LAST UPDATE | 28 Feb 2022
HERE ARE THE latest developments as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues for a fifth day.
Good morning, Hayley Halpin here with today’s updates – here’s the latest on the situation in Ukraine:
The Ukrainian military has said Russian troops had slowed down their offensive as Moscow’s assault against Ukraine enters its fifth day.
“The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive, but are still trying to develop success in some areas,” the general staff of the armed forces said.
The military has also accused Russia of launching a missile strike on residential buildings in the cities of Zhytomyr and Chernigiv, cities in the country’s northwest and north.
“At the same time, all attempts by the Russian invaders to achieve the goal of the military operation failed,” the military said.
“The enemy is demoralised and bears heavy losses,” the military claimed.
Russia’s Central Bank has sharply raised its key rate from 9.5% to 20% in a desperate attempt to shore up the plummeting rouble and prevent the run of banks.
The bank’s action follows the Western decision yesterday to freeze its hard currency reserves in an unprecedented move that could have devastating consequences for Russia’s financial stability.
The Central Bank also ordered measures to help the banks cope with the crisis by infusing more cash into the system and easing restrictions for banking operations.
At the same time, it temporarily barred non-residents from selling the government obligations to help ease the pressure on the rouble from panicked foreign investors eager to cash out.
This morning, the Russian rouble sank nearly 26% against the US dollar.
Belarus has said that it has prepared the venue that will host talks between delegations from Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine has agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives in neighbouring Belarus, a key Kremlin ally that has allowed Russian troops passage to attack Ukraine.
“The venue for talks between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus has been prepared, the arrival of delegations is expected,” the Belarusian foreign ministry said on social media, releasing a picture of a long table with Russian and Ukrainian flags.
⚡️🇷🇺🇧🇾🇺🇦In Belarus, everything is ready to host Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Waiting for delegations to arrive pic.twitter.com/WSnPMyChwg
— Belarus MFA 🇧🇾 (@BelarusMFA) February 28, 2022
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says missiles have hit a radioactive waste disposal site in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
In a statement last night, International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi said Ukrainian authorities informed his office about the overnight strike, but there are no reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of radioactive material.
He said his agency expects to soon receive the results of on-site radioactive monitoring.
The report came a day after an electrical transformer at a similar disposal facility in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was damaged.
RTÉ’s Fergal O’Brien last night tweeted scenes from Dublin Airport as a number of volunteers began their journey to Ukraine to help defend their country from the Russian invasion.
Highly emotional scenes at Dublin Airport as a group of volunteers, including husbands, fathers and sons, started a journey to Ukraine to help defend their home country. 23-year-old Pavlo Serdiuk (4th image) said “it’s my duty to my country.” @RTENews pic.twitter.com/E4ykiFWoCJ
— Fergal O'Brien (@FergalOBrien_) February 27, 2022
The Russian offensive in Ukraine is likely to become “more violent”, the UK Defence Secretary said.
Ben Wallace told BBC Breakfast that although the Ukrainians were putting up “a very strong fight” the reality was they were going up against “the overwhelming scale of the Russian Federation Army”.
He said of Russia: “They are behind schedule, they are taking significant casualties and they are feeling public rejection in parts of the Russian system itself; we’ve seen many protests.
“But the Russian handbook is to then get more violent and commit more forces because fundamentally in the Russian, sort of, doctrine the lives of their own soldiers matter much less than in other armed forces.
“So we have to brace ourselves for what may come next, which could be ruthless, indiscriminate bombing of cities and propelling forward of soldiers and high casualty levels, and that’s going to be horrific.”
“We have to brace ourselves for what may come next”
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) February 28, 2022
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP tells #BBCBreakfast Russia’s invasion isn’t going to plan, but he’s concerned about what President Putin may do next ⤵️https://t.co/WlSEzhD5RM pic.twitter.com/SKPOnmovOX
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is currently speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Russia wants to reach agreement with Ukraine to put an end to their conflict, a Kremlin negotiator has said.
“We definitely have an interest in reaching some agreements as soon as possible,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky who travelled to Belarus for the talks, said in televised remarks.
“We are waiting for the arrival of the Ukrainian delegation,” he said, adding he expected the talks to start at noon local time.
We have further isolated Russia from the international financial system this morning. Working with our partners, and the G7, we are determined to impose the most severe economic measures possible against President Putin for his abhorrent campaign against Ukraine. Putin must fail.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 28, 2022
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said the country will send around nine million euros’ worth of non-lethal equipment to Ukraine as part of an EU fund.
