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Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow ends ceasefire; next round of talks on Monday | Top points
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as “participation in the armed conflict.”
Russia's military operations against Ukraine entered the tenth day on Saturday with no signs of a let-up in violence. Moscow said it resumed "offensive actions" in Ukraine after announcing a ceasefire earlier in the day to allow evacuation of residents from the strategic port town of Mariupol and neighbouring Volnovakha.
"Due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence nationalists or extend the regime of silence, offensive actions have been resumed at 18:00 Moscow time (1500 GMT)," news agency AFP quoted Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying in a video briefing.
Here are top updates from the Ukraine-Russia conflict:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a “desperate plea” to US Senators on Saturday to help his country get more planes. The plea comes as Russian forces continued to batter strategic locations with missiles and artillery and after NATO’s refusal to impose a no-fly zone.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as “participation in the armed conflict.”
- The third round of talks between both the warring nations will be held on Monday (March 7), reported news agency AFP, citing a negotiator.
- Russian ambassador to India Denis Alpov on Saturday said his country was focussing on Indians in northeast Ukraine, but unable to do much due to ongoing fighting in those areas. Addressing the media, Alpov further said the Kremlin's conflict with Ukraine will have consequences for the whole world, including Russia's ties with India.
- At least 351 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24, and another 707 wounded, although the true numbers are probably "considerably higher", a UN monitoring mission.
- Russian troops are believed to be headed towards the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear plant, the second-largest in Ukraine, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the UN Security Council. Moscow also has attacked Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest.
(With inputs from AFP, AP, Reuters)
