Several more international corporations have suspended their operations in Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Saturday’s unsuccessful ceasefire in Mariupol has raised questions about the safety of civilians trapped in conflict zones.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on Sunday that Russia would halt its military operation only when Ukraine stopped fighting and met Moscow’s demands, the Kremlin said in a statement. Went.
The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin said the operation was going according to plan and on time, and he expected Ukrainian negotiators to take a more constructive approach to talks and take into account the reality on the ground.
The Kremlin said it also blamed Ukrainian hardliners for an incident at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 3. French President Emmanuel Macron asked Putin over the phone about the fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. “Vladimir Putin informed [Macron] About the provocation by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, said the Kremlin. “The radiation level is normal.”
Putin also accused Ukraine of preventing citizens from leaving Mariupol.
Here are the other major developments Ukraine crisis on Sunday:
UN says 364 civilian deaths have been confirmed so far
The UN Human Rights Office says it has confirmed 364 civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive on February 24.
The Geneva-based office said another 759 civilians had been injured as of midnight on Saturday.
The Rights Office uses a strict methodology and only reports casualties that it has confirmed.
It says it believes the actual figures are much higher, “especially in government-controlled territory, and especially in recent times.” This is because there has been a delay in the flow of information between the fights and many reports still need to be confirmed.
Ukrainian officials have presented far higher numbers.
Mariupol evacuation fails again
Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine’s National Guard on Sunday accused it of failing to set up a humanitarian corridor outside the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the second time the sides have attempted to organize it.
Ukraine 24 television showed a fighter from the National Guard’s Azov regiment, who said Russian and pro-Russian forces surrounded the port city of about 400,000, continued to shell out areas that were meant to be safe.
The Interfax news agency cited a Donetsk separatist administration official who accused Ukrainian forces of failing to observe a limited ceasefire.
The separatist official said only 300 people had left the city. Ukrainian officials previously said they planned to evacuate more than 200,000 people from Mariupol.
Focus on evacuating Indians from Sumi: MEA
India on Saturday said its main focus is to rescue around 700 Indian students trapped in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, which has been hit by bomb blasts and airstrikes.
A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that India is exploring various options to evacuate the students.
He said, “We are in contact with all concerned. The best option for us would be a ceasefire that allows our students to exit and we strongly pressure both the Russian and Ukrainian sides to allow such a localized ceasefire. are putting.”
He said that almost all Indians have now left Kharkiv city.
Final phase of Operation Ganga flights today: Indian Embassy in Budapest
The tweet from the handle of the Budapest Embassy read: The Embassy of India today began the final phase of Operation Ganga Udan. All students residing in their own accommodation (other than those arranged by the Embassy) are requested to arrive at @Hungariacitycentre, Rakoczi Ut 90, Budapest between 10 AM to 12 PM.
Separately, the Embassy of Kyiv also said in a tweet, “All Indian nationals still residing in Ukraine are requested to fill in the details contained in the attached Google Form on an urgent basis.”
a link to the form It was also given in the tweet.
More than 13,000 Indians brought back under Operation Ganga
The government on Saturday said 63 flights have brought back over 13,300 Indians under the evacuation mission ‘Operation Ganga’.
Since then, a few more flights have landed from neighboring countries of Ukraine.
A special aircraft carrying 154 Indian nationals stranded in crisis-hit Ukraine reached Delhi from the city of Kosice in Slovakia on Sunday.
An Indian Air Force flight carrying 210 Indians arrived at Hindon airbase near Delhi from Bucharest, Romania.
Another flight with 183 Indians reached Delhi from Budapest, Hungary.
An Air India Express flight 182 brought back Mumbai from Bucharest.
Russia says without evidence that Ukraine is making nuclear ‘dirty bombs’
Russian media reported Sunday, citing an unnamed source, that Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based “dirty bomb” nuclear weapon, though the source provided no evidence.
TASS, RIA and Interfax news agencies on Sunday quoted “a representative of a competent body” in Russia as saying that Ukraine was developing nuclear weapons at the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was shut down in 2000.
Ukraine’s government has stated that it had no plans to rejoin the nuclear club, having given up its nuclear weapons in 1994, following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Ukrainian city of Mariupol tries again to evacuate civilians
The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russian troops, said on Sunday it would resume efforts to evacuate civilians, after earlier efforts were halted by ceasefire violations.
“The evacuation of the civilian population begins at 1200 (1000 GMT),” city officials announced in a statement, adding that a ceasefire was agreed with the Russian-led forces around the city.
An earlier attempt on Saturday to allow civilians to travel by buses and private cars on roads leading to the northwest towards Zaporizhzhya failed when both sides accused each other of shelling.
Visa, Mastercard suspend operations in Russia
US payments firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc said on Saturday they were suspending operations in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine and would work with their customers and partners to halt all transactions in the country.
Within a few days, all transactions initiated with Visa cards issued within Russia will no longer work outside the country and any Visa cards issued outside Russia will no longer operate within the country, the company said.
MasterCard said its cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by the MasterCard network, adding that none of the company’s cards issued outside Russia will work at Russian merchants or ATMs.
The Visa and Mastercard announcements came hours after PayPal halted its services in Russia.
German sportswear maker Puma has decided to suspend operations at all of its stores in Russia, it said on Saturday. Puma, which has 100 stores in Russia, had already halted deliveries to Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ask Putin to stop the war, it’s in India’s interest: Ukraine
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba met PM Modi late Saturday and tried to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin that war is not in the interest of any country. In a virtual press conference, Kuleba said that Ukraine is important for India’s food security and it is in India’s interest to stop the war.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said, “India is one of Ukraine’s top consumers of agricultural products and if the war continues, it will be difficult for Ukraine.” Ukraine played an important role in ensuring global food security.
“Putin does not recognize our right to exist. Even ordinary Indians can pressure the Russian embassy to stop the war.
He also said that Ukraine had arranged trains from Kharkiv and Sumy to evacuate foreign students.
Putin said Ukraine’s future in doubt after ceasefire ends
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Saturday that Ukrainian statehood was in danger and compared West’s sanctions on Russia to a “declaration of war”, while a promised ceasefire in the besieged port city of Mariupol came amid scenes of terror. tumbled down.
The struggle to enforce a temporary ceasefire in Mariupol and the eastern city of Volnovakha showed the fragility of efforts to stop fighting throughout Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials said Russian artillery fire and airstrikes had prevented residents from leaving before the agreed-upon evacuation. Putin accused Ukraine of foiling the effort.
Ukrainian refugees close to 1.5 million
The number of Ukrainian refugees was expected to reach 1.5 million on Sunday as Russia continued its offensive 11 days after invading Ukraine and Kyiv pressed for Western action, including more sanctions and weapons. Ukrainians who could escape spread to neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere.
Ukraine’s negotiators said a third round of ceasefire talks with Russia would go ahead on Monday, though Moscow was less certain.
UK PM Johnson sets out six-point response
Boris Johnson listed his objectives, which included an international humanitarian alliance for Ukraine, support for its self-defense, and maximizing economic pressure on Moscow. They also called for full participation of the government of Ukraine, stronger security in the European-Atlantic region and diplomatic routes to end the “creeping normalization” of Russian activities in Ukraine.
(with agency input)