According to a UN official, there are increasing reports of rape in Ukraine. “We are hearing more and more about rape and sexual violence,” Sima Sami Bahous, director of UN Women, told the Security Council. The mass expulsions, the use of conscripts and mercenaries, and the brutality against the civilian population “set off all the alarm bells”. Kateryna Cherepacha, president of the human rights group La Strada Ukraine, told the council that her organizing hotline received nine calls with allegations against Russian soldiers. This is just the tip of the iceberg: violence and rape are “used by Russian invaders in Ukraine as a weapon of war”. Russia’s UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky, on the other hand, said his country is not waging a war against the civilian population. Ukraine and its allies wanted to “depict Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists”.
+++ 23:30 Only every third Ukrainian gas station in operation +++
As a result of the Russian war of aggression, only about a third of all Ukrainian gas stations are still open. “Without a doubt, the main reason is the lack of fuel,” says the director of the A-95 advisory group, Serhiy Kujon. Supply problems were exacerbated in early April after the destruction of the Kremenchuk refinery in the Poltava region by a Russian missile attack.
+++ 22:55 Italy agrees expansion of gas supply with Algeria +++
Italy concludes an agreement with Algeria to expand its gas supply in order to import less gas from Russia in the future. Prime Minister Mario Draghi said after a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers: “Right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I announced that Italy is moving as quickly as possible to reduce Russia’s dependence on gas. And there will be more to come.”
+++ 22:21 Kremlin: Ukraine prepares lies after Russians left Sumy +++
After Ukrainian troops regained control of Sumy on the Russian border, Russia accuses Ukraine of preparing fabricated charges of Russian violence against civilians. However, the Kremlin has not provided any evidence or even evidence. “The Kiev regime, under the leadership of British special forces, is preparing new fake and staged provocations,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. In it, “the armed forces of the Russian Federation are accused of allegedly cruel treatment of the Ukrainian population in the Sumy region”. Sumy is located in northeastern Ukraine and borders Russia. In Butsha and other Kiev suburbs, hundreds of bodies have been found after the Russian withdrawal in recent days. Moscow denies any responsibility for the killings and speaks of fake photos and videos. Eyewitness accounts, satellite images and recordings of intercepted radio communications, however, speak to the responsibility of Russian soldiers.
+++ 21:52 Russia accused of using chemical weapons in Mariupol +++
According to the Azov Regiment, Russian units use chemical warfare agents in the attack on Mariupol. The substance was dropped by a drone on Ukrainian defenders of the port city. This information has not yet been confirmed. The spokesman for the pro-Russian forces in Donetsk, Eduard Bassurin, had previously indicated that he might want to take the embattled Azov-Stahl steelworks with the help of chemical weapons. First, the plant must be blocked, he told Russian state television. “And after that, I think, you have to turn to chemical weapons troops who find a way to smoke the moles out of their holes.” The use of chemical weapons is banned worldwide.
+++ 21:38 Kiev: Russia has imprisoned civilians +++
The government in Kiev accuses Russia of imprisoning Ukrainian civilians, some of them in Russia. “There are many priests, journalists, activists, mayors and civilians in general who are in prison,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a televised address. This is not even happening on Ukrainian soil, but in the Russian regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Rostov. The Russian government denies taking action against Ukrainian civilians.
+++ 21:25 Demonstration in front of the German Embassy in Lithuania +++
In Lithuania, about a hundred people have demanded more support for Ukraine from the Federal Government at a rally in front of the German Embassy. The demonstrators called on the German government to stop energy imports from Russia and to supply more weapons to Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia.
+++ 21:00 “Secret operation uncovered” – France expels six Russians +++
France declares six Russians to undesirable persons. “After a very long investigation, the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) on Sunday uncovered a secret operation carried out by Russian intelligence on our territory,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, referring to The French domestic intelligence service. The persons are agents who have pretended to be diplomats and whose activities are directed against the national interests of France. The ministry did not become more concrete.
