LAST UPDATE | 23 Mar 2022
HERE WERE THE major developments on the 28th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and the 28th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lauren Boland here – let’s take a look at what’s happening today so far:
Almost 100,000 people are trapped in Mariupol, where Russia has caused devastating damage and loss of life.
Tens of thousands of have already fled the besieged southern port city while others are unable to leave as the humanitarian situation worsens.
In his latest video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy said that more than 7,000 people had escaped Mariupol in the previous 24 hours but that one group travelling along an agreed humanitarian route were “simply captured by the occupiers”.
“Today, the city still has nearly 100,000 people in inhumane conditions. In a total siege. Without food, water, medication, under constant shelling and under constant bombing.”
Local Ukrainian forces report “heavy” ground fighting with Russian infantry and UN relief agencies estimate there have been around 20,000 civilian casualties in the city and 3,000 killed, though a precise figure is unknown.
US President Joe Biden is set to travel to Brussels tomorrow for a series of summits with Nato, EU and G7 leaders.
Russia’s membership of the G20 is in question, with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan saying that the US will consult with allies about Russia’s position.
He told a press briefing: “We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community.”
However, China has flagged its support for Russia remaining a G20 member and attending the next summit in October.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that the G20 “is the main forum for international economic cooperation” and that Russia is an “important member”.
After Brussels, Biden is due to visit Poland, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have arrived from Ukraine.
The latest intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defence outlines that the battlefield in northern Ukraine is largely static and that Russian forces are likely trying to reorganise before resuming large-scale offensive operations.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German Parliament this morning that Russia’s efforts are “stuck”.
In contrast, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has denied that the invasion has stalled, insisting that the operation is going as planned.
The Kyiv Independent is reporting that Russia has destroyed the Chernihiv Bridge to Kyiv, which was being used to evacuate civilians and bring humanitarian aid.
Poland’s counter-espionage service ABW has identified 45 diplomats in the country who it believes to be Russian spies.
It’s sent the list of suspects to the Polish foreign ministry and requested that they are expelled from Poland.
Additionally, a spokesperson tweeted that the ABW has detained a Polish national who worked in the archives of Warsaw’s registry office on suspicion of espionage for Russian secret services.
Russia is accusing the US of trying to hinder its talks with Ukraine, which have been ongoing over the last several weeks but making little progress.
Speaking to students in Moscow today, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the “talks are tough, the Ukrainian side constantly changes its position”.
“It’s hard to avoid the impression that our American colleagues are holding their hand,” Lavrov said.
He said that “the Americans simply see it as disadvantageous for them for this process to finish swiftly,” and claimed “they are counting on continuing to pump up Ukraine with weapons”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the talks between the two countries are confrontational but moving forward, though Russia continues to heavily strike locations around Ukraine.
And now the Russian ambassador to Indonesia, which is due to host the next G20 summit in October, has confirmed Putin intends to participate in the summit.
Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva said the G20 host had invited Putin to the heads of state summit in Bali.
“It will depend on many things, including the Covid situation that is getting better. But, so far yes, the intention is [for Putin] to come,” she told reporters today.
She called attempts by other countries to expel Russia from the G20 and other international organisations a ‘disproportionate’ reaction.
In 2014, Russia was suspended indefinitely from the G8 over the annexation of Crimea, which has since been renamed the G7.
That’s it from me, Lauren, for this morning – I’ll hand you over now to my colleague Niall O’Connor.
Poland has expelled 45 Russian diplomatic staff from the Embassy – there will be more to follow on this.
AFP reports that Poland says it has expelled 45 Russian diplomats for espionage, an allegation immediately dismissed as baseless by Russia’s ambassador to Poland.
Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski made the announcement on Twitter.
“Poland has expelled 45 Russian spies pretending to be diplomats,” he wrote. “We are dismantling the Russian special services network in our country.”
Russian ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev confirmed the expulsions, telling reporters that the individuals concerned had been given five days to leave Poland.
“There are no grounds for these kinds of accusations,” he said, adding that Russia reserved the right to take retaliatory measures.
Bilateral diplomatic relations remained in place, he said: “The embassies remain, the ambassadors remain.”
