LAST UPDATE | 27 Feb 2022
HERE ARE THE latest developments as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues for a fourth day.
Good morning, Hayley Halpin here with today’s updates – here’s the latest picture in Ukraine:
As noted below, Russian troops have entered Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv and fighting is currently underway.
“The Russian enemy’s light vehicles broke into the city of Kharkiv,” Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the regional administration, said in a Facebook post, urging residents not to leave shelters.
“The Ukrainian armed forces are eliminating the enemy.”
The Russian defence ministry has also claimed that its troops had besieged the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and the city of Berdyansk in the southeast.
“Over the past 24 hours, the cities of Kherson and Berdyansk have been completely blocked by the Russian armed forces,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
He added that Russian troops had also taken control of Genichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov, and an airfield near Kherson.
Elon Musk has said his company SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service has been activated in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.
“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” Musk tweeted, adding “more terminals en route.”
The tweet came some 10 hours after Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov urged Musk to provide Starlink services to Ukraine, days after it was invaded by neighboring Russia.
“While you try to colonize Mars – Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space – Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations,” Fedorov tweeted at Musk.
He also called on the billionaire “to address sane Russians to stand” against their government’s invasion.
Internet monitor NetBlocks said Ukraine has seen a “series of significant disruptions to internet service” since Thursday, when Russia launched military operations in the country.
Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022
Financial sanctions
THE EU, US and UK have agreed to block “selected” Russian banks from the Swift global financial messaging system in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Restrictive measures” will also be imposed on Russia’s central bank.
The measures were announced jointly as part of a new round of financial sanctions meant to impose a severe cost on Russia for the invasion.
The sanctions were meant to “hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin”.
The central bank restrictions target the more than 600 billion dollars (€530 billion) in reserves that the Kremlin has at its disposal, meant to limit Russia’s ability to support the ruble amid tightening Western sanctions.
They also will severely constrain Russia’s ability to import and export goods.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told Russian news agencies that Russia is ready for talks with Ukraine, adding that a delegation from Moscow has arrived in the Belarusian city of Gomel.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has condemned “shocking Russian attacks” on Ukraine overnight.
He has said Ireland will move to shut off Irish airspace to all Russian aircraft, and urged other EU partners to follow suit.
He tweeted: “Shocking Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight. #Ireland will move to shut off Irish Airspace to all Russian Aircraft. We encourage other EU partners to do the same.
“We also support new wide-ranging sanctions to be agreed today at EU FAC & new assistance package for #Ukraine.”
Shocking Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight. #Ireland will move to shut off Irish Airspace to all Russian Aircraft. We encourage other EU partners to do the same. We also support new wide-ranging sanctions to be agreed today at EU FAC & new assistance package for #Ukraine. 🇺🇦 https://t.co/tL7UriHsah
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 27, 2022
Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge has been lit up in solidarity with Ukraine.
Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge lit up in solidarity with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/I0rJnZMDh4
— Jason Kennedy (@jasonpkennedy) February 27, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is ready for peace talks with Russia, but not in Belarus, which was an invasion staging ground.
‘Brutal’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said last night was “brutal”, adding that Moscow was bombarding residential areas in Ukraine as its invading forces sought to push deeper into the pro-Western country.
“The past night in Ukraine was brutal, again shooting, again bombardments of residential areas, civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky said in an address posted online.
The Ukrainian air force has shot down a cruise missile aimed at Kyiv, Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko has said.
“This is another war crime committed against Ukraine and its people,” he said.
Minutes ago, Ukrainian Air Force shot down a cruise missile launched at the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, by a TU-22 bomber from the territory of Belarus. This is another war crime committed against Ukraine and its people. #StopRussianAggression
— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) February 27, 2022
The UK Ministry of Defence has tweeted an intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, saying: “Ukrainian forces have engaged the remnants of Russian irregular forces within the city of Kyiv for the second night in a row, fighting has been at a lower intensity than the previous evening.
“After encountering strong resistance in Chernihiv, Russian forces are bypassing the area in order to prioritise the encirclement and isolation of Kyiv.
“Intensive exchanges of rocket artillery overnight have been followed by heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv.
“Russian forces are continuing to advance into Ukraine from multiple axis but are continuing to be met with stiff resistance from the Ukrainian armed forces.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine pic.twitter.com/xEssfe1crQ
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 27, 2022
Zelensky has hailed the assistance Ukraine was receiving from its international allies.
