Russia-Ukraine latest: Before-and-after photos capture destruction in Mariupol
Russia-Ukraine latest: Before-and-after photos capture destruction in Mariupol
Full scale, immense Russian invasion and war not seen on this scale since World War II.
March 9, 2022 4:36pm Updated
Emotional scenes as refugees continue to flood out of Ukraine
Follow the latest news updates of the war in Ukraine with the New York Post’s live coverage.
What you need to know:
Russia makes another empty promise for ceasefire as Ukrainians flee for their lives
Poland offers to supply Ukraine with jets — only to be shot down by US
Ukrainian mom killed by Russians with her two kids identified
Tesla will continue paying its Ukrainian workers if they're drafted into nation's army
By Ariel Zilber
Ukrainian employees of Tesla who are drafted into the country’s army will be paid for at least three months while they fight, the electric car-maker told its workers in an e-mail this week.
Elon Musk’s firm sent the e-mail to employees in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
It is unclear if Tesla is offering the same benefit to its Ukrainian workers based in North America.
The company that it would reassess the situation after three months to determine what steps it might take afterward, according to the missive, which was first reported by CNBC.
Musk’s aerospace firm, SpaceX, deployed Starlink satellites to provide Ukraine with Internet access while the country is bombarded by the Russian military.
UK claims Russia admitted to use of thermobaric bombs, US says still unclear
The UK’s Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that Russia has admitted it used “vacuum bombs” in Ukraine, though a Pentagon spokesman later told reporters there were still doubts.
In a tweet, the British Ministry of Defense said Russia confirmed it has used a mobile rocket-launching system typically equipped with the thermobaric warheads, which suck in the air around targets and can rupture their lungs.
But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby later said at a press briefing the US has seen “no indications that thermobaric weapons [are being used], no evidence of that that I can speak to.”
US officials had earlier confirmed the presence of thermobaric-capable launchers in Ukraine but couldn’t confirm they’d been used.
Thermobaric explosives differ from conventional explosives in that they use the air around them to fuel combustion.
This creates a higher-temperature explosion and a longer-duration blast wave than a conventional bomb, making it particularly deadly in urban environments.
The weapons are not prohibited under international law and are employed by most major militaries. Thermobaric explosives were used as so-called bunker busters by coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Before-and-after photos capture destruction in Mariupol
Satellite footage taken Wednesday over the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol shows heavy damage to several large buildings and at least one swath cut through a residential neighborhood.
Maxar
Maxar
Maxar
Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of Azov, has been encircled by Russian forces for days and subjected to repeated artillery and airstrikes.
The city has been without power, water, or a reliable food supply for days. Mariupol’s morgues have been overflowing with dead bodies, causing city workers to begin burying Ukrainians in mass graves.
With Post wires
Zelensky thanks Pelosi for help 'countering aggression' after call
President Vlodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he talked to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and thanked her for the US’ help in putting “pressure” on Russia to stop the war.
Zelensky tweeted that he thanked Pelosi for the assistance in “countering aggression, for [U.S.] leadership in international pressure on Russia.”
He said they also discussed additional ways the US could support Ukraine.
EU leads walkout over Russian lies at UN nuke regulator meeting
By Jackie Salo
The European Union lead a mass walkout of delegates on Wednesday during a meeting of the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
In a statement published after the walkout, the EU’s delegation to
International Atomic Energy Agency called Russian claims that Ukraine is about to develop a nuclear weapon, “cynical and appalling.”
“These false and horrid allegations are part of the Russian strategy of disinformation and information manipulation, a strategy we strongly condemn,” the delegation wrote.
“We find it particularly disturbing that the Russian Federation, as part of the propaganda that paved the way for its aggression, continues to repeat horrible and unfounded accusations and wrongly claim that Ukraine is about to acquire nuclear weapons.”
Zelensky has survived ‘more than a dozen’ assassination attempts, aide says
By Lee Brown
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky survived more than a dozen assassination attempts in the first two weeks of war — and still remains Russia’s “main target,” according to one of his key advisers.
“We have a very powerful network of intelligence and counterintelligence, they track it all,” presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak told the outlet Ukrainian Pravda.
Ukraine Presidency Press Office/EPA
Thwarted attempts by infiltrators have included would-be assassins who have been “liquidated” while attempting to get to Zelensky’s government quarters, he said.
“Our foreign partners are talking about two or three attempts. I believe that there were more than a dozen such attempts,” Podolyak said, referring to an earlier claim involving the lower figure nearly a week ago.
Ex-Ukrainian boxer Vladimir Klitschko calls on followers to "stop Putin's war" after hospital bombing
By Ben Kesslen
Former professional Ukrainian boxer Vladimir Klitschko called on his followers Wednesday to “stop Putin’s war” in the wake of Mariupol children’s hospital bombing.
“My heart is bleeding,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. “It is often said the first casualty of war is truth. Yes, it is, as you can see in Russia. But you know what? The most unbearable casualties are children. Children are dying by the dozens now.
“Look at these images. They are the concrete and real results of Putin’s ‘special operation’ so to speak. When he does not take the lives of these angels, he kills their parents, grandparents, and destroys their homes and schools,” he continued.
“To attack children is to attack life,” he said. “If you don’t want to see these images anymore, you must not look away. You must stop Putin’s war now.”
Man living in Ukraine says his Russian father doesn't believe Putin's troops are bombing cities
By Emily Crane
A restaurant owner in Ukraine said his father, who lives in Russia, refuses to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops are bombing cities.
Misha Katsurin told CNN on Wednesday that his father was brainwashed by the propaganda being put out by Russian state media that has downplayed the invasion.
When Katsurin called his father after surviving the latest round of shelling attacks in Ternopil, he said: “He started to argue. He said ‘No no no, it’s not like this’.”
“He told me Russia started a peaceful operation and they are trying to save us from the Nazi regime, which occupies our country,” Katsurin said.
Katsurin, who has a one-month-old son, said his father believed Russian troops were giving “food and warm clothing” to local Ukrainians because that’s what he had seen on Russian media.
“I said ‘no father, I’m here. I see what’s going on.’ He just could not believe in this,” Katsurin said.
He added that some Russians “exist in another reality” when it comes to the bloodshed in Ukraine.
Heartbreaking photos show soldiers saying goodbye to loved ones before deployment
Getty Images
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REUTERS
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17 wounded in bombing of Mariupol hospital: officials
Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that 17 people were wounded when Russian warplanes struck a hospital in Mariupol, including women who were in labor at the time of the attack.
Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the attack came during an agreed-upon ceasefire period to evacuate civilians from the southern port city, which has been encircled by Russian forces for days.
With Post wires
Video shows Russian troops brandishing Soviet flag in Ukraine
Heavily armed Russian troops have been filmed parading a Soviet Union flag as dozens of tanks and armored vehicles allegedly rolled through war-torn Ukraine.
The footage, which was posted online by Russia’s Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, showed the military vehicles slowly driving in single file along deserted roads.
“The Russian Armed Forces units continue to take control of the Ukrainian regions occupied by nationalists within special military operation,” the defense ministry said alongside the video.
It wasn’t immediately clear when — or in which part of Ukraine — the video was filmed.
At least 516 civilians dead in Ukraine since invasion began: UN
The United Nations reported Wednesday that it could confirm 516 civilian deaths and 908 wounded in Ukraine from the ongoing fighting, but warned that the actual number is likely much higher.
“[The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, especially in Government-controlled territory and especially in recent days,” the UN said. “The receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.”
Those confirmed civilian casualties had mostly been caused by artillery strikes, rocket attacks and airstrikes, the report said.
Ted Cruz: Biden officials 'don't believe Ukraine can win'
Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday clammed the White House’s decision to not hand off fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the Biden administration is “resigned” that Ukraine will lose.