+++ 20:37 Pentagon: Massive arms deliveries for Ukraine continue daily +++
The US military continues to bring large quantities of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine every day, according to its own statements. Every day, about eight to ten planes with weapons and supplies for the Ukrainians landed in the region, says Defense Ministry spokesman John Kirby. The weapons would quickly be transferred to trucks and sent on to Ukraine. The Russian military’s new strategy of concentrating its operations on the eastern Donbass region does not change this. There will continue to be arms deliveries, “as much as we can, as fast as we can,” says Kirby.
+++ 20:14 Scholz slows down in arms deliveries +++
After the demand of Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons for the defensive fight against Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz expresses himself cautiously. Germany has already supplied weapons to the government in Kiev and will continue to do so, Scholz said. In addition, the European Union will continue to coordinate. “There will be no going it alone.” He strives for a “carefully balanced action”.
+++ 19:47 Steinmeier travels to Poland +++
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will make up for his trip to Poland tomorrow, which was cancelled at the end of March. In Warsaw he meets his Polish colleague Andrej Duda. One focus of the talks will be the war in Ukraine. In the debate about tougher sanctions against Russia, the Polish government had recently sharply criticized Germany. Warsaw wants a tougher course towards Russia and demands an immediate gas embargo. The Federal Government rejects this.
+++ 19:22 Warsaw confiscates Russian diplomatic building “Agent’s Nest” +++
Warsaw has handed over a former Russian diplomatic building to Ukraine. Mayor Rafal Trzaskovsky entered the building, known as the “Agent’s Nest,” along with a bailiff and the Ukrainian ambassador. A Russian diplomat was also present and protested against the move. The ten-story apartment building in the south of the Polish capital was once used by Soviet diplomats and later by the Russian Embassy. Since the 90s it has been largely empty. Most recently, it was the subject of a legal dispute between Poland and Russia.
+++ 18:56 Nehammer: “No optimistic impression” after conversation with Putin +++
The Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has achieved no results in his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has “no optimistic impression,” said Nehammer. The Russian army is preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine. “This battle will be fought vehemently.”
+++ 18:43 Opec: Could not compensate for the loss of Russian oil +++
Opec could not compensate for a possible loss of supplies of Russian oil. Opec Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo told the EU, according to his speech manuscript, which Reuters was able to see. Saudi-led Opec works closely with Russia in the Opec+ group.
+++ 18:29 Good Friday in Rome: Ukrainians and Russians together at the Stations of the Cross +++
The Vatican wants to set a sign for peace in Ukraine in the traditional procession on Good Friday. At part of the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum, a Ukrainian and a Russian family are to carry the cross together. The two families take over the cross for the penultimate of the 14 stations, the last part of the way is then to go a family of migrants. With the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross, the Catholic Church commemorates the sufferings and death of Jesus. The Pope has been calling for an end to the fighting in Ukraine since Russia’s attack.
+++ 18:11 EU states can not agree on oil embargo +++
The foreign ministers of the EU states have not yet made a decision on possible restrictions on oil imports from Russia. There was only a general discussion, says EU High Representative Josep Borrell after a meeting of ministers in Luxembourg. However, with a view to further sanctions against Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, he emphasizes: “Nothing is off the table, including sanctions against oil and gas.”
+++ 18:05 EU wants to supply Ukraine with more weapons before feared escalation +++
The European Union fears a massive attack by Russia in eastern Ukraine and therefore wants to increase its joint military aid to the country to 1.5 billion euros. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell justifies this at the foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg with an imminent intensification of the war “in the coming days”. According to diplomats, representatives of the member states have already approved the increase.
+++ 17:36 Lithuania’s head of government visits destroyed Borodjanka +++
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has arrived in Ukraine. “My visit to Ukraine started today in Borodyanka. No words can describe what I have seen and felt here,” writes the Prime Minister of the Baltic EU and NATO country on Twitter. Simonyte added pictures that show her visiting a destroyed apartment building together with her Ukrainian counterpart Denys Schmyhal. Located northwest of Kiev, Borodyanka is one of the most devastated cities in the capital region, according to Ukrainian sources. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said it was “much more terrible” in Borodyanka than in Butsha.