“This is already real. We are receiving weapons, medicine, food, diesel, and money,” he said in a video address.
“A powerful coalition in support of Ukraine has been formed – an anti-war coalition.”
Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that “if the Russians are serious about negotiations, they need to remove their troops from Ukraine”.
“They cannot negotiate with a gun to the head of the Ukrainians, they need to remove their troops, they need to de-escalate this conflict. I see absolutely no signs of that,” Truss said.
“Frankly, I don’t trust these so-called efforts of negotiation.”
Truss also said the conflict in Ukraine could be “very, very bloody”.
“We’ve already seen civilians targeted by the Russian government. I urge the Russians not to escalate this conflict but we do need to be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons,” she said.
"If the Russians are serious about negotiations, they need to remove their troops from Ukraine. They cannot negotiate with a gun to the head of the Ukrainians," says Foreign Secretary @trussliz #Phillips https://t.co/BC0u05ZA5A
— Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) February 27, 2022
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YT pic.twitter.com/BwFrlmpmuw
An update from the Ukraine Embassy in Ireland this morning says as of today, over 210 people, including at least five children, have been killed and over 1,115 people (at least 35 children) wounded in Ukraine during the first days of the Russian invasion.
Google has become the latest US tech giant to prevent Russian state media from earning money on its platforms in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
It follows similar moves by its YouTube subsidiary and Facebook.
“In response to the war in Ukraine, we are pausing Google monetization of Russian state-funded media across our platforms,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
“We’re actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has aid more than 200,000 people have arrived in neighbouring countries from Ukraine.
It added: “Numbers are constantly being updated … We aim to have another update later today.”
Ukraine: Numbers are constantly being updated but the latest count of refugee arrivals in neighbouring countries now exceeds 200,000. We aim to have another update later today.
— UNHCR News (@RefugeesMedia) February 27, 2022
Russian president Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF) due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A statement from the IJF reads:
“In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr Vladimir Putin’s status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation.”
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said he believes his country will hold out out for “as long as needed”.
He told BBC’s Sunday Morning programme with Sophie Raworth: “We’re holding. It’s been just four days. I believe that we’ll hold as long as needed.”
He said “we have friends, we have support”, adding that he believes Russia has “miscalculated”.
Prystaiko said: “They came with 150,000 troops. It’s totally not enough.”
He said Russia believed Ukraine would be an “easy target”, adding that that is not the case.
“The whole nation is against them,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia should be stripped of its seat at the United Nations Security Council over its invasion of his country.
Poland’s border guards have said more than 156,000 people had crossed into the EU member from Ukraine in the days since Russia invaded the country.
#Pomagamy🇺🇦
— Straż Graniczna (@Straz_Graniczna) February 27, 2022
Od rozpoczęcia działań zbrojnych w🇺🇦(24.02) #funkcjonariuszeSG odprawili łącznie na wszystkich przejściach granicznych z🇺🇦187,8 tys. osób. W tym na kierunku do Polski ponad 156 tys.
Wczoraj odprawiono rekordową liczbę osób -88,4 tys., w tym na kierunku do🇵🇱77,3 tys. pic.twitter.com/XKqsR1aNyn
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has called Moscow’s opponents in Ukraine “evil forces”, speaking on the fourth day of the Kremlin’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
“God forbid that the current political situation in brotherly Ukraine should be aimed at ensuring that the evil forces that have always fought against the unity of Russia and the Russian Church prevail,” Patriarch Kirill in an address to parishioners.
Military assistance
A number of European countries have announced they will send military and defence equipment to Ukraine.
Portugal is the latest country to announce such support.
Lisbon is to dispatch “vests, helmets, night-vision goggles, grenades and ammunition of various calibres”, the defence ministry said in a statement in the early hours on Twitter.
“Portugal supports Ukraine, which is defending itself against an unjustified, illegal and unacceptable invasion,” Defence Minister Joao Cravinho said in another tweet.
Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva on Saturday told CNN Portugal that Lisbon was “totally open” to welcoming “thousands of Ukrainians” forced to flee their country.
He also said Lisbon had suspended the review of Russia applications for so-called “golden visas”, residency permits given to wealthy foreign investors.