The US rejected an offer from Poland Tuesday to transfer Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine via an American airbase in Germany.
“The Biden administration doesn’t want fighter jets to go to Ukraine. They don’t believe Ukraine can win. And they’re resigned. They have a defeatist attitude. They believe Russia will win,” the GOP senator from Texas said on Fox News.
Cruz spelled out how he would’ve handled the situation: “Here’s what should happen: The Ukrainian pilots — we should not have US pilots in combat with Russia — but the Ukrainian pilots can come pick up the MiGs –they were going to do it in Poland. They should come do it and fly the MiGs back.”
The Biden admin is “dragging their feet on the jet aircraft that the Ukraine desperately needs,” he added.
Aerial footage shows Russian tanks in besieged Mariupol
By Emily Crane
Aerial footage has captured what the Ukrainian military said are Russian tanks driving through the streets and fields of the besieged city of Mariupol.
The video, uploaded to social media by Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation, also showed dozens of buildings that have been destroyed by Russian shelling attacks in the last week.
JOINT FORCES OPERATION via Reute
The Russian tanks — and their track marks — were highlighted in the video by the Ukrainian military group.
Mariupol has been under attack from Russian troops for more than a week.
Russia admits drafted soldiers fighting in Ukraine
By Samuel Chamberlain and Bruce Golding
Russia admitted Wednesday that draftees have been sent into battle in Ukraine despite President Vladimir Putin’s claim otherwise just a day earlier.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that an investigation was underway into “the facts of the presence of a number of conscripts in the units of the armed forces who are participating in a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine,” the state-run Tass news agency reported.
Peskov said that “materials have been sent to the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office to verify and legally assess the actions and punish officials responsible,” Tass said.
Before the Feb. 24 launch of the invasion, Putin purportedly ordered that draftees not be involved in “any tasks on the territory of Ukraine” and he said a televised speech Tuesday, “I emphasize that conscript soldiers are not participating in hostilities and will not participate in them.”
Ukrainian officials have released videos of captured Russian soldiers claiming they thought they were merely involved in training exercises before being forced into participating in the invasion.
'Children are under the wreckage': Zelensky slams Russian bombing of Mariupol hospital
By Emily Crane
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday slammed the Russian bombing of a hospital in Mariupol, saying children were among those trapped under the rubble.
“Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity!” Zelensky tweeted alongside a video of the carnage.
The footage, taken from inside the hospital, showed obliterated rooms and hallways covered in debris.
Zelensky added: “How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity.”
Russian bombing destroys children's hospital in Mariupol: officials
By Emily Crane
A children’s hospital in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol has been obliterated by Russian airstrikes, city officials said Wednesday.
“The Russian occupying forces have dropped several bombs on the children’s hospital. The destruction is colossal,” Mariupol’s city council said.
Harrowing footage shared on Telegram showed piles of rubble and debris surrounding the hospital’s buildings. Several bombed cars were engulfed in flames.
The city council also shared an image of what it said was a huge crater caused by one of the Russian bombs.
Officials said they did not yet know the number of casualties. It wasn’t immediately clear how many children, if any, were being treated at the hospital.
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in its assault on Ukraine.
RT editor-in-chief quits over Ukraine invasion, warns of ‘nuclear war’
By Ariel Zilber
The top editor of a Russian state-run media outlet who resigned in protest of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last week is warning that the world could be in danger of a nuclear war.
Maria Baronova, the editor-in-chief of RT, stepped down last week after publicly criticizing the invasion, telling her followers on the encrypted Telegram messaging service: “Our granddads didn’t fight for this.”
Artyom Korotayev
The Moscow-based journalist now fears that the bloody invasion of Ukraine won’t stop there.
At least 1,200 Ukrainians killed in Mariupol, deputy mayor says
By Emily Crane
At least 1,200 innocent Ukrainians have been killed by Russian attacks on the hard-hit port city of Mariupol, the deputy mayor said on Wednesday.
Mariupol deputy mayor, Serhiy Orlov, told CNN the actual death toll was expected to be “three to four times more” than the most recent figures.
“The numbers of really awful. Yesterday, we had confirmed 1,207 victims … killed by shelling,” he said.
“We really cannot calculate how many deaths we have. I mean, it’s three to four times more. We are not able even to count how many people on the streets are killed by bombing.”
The city was planning to dig mass graves to clear the dead bodies from the streets.
Mariupol has been under siege by Russian forces for more than a week with hundreds of thousands of residents forced to shelter without water or power.
Russia had promised to open a humanitarian corridor to let Mariupol’s besieged residents flee but the plan fell apart after Ukraine’s government accused Russian forces of shelling it.
“There is no ceasefire in Mariupol,” Orlov said. “Mariupol is under continuous shelling.”
Ukrainian orchestra defiantly plays in Kyiv square as Russian troops advance
By Emily Crane
Dozens of Ukrainians gathered in a Kyiv square on Wednesday to listen to an orchestra defiantly play the national anthem as Russian troops advanced on the city.
The Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra also played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, which the European Union’s anthem is based on in a nod to the Ukraine government’s push to join the bloc.
Bystanders waving Ukrainian flags applauded as the orchestra played, including one woman who shouted: “To Ukraine.”
Ukrainian city Odessa, known for arts and tourism, prepares for potential attack
Ukrainian girl who sang ‘Let It Go’ in bomb shelter reportedly safe in Poland
Twitter / @Ankita20200
The little Ukrainian girl who went viral for belting out Idina Menzel’s signature song “Let it Go” to terrified classmates inside a bomb shelter in Kyiv has reportedly made it safely to Poland.
Amelia Anisovych, 7, attracted worldwide attention when she was captured singing the tune from Menzel’s 2013 animated Disney film “Frozen” amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
After spending six days in the bunker, the brave girl and her 15-year-old brother went on a two-day trek to Poland with their grandmother as their parents stayed behind to cook for the forces defending the embattled capital, The US Sun reported.
Vice President Kamala Harris leaves for Poland for Ukraine talks
By Emily Crane
Vice President Kamala Harris departed for Warsaw on Wednesday amid unexpected diplomatic turbulence between the US and Poland over fighter jets for Ukraine.
Harris was pictured boarding Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday morning for her two-day trip to Poland and Romania for meetings about the Ukraine war.
Her trip took an unexpected turn before she’d even left Washington after Poland publicly revealed plans to transfer Russian-made fighter planes to a US base in Germany that would then be handed over to Ukrainian pilots.
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
In exchange, the US would supply the Polish government with US-made jets.
But the plan wasn’t run by the Biden administration before being made public — and the Pentagon said the jet offer for Ukraine was “not tenable.”
Talks about getting fighter jets to the Ukrainians are expected to continue when Harris arrives in Warsaw, a senior administration official said.
With Post wires
Ukraine says more than 12,000 Russian troops killed so far in war
By Emily Crane
Ministry of Defense of Russia/Ne
More than 12,000 Russian military personnel had been killed in combat in Ukraine as of Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said.
The Russian armed forces also suffered the loss of 49 aircrafts, 81 helicopters, 317 tanks, 1070 armored vehicles, 120 artillery pieces and 56 rocket launchers, according to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side hasn’t been releasing equivalent data for their military’s losses amid the war.
Moscow also has not publicly reacted to Ukraine’s claims about the losses.
Kyiv fears air raid attack as mass graves dug in ‘apocalyptic’ Mariupol
By Lee Brown
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Air raid shelters repeatedly blared over Ukraine capital Kyiv on Wednesday — as officials in the now “apocalyptic” city of Mariupol planned to dig mass graves to clear corpses from the streets.
