By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The damaged multi-storey residential building in southwestern Kyiv [Reuters screengrab].
EU official “strongly condemns” Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said Saturday he “most strongly” condemns Russian attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
This is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law. Shelling of civilian infrastructure needs to stop now,” Lenarčič said on his verified Twitter account.
A residential block near Kyiv’s second airport was struck by a missile or rocket fire early Saturday.
Images and video from the scene showed a large impact some ten floors up.
Some background: On Friday, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov sought to reassure the world about civilian casualties on day two of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Nobody is going to attack the people of Ukraine,” he said during a heated press conference, telling CNN that there were “no strikes on civilian infrastructure.”
But evidence suggest civilian infrastructure is under attack: Reports about apartment buildings and kindergartens being shelled, civilians being killed, and rockets being found in residential streets have been trickling in since the beginning of the offensive.
Kremlin website is being targeted by cyberattacks, spokesperson tells state media
The Kremlin website is being targeted by cyberattacks, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS on Saturday.
“Attacks are ongoing,” Peskov told TASS. “[The website] often freezes.”
Some Russian government websites, including the Kremlin and Ministry of Defence, have been down for a third day in a row.
The hacking group Anonymous has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
On Friday, the same Russian websites appeared offline for a while, but the Kremlin denied it was being attacked by Anonymous, according to state media.
Heaviest fighting in Ukraine is “in and around Kharkiv,” senior US defense official says
The heaviest fighting in Ukraine is “in and around Kharkiv,” a senior US defense official said Saturday.
The official said the US saw “stiff resistance on the northern advance towards Kyiv,” as well. “But the heaviest fighting we still assess is in and around Kharkiv,” the official added.
Russian forces are facing the resistance to their invasion in the northern part of Ukraine along two axes, the official said: “down towards Kyiv and generally from Belgorod towards Khakriv.”
Russian forces are facing “less resistance in the south,” the official added.
Russian advance in Ukraine has temporarily slowed, according to UK defense ministry
The speed of the Russian advance on Ukraine has temporarily slowed “likely due to acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance,” according to the British Ministry of Defence.
In its latest intelligence update on Ukraine, the ministry says the capture of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv “remains Russia’s primary military objective.”
“Russian forces are bypassing major Ukranian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them,” the update added.
“Overnight clashes in Kyiv are likely to have involved limited numbers of pre-positioned Russian sabotage groups,” the ministry said.
There have been “more than 250” missile launches by Russians at Ukraine as of this morning, US official says
There have been “more than 250” missile launches from Russian forces at Ukraine “as of this morning” eastern time, a senior US defense official told reporters Saturday.
The majority of the missile launches “continue to be short-range ballistic missile types,” the official said.
Russians continue to impact “civilian infrastructure and residential areas” with these missile strikes, the official said.
We’re not able to tell you whether those locations were intentionally targeted, but there’s no doubt in our mind that civilian infrastructure and residential areas are being hit by these barrages,” the official said.
As of this morning, the US has “no indication” that the Russian military has “taken control over any cities,” the official added.
There have been “intermittent” power outages in Ukraine, but the internet is still “generally available,” the official added.
Biden is seriously weighing whether to support removing Russia from SWIFT
US President Joe Biden is seriously weighing whether to remove Russia from SWIFT, the high security network that connect thousands of financial institutions around the world, but has yet to make a final decision, according to multiple people familiar with his thinking.
The decision to trigger the action has always been contingent on sign off by the European Union, which has been split in a contentious debate for weeks over the action, ultimately choosing not to go forward this week.
But US officials and their EU counterparts have continued to weigh options, including sanctions to remove individual banks and entities, instead of the entire Russian economy, from the network, officials say.
The move would be considered the nuclear option when it comes to responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden and his aides have highlighted how complicated blocking Russia from SWIFT would be, noting the US cannot move unilaterally. “That’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take,” Biden told reporters Thursday.
But since Biden’s press conference announcing new sanctions against Russia for its unprovoked attack, the administration appears to be moving closer to this position as other European allies have now given it their backing.
The administration has discussed the matter with the Federal Reserve, which would have a stake in any decision, according to an official. And US officials have been in talks with the European Union about a possible move.
One administration official said additional sanctions were likely to come if Kyiv, the besieged Ukrainian capital, fell. But it wasn’t clear if that would include SWIFT, or whether removing Russia from SWIFT might happen before.