Greece also today said it would send “defence equipment” to Ukraine via Poland, without providing further details of what it would be.
Germany said yesterday its army would transfer 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger-class surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine, in a U-turn from its longstanding policy of banning weapon exports to conflict zones.
The Netherlands, France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic have also pledged various kinds of weaponry, while the United States is providing Ukraine with $350 million in additional military equipment.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has updated its estimate on the number of refugees that have left Ukraine, saying the total stands at 368,000.
It said in a tweet: “Ukraine refugee numbers have just been refreshed – these are based on data made available by national authorities. The current total is now 368,000 and continues to rise.”
BREAKING: #Ukraine refugee numbers have just been refreshed – these are based on data made available by national authorities. The current total is now 368,000 and continues to rise. — UNHCR News (@RefugeesMedia) February 27, 2022
Ukrainian authorities have launched a website to help Russian families track down soldiers who have been killed or captured fighting in Moscow’s invasion of the pro-Western country.
The site contains pictures of the documents and corpses of Russian soldiers Ukraine said had been killed since President Vladimir Putin launched the attack.
It also has videos of soldiers Ukraine says it has captured.
“I am talking to you in Russian because this site was created for you,” Viktor Andrusiv, an adviser to the interior minister, said in a video posted on the site.
“I know that many Russians are worried about how and where their children, sons, husbands are and what is happening to them – so we decided to put this online so that each of you could search for your loved one who Putin sent to fight in Ukraine.”
Andrusiv said that over the past three days Ukrainian forces had captured almost 200 Russian soldiers and more than 3,000 Russian troops had died.
“We have documents, photos and videos of all of these people,” Andrusiv said.
Germany will invest €100 billion in military equipment this year and plough more than 2% of its economic output in defence annually, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said.
“We will set up a special ‘Bundeswehr’ fund,” he told parliament in a special sitting, adding that the budget will be used for investments and armaments projects.
“We will from now on – year after year – invest more than 2% of gross domestic product in our defence,” he said, calling for the special army fund should be written into the constitution.
RTÉ’s Tony Connelly is still in Ukraine, reporting from Lviv this morning.
He has bumped into Ola and Andriy, a couple who today tied the knot at St Peter and St Paul’s church.
“We want to raise our children in a free Ukraine,” they told RTÉ.
Love in the time of war… Ola and Andriy tie the knot at St Peter and St Paul’s church, Lviv. “We want to raise our children in a free Ukraine” they tell @rtenews pic.twitter.com/IMKJCf02Q3
— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) February 27, 2022
Heavy sanctions imposed by Western allies against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are already showing effect, Scholz has said.
“Already in the last week, the Russian stock markets sank by more than 30%. That shows: our sanctions are working,” said Scholz.
“And we reserve the right to impose further sanctions,” he warned.
Scholz has also said he is still open for talks with Russia, but warned that Moscow had to be ready for “real dialogue.”
“We will not refuse to engage in talks with Russia. Even in this extreme situation, it is the task of diplomacy to keep channels of communication open,” he said.
“Anything else would be irresponsible.”
In further news from Germany, the Transport Ministry has announced the country will impose a three-month ban on all Russian flights from its airspace from 2pm today.
“In a Notice to Air Missions, the transport ministry has imposed a flight ban for Russian aircraft and aircraft operators in and over German airspace,” said the ministry, adding that order was valid for three months.
Only humanitarian flights will be exempt.
Italy and Belgium have also confirmed they will be closing their airspaces to Russian flights.
Ukraine has lodged a complaint against Russia at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to get it to halt its invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression,” Zelensky declared in a tweet.
“We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week.”
Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 27, 2022
The ICJ, which is based in the Netherlands capital The Hague, does not have a mandate to bring criminal charges against individual Russian leaders behind the four-day-old invasion.
But it is the world’s top court for resolving legal complaints between states over alleged breaches of international law. It is the supreme judicial institution of the United Nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron has tweeted that he asked the Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to stop helping Russia in its war against Ukraine.
“Last night I asked Alexander Lukashenko to ensure the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of his country. The brotherhood between the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples should push Belarus to refuse to become a vassal and an actual accomplice of Russia in the war against Ukraine.”