The back-to-back emergency alerts in the capital sent residents to bomb shelters even as invading Russian forces promised a ceasefire to allow evacuations from six key areas, including two Kyiv suburbs.
But as of Thursday only one of those planned corridors out appeared to have worked, with Ukrainian authorities saying 5,000 civilians, including 1,700 foreign students, managed to escape from Sumy.
REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
NATO and Ukraine’s government instead said that Russia had shelled some of those promised “humanitarian corridors” in the Kremlin’s latest war crimes.
Latvian museum unveils huge Putin skull banner outside Russian embassy
By Emily Crane
A museum that faces the Russian embassy in Riga, Latvia has unveiled a huge anti-war banner featuring an image of Russia President Vladimir Putin’s skull.
The poster was put in place outside the Riga Medicine Museum on Tuesday.
Russia accuses US of funding alleged Ukraine bio labs containing plague and anthrax
By Emily Crane
Russia on Wednesday accused the US of supporting what it claimed was a military biological program in Ukraine involving deadly pathogens including plague and anthrax.
The Kremlin’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, demanded transparency from Washington over the allegation.
A Pentagon spokesman had earlier described the claims as “absurd Russian misinformation” that is “patently false.”
Russia claims it has documents showing the Ukrainian health ministry ordered the destruction of samples of plague, cholera, anthrax and other pathogens after the Feb. 24 invasion.
Zakharova alleged the so-called program was financed by the Pentagon.
“The US Defense Department and the presidential administration of the United States are obliged to officially explain to the global community, officially, not through talking heads, about the programs in Ukraine,” Zakharova said.
“We demand details … We demand, and the world awaits.”
Ukraine nuclear company warns of Chernobyl radiation risk after power cut
EPA
Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company warned Wednesday that radioactive materials at Chernobyl could be released after Russian forces severed its power connection.
Energoatom said the power plant cannot cool spent nuclear fuel if it is disconnected from the power grid — and work to repair the connection is not possible due to the ongoing conflict.
On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it lost contact with the plant’s safeguards monitoring system.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday called on international leaders to pressure Russia to “cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply.”
“Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP,” he wrote on Twitter.
“After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent. Putin’s barbaric war puts entire Europe in danger. He must stop it immediately!”
Russian forces first took control of the site within the first day of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.
Over 400 Ukrainians protesters detained by Russian National Guard, Ukraine says
Members of Russia’s National Guard have detained more than 400 people in Ukraine’s Kherson oblast who protested against the occupation of their hometowns by Russian forces, Ukraine’s military high command said on Wednesday.
“Due to the furious resistance of the residents of Kherson, the occupiers are attempting to introduce an administrative-police regime,” it said in a statement.
With Post wires
'Dark historical first': More than 1 million children have fled Ukraine
AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu
More than 1 million children have fled Ukraine in the two weeks since Russia invaded the country — in what UNICEF called “a dark historical first.”
That means kids make up roughly half of the more than 2 million people that have escaped the war.
On Wednesday, President Biden vowed the US would “share the responsibility” of aiding Ukrainian refugees.
“I’ve made it clear that the United States will share in the responsibility of caring for the refugees so the costs do not fall entirely on the European countries bordering Ukraine,” he said.
The UN refugee agency has called the mass exodus the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
With Post wires
Ukraine calls on UK to relax visa requirements for fleeing refugees
By Reuters
Ukraine’s ambassador to London said on Wednesday that 100,000 Ukrainian refugees could eventually come to Britain as he called on the government to relax the conditions for granting visas for people fleeing the conflict with Russia.
Russian forces have subjected some Ukrainian cities and towns to relentless bombardments, leading to the fastest displacement of people in Europe since World War Two.
With Post wires
Russia says it skipped World Court case because Ukraine suit is 'absurd'
By Reuters
Russia did not attend a World Court hearing in a lawsuit brought by Ukraine seeking to halt hostilities on its territory because of the “absurdity” of the suit, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday, its first public statement on the matter.
Russia did not attend hearings on Monday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which is the U.N. court for resolving disputes between nations.
Ukraine argued that Russia had wrongly tried to justify its invasion on false assertions that it was attacking in self defense to prevent genocide.
Russia’s tweet said it had not attended “in light of the apparent absurdity of the lawsuit.”
With Post wires
Kremlin says United States has declared economic war on Russia
By Reuters
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the United States had declared economic war on Russia and that Moscow would think seriously about what to do after U.S. President Joe Biden imposed a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had been, is and would be a reliable energy supplier and pointed out that energy flows continued.
“But you see the bacchanalia, the hostile bacchanalia, which the West has sown – and that of course makes the situation very difficult and forces us to think seriously,” Peskov said.
“The United States definitely has declared economic war against Russia and is waging this war,” he said.
With Post wires
Russia has never threatened NATO, foreign ministry says
By Reuters
Russia has never threatened NATO and does not threaten the Western military alliance now, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, adding that her country still must react to NATO’s “confrontational course.”
She told a news briefing that NATO’s build-up of military forces on its eastern flank, following what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, was “provocative in its nature” and was not helping to safeguard security in Europe.
With Post wires
Zelensky says no-fly zone is needed to avert humanitarian catastrophe
By Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday the international community would be responsible for a mass “humanitarian catastrophe” if it did not agree a no-fly zone to protect his country.
In a daily televised address, he said the threat level in Ukraine was at a maximum nearly two weeks into Russia’s invasion but Ukrainians had shown they would never give in.
“Russia uses missiles, aircraft and helicopters against us, against civilians, against our cities, against our infrastructure. It is the humanitarian duty of the world to respond,” he said.
With Post wires
Russians have disconnected Chernobyl plant from electric grid, operator says
Russian forces have taken Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant off the grid, according to Ukraine’s state power grid operator via Reuters.
Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, has been under Russian control since day one of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.
On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it lost contact with the plant’s safeguards monitoring system. The site currently isn’t operational, according to CNN.
With Post wires
EU working on new sanctions on about 100 Russians, Borrell says
By Reuters
European Union governments are preparing a new round of travel bans and asset freezes on some 100 Russians over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and a decision could come later on Wednesday, the EU’s top diplomat said.
“Member states are working on a package of sanctions, around 100 people responsible at different levels of government,” Borrell told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He said he hoped for agreement “by the end of this session today,” without giving more details.
With Post wires
International Monetary Fund approves $1.4 billion emergency support for Ukraine, central bank says
By Reuters
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $1.4 billion in emergency support for Ukraine to finance expenditures and shore up the balance of payments, Central Bank Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ukraine has turned to financing from allies and international institutions to support its economy after the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.
“We are immensely grateful to the IMF for its prompt response to our request. We look forward to completing all required procedures as soon as possible,” Shevchenko said. “It is vital for Ukraine now that it has been going through such a horrible time.”
With Post wires
No water or heat for civilians in Mariupol
MARIUPOL, UKRAINE — The besieged Azov Sea port city of Mariupol has seen some of the most desperate scenes of the war, with civilians struggling without water, heat, basic sanitation or phones for several days.
With water supplies cut, people have been collecting water from streams or melting snow.
The representatives of Ukraine’s Red Cross are trying to deliver first aid to those who need it the most, but resources are scarce.
“There is no heating, electricity, water, natural gas … In other words there is nothing. no household commodities. The water is collected from the roofs after the rain,” says Aleksey Berntsev, head of Red Cross of Mariupol.
People sheltered in underground basements, anxiously waiting for news of evacuation efforts as they struggled to survive in a city where bodies have been left uncollected on the streets.
Berentsev said that apart from delivering aid, giving local residents information is one of the most important task they are undertaking.
“Sometimes information is more important for the people than food,” he says.