+++ 17:22 Separatists: Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol entrench themselves in steel mill +++
Pro-Russian separatists have conquered according to Russian news agencies not only the port of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. A military representative of the separatists said that the last remaining Ukrainian defenders of the city had entrenched themselves in the Azovstal and Asovmach steelworks. “The number mentioned in our reports ranges from 1500 to 3000 men,” he added. The strategically important port city has been besieged and shelled for more than a month by Russian troops and separatists fighting alongside it.
+++ 17:00 Italy confiscates suspected villa of Russian Formula 1 racing driver +++
The Italian authorities have confiscated a villa in Sardinia. The house is located in the northeast of the Mediterranean island. The property is worth more than 100 million euros and is associated with 23-year-old racing driver Nikita Masepin and his father, billionaire Dmitri Masepin. The son had been thrown out of his Formula 1 team, the US team Haas, after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine. A few days later, he and his father were placed on an EU sanctions list. Masepin Senior is Managing Director of the Russian chemical company Uralchem.
+++ 16:47 Nehammer: “Conversation with Putin was open and hard” +++
The meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was, according to statements of Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer very direct, open and hard. His most important message to Putin was that the war in Ukraine must end. Both sides could only lose in a war. He saw it as his duty to meet Putin to leave no stone unturned. It was not a friendship visit.
+++ 16:28 Pro-Russian separatists report conquest of port in Mariupol +++
The port of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol is under their control, according to pro-Russian separatists. Previously, the last Ukrainian armed forces in Mariupol had announced that the city would probably be conquered by Russian soldiers in the coming hours. “Today will probably be the last battle as ammunition runs out,” the 36th Naval Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Facebook. According to its own statements, the army leadership in Kiev also expects a major offensive by the Russian armed forces in the east of the country “very soon”.
+++ 16:10 Lavrov accuses EU of changing the rules of the game +++
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell of an aggressive change of course. With his statements that the war in Ukraine will be decided on the battlefield and not by sanctions, Borrell is changing the “rules of the game,” Lavrov said. Previously, the EU had not appeared in its history as a military bloc. Borrell had called on the EU states after a visit to Ukraine to increase their arms deliveries. “Sanctions are important. But sanctions will not solve the problem of the battle in Donbass.”
+++ 15:51 Kasparov criticizes the trip of the Austrian Chancellor +++
The former chess world champion Garry Kasparov considers the meeting of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a bad idea. “A meeting with Putin to tell him he was isolated. What a joke. That shows that he’s just not.” You could just as well serve him a steak and claim that he was a vegetarian.
+++ 15:35 Russian diamond group can not pay interest +++
The Russian group of companies Alrosa, one of the largest diamond producers in the world, is not able to pay an interest payment of 11.6 million dollars. The reason for the default is the sanctions imposed on the company, it says. They made the repayment of the debt “technically impossible”, although the financial resources were available.
+++ 15:22 Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns politicians against Russian influence +++
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) fears that members of the Bundestag and ministries will be the target of Russian hacker attacks and disinformation campaigns. “Russia’s military action in Ukraine is accompanied by attempts at influence and cyber attacks, especially from the pro-Russian side,” reads a BfV letter to the highest federal authorities and the parliamentary groups, from which the newspapers of the Funke media group quote. Political decision-makers in Germany, their employees or employees in the administration could “directly or indirectly” become targets of pro-Russian actions.”
+++ 15:08 Meeting of Austria’s Chancellor and Putin started +++
The meeting of Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow has begun. This is reported by austrian media.
+++ 14:59 Who is Russia’s new commander Dvornikov? +++
Russia is said to have reorganized its warfare in Ukraine and put a new commander at its head. What is known about General Alexander Dvornikov – the new man at the head of the Russian army – is explained by ntv reporter Rainer Munz from Moscow.
+++ 14:37 Scholz considers Moscow trip of the Austrian Chancellor a good idea +++
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the trip of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. It supports “any diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving an end to hostilities in Ukraine and creating the basic conditions for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia,” said deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. On the question of whether Scholz will also travel to Moscow in the foreseeable future, she said: “I don’t see any plans in this direction at the moment.” The Austrian chancellor is the first Western head of government to visit Moscow since the beginning of the war. Nehammer will meet Putin in the afternoon.