Вчера вечером я попросил Александра Лукашенко обеспечить вывод российских войск с территории его страны. Братство между белорусским и украинским народами должно подтолкнуть Беларусь к отказу становиться вассалом и фактическим пособником России в войне против Украины.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 27, 2022
Pope Francis has called for the “urgent” opening of humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
I am thinking of the elderly, of all those at the moment seeking refuge, of mothers fleeing with their children.
They are brothers and sisters for whom it is urgent to open up humanitarian corridors and who must be welcomed.
This just in: Germany has said it is offering free train rides to bring in Ukrainian refugees to the country from Poland.
Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne has said he is proud of his Fianna Fáil party colleagues, nearly 40 of whom signed a petition calling on the Russian Ambassador to Ireland to be ejected.
“I’m very proud of my Fianna Fail colleagues who have taken consistently a proud stand for Ukraine, for democracy and against the autocracy in Russia over the years, particularly in the European Parliament, but also in the Dail and yesterday,” Mr Byrne told the BBC on Sunday
Byrne was quick to clarify though that such a move would lead to a response from Russia.
“It’s under discussion, there’s no question, but it’ll be done on a European level.
“I think we’ll have much greater effect if we all make a move together.
“You must keep lines of communication open, but also you must ensure that your own diplomats in Russia are not kicked out either because then you’re at a disadvantage, obviously then dealing with Irish citizens or other European citizens who may be there.”
This just in: Ukraine’s army has retaken Kharkiv, according to its local governor, who said that it is expelling Russian troops Ukraine’s second-biggest city.
Ukrainian forces had secured full control of Kharkiv on Sunday following street fighting with Russian troops in the country’s second-biggest city, the local governor said.
“Kharkiv is fully under our control,” the head of the regional administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said on Telegram, adding that the army was expelling Russian forces during a “clean-up” operation.
A map of the latest situation – you can see how Belarus is such a significant concern for Ukraine, particularly in the defence of Kyiv.
Zelensky has spoken by phone with Belarus strongman and Kremlin ally Alexander Lukashenko.
“I’ve spoken with Alexander Lukashenko,” Zelensky said on Facebook, without providing further details, suggesting the conversation may not have gone well.
Some strong comments from Minister of State Thomas Byrne on Newstalk’s On the Record there.
When asked about Russia’s arguments in favour of invading Ukraine, including a false claim that there was a ‘genocide’ being conducted against Russian speakers in the east of Ukraine, Byrne called it “complete bull”.
He also said that the issue of Ukraine joining NATO undermining Russia’s security as a reason for an invasion was also “complete bull”.
“Those who have parroted that over the last number of weeks need to reconsider what they were saying. Nobody knows what’s in Putin’s mind, he’s clearly a very, very evil person.
I think that all we have to do is stay united in defence of democracy and to ensure that whatever we do, gives him the toughest possible pain without escalating the conflict beyond Ukraine.
RTÉ’s Europe Editor Tony Connolly spoke to Yuri Zastavny, whose Pravda beer company is being converted to make ‘Molotov Cocktails’, or petrol bombs made with alcohol.
Is Carlsberg helping the Ukrainian resistance? More “possibly” than “Probably”. Yuri Zastavny whose Pravda beer co in Lviv has been converted to make Molotov Cocktails hints the Danish brewer is being very helpful pic.twitter.com/ysAkd8KciQ
— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) February 27, 2022
Just in: Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian authorities of wasting “an opportunity” to hold talks after Ukraine refused to hold talks in Belarus, which is helping Russia with its invasion of the north of Ukraine.
Putin said during a call with the Israeli Prime Minister that “the Russian delegation is in the Belarus city of Gomel and is ready for negotiations with representatives of Kyiv, who, showing inconsistency, have not yet taken advantage of this opportunity”.
The Kremlin said that Putin had briefed Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about “the course of a special military operation to protect Donbas.”
Following the Russian invasion, Israel has sought to preserve its delicate security cooperation with Moscow, given the large Russian military presence in Syria, where Israel conducts regular air strikes on what it calls Iran-linked targets.
Bennett did say that his government was sending “100 tonnes of Israeli humanitarian equipment” for Ukrainian civilians in the combat zones and those who are trying to leave. This includes blankets and water purification kits.
Thousands of people have gathered in cities around the world today in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins, the party’s spokesperson on social media, said tech giants need to do more to verify content claiming to be from Ukraine to protect against Russian misinformation.