Power cuts mean that many residents have lost internet access and now rely on their car radios for information, picking up news from stations broadcast from areas controlled by Russian or Russian-backed separatist forces.
Today's New York Post cover: 'Faces of the Murdered'
By Post Staff
The New York Post cover for March 9, 2022, puts the names and faces of the family tragically killed by Russian troops while trying to flee from Kyiv.
NBA legend Reggie Miller on WNBA star Brittney Griner’s arrest: ‘I hope for a safe passage back for Brittney’
By Fox News
Brittney Griner’s arrest in Russia has sparked fears about her safety and prayers that she will be able to make a safe trip home.
The WNBA star was arrested last month after authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. Griner could face up to a decade in prison if she’s convicted.
Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he was praying that the Phoenix Mercury center can get back to the U.S. safely.
“I hope for a safe passage back for Brittney. Again, you know, not knowing all the particulars, I know it’s not right for them to detain her,” Miller said. “I don’t even think we know where she is, I’m sure the State Department does, but there’s still very little information that’s coming out of Russia right now. That’s what’s a little bit disturbing.”
Premature babies in Ukraine rescued by volunteers during Kyiv shelling
By Fox News
Three premature babies have been safely transported from Ukraine to Poland as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
Project DYNAMO, an American civilian and ally rescue nonprofit based in Tampa, launched a mission that successfully evacuated twin baby boys and one baby girl from Kyiv on Monday, March 7.
Project DYNAMO
The rescue mission, which the organization is calling “GEMINI,” was accomplished with help from two doctors, two neonatal specialists, one nurse and a Ukrainian ambulance crew — and comes 11 days after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv remains an active war zone as Russian forces continue shelling. Many families have evacuated the city and country as a result.
Photos: Ukrainians evacuate from Irpin
Thousands of civilians packed their belongings, gathered pets and family members, and fled Irpin, west of Kyiv, on Tuesday.
AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
AP Photo/Felipe Dana
Temporary ceasefire starts in Ukraine city, mayor says
Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov said a temporary ceasefire is in order to allow citizens to evacuate the city, according to the Kyiv Independent.
The ceasefire began at 9 a.m. local time as civilians are able to flee to Zaporizhzhia, a city further north on the Dnieper River.
Ukraine makes new attempt to get civilians out of Mariupol, other cities
By Reuters
Ukraine will on Wednesday try to evacuate civilians through six “humanitarian corridors,” including from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
She said in a video statement that Ukrainian armed forces had agreed to stop firing in those areas from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and urged Russian forces to fulfill their commitment to local ceasefires.
With Post wires
UK impounds aircraft under new Russian sanctions
By Reuters
British transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday Britain had used new aviation sanctions to impound an aircraft after making it a criminal offence for Russian aircraft to fly or land in the United Kingdom.
“Last night, I also signed a law which closes off some of those loopholes to do with trying to work out the ownership of some of these aircraft,” Shapps told BBC TV.
“There is one such aircraft on the ground at the moment at Farnborough that I’ve essentially impounded whilst we carry out further investigations for the last few days – and it’s very important that we have the laws available to enable that to happen.”
With Post wires
Russia makes another empty promise for ceasefire as Ukrainians flee for their lives
Russia has again claimed it would hold to a ceasefire Wednesday morning to allow for the safe passage of Ukrainians fleeing from Kyiv and four other major cities.
The promised humanitarian corridors from the capital, along with Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, come as throngs of citizens have remained trapped in those cities amid ongoing attacks from Russia in the area.
SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images
It remains to be seen if Russia would keep its word, but under a similar promise Tuesday, the aggressors were accused of fresh war crimes for shelling scores of refugees trying to evacuate along the safe routes.
The head of Russia’s National Defense Control Center, Mikhail Mizintsev, said Russian forces would “observe a regime of silence” from 10 a.m. Moscow time on Wednesday.
China blames NATO for pushing Russia-Ukraine tension to 'breaking point'
By Reuters
BEIJING – Moves by U.S.-led NATO have pushed tension between Russia and Ukraine to a “breaking point,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
At a daily news briefing, he urged the United States to take China’s concerns seriously and avoid undermining its rights or interests in handling the Ukraine issue and ties with Russia.
China to provide $791k worth of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine
By Reuters
Chinese Red Cross will provide a batch of humanitarian assistance worth 5 million yuan ($791,540) to Ukraine, consisting of daily necessities, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
Russia’s invasion into Ukraine last month has sent over 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing abroad while those remaining in the encircled Ukrainian town of Mariupol were fast running out of out of electricity, heat, food, and drinking water after more than a week of bombardment.
China has refused to describe Russia’s activities in Ukraine as invasion. Russia calls its actions a “special operation.”
With Post wires
Top US lawmakers reach $13.6B deal on Ukraine aid, $1.5T spending
Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year.
Though a tiny portion of the massive bill, the money responding to the Russian blitzkrieg that’s devastated parts of Ukraine and prompted Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II ensured robust bipartisan support for the legislation. President Joe Biden had requested $10 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12 billion Monday and $13.6 billion just a day later.
“We’re going to support them against tyranny, oppression, violent acts of subjugation,” Biden said at the White House.
Party leaders hoped to whip the 2,741-page measure through the House on Wednesday and the Senate by week’s end, though that chamber’s exact timing was unclear. Lawmakers were spurred by the urgency of helping Ukraine before Russia’s military might makes it too late.
Ukraine bans exports of several grains, sugar, salt, meat
By Reuters
Ukraine’s government has banned exports of rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sugar, salt, and meat until the end of this year, according to a cabinet resolution published on Wednesday.
With Post wires
Russia says Ukraine planned attack on rebel region in March
By Reuters
Russia’s defense ministry said on Wednesday it had obtained secret documents which proved that Ukraine planned a March attack on Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The ministry published six pages of documents it said showed Kyiv planned a military assault on the Russian-backed rebel regions in Donbass.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the documents – written in Ukrainian – which appear to outline combat preparations for tactical military units.
With Post wires
Universal Music Group to suspend operations in Russia
Universal Music Group will suspend all operations in Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, the world’s largest music company said in a statement on March 8.
“We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Universal Music wrote in a statement. “We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region.”
The music company is one of many American companies to pull out of Russia’s economy. Russia was once seen as a blooming music market, with a 30 percent growth rate in music sales in 2020, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
With Post wires
UK says Ukraine's air defenses having considerable success against Russian jets
By Reuters
Britain on Wednesday said Ukraine’s air defences were having success against Russian jets, likely preventing Russia from controlling the airspace.
“Ukrainian air defences appear to have enjoyed considerable success against Russia’s modern combat aircraft, probably preventing them achieving any degree of control of the air,” the Ministry of Defence intelligence update posted on Twitter said.
Britain’s assessment also said Russian forces had failed to make any significant breakthroughs in fighting north west of Kyiv.
With Post wires
Russia's Lavrov to hold talks with Ukrainian counterpart in Turkey
By Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday travels to Turkey where he will have talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the TASS news agency cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying.
With Post wires
Ukraine: Nuclear plant staff forced to record address
LVIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s energy minister said Russian forces that now control a Ukrainian nuclear plant are forcing the exhausted staff to record an address that they plan to use for propaganda purposes.
Russian troops have been in control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, since seizing it an attack on Friday that set a building on fire and raised fears of a nuclear disaster. It was later determined that no radiation was released.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Facebook that about 500 Russian soldiers and 50 pieces of heavy equipment are inside the station. He said the Ukrainian staff are “physical and emotionally exhausted.”
Russia describes the war as a “special military operation” and says it is conducting targeted attacks. Halushchenko’s reference to propaganda appears to refer to Russian efforts to show it is not endangering Ukrainian civilians or infrastructure.