Earlier today, Poland’s counter-espionage service ABW had announced that it had detained a Polish national suspected of espionage for Russia’s secret services.
“The detainee worked in the archives of Warsaw’s registry office,” ABW spokesman Stanislaw Zaryn said on Twitter.
“The activity of the suspect posed a threat to both (the) internal and external security of Poland,” he added.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has stalled.
“Putin’s offensive is stuck despite all the destruction that it is bringing day after day,” Scholz said in a speech to the German parliament.
Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western partners are working and will only bring further damage to Russia’s economy, the German leader warned.
“But that is just the beginning, many of the toughest consequences will only been seen in the coming weeks,” he said, warning that “we are constantly creating sanctions.”
Putin “must hear the truth” that not only is the war destroying Ukraine, “but also Russia’s future”.
Scholz insisted that Germany stands by Kyiv, but said he would not endorse calls for NATO to help erect a no-fly zone over Ukraine or to send in “peacekeeping troops”.
“As difficult as it is, we will not give in on that,” he said, adding that Germany would not risk a direct military conflict between nuclear-armed Russia and NATO.
EU member states can offer limited subsidies and cheap loans to companies affected by the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the bloc’s competition authority said on Wednesday.
“We need to mitigate the economic impact of this war and to support severely impacted companies and sectors,” said EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager.
The economy in the Europe Union is deeply affected by the conflict, with many companies suffering major disruption due to their direct links with Russia and Ukraine and the jump in energy prices.
“The sanctions adopted by the EU and its international partners have severely affected the Russian economy… (but they) also take a toll on the European economy and will continue to do so in the coming months,” Vestager said.
The European Commission has therefore triggered special provisions to allow non-farming companies to immediately receive as much as $400,000 ($440,000) in government aid to help weather the crisis.
Governments are also allowed to inject struggling companies with subsidised loans or guarantees for existing loans that may not be repaid.
Companies that are intensive energy users will also be able to get help paying their bills, which for now will be capped at two million euros, the EU said.
That’s it from me, Niall, – I’ll hand you over now to my colleague Jane Moore who will keep you updated for the afternoon.
Hello, Jane Moore here taking over from my colleague Niall.
We’ll start with an intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defence with a map outlining the locations of Russian troops and attacks happening across Ukraine.
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 23, 2022
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 23 March 2022.
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/lKqHBP2NQ7
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/7kKkqkY8aJ
Russia will only accept rubles for gas deliveries to Europe
President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will only accept payments in rubles for gas deliveries to “unfriendly countries”, which include all EU members, after Moscow was hit by unprecedented sanctions over Ukraine.
“I have decided to implement a set of measures to transfer payment for our gas supplies to unfriendly countries into Russian rubles,” Putin said during a televised government meeting, ordering the changes to be implemented within a week.
Johnson says allies should provide further defensive military aid to Ukraine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told his Cabinet that allies should go further in “providing further defensive military aid to Ukraine”.
Giving an account of the Cabinet meeting, No 10 said: “The Prime Minister paid tribute to the fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people in the face of the brutal and inhumane actions of Putin’s regime.
“He said Putin’s actions had already crossed the threshold of barbarism and the west should not hesitate to go further in strengthening sanctions and providing further defensive military aid to Ukraine.”
UN’s labour agency suspends cooperation with Russia
The UN’s International Labour Organization has said it is halting all technical cooperation with Russia until it stops its war in Ukraine, further isolating Moscow on the international stage.
The ILO decided to “temporarily suspend technical cooperation or assistance from the ILO to the Russian Federation, except for the purpose of humanitarian assistance, until a ceasefire is agreed and a peaceful resolution is implemented”, it said, while Moscow is also suspended from certain meetings and conferences.
📢The Governing Body of the @ILO has passed a resolution on the ‘Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the International Labour Organization.'
— International Labour Organization (@ilo) March 23, 2022
👉Read the resolution: https://t.co/VCGUEYkFtM pic.twitter.com/QulNOod1UN
Nato set to deploy four new battle groups to eastern flank
Nato leaders are set to agree at a summit significant new troop deployments for eastern allies in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg has said.