“Many European countries have banned the broadcast of Russian TV news stations in an effort to minimise the damage being done by misinformation, yet social media companies continue to show fake footage purporting to be from Ukraine.
“Deep fakes, looped videos with fake sirens and dubbed noises, realistic gaming footage and doctored pictures and videos have been appearing on many social media platforms in efforts to distort reality and motivate Russian forces and their supporters.”
She called on social media giants like TikTok to “step up their game” when it comes to verifying content in relation to this crisis.
BBC News has spoken to some civilians on the ground in Kharkiv after Ukrainian forces claimed to be back in control of the city.
One woman, a 30-year-old who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke about being in the city overnight when the Russian forces moved in.
“I can’t describe the sounds that woke us up at 00:30 last night,” she said.
“It’s something like Star Wars above your head. It lasted about 15 minutes with no breaks.”
Just in: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defence chiefs to put the country’s “deterrence forces” on high alert as he accused Western countries of taking “unfriendly” steps against his country amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I order the defence minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said in a televised address.
Breaking: Ukraine agrees to hold talks with Russia at Belarus border, according to Ukraine presidency.
More on Putin’s order for deterrence forces:
As just reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defence chiefs to put the country’s nuclear “deterrence forces” on high alert and accused the West of taking “unfriendly” steps against his country.
International tensions are already soaring over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Putin’s order will cause further alarm.
Moscow has the world’s second-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles which form the backbone of the country’s deterrence forces.
“I order the defence minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said.
“You see that Western countries are not only unfriendly to our country in the economic sphere – I mean illegitimate sanctions,” he added, in a televised address.
“Senior officials of leading NATO countries also allow aggressive statements against our country.”
Defence Minister Shoigu replied: “Affirmative.”
Ministers have defended the decision to so far not expel the Russian ambassador in Ireland.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said she understood why people were “upset” at the presence of the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov, remaining in the country.
Yesterday evening, nearly 40 Fianna Fáil TDs, senators and MEPs signed a petition calling on Filatov to be ejected from Ireland.
The chair of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and senior Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan also tweeted a call for the ambassador to be forced to leave Ireland.
McEntee however, has today rejected the suggestion the issue was causing “tension” in Government.
“We have over 50 Irish nationals that are still in Ukraine,” she told RTÉ radio.
“We have Irish parents who are due babies via surrogates in a couple of weeks. We have Irish citizens who are living in Russia.
“And there is a potential that if the ambassador is expelled that we will see an immediate closure of our embassy in Moscow and a complete breakdown of diplomatic relations. And we don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming weeks.
“We need to make sure that we can support our Irish citizens.
“This is something that’s being considered later on today. Not just potentially looking at the ambassador, but potentially looking at other diplomatic figures that are in Ireland and that are in other member states.
“Nothing is off the table here.”
According to the Sunday Independent, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told the paper that he expects Ireland to expel some Russian diplomats as part of the next set of EU sanctions, but will stop short of expelling Filatov.
Coveney told the paper that not having a line of communication to Moscow would be a “mistake”.
This photo shows Khreshchatyk, the main street in Kyiv, empty, due to curfew currently in place.
BREAKING: #Ukraine refugee numbers have just been refreshed - these are based on data made available by national authorities. The current total is now 368,000 and continues to rise.
— UNHCR News (@RefugeesMedia) February 27, 2022
International charities and community groups are calling for donations to aid humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and to help those who flee the country.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) updated its estimate on the number of refugees that have left Ukraine, saying the total stands at 368,000 – a figure that continues to rise.
The UNHCR said humanitarian needs are “multiplying and spreading by the hour”.
It said it is sending more resources, staff and stockpiles to countries neighboring Ukraine in addition to stockpiles prepositioned in various locations in the region.
The agency said it is sending stock of core relief items to Moldova, including blankets, sleeping mats, family tents, winterisation kits, sleeping bags, water jerrycans, baby kits, solar lamps and other items for at least 10,000 people.
“Donations are urgently needed because every dollar counts – helping refugees wherever they are from is an incredibly good thing to do as there are nearly 26.4 million refugees around the world, around half of whom are under the age of 18.
