Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Ukraine calls on China to 'condemn Russian barbarism'

Russia on Saturday admitted using advanced hypersonic missiles for the first time in the Ukraine conflict as Kyiv's embattled leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for urgent peace talks. Moscow also said its troops had broken Ukrainian defences to enter the strategic southern port city of Mariupol and destroyed radio and intelligence sites just outside Odessa. Ukrainian authorities said they had "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of Azov although Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after ringing Mariupol. Stay tuned to DH for more updates.

Ukraine’s celebrities are dying in the war, adding dimension to the nation’s shock

A male ballet dancer. An award-winning female actor. A biathlete. An actor who posted glamorous selfies on Instagram to his nearly 13,000 followers until he joined up and uploaded two final shots of himself looking stylish in camouflage.

These are some of the Ukrainian celebrities killed since Russia invaded on February 24. Their deaths add an extra dimension to the country’s shock and anguish over the war.

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PM Modi & Japanese PM Kishida exchanged perspectives on Ukraine today. They expressed the seriousness about the ongoing conflict & humanitarian crisis and assessed broader implications for Indo-Pacific: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla

(ANI)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a demonstration for peace, via videolink, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in front of the seat of the Swiss federal parliament Bundeshaus in Bern, Switzerland March 19, 2022.

Chinese envoy says NATO shouldn't expand east

A Chinese diplomat says NATO should stick to what he claimed was a promise not to expand eastward.

In a speech on Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng criticised the far-reaching Western sanctions imposed on Russia after it invadedUkraineand said the root cause of the war inUkraine“lies in the Cold War mentality and power politics.”

Russia ridicules idea that cosmonauts wore yellow in support of Ukraine

Russia's space agency on Saturday dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) had chosen to wear yellow suits with a blue trim in support ofUkraine.

"Sometimes yellow is just yellow," Roscosmos' press service said on its Telegram channel.

Ukraine calls on China to 'condemn Russian barbarism'

Ukraineon Saturday called on China to join the West in condemning "Russian barbarism", after the US warned Beijing of consequences if it backed Moscow's attack on the country.

"China can be the global security system's important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries' coalition and condemn Russian barbarism," presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

West Bengal | Many of our sisters are there in Ukraine. They have made this choice to remain with suffering people. If we ran away saving our lives then who will be at their service: Sister Mary Joseph, Superior General, Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata

(ANI)

UK warns against post-Ukraine reset with Putin

The West must not try to "normalise relations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion ofUkraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday, calling the crisis a "turning point for the world".

"There are some around the world... who say that we're better off making accommodations with tyranny... I believe they are profoundly wrong," the British leader told his Conservative Party's Spring conference in Blackpool, northwest England.

Zelenskyy tells Russia to hold peace talks now or suffer for generations

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Saturday for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow to stop its invasion of Ukraine, saying it would otherwise take Russia "several generations" to recover from its losses in the war.

Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the assault on Feb. 24, with long columns of troops that bore down on Kyiv halted in its suburbs.

However, they have laid siege to cities, blasting urban areas to rubble, and in recent days have intensified missile attacks on scattered targets in western Ukraine, away from the main battlefields in the north and east of the country.

The musician of the Luhansk Philharmonic plays the trumpet on Rynok Square, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Lviv, March 19, 2022.

War could halt crop exports from Ukraine, says presidential adviser

Ukraine may not produce enough crops to export if this year's sowing campaigns are disrupted by Russia's invasion, presidential adviser Oleh Ustenko said in a televised interview on Saturday.

"Ukraine has enough grain and food reserves to survive for a year, but if the war continues ... (Ukraine) will not be able to export grain to the world, and there will be problems," he said, adding that Ukraine is the world's fifth-largest wheat exporter.

More than 3.3 mn flee Ukraine, 6.5 mn internally displaced

More than 3.3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the United Nations said Saturday, while nearly 6.5 million are thought to be internally displaced within the country.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,328,692 Ukrainians had left since the war began on February 24, with another 58,030 joining the exodus since Friday's update.

"People continue to flee because they are afraid of bombs, airstrikes and indiscriminate destruction," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.

"Aid is vital but can't stop fear. Only stopping the war can."

Putin 'in better shape than ever', Belarus leader says

Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane and "in better shape than ever", his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.

"He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal."

Russiaused Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Seven killed in mortar attack near Ukrainian capital, police say

A Russian mortar attack on Ukrainian town of Makariv in the Kyiv region killed seven people and hospitalised five on Friday, local police said in a statement on Saturday.

"As a result of enemy shelling of Makariv, seven civilians were killed," the statement said. Russia denies targeting civilians.

Ukrainian soldiers man a checkpoint as smoke rises after shelling in the town of Novi Petrivtsy, north of Kyiv, on March 19, 2022.

Dozens dead after shelling of military barracks in south Ukraine: Witnesses to AFP

Russia-China cooperation will only get stronger - Interfax cites Lavrov

Cooperation betweenRussiaand China will only become stronger in the current circumstances, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Saturday.

"This cooperation will get stronger, because at a time when the West is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, of course we - as two great powers - need to think how to carry on in this world," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

Buddhist monks wearing face masks painted with the colours of Ukraine's national flag sit during a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside the Russian Embassy in Bangkok on March 19, 2022.

Poland proposes total EU ban on trade with Russia, PM says

Poland has proposed to the European Union that the bloc impose a total ban on trade with Russia, Prime Minister Mateus Morawiecki said on Saturday, urging tougher sanctions on Moscow for its invasion ofUkraine.

Russia uses hypersonic missiles in Ukraine for first time

Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on Friday to destroy an underground missile and ammunition storage site in western Ukraine close to the border with NATO member Romania, in what analysts said was the first use of such weapons in the world.

The defence ministry made the announcement on Saturday, with the escalation coming on the 24th day of the conflict as Ukrainians are putting up fierce resistance and the advance of Russian troops stalled, according to Western officials.

Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.

Protesters hold up signs during a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside the Russian embassy in Bangkok on March 19, 2022.

Switzerland brands war in Ukraine 'devastating madness'

Russia's war in Ukraine is driven by "devastating madness", and Switzerland is prepared to pay the price for defending freedom and democracy, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said Saturday.

Switzerland has decided to impose the same sanctions on Russia as the European Union but Cassis insisted Switzerland's neutrality was not at stake.

However, he said Switzerland could not simply stand by in the "confrontation between democracy and barbarism", and was prepared to take an economic hit.

"On February 24, the face of the world changed, and not in a good way. We must valiantly and tirelessly defend freedom and democracy. This has a price. A price that Switzerland is ready to assume", he wrote in Le Temps newspaper.

UK fears 'more extreme' Russian actions in Ukraine

Peace talks to end the Ukraine conflict could be a "smokescreen" for more extreme Russian military manoeuvres, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned Saturday.

"I'm very sceptical," Truss told The Times newspaper in an interview. "What we've seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup. Their invasion isn't going according to plan.

"I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen. I don't think we're yet at a point for negotiation," she added.

Shelling kills nine in outskirts of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia -deputy mayor

Nine people were killed and 17 wounded in shelling of the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on Friday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said on Saturday.

The military has since declared a 38-hour curfew in Zaporizhzhia, which was being attacked by Russian forces with mortars, tanks, helicopters and rocket systems, Kurtiev said in an online post. - Reuters.

Big steel plant ''being destroyed'' in Mariupol

In the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting for the Azovstal steel plant, one of the biggest in Europe, said Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, in televised remarks on Saturday.

“Now there is a fight for Azovstal. … I can say that we have lost this economic giant. In fact, one of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed,” Denysenko said. - AP.

Ukraine military orders 38-hour curfew in southern Zaporizhzhia city, says official

The Ukrainian military imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, starting at 1400 GMT on Saturday and ending early on Monday, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said.

"Do not go outside at this time!" he said in an online post.