“Our money will be used for non-lethal weapons – things like helmets, protection vests, medical kits, fuel,” Simon Coveney told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“I think the European Union is right to intervene and support the Ukrainian military who are under enormous pressure at the moment.
“I think if the European Union can’t take a stand, well, then I think we have to question the moral substance of the European Union.”
Coveney also indicated that Ireland might move to expel some Russian diplomats, but ruled out expelling the ambassador.
“The expulsion of diplomats or Russian staff in embassies is quite a significant thing to do. It sends a very strong signal and Russia will respond in kind.
“I think it’s likely that something will happen in that space, but we do need to be targeted. We need to bear in mind the interests of Irish citizens, both in Russia and across Ukraine.”
Ireland will contribute fully to the EU package for Ukraine, Minister Simon Coveney has said. This will amount to nearly €10m and will go towards purchasing non-lethal weapons, and items like helmets, vests, medical kits and fuels | Follow live updates: https://t.co/b0nDaCZAe0 pic.twitter.com/fG44hR72QS
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 28, 2022
The Ukrainian delegation has arrived on the Belarusian border for peace talks with Russia.
Ukraine has demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal as the Kyiv delegation arrived for talks with Russian negotiators.
“The Ukrainian delegation arrived at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border to take part in talks with representatives of the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian presidency said in a statement.
“The key issue of the talks is an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has issued a statement in response to Russia’s order placing nuclear weapons on high-alert status:
“I strongly condemn the announcement by President Putin that he has put Russia’s ‘deterrent forces on special combat duty’.
“This threat of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable. President Putin’s announcement represents a dangerous and irresponsible escalation in tensions, and considerably heightens the risk of catastrophic miscalculation. There can be no justification for threatening use of nuclear weapons. Ireland has long argued that nuclear weapons offer no security, and their use would result in devastating humanitarian consequences. I recall the statement of the heads of the five Nuclear Weapon States, including President Putin, just last month, that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought’.
“I call for Russia to immediately revoke the order to place nuclear weapons on high-alert status, and I urge maximum restraint, de-escalation and the avoidance of any nuclear rhetoric which will only worsen an already dangerous and unpredictable situation.”
Here’s a look at the Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine currently:
The UN Human Rights Council has voted to hold an urgent debate about Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine at Kyiv’s request.
Ukraine’s request to hold an urgent debate at the council in Geneva was supported by 29 of the council’s 47 members, with five voting against, including Russia and China, and 13 abstentions.
Before the vote, Ukraine’s ambassador in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, described Russia’s actions as an attack on the wider international community.
“It was an attack not only on Ukraine, it was an attack on every UN member state, on the United Nations and on the principles that this organisation was created to defend,” she said.
She said that over 350 people had been killed in the five days since the invasion began, including 16 children.
Russia’s ambassador in Geneva Gennady Gatilov meanwhile slammed the call for a debate, insisting it was Kyiv, not Moscow who was the aggressor.
Kyiv, he said, was only trying to “distract the attention of the international community” away from its attacks on separatist regions in eastern Ukraine over the past eight years, he claimed.
“The decision to conduct a special operation to stop the tragedy in Ukraine was taken. We had no other choice,” he said, insisting that “this operation is targeted in nature, and there is no fire on civilian sites”.
EU membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the European Union to grant his country immediate membership.
“We appeal to the European Union for the immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure,” he said.
“Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I’m sure it’s fair. I’m sure it’s possible.”
NATO partners are “stepping up support” for Ukraine with air-defence missiles and anti-tank weapons, the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg has said in a tweet.
He added that he has spoken with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
I just spoke with President @ZelenskyyUa & commended him for the bravery of the people & armed forces of #Ukraine. #NATO Allies are stepping up support with air-defence missiles, anti-tank weapons, as well as humanitarian & financial aid.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) February 28, 2022
Zelensky has this morning urged Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons.
“Abandon your equipment. Get out of here. Don’t believe your commanders. Don’t believe your propagandists. Just save your lives,” Zelensky said.
He claimed that more than 4,500 Russian soldiers had already lost their lives during the Kremlin’s assault. Russia has admitted to deaths and casualties but given no toll.
The Ukrainian leader also said authorities would release convicts with combat experience so that they could help defend the country.
“We have taken a decision which is not easy from the moral point of view, but which is useful from the point of view of our defences,” he said.
He once again thanked the West for its support. “Support of our anti-war coalition is unconditional and unprecedented,” he said.
“Each of us is a warrior,” he said. “And I am sure that each of us will win.”
The Kremlin has said it would not declare its official position ahead of talks with a Ukrainian delegation today.
“I suggest we wait for the talks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“I would not declare any negotiating positions and so on.”
