- NATO leaders, including US President Joe Biden, gather for an emergency summit in Brussels.
- Alliance expected to agree to reinforce its eastern flank, boost support for Ukraine with equipment, cybersecurity assistance.
- European Union and G7 also prepare to meet amid flurry of top-level diplomacy.
- Kyiv says outcome of key summits will show ‘who is a friend‘ to Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for global protests on one-month anniversary of invasion.
Here are all the latest updates:
16 mins ago (13:30 GMT)
UN says more than 1,000 civilians killed in Ukraine
The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) says it has confirmed at least 1,035 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,650 others wounded since Russia started its offensive.
The death toll includes 90 children, OHCHR said in a statement, adding that the true figures were believed to be considerably higher due to delays in reporting from areas with intense hostilities, including the besieged, southeastern port city of Mariupol.
“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” it added.
23 mins ago (13:23 GMT)
Stoltenberg to stay on as NATO chief until October 2023
NATO allies have extended the term of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the helm of the Western military alliance by a year until September 30, 2023.
“As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our alliance strong and our people safe,” Stoltenberg tweeted.
The 63-year-old had been due to step down at the end of September and assume a new role as governor of Norway’s central bank in December.
Honoured by the decision of #NATO Heads of State and Government to extend my term as Secretary General until 30 September 2023. As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our Alliance strong and our people safe. https://t.co/06YkRkmX8J
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 24, 2022
33 mins ago (13:13 GMT)
Russia accuses Poland of ‘dangerous escalation’ over explusions
Russia’s foreign ministry has accused NATO member Poland, which neighbours Ukraine, of escalating tensions in eastern Europe after it expelled 45 Russian diplomats over alleged espionage.
“Warsaw has embarked on a dangerous escalation in the region, proceeding not from national interests, but within the framework of NATO guidelines, which are based on outright Russophobia elevated to the rank of official policy,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We see this and will take it into account in our practical steps towards Poland,” it added.
1 hour ago (12:33 GMT)
Mariupol authorities say 15,000 people ‘illegally deported’ to Russia
Authorities in Mariupol say about 15,000 civilians have been illegally deported to Russia since Moscow’s forces seized parts of the city.
“Residents of the Left Bank district are beginning to be deported en masse to Russia. In total, about 15,000 Mariupol residents have been subjected to illegal deportation,” Mariupol’s city council said in a statement.
It claimed there was also evidence that Russian forces are seizing Ukrainians’ passports and other identity documents as they are deported.
Kyiv and Moscow have repeatedly traded blame for the consistent failure to agree on arrangements to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, control of which would help Russia secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Zelenskyy said in a video address to Italy’s parliament on Tuesday that there was “nothing left” in Mariupol after weeks of Russian bombardment, with civilians trapped there facing a desperate plight without access to food, water, power or heat.
2 hours ago (12:10 GMT)
Ukrainian president calls for unlimited military assistance from NATO
Zelenskyy has asked NATO to provide Ukraine with “military assistance without restrictions” as its forces battle to “save people” and the country’s cities from Russia’s onslaught.
Addressing the alliance’s emergency meeting via video link, the Ukrainian president urged the organisation to provide Kyiv with one percent of all its planes, tanks and anti-ship weapons, among other equipment.
“When all this finally happens, it will give us, as well as you, one hundred percent security,” he said, before warning Moscow will target member states of the organisation in Eastern Europe next.
Russia “wants to go further” and take military action against the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Poland, Zelenskyy said.
“But NATO has yet to show what the alliance can do to save people,” he added.
2 hours ago (11:57 GMT)
Kremlin says UK PM is most active ‘anti-Russian’ leader: Report
The Kremlin has labelled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the most active “anti-Russian” world leader and warned that London’s approach to Moscow will lead to a “foreign policy dead end”.
“As for Mr Johnson, we see him as the most active participant in the race to be anti-Russian,” Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
“It will lead to a foreign policy dead end,” he added.
2 hours ago (11:56 GMT)
Analysis: Russia falls back on urban siege warfare in Ukraine
As its offensive enters a second month, Russia has shifted its strategy and is now focused on subduing the whole of Ukraine to sequential urban sieges, according to a military analyst.
Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow in military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the tactics “are a brutal but effective way to take [control of] cities”.
To read Bronk’s full analysis piece for Al Jazeera, click here.
