LAST UPDATE | 7 Mar 2022
HERE ARE THE latest developments as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues for a twelfth day.
Good morning, it’s Hayley Halpin here with the latest. Here are the main developments:
In a new address, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raged against the growing destruction and death toll, accusing Russian troops of “murder, deliberate murder”.
“We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war on our land,” he said.
“There will be no quiet place on this Earth except the grave.”
In its latest update, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has suggested Russia was deliberately targeting Ukraine’s communications facilities.
It said Moscow was “probably targeting Ukraine’s communications infrastructure in order to reduce Ukrainian citizens’ access to reliable news and information”.
There were reports of a strike on a TV tower in Kharkiv yesterday, following a similar attack in Kyiv on 1 March.
“Ukrainian internet access is also highly likely being disrupted as a result of collateral damage from Russian strikes on infrastructure,” the Ministry said.
“Over the past week, internet outages have been reported in Mariupol, Sumy, Kyiv and Kharkiv.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 07 March 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/D3NG9b9zMX 🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/lIjezjELsE — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 7, 2022
UN court
Ukraine will square off with Russia at the UN’s top court today, with Kyiv asking judges in The Hague to order Moscow to immediately halt its invasion.
Kyiv lodged an urgent case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 27 February, saying that Russia had illegally justified its war by falsely alleging genocide in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
Ukraine alleges that it is Russia that is planning “acts of genocide” in the offensive launched by President Vladimir Putin on 24 February.
Kyiv has asked the court to take provisional measures ordering Russia to “immediately suspend the military operations”, pending a full judgment that could take years.
“Ukraine emphatically denies that acts of genocide have been committed”, Kyiv’s application to the court said.
“Russia thus expressly bases its ‘special military operation’ – in fact a full-scale, brutal invasion of Ukraine – on an absurd lie.”
In an unusual step, ICJ President Joan Donoghue issued an “urgent communication” to Russia on 1 March asking it to “act in such a way” that any order should take effect quickly.
The two-day hearing at the ICJ’s Peace Palace headquarters will begin with Ukraine speaking at 9am. Russia is slated to reply tomorrow.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to begin a week of intense diplomatic efforts with foreign leaders to build a united front against Vladimir Putin, beginning with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at Downing Street today.
It comes as ministers scramble to go “faster and harder” with sanctions levelled against the Kremlin.
Johnson is expected to put more pressure on international leaders to take further action to remove Russia from the Swift payment system, while pushing them to back his six-point plan to tackle Russian aggression.
TikTok has blocked its Russian users from posting new videos in response to the government’s crackdown on what people and media outlets can say about the war in Ukraine.
The social media app has also stopped showing Russian’s videos shared from elsewhere in the world, said spokesperson Hilary McQuaide.
The action is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services and technology products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine.
2/ In light of Russia's new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law. Our in-app messaging service will not be affected.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) March 6, 2022
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” TikTok said in a statement on Twitter.
“Our in-app messaging service will not be affected.”
McQuaide said the TikTok app in Russia now appears in “view-only” mode and will not let people post or see new videos or livestreams.
They can still see older videos, but not if they came from outside the country, she said.
“The safety of employees is our top priority,” she said, adding that the company — part of China-based tech company ByteDance — did not want to put either its Russian employees or users at risk of severe criminal penalties.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the friendship between Beijing and Moscow was still very strong, despite international condemnation of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as he offered Beijing’s help in mediating peace.
“The friendship between the two peoples is rock-solid, and both sides’ future cooperation prospects are very vast,” said Wang at an annual press briefing, adding that China would send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and was “willing to work with the international community to carry out necessary mediation”.
UK’s Europe Minister James Cleverly said Russia’s latest offer of a ceasefire and an escape route for civilians was “cynical beyond belief”.
Two previous attempts to create humanitarian corridors have ended with civilians being shelled as they tried to flee to safety.
Evacuation routes published by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency showed that civilians will only be able to leave to Russia and Belarus.
Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: “It appears cynical beyond belief. There is a view that Vladimir Putin believed there was a widespread desire of Ukrainians to be closer to Russia, to be more Russian. I think that has been proven to be a complete nonsense by the circumstances we are seeing.
“Providing evacuation routes into the arms of the country that is currently destroying yours is a nonsense.”
He added that “ultimately the most humanitarian thing the Russians could do is end this completely illegal, completely unjustified invasion of Ukraine”.