More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, the UN’s refugee agency has said.
Top European Union official Charles Michel has said there were disagreements among the 27 member states on enlarging the bloc, as Kyiv appealed for membership in the face of a Russian invasion.
“There are different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement,” Michel said.
He said that Kyiv would have to submit an official request to join, then member states would have to come up with a unanimous position.
Peace talks
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have begun their first talks since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine last week, Belarusian state news agency Belta is reporting.
“Russia and Ukraine are holding the first talks,” Belta said.
Ahead of the talks, the Ukrainian presidency had demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal.
Sky News is reporting that the UK is set to make it easier for refugees fleeing Ukraine to enter the country after coming under criticism over the weekend.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is due to make a statement in the House of Commons at 2.30pm this afternoon to outline possible changes to entry restrictions.
Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska has said it is time to put an end “all this state capitalism” and change policies as the country’s economy reeled from the effects of Western sanctions over Moscow’s assault on Ukraine.
“It is necessary to change the economic policy, it is necessary to end all this state capitalism,” Deripaska said on messaging app Telegram, demanding “explanations” from officials on what was going to happen to the economy in the next three months.
The EU has warned that Belarus could start hosting Russian nuclear weapons after a “very dangerous” decision at a referendum to drop the country’s non-nuclear status.
“We know what does it mean for Belarus to be nuclear. It means that Russia will put nuclear weapons in Belarus and this is a very dangerous path,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Yesterday's constitutional referendum in #Belarus was orchestrated by Lukashenko to gain additional tools to further consolidate his power.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 28, 2022
The deletion of Article 18 on Belarus’s non-nuclear status is greatly worrying.
The #EU continues to stand by the Belarusian people. https://t.co/varLYY3Nrt
Our reporter Rónán Duffy was with the Taoiseach in the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street as he unveiled a portrait of Mary Horgan.
Speaking to the media, Micheál Martin welcomed the dialogue between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, which began on the Belarusian border this morning.
When asked about the Russian Ambassador’s position in Ireland, Martin said any decision to expel would be taken on EU level, but added that this action would not be as effective as sanctions already taken.
Taoiseach welcomes dialogue between Russia and Ukraine that has begun in Belarus, says people are already suffering again cites Russia's breach of international law pic.twitter.com/eSWz0EMo1d
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) February 28, 2022
Taoiseach says that Ireland's main contribution to EU's support aid will be 'medical supplies'
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) February 28, 2022
Asked about @ZelenskyyUa's request that Ukraine be admitted to the EU, Taoiseach says he has 'always favoured' the programme for the accesion of countries to EU to be accelerated.
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) February 28, 2022
'I don't know whether that can be done immediately.' pic.twitter.com/DGaG5Ynh7q
The US is suspending operations at its embassy in Belarus and allowing the departure of non-emergency staff from the American embassy in Moscow.
“We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Belarus is a Russia ally that allowed its territory to be used as a staging ground for the attack on Ukraine.
The US has cut off the Russian central bank and sanctioned the state investment fund in a hard-hitting retaliation for the Ukraine invasion.
Rights groups have called on Russia to stop using cluster munitions in Ukraine, saying fatal strikes using the indiscriminate weapons on a hospital and a school could constitute war crimes.
Amnesty International said cluster bombs hit a preschool in northeastern Ukraine on Friday that was being used to shelter civilians, killing three people, including a child.
The rights groups said the attack in the town of Okhtyrka “may constitute a war crime”, after images showed cluster munitions struck at least seven locations on or near the school.
Amnesty said the attack “appears to have been carried out by Russian forces, which were operating nearby, and which have a record of using cluster munitions in populated areas”.
“There is no possible justification for dropping cluster munitions in populated areas, let alone near a school,” Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
Over 100 countries have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions banning the production and use of the weapons, but not Russia or Ukraine.
Missiles carrying cluster munitions explode in the air and send dozens or hundreds of small bomblets over a large area.
They often fail to explode on impact, thus becoming landmines to anyone who comes across them.
Human Rights Watch said on Friday that Russian cluster munitions had hit a hospital in Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring 10, six of them healthcare workers.
“This callous attack has killed and injured civilians, and damaged a hospital,” said HRW’s arms director Stephen Goose.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has claimed that Vladimir Putin placed nuclear deterrence forces on high alert after statements from UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
According to the Interfax news agency, Peskov told a press briefing:
“Statements were made by various representatives at various levels on possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between Nato and Russia.
“We believe that such statements are absolutely unacceptable.
“I would not call the authors of these statements by name, although it was the British foreign minister.”