2 hours ago (11:45 GMT)
Zelenskyy accuses Russia of using phosphorus bombs
Ukraine’s president has accused Russian forces of deploying phosphorus munitions earlier today, without providing further details on where such munitions were used or providing evidence for his claims.
“This morning … phosphorus bombs were used. Russian phosphorus bombs. Adults were killed again and children were killed again,” he told the NATO meeting.
Phosphorus munitions spread a powder that ignites when in contact with oxygen and causes severe burns.
2 hours ago (11:36 GMT)
Bulgaria to recall its ambassador to Russia for consultations
Bulgaria will recall its ambassador to Russia for consultations in response to “undiplomatic, sharp and rude” comments from the Russian ambassador, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has said.
“We will call our ambassador from Russia for consultations back to Bulgaria … Usually when one country calls back its ambassador for consultations, the other should follow and do the same,” Petkov said.
Earlier this week in an interview to a Russian TV channel, Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova said that the Bulgarian people did not support the government’s position over Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Petkov has publicly condemned the invasion.
2 hours ago (11:23 GMT)
More than half of Ukraine’s children displaced: UNICEF
The UN children’s agency (UNICEF) says Russia’s offensive has displaced the majority of Ukraine’s children.
“One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population,” UNICEF said in a statement.
The figure includes more than 1.8 million children who have crossed into neighbouring countries as refugees and 2.5 million who are now internally displaced inside Ukraine, it added.
“The war has caused one of the fastest largescale displacements of children since World War II,” Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director, said.
“This is a grim milestone that could have lasting consequences for generations to come. Children’s safety, wellbeing and access to essential services are all under threat from non-stop horrific violence,” she added.
One month of war has displaced half of Ukraine’s children.
As families leave everything they know behind, UNICEF is supporting children with mental health and protection services.#ForEveryChild, peace. pic.twitter.com/y5NtbHp6QX
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) March 24, 2022
3 hours ago (11:16 GMT)
Red Cross chief to discuss POWs with Russia’s defence ministry
The head of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) says he plans to discuss prisoners of war (POWs) with Russia’s defence ministry during his visit to Moscow.
Peter Maurer, who was holding a second day of talks in the Russian capital on Thursday, told a news conference alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that he also planned to discuss the Geneva Conventions with officials at the ministry.
3 hours ago (11:07 GMT)
What role is Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov playing in the war?
Just two days after Russia’s invasion was launched, Ramzan Kadyrov, president of Russia’s Chechen Republic, announced his forces were being deployed to back Moscow’s offensive.
But observers say that despite Chechen troops’ reputation as fierce fighters, they do not appear to have played a significant role on the ground yet.
Instead, the observers say, their presence in Ukraine appears to be something of a public relations exercise.
Click here to read more.
3 hours ago (10:55 GMT)
Switzerland reports more than $6bn worth of sanctioned Russian assets
The Swiss government has so far frozen about 5.75 billion Swiss francs ($6.17bn) worth of Russian funds and assets in Switzerland covered by sanctions, according to an official.
The assets included a number of properties in resorts, Erwin Bollinger told a news conference.
He added the figure is likely to rise significantly as further reports come in and potential additions are made to the EU’s sanctions lists.
Switzerland has pledged to act in step with the bloc as it moves to financially punish Moscow.
3 hours ago (10:28 GMT)
Zelenskyy says summits will show ‘who is a friend’
In a video address released earlier today, Ukraine’s president said the outcome of NATO, EU and G7 summits will reveal “who is a friend” to Ukraine.
“Politicians must … support freedom. All of them. They must support the struggle for life. We are waiting for meaningful steps. From NATO, the EU and the G7,” Zelenskyy said.
“We know that the Russians have already begun to lobby their interests. These are the interests of war,” he added.
“We know that they want to put this issue out. The struggle against war. But this is the war that needs to be put out.
“Our firm position will be represented at these three summits. At these three summits we will see: Who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money.”
3 hours ago (10:16 GMT)
UK announces new Russia sanctions
The UK’s government says it has imposed new sanctions on 65 more Russian individuals and organisations, including “banks, defence companies and oligarchs”.
It said the moves were aimed at “cutting off vital industries fuelling Putin’s war machine”.
Eugene Shvidler, an oligarch said to have “close business links” to Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, and Polina Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are among the individuals targeted.