“UNHCR has launched a Ukraine Emergency Appeal to help with relief efforts, because our relief work relies on donations and the needs on the ground are immense.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said he hopes the world is seeing the “first step” towards the ending of war, after the Ukraine president’s office said Ukrainian envoys will meet with Russian diplomats as the country’s troops draw closer to Kyiv.
He tweeted: “Let’s hope this can be a first step to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“But be clear, EU foreign ministers meet tonight to increase targeted sanctions against Russia for unjustifiable aggression & to substantially increase our support for Ukraine.”
Let’s hope this can be a first step to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 27, 2022
But be clear, EU Foreign Ministers meet tonight to increase targeted sanctions against Russia for unjustifiable aggression & to substantially increase our support for Ukraine. https://t.co/jWmupvrlnQ
Spain and Canada are the latest countries to announce they are closing their airspace to Russian carriers.
“Spain will proceed to close its airspace to Russian airlines,” Spain’s transport ministry said on Twitter, adding that it was following the “cooperation guidelines set by the European Union”.
The US has charged that President Vladimir Putin is “manufacturing threats” as he placed Russian nuclear deterrence forces on high alert amid the Ukraine crisis.
“This is a pattern that we’ve seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on ABC when asked about the announcement from Moscow.
Ukraine’s foreign minister has said that Kyiv would not buckle at talks with Russia over its invasion, accusing President Vladimir Putin of seeking to increase “pressure” by ordering his nuclear forces on high alert.
“We will not surrender, we will not capitulate, we will not give up a single inch of our territory,” Dmytro Kuleba said at a press conference broadcast online.
Despite a crackdown by police, anti-war protests have continued in Russia.
In St Petersburg today the dozens of people tho gathered to protest were met by police in full riot gear, PA reports. Some were dragged into police vans, despite the fact that no violent incidents occurred.
According to the OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests, by this afternoon police had detained at least 356 Russians in 32 cities over anti-war demonstrations that day.
The World Health Organization has warned that oxygen supplies in Ukraine are dangerously low.
The majority of hospitals could exhaust their oxygen reserves within the next 24 hours, the WHO warned, stating that some have already run out.
WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO regional director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P Kluge said they are working with partners to establish safe transit for shipments through Poland.
Amnesty International has confirmed that a 220mm Uragan rocket dropped cluster munitions on the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in the town of Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast on Friday, where local people were seeking safety from the fighting.
The organisation said this attack appears to have been carried out by Russian forces.
Three people, including one child, were killed in the attack. Another child was wounded.
Amnesty said this strike may constitute a war crime.
“There is no possible justification for dropping cluster munitions in populated areas, let alone near a school,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.
She said:
This attack bears all the hallmarks of Russia’s use of this inherently indiscriminate and internationally-banned weapon, and shows flagrant disregard for civilian life.
This is the fourth attack in this conflict that has struck a school that Amnesty International has verified.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Russian-owned, Russian-registered and Russian-controlled aircraft are to be banned from EU airspace. This includes the private jets of oligarchs.
The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik and their subsidiaries are to be banned in the EU. Von der Leyen said they will “will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war”.
She said the EU will also target the regime of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
Third, we will target the other aggressor in this war, Lukashenko’s regime, with a new package of sanctions, hitting their most important sectors.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2022
All these measures come on top of the strong package presented yesterday,
agreed by our international partners. pic.twitter.com/ikN99V14zU
The EU will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed.
She said this is the first time the EU has done this:
We are stepping up our support for Ukraine.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2022
For the first time, the EU will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and equipment to a country under attack.
We are also strengthening our sanctions against the Kremlin.
https://t.co/qEBICNxYa1
Von der Leyen said the “leadership and bravery” of Zelensky, and the resilience of the Ukrainian people as they fight back are “outstanding and impressive” and “an inspiration to all of us”.
In relation to Ukrainian refugees arriving in EU countries, she said: “I am proud of the warm welcome that Europe has given them.”
Press Association is reporting that BP is exiting its 19.75% shareholding in Russian oil giant Rosneft. Its chief executive Bernard Looney is resigning from Rosneft’s board with “immediate effect”, the firm said in a statement.
Speaking earlier today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the EU, US, Canada and “other like-minded democracies” have acted with great solidarity and determination in imposing sanctions “in an unprecedented scale” on Russia.
He welcomed the news that talks are to take place at the Belarus border “because in our view the war is unjustified”.