An ally of Truss has struck back at the Kremlin’s claims her remarks played a role in Putin ordering Russia’s nuclear deterrent on high alert.
“Nothing Liz has said warrants that sort of escalation. It’s clearly designed to distract from the situation on the ground in Ukraine,” the ally said.
“The Foreign Secretary has always talked about Nato in the context of it being a defensive alliance. Her point is that we stand by Article 5, and that we must do everything we can to help Ukraine short of putting boots on the ground.
“We take it very seriously and want to keep the situation calm.”
Russian media sites appeared to have been hacked in a cyber attack by Anonymous, with a message warning readers of “certain death” for troops in Ukraine.
The home page for Fontanka, a news outlet based in St Petersburg, was replaced with text reading “Putin makes us lie” and urging citizens to “stop this madness”.
The apparent attack also temporarily brought down other sites including state-owned news agency Tass and daily newspaper Kommersant.
Fontanka and Tass were running normally again shortly after midday while Kommersant appeared to remain offline.
The message on Fontaka read in full:
“Dear citizens. We urge you to stop this madness, do not send your sons and husbands to certain death. Putin makes us lie and puts us in danger.
“We were isolated from the whole world, they stopped buying oil and gas. In a few years we will live like in North Korea. What is it for us?
“To put Putin in the textbooks? This is not our war, let’s stop it! This message will be deleted, and some of us will be fired or even jailed. But we can’t take it anymore.
“Indifferent journalists of Russia.”
It bore the mark of Anonymous, the activist collective known for cyber attacks against some governments and corporations.
It came after a post on the group’s Twitter page declared “cyber war” against the Russian government following its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, who is in Kyiv, has called on western powers like the UK to do more to help following Russia’s invasion, warning “this is not about diplomacy any more… we are at war”.
Sovsun, deputy leader of the Holos Party, said even stricter economic sanctions should be imposed on Russia and that Ukrainians require thousands more weapons, while a no-fly zone needs to be set up over the country to prevent air raids.
The 37-year-old has been staying with a friend in Kyiv since Russia invaded on Thursday, abandoning her home in the north of the city.
She had to leave her call with the PA news agency early to hide in the home’s basement because of an air raid siren.
“I have heard the argument that if we impose strong, stricter sanctions, there would be no way for a diplomatic solution,” said Sovsun.
“But I’m now living in a city which has been bombed by Russia every single night … this is not about diplomacy any more. We are at war.
“A full-scale embargo is is the only way to ensure that the Western countries are not implied in any way and are not supporting this dictator who is killing Ukrainians.”
Air raid alert in #Kyiv.
— Inna Sovsun (@InnaSovsun) February 27, 2022
This is me and my brother in the basement. He is trying to get wi-fi to make sure we know the most recent news.#stoprussia #NoFlyZoneOverUkraine #NoFlyZoneInUkraineNow #PutinHitler pic.twitter.com/c7qLQYFUXN
Sovsun said Ukraine’s troops are “fighting like hell” on the ground but their efforts would be made much easier without Russia’s strikes from the air.
“We are kind of getting into this whole routine … you hear an air raid strike, you go down (into the basement), and that’s it,” Sovsun said.
“We do know that the Brits so far are not that excited about the whole idea (of a no-fly zone) … we do understand all the implications into that situation.
“But I guess by this time, everybody just understands that Putin is not just a threat to Ukraine, he is actually a threat to the whole world … If he is not stopped here in Ukraine, who will be next?”
Russia has confirmed it is banning flights by airlines from 36 countries after many have barred Russian planes over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s civil aviation authority said it was bringing in the restrictions “as a retaliatory measure for the ban by European states on flights by civil aviation operated by Russian airlines or registered in Russia”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson opened his Cabinet meeting by saying Vladimir Putin had made a “colossal mistake” believing his troops would be “garlanded with roses” by Ukrainians.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister said it is becoming clearer with each day that Putin had made a colossal mistake believing that the guns of his tanks would be garlanded with roses when instead the Ukrainian people had put up a fierce resistance in defence of their homeland.
“He said latest intelligence suggested Putin’s advances had been hampered by logistical problems and the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian military who are inflicting significant casualties on Russian troops.”
Adding to the account of the Cabinet meeting, the British Prime Minister’s official spokesman said of Johnson: “He said Putin had also underestimated Western unity and the strength of the sanctions his action could lead to.
“The Prime Minister said Putin must fail in his attempts to subjugate Ukraine and the UK would continue its efforts in three main areas to achieve this: economically, diplomatically and militarily.”