“These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement, adding there will be “no let-up” in the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian economy while Moscow’s offensive continues.
SANCTIONED: Today the UK has imposed 65 new Russian sanctions, cutting off vital industries fuelling Putin’s war machine.
Those targeted include:
Russian banks
Read full thread
pic.twitter.com/892rXijsou
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 24, 2022
4 hours ago (10:07 GMT)
Kremlin says Abramovich played early role in Russia-Ukraine talks
The Kremlin’s spokesman has said that sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich played an early role in talks between Russia and Ukraine, but the process was now in the hands of the two sides’ negotiating teams.
“He did take part at the initial stage,” Peskov told reporters. “Now the negotiations are between the two teams, the Russians and Ukrainians.”
Western governments have targeted Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs with sanctions as they seek to isolate Putin and his allies.
4 hours ago (09:47 GMT)
Rouble rallies as stock market trade restarts in Russia after hiatus
The rouble has extended its recovery amid a partial restart in trading on Russia’s stock market after a month-long hiatus that saw the majority of options rise.
The moves came after the Russian currency sank to a record low and the central bank ordered the suspension of most trade after foreign powers imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow.
As of 09:08 GMT, the rouble had firmed 1.6 percent to 95.61 to the US dollar, extending overnight gains driven by Putin’s statement that Russia would start selling its gas to “unfriendly” countries in roubles.
Click here to read more.
4 hours ago (09:33 GMT)
NATO believes Russian offensive ‘largely stalled’: AJE correspondent
Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, says the alliance believes Russia’s offensive has “largely stalled”, with Moscow suffering a “great deal of losses”.
Citing an unnamed, senior military official from the alliance, Bays said NATO estimates between 7,000-15,000 Russian troops have been killed.
“But they say when you take into account the number that have been wounded or captured, then the number of Russian troops who are no longer able to fight could be 30,000-40,000,” he added.
However, Bays also said the same official believes the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol could fall under Russian control within “days”.
“Clearly that would be very important for the state of the battlefield and it would be an important but very barbaric victory by Russia,” he added.
“Mariupol … is so strategically important in the fight because it gives the access to the coast from Crimea to the Donbas.”
4 hours ago (09:27 GMT)
Turkish exports to Russia halved, exports to Ukraine near zero: Report
Turkish exports to Russia have halved, while exports to Ukraine are near zero, the Reuters news agency has quoted a Turkish Central Bank official as saying.
The remarks by the bank’s research and monetary policy general manager, Orhun Sevinc, were made during a call with investors and economists, according to participants cited by Reuters.
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea. It has close ties with both countries and has attempted to mediate between the two.
5 hours ago (08:22 GMT)
Russia’s Gazprom still exporting gas to Europe via Ukraine
Russian energy giant Gazprom says it is still supplying natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.
The company said requests stood at 104 million cubic metres for March 24, down from 106.5 million cubic metres the previous day.
5 hours ago (08:18 GMT)
EU’s Borrell: Russia has no interest in a ceasefire now
The Russian government has no interest in negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine for now as its army has not reached its military goals, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has said.
“Right now, Russia doesn’t want to sit and negotiate anything: What it wants is to occupy the ground,” Borrell said in an interview with Spanish channel TVE. “It wants to … isolate Ukraine from the sea. It wants to negotiate in earnest only when it has secured a position of strength.”
The EU and its allies will keep on delivering military aid to the Ukrainian army, Borrell said.
6 hours ago (07:59 GMT)
Russia lost 15,800 soldiers, 530 tanks and 108 planes: Ukraine General Staff
In the month since Moscow invaded Ukraine, Russia has lost some 15,800 servicemen, Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces has said.
Ukrainian forces have also destroyed 530 tanks, 1,597 armoured vehicles, 108 planes, 124 helicopters and 50 drones, it added in a Facebook post.
Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify any of the figures provided.
6 hours ago (07:57 GMT)
EU says assessing scenarios of potential Russian gas halt next winter
The EU is assessing scenarios including a full halt to Russian gas supplies next winter, as part of its contingency planning for supply shocks, European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis has said.
“We are reassessing scenarios for partial and full disruption of gas laws from Russia next winter to help member states revise their gas supply contingency plans,” Dombrovskis told the European Parliament.
