As Russia continues its invasion of Ukrainian territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of talks stalled
Meanwhile, India on Friday strongly justified its right to go ahead with the purchase of Russian energy. US urges country to stop buying Russian oil and gas,
An informed source said India’s energy sector was heavily dependent on imports and the country’s reliance on imported energy should not be “politicised”.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that the mortal remains of Naveen SG, who was killed in a gunfight in Ukraine on March 1, will reach Bengaluru on Sunday.
The conflict began to intensify on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized separatist territory Deployed troops to eastern Ukraine and in a peacekeeping role.
Here are the latest updates:
Ukraine
Zelensky says it’s time for meaningful security talks with Moscow
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for broader peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from the losses suffered during the war.
Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine has always offered solutions for peace and seeks meaningful and honest dialogue on peace and security without delay.
“I want everyone to listen to me now, especially in Moscow. It’s time for a meeting, it’s time to talk,” he said in a video address released early Saturday. Reuters
International Space Station
3 Russian cosmonauts arrive at the space station in yellow and blue
Three Russian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Friday wearing yellow flight suits with blue accents, which appeared to match the flag of Ukraine. The men were the first new arrivals to the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.
Ukraine
Ukraine ‘temporarily’ loses access to the Sea of Azov
Ukraine’s defense ministry said late Friday that it had “temporarily” lost access to the Azov Sea as Russian forces tightened their hold around Mariupol, a major sea port.
“The occupied Donetsk operations have been partially successful in the district, temporarily denying Ukraine access to the Azov Sea,” Ukraine’s defense ministry said in a statement.
The ministry did not say in its statement whether the Ukrainian military had gained access to the sea. Reuters
Mariupol, Ukraine
Zelensky says 9,000 surrounded Mariupol
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian military is blocking Ukraine’s biggest cities to create a “humanitarian catastrophe” in order to persuade Ukrainians to cooperate with them.
He says Russians are blocking supplies from reaching the country’s center and besieged cities in the southeast.
“This is a completely deliberate tactic,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation, which was filmed outside in Kyiv, with the presidential office in the lamplight behind him.
He said more than 9,000 people were able to leave the besieged Mariupol in the past day, and in total more than 180,000 people have managed to escape to safety through humanitarian corridors. AP
Russia
American basketball star detained in Russia in the shadow of Ukraine war
Detained in Russia for more than a month, American basketball star Brittany Griner has become an unlikely victim of the war in Ukraine—and the best way to free her remains an important question.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport on February 17 for allegedly carrying wipe cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.
He was immediately placed in a detention center and on Thursday a Russian court extended his arrest until May 19. AFP
America
Bill Clinton and George W Bush show solidarity with Ukraine
Two former US presidents, Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W Bush, showed their support for Ukraine to face Russia’s aggression by visiting a Ukrainian church in Chicago on Friday.
Two men, wearing ribbons of blue and yellow in the colors of the flag of Ukraine, held a bouquet of sunflowers, the country’s national emblem, before the Catholic Church of Saints Volodymyr and Olha, before reflecting for a moment. AFP
Moscow, Russia
Putin appears at big rally in Moscow as troops attack Ukraine
Vladimir Putin appeared at a rally at Moscow Stadium on Friday, waving a giant flag and praising his troops fighting in Ukraine, a three-week offensive that has caused heavy-handed Russian losses on the battlefield and an increasingly authoritarian regime . House.
Ukraine
Roger Federer to donate $500,000 to help children in Ukraine
Roger Federer will donate $500,000 through his foundation to ensure access to education and care for children affected by war in Ukraine, former world number one said on Friday.
“My family and I are horrified to see photos from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so badly affected. We stand for peace,” Federer said on Twitter.
United Nations
Russia is using UN for propaganda, Western countries said
Six Western countries said on Friday that Russia is using the UN Security Council to spread propaganda and disinformation about its invasion of Ukraine.
He alleged at a council meeting convened at the request of Russia that Ukraine was developing biological weapons.