Ireland will have to play its part in providing accommodation to refugees fleeing Ukraine, Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley has said following a brief visit to Ukraine.
Dooley, who is vice president of the EU Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) political group, and MEP Billy Kelleher, travelled to the Ukrainian city of Lviv for talks with political leaders. They have since returned to Poland.
They are the first Irish politicians to travel to the country since the Russian invasion twelve days ago.
The Fianna Fáil politicians travelled to the city at the invitation of a member of the Servant of the People party, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ALDE members voted last week to grant temporary affiliate status to the party.
During their time there, they met with the Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi, the governor of the region Maxym Kozytsky and members of the Ukrainian Parliament.
The @fiannafailparty Senator and @ALDEParty Vice President, as well as Munster MEP @BillyKelleherEU meeting the Governer of Lviv region Maxym Kozytsky @rtenews pic.twitter.com/WUeuhqmiPK
— Paul Cunningham (@RTENewsPaulC) March 6, 2022
Speaking to RTÉ News, Dooley said Ireland will have to play its part in providing accommodation “and lots of it” to Ukrainian refugees.
“I don’t think we should be looking at limits at this stage. I get the sense that Irish people are really ready to help. I think they will reach out like never before,” he said.
Some of the latest photos from the city of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv:
Pope Francis has praised journalists working to provide information on the Ukrainian situation.
“I would also like to thank the journalists who put their lives at risk to provide information,” the Pope tweeted.
“Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of that population and enables us to assess the cruelty of a war.”
I would also like to thank the journalists who put their lives at risk to provide information. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of that population and enables us to assess the cruelty of a war. #Ukraine #Peace
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2022
European stock markets have plunged at the open this morning as investors pumped their money into assets deemed safer such as gold.
Frankfurt slumped 3.6% and Paris shed 3%. Outside the eurozone, London lost 0.8%, with losses capped by strong share price gains for mining and oil giants on soaring metals and crude values.
Just in: AFP is reporting nine people have died following an airstrike at an airport in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia.
Russian arrests
Russia detained more than 5,000 people protesting President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine in dozens of cities yesterday – an unprecedented number as Moscow clamps down on anyone opposing the Kremlin’s military assault on the country.
OVD-info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained at least 5,016 people in 60 cities during the anti-war protests.
That is an unprecedented number for a single day and far higher than arrests made during a wave of protests that broke out in the country last year when opposition leader Alexei Navalny was imprisoned.
Navalny has called on Russians to protest the war in an appeal from his prison cell.
Protesters risk possible prison sentences by taking to the streets.
OVD-info said 2,394 had been arrested in Moscow.
Saint Petersburg saw at least 1,253 arrests, the monitor said.
Protests also took place in small cities in the Russian regions.
OVD-info said police had used electric shockers on protesters.
UN court
Russia has declined to attend a hearing at the UN’s top court today at which Ukraine is asking for an immediate order to halt the conflict, the head judge said.
“The court regrets the non-appearance of the Russian federation in these oral proceedings,” International Court of Justice President Joan Donoghue said.
Ukraine has rejected Moscow’s offer of humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
“This is not an acceptable option,” she said, after Russia proposed the passage for civilians from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy.
The civilians “aren’t going to go to Belarus and then take a plane to Russia”.
That’s all from myself, Hayley Halpin, for now. My colleague Adam Daly will take you through the next while.
Thanks, Hayley! Adam here, and happy to bring you some good news on Irish medical student Racheal Diyaolu who has been trapped in a city in northeastern Ukraine.
The 19-year-old from Carlow had been staying at her student accommodation in Sumy, 50 kilometres from the Russian border. She is now travelling across Ukraine to Poland, along with others, after being picked up by two Scottish volunteers who are attempting to get people out of the country.
The rescuers, Joseph McCarthy and Gary Taylor, are landscape gardeners from Scotland who travelled to Ukraine in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion. The men have been using the below Tik Tok account to document their journey.
@ready2rocklandscaping Sumy passengers #fyp #ukraine ♬ original sound - Joseph Mccarthy
Ukraine sets export quotas on key agricultural products
Ukraine, one of the world’s top wheat producers, has set export restrictions on the crop and other agricultural products amid Russia’s military invasion, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reports.
According to a government decree published yesterday evening, a license issued by the authorities is now required in order to export wheat, poultry meat, eggs and sunflower oil. Quotas were also introduced for the export of cattle and beef, salt, sugar, oats, buckwheat, rye and millet.