6 hours ago (07:54 GMT)
West to warn Putin in three summits
Western nations will warn Putin that his country will pay “ruinous” costs for invading Ukraine, during an unprecedented one-day trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits that will be attended by Biden.
The hectic day of diplomacy will kick off at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, where the transatlantic defence alliance’s leaders are expected to agree to ramp up military forces on its eastern flank.
Alarmed by the prospect that Russia might escalate the war, the 30 NATO nations are also anticipated to sign off on sending Kyiv equipment to defend against biological, chemical and nuclear attacks.
6 hours ago (07:45 GMT)
Belgium to inject another billion euros into its army: L’Echo
The Belgian government has agreed – a few hours before a NATO summit – to inject an extra billion euros ($1.098bn) in its defence forces, on top of 10 billion euros ($10.98bn) already agreed, according to Belgian newspaper l’Echo.
The new investments aim at reinforcing Belgian defence by 2030, including developing a cybersecurity unit in the Belgian army, replenishing stocks of fuel and munitions, military equipment and supplies, and improving intelligence and communication systems, l’Echo reported.
NATO member states are supposed to spend more than two percent of their GDP on defence annually. Belgium is currently spending 1.2 percent and the latest investments will increase it to 1.54 percent.
6 hours ago (07:40 GMT)
NATO: Ukraine no-fly zone means attacking Russia
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine means the alliance would need to massively attack Russian air defence.
“Then the risk between a full war between NATO and Russia will be very high,” Stoltenberg told reporters.
6 hours ago (07:39 GMT)
Ukraine says seven humanitarian corridors agreed, no safe passage from Mariupol
Agreement has been reached on the establishment of seven humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian towns and cities, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says.
She said civilians trying to leave besieged Mariupol would find transport at nearby Berdyansk, making clear Russia was not allowing a safe corridor to be created to or from the centre of the southern port city.
6 hours ago (07:35 GMT)
Stoltenberg warns chemical weapons could contaminate NATO territory
Any use of chemical weapons by Russia in its war in Ukraine could cause contamination in NATO territory, Stoltenberg has warned.
“Any use of chemical weapons would fundamentally change the nature of the conflict – it would be a blatant violation of international law, and it will have widespread and severe consequences,” he said ahead of the NATO summit.
“The seriousness of using chemical weapons, of course, becomes even more obvious knowing that there is a risk always for contamination… we can see the spread of chemical agents also into NATO territory,” he said.
6 hours ago (07:33 GMT)
Putin made ‘big mistake’ invading Ukraine: NATO chief
Stoltenberg says Putin made a “big mistake” by invading Ukraine, as leaders gathered to discuss overhauling the alliance’s eastern defences.
“President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war against an independent sovereign nation. He has underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces,” Stoltenberg said ahead of the summit.
Stoltenberg said the leaders of the US-led military alliance would “address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defence in the longer term”, starting with agreeing on new deployments to eastern members Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
6 hours ago (07:30 GMT)
Bodies of Russian servicemen ‘endanger’ Ukraine’s environment: Official
A Ukrainian health official says Russia has not taken away many bodies of its servicemen killed in action, and the decaying corpses pose an environmental threat.
Russia “doesn’t need them, doesn’t take them away”, Anatoly Kotlyara, the top healthcare official in the northeastern Sumy region, was quoted by Ukraine’s UNIAN news agency as saying.
He added that 10 railroad refrigerators had been commissioned for storing the bodies, but their arrival was delayed by the hostilities.
Most of the bodies Russia does take away are shipped to neighbouring Belarus and only then delivered to relatives, Kotlyara said.
Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
6 hours ago (07:27 GMT)
UK PM says pressure could be applied to Putin’s gold reserves
The UK and its western allies will increase the economic pressure on Russia and are looking to see if more can be done to prevent Putin from accessing his gold reserves, Johnson said.
Ahead of the NATO summit, the British Prime Minister told the UK’s LBC radio station that Putin had already crossed a red line and that he should appear before the International Criminal Court.
“We need to do more economically,” Johnson said.
“Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves for instance, in addition to his cash reserves? The more pressure we apply now, particularly on things like gold, that I believe the more we can shorten the war,” he added.
6 hours ago (07:23 GMT)
Banned phosphorus bombs kill 4, destroy houses in Luhansk: Governor
Russia has used banned white phosphorus bombs to shell residential areas in the southeastern Luhansk region, its governor has said on his Telegram channel.