He said:
We know hospitals are being attacked, schools have been attacked nurseries, civilians have been killed. It’s unacceptable, it’s immoral, what’s going on. And that needs to be brought to an end.
When asked whether he was ruling out expelling diplomats, including the Russian ambassador, he said the government is “not ruling anything out”.
However he said channels such as that are important in terms of helping Irish citizens who could be in difficulty.
Russia’s army has admitted that there were killed and injured” soldiers among its troops in Ukraine, AFP reports.
“Russian servicemen are showing courage and heroism while fulfilling combat tasks in the special military operation,” Moscow’s army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on state television.
“Unfortunately, there are killed and injured among our comrades.”
He did not say how many had died, but this is the first time Moscow has spoken about losing soldiers since the invasion was launched on Thursday morning.
The UN Security Council will hold another emergency meeting on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine tomorrow, diplomats have said.
The session, to be held in New York, will focus on the developing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, diplomats said.
It was requested by French President Emmanuel Macron and will feature officials from the UN’s humanitarian affairs and refugee agencies.
Dozens of people gathered outside the residence of the Russian Ambassador to Ireland today. There have been calls for ambassador Yury Filatov to be expelled from the country.
“Mr Filatov, where are you?” the crowd at the protest shouted.
Dozens of people have gathered outside the residence of the Russian Ambassador to Ireland
— Dominic McGrath (@McGrathDominic) February 27, 2022
“Mr Filatov, where are you?” pic.twitter.com/HrLDvznaJs
A range of speakers addressed the rally, promising that Ukrainians would fight on until the death.
Some speakers spoke of friends and family at home preparing to fight to defend their country.
You can read more here about theDozens of people who gathered outside the Russian Embassy residence in Dublin, as well as two smaller protests in Cork City and Waterford City, for the latest protests against the invasion of Ukraine.
Some heartbreaking scenes at Dublin airport today, captured on film by RTÉ.
Husbands, fathers, sons and friends leaving Dublin airport to go and fight the war in Ukraine, more @FergalOBrien_ @rtenews #UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/8860FVjl7t
— Paul Deighan (@PaulDeighano) February 27, 2022
As the invasion of Ukraine continues, some Ukrainians living in Ireland are travelling back to Ukraine to take up arms in defence of their country | Live updates: https://t.co/1pBTEEAjX1 pic.twitter.com/1ZRWNS7U8B
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 27, 2022
The White House press secretary has said that Vladimir Putin’s action to put its nuclear team on high-alert because of the actions of the West to support Ukraine was part of a “pattern” to justify escalations.
“This is a pattern that we’ve seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on ABC.
A senior US defense official, speaking on grounds of anonymity, said Putin’s step came as Ukraine’s forces, helped by arms from the West, continued to stymie the advance of Russian troops, who this official said had run into fuel supply and other logistical problems.
Important clarification from PA: Ireland will not contribute financially to weapons for Ukraine, after the EU announced it would close its airspace to Russian airlines, fund weapons purchases to Ukraine and ban some pro-Kremlin media outlets.
The country has a longstanding policy of military neutrality.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told PA news agency: “The EU Foreign Affairs Council will approve a package of assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces consisting of both lethal and non-lethal military equipment.
“The latter component will include supplies such as personal protective equipment, medical kits and fuel.
“In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, Ireland will constructively abstain from the lethal equipment elements and will not contribute financially to this aspect.
“Instead, we will provide a corresponding contribution to the provision of non-lethal support. Our understanding is that a number of Member States, including Austria and Malta, are likely to take the same approach.”
England’s football association, the FA, has announced that it will not play against Russia at any level for the forseeable future out of solidarity with Ukraine.
Statement from The FA: pic.twitter.com/3wcyqNIkOZ
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) February 27, 2022
A big moment in the Russia-Ukrainian war:
Kyiv’s mayor Vitaliy Klitschko says the capital city is circled on all sides, and that there is no way to evacuate civilians.
“All the ways are blocked. Right now we are encircled,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Kyiv’s mayor says the city is now completely surrounded and all exits blocked by Russian troops. No way to evacuate civilians.
— Polina Ivanova (@polinaivanovva) February 27, 2022
Siege begins. pic.twitter.com/eND142bcuR
Anastasiya, a refugee from Kyiv, looks at her parrot after crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border today.