+++ 14:24 Croatia expels Russian embassy staff +++
24 Members of the Russian embassy in Zagreb must leave Croatia. The EU-NATO country’s Foreign Ministry today summoned Russian Ambassador Andrei Nesterenko to inform him of the decision. Russia was called upon to end the “brutal aggression against Ukraine” and immediately withdraw its forces from the attacked country, the ministry said. Among those expelled are 16 diplomats and 8 embassy staff without diplomatic status.
+++ 14:07 Habeck does not see fracking as a substitute for Russian gas +++
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck does not want to resort to the controversial fracking, i.e. the extraction from shale rock, despite the high dependence on Russian gas supplies. There are no plans for this, said the Green politician. “I don’t think that’s the way we should go.” The changeover should succeed quickly. However, the establishment of fracking capacities would take a long time. Companies would not currently apply for this technique, neither for test drilling nor actual executions.
+++ 13:56 Lavrov: No break in the war before next talks +++
Russia will not interrupt its attack on Ukraine, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov before the next round of talks with Ukraine. But he sees no reason why the peace talks should not be continued.
+++ 13:48 Ukraine war exacerbates hunger in the world +++
The effects of the Ukraine crisis are weighing on import-dependent countries in the Middle East and in many regions of Africa. Prices for wheat flour and vegetable oil — two important staples for most families — have risen across the region, reports the World Food Programme (WFP). Parallel to the greater need for help, aid organisations are also paying higher prices for their deliveries. The global rise in food prices and the Ukraine conflict have resulted in WFP having to bear additional costs of $71 million per month for global relief operations compared to 2019 – an increase of 50%.
+++ 13:34 Liberal warns of cross-camp pro-Russian movement +++
The parliamentary managing director of the FDP parliamentary group, Stephan Thomae, looks with concern at the pro-Russian rallies in Germany. “It is to be feared that a cross-front of Putin sympathizers, NATO opponents and critics of America will form here and that a larger protest movement will develop,” he says. “Although the situation at the weekend was still largely peaceful, conflicts between the pro-Russian demonstrators and their opponents must also be expected.”
+++ 13:22 Ukrainian army expects today “last battle” for Mariupol +++
The Ukrainian armed forces are preparing for a “last battle” for Mariupol. “Today will probably be the last battle as ammunition runs out,” the 36th Naval Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Facebook. The soldiers had been “pushed back” and “surrounded” by the Russian army. The conquest will mean “death for some of us and captivity for the rest.” The strategically important port city of Mariupol is located between the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia and the pro-Russian separatist areas in Donbass. The city has been the scene of some of the fiercest attacks by Russian troops, and the humanitarian situation in Mariupol is catastrophic.
+++ 13:08 Germany increases budget for the investigation of war crimes +++
For investigations in the Ukraine war, Germany and the Netherlands have each announced an additional one million euros for the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The money should be used to advance investigations into war crimes, says Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. There, the EU foreign ministers met with the Hague chief prosecutor Karim Khan in the morning. “All evidence must be secured to bring the inhuman crimes to justice,” Baerbock said on Twitter. In particular, the events in “places of horror” such as Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine and Butsha near Kiev must be investigated, she says.
+++ 12:57 Rheinmetall offers delivery of tanks to Ukraine +++
Rheinmetall offers the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. “The first Leopard 1 could be delivered in six weeks,” quotes the “Handelsblatt” CEO Armin Papperger. A prerequisite for this is the approval of the Federal Government. The Leopard 1 is the predecessor model of the Leopard 2, which is also used by the Bundeswehr. Rheinmetall could deliver up to 50 Leopard 1 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the newspaper reports, citing Papperger. These are old stocks of other armies, which often return used equipment to the suppliers. Currently, the condition of the vehicles is being checked.