Johnson will press for Russia to be cut out of the Swift international payment system “completely”, with the spokesman adding: “Further sanctions on Russian businesses and individuals will be introduced shortly.”
Russia’s foreign minister has cancelled a trip to the United Nations in Geneva due to the “anti-Russian sanctions” imposed by EU countries.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had been scheduled to address the UN Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament in person tomorrow, and had also been due to give a press conference.
But he has been forced to cancel his trip “due to an unprecedented ban on his flight in the airspace of a number of EU countries that have imposed anti-Russian sanctions,” the mission tweeted.
‼️ 🇷🇺 FM #Lavrov's visit to #Geneva for the session of the @UN_HRC and the Conference on Disarmament has been 🚫 canceled due to an unprecedented ban on his flight in the airspace of a number of EU countries that have imposed anti-Russian sanctions pic.twitter.com/i8niWHqoy9
— Russian Mission in Geneva (@mission_russian) February 28, 2022
Ukraine and Russia have this afternoon started their talks at the Ukrainian border with Belarus
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) February 28, 2022
Video: Press Association pic.twitter.com/VCuUyqXH3s
The Kyiv Independent is reporting that a new curfew in Kyiv will last from 8pm until 7am.
It reports that people will only be allowed to walk on the streets to seek shelter in case of air raid sirens. Moving around the city by car is allowed only with a special permit.
⚡️New curfew in Kyiv will last from 8 p.m. until 7 a.m.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 28, 2022
People will only be allowed to walk on the streets to seek shelter in case of air raid sirens. Moving around the city by car is allowed only with a special permit.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson does not believe football’s ruling body has gone far enough to sanction the Russian team.
Fifa stopped short of excluding Russia from the men’s World Cup play-offs due to take place next month, instead ordering the team to play on neutral territory, behind closed doors and as the Football Union of Russia.
“The Prime Minister wants Fifa to take the strongest possible action on this and doesn’t think their current measures go far enough,” Johnson’s official spokesman said.
“I think anyone seeing the situation and the horrific scenes we see on the ground would expect a body like Fifa to do more.”
The spokesman said Johnson “wholeheartedly welcomes” the Football Association’s confirmation that England will not play Russia.
“We do think that Russia should be cut out not just economically but culturally as well to further up the pressure on Putin.”
The United States is now recommending that Americans in Russia leave immediately following the invasion of Ukraine.
“US citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” said the State Department, which had previously urged US citizens not to travel to Russia.
At least 11 civilians have been killed in Russian shelling on Ukraine’s second most populated city Kharkiv today, the regional governor said, adding dozens more had been injured.
“The Russian enemy is bombing residential areas,” Oleg Sinegubov, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, saying that: “As a result of the bombardments that are ongoing, we cannot call on the emergency services… currently there are 11 dead and dozens wounded”.
That’s all from myself, Hayley Halpin, for today.
My colleague Tadgh McNally will keep you up to date with all the latest for the next while.
The emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly is set to get underway shortly.
Currently, diplomats from across the world are preparing to sit at the first emergency sitting of the General Assembly in decades in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abdulla Shahid, the President of the UN General Assembly, has called for a ceasefire and said that there are “no winners” in war.
He said that countless lives will be torn apart due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
He said that “the violence must stop” and that the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus offers a “ray of hope”.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, says that the fighting in Ukraine “must stop”.
“It’s raging across the country from air, land and sea. It mist stop now.
“This escalating violence, which is resulting in civilian deaths, including children, is totally unacceptable.
“Enough is enough, soldiers need to move back to their barracks and leaders need to move to peace.”
Guterres said that the move by Russia to put their nuclear forces on high alert was a “chilling development”.
He said that the move was “simply inconceivable” while adding that there was no justification for the move
Guterres said that humanitarian assistance will not help solve the current crisis in Ukraine and that “the only true solution is peace”
He hoped that the current negotiations in Belarus between Russia and Ukraine would lead to an “immediate end” to the fighting and a “path towards a diplomatic solution”.
He added that the UN needed to move towards ending the “scourge of war” and that both people in Ukraine and Russia wanted peace.
Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, is currently speaking to the Assembly.
He says that Russia and Belarus are responsible for the war in Ukraine.
He then read out a series of texts from a Russian soldier to his mother, moments before he was killed, about his experiences in Ukraine compared to what he was told would happen.
Kyslytsya says that there are clear parallels between what is currently happening in Ukraine and what happened during the start of World War II, when Germany invaded Poland.
He said that Putin’s decision to alert his nuclear forces yesterday was “madness”
French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Vladimir Putin and demanded that the Russian invasion of Ukraine be ended and that a ceasefire is implemented.
