Russia Ukraine War Updates: Several explosions reported in Kyiv, heavy fighting continues outside city
The war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine, while others seek refuge in basements, subway stations and underground shelters. More evacuations were expected, though repeated attempts to allow people to flee the besieged port city of Mariupol in the south have failed under continued Russian shelling.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have entered its Day 17, as the US continues to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, in response to its invasion inside Ukraine. Russia widened its offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking airfields in the west and a major industrial city in the east, while the huge armored column that had been stalled for over a week outside Kyiv appeared to have spread out near the capital. Military analysts were divided over whether the maneuvering by the Russian convoy signaled the imminent start of a siege of Kyiv or was just an effort to disperse some vehicles to more protected positions. The war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine, while others seek refuge in basements, subway stations and underground shelters. More evacuations were expected, though repeated attempts to allow people to flee the besieged port city of Mariupol in the south have failed under continued Russian shelling. Russia said it used high-precision long-range weapons to put military airfields in the two cities “out of action.” Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said four servicemen were killed and another six were wounded.
Zelenskyy says 7,144 people evacuated from several Ukrainian cities
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 7,144 people had been evacuated from a number of Ukrainian cities on Friday. “7,144 people have been rescued from Enerhodar, Bucha, Hostomel and Kozarovychi,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on his Telegram channel.
Humanitarian situation in Ukraine is deteriorating at an alarming pace: UN agency
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday informed that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is deteriorating at an alarming pace. An estimated 1.9 million have been internally displaced and more than 2.3 million people have crossed international borders out of Ukraine, according to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.
US hedge funds told to freeze Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s assets
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>WSJ: US hedge funds told to freeze Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s assets following sanctions by the U.K. government on March 10. <br><br>The instructions likely thwart the oligarch’s recent efforts to sell his interests in a series of hedge funds.</p>— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) <a href=”https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1502475238726152192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>March 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Moved 12,000 US troops along borders with Russia but not fighting WWIII in Ukraine, says Biden
US President Joe Biden said he has moved 12,000 troops along the borders with Russia, such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania while asserting that Vladimir Putin will not be victorious in the war he has waged against Ukraine. Addressing members of the House Democratic Caucus on Friday, Biden stressed over “not fighting a third World War in Ukraine” but avowed sending an “unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory”.
Several explosions reported in Kyiv, heavy fighting continues outside city
Several explosions have been reported from the city of Kyiv. Chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward noted “a nonstop volley… of just heavy booms in the distance” overnight on March 12, reported the Kyiv Independent. Heavy fighting continues in the areas outside Kyiv, including in Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel.
Mayor of Ukraine’s Melitopol kidnapped by Russian forces, says Zelensky
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Friday of kidnapping the mayor of the city of Melitopol, equating it to the actions of “ISIS terrorists.”
“They have transitioned into a new stage of terror, in which they try to physically liquidate representatives of Ukraine’s lawful local authorities,” Zelenskyy said in a video address Friday evening.
Ukraine’s banking system still functional despite military operations
Ukraine’s banking system remains operational despite the ongoing war, according to the country’s media outlet, Kyiv Independent. The national bank of Ukraine has also reported that all the systems are operating despite the war situation in Ukraine.
US accuses Russia of using UN council for ‘disinformation’
The United States accused Russia of using a UN Security Council meeting Friday for “lying and spreading disinformation” as part of a potential false-flag operation by Moscow for the use of chemical or biological agents in Ukraine. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Russia was playing out a scenario put forth in the council last month by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — that President Vladimir Putin would “fabricate allegations about chemical or biological weapons to justify its own violent attacks against the Ukrainian people.
Deutsche Bank to wind down Russia business
Deutsche Bank, a German investment banking company has announced to halt its operations in Russia, reported Reuters.