Speaking to journalists ahead of tomorrow’s summit, Stoltenberg said: “I expect leaders will agree to strengthen Nato’s posture in all domains with major increases of forces in the eastern part of the alliance, on land, in the air and at sea.”
“The first step is the deployment of four new Nato battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia,” he said.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said that more than 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, warning that millions more would have their lives upended if the nearly month-long war continues.
UNHCR said 3,626,546 Ukrainians had fled the country – an increase of 69,301 from yesterday’s figure.
In total, more than 10 million people – over a quarter of the population in regions under government control before the 24 February 24 invasion – are now thought to have fled their homes, including an estimated 6.48 million who are internally displaced.
The refugee crisis is Europe’s worst since World War II, according to UNHCR.
“Millions more will have their lives upended if the war persists,” the UN’s International Organization for Migration warned.
Women and children account for some 90% of those who have fled the country as Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are eligible for military call-up and cannot leave.
More than 1.5 million of those who have fled abroad are children, according to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency.
An additional 186,000 people from third countries had fled Ukraine, according to IOM.
Biden departs White House for Brussels summits on Ukraine
US President Joe Biden has left for Europe on a mission to bolster Western unity and ramp up unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and brutal bid to upset the post-Cold War balance of power.
Underlining how serious the crisis raging in eastern Europe has become, Biden told reporters as he boarded the Marine One helicopter at the White House that he sees “a real threat” of Russian chemical warfare against Ukraine.
With Russian troops increasingly bogged down, the possibility that President Vladimir Putin could order chemical, biological or even tactical nuclear strikes to subdue Ukraine will be one of the dire scenarios discussed at back-to-back Nato, G7 and EU summits in Brussels tomorrow.
Biden, who is set to give a press conference at Nato headquarters tomorrow, will fly Friday to Poland, which neighbours Ukraine and is now the frontline in what some call a new Cold War. On Saturday he meets President Andrzej Duda before returning to Washington.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden will seek to “reinforce the incredible unity we built with allies and partners.”
Sullivan also said that economic sanctions, imposed by a global network of Western allies to cripple Russia’s finances, will be deepened.
A further package will be “rolled out in conjunction with our allies on Thursday,” Sullivan said. He gave no details, other than to say the package “will focus not just on adding new sanctions but on ensuring that there is joint effort to crack down on evasion on sanctions.”
Adviser to Putin reportedly resigns over Ukraine invasion
Reuters is reporting that an adviser to Vladimir Putin has resigned over the invasion of Ukraine and fled the country.
Anatoly Chubais, a veteran reformer and climate envoy, is said to be against the invasion, and has no intention of returning to Russia.
A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed to the news agency that Chubais resigned of his own accord.
He is understood to be the first senior official to break with the Kremlin since Putin launched his invasion a month ago.
Returning to Brussels, Nato General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg has accused China of giving political backing to Russia as it attacks Ukraine, and warned Beijing against providing material support to Moscow’s war effort.
“China has provided Russia with political support, including by spreading blatant lies and misinformation, and allies are concerned that China could provide material support for the Russian invasion,” Stoltenberg said ahead of tomorrow’s urgent Nato summit.
I expect leaders will call on China to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, refrain from supporting Russia’s war effort, and join the rest of the world in calling for an immediate, peaceful end to this war.
Zelenskyy to address Swedish, Danish parliaments
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the Swedish and Danish parliaments in the coming days, one month into the Russian invasion of his country, the two assemblies have confirmed.
Zelenskyy has made multiple appearances by video link before parliaments in other countries.
His speech to Sweden’s Riksdag is scheduled for tomorrow at 10.55am local time (9.55am GMT), the parliament said.
“I’m honoured that the president of Ukraine wants to address parliament during a raging war,” said speaker Andreas Norlen.
Zelensky will address the Folketing in Denmark on 29 March.
Less than a week after Russian troops invaded on February 24, Zelensky spoke to MEPs in the European Parliament on 1 March.
Since then, he has addressed the US Congress, as well as British, Canadian and German lawmakers among others. He is due to address an extraordinary Nato summit tomorrow.