In a series of tweets, Macron said that he called Putin after being asked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Macron called on the Russians to cease strikes and attacks against civilians and residential areas, while also seeking assurances that humanitarian laws will be respected and allow aid to be delivered to civilians.
To prevent the situation from worsening, I suggested to President Putin that we stay in touch in the coming days. We will resume discussions.
Avec le Président Zelensky, nos échanges sont constants. Je veux saluer le sens des responsabilités dont il fait preuve. À la demande de ce dernier et compte tenu de la situation humanitaire, j'ai appelé le Président Poutine.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 28, 2022
NGOs like Goal and the Red Cross have begun to mobilise in Ukraine, with new calls for donations due to the ongoing crisis.
Members of GOAL’s Emergency Response Unit have been deployed to Ukraine, saying that they echoed the Irish Government’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion.
GOAL CEO, Siobhan Walsh today said:
We support the Irish Government’s condemnation of this outrageous breach of the most fundamental principles of international law, and their pursuit of strongest sanctions possible while also providing funds for much needed humanitarian assistance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told French President Emmanuel Macron that a demilitarisation of Ukraine and recognising Russian soverignty over Crimea would be needed to end fighting in Ukraine.
A readout of the call was released by the Kremlin, according to AFP, with a spokesperson saying:
Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account, including the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarisation and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status.
President @ZelenskyyUa has signed application for the membership of #Ukraine in the European Union.
— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) February 28, 2022
This is a historic moment! pic.twitter.com/rmzdgIwArc
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has officially signed an application for Ukraine to join the European Union.
The Parliament of Ukraine made the announcement in a tweet today, calling it a “historic moment”.
The negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have finished this afternoon, according to AFP.
The delegations of the two countries are now set to return to their capitals and begin consultations.
A Ukrainian negotiator has confirmed to AFP that there are plans between Kyiv and Moscow for a second round of talks
Russia has now banned residents from transferring money out of the country as a means to help prop up the rouble, which has collapsed in recent days due to Western sanctions.
The decree, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, also detailed that exporters would be required to hold at least 80% of their revenue in roubles in an attempt to keep the Russian economy afloat.
Sanctions from the West have included removing specific Russian banks from SWIFT, a banking messaging system that props up the international banking system, as well as sanctions on Putin himself.
Finland will join other countries and the EU in sending weapons to Ukraine, according to reports.
Finnish PM Sanna Marin, speaking at a press conference said that the decision was unanimous.
“Decision is historic, and it was unanimous.”
The Kyiv Independent is reporting that there have been several loud blasts heard in Kyiv in recent minutes.
Air raid sirens are currently in operation, with citizens in Kyiv now being urged to head to their nearest bomb shelter.
⚡️Several loud blasts heard in Kyiv.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 28, 2022
Sirens blare out, residents need to head to the nearest shelter.
The UK has now ordered all seaports in the country to turn away Russian vessels as part of their response to the invasion of Ukraine.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the ban will apply to any ship which seaports “have reason to believe is owned, controlled or operated by any person connected with Russia” or of it is registered in Russia or flying a Russian flag.
The UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom has announced that they will be carrying out a probe into Russia Today following concerns around whether or not it is impartial.
In a statement, the UK regulator said that there has been a “serious increase” in the number of programmes that warrant investigation under their broadcasting code.
There will be 15 investigations carried out, which are related to 15 editions of the hourly News programme that is broadcast on RT.
Ofcom’s Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes said:
Given the scale and gravity of the crisis in Ukraine, audiences expect to be able to trust and rely on duly impartial broadcast news.
When reporting on an armed conflict, we recognise it can be difficult for broadcasters to verify information and events, but it is imperative that they make every effort to do so. They must also explain clearly to audiences where there is uncertainty or where events are disputed.
Given the serious on-going situation in Ukraine, we will be concluding our investigations into RT as a matter of urgency.
The Irish-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group is set to be disbanded in solidarity with the National Parliament of Ukraine.
In a statement, Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd who was the Convener of the Oireachtas Irish-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group said:
We support the Ukrainian people and we want to demonstrate that support unequivocally at this historic moment for all Europeans.
Parliamentary Friendship Groups are usually a forum for working together with other countries to help build better understanding and develop mutual agreement.
Russian clubs and Russian national teams are to be suspended from all international competitions, according to AFP.
The statement was issued by UEFA and FIFA this evening.
In a joint statement this evening, FIFA and UEFA have expelled Russia from the upcoming 2022 World Cup and from all international football competitions “until further notice”.
This announcement by the two organisations will also impact Russian clubs that are involved in European competitions.
The statement says
Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.
Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.