Evacuation from Ukraine's Sumy to continue on Wednesday
By Reuters
A humanitarian corridor out of the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy will continue to function on Wednesday, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said.
About 5,000 people rode buses out of the northeastern city on Tuesday after Moscow and Kyiv agreed on the corridor, he said, and about 1,000 cars were also able to leave, moving towards the city of Poltava.
With Post wires
International volunteers will be eligible for Ukrainian citizenship, minister says
Volunteers willing to fight for Ukraine’s independence will be able to obtain citizenship, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said via The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky put out a call for a Ukrainian army International Legion right as the war began.
About 20,000 foreign volunteers have joined Ukraine’s fight for freedom — including U.S. army veterans as of Wednesday morning.19 hours ago
Ukrainian girl who sang ‘Let It Go’ in bunker escapes safely to Poland
The young girl who delivered a heart-wrenching rendition of Disney song “Let It Go” in a Ukrainian bunker made it safely into Poland, a report said.
The 7-year-old, identified as Amelia Anisovych, made the two-day trek across the border with her parents and 15-year-old brother, The Sun reported.
The girl’s mother, Lilia, told the news outlet that the family had spent six days in the Kyiv bunker with her daughter’s classmates and teachers.
“We were down there for a whole week with not enough food. To go to the toilet we had to run upstairs as his missiles were flying overhead,” the mother recalled.
Amelia was filmed singing the hit tune from the flick “Frozen” in the packed safe-room as families and their children hushed for her astounding performance.
The room erupted into applause when she finished, according to the footage.
Biden calls parents of ex-Marine jailed in Russia
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the family of a former US Marine who has been jailed in Russia for more than two years.
The president reached out to the parents of Trevor Reed after he visited veterans in Fort Worth, Texas, Politico reported.
“The president called Joey and Paula Reed to reiterate his commitment to do everything he can to bring their son home,” a White House official said.
Reed was arrested and charged with assault after a night out drinking in Moscow in March 2019.
He’s accused of endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers.
For International Women’s Day, Putin tells ladies to ‘be proud’ of men fighting in war
Russian President Vladimir Putin told women across his country Tuesday to “be proud” of their male relatives taking part in the invasion of Ukraine, as videos circulating on social media indicated a significant grassroots backlash to the war.
In a speech marking International Women’s Day, Putin took a moment to address “the mothers, wives, sisters and fiancées of our men and officers, who are fighting to defend Russia during the special military operation” — the euphemistic term favored by the Kremlin to describe the bloody assault against Moscow’s western neighbor.
“I know that you are worried about your loved ones,” he said. “You can be proud of them, just as the whole country is proud and concerned about them.”
In the same speech, Putin insisted neither conscripted soldiers nor reservists would be called up to take part in the brutal fighting.
Car crashes into gates of Polish embassy in Washington DC
By Jesse O'Neil
The gate to the Polish embassy in Washington DC was hit by car during a two-vehicle collision Tuesday night, according to local station WUSA9.
The crash caused minor injures, the station said. One area resident tweeted that it caused a “huge boom” and the scene was smoky, but it was not immediately apparent if the wreck was an accident or a political statement.
It came shortly after the US backed out of a plan to help Poland transport dozens of Soviet-era war planes to Ukraine, over logistical concerns and fears of escalating Russia’s war.
Two Russian military officials killed by Ukraine, Russia says
By Jesse O'Neil
Two Russian military paratrooper officers were killed by Ukraine forces, according to Russia officials.
Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky and Colonel Yuri Agarkov died “valiantly and courageously defending the security of our country,” according to the Russian Administration of the Pskov Region’s Instagram page, which announced their deaths Sunday.
No further details were given by the officials, who repeated Moscow’s false euphemisms for its unprovoked war and invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “special military operation aimed at protecting the civilian population of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics from genocide.”
Congress edges toward agreement on Ukraine aid
By Reuters
The US Congress on Tuesday appeared to be on the cusp of an agreement to allocate billions of dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine, fund the federal government through Sept. 30, and provide resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sweeping legislation, awaiting final approval from Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, was expected to provide $1.5 trillion for defense and nondefense discretionary spending, as much as $14 billion to help Ukraine respond to Russia’s invasion and about $15 billion for COVID.
“Republicans and Democrats are very, very close to finalizing the agreement. I expect there will be text released in a few hours,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at a mid-afternoon news conference.
Schumer’s Republican counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said he expects $14 billion in humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine to include loan guarantees to help NATO allies including Poland purchase U.S. warplanes to replace warplanes transferred to Ukraine.
“We need to provide them loan guarantees and assurance that they will be able to get a way to backfill the loss of those MiGs for their own security,” McConnell told reporters.
Ex-Miss Ukraine escaped Kyiv with son after waking up to u2018sirens and explosionsu2019
By Ben Kesslen
David Buchan for NY Post
A former Miss Ukraine on Tuesday recounted her treacherous journey to escape her war-torn Eastern Europe nation with her son — while begging the US to “close the sky” and stop Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “terrorism.”
The 2018 beauty queen, Veronika Didusenko, described the moment Feb. 24 when she and her 7-year-old son were “awaked by sirens and explosions” in the country’s capital of Kyiv.
“In between raids, we — along with tens of thousands of families — tried to get out of the city,” she said at a news conference in Los Angeles with women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred.
Plan to help Poland supply Ukraine with Soviet fighter jets is shot down by US
By Jesse O'Neil
Poland said Tuesday it was ready to deploy 28 MIG-29 jets to a Germany base so the US could transport them to Ukraine — but the United States threw cold water on the plan.
The Polish proposal, which involved Soviet-era jets owned by NATO allies, “raises serious concerns” and is not “tenable,” US defense officials said.
Poland had said it would provide the aircraft on the condition that Washington would reimburse it with F-16s.
“The prospect of fighter jets ‘at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America’ departing from a US/NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby wrote in a response to Poland’s surprise announcement.
First Lady of Ukraine pens searing 'open letter to the media'
By Ben Kesslen
The first lady of Ukraine wrote in a passionate and searing “open letter to the media” Tuesday that Russia is guilty of the “mass murder of Ukrainian civilians” and warned Europe it could be next.
“What happened just over a week ago was impossible to believe. Our country was peaceful; our cities, towns, and villages were full of life,” wrote Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Now that’s shattered, Zelenska wrote in her open letter titled “I Testify…”
But she added that the Ukrainian people will never give up.
“When Russia says that it is ‘not waging war against civilians,’ I call out the names of these murdered children first,” she said, listing the names of the war’s tragic youngest victims who died on the street in shellings, including some hit in the head by falling debris after a Russian bombing.
Russian default on its national debts ‘imminent’: Fitch ratings agency
Ratings agency Fitch warned Tuesday that a Russian default on its national debts is “imminent,” while downgrading the country’s healthy-investment rating to a dismal “C.”
The international agency cited a recent decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing certain foreign debts to be paid off in the plummeting ruble, which is currently worth less than eight-tenths of an American cent.
Former NY Gov. George Pataki heads to Ukraine-Hungary border for relief effort
Russian ship that fired on the 'Go f--k yourself' Ukrainians destroyed in battle: report
ByBruce GoldingAllison Pataki/Twitter; Nicola M
Former three-term New York Gov. George Pataki is leading a delegation to provide humanitarian relief to 200,000 Ukrainian refugees who’ve fled to neighboring Hungary following Russia’s invasion of their homeland.
“We have money, food, clothing and medical supplies we can deliver,” Pataki, whose paternal grandparents were from Hungary, told The Post on Tuesday.
He said he will visit the Hungary-Ukraine border town of Kisvárda after landing in Budapest on Thursday. He also expects to meet with top Hungarian officials as well as the leader of the country’s Catholic Church, Cardinal Peter Erdo.