Addressing the French National Assembly today, Zelenskyy called on French companies including carmaker Renault, supermarket group Auchan and DIY retailer Leroy Merlin to leave Russia.
“French companies must quit the Russian market,” Zelenskyy said during a 15-minute video address. “Renault, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and others must stop sponsoring the Russian war machine.”
Kyiv, which has received large deliveries of mainly anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons from the West, is now calling for “offensive weapons” as deterrence against the Russian army.
Sweden has delivered 5,000 anti-tank launchers to Ukraine, breaking its doctrine of not sending weapons to countries in active conflict for the first time since 1939.
Denmark has also sent lethal aid to Ukraine in the form of 2,700 anti-tank weapons.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of blocking hundreds of ships filled with wheat in the Black Sea.
Speaking at the European Parliament today, von der Leyen said Russia is disrupting vital food supplies and driving food prices up.
“We should not forget that Ukraine alone provides more than half of the World Food Programme’s wheat supply. The shelling and the bombing makes it impossible for Ukrainian farmers to sow,” she said.
On top of that, Putin is blocking hundreds of ships filled with wheat in the Black Sea, so the consequences will be felt from Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia to Africa and the Far East. And I call on Putin to let those ships go. Otherwise, he will not only be responsible for one death but also for famine and hunger. Let these ships go.
Von der Leyen said the EU has assigned at least €2.5 billion until 2024 to help regions across the world facing food insecurity.
It will also table a package of €500 million to support European farmers most affected by the crisis, she said.
Food supply is not at risk in the EU.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 23, 2022
And we can take actions to further reinforce it.
This morning we decided on a range of special measures to help European farmers.
We will table a package of €500 million to support the most affected of them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of tomorrow’s summits in Brussels.
Had a phone conversation with @BorisJohnson. Received assurances of his support on the eve of tomorrow's important meetings. Discussed the course of hostilities and defense assistance to Ukraine. We will win together.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 23, 2022
Ukrainians push back Russian forces around Kyiv
Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops in several areas around Kyiv, the city’s mayor has said, vowing to defend every building rather than surrender the capital.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were battles raging on the northern and eastern outskirts of the city, and that “the small city of Makariv and almost all of Irpin is already under the control of Ukrainian soldiers”.
Irpin borders Kyiv to the east, and Makariv is located some 50 kilometres to the west.
Fierce exchanges of artillery fire took place in Irpin and Lyutizh to the north of Kyiv, with considerable activity behind the front lines in Irpin, AFP journalists said.
A Ukrainian news agency spoke of a possible encirclement of Russian troops at Irpin, as well as Bucha and Hostomel, which are located in the western outskirts of Kyiv.
Klitschko said he didn’t have any more detailed information of ongoing Ukrainian counter offensives.
Russian troops quickly pushed to the outskirts of Kyiv after invading the country on 24 February, but their attempt to encircle and enter the city have failed.
The “target of aggressors is the capital of Ukraine … because the city is the heart of the country,” former boxing champion Klitschko told a news conference in a city park overlooking the Dnipro river.
He urged Russian soldiers to go back home and said Ukrainians are ready to defend Kyiv building by building.
“We would rather die than kneel in front of the Russians or surrender to the invaders,” said Klitschko. “We are ready to fight for each building, each street, every part of our city.”
A residential neighbourhood in northwestern Kyiv came under bombardment Wednesday morning, with several buildings damaged and four people wounded.
A toll kept by city authorities puts the civilian death toll in the capital at 73, including four children, since the start of the invasion. Another 297 people have been wounded.
The Ukrainian capital has been under curfew since the beginning of the week. Klitschko said the measure was necessary because of information from the military about possible attacks.
He said dozens of saboteurs had been arrested since the start of the conflict.
IAEA ‘gravely concerned’ about safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said he remains “gravely concerned” about the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
In a video posted on YouTube, Rafael Mariano Grossi said there is an “urgent need” to conclude an agreed framework to preserve nuclear safety and security in Ukraine by establishing a clear commitment to observe and respect the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security.
Russian forces seized control of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the largest in Europe, on 4 March, while the Chernobyl power plant was seized on 24 February.