The conflict has pushed wheat prices higher as Russia is the world’s top exporter of the cereal and Ukraine is the fourth according to estimates by the US Department of Agriculture.
The United Nations’ World Food Programme on Friday warned of a looming food crisis in Ukraine in conflict areas and said disruptions in production and exports could lead to food insecurity globally. The body noted that with Russia and Ukraine providing some 29% of the global wheat trade, serious disruptions in production and exports could send food prices – already at 10-year highs – even higher.
Mayor of town near Kyiv killed by Russian fire
Russian forces have killed the mayor of Gostomel, a town near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv that is home to a strategic airport, city authorities have said.
“The head of Gostomel, Yuri Illich Prylypko, died while distributing bread to the hungry and medicine to the sick,” the city said on its Facebook page.
Prylypko was shot dead along with two others, it said, without specifying when.
“No-one forced him to go under the occupiers’ bullets,” it said. “He died for his people, for Gostomel. He died a hero.”
Gostomel, northwest of Kyiv, is home to the strategic Antonov military airport, which was the site of fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the first days of the war.
While they were distributing bread and medicine, Yuriy Prilipka, the head of the Gostomel OTG, and two other people were shot dead by the occupiers. pic.twitter.com/DCQn1L7wRP
— Roman Hryshchuk (@grishchukroma) March 7, 2022
Paris denies asking Putin for civilian corridors to Belarus, Russia
Emmanuel Macron’s office has said that the French President did not ask Russian leader Vladimir Putin to open humanitarian corridors towards Russia and Belarus for Ukrainians fleeing bombardments, denying a claim by Russian officials.
Moscow announced the proposed escape routes from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy after Putin and Macron spoke by telephone yesterday, saying the move was taken after a “personal request” by Macron.
But the Elysee Palace said no such request was made, with Macron insisting on “the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the supply of aid.”
“That means that protection of civilians must be organised and humanitarian access allowed,” a French presidency official, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
The Ukraine government rejected the offers of safe passage to Russia, which began its invasion nearly two weeks ago, or to Belarus, which is offering Moscow staging grounds for attacks.
Lithuania urges US to take tougher stance on Russia
Lithuania has urged visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take a tougher line to stop Russia in Ukraine, in case Moscow’s forces go further.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not stop in Ukraine”, President Gitanas Nauseda told him.
“It is our collective duty and obligation to help … Ukrainians by all means available,” Nauseda said.
“And when I say all, I indeed mean all. If you don’t, you’re going to a third World War.”
Blinken praised Lithuania’s support for Ukraine and reiterated Washington’s backing for the NATO alliance, of which Lithuania is a member. He sought to reassure Vilnius of US defence support, as Russian forces continue to pummel Ukraine.
Lithuania, a small former Soviet republic on the Baltic Sea, borders both Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus.
“No-one should doubt our readiness. No-one should doubt our resolve,” Blinken said of NATO. “An attack on one is an attack on all,” he said.
But, asked if the US would commit to permanently basing US troops in Lithuania, he would only say the idea was under consideration.
Just in: An adviser to the Ukrainian president has said the next round of peace talks with Russia will begin at 4pm local time (2pm Irish time).
Putin yesterday pledged the “neutralisation” of Ukraine “either through negotiation or through war”, so expectations remain low for the talks on the Belarusian border.
Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish ministers to meet Thursday
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia and Turkey will meet in southern Turkey on Thursday, Ankara announced today.
“Following the initiative by our president and our intense diplomatic efforts, the foreign ministers of Russia (Sergei Lavrov) and Ukraine (Dmytro Kuleba) have decided to meet, with my participation on the sidelines,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a tweet.
Upon President @RTErdogan’s initiatives & our intensive diplomatic efforts, Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov of #Russia & Dmytro Kuleba of #Ukraine have decided to meet with my participation on the margins of @AntalyaDF.
— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) March 7, 2022
Hope this step will lead to peace and stability.
Russia demands protection of diplomatic missions in France, alleging attack
A spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry demanded France protect Moscow’s representative offices in the country, alleging an attack had occurred at a building used by a Russian government agency in Paris.
“We demand that the French authorities ensure the proper security of our official institutions,” wrote Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, on Telegram.
Zakharova wrote that “a bottle of flammable liquid” had been thrown at a building used by Russia’s international cooperation agency Rossotrudnichestvo on the night of Sunday to Monday.
