The number of people fleeing Ukraine since the invasion of Russian forces on February 24 reached 1 million, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday.
The influx of people fleeing Ukraine – by car, train and on foot – marks the fastest displacement of refugees this century. Shabia Mantu, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that “at this pace” this could become “the biggest refugee crisis of this century”.
Russia and Ukraine said on Wednesday they were ready to hold talks for the second time, which are expected to take place in Belarus on Thursday. There seems to be little in common between the two countries.
Also Wednesday, the UN General Assembly condemned the invasion and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
Russia claims to have taken control of its first major Ukrainian city, Kherson. Kherson Mayor Igor Kolikhaev said Russian soldiers were in the city and had come to the city administration building. He said he had asked them not to shoot at civilians and to allow crews to collect bodies from the streets.
“We have no Ukrainian forces in the city, only civilians and people here who want to LIVE,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to continue resistance, but did not comment on whether the Russians had taken any cities, including Kherson.
“They will not have peace here,” Zelenski said. “They will not have food. They will not have a single quiet moment here. “
Here’s a look at the basics you need to know about conflict:
POSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS
The Ukrainian president’s office said Wednesday night that the country’s delegation was on track for the second round of talks with Russia since the invasion began, but did not specify when it was expected to arrive. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and head of the Russian delegation, told reporters that Ukrainians are expected to arrive on Thursday for talks in the Brest region of Belarus, which borders Poland.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier Wednesday that his country was ready to resume talks, but noted that Russia’s demands had not changed and would not accept any ultimatums.
DID KHERSON FALL?
Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said on Wednesday that the key Black Sea port city of nearly 300,000 people is under “full control” of Russia and that talks are under way between Russian commanders and city and regional authorities on how to maintains order. The status of the city was unclear.
Kolikhaev, the mayor, said the port city would maintain curfew from 8pm to 6am, restrict incoming traffic to food and medicine deliveries and require pedestrians to walk alone or in pairs and obey stop commands. .
“The flag flying over us is Ukrainian,” he wrote. “And to stay that way, those requirements have to be met.”
Kherson was one of at least three cities besieged by Russian troops, along with the coastal cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KHARKIV?
Russia’s attack on Kharkiv, which has a population of nearly 1.5 million, continued with a blow at the regional police and intelligence headquarters and the university building across the street, according to Ukrainian emergency services and civil servants. A central square near other government buildings, including the city council, was also hit by explosions.
Zelensky’s adviser, Alexei Arestovich, said the Russian offensive on Kharkiv had been halted, so Russia fired rockets and retaliatory air strikes at the city.
“Today, Kharkiv is the 21st century Stalingrad,” said Arestovich, who added that several Russian planes had been shot down over the city.
Oleg Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said 21 people had been killed and at least 112 injured in the previous 24 hours.
AND THE VIOLENCE ELSEWHERE?
Russia announced its military casualties for the first time since the invasion began last week, saying nearly 500 of its troops had been killed and nearly 1,600 wounded. Ukraine insisted that Russia’s losses were far greater, but did not immediately reveal its own.
Russia’s 40-mile (64-kilometer) column of tanks and other vehicles remained outside Kyiv as the capital continued to be shelled.
Zelensky’s office announced a powerful explosion Wednesday night between the Southern Railway Station and the Ibis Hotel in Kyiv. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is located near this area. The Ukrainian Railways said thousands of women and children were evacuated from the station during the strike, which suffered only minor damage.
Two cruise missiles hit a hospital in the northern city of Chernihiv, the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN was quoted as saying by the city’s chief health administrator, Serhiy Pivovar. The hospital’s main building has been damaged and authorities are working to determine the number of victims, he said.
And in Mariupol, at least one teenager was killed and two others were injured in apparent Russian shelling. The boys’ families said they played football near a school.
WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION?
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi wrote on Twitter: “In just seven days, we have witnessed the deportation of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries.”
The number is more than 2% of Ukraine’s population, although some of those fleeing Ukraine are citizens of other countries.
The UN agency estimates that up to 4 million people may eventually leave Ukraine, but warned that even that estimate could be revised upwards. The World Bank counted Ukraine’s population at 44 million at the end of 2020.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said more than 2,000 civilians had died, although it was impossible to verify the allegation. The UN Human Rights Office said it had registered the deaths of 136 civilians, including 13 children, in Ukraine since the invasion began on February 24th.
The European Commission said on Wednesday that it would issue temporary residence permits to refugees fleeing violence and allow them to study and work in the 27-nation bloc. This move will need the approval of the Member States, which have already expressed broad support.
UN CONDEMNATION AND INVESTIGATION OF WAR CRIMES
The UN General Assembly voted on Wednesday to ask Russia to stop its offensive in Ukraine and withdraw all troops, with nations from world powers to small island nations condemning Moscow. The vote was 141 against and 5 against with 35 abstentions.
US President Joe Biden said the vote “demonstrates the degree of global outrage at Russia’s horrific attack on a sovereign neighbor.”
The resolution condemns Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine “most strongly.” The decisions of the General Assembly are not legally binding.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday launched an investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Ukraine, dating back to 2013 and covering the current conflict.
Prosecutor Karim Khan said he did so after 39 of the court’s member states requested an investigation.
DO RUSSIA’S SANCTIONS HURT?
Russia is becoming increasingly isolated, affected by sanctions that have shaken its economy and left the country virtually without friends except China, Belarus and several other countries.
Russia’s leading bank, Sberbank, said on Wednesday that it was withdrawing from European markets amid tightening Western sanctions. The bank said its European subsidiaries were facing an “unusual leak and a threat to the safety of employees and branches”, according to Russian news agencies.
In Washington, the White House announced additional sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including expanding export controls aimed at refining Russian oil and supporting military organizations on both sides.
Western sanctions and the ensuing collapse of the ruble have prompted the Kremlin to fight to sustain the economy. Putin received good news on Wednesday when the head of China’s banking regulator said China would not impose financial sanctions on Russia. China is a major buyer of Russian oil and gas and the only major government to refrain from criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.
AND THE SANCTIONS OF RUSSIA’S ULTRA-RICH PEOPLE?
The war caused shock waves through the global community of wealthy Russians facing sanctions that threaten their London mansions, Mediterranean yachts and children’s places in elite European private schools. Some began to speak, albeit conditionally, though it may be too little to end the war or defend their Western wealth.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday that he is trying to sell the Premier League football club that it has become an elite trophy-winning machine with its lavish investment. Pressure on the British government to include him among the wealthy Russians who will be subject to sanctions is growing.
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