These are the companies still doing business in Russia
By Ariel Zilber
A Yale University professor has compiled a list of companies that are still doing business in Russia even as many firms head for the exits after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who heads the nonprofit Chief Executive Leadership Institute at Yale, put together the list, which has now grown to 280 western companies that have scaled back their ties to Russia — along with those that remain.
Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Starbucks on Tuesday became the latest major US corporations to downgrade business ties in Russia.
The Golden Arches came under intense pressure on social media to boycott the country. Finally, it relented on Tuesday when it announced that it would temporarily shutter its 850 restaurants in Russia.
Kremlin insiders call war in Ukraine a ‘clusterf–k’ as top officers die: report
By Evan Simko-Bednarski and Ben Kesslen
Another Russian general has died, and other senior army officers have either been killed or wounded in fighting in Ukraine this week — only adding to what Kremlin officials are reportedly calling a complete “clusterf–k.’’
Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov and some senior officers were struck down in fighting in Kharkiv on Monday, days after Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky was killed by a sniper, Ukrainian officials said.
The blows to the Russian army’s top echelon occurred even before Russian government officials were already calling Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “a clusterf–k,” a report said.
Russian ship that fired on the 'Go f--k yourself' Ukrainians destroyed in battle: report
A Russian warship that fired on a group of Ukrainian border guards after being told to “go f–k yourself” was destroyed in battle, according to a report Tuesday.
“We f–king hit them,” a man is heard saying on a recording of the conflict, the Times of London said.
Another man reportedly echoed the famous words of the Ukrainian soldier who defiantly resisted a Russian order to surrender a military outpost on Snake Island in the Black Sea during Day One of the invasion.
“Russian warship, go f–k yourself,” the man said.
The Valisy Bykov, a small warship known as a “corvette,” was one of two Russian vessels that opened fire on Snake Island on Feb. 24, the Times said, citing the Janes military intelligence group.
Coca-Cola says it will suspend business in Russia
By Reuters
Peter Kovalev
Coca-Cola on Tuesday said it will suspend business in Russia, joining a list of companies that are giving into consumer pressure over the war in Ukraine.
It joins a list of companies that have filed out of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier Tuesday, McDonald’s announced that it will temporarily shut its 850 restaurants in Russia after it came under intense pressure on social media to cease doing business in the country.
Russian prisoners of war will work to 'restore' Ukraine's economy: officials
Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Tuesday that Russian prisoners of war will later be used to “restore Ukraine’s economy” in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.
First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yevhen Yenin revealed the plan during a live broadcast, noting that the government will adhere “to all norms of international humanitarian law.”
“And this is what distinguishes us from the Russian aggressor, who shoots at civilians, strikes rockets and bombs at homes. And I’m not talking about the treatment of our servicemen,” Yenin said.
“We will use all the opportunities that the Geneva Conventions give us in this regard. That is, the use of labor, etc. All these people will later work to restore Ukraine’s economy,” he continued.
AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky
According the Geneva Conventions relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a detaining power “may utilize the labor of prisoners of war who are physically fit, taking into account their age, sex, rank and physical aptitude, and with a view particularly to maintaining them in a good state of physical and mental health.”
There are several stipulations for the work, including that it cannot be “unhealthy or dangerous” and its daily duration cannot “exceed that permitted for civilian workers in the district.”
Ukraine refugees will face bitterly cold temperatures in Eastern Europe this week
By FOX Weather
The 2 million refugees that have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries will be facing bitterly cold temperatures across Eastern Europe this week.
EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT
A cold front swept through the region on Monday, and temperatures will continue to drop over the next several days as an arctic air mass settles in.
Rep. Ilhan Omar warns against supplying Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) warned against the US supplying Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons on Tuesday, calling the consequences “disastrous”, as Ukraine faces its 13th day of attacks from Russia.
“The consequences of flooding Ukraine with billion dollars in [US] weapons, likely not limited to just military-specific equipment but also including small arms + ammo, are unpredictable & likely disastrous,” she tweeted.
Getty Images
“Specially when they are given to paramilitary groups w/out accountability.”
In a second tweet, the far-left congresswoman clarified that she supports providing Ukraine with resources to defend itself from Russia, but worries “about the size and scope.”
“I support giving Ukraine the resources it needs to defend its people, I just have legitimate concerns about the size and scope,” Omar tweeted. “Btw, criticizing and questioning is my job as a leader and a member of Congress. It’s the hardest part of the job, trust me it’s easy to just follow.”
Since January, the Biden administration has approved sending billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, including javelin missiles, anti-armor systems and other munition.
Last week, the administration asked Congress to approve $10 billion for the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, training their military and reinforcing defenses, protecting the country’s electrical grid, fortifying cyber defenses and enforcing sanctions on Moscow.
Poland ready to give US MiG-29 jets for potential Ukraine transfer
The Polish government announced Tuesday that it was willing to turn over its MiG-29 fighter jets to the US government for a potential transfer to Ukraine and called on other members of NATO to do the same.
In a statement, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau said his country was ready to send the planes to Ramstein Air Base in Germany “and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America.”
AP
In exchange, Rau added, Washington should supply Warsaw with “used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities.”
The Polish Air Force has approximately two dozen of the Soviet-designed jets in its inventory, according to FlightGlobal.
There was no immediate response from the US government.
Zelensky thanks US for banning Russian oil
By Ben Kesslen
Ukraine President Vlodymyr Zelensky thanked President Biden Tuesday for “striking in the heart of Putin’s war machine” by banning the import of oil, gas and coal from the Kremlin.
Zelensky had called for the US and other major Western nations to stop importing Russian energy, saying the funds were going directly to the destruction of Ukraine.
“Encourage other countries and leaders to follow,” he wrote.
Kremlin insiders calling Ukraine invasion a 'clusterf---k': report
Russian government officials were reportedly already calling President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “a clusterf—k” before their latest military setbacks began piling up.
The grim assessment came a week ago before a 40-mile convoy of Russian armor stalled outside Kyiv, Ukraine killed teams of assassins gunning for President Zelensky, and the world started seizing oligarchs’ yachts.
“They’re carefully enunciating the word clusterf—k” a high-level source told Russian journalist Farida Rustamova of Kremlin insiders.
MDRF / Polaris
EyePress News/Shutterstock
“No one is rejoicing. Many understand that this is a mistake, but in the course of doing their duty they come up with explanations in order to somehow come to terms with it,” said another.
Rustamova, a former BBC and TV Rain journalist, published the report on March 1, less than a week after the invasion began.
She reported that only a small circle close to Putin knew of the imminent invasion, with many assuming the military build-up on Ukraine’s border was negotiating tactic with the West.
Her reporting also casts doubt on the Russian president’s state of mind.
“He is in a state of being offended and insulted,” said a source described as a “good acquaintance” of Putin. “It’s paranoia that has reached the point of absurdity.”
“Putin now seriously believes what [Defense Minister] Shoigu and [General Staff chief] Gerasimov are telling him: About how quickly they’ll take Kyiv, that the Ukrainians are blowing themselves up, that Zelensky is a coke addict,” the source told Rustamova.
Rustamova’s original report has been translated into English by Sarajevo-based journalist Ilya Lozovsky.
Russian prima ballerina says she's 'ashamed' of Ukraine war
By Emily Crane
A Russian prima ballerina has created a Telegram channel to publicly slam Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine, saying she is “ashamed of Russia.”
Olga Smirnova, the lead dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the newly formed account, writing: “I cannot but say that with all the fibers of my soul I am against the war.”
Olga Smirnova/e2w
“I never thought that I would be ashamed of Russia. I have always been proud of the talented Russian people, our cultural and sporting achievements,” the 30-year-old said. “But now the line is drawn on the before and after.”