Nobody was harmed in the attack “because it hit the fence before reaching the target,” Zakharova said.
The diplomat’s Telegram post included street camera footage that purported to show a projectile striking the building’s gate.
Roads in Ukraine’s ‘humanitarian corridor’ mined: Red Cross
Refugees trying to escape the besieged Ukraine city of Mariupol using so-called humanitarian corridors were left stranded as the road they were directed towards was mined, the ICRC said.
Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, urged both military forces to come to an immediate agreement on the exact routes and times available for those seeking safe passage out of the country.
“So far we have seen, unfortunately, only agreements in principle. But they have immediately broken down because they lack precision,” he told BBC radio.
“They lack the kind of… agreements over times, over roads, over whether people can go out or goods can come in,” he added.
“To just give you an idea, we have a team in Mariupol on the ground. They were ready yesterday (Sunday) despite the fact that it was not entirely clear what exactly the agreement was.
“As soon as they reached the first checkpoint, they realised that the road that was indicated to them was actually mined.”
"We've been talking to both parties for days on end"
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) March 7, 2022
Dominik Stillhart, Director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross, says it's important to get both parties to agree on precise details for humanitarian corridors out of Ukrianehttps://t.co/UPjJGPa1Yg pic.twitter.com/3iIrpNOwCN
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović called on all member states to hear and heed the resolute calls of Ukrainian women and girls for action to protect peace and human dignity.
“Women feel first-hand the devastating impact that war has on their families and their communities. Amidst the fighting and violence surrounding them, Ukrainian women have been taking care of their families and neighbours, with many of them having travelled over long distances to bring their children and their friends’ children to safety, ” Mijatović in a statement ahead of International Women’s Day.
“They also continue to work under bombardment and indiscriminate shelling as doctors, nurses and other professionals providing essential services to their communities. Women human rights defenders, journalists, civil society activists and volunteers work tirelessly towards re-establishing peace and protecting the values for which the Council of Europe stands. I salute their determination, strength, and courage.”
More than 1.7 mn people flee war in Ukraine: UN
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, according to the latest data from the United Nations.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, recorded 1,735,068 refugees on its dedicated website, just over 200,000 more than the previous count yesterday.
UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, believes around half of them are youngsters. Authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify as the Russian army advances deeper into Ukraine, particularly as it approaches the capital, Kyiv.
The agency projects that as the conflict unfolds, “an estimated four million people may flee Ukraine”, noting that many people were also displaced from their homes within the country.
Dublin City Council to fly Ukrainian flags across the city
Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland has announced a number of measures being taken by Dublin City Council to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Moscow allows Russians to repay debts to ‘hostile’ nations (including Ireland) in rubles
Moscow will temporarily allow Russian companies and individuals to repay debts to foreign creditors from a new list of “hostile” nations in rubles, the government said today.
The list includes the United States, European Union member states, Australia, Britain, Canada, Monaco, South Korea, Switzerland and Japan.
The move is one of Russia’s first counter-measures against Western nations over sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions have caused the ruble to sink to historic lows.
The list of hostile nations was prepared following a presidential decree on Friday which established a “temporary procedure” for the repayment of debts “towards certain foreign creditors”.
A special bank account in rubles can now be created in a Russian bank to send payments to a foreign creditor at the daily exchange rate set by the central bank.
The temporary move applies to payments of more than 10 million rubles ($72,000) per month.
Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Fylymonov, both members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces were married at a checkpoint in Kyiv yesterday.
“It is hard to call it unconditional happiness in this situation, but we surely feel uplifted,” the bride told the Washinton Post.
Former heavyweight boxing world champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, the latter of whom is now the mayor of Kyiv, were among those present.
Vitali Klitschko shared a video of the occasion on Twitter and the brothers took pictures with the couple.
The mayor told the Post: “Life continues and the people live and their love helps the war.”
Сьогодні вітав бійців одного з батальйонів тероборони столиці Лесю та Валерія. Вони давно живуть в цивільному шлюбі, а тепер вирішили обвінчатися. Церемонія відбулася поруч з одним із блок-постів.
— Віталій Кличко (@Vitaliy_Klychko) March 6, 2022
Життя триває! І життя Києва, киян, нашої держави ми будемо захищати! pic.twitter.com/ys2kNN12Ws
Ukraine’s membership application to the European Union to be discussed in coming days
President of the European Council Charles Michel says he is in continued close contact with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that Ukraine’s membership application to the European Union will be discussed the in coming days.