Four people were killed, Serhiy Haidai said, adding that the shelling destroyed 10 apartment buildings and 13 private houses, and set fire to 16 of them.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs, which cause huge fires and lead to severe injuries or excruciating death; the 1977 Geneva Convention bans their use if they endanger civilians.
Reporting by Mansur Mirovalev in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
6 hours ago (07:18 GMT)
Russian ship destroyed in occupied port of Berdyansk
Ukraine’s navy says it has destroyed a large Russian large landing ship, The Orsk, in Ukraine’s Azov Sea port city of Berdyansk.
The ministry posted a short Facebook statement about the ship – a landing support vessel for paratroopers – with accompanying photos and videos which appeared to show fire and thick plumes of smoke in the port.
Berdyansk, a city of 100,000 people, was seized by Russian forces on February 27. Its port was a crucial outlet for the export of grain, vegetable oil and steel until Russia blockaded the Sea of Azov for Ukrainian and international vessels.
7 hours ago (07:15 GMT)
Ukraine: Russia stepping up airstrikes
Russia is stepping up its air attacks, with more than 250 flights registered in 24 hours, the Ukrainian military’s general staff has said.
This was 60 more flights than the day before, the authorities said. The main targets remain areas in and around Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv.
The Ukrainian army said 11 “enemy air targets” were hit Wednesday, including seven planes, a helicopter, a drone and two cruise missiles.
7 hours ago (07:10 GMT)
Photo gallery: One month of the war in Ukraine
Click here to see a selection of images marking one month since Russia invaded Ukraine.
7 hours ago (06:28 GMT)
Ukraine sunflower seed harvest likely to plunge 42 percent: APK-Inform
Ukraine’s 2022 sunflower seed harvest could decrease by 42 percent to 9.6 million tonnes due to a sharp decrease in sowable areas, APK-Inform agriculture consultancy has said.
Ukraine is the world’s largest sunflower grower and sunflower oil exporter.
“This reduction is due to the fact that much of the battles in the country are concentrated in the main regions of sunflower cultivation,” the consultancy said.
7 hours ago (06:19 GMT)
Turkcell: 10 percent of its mobile infrastructure in Ukraine disabled
Turkish telecoms operator Turkcell, one of three main operators in Ukraine, says about 10 percent of its infrastructure in the country had been disabled by Russia’s invasion, but added there was no damage to its central network.
Turkcell, which operates under the name “lifecell” in Ukraine, said in a stock exchange statement on Wednesday that some 10 percent of its 9,000 base stations in Ukraine had been disabled, but there had been no casualties among its employees.
The company said it had provided the necessary equipment to maintain operations and established backup data centres in Lviv and some neighbouring nations, adding that 45 percent of its retail stores in Ukraine remained open.
8 hours ago (06:01 GMT)
Japan considers doubling humanitarian aid, loans to Ukraine: NHK
The Japanese government is considering extending additional humanitarian aid of $100m to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, on top of the $100m it has already announced, public broadcaster NHK said.
The government is also looking into doubling emergency loans to Ukraine to $200m and dispatching Self-Defence Force medical officers to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other neighbouring nations, NHK said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he plans to unveil Japan’s new support measures for Ukraine at a G7 summit meeting scheduled in Brussels on Thursday.
8 hours ago (05:25 GMT)
UN to vote on blaming Russia for humanitarian crisis
The UN General Assembly is voting Thursday on a resolution backed by over 90 countries that blames Russia for the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and demands an immediate halt to hostilities, especially attacks on civilians and their homes, schools and hospitals.
Russia has denounced the resolution as “anti-Russian” and accuses its supporters of not really being concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground, saying they want to politicise aid.
The vote follows the Security Council’s overwhelming defeat on Wednesday of a Russian resolution that would have acknowledged Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs – but without mentioning Russia’s invasion that has left millions of Ukrainians in desperate need of food, water and shelter.
10 hours ago (04:09 GMT)
Huge fire blazing in Sumy: Official
Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, governor of the Sumy region, says emergency workers have not been able to access the site of a huge fire that broke out in the city of Trostianets on Tuesday.
“For the third day in a row, Trostianets remains the hottest spot, fierce battles are going on,” he said in a video address.
“Due to the shelling and the fighting, it is impossible for firefighters to get there to extinguish the fire.”