On the topic of sport, here’s an account from a reporter in Ukraine on how Russia’s aggression affected the country’s top badminton players, many of whom were gathered in the city of Dnipro for the national championship when Russia invaded.
One coach describes being responsible for 16 children at the championship when the explosions began, while a professional player laments the “impossibility of returning home”.
One badminton umpire travelled back from Dnipro to Kyiv so that they could rescue their cat before fleeing the capital again.
Lauren Boland here, taking over the liveblog from Tadgh who has well earned a quiet evening off.
Here’s a quick recap of what’s happened in the last hour:
Hungary has announced that it will not allow weapons to be transported through it to reach Ukraine.
Following a pledge from the European Union for military aid to Kyiv, Hungary’s Foreign Minister said it “will not allow the transfer of deadly weapons across the Hungarian territory”.
He said the shipments can “easily become the target of military attacks.”
“Our most important task is to guarantee the safety of the country and the Hungarian people, therefore we must not get involved in the war taking place next door.”
Hungary shares a border with Ukraine around 140km long.
Both Ukrainian and Russian students are currently studying in Irish universities on Erasmus exchanges.
There arere 10 Russian students and 12 Ukrainian students in Trinity, and 27 Ukrainian students in UCD, the Department of Higher Education has confirmed.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris met with the EU Commissioner for Research and Youth Mariya Garbiel earlier today, where they discussed Russia’s invasion and the impact on students.
“We are united in the EU’s stance that Russia’s war is illegal, immoral and unjustified. Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering,” Harris said after the meeting.
We remain conscious, however, that the actions of the Russian state are no reflection on its people, and we are determined that Russian and Ukrainian students studying in Ireland and the EU, as well as Irish students studying at third level institutions in Russia and Ukraine, will be given our support in these difficult times.
“My department has asked higher education institutions in Ireland to ensure that the appropriate pastoral care measures are in place to for their Ukrainian and Russian students and we have been reassured that they are.”
The Lord Mayor of Dublin has opened an online Book of Peace that will be sent to the Ukrainian Ambassador.
Dubliners can share messages “in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and support their right to live in a democracy”.
Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland that the “violent unilateral invasion of Ukraine by Russia has shaken everyone who believes in a fair and democratic world, the right to self-determination and the ideal of living in peaceful harmony with our neighbours”.
We ask ourselves how we can help the Ukrainian people and how we can voice our opposition to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive actions.
“I hope that this online Book of Peace will give Dubliners the opportunity to show that we stand with the Ukrainian people, that we support their democracy and that we support the Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko.”
The Book of Peace is open from today until 16 March and can be signed here.
Russia is hitting back at UEFA and FIFA for its expulsion from the World Cup and other international competitions, calling the move “discriminatory.”
“It has an obvious discriminatory character and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, employees of clubs and national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian and foreign fans, whose interests international sports organisations must protect in the first place,” the Russian Football Union said in a statement, AFP reports.
The latest news is coming in thick and fast, so here’s a quick runthrough the main updates:
An adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky has said that another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine could be on the cards, after today’s meeting.
Mykhailo Podolyak gave few details except to say that the talks, held near the Ukraine-Belarus border, were focused on a possible ceasefire and that a second round could take place “in the near future”.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister spoke to G7 and other world leaders this afternoon about the situation in Ukraine.
The leaders agreed that the valiant resistance to the Russian invasion we are seeing in Ukraine is truly inspirational.
“The Prime Minister stressed the need for countries to continue supporting the Ukrainian government, including with the provision of defensive weapons.
“He also underlined the need for an international response to the emerging humanitarian crisis, including through supporting Ukraine’s neighbours to deal with large numbers of Ukrainians escaping violence in the country.”
The spokesperson added: “The leaders agreed to pursue every avenue to ensure that Putin fails in his ambitions.”
France has decided to move its embassy out of the Ukrainian capital, but the French ambassador will remain in the country.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the French Embassy, which had been holding out in Kyiv amid war, was being transferred to the western city of Lviv.
Le Drian told French television station BFMTV that Ambassador Etienne de Poncins would remain in Ukraine.
When asked if the ambassador was under threat in the capital, Le Drian said that “the risks and threats were sufficiently important” to transfer the embassy’s operations to Lviv, not far from the Polish border.
That says a lot about the threat to the Ukrainian government, still in Kyiv.
A prosecutor for the International Criminal Court Karim A.A. Khan is to open an investigation into alleged crimes committed in Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organisation and tribunal that sits in The Hague, and is the only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute people for international war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In a statement, Khan said he would proceed with opening the investigation “as rapidly as possible”.
