Talks failed, to be resumed
Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said the latest talks between Russia and Ukraine haven’t achieved the results Ukraine was hoping for, and that more negotiations would follow. “The only thing I can say is that we discussed the humanitarian aspect in sufficient detail, because quite a lot of cities are now surrounded. There is a dramatic situation with medicines, food, and evacuation,” Podolyak stated.
Eighth day of war in Ukraine
The eighth day of Ukraine’s confrontation with Russian occupiers turned out to be very difficult, but it needs to end on an optimistic note, since the Ukrainian military managed to break several columns of the invaders, said advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Alexey Arestovich.
According to him, the Ukrainian military near Nikolaev chased the invaders all day. In Kherson, the Ukrainian military completely covered the airport where the invaders were stationed. The enemy suffered serious losses – there were about 1000 military personnel, 20 helicopters, 200 vehicles. In Gostomel, Kiev region, the invaders were caught for the second time in street battles. They beat the BMD, and then they covered the concentration, also with Grad.
Fire at nuclear power plant
A fire that threatened potential disaster at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant following an attack by Russian troops was extinguished. Russian military units fired on a training building outside the main reactor complex of the Zaporozhe nuclear power plant, which didn’t yet sustain any critical damage in the attack.
United States Energy Secretary Jennifer Grenholm accused the Russians of “reckless actions” near the Zaporozhe nuclear power plant. She stated this in a conversation with her Ukrainian colleague Herman Galushchenko. She reiterated the U.S.’s request to ban flights over Ukraine.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the Europeans, reminded that the power plant consists of six reactors, while at the Chernobyl power plant only one reactor exploded.
World dallied and sustains consequences
Answering a U.S. reporter’s question about the U.S. President’s late response to help Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the whole world dallied with regard to Ukraine and this is said by people everywhere. The people all over the world take to the streets and support Ukraine, but everyone should know that this policy is late.
Shelling in Kharkiv, disaster in Mariupol
One of the massive attacks on the residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv was staged by Russian troops at about 3:50pm. The micro-region Severnaya Saltovka was worst affected by shelling. About 40 apartment buildings burned. Mayor Igor Terekhov called on the residents to find shelter in the metro. He said that humanitarian aid was heading for them and medicines will be available in each policlinic as from March 5.
The authorities in Mariupol said the enemy does not allow resuming the supply of water, heat and electricity, damaged rail communication and thwarted the supply of food, creating a blockage. During seven days, the invaders had deliberately destroyed the city’s critical infrastructure.
Organic laws under martial law
The Verkhovna Rada adopted a series of important documents, stipulating the:
- toughening up of punishment for crimes against the fundamentals of Ukraine’s national security under martial law (for theft, sabotage, betrayal – life imprisonment with confiscation of property);
- nationalization of assets of Russian companies, legal entities and private individuals;
- adoption of President’s decree on mobilization;
- endorsement of call for support to set up an area to exclude flights;
- protection of interests of reporting subjects and other documents under martial law.
Russia attempts to reinvent financial circuit
There are three countries with which the Russian Federation is trying to create alternative systems of financial settlements, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“Russia is already feeling the impact of sanctions, but this is not enough. It is clear that Russia is now looking for workarounds, and it has found three countries that it puts pressure on and actively cooperates with, trying to create alternative business models, alternative financial settlement systems. We know these countries. We know how they are trying to make money on Ukrainian blood, we know, and we will work with them,” Kuleba said in a Facebook post.
Distance between chairs at Putin’s table as reference points for High Court
Sergei Pugachev, a former Russian banker and former aid of President of Vladimir Putin, is confident that Ukraine will win the war waged by Russia. He said this in an interview for the founder of the Ukrainian publication GORDON. He noted the Russian army lacks skills, equipment, capacities and many other things to conquer Ukraine. Putin wants houses to be razed to the ground, but the army, the generals will not accept it. “I’m sure about this. The distance between Shoigu and the generals who effetely manage the army is much greater than that between Shoigu and Putin at the table,” stated the former aid.
One cannot ensure security by shaking boat
The United States is considering the perspectives if Russia is excluded from the UN Security Council, but no decision about the initiation of the exclusion was yet taken. In parallel, the White House announced new sanctions against Russia and Belarus for the invasion of Ukraine.
The new restrictions extend export control policies to Belarus and prevent diversion of tech and software to Russia through the country, which the administration said “will severely limit the ability of Russia and Belarus to obtain the materials they need to support their military aggression against Ukraine, project power in ways that threaten regional stability and undermine global peace and security.”
In addition, the US and allies are identifying 22 Russian “defense-related entities”, including firms that provide technological and material support for Russia’s military.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland announced that the sequestration of Russia’s property started in Warsaw.
Separatists in Donetsk-Luhansk called up
Most of these people have Russian passports. Some of them are being transported through Rostov, Krasnodar and the temporarily occupied Crimea to launch a naval offensive against Odessa. The others were taken to Belgorod to serve as cannon fodder in the fulfillment of the intention to capture Kyiv.