The fire near Trostianets, Sumy oblast. Russian troops do not let Ukrainian fire brigades to put the fire out. Video – Dmytro Zhyvytskiy, head of Sumy Regional State Administration. pic.twitter.com/zxvDX2oBtZ
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) March 23, 2022
10 hours ago (03:52 GMT)
24 bodies recovered from rubble of Kharkiv building: Ukraine official
Rescue workers have now recovered bodies of 24 people from the rubble of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, which was shelled on March 1, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.
Rescuers are continuing to clear the debris, a spokesperson for the emergency service told local media.
10 hours ago (03:40 GMT)
Japan unsure how Russia will process rouble payments for its gas sales
Japanese finance minister Shunichi Suzuki says Tokyo does not know how Russia will handle the required rouble payments for its energy sold to “unfriendly” countries.
“Currently, we’re looking into the situation with relevant ministries as we don’t quite understand what is [Russia’s] intention and how they would do this,” he said in a parliament session.
Japan – which Moscow branded as an unfriendly nation along with the US and EU states – accounted for 4.1 percent of Russia’s crude oil exports and 7.2 percent of its natural gas exports in 2021.
11 hours ago (03:07 GMT)
Russian troops setting up ‘defensive positions’ outside Kyiv: US
A senior US defence official says Russian ground forces appear to be digging in and setting up defensive positions between 15 and 20 kilometres (9-12 miles) outside Kyiv, as they continue to make little to no progress moving towards the city centre.
In some cases east of Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been able to push Russian soldiers away, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, claiming that Russian forces who had been 20 to 30 kilometres (12-19 miles) away to the east and northeast are now about 55 kilometres (34 miles) away.
The official said now Russian troops are exerting more energy and effort in the eastern Donbas region, specifically Luhansk and Donetsk.
11 hours ago (02:36 GMT)
Russian troops ‘kidnap’ esteemed theatre director in Kherson
Russian troops occupying the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson have seized one of the country’s most prominent theatre directors, according to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko.
russian terrorists in a brutal fascist way kidnapped the director of the Kherson Regional Music and Drama Theater, the deputy of the Kherson Regional council Alexander Knyha. We call on the entire world cultural community to make possible efforts for him quick release! pic.twitter.com/nZTglvryhd
— Tkachenko Oleksandr (@otkachenkoua) March 23, 2022
Witnesses cited by The Associated Press news agency said nine Russian military vehicles pulled up to the home of Oleksandr Kniga, 62, early on Wednesday and led him out.
Kniga was among many in Kherson who oppose the Russian occupation. On Monday, Russian troops used stun grenades and fired in the air to disperse a protest there.
12 hours ago (02:13 GMT)
Dozens of Ukrainian orphans arrive in the UK
Dozens of orphans and their caretakers from Ukraine have arrived in the UK, where they are being given refuge following the Russian invasion of their country.
Aged between one and 18 years old, the 52 children came from orphanages in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Their escape from Ukraine was coordinated by supporters of the Edinburgh-based football team, Hibernian.
The flight from Warsaw to London, before onward transfer to Scotland, with the 52 orphans from Dnipro is in the air. Well done to @DniproKids and all those who have made this happen.
— Ian Blackford
(@Ianblackford_MP) March 23, 2022
The kids are ready to go… pic.twitter.com/5SsIeUQa7d
— Dnipro Kids Appeal (@DniproKids) March 21, 2022
12 hours ago (01:58 GMT)
Ukraine using facial recognition to identify dead Russian soldiers
Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says Kyiv is using facial recognition software to identify the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in combat and trace their families to inform them of their deaths.
Fedorov told Reuters Ukraine has been using technology from Clearview AI, a New York-based facial recognition software provider, to find the social media accounts of the dead soldiers then message relatives to make arrangements to collect the body, he said.
He declined to specify the number of bodies identified through facial recognition but he said the percentage of recognized individuals claimed by families has been “high”.
12 hours ago (01:51 GMT)
Ukraine’s agriculture minister resigns: Report
Ukraine’s agriculture minister Roman Leshchenko has submitted his resignation but did not provide a reason for doing so, according to the Ekonomichna Pravda newspaper.
His resignation will have to be submitted to a vote in Parliament.