Continued close contact with President @ZelenskyyUa
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) March 7, 2022
The #EU stands firmly by #Ukraine’s side in efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering inflicted by Russia’s aggression and ensure nuclear safety.
In a series of tweets, Michel said he also spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he called on Putin to “immediately stop hostilities and ensure humanitarian safe passage and access to assistance” and stressed the need to ensure safety and security of nuclear facilities amidst hostilities in Ukraine.
“The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” Michel tweeted.
Andrii Kovskyi who works at Dawn Meats outside Waterford city, headed back to Ukraine to help his family escape, beginning the terrifying journey on Friday night.
Andrii and his wife Natalia Kovalska described hearing “shootings and explosions” around them as they made their escape. You can read the full story here.
US President Joe Biden is to hold a video teleconference today with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain to discuss “the latest developments regarding Russia and Ukraine,” the White House said.
The call with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will take place at 3.30pm GMT, as frantic diplomatic efforts to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue.
Ukraine delegation arrives at Belarus-Poland border for talks with Russia
Russia’s chief negotiator in talks between Moscow and Kyiv accused Ukraine of blocking humanitarian corridors for civilians escaping advancing Russian forces, calling it a “war crime”.
“The nationalists who have seized positions in cities continue to hold civilians there,” Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told state television. He accused Kyiv of using the civilians as “a human shield” and said that “this is undoubtedly a war crime.”
He added the latest round of talks between the warring countries, taking place on the Poland-Belarus border, are focused around the corridors.
Ukraine dismissed Moscow’s offer to set up humanitarian corridors from several bombarded cities earlier after it emerged some routes would lead refugees into Russia or Belarus.
Hi all, Tadgh McNally here taking over the liveblog for the next while.
On the possibility of an oil embargo, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has come out with a strong statement against the proposal, saying that Russian oil is essential for Europe to operate.
Scholz said:
Europe has deliberately exempted energy supplies from Russia from sanctions.
Supplying Europe with energy for heat generation, mobility, electricity supply and industry cannot be secured in any other way at the moment. It is therefore of essential importance for the provision of public services and the daily lives of our citizens.
Calls for Russia and Ukraine to discuss nuclear safety
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA) has said that he hopes to see both Russia and Ukraine agree to talks on nuclear safety following Russia’s capture of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“We need to have an agreed clear framework of what is supposed to be done. So I hope that my consultations in the next few hours are going to be successful,” said Rafael Grossi.
He said that the Russians are seeking to meet in Chernobyl, which they captured on 24 February, the first day of the war.
“This is going to be part of a process of consultation,” Grossi said.
“There is safe operation but there are many, many questions on the ability to sustain this for much longer if we don’t support this in some way.”
Ukrainian and Russian delegations begin talks
A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is getting underway now, according to AFP.
The main items on the agenda for today’s talks are creating humanitarian corridors for civilians to be evacuated.
Previously, corridors were set up in some Ukrainian cities but there were disrupted by Russian shelling.
Earlier today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin estimated that 1,800 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland since the war broke out in late February and that the numbers arriving are “growing day by day”.
Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Martin said that Irish people must “do everything we possibly can” to support Ukrainians arriving into Ireland.
“As of now, about 1,800 have arrived into Ireland, Ukrainian people fleeing the war… Including 486 yesterday, so it is growing and increasing day by day,” said Martin
About two-thirds of arrivals have connections with families in Ireland but that number is decreasing.
In other words, more and more who don’t have connections with families in Ireland are arriving and it is fair to say we can expect that to increase significantly over the coming weeks.
He did say it would be very challenging but that Ireland’s response needed to be a wartime response rather than a non-wartime response.
You can read more of his comments here.
Man arrested after crashing through gates of Russian embassy
Within the last two hours, a truck crashed through the gates of the Russian embassy in protest against the war in Ukraine.
The truck itself was reversed through the closed gate, with the man being arrested at the scene.
A video, obtained by The Journal, shows the driver speaking with protestors after crashing the truck, saying that he did it for the people of Ukraine.
Our reporter, Rónán Duffy is at the Russian embassy in Rathgar following the truck crash.
Truck that drove through gates of Russian Embassy remains in place. Roads closed.
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) March 7, 2022
One man has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/WVSm2tKCL7
While the truck currently remains in place, a recovery vehicle is now at the scene to remove it.