+++ 12:38 Austria defends Chancellor’s visit to Putin +++
Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has defended the planned meeting of Chancellor Karl Nehammer with Russian President Vladimir Putin against criticism. “The point is that “we must seize every opportunity to end the humanitarian hell in Ukraine,” he said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. The Chancellor is going to Moscow with very clear messages of a humanitarian and political nature. “Any voice that shows President Putin how reality really presents itself outside the walls of the Kremlin is not a lost voice,” he said. On fears that Putin might use images of the meeting for his own purposes, Schallenberg said the visit was discussed in such a way that there would only be a one-on-one conversation without media. “This means that from our point of view everything is done so that it is not abused.”
+++ 12:19 Russia sees no reason for insolvency +++
The Russian leadership sees no reason for insolvency. Russia has enough funds to pay its debts, says Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the presidential office in Moscow. “There can only be a technical, man-made insolvency,” he told the press. “There are no objective reasons for such an outage. Russia has everything it needs to fulfil all its obligations.”
+++ 11:58 Ukraine fears slump in grain harvest +++
The Ukrainian trade union UGA expects this year because of the war with a drastic slump in the grain harvest and exports. The wheat harvest, for example, could fall by almost 45 percent to 18.2 million tons, while wheat exports are expected to total ten million tons. Many countries source grain from Ukraine. In the course of the Russian invasion, food shortages are feared. At the same time, grain prices have skyrocketed worldwide. Ukraine, on the other hand, is dependent on the proceeds from the export business. Their grain exports are a cornerstone of the domestic economy.
Because of the massive grain export, Ukraine is considered the “breadbasket of the world”. (Photo: picture alliance / Photoshot)
+++ 11:44 EU Commission is working on details of oil embargo +++
According to Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, the EU Commission is already working on details of an oil embargo against Russia, which could be part of a possible next package of sanctions. He hoped that the 27 EU member states could agree on this as soon as possible. Today, EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss the next steps.
+++ 11:26 Zelenskyi: Probably tens of thousands killed in Mariupol +++
In the port city of Mariupol, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, probably tens of thousands of people have been killed. “Mariupol was destroyed. There are tens of thousands of deaths. And yet the Russians are not stopping their offensive,” he said in a video message to the South Korean parliament. Russia is gathering tens of thousands of troops for its next offensive. If Ukraine is to survive this war, it needs more help.
+++ 11:05 Approval of the Finns to NATO accession doubled +++
Just a few months ago, a NATO entry of Finland seemed unthinkable, in view of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, a membership is now getting closer and closer: In the summer, the EU country wants to decide whether to join the Western military alliance. Finland is traditionally militarily non-aligned, also in order not to provoke its neighbor Russia, with which it shares a 1300 kilometer long border. But now the mood has turned. According to polls, support for joining NATO has doubled from 30 to 60 percent since the beginning of the war. “Never underestimate the ability of Finns to make quick decisions when the world changes,” says former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb. He assumes that an application for NATO membership is “a foregone conclusion” in view of the new threat situation.
+++ 10:43 Kiev and Moscow open nine escape corridors +++
Today, according to Ukrainian information, nine escape corridors are to be available for the evacuation of contested regions in the east of the country. Kiev and Moscow have agreed on this, says Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. Five of the corridors are planned in the Luhansk region, one for the southeastern port city of Mariupol. Ukraine expects a large-scale offensive by Russia in the east of the country and has therefore been calling for days to leave the region.
Refugees from southeastern Ukraine are accommodated in a sports hall in western Lviv. (Photo: picture alliance / AA)
+++ 10:28 Borodyanka hides the dead from the rubble +++
After the Russian troops withdrew from the Kiev suburb of Borodyanka at the beginning of April, salvage teams have begun to search for victims in the rubble of the houses. In Borodyanka, Ukrainian soldiers had found no dead on the streets, but the extent of the destruction of blocks was greater than in nearby Butsha. It is therefore suspected that many of the dead tried to protect themselves from bombs in the cellars, under the rubble.
