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Ukraine-Russia War LIVE Updates: Ceasefire in 4 cities on 12th day

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Amrutha Pagad
Amrutha PagadMar 07, 2022 | 14:11

Ukraine-Russia War LIVE Updates: Ceasefire in 4 cities on 12th day

The invading Russian forces announced a ceasefire in 4 cities of Ukraine including the capital Kyiv to allow civilians to flee the war. Russian news outlet Sputnik reported that Kremlin took the decision at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron.

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A soldier carries a baby. Photo: Defence of Ukraine/Twitter

The ceasefire began at 0700 GMT (12.30 PM IST) in four cities – Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy. However, only yesterday reports had emerged that Russia violated the ceasefire agreement and allegedly even fired at civilians.

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THE LATEST:

  • MEA says some 16,000 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated so far. 3,000 Indians are still waiting to return, but have left Ukraine and are in neighbouring countries. While 600 are still stranded in Ukraine's Sumy. 
  • Ukraine-Russia delegation talks are to begin soon. So far, the multiple rounds of talks between the two countries' delegates has not yielded a positive outcome. 
  • Indian doctor, Girikumar Patil, also known as Jaguar Kumar refused to leave Ukraine without his pet jaguar & panther. He is currently living in a basement in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, surrounded by Russian troops. He said that he called the Indian Embassy but didn't get a proper response. 
  • Ukraine rejected Moscow's humanitarian corridor proposal via Belarus and Russia.  
  • Prime Minister Modi speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone for 50 minutes, urges direct dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 
  • Russia shuns the UN hearing at the Hague on Ukraine invasion. Ukraine is seeking the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) order halting the invasion by Russia.
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  • Ukraine shows Russian President Vladimir Putin as Hitler, says the '21st-century fascism speaks Russian'. The image also showed the war symbol 'Z' as having been adopted by Russians like the Nazi Hakenkreuz. The 'Z' symbol was worn by a Russian gymnast at an even in Doha next to a Ukrainian gymnast.  
  • Ukraine shared information on stranded foreign students and said that they have been trying to negotiate a humanitarian corridor with Russia for 10 days. Ukraine also mentioned that some 700 Indian students remain stranded in Russian-occupied territories.  
  • Ukraine shared a picture showing an overwhelming crowd at a railway station in Kharkiv on Sunday, March 6, 2022. Ukrainians in large numbers are flocking to railway stations to board trains to take them west.  
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  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a TV interview said that 'Ukrainians have plans in place' for the continuation of the government if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is killed by Russia. 
  • The injured Indian student was helped onto an IAF flight from Poland for evacuation.
    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on phone and said that he appreciates dialogue with Russia. He is also set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  
    • Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces were targetting a nuclear reactor in Kharkiv to blame the activity and subsequent catastrophic radiation leak on Moscow. However, Russia has been accused of spreading misinformation and propaganda news to change the narrative of the war.  
      • Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba shared an image of an unexploded bomb that fell on a residential building in the country. He accused Russia of being barbarians for targetting civilians and civilian establishments.

        WHERE ARE INDIAN NATIONALS? The MEA announced that over 15,900 Indian nationals have been flown back from Ukraine so far. The Government of India has started Operation Ganga to bring back all stranded Indian nationals. Despite the efforts, one Indian student was killed in shelling, while another was injured.

        • The Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked all Indian nationals still stranded in the country to urgently fill up a form.
        • Russia has reportedly opened up 2 evacuation routes for Sumy region for Indian students - Sumy-Sudzha-Belgorod (in Russia) and Sumy-Golubovka-Romny-Lokhvitsa-Lubny-Poltava (central Ukraine).

        CURRENT STATE OF WAR: Apart from the ceasefire agreement and allegations of ceasefire violations, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not ended, though it has been slowed down. Ukraine also released a map showing territories held by Russian forces to bring clarity to claims saying the invader had seized large parts of the country in the northeast and south.

        • As for the massive Russian military convoy that was headed towards capital Kyiv; it has not made much progress in days.
        • The unending stage of the conflict has the world worried about the use of nuclear weapons and nuclear plant sites. Between Thursday and Friday (March 3-4), shelling by Russian forces at Europe’s largest nuclear facility in Ukraine had resulted in a fire. Though there was no radiation leak, damage to equipment and loss of lives were reported, and the incident sent warning bells ringing throughout the world. Reports say that Russia may be targetting a third nuclear plant in Ukraine. 
        • Apart from the military plundering, Ukraine has suffered grave civilian casualties and there are mounting heart-wrenching stories. In one incident, a family was killed in the war while trying to flee. While the UN says some 1.5 million people have fled war in Ukraine so far.

          WHAT IS RUSSIA SAYING? Russian news agency TASS reported that Putin told his Turkish counterpart that Russia will suspend its military operation only if Kyiv ceases its military actions and meets Moscow’s demands.

          WHAT IS UKRAINE SAYING? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been demanding that the EU declares a ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine to prevent Russian aircraft from using its airspace for attacks. However, so far, the EU has been hesitant to take the step fearing Kremlin’s reaction to what it sees as their ‘interference’. Moreover, Zelenskyy has also been asking to make Ukraine an immediate member of the EU.

          WHAT IS THE WORLD SAYING? The US sent some 7,000 Army men to Germany to reassure NATO in the face of Russian aggression. Washington said that it is prepared to support any requirements in the region.

          • Ukraine and Russia are set for a face-off at UN court over Moscow’s reasoning for the invasion. Russia says it invaded Ukraine because Russian-speaking people were subjected to genocide in the eastern part of the country, while Kyiv denies the claims and says that Moscow has a wrong interpretation of the genocide law.

          WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

          • Ukrainian soldiers get married in the middle of war with Russia. The two soldiers got married near a Kyiv checkpoint and the ceremony was attended by the city's mayor Vitality Klitschko.  
          • Ukraine Intelligence Department published a long list of names from the Russian forces accusing them of invading Ukraine.
          • The Ukraine Intelligence Department has also made a website with a list of Russian Prisoners of War. The website says that families of the PoWs can contact the Ukraine Defence Ministry for more information. It also assured that the PoWs are treated in accordance with international laws.
          • Ukraine also asked foreigners to join their troops in the defence against Russian forces. According to the Kyiv Independent, so far nearly 20,000 foreign volunteers have joined forces against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
          • Musicians in London held a flashmob in solidarity with Ukraine. The orchestra was conducted by a Russian, Petr Limonov, who played the Ukrainian national anthem.

          Last updated: March 07, 2022 | 17:01
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