Leshchenko told Reuters Tuesday that Ukraine’s spring crop sowing area might more than halve this year from 2021 levels to some 7 million hectares (17 million acres) versus 15 million hectares (37 million acres) expected before the invasion.
12 hours ago (01:40 GMT)
Russian journalist killed in Ukraine
Oksana Baulina, a Russian reporter working for an independent Russian news outlet, has been killed while filming in Kyiv.
The Insider, Baulina’s employer, said the journalist died “under fire in Kyiv”.
“She was filming the destruction after Russian troops shelled the Podil district of the capital,” it added.
ALERT: Russian journalist Oksana Baulina has been killed by missile fire in Kyiv, #Ukraine. She was reporting for the Russian investigative site @the_ins_ru. Journalists must not be targets of war! pic.twitter.com/3WlIpRMR80
— RSF (@RSF_inter) March 23, 2022
And now it’s someone I’ve known for 16 years and worked with at several independent outlets. Oksana Baulina, a Russian journalist with phenomenal sense of moral clarity, killed by Russian rocket fire on a reporting mission in Kyiv today. I’m yet to process this. pic.twitter.com/eUPuMoUw54
— Alexey Kovalyov (@Alexey__Kovalev) March 23, 2022
12 hours ago (01:20 GMT)
Ukraine carrying out ‘successful counter attacks’ near Kyiv: UK
The UK’s defence ministry says Ukrainian forces are successfully counterattacking Russian positions in towns on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv.
“There is a realistic possibility that Ukrainian forces are now able to encircle Russian units in Bucha and Irpin,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.
It added that these counterattacks will likely “disrupt the ability of Russian forces to reorganise and resume their own offensive towards Kyiv”.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 23 March 2022
Find out more about the UK government’s response: https://t.co/FPfp8ZAOdc
#StandWithUkraine
— Ministry of Defence
(@DefenceHQ) March 23, 2022
13 hours ago (01:10 GMT)
Australia concerned over Putin’s plans to attend G20 meeting
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has been raising concerns about Putin’s plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia this year.
“The idea of sitting around a table with Vladimir Putin, who the United States are already in the position of calling out [for] war crimes in Ukraine, for me is a step too far,” Morrison said during a media briefing.
13 hours ago (01:03 GMT)
UK to send Ukraine thousands more missiles
The UK is giving Ukraine 6,000 more missiles, including anti-tank and high-explosive weaponry, as well as 25 million British pounds ($33m) to help Kyiv pay its military and police forces.
Johnson said the UK “will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defenses as they turn the tide in this fight”.
The UK has already sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
13 hours ago (00:53 GMT)
Mexican legislators create Russia ‘friendship’ group
Mexican legislators have created a “Mexico-Russia Friendship Committee” nearly a month after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Six legislators from the ruling Morena Party, to which Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador belongs, supported the creation of the committee.
Russian Ambassador Viktor Koronelli welcomed the move: “For us, this is a sign of support, of friendship, of solidarity in these complicated times in which my country is not just facing a special military operation in Ukraine, but a tremendous media war,” he said in an address to the committee. “Russia didn’t start this war, it is finishing it.”
13 hours ago (00:22 GMT)
WHO records 64 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has verified 64 incidents of attacks on Ukrainian health care facilities and workers since the invasion began, amounting to two to three attacks on healthcare per day, causing 15 deaths and 37 injuries.
“Attacks on healthcare are a violation of international humanitarian law, but a disturbingly common tactic of war – they destroy critical infrastructure, but worse, they destroy hope,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO representative in Ukraine.
“They deprive already vulnerable people of care that is often the difference between life and death. Healthcare is not – and should never be – a target.”
1 month since the Russian Federation invasion of #Ukraine began.
Almost 10 million people have been forcibly displaced.
The disruption to health services & supplies is posing an extreme risk to people with serous conditions.
Attacks on health must stop.
This war must stop. pic.twitter.com/fNJykRyQm5
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 23, 2022
14 hours ago (00:04 GMT)
US making contingency plans in case Russia uses chemical or nuclear weapons: NYT
The New York Times says the White House has assembled a group of national security officials to draw up plans for how the US and its allies should respond if Putin orders the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Known as the Tiger Team, the group is also looking at responses if the Russian president reaches into NATO territory to attack convoys bringing weapons and aid to Ukraine, the Times reported, citing several officials involved in the process.