Some interesting analysis here from economist Anders Åslund, who authored the book “Russia’s Crony Capitalism” in 2019.
He also says that the one big difference between the two wars is the world’s support of Ukraine and the hyper focus on it.
The Russian-Ukrainian war has only lasted four days, but it looks increasingly like the Soviet-Finnish Winter War. The USSR could not do anything right in spite of overwhelming military assets, while Finland did everything right and held its own, causing enormous Soviet losses.
— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) February 27, 2022
Virgin Media reporter Tania Reut is speaking to Ukrainians departing from Dublin Airport. Here’s Andriy, who is flying to Poland tonight.
This is Andriy, boarding the flight to Poland in Dublin airport to cross the land border to Ukraine and join the fighting. pic.twitter.com/4F0dVaD5Ok
— Tania Reut (@tania_reut) February 27, 2022
Developments here: Russia’s Ministry for Defence has admitted there have been Russian casualties in Ukraine, but that they are “many times lower than the nationalists”.
Russia's MoD for the first time admits Russia has casualties in Ukraine... although it claims they are "many times lower than claimed by the nationalists" (?) https://t.co/ZAxqegaPkE
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) February 27, 2022
The Ukrainian Ministry for Foreign Affairs said earlier today that this was the damage that has been done to the Russian army:
Ukraine is inflicting disastrous losses on the enemy.
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 27, 2022
The overall Russian losses in these 3,5 days ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LR5Jb3dZMK
Switzerland, outside of the EU, likely to do similar to what the EU has done.
Swiss president cassis tells television it "very probable" that Switzerland will follow European union on Monday in sanctioning Russia and freezing assets.
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) February 27, 2022
Meanwhile, in the UK, there are calls for Ofcom, the communications regulator, to ban Russia-backed media Sputnik and Russia Today as the EU did.
To support a statement made by the White House earlier, Germany has also said that Putin’s nuclear threat is an indication that his offensive in Ukraine is not going to plan.
The announcement “crosses another line” and “is to do with the fact that, in his (Putin’s) megalomania, the rapid invasion of Ukraine has been halted by Ukraine’s brave and determined actions,” German defence minister Christine Lambrecht told public broadcaster ZDF.
The United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, says it is planning to deal with up to four million refugees if the situation worsens – but the figure could grow to as high as seven million.
Some 196,000 Ukrainians have already fled over the Polish border, its frontier guards said today. On Friday alone, 50,000 Ukrainians arrived.
While 90% of the refugees are being put up by friends or relations, nine reception centres are also being set up close to the frontier.
Hundreds of Russians are leaving flowers at the spot where liberal Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015.
He was an outspoken critic not only of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2014, but of Putin himself, and expressed fear that Putin would have him killed.
"Boris, you were right." Hundreds of people are laying flowers at the spot were Nemtsov was killed. He had spoken out against the 1st Russian attack on Ukraine in 2014 pic.twitter.com/6krtuuElNm
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) February 27, 2022
More trouble for Putin: Leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations have threatened fresh sanctions against Russia if it continues its invasion of Ukraine.
The joint statement from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US warned that failing that, the group would “take further steps” to add to the sanctions already announced.
The EU’s response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is being praised today, particularly by British commentators and experts.
Alyn Smith, a former Scottish MEP, said that the EU’s response “dwarfs” the UKs, and a former worker at the UK Treasury office and the European Commission said that the response is unlike any other crisis he’s worked on:
🇪🇺🇺🇦 On Ukrainian refugees, sanctions, financial aid, military support, SWIFT, banning disinformation and energy policy the EU response simply dwarfs the UK in scale and ambition. The UK should act to mirror all EU schemes as much as possible. https://t.co/Rvgl0rX5sf
— Alyn Smith MP 🏴🇪🇺 (@AlynSmith) February 27, 2022
🇪🇺 response to 🇷🇺 invasion of 🇺🇦 is unlike its response to any other crisis I've worked on (many): Greece, Ukraine 1.0, Refugees, Brexit, Covid
— Mujtaba (Mij) Rahman (@Mij_Europe) February 27, 2022
Never let it be said again that EU's response is "bureaucratic", "incremental" & "reactive". Time to revisit our analytical assumptions
- With reporting from AFP and PA.
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