A White House official told CNN that “as the President and administration officials have made clear, we are focused on coordinating with allies and partners to impose further costs on Putin for his war of choice” but declined to comment further.
On Saturday, Italy signaled that it would support taking measures to expel Russia from the SWIFT after Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that “Italy fully supports the European Union’s line on sanctions against Russia, including those regarding SWIFT, and shall continue to do so.”
Draghi’s comments are particularly notable given the Italian economy’s exposure on energy, but the primary opposition to taking the action has come from Germany, officials say.
198 Ukrainians killed, over 1,000 wounded
The Ukrainian health minister says that 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Russian offensive.
Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that there were three children among those killed. His statement made it unclear whether the casualties included both military and civilians.
He said another 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion that began Thursday with massive air and missile strikes and troops forging into Ukraine from the north, east and south.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address to the nation had said that 137 civilians and military personnel were killed on Friday, Feb 25, since the Russian invasion.
Meanwhile, the Russian armed forces earlier in the day established full control over the Ukrainian city of Melitopol in the south of the country, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.
“Units of the Russian Armed Forces have established full control over the city of Melitopol,” Konashenkov told reporters.
Bridge which connects Russian-held areas to Ukraine enveloped in smoke
The sound of shelling impacts hit around the city of Kherson, Ukraine, north of the Crimean peninsula, from 8 a.m.
By 11 a.m. the bridge — which connects Russian-held areas to Ukraine — was blanketed in smoke from the grass around it that had caught fire.
Battle over strategic link: On arriving to the southern Ukrainian city on Thursday night, he said Russian tanks were in the streets, with no rest overnight. Jets were flying low overhead, terrifying residents.
By Friday, Ukrainian forces had reclaimed the key crossing into the country but not without cost. One Ukrainian soldier said the Russians were “not far away.” Civilians were seen picking through the wreckage on the bridge for ammunition, bodies of soldiers lying nearby.
“It shows you how many people are involved on a local level,” Paton Walsh reports. “They’re stopping everywhere to pick up whatever they can.”
Friday afternoon brought the noise of more rockets landing in the streets and by dusk it appeared the balance of power had changed once again. Shells landed around Ukrainian positions and seemingly near houses. It was followed by the sound of an attack helicopter. All acute violence that seemed to indicate the bridge had changed hands again and moments later local officials told CNN Kherson’s defenses had fallen.
Sanctions will test Russia’s “fortress” economy
Vladimir Putin has been expecting the West.
Since 2014, when the United States and its Western allies imposed sanctions on Moscow following the annexation of Crimea and the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, Russia’s president has been trying to build an economy capable of withstanding much tougher penalties.
The West this week kept some of its sanctions firepower in reserve after Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Even so, the measures that were announced by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom will put Russia’s “fortress economy” to the test.
Fear of what sanctions might do sent Russian stocks crashing 33% on Thursday. They have since recovered some of those losses, but the ruble continues to trade near record lows against the dollar and the euro.
Russia’s $1.5 trillion economy is the world’s 11th biggest, just behind South Korea. Since 2014, its gross domestic product has barely grown and its people have gotten poorer. The value of the ruble has also tumbled, shrinking the value of the Russian economy by $800 billion.
Zelensky tweets it is time to decide on Ukraine’s membership in the EU
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it is now a “crucial moment” to decide on his country’s membership in the European Union, in a tweet on Saturday.
“It is a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the #EU. Discussed with @eucopresident further effective assistance and the heroic struggle of Ukrainians for their free future,” a tweet on his verified Twitter page said.
Defiant words: Earlier Saturday as the battle for Kyiv continued, Zelensky took to the social media platform a number of times to post updates.
In one 40-second video titled “do not believe the fakes,” the president said: “I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this.
“That is it. That’s all I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine,” he added.
In a separate tweet on Saturday morning, he also said: “A new day on the diplomatic frontline began with a conversation with @EmmanuelMacron. Weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine. The anti-war coalition is working!”
French support: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday warned that the war in Ukraine and the crisis around it “will last” as he predicted impacts on food markets.
“If I can tell you one thing this morning, it is that this war will last,” Macron told France’s annual agriculture fair.
“This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences,” Macron added, warning: “We must be prepared.
“French and Europeans, we will be there, he said to build short and medium-term responses to try and fully secure our energy.”
The president said that the crisis’ “impact on our lives” will also extend to the world of farmers and food, without providing further details.