“It hurts that people are dying, while others are deprived of a roof over their heads or forced to leave their homes,” Smirnova added.
“Political issues in a modern civilized society should be resolved exclusively through peaceful negotiations.”
Smirnova went on to say that her grandfather was Ukrainian and “I am a quarter Ukrainian.”
Joint funeral held for Ukrainian servicemen in Lviv
By Post Staff
Getty Images
Zelensky vows that Ukraine will defeat Russia: 'We will not lose'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for Britain to step up its economic sanctions against Russia and to “make sure Ukrainian skies are safe” in a Tuesday evening address to the UK’s Parliament — as he remained defiant that his country “will not lose” against the Russian forces.
Reuters
Reuters
Reuters
“We will not give up. We will not lose,” Zelensky said, joining the chamber by video conference from Kyiv.
“We will fight till the end at sea and in the air,” Zelensky said, echoing Winston Churchill’s 1940 pledge to fight the expected Nazi attack on Great Britain.
“We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets,” Zelensky said. “We are looking for your help.”
Pentagon estimates 2,000 to 4,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine
Between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian forces have been killed in Ukraine during the 13-day-long invasion, the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency said Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier told House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) that the estimate was made with “low confidence” and based on “some intelligence sources, but also open-source [information].”
Ukraine’s government reports that Russia has suffered “losses” of more than 12,000 troops since the invasion began Feb. 24. The Kremlin acknowledged last week that nearly 500 of its forces had been killed and almost 1,600 had been wounded.
Photos: Ukrainian National Guard service members hold frontline wedding
By Post Staff
Over 60 Ukrainian hospitals out of action after Russian attacks: health minister
By Reuters
KOSICE, Slovakia – Sixty-one hospitals in Ukraine are not operational because of attacks by Russian forces, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said on Tuesday.
“Terrorists from the aggressor country have put 61 hospitals out of action,” he said on television, adding that the authorities were unable to deliver critical medical supplies to front-line communities because of a lack of “humanitarian corridors.” Russia denies attacking civilian targets.
US intelligence apparently before invasion: 'Russia does not want a direct conflict with US forces'
A “threat-assessment” report by the US intelligence community released Tuesday — and apparently written before the Russian invasion of Ukraine — said the United States believed that “Russia does not want a direct conflict with US forces.”
The “Annual Threat Assessment” report, released by the office of the director of National Intelligence, claimed, “Russia seeks an accommodation with the United States on mutual noninterference in both countries’ domestic affairs and U.S. recognition of Russia’s claimed sphere of influence over much of the former Soviet Union.”
Still, the agency asserted that Moscow “will continue to employ an array of tools to advance its own interests or undermine the interests of the United States and its allies.
“These will be primarily military, security, and intelligence tools, with economic cooperation playing a smaller role,” it said.
The assessment appeared to have been written before Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Harrowing portrait of injured Ukrainian woman used on UK's Times front page
By Emily Crane
A harrowing portrait of a Ukrainian woman’s bruised and bloodied face was featured on the front page of the UK’s Times newspaper on Tuesday.
The woman, Yelena Bolyachenko, 55, is among the Ukrainian civilians who were hospitalized in Kharkiv after they were left severely injured by Russian shelling attacks.
News Licensing / MEGA
Bolyachenko’s face and neck were riddled with bruises, scratches and bloodied stitches.
Stains from the green disinfectant medical workers have been using to treat open wounds covered her face.
Bolyachenko was injured when the apartment building where she was hauled up was struck.
Striking photos show Ukrainian soldier walk past downed Russian fighter jet in Kharkiv building
By Post Staff
AP
Fiery aftermath of explosion in Kalynivka, Ukraine captured on video
By Emily Crane
A grim video captured the fiery aftermath of a reported explosion in the Ukrainian town of Kalynivka on Tuesday.
The explosion occurred at a storage facility for chemicals, LA Times correspondent Marcus Yam tweeted.
The footage showed several structures engulfed in flames as plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky in the aftermath of the blast.
Black and blue containers could also be seen strewn across the area.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the eruption.
More than 12,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine: Ukrainian officials
By Emily Crane
More than 12,000 Russian military personnel have now been killed in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials claimed on Tuesday.
In an update on the losses suffered by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces, the Ukrainian side said 48 aircraft, 303 tanks, 80 helicopters, 1,036 armored vehicles, 120 artillery pieces, 56 rocket launchers systems and 27 anti-aircraft defense systems had also been destroyed.
Russian officials have not yet publicly responded to Ukraine’s tally of losses.
So far, Moscow has only acknowledged several hundred deaths among Russian forces since Putin gave the orders to invade on Feb. 24.
Russia holding 300K civilians hostage, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs says
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday accused Russian troops of holding 300,000 civilians hostage in the port city of Mariupol by preventing any evacuation from the city.
“Russia holds 300k civilians hostage in Mariupol, prevents humanitarian evacuation despite agreements with ICRC mediation,” Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Tuesday.
“One child died of dehydration (!) yesterday! War crimes are part of Russia’s deliberate strategy. I urge all states to publicly demand: RUSSIA, LET PEOPLE GO!”
Mariupol has undergone Russian attacks for days, halting evacuation efforts and reportedly booby-trapped safe “human corridors.”
Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
Hundreds of people have died in the city amid the attacks. Residents have also faced a lack of power and running water in recent days.
UN human rights office confirms deaths of nearly 500 civilians, including 29 kids
By Lee Brown
The UN human rights office said Tuesday that it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 500 Ukrainian civilians.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said as of Monday, it had confirmed 861 injuries and 474 deaths — including the deaths of 29 children.
That amounted to at least “1,335 civilian casualties in context of Russia’s armed attack against Ukraine,” the UN office said.
The agency stressed that the tally is likely far higher, and Ukraine on Tuesday said that at least 38 kids were among those killed, with more than 70 others injured.
UN bans staff from calling Ukraine situation 'war' or 'invasion': report
By Emily Crane
The United Nations has reportedly banned staff from referring to the Ukraine situation as a “war” or “invasion.”
Staffers have instead been instructed to call Russia’s invasion a “conflict” or “military offensive,” according to an email sent out Monday and obtained by the Irish Times.
UN employees have also been instructed not to add the Ukrainian flag to personal or official social media accounts and websites.
The email, sent out by the UN communications department, said the new policy was being put in place to avoid “reputational risk.”
“This is an important reminder that we, as international civil servants, have a responsibility to be impartial,” the email said.
“There is a serious possibility of reputational risk that has been flagged by senior officials recently.”
a day ago
China's Xi calls for 'maximum restraint' in Ukraine
By Emily Crane
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for “maximum restraint” in Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.
In his strongest remarks yet on the conflict, Xi said China was “pained to see the flames of war reignited in Europe,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Xi, speaking at a virtual meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, called the bloodshed in Ukraine “worrying” and said the priority should be preventing it from “spinning out of control.”
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He also called for China, France and Germany to jointly support peace talks between Russia and Ukraine
China has so far refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine — or go as far as calling it an invasion.
Beijing has repeatedly opposed what it describes as illegal sanctions on Russia amid the war.
Kharkiv Mayor 'absolutely confident' city will defeat the Russians
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov remains “absolutely confident” that his city — which has been bombarded with Russian attacks for over a week — will defeat the Russian forces.
Despite the constant attacks, air raids, and fires that have left residential areas destroyed, Terekhov told CNN on Tuesday that Kharkiv “will withstand” the Russian invasion.
He insisted that he is “absolutely confident that we will defeat the Russians.”
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-largest city and home to approximately 1.5 million people.