15 hours ago (22:50 GMT)
Zelenskyy urges global protests against invasion
Zelenskyy has called for global protests against the Russian invasion, saying that Moscow is trying to defeat the freedom of “all the people in the world” and show that only crude force matters.
“I ask you to stand against the war starting from March 24 – exactly one month after the Russian invasion, from this day and after then,” Zelenskyy said in a video message in English.
“Show your standing; come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities. Come in the name of peace. Come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to sport freedom, to support life.”
15 hours ago (22:27 GMT)
Renault suspends operations at Moscow plant
French automobile manufacturer Renault says it has suspended operations at its plant in Moscow while it assesses options on its majority stake in Avtovaz, Russia’s top carmaker.
The move came amid mounting pressure over the French company’s continued presence in Russia. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, had called for a global boycott of Renault.
Renault industrial activities in Russia are suspended as of today. To learn more: https://t.co/0cKrLsOgmI pic.twitter.com/6amDN3tefC
— Renault Group (@renaultgroup) March 23, 2022
16 hours ago (21:59 GMT)
Russia ‘does not care’ about humanitarian crisis in Ukraine: US envoy
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, has slammed Russia for introducing a humanitarian resolution on Ukraine, which was defeated at the Security Council.
“Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions or the millions of lives and dreams the war has shattered,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
“If they cared, they would stop fighting. Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader, the sole party in Ukraine engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine.”
16 hours ago (21:37 GMT)
Expert says evidence so far raises ‘serious questions’ about Russian war crimes in Ukraine
James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Foundation’s Justice Initiative, says there seems to be ample evidence that at least raises “serious questions” of war crimes being committed in Ukraine.
“We are seeing more and more reports of indiscriminate attacks … attacks that are deliberately targeting civilians,” Goldston told Al Jazeera from New York City.
While the ICC is looking into the situation, the challenge lies in linking “responsibility to those highest authorities… The question is whether they can make the case,” Goldston said.
16 hours ago (21:29 GMT)
Russian-drafted proposal on Ukraine aid fails at UN Security Council
A Russian-drafted UN Security Council proposal calling for humanitarian aid access in Ukraine has been defeated with two “yes” votes and 13 abstentions.
Only Russia and China voted in favour of the draft resolution. The US and its allies voiced opposition to the measure because it does not assign blame for the crisis.
17 hours ago (21:16 GMT)
Biden thanks Belgium for supporting Russia sanctions
Biden has thanked Belgium for its role in supporting sanctions against Russia following his arrival in Brussels.
Biden told Prime Minister Alexander de Croo of Belgium that he was grateful for Brussels’s “robust support in the EU for sanctions against Russia and for ongoing coordination in providing security assistance to Ukraine,” a statement from the White House said.
17 hours ago (20:48 GMT)
First shipment from US’s $800m arms package to be sent to Ukraine this week
The first shipment from the US’s $800m arms package for Ukraine will be shipped in the next day or so, and will not take long to reach Ukraine, a senior US defence official has said.
The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, did not specify which systems would be included in the first shipments to Ukraine but said priority would be given to the kinds of defensive weapons already being used by Ukrainian troops.
“We are already aggregating stocks in the United States and we’re getting ready to ship them over there,” the official said.
17 hours ago (20:44 GMT)
Biden lands in Brussels ahead of key meetings with European allies
Biden has landed in Brussels ahead of NATO, G7 and EU summits on Thursday.
He is expected to announce fresh sanctions on Russia, while shoring up support for Ukraine among Washington’s allies.
Before he departed for Belgium, Biden told reporters as he boarded the Marine One helicopter at the White House that he sees “a real threat” of Russian chemical warfare against Ukraine.
17 hours ago (20:39 GMT)
More than 4,550 people evacuated from Ukrainian cities on Wednesday
A total of 4,554 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Wednesday, a senior official has said.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office, said in an online post that 2,912 people had left the besieged city of Mariupol in private vehicles.
A day earlier, Tymoshenko said 8,057 people had escaped from cities across the country.
17 hours ago (20:32 GMT)
US says it determined Russian forces committed ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington has determined that Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, stressing that the assessment is based on information drawn from “public and intelligence sources”.
In a statement on Wednesday, he said there have been numerous credible reports of “indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians” in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began.
“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” he said.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all the updates from Wednesday, March 23 here.
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