“I have reviewed the Office’s conclusions arising from the preliminary examination of the situation in Ukraine, and have confirmed that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation.
In particular, I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine in relation to the events already assessed during the preliminary examination by the Office.
“Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my Office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine.”
If anyone has information relevant to the investigation, it can be submitted to the ICC via: otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int.
Some more detail on the expulsion of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the UN:
Twelve members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the UN have been ordered to leave the United States by 7 March, Russia’s ambassador to the world body said.
Vassily Nebenzia told reporters at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York that he had just learned of the expulsion.
“It’s bad news,” said Nebenzia, refusing to specify whether he was among those told to leave.
There’s been a lot of praise of the Ukrainian army for resisting the Russian invasion so far. But it’s only day five, and the expert analysis is that the Russian army’s movements so far is more about gathering intelligence.
The next wave of attack is expected to be much fiercer.
“This is war, so there are difficulties. They may have logistics issues. But regardless of what we’re told, they are making progress,” Olivier Kempf, head of strategy consultancy La Vigie, told AFP. “Only in video games do you conquer a country in two days.”
“Russia’s overall superiority, especially in the skies, gives it “a significant degree of freedom of movement across the country”, said Nick Brown at Janes, a British defence intelligence service.
Civilian casualties have remained contained at several hundred on the Ukrainian side, with Russia telling Kyiv residents that though the city is surrounded, they are free to leave the city to the south.
Aware that many Russians have friends and family in Ukraine, Putin deliberately labelled the leadership in Kyiv “Nazis”, the source said, because “Russians don’t start out by thinking of Ukrainians as enemies”.
The call to the population to leave Kyiv may well prepare the ground for more intense air strikes on the capital, a French military source told AFP.
The Currency has a piece tonight on the Russian assets housed in Dublin, as revealed by the imposition of financial sanctions on Russian money in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow and the IFSC: Expanding sanctions reveal more billion-dollar Russian assets housed in Dublin https://t.co/Lk4H4QL4ki
— The Currency (@thecurrency) February 28, 2022
The African Union is criticising “particularly disturbing” reports that African citizens are being refused the right to cross the border from Ukraine to other countries.
“Reports that Africans are signaled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach of international law,” it said.
Statement of the African Union on the reported ill treatment of Africans trying to leave #Ukraine https://t.co/wRULm2OfkL : #AfricansinUkraine pic.twitter.com/zZ8WpoCsP3
— African Union (@_AfricanUnion) February 28, 2022
Newborn twin brothers sleep at a basement used as a bomb shelter at the Okhmadet children’s hospital in central Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has been updating his social media with details of calls between him and leaders in other countries.
The minister has spoken to Singapore and Italy today, as well as Lithuania, one of the most eastern Nato countries.
“Lithuania stands by Ukraine resolutely. More military and humanitarian support is on its way to Ukraine,” Kuleba tweeted.
“We both agree that the EU must adopt the most painful sanctions against Russia to Putin’s war against the Ukrainian people.”
Canada is imposing a new ban on Russian oil imports.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this evening that the country would cut off Russian oil imports, targeting one of its most lucrative sectors.
The 12 Russian diplomats ordered to leave the US were “intelligence operatives”, AFP is reporting.
The dozen members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the UN were ordered to leave the US by 7 March.
We’ll bring you more on this as we get it.
In the social media sphere, Twitter has decided to put warnings on tweets that share links to Russian state-affiliated media.
Outlets tied to the Kremlin are accused of spreading misinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including Russia Toda and Sputnik.
Head of site integrity at Twitter, Yoel Roth, said that the platform has recorded more than 45,000 tweets per day sharing links to Russian state-affiliated outlets.
“Our product should make it easy to understand who’s behind the content you see, and what their motivations and intentions are,” Roth said.
He said the platform is also “taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter”.
Here’s a clip of Ireland at the UN today.
“Millions of people in Ukraine are grappling with the humanitarian consequences of a war not of their making.”
A spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN has said the diplomats ordered to leave had “abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.”
“We are taking this action in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement. This action has been in development for several months,” she said.
Russia’s ambassador in Washington is calling the expulsion a “hostile move” on his Facebook page and that Russia “totally rejected” the claims.
In a new video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a global ban on Russian planes and ships as punishment for the invasion.
“We must close entry for this state in all ports, all canals and all the world’s airports,” Zelensky said.
He countries to “consider a total closure of the skies to Russian missiles, planes and helicopters”.
We’re wrapping up this liveblog for today – thanks for following along. We’ll have more live coverage of the conflict as it happens from tomorrow morning.
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