Third World War would be nuclear, disastrous: Lavrov

In the early hours of Thursday morning 24 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially announced the start of a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Russia has said that its operation in Ukraine is not the beginning of a war, but an attempt to prevent a world war.

But many countries around the world, including Europe and the United States, immediately condemned Russia’s move as a war against Ukraine and began to redouble their diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia.

On Monday, during talks in Belarus, Russian and Ukrainian delegations agreed to hold a new round of negotiations on the Belarusian-Polish border in the next few days, after they “found several points on which you can forecast a common position”.

Here are all the latest updates:

Russia cancelled Black Sea passage bid of four warships: Turkey

Russia has cancelled a bid to send four of its warships through Turkish waters into the Black Sea at Turkey’s request, according to the Turkish government.

Third World War would be nuclear, disastrous: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a Third World War would be nuclear and disastrous.

Touching upon the situation in Ukraine in an interview with Al Jazeera, he said that Moscow is preparing for the second round of talks with Kyiv, but that the Ukrainian side is dragging its feet at the behest of Washington.

“We are ready for the second round of the negotiations, but the Ukrainian side is playing for time on the US’ orders”, Lavrov pointed out.

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine was launched with the aim of disarming the current regime in Kyiv and preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons, Sergey Lavrov said.

“The military operation in Ukraine, including Kyiv, is aimed at disarming Ukraine. Russia will not let Ukraine obtain nuclear weapons,” Al Jazeera quotes Lavrov as saying.

Russia ‘ready’ to continue talks with Ukraine Wednesday evening: Kremlin

Russia’s delegation will arrive for the next round of talks with Ukraine’s representatives late in the afternoon on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“Our delegation will be there late in the afternoon. [It will] wait for Ukrainian negotiators. Our delegation will be ready to continue the conversation tonight,” he noted.

However, the Kremlin spokesman declined to clarify the location of the meeting.

Peskov pointed to “a certain element of contradictory information” in the media concerning the talks.

Ukrainian flag removed at Moscow embassy

The Ukrainian flag has been brought down at the country’s embassy in Moscow, Russian state news agency RIA reported Wednesday.

According to RIA, a sign indicating the building was home to the Ukrainian embassy was also removed and the doors sealed. 

The Ukrainian government severed diplomatic ties with Russia on February 24.

More explosions reported in Kharkiv

Kharkiv’s regional police department and Kharkiv National University have been targeted in a military strike Wednesday morning, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

The videos show the buildings engulfed by fire and emergency personnel attending the scene. Three people were injured, according to a statement from the state’s emergency service.

Mariupol under heavy shelling, mayor says

Ukraine’s key southeastern port city of Mariupol is under constant shelling from Russian forces, its mayor says.

“We are fighting, we are not ceasing to defend our motherland,” Vