Kyiv/Moscow/Washington/New Delhi: The Ukrainian parliament today called on the United Nations, Red Cross, the European Parliament, international organisations and foreign governments to immediately ensure the protection of civilians from armed attacks by Russia.
The President of Ukraine announced a financial aid program for Ukrainians who lost their ability to work due to Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, the Quad Leaders – Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, and President Joe Biden of the United States – discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications. They agreed to stand up new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine. Modi emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy. In Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, “On the Ukraine issue, the pressing task now is for all sides to remain calm and exercise restraint, deescalate the situation and promote the political settlement.”
Significantly at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, both India and China had abstained from voting on a resolution on the Ukraine issue moved by the USA.
The Arctic Council Cooperation members Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States today condemned Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and noted the grave impediments to international cooperation, including in the Arctic, that Russia’s actions had caused. The core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, based on international law, have long underpinned the work of the Arctic Council, a forum that Russia currently chairs. “In light of Russia’s flagrant violation of these principles, our representatives will not travel to Russia for meetings of the Arctic Council. Additionally, our states are temporarily pausing participation in all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, pending consideration of the necessary modalities that can allow us to continue the Council’s important work given the current circumstances,” the ACC joint statement stated today.
Fighting was ongoing in the outskirts of Bucha near Kyiv, and there was also street fighting in the town itself. The Mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, in a broadcast by Ukrainian TV channels, said, “The enemy has managed to break through in some directions, street fighting is ongoing. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are providing solid resistance by pushing the enemy out of the town into the fields to destroy them there. The Kadyrovites have arrived. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are pushing them in the direction of Vorzel and out of Bucha.”
Russian rocket attacks and bombardment intensified and its troops continued marching ahead in Ukraine, today. The Russians bombarded Izyum in the Kharkiv region at midnight, killing unspecified numbers of citizens. They hit an apartment house and a private house. At least six civilians were killed in a private house — Volodymyr Matsokin, mayor of Izyum’s deputy stated.
Earlier, in the night of March 2-3, 2022, Russians shelled Yakolivka, a village in Kharkiv region. Three people were confirmed dead, 30 private houses are ruined.In the center of Kharkiv, the Holy Dormition Cathedral was damaged as a result of the shelling. The stained glass windows were shattered and the decoration of the cathedral was damaged.
Rescue services were working at the site of a Russian missile strike against the Okhtyrka thermal electrical plant, where 2 people were confirmed killed and 1 person injured.
In the Russian attack on the Kharkiv-Toretsk bus, at least 77 people were killed. Another 34 people were killed, 285 injured (10 children) during the shelling of Kharkiv residential areas by Russian aggressors, reported the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Besides, at least 30 houses were ruined, as well as several cars and other utility buildings. Three people were dead, the information was being confirmed. Seven people were injured, 10 people are rescued from under the rubble.
As a result of the Russian offensive, Luhansk-Lysychansk-Rubizhne pipeline was also damaged in the area of gas distribution to Lysychansk Gas Distribution Station, reported by the press-service of Gas Transportation System of Ukraine. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian Federation had carried out mobilization on the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and was forming units for an attack on towns and villages on the territory under Ukrainian control. Most of those mobilized had Russian passports. At the moment, some of them were being moved through the territory of Rostov region, Krasnodar Krai and temporarily occupied Crimea for an assault on Odesa. Others were transported to Belgorod to be used in an assault on Kyiv as “cannon fodder”. The Commander-in-Chief stresses that such actions by the occupants constitute a war crime
Russian troops also carried out a missile strike on the resort village Zatoka in Odesa region but there were no casualties or injured.
Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the advance of Russian armored vehicles in Chernihiv region, a number of enemy vehicles were captured or destroyed, reported the General Staff of the Ukraine Air Force. However, around 6.20 pm local time at Chernihiv region, there were several casualties as a result of the air strikes. By the time of going to the press, 33 dead bodies and 18 injured persons were pulled out of the rubble in Chernihiv city. The rescue operations however, had to be suspended because of the shellings.
In Zaporizhia, traffic through the Dnieper Hydroelectric station, a large hydroelectric power plant in Zaporizhia, had been completely blocked. According to Acting Mayor of Zaporizhia Anatoliy Kurtev’s report, the measures were necessary to prevent Russian troops from entering the strategic facility. The mayor also urged not to leave the house unnecessarily and not to use cars.
Meanwhile, in the waters of the Black Sea there was a movement of the landing detachment of the Russian Federation consisting of four large landing ships and three missile boats in the direction of Odessa, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ reported. According to the Ukrainian military, naval groups of Russian sailors continued to fire on civilian ships and capture sailors. Ukraine claimed to have shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet above Irpin (Kyiv region). Ukraine further asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to urge NATO to close the airspace above Ukrainian nuclear objects. Russian forces present a real threat of nuclear terrorism near three major nuclear objects in Ukraine.
Mykolaiv had already repelled two attacks of the Russian army and 40 people were killed as reported by the Mayor of Mykolaiv. In Mariupol, unable to conquer the city, Russia resorted to a blockade, “creating a humanitarian disaster”. They were preventing the supply of food, water, electricity, stopping evacuation of women and children. The Mayor of Mariupol described the actions of Russia’s forces as genocide.
All photos credit: https://war.ukraine.ua/
– global bihari bureau