Terekhov said that the city still needs “everything” in their fight, including food, medicine, and warm clothes.
Churches, apartment buildings, schools and hospitals in the city have been repeatedly targeted in the Russian bombings, leaving dozens dead.
Terekhov likened the targeting of the civilian areas to “genocide.”
“What else can it be? There is no military infrastructure, no military facilities in these areas. Strikes are happening in kindergartens, schools, maternity hospitals, clinics,” he told CNN.
“This isn’t an accident. I can understand when there’s an accidental strike. But when it’s hundreds of civilian buildings hit, that is no accident. That is a targeted attack.”
Head of Russian Orthodox Church blames war on gay pride events
By Lee Brown
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is blaming the war on Ukraine’s acceptance of gay pride events.
During a Sunday service at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Patriarch Kirill blamed hostilities on “a fundamental rejection of the so-called values that are offered today by those who claim world power.”
“Today there is such a test for the loyalty of this government … The test is very simple and at the same time terrible — this is a gay parade,” said Kirill, calling them “a sin that is condemned by the Word of God.”
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He claimed the initial hostilities were sparked by those who “resist these demands and how this resistance is suppressed by force … to impose on people the denial of God and His truth.”
That makes the war “far more important than politics,” Kirill said, preaching, “We are talking about human salvation.”
“If humanity recognizes that sin is not a violation of God’s law, if humanity agrees that sin is one of the options for human behavior, then human civilization will end there,” he claimed.
The church leader also said a prayer for “all those who are fighting today, who are shedding blood, who are suffering, will also enter into this joy of the Resurrection in peace and tranquility.”
Putin insists no Russian soldiers will be enlisted to fight in Ukraine
By Emily Crane
Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted on Tuesday that the Kremlin will not use any enlisted soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
“I emphasize that conscript soldiers are not participating in hostilities and will not participate in them … And there will be no additional call-up of reservists,” Putin said in a televised address to mark International Women’s Day.
Getty Images
“The set goals will be achieved only by professional soldiers. I am confident that they will reliably ensure security and peace for the Russian people,” he added.
Addressing the “mothers, wives, sisters, brides and girlfriends of our soldiers,” Putin said: “I know how worried you are for your loved ones. You can be proud of them.”
Civilians flee Irpin, Ukraine as snow pelts down
By Post Staff
AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images
AP
NATO Secretary-General says there are 'credible reports' Russia is attacking Ukrainians trying to flee
By Lee Brown
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians trying to flee its war on Ukraine.
“There are very creditable reports of civilians coming under fire as they try to evacuate,” Stoltenberg said, echoing alarming news also shared by Ukraine’s government Tuesday.
“Targeting civilians is a war crime, and it’s totally unacceptable,” he said.
Getty Images
“We need real humanitarian corridors that are fully respected,” he said of the Kremlin’s promise of a ceasefire to allow civilians to flee.
With Post wires
More than 2 million refugees have already fled Ukraine: UN
By Lee Brown
More than 2 million people had already fled Ukraine by Tuesday, the United Nations said — the same day that formal mass evacuations started from under-siege cities.
“Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people. Two million,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, wrote on Twitter.
The UN’s data portal recorded 2,011,312 refugees, more than 275,000 more than had been recorded on its last count Monday. Hundreds of thousands are children, according to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency.
More than 1.2 million of those had fled to neighbor Poland, according to the data, which does not include those displaced from their homes but still remaining in Ukraine.
“There are countless tens of thousands of others who remain in the country stranded,” said Paul Dillon, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration.
Heartbreaking photo shows child injured in Russian airstrike that killed 18
By Jackie Salo
Parliament of Ukraine
Harrowing images show blood-soaked children injured in a Russian airstrike that killed 18 people — including two kids — in an apartment building Tuesday, according to Ukraine’s government.
The distressing images were shared as Ukraine also accused invading forces of violating the ceasefire and attacking an evacuation route — as more than 2 million people have already fled the war-torn nation by Tuesday.
One image showed a tiny child caked in blood and dust, with bloodied bandages wrapped around the head. Other images appeared to show some of the 18 killed in the attack in Sumy, the first major city that was starting to be evacuated Tuesday
38 children killed, 70 injured in Ukraine by Russia forces: Ukrainian officials
By Emily Crane
At least 38 children have been killed in Ukraine and more than 70 injured as a result of Russian military action, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Tuesday.
Overall, he said at least 400 civilian deaths have been recorded and 800 wounded so far in the Russian invasion into Ukraine.
The defense minister said Russian strikes have obliterated more than 200 schools in Ukraine, 34 hospitals and 1,500 residential buildings.
He said Ukrainian forces had killed more than 11,000 Russian troops.
Reznikov added in a video address that the figures, which haven’t been independently verified, were “definitely incomplete.”
The Russian side did not immediately respond to Ukraine’s figures and has only acknowledged several hundred deaths among Russian forces.
Attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, ambulances have increased 'rapidly': WHO
By Emily Crane
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, ambulances and health care facilities have increased “rapidly” in recent days.
The agency also warned the country was now running short on vital medical supplies, including oxygen, insulin, personal protective equipment, surgical supplies and blood products.
At least nine people have had died in 16 attacks on health care facilities since the start of a Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to the WHO.
The WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, revealed that the tally included incidents where ambulances were commandeered for purposes other than healthcare.
“We will continue to update those numbers. They’ve been increasing quite rapidly over the past few days,” Smallwood told a news briefing.
With Post wires
Zelensky to address British parliament Tuesday in first-of-kind speech
By Post Staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address British lawmakers via videolink Tuesday — becoming the first foreign leader to speak in the main Westminster chamber.
He will address the chamber at 5 p.m. GMT (12 p.m. ET) when formal parliamentary business will be suspended. Lawmakers will be able to watch the speech on screens installed overnight, with 500 headsets providing a simultaneous translation in English.
Last week, Zelensky asked UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for military supplies and support. He later asked the Biden Administration for additional aid, as well as for the US to boycott Russian oil.
With Post wires
Russia attacks civilian evacuation route from Mariupol
By Post Staff
Russian forces attacked an evacuation route for civilians trapped in the besieged port city of Mariupol Tuesday — violating a ceasefire agreement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said.
The convoys were set to travel between Zaporizhzhia and Mariupol, in southeastern Ukraine, along a route pre-approved with Russia. Civilians and foreign students were told they would be free from fire.
The humanitarian corridor was meant to be open until 9 p.m.
“Russian forces are now shelling the humanitarian corridor from Zaporizhzhia to Mariupol,” the ministry tweeted.
“8 trucks + 30 buses ready to deliver humanitarian aid to Mariupol and to evac civilians to Zaporizhzhia. Pressure on Russia MUST step up to make it uphold its commitments.”
The corridor was suspected to be a trap Monday, with a senior Red Cross official telling the BBC that agency workers trying to use a passageway out of Mariupol said the route had been booby-trapped with landmines.
Zelensky says 'Western offices' will share responsibility for war by 'weak invaders'
By Post Staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Western “offices” will share responsibility for the bloodshed in Ukraine.
“While Russians are to blame for the killings, responsibility is shared by those who for 13 days in their Western offices haven’t been able to approve an obviously necessary decision, who didn’t save our cities from these bombs and missiles – although they can,” Zelensky said in an address, as translated by the Kyiv Independent.
“If the world becomes aside, it will lose itself. Forever and ever. For there are unconditional values. For everyone the same. This is life first and foremost. The right to life for everyone. Exactly what we fight for in Ukraine. Exactly what these weak invaders want to deprive us of. Exactly what the world needs to be protected,” Zelensky said on the 13th day of war.
Office of the President of Ukraine/ Facebook
Ineptocracy
A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