“I have personally expressed my readiness to immediately come to Ukraine to conclude such an agreement, which would include substantial assistance and support measures, including on-site presence of IAEA experts at different facilities in Ukraine, as well as the delivery of vital safety equipment,” Grossi said.
He added that an agreed framework would also help to allow the IAEA to carry out “safeguards verification activities”.
Intensive consultations have been ongoing for many days now, but a positive outcome still eludes us. Despite this, the distressing situation continues and the need to prevent a nuclear accident becomes more pressing with each day that passes.
I hope to be able to conclude this agreed framework without further delay. We cannot afford to lose anymore time. We need to act now.
@iaeaorg ready & able to deploy immediately & provide indispensable assistance for ensuring safety & security in 🇺🇦. Hope to be able to conclude an agreed framework to preserve nuclear safety & security w/out further delay. We cannot afford to lose any more time; need to act now.
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) March 23, 2022
Russians and Belarusians banned from world swimming championships
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has said it has reversed a decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutrals at the World Championships in June in Budapest and is now barring them.
FINA said in a statement that, following “an independent risk assessment” its board had “confirmed that athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus will not take part in the World Championships”.
France seizes two yachts owned by Russian oligarch
French authorities have confiscated two luxury yachts belonging to one of Russia’s most influential businessmen, the latest move by Western governments to seize the assets of associates of President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
The “Little Bear,” a 17-metre vessel worth €20 million belonging to Alexey Kuzmichev, a main shareholder of the Alfa conglomerate, was seized in the Mediterranean resort of Cannes on 16 March, a government source told AFP today.
His “Big Bear,” a 26-metre boat that was being serviced in nearby Antibes, reportedly worth €70 million, was seized on Monday.
Kuzmichev, 59, “has well established ties to the Russian president,” the European Union said in a statement last week announcing sanctions against Russians suspected of being close to Putin.
As a billionaire who is one of Russia’s biggest taxpayers, he is accused of providing “a substantial source of revenue to the government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine,” the statement said.
The French Riviera has long been a favourite retreat for the Russian elite, many of whom got rich by swearing allegiance to Putin as he has consolidated his control of Russia since first becoming elected president in 2000.
Early this month, French authorities seized the “Amore Vero” superyacht belonging to Russia’s oil magnate Igor Sechin, an 86-metre vessel reportedly worth some €109 million.
Spain, Italy and Britain have also seized Russian yachts as part of EU efforts to pressure Putin to call off his invasion of Ukraine.
Yesterday, Gibraltar officials said they had impounded a superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyansky following a complaint from a creditor bank.
Pumpyansky, the boss of TMK, Russia’s biggest manufacturer of steel pipes, was added to the list of Russian tycoons targeted by EU and UK sanctions this month following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock has said the country will provide Ukraine with further Strela surface-to-air missiles after weeks of delivery delays.
⚡️ Baerbock: further Strela missiles are on their way to Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 23, 2022
According to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the country will provide Ukraine with Strela surface-to-air missiles, after weeks of delivery delays.
British MoD presses YouTube to remove ‘Russian state’ hoax videos
YouTube is facing demands from Britain’s Ministry of Defence to remove hoax videos featuring Defence Secretary Ben Wallace or risk helping the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The calls came after a third extract of a hoax call between Wallace and an imposter posing as Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal was published today.
The UK MoD says the clips have been “doctored” to aid disinformation and “propaganda” at the behest of the Kremlin, as it struggles in the war.
But the footage has remained on the video sharing giant owned by Google since Monday when the first video extract emerged, despite the attempts of officials to get them blocked or pulled down.
The UK MoD wrote to YouTube saying that the apparently altered clips wrongly claim British-supplied Nlaw anti-tank missiles have failed and falsely suggest the UK is running out of its own supplies.
We are calling on YouTube to help us support Ukraine by taking down videos doctored by the Russian state and disseminated to try and sap the morale of a people fighting for their freedom 🇺🇦
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 23, 2022
👇 pic.twitter.com/586ydI4VAp
“Any perceived failure of our lethal aid supplied to support Ukraine will provide an immediate detrimental effect upon the morale of Ukrainian forces mounting resistance to Russian aggression and create another chapter in the Kremlin’s playbook of disinformation and lies,” the letter reads.
