300 feared dead in Russian strike on Mariupol theatre: city hall

Ukrainian officials in the strategic port city of Mariupol said Friday some 300 people could have died in last week's Russian strike on a theatre where hundreds were sheltering, reported AFP.

Mar 25, 2022 02:22 pm IST

US EU Reach LNG Supply Deal to Cut Dependence on Russia

The US and European Union announced an agreement to try and boost the supply of liquefied natural gas to European countries by the end of 2022 with at least 15 billion cubic meters, reported Bloomberg.

Mar 25, 2022 01:37 pm IST

Russia destroys ‘largest military fuel storage site’

Russia claims it destroyed largest military fuel storage site in conflict-hit Ukraine.

Mar 25, 2022 12:36 pm IST

Ukraine has reoccupied towns near Kyiv, says UK

In its latest update, the UK's ministry of defence says Ukraine has reoccupied towns and occupied defensive positions up to 35 km east of Kyiv.

Mar 25, 2022 11:52 am IST

Western sanctions won't sway Kremlin, says ex-Russian Prez Medvedev

It is ‘foolish’ to believe that Western sanctions against Russian businesses could have any effect on the Russian government. These will only consolidate the Russian society: Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President

Mar 25, 2022 11:07 am IST

G7 call for extraordinary session of FAO

We call for an extraordinary session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to address the consequences on world food security and agriculture arising from the Russian aggression against Ukraine: G7 statement 

Mar 25, 2022 10:25 am IST

US announces sanctions against over 300 members of Russia's State Duma

US sanctions over 400 additional individuals, entities to align with measures taken by the EU and our allies and partners. Sanctions incude the Duma and 328 of its members, dozens of defense companies: Joint Statement

Mar 25, 2022 10:04 am IST

'We are united on our condemnation of Russia'

We are united in our condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The US and European Union have strengthened their sanctions regimes. We continue to mobilise humanitarian relief to support people within Ukraine: US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in joint statement

Mar 25, 2022 09:34 am IST

Biden to visit Polish town near Ukraine border: White House

During his visit to Poland, US President Joe Biden will go to Rzeszow, about 80 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, says White House.

Mar 25, 2022 09:08 am IST

Russia ‘running out’ of precision munitions: Pentagon official

Russia is running out of precision guided munitions and it is more likely to rely on so-called dumb bombs and artillery,: Colin Kahl

Mar 25, 2022 08:18 am IST

Russia now a ‘burden’ to China, says Pentagon official

I do think there's a degree to which what Putin has done in Ukraine makes Russia much more of a strategic burden for Beijing than it was six weeks ago or six months ago: Colin Kahl, under secretary, Defence for Policy

Mar 25, 2022 07:29 am IST

Russia to open humanitarian corridors for foreign ships

Russia to allow foreign ships to leave Ukrainian ports, from 8am to 5pm on March 25, reports The Kyiv Independent.

Mar 25, 2022 06:57 am IST

Australia sanctions Belarus President Lukashenko

Australia announces sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, his family members, and 22 Russians due to Belarus' ‘continuous strategic support to Russia and its military forces.’

Mar 25, 2022 06:10 am IST

Russia wants to end war by May 9: Report

Russia wants to end Ukraine war by May 9. The day is widely celebrated in Russia as the day of victory over the Nazi Germany: Report

Mar 25, 2022 05:33 am IST

Biden calls for Russia's removal from G20

My answer is ‘yes’. However, if countries such as Indonesia and others do not agree with this, then in my view, Ukraine should be allowed to attend meetings: Joe Biden, US President