UN agencies call for protections for Ukrainian children
Both UNICEF and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have called for humanitarian assistance for unaccompanied and separated children who are fleeing from Ukraine.
The two groups said that unaccompanied children are at higher risk of violence, abuse and exploitation and that the risks are multiplied when crossing borders.
There have been calls for safe spaces to be provided and that children should be linked in with national child protection systems.
“For children who have been displaced across borders without their families, temporary foster or other community-based care through a government system offers critical protection,” said the joint statement.
Adoption should not occur during or immediately after emergencies. Every effort should be made to reunify children with their families when possible, if such reunification is in their best interest.
UNHCR and UNICEF are grateful for the solidarity and readiness shown by States to support unaccompanied and separated children through eventual relocation schemes. At the same time, it must be recalled that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable and their immediate needs and safety where they are must be prioritized in the short term, while medium to long term solutions are identified, based on their best interests.
In some positive news this afternoon, Racheal Diyaolu, an Irish medical student who was studying in Ukraine when the war broke out, has issued an update and says that they have now left the city of Sumy and are travelling to the Polish border.
In a video posted to social media earlier this afternoon, Racheal says that they are a few hours out of Sumy and that they are doing well.
She adds that they will be stopping at a safe stopover location before resuming travel tomorrow due to the curfews currently in place.
Racheal says that the group will reach the Polish border tomorrow.
*Update* The group are doing well! They are out of Sumy! They’ve been stopped at several checkpoints, but have been allowed to pass safely. They’re headed to a safe stopover location. Due to the curfew’s in Ukraine, it is unsafe to travel past certain times. Remaining positive🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/ZjXsGIzS9m
— 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊 (@PrincxssTiana) March 7, 2022
The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, has just met with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly this afternoon to discuss the invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Embassy, the two discussed the invasion and Ireland’s contribution to humanitarian aid, as well as Ireland’s readiness to allow Ukrainian refugees access the HSE.
Ambo @GeraskoLarysa met with Minister @DonnellyStephen They discussed the ongoing🇷🇺aggression that resulted in the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in Europe. Grateful to🇮🇪for the humanitarian aid and readiness to help fleeing Ukrainians access the @HSELive pic.twitter.com/K7j4cS7dLl
— UKR Embassy in Ireland (@UKRinIRL) March 7, 2022
EU to examine Ukraine membership bid
The European Union has confirmed this afternoon that it will now begin the process of examining membership bids from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
Ukraine formally submitted their application to join the EU last week, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr signing the application.
The process to join the EU is a years-long process, with the bloc itself saying that it does not happen overnight.
We examined the full process in a piece last week, which you can read here.
EU leaders to meet on energy, new sanctions
Later on this week, European leaders are set to meet to discuss how the EU can phase out the use of Russian gas, oil and coal in the long term.
AFP is reporting that a draft declaration has been drawn up and agrees to “phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports”.
However, it is likely to fall short of what Washington and Kyiv have sought, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pouring cold water over a clean break with Moscow as a provider.
Scholz said that energy sources for Europe could not be found elsewhere at the moment.
However, a further set of sanctions against Russia are expected following urges from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On the truck that crashed through the gates of the Russian embassy earlier this afternoon, Gardaí have since erected a barricade outside the embassy.
A guard at the scene, who spoke with the PA news agency, said that it was set up on “behalf of An Garda Síochána” and not at the request of the Russian embassy.
The embassy have since issued a statement on the incident, calling it an act of criminal “insanity”.
The Embassy strongly condemns this criminal act of insanity directed against peaceful diplomatic mission. The Embassy views this incident as a clear and blatant violation of the Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations of 1961.
The Embassy is in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, demanding that the Irish authorities take comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of it’s staff and their family members.
13 killed in bakery shelling
New reports from AFP are detailing how there were at least 13 people killed in the shelling of a Ukrainian industrial bakery this afternoon.
The bakery was located in the town of Makariv, 50 kilometres west of Kyiv.
According to AFP, it was confirmed by rescue services on Telegram this afternoon.
Amnesty International has said that all prisoners of war in the Russian invasion of Ukraine must be protected under the Geneva convention and that they should not be made to make public appearances.
In a statement this afternoon, Joanne Mariner, Director of Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Programme said that footage on social media has circulated of Russian prisoners of war appearing at press conferences.
Mariner says that videos of Ukrainian prisoners have also appeared on social media, but says it is unclear if they have been sanctioned.