It says that the “modified and edited clips” risk being used by Vladimir Putin’s Russian state as a premise for more attacks breaching international law and to “inflict further human rights abuses”.
The letter adds: “I am confident you would not wish to be a conduit for Russian propaganda or be in any way associated with the potential consequences of this time of media manipulation.”
Saying the “Russian state was responsible for the hoax call”, the letter insists “you remove (or at least block) access to the videos”.
Officials fear further videos may emerge during the emergency Nato summit on Ukraine tomorrow, with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel also targeted and more touted from Wallace
A defence source said: “YouTube is in danger of aiding and abetting the Russian state propaganda machine, putting people at risk.”
Russia’s gas payment in rubles demand a ‘breach of contract’
Germany has warned that Russia’s demand for payments in rubles for gas deliveries to Europe constitutes a breach of contract.
“The announcement of paying in rubles is… a breach of the contract and we will now discuss with our European partners how we would react to that,” said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, whose country imported 55% of its natural gas from Russia before Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Taoiseach to attend EU summit tomorrow
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels tomorrow
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The Taoiseach will attend an important meeting of the European Council in Brussels tomorrow which will discuss Russian military aggression against Ukraine, security and defence, energy, economic issues, Covid-19 and external relations.
“He has now received two successive negative Covid tests ahead of his departure from the US, and he will fly home from Washington DC this evening.”
It is understood that the Taoiseach’s party consulted with Aer Lingus, Irish public health, Belgium and the EU, and was advised that all follow the same advice of waiting seven days from a positive test.
Martin is said to be feeling well and is symptom free. He will be wearing a mask, as per the advice, while in Brussels.
That’s all from me, Jane Moore, for today.
My colleague Orla Dwyer will keep you updated for the rest of the evening.
⚡️1,143 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 23, 2022
According to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, Russian forces destroyed 1,143 buildings in Ukraine’s second-biggest city, 998 of which are residential buildings.
1,143 buildings have been destroyed in the city of Kharkiv since the invasion began last month, Ukrainian news outlet the Kyiv Independent reports.
998 of these were residential buildings, the paper says, citing the Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-biggest city. It is largely Russian speaking, close to the Russian border and one of the first targets of Putin’s invasion.
A top US official has said that new sanctions will be announced against Russian “political figures” and Russian oligarchs – the wealthy elite close to President Vladimir Putin.
“We, the United States, will announce a package of sanctions designations tomorrow that relate both to political figures, oligarchs,… as well as entities,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
The US has imposed several economic sanctions on Russia over the past month, as have many other countries and the EU.
The United States has reached the assessment that Russian military forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
The US top diplomat said last week that he believed Russia was guilty of committing war crimes by attacking civilians in Ukraine – echoing a statement by Joe Biden who has called Putin a “war criminal.”
Blinken said the US government – after “documenting and assessing” evidence that civilians had been deliberately targeted during the month-long invasion – had now made a determination.
“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.
“Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources,” he added, noting that as with any alleged crime, “a court of law with jurisdiction over the crime” would ultimately be responsible for determining criminal guilt.
A number of US media outlets have reported that Nato estimates up to 40,000 Russian troops have been killed, injured, captured or gone missing during the first month of the invasion.
An anonymous Nato alliance official told NBC News that between 7,000 and 15,000 of these troops have died.
Germany will send 2,000 additional anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, a parliamentary source has told AFP.
Ukrainian forces have already received 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger-type surface-to-air missile launchers from the Bundeswehr (German army).
Germany has also provided around 500 Strela surface-to-air missiles out from 2,700 promised.
“We are one of the biggest suppliers of arms to Ukraine in the current situation,” she said. “This does not make us proud, but this is what we must do now to help Ukraine,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told parliament today.
A Russian journalist has died today in Ukraine, according to the publication she worked for.
Russia-focused independent news outlet The Insider said Oksana Baulina died under fire today after a rocket strike on a shopping centre in Podol, a neighbourhood in Kyiv.