+++ 10:10 Poland’s border guard counts 2.66 million Ukraine refugees +++
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, 2.66 million people from the country have fled to safety in Poland. This is announced by the Polish Border Guard. On Sunday alone, 28,500 refugees arrived, a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to the day before. In the direction of Ukraine, 19,400 people crossed the border on Sunday. According to earlier information from the border guard, most of them are Ukrainian citizens. While some men want to fight against the Russian troops, since a few days now women and children have increasingly returned to the areas, which have now been reconquered by the Ukrainian army. Ukraine had more than 44 million inhabitants before the Russian invasion on February 24. Poland and Ukraine are connected by a border more than 500 kilometers long.
There is currently no official information on how many refugees from Poland have travelled on to other EU countries. (Photo: IMAGO/NurPhoto)
+++ 09:45 Baerbock wants heavy weapons for Ukraine quickly +++
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Ukraine needs more military support quickly in order to be able to defend itself against Russian attacks. “What is clear is that Ukraine needs more military material, especially heavy weapons,” said the Green politician on Monday before the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. “Now is no time for excuses,” she added. What is needed is “creativity and pragmatism”. Together with Ukraine, replacement equipment and training must be organised as quickly as possible. There is massive evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
+++ 09:22 Heil: Will feel the consequences of the war for many years +++
The Federal Government wants to secure the labor market in Germany even in the event of further negative economic effects of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. “What is foreseeable at the moment, we can shield on the labor market with a strong welfare state,” said Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil. According to Heil, Germany can “learn from the experience of the ongoing crisis as a result of the corona pandemic” in coping with the consequences of the war for the labour market and the economy. As a “strong bridge over a very deep economic valley”, short-time working has been able to secure millions of jobs and stabilise demand. Nevertheless, the minister predicts: “We will have to feel the consequences of this terrible war for many, many years, including here.”
+++ 08:57 Federal Government: No support for war among ethnic German repatriates +++
The Federal Government Commissioner for Ethnic German Repatriation, Bernd Fabritius, sees little support among Russian-Germans for war-glorifying and Pro-Kremlin demonstrations. “The vast majority of Russian-Germans reject this inhuman war – which they call a fratricidal war,” Fabritius told Die Welt. There are individual actors on the Russian side “who are working specifically on the narrative that since the outbreak of war, Russian-Germans and Russians are no longer safe in Germany,” Fabritius said. This approach of faking “a great outcry” in the community reminds him “of the Lisa case”. There is also evidence that reports of assaults on Russian-Germans came from the same sources as in 2016, when reports of an alleged rape of 13-year-old girl Lisa brought many Russian-Germans onto the streets.
A pro-Russian motorcade in Hanover met counter-demonstrators on Sunday. (Photo: IMAGO/xcitepress)
+++ 08:42 Major French bank ends business in Russia +++
More than six weeks after the beginning of the Ukraine war, the french major bank Société Générale ends all its business in Russia. This includes the sale of the stake in the Russian Rosbank, Société Générale announced. The move will cost the bank 3.1 billion euros. Société Générale also offered insurance in Russia. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, numerous Western companies have withdrawn from Russia, including Ikea, Coca-Cola or McDonald’s.
+++ 08:19 EU foreign ministers discuss possible oil embargo against Russia +++
The foreign ministers of the European Union are discussing further reactions to the war in Ukraine today in Luxembourg. Among other things, the meeting will focus on an oil embargo against Russia, which the government in Kiev as well as Poland and the Baltic states have been demanding for some time. Only on Friday, the EU states had sealed an import ban for Russian coal and further sanctions. JOSEP Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, is also proposing an increase in EU military aid to Ukraine to a total of 1.5 billion euros.
In European countries, the demand for an energy embargo against Russia is repeatedly loud. (Photo: IMAGO/Wolfgang Maria Weber)
+++ 07:46 Great Britain warns against the use of phosphorus ammunition in Mariupol +++
The British military intelligence service warns, according to the Ministry of Defense in London, that Russia could also use phosphorus ammunition in its attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The possibility of this has increased, as Russia has already used such ammunition in the Donetsk region. The chemical element phosphorus burns at extremely high temperatures, around 1300 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the resulting flames cannot be extinguished with water. Those affected by a large-scale phosphorus attack die either slowly from their burns or from poisoning by the resulting fumes.