Russian defense ministry says it launched missiles overnight, but claims it didn’t target residents
Russia’s defense ministry said Saturday it launched cruise missile strikes overnight against targets in Ukraine — but claimed it exclusively targeted military infrastructure, as videos emerged of a residential high-rise near Kyiv that was struck by a missile or rocket fire.
“During the night, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike with long-range precision weapons using air- and sea-launched cruise missiles against Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a video statement.
“I emphasize once again that the fire is directed only on the objects of the military infrastructure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, excluding damage to residential and social infrastructure.”
Scenes on the ground: International news outlets have seen and documented damage to civilian infrastructure around Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Images on Saturday morning showed severe damage to the outside of an apartment building in western Kyiv, with the outer walls blown out entirely for several apartment units. Emergency workers are on the scene, helping to evacuate residents. The extent of casualties is not yet clear.
The Russian ministry statement also claimed units of the Russian armed forces had taken control over the city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine.
As fighting intensifies in Kyiv, Chinese diplomat says national sovereignty “applies to the Ukraine issue”
As fighting in Kyiv intensified on Saturday, a top Chinese diplomat defended China’s long-held position on protecting national sovereignty — adding that it “applies equally to the Ukraine issue.”
“China firmly believes that the sovereignty & territorial integrity of all countries should be respected & protected and the purposes & principles of (the UN Charter) abided by in real earnest. This position of China is consistent & clear-cut, and applies equally to the Ukraine issue,” wrote Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese government’s special representative on Korean peninsula affairs.
Liu previously served as the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The UN Security Council vote: Liu’s comments are especially striking as China had been one of the three countries that abstained from voting for a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, at a Friday night meeting.
India and the UAE also abstained from voting, while Russia used its veto power as a permanent seat on the council to block the measure. After the vote, 50 countries released a joint statement accusing Russia of abusing its veto power.
China’s position on Ukraine: Over the last few days, as other countries moved to punish Russia and President Vladimir Putin, China has avoided condemning the invasion, instead calling for peace and diplomacy — and pointing the finger at the US instead for “fueling fires.”
Any action from the Security Council “should be truly conducive to defusing the crisis, rather than adding fuel to fire,” said China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun on Friday.
Here’s what you need to know:
War arrived on the streets of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday, as the country’s military battled to hold back advancing Russian troops in multiple locations, forcing residents to seek shelter amid the sound of explosions and gunfire.
- Apartment building struck: A residential building was hit by a missile or rocket early Saturday as many in the city slept, with images and video showing extensive damage to apartments some tens floors up, with outer walls torn away completely. The cause of the strike and extent of casualties is not yet known.
- Fighting on the streets: Early Saturday, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry warned on Facebook that “Active fighting is taking place on the streets of our city.” It urged residents to stay calm, hide indoors, take cover — and head to the nearest shelter immediately if they hear air raid sirens.
- Overnight battles: Explosions in and around the capital were seen and heard from 2 to 4 a.m., with a brief lull before gunshots were heard before dawn. It’s the first time blasts have been reported inside the city proper, after days of heavy fighting on the outskirts. The Ukrainian military attributed some of the early morning explosions to to the destruction of a Russian tank.
- Residents take up arms: Ukrainians have been preparing to defend their capital in recent days, with officials arming reservists and Ukrainian TV broadcasting instructions for making Molotov cocktails. Even members of parliament told CNN they have picked up guns and learned to shoot in preparation of battle.
- President defiant: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to defend his country in a video filmed Friday night while standing on a Kyiv street with other leaders of his administration. “We are all here defending our independence,” he said. “Glory to Ukraine!”
- Conflict elsewhere: The mayor of the town of Vasilkiv, some 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) south of Kyiv, said early on Saturday that fierce fighting in the town had led to losses on the Ukrainian side.
- Ukrainians flee the war: Many Kyiv residents had left by Friday, leaving quiet the roads heading west of the capital that had been busy on Thursday. More than 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the country in less than 48 hours, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who said the majority have gone to Poland and Moldova.
Apartment building in Kyiv struck by missile or rocket overnight, casualties unknown
A residential building near Kyiv’s second airport was struck by a missile or rocket fire early Saturday, with images from the scene showing a large impact some ten floors up.
The outer walls of several apartment units appear blown out entirely, the interiors blackened and debris hanging loose. Smoke is still hanging in the air.The cause of the strike is unclear.
Emergency services are at the scene, but the extent of casualties is unknown, said Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba shared a photo of the damaged building. “Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles,” he wrote. “I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals!”