Oksana Baulina, a journalist for The Insider, died under fire in Kyiv after a rocket strike on a shopping center in Podol https://t.co/Su1TxIibGr
— The Insider (@InsiderEng) March 23, 2022
Russian journalist Oksana Baulina died today in Kyiv while reporting on the Russian shelling of the Podil.
— zaborona_media (@zaborona_media) March 23, 2022
One more civilian died at the same time, and two people who assisted here were injured. pic.twitter.com/E1NARJ3mhl
Russia’s media regulator has restricted access to the Google News service, accusing it of providing access to “false” information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian news agencies have reported.
The online news service “provided access to numerous publications and materials that contain false information… about the course of the special military operation on Ukrainian territory,” the statement said.
Russia has a new law in place punishing what it calls “fake news” about its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, with jail terms of up to 15 years.
Since the start of the invasion on February 24, the Russian government has considerably tightened its control over information on the internet, one of the last resources for free expression in the country.
Many Russian and foreign media have had their online services restricted and the US social networks Facebook and Instagram have been declared “extremist” by a Moscow court.
Access to Twitter has also been limited.
Zelenskyy to address Oireachtas in April
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted an invitation from the Ceann Comhairle to address the Dáil and the Seanad on 6 April at 10am.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has accepted an invitation from the Ceann Comhairle to address both Houses of the Oireachtas on the 6th April at 10am. #seeforyourself #Ukraine 🇺🇦 🇮🇪@ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/KzSBC4MSHe
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) March 23, 2022
The British Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that all VAT paid on tickets for a UK concert taking place in aid of Ukraine next week will be donated to a charitable appeal the event is supporting.
Ed Sheeran, Snow Patrol and Manic Street Preachers are among the acts on the bill for the Concert for Ukraine at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Appearing on an LBC radio phone-in, Sunak said: “All the VAT that is paid on these tickets, we will make sure that that same money is donated back to charitable causes that the concert is going towards.
“That will be a significant donation.”
Proceeds from the concert will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which is providing food, water, shelter and medical assistance to refugees in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
Renault suspends work at Moscow factory
French car giant Renault has announced that it will immediately suspend operations at its Moscow factory after Kyiv called for a boycott of the company for remaining in Russia.
Renault is also considering “the possible options” for its Russian affiliate AvtoVAZ, the company said in a statement, adding that it had downgraded its 2022 financial outlook.
It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on French companies still working in Russia to “stop sponsoring” the Kremlin’s aggression against his country.
“French companies must quit the Russian market,” he said in an address to France’s parliament.
“Renault, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and others must stop sponsoring the Russian war machine.”
US President Joe Biden has arrived in Brussels for crunch talks with world leaders on the situation in Ukraine.
He is due to attend a series of summits gathering Nato, EU and G7 leaders, where the countries will discuss Russia’s G20 membership.
We’ve received some details from our political team Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy about the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting this evening.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar updated the party on the war in Ukraine, expressing horror at the situation in Mariupol in particular where the city is under attack from Russian forces.
He visited Dublin Airport recently and discussed how refugees were being given a warm welcome to the country and receiving documents and PPS numbers ‘efficiently’.
He said, as he has said previously, that there could be between 30,000 and 40,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland by the end of April.
Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney also gave an update on the government’s work to support Ukraine and reported from his recent visit to Poland.
The UN General Assembly has been debating a new non-binding resolution which, if adopted by a majority of member states, will “demand” that Russia stop the war in Ukraine “immediately”.
On March 2, 141 countries approved an earlier resolution that demands that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine.
Five states, including Russia, voted against and 35 abstained. The resolution was non-binding and, other than demonstrating Russia’s isolation on the world stage, did not appear to impact the fighting.
Today Ukraine put the new resolution forward at another emergency session of the General Assembly in New York.
The draft resolution is supported by 88 countries and had been initially prepared by France and Mexico.
That’s all there is for today’s live coverage. We’ll be back tomorrow morning with the latest information on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
To wrap things up for today, here are some of the main things to know this evening:
Slán for the night and we’ll see you tomorrow.
Contains reporting by AFP and Press Association
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