+++ 07:29 Leverkusen boss for exclusion of Russia from UEFA +++
The Chairman of the Management Board of Bayer Leverkusen has spoken out in favour of an exclusion of Russia from UEFA. “Yes, I am in favour of the toughest form of sanctions,” Fernando Carro told the “Kicker” in response to a corresponding question. Carro is also part of the board of the ECA, the association of major European clubs in football. UEFA has excluded Russian clubs and national teams from European competitions in response to the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Russian federation has therefore filed an appeal before the International Court of Sport.
+++ 07:12 Bundeswehr prepares first evacuation flight for injured Ukrainians +++
The Bundeswehr is preparing a flight to transport Ukrainians injured in the war to Germany. For this purpose, the special aircraft of the Luftwaffe, an Airbus A310 MedEvac, is to fly from Cologne-Wahn to Rzeszow in southeastern Poland and from there bring children and adults to Germany for treatment. It will be the first flight of its kind since the beginning of russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In the past, however, wounded Ukrainian soldiers had already been brought to Germany. The city of Rzeszow is located about 90 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The Airbus A310 Medevac serves the Air Force as a flying intensive care unit for transporting seriously injured persons.(Photo: imago images/Jochen Eckel)
+++ 06:47 Ukraine estimates damage caused by war at one trillion dollars +++
According to government estimates, Ukraine has so far suffered damage of up to one trillion US dollars due to the invasion of Russian troops. This was said by Deputy Economy Minister Olexander Griban at a government meeting. The losses are simply “colossal”, the list is not yet complete. The sum results from damage to infrastructure, health care and education. “And then there are other levels of losses – state, municipal and private,” Griban continued. “We have a lot of work to do on reconstruction.”
+++ 06:29 Chechnya chief threatens further attacks on cities +++
The close Putin ally and ruler of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, threatens further attacks on Ukrainian cities. There will be an offensive, “not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages,” Kadyrov says in a video posted on his Telegram channel. He had received the corresponding order from Russian President Vladimir Putin. First Luhansk and Donetsk will be “completely liberated”, then Kiev and all other cities will be taken.
+++ 06:11 Biden discusses with India’s Prime Minister Modi on Ukraine war +++
US President Joe Biden today discusses the effects of the Ukraine war via video conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Biden will address the “consequences of Russia’s brutal war” and discuss how to mitigate the impact on the global food supply and the commodity market, announces his spokeswoman Jen Psaki. India has not yet officially condemned the Russian war against Ukraine. New Delhi abstained from UN votes condemning Moscow’s actions. Moscow has been India’s most important arms supplier since Soviet times, and the country continues to purchase Russian oil.
+++ 05:38 Governor of Luhansk warns of complete destruction of cities +++
The Ukrainian authorities are stepping up their warnings of a major Russian offensive in the east of the country. “The battle for donbass will last several days, and during these days our cities could be completely destroyed,” Ukrainian Governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gajdaj, said on Facebook. “We are preparing for their actions. We will respond to this,” Gajdaj said. The Ukrainian armed forces created new trenches along the front line to the areas of the pro-Russian separatists and blocked the roads with mines and tank barriers.
+++ 04:42 Ukraine: Two dead civilians in attacks in Kharkiv +++
In Russian artillery attacks in Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian information, two people were killed on Sunday. “The Russian army continues to wage war against the civilian population because there are no victories at the front,” writes regional governor Oleg Synegubov on Telegram. The day before, ten civilians had been killed in bombings southeast of the city, including a child. With around 1.5 million inhabitants, Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine and is only about 40 kilometers from the Russian border.
+++ 03:55 Zelenskyi: Germany’s attitude to Kiev has improved +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi praises in his evening video address the “more favorable” change in The German attitude towards Kiev. “I am pleased to note that Germany’s position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. And I think this is absolutely logical, because the majority of Germans support this policy. I’m grateful to them for that.” Zelenskyi spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday. Among other things, sanctions against Russia have been discussed, Zelenskyi said. Now it is important that everything agreed is implemented.