As the conflict continues, it is essential that all parties to the conflict fully respect the rights of prisoners of war.
Any public appearances can put prisoners of war at risk when they are returned to their home country, and also prove problematic for their families whilst they are detained.
Article 13 of the Third Geneva Convention states that all prisoners of war must be protected at all times from public curiosity.
Portal opens for people to offer accommodation for Ukrainians
This afternoon, the online portal for people to be able to register and offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Ireland has opened.
Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman spoke with The Journal this afternoon and said that there had been huge offers support from the public to help Ukrainian refugees.
The platform is being created alongside the Irish Red Cross and is available here.
Currently, the website is unresponsive due to high traffic.
O’Gorman urged people to be patient as the Government is expecting a large volume of pledges to come in.
Minister of State at the Department of Children and Integration, Anne Rabbitte, said that she was hopeful that there would be a lot of accommodation pledged.
We’re open to all forms of accommodation, be it the granny flat, be it the spare room in the house, or be it the holiday home, or if there’s larger complexes available, we would really, really welcome it.
After being asked how long the accommodation would be needed, Rabbitte said that she hoped it wouldn’t be for long, but that it depends on how long the war lasts.
But at the moment, we’ll have to look at worst-case scenarios. So, really when you’re pledging it, it is until such a time for the Ukrainians to return.
Third round of Russia-Ukraine talks over
AFP is reporting now that the third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended this evening.
There are mixed reports coming from the two sides of the negotiations, with Ukrainian negotiators saying that they are seeing “positive results”, while Russian negotiators say that their expectations were “not fulfilled”.
On the Ukrainian perspective on the talks, presidential advisor Mikhailo Podolyak said that there were “positive results” made on creating humanitarian corridors.
“We have achieved some positive results concerning the logistics of humanitarian corridors,” said Podolyak.
The Russian delegation were more pessimistic about the talks, staying that their expectations were not met.
“Our expectations from negotiations were not fulfilled. We hope that next time we will be able to take a more significant step forward,” said Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation.
If one thing has become increasingly clear since Russia began their invasion, it’s that thousands of people in Ukraine are galvanised to defend their country.
Giorgi Dzhangirian, an 83-year-old former President of the Ukrainian Rugby Union, has joined the Ukrainian army and has been deployed.
This is Giorgi Dzhangirian, former President of the Ukrainian Rugby Union, 83 years old, defending his country. 🇺🇦 🏉 #Respect #RugbyEurope
— Octavian Morariu (@MorariuOctavian) March 7, 2022
Photo: Sokil Rugby Club Lviv pic.twitter.com/4Muk9L1ysB
New Russian embassy statement
The Russian embassy has issued a new statement following the truck crash that broke through the gates of the embassy this afternoon.
In the statement, the embassy says that there have been additional measures taken by Gardaí to ensure the safety of the embassy and those within it.
We would like to inform that additional measures have been undertaken by the Garda to ensure safety and security of the Embassy and its personnel.
The Embassy appreciates cooperation by the Irish authorities in this matter.
An update by the Embassy on the truck incident pic.twitter.com/IzI8JHyvyx
— Russia in Ireland (@Rus_Emb_Ireland) March 7, 2022
Zelenskyy to address UK parliament
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks set to address British MP’s tomorrow in the House of Commons via videolink.
According to Sky News, the meeting was confirmed by the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
Zelenskyy previously spoke at the European Parliament last week, where he called on the EU to “prove that you are with us” in an address that left his translator struggling to contain his emotion.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has revealed some of his personal experiences dealing with the Russian internal security apparatus in the shape of the FSB.
Durov, who is Russian born, had started the VK social media site but has claimed he was forced out of the country after he was approached by the Russian FSB agents.
In an apparent effort to monitor Ukrainians the FSB ordered him to reveal the details of the users but he refused.
This statement from Telegram CEO Pavel Durov does not mince words. Although it is not technically a policy announcement, it is much more provocative and personal than the tone set by Meta, Twitter, et al.
— Emerson T. Brooking (@etbrooking) March 7, 2022
Don't think Russia will take well. https://t.co/3G9ULHBsWH pic.twitter.com/74epMV5Law
US President Joe Biden has made no decision at this stage on a possible ban on imports of Russian oil and gas in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.
“No decision has been made at this point,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
She said the question had been raised during Biden’s talks Monday with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain, while adding: “We have different capacities and capabilities.”
We’re going to wind down the liveblog now, but here are some of the key developments from today:
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