The regional capital has become an important point of transit for some of the 35,000 people estimated to have fled the besieged Mariupol city in the southeast. - Reuters.

Russia's defence ministry reports use of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in Ukraine

Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday it had destroyed a large underground depot for missiles and aircraft ammunition in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region using hypersonic missiles, the Interfax news agency reported.

The ministry said it had also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centres near the port city of Odessa using a coastal missile system, Interfax reported.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the ministry's statements.

Ukraine's prosecutor office says 112 children killed in war in Ukraine

The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said on Saturday that 112 children have been killed so far in the war in Ukraine.

It also said on Telegram that 140 children had been wounded.

Reuters could not immediately verify the information. - Reuters.

Japan PM to stress unity on Ukraine in meet with Modi

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will encourage a unified approach on Ukraine when he meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, while aiming to strengthen security ties across the Indo-Pacific region.

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Ukraine's Luhansk region governor says humanitarian corridor for evacuation will be open on Saturday, says 'regime of silence' has been agreed from 0900 Kyiv time

Ex-UK PM backs 'Nuremberg-style' trial for Putin

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he backs a "Nuremberg-style" trial for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, the media reported on Saturday.

Brown is among 140 academics, lawyers and politicians, including Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba and another former British Prime Minister John Major, who have signed a petition calling for the setting up of a new legal system based on the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals after the Second World War, the BBC reported. - IANS.

Russian astronauts enter ISS in yellow-and-blue suits

Three Russian astronauts launched to the International Space Station early Friday. A few hours later, their Soyuz spacecraft docked at the space station and, when they boarded the orbiting outpost, they were wearing flight suits of striking colors — yellow and blue, similar to the colors of Ukraine’s flag.

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109 empty strollers placed outside Lviv city council to represent children killed in Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Telegram booms as Russia's digital landscape shrinks

The Telegram messaging app has become a go-to platform since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, despite concerns over its data security and defenses against misinformation.

It has benefitted from the gap left by Russia's blocking of Facebook and Instagram, offering a platform for mass messaging in a way similar to social media.

The platform also provides one of the last windows on Russia, but also an open channel to the horrors facing an under siege Ukraine.

"Our main hope is connected with Telegram channel," Galina Timchenko, director of the independent news site Meduza that Russia has moved to block, told the Committee to Protect Journalists.

According to daily figures provided by Telegram, the app has been downloaded over 150 million times since the beginning of the year, with the official figure of half a billion active users dating back to January 2021. - AFP.

Schlumberger suspends new investment and technology deployment to Russia operations

Schlumberger NV said late on Friday that it has decided to immediately suspend new investment and technology deployment to the company's Russia operations.

"We continue to actively monitor this dynamic situation and will fulfil any existing activity in full compliance with applicable international laws and sanctions," Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch said in a statement. - Reuters.

Bitcoin to the rescue: The role of cryptocurrencies in Ukraine

Cryptocurrencies have taken on an unprecedented role in the war in Ukraine, helping the government raise millions of dollars to fund its fight against the Russian invasion.

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Ukraine 'temporarily' loses access to Sea of Azov - Defence Ministry

Ukraine's defence ministry said late on Friday it lost access to the Sea of Azov "temporarily" as invading Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea's major port of Mariupol.

"The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov," Ukraine's defence ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify in its statement whether Ukraine's forces have regained access to the Sea. - Reuters.

There is no information about how many people have been killed in Mariupol: Zelenskyy

Russians blocked at US border, Ukrainians admitted

About three dozen would-be asylum seekers from Russia found themselves blocked from entering the US on Friday while a group of Ukrainians flashed passports and were escorted across the border.

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It is time for meaningful security talks with Moscow, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.

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Biden warns Xi of 'consequences' for backing Russia's invasion of Ukraine

US President Joe Biden laid out to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday the "consequences" of any backing for Russia in its war against Ukraine, the White House said, as Beijing showed no sign of joining Western condemnation of the invasion.

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