+++ 03:01 Finland and Sweden are in a hurry to join NATO +++
Finland and Sweden are ready to join NATO as early as this summer. This is reported by the British “Times”. U.S. officials told the paper that the NATO membership of the two Nordic countries had been “a topic of conversation and the subject of several meetings” at talks between NATO foreign ministers last week. Sweden and Finland also took part. Russia had made a “massive strategic mistake” with the invasion of Ukraine.
+++ 02:14 Strack-Zimmermann brings alternative to marten supplies into play +++
The chairwoman of the defense committee in the German Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, proposes a weapons deal with Eastern European partner countries instead of a delivery of German “Marder” infantry fighting vehicles. “The Ukrainian army would first have to be trained on the “Marder” tanks. Therefore, I propose that our Eastern European partners deliver appropriate material to Ukraine,” says the FDP politician of the “Rheinische Post”. Material from former Russian stocks is immediately operable and operational by Ukrainian soldiers. Germany should then compensate the Eastern European partners with corresponding deliveries.
+++ 01:25 Kiev: Russia pulls together new troops on the border +++
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army expects shortly a new advance of the Russian armed forces for the complete conquest of eastern Ukraine. To this end, new troops from other parts of Russia are currently being brought to the borders. In addition, smashed Russian units would be replenished with new personnel. According to Kiev, the reorganization of Russian units has brought neither calm nor stability to Ukraine. “The Russian army continues to work on its minimal plan for eastern Ukraine,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar.
+++ 00:31 Zelenskyi: Russia can not admit its mistakes +++
Moscow, in the opinion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, does not have the courage to admit its misguided policy with regard to the neighbor. “They are afraid to admit that for decades they have taken wrong positions and spent colossal resources to support human zeros that they wanted to build as future heroes of Ukrainian-Russian friendship,” Zelensky said in his daily video address. Moscow’s attempt to build up its own people in Ukraine did not work. These people were only trained to “stuff money from Russia into their own pockets.” And to cover up these mistakes, new mistakes were made. But in doing so, Russia deprived itself of all political instruments and finally started this war.
+++ 23:51 Ukraine provides first funds for the reconstruction of liberated areas +++
After their withdrawal from the liberated areas around Kiev, Chernihiv and Sumy as well as Zhytomir, the Russian troops leave a field of devastation. The Ukrainian government is now providing the first funds for urgent clean-up and repair work. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal mentions a sum of one billion hryvnia (31.2 million euros). First and foremost, according to him, the networks for heat, gas, water and electricity are to be repaired. Then it is about the repair of roofs, the replacement of windows and doors, the removal of potholes on the roads. Ukraine was one of the poorest countries in Europe even before the Russian attack on February 24. The war damage is estimated at many billions of euros.
+++ 23:02 Zelenskyi adviser: conflicts with Russia even after Putin very likely +++
The advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi does not expect a lasting peace with the Russian neighbor beyond the current war. “Russia is looking for a new form of empire, either with Vladimir Putin or with Alexei Navalny, so in 32 to 35 years we will have at least two or three rounds with Russia,” Olexeij Arestovych says, according to the Unian agency. Whether it’s a major war or just border skirmishes – he sees the probability of new clashes at 95 percent. Even a change of power in the Kremlin would not end the confrontation with Ukraine, according to Arestovych. “A lot can happen, it could even take over some liberal,” speculated Arestovych. “Then there is a conflict at the level of information, the economy or the secret services, also militarily, albeit without direct war.”
+++ 22:23 World Bank: Ukraine’s economic output will be halved +++
As a result of the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine’s economic output will almost halve this year, according to a forecast by the World Bank. Gross domestic product (GDP) will collapse by around 45 percent compared to the previous year, the World Bank said. However, the organization emphasizes that “the extent of the economic slump” will depend on “the duration and intensity of the war.” In January, before the start of the war at the end of February, the World Bank expected economic growth of around 3 percent in a forecast for Ukraine. Measured against the statistical poverty line of $5.50 per day for countries with comparable incomes, the proportion of ukraine’s population living in poverty is expected to skyrocket from 1.8 percent to 19.8 percent, the World Bank warns.
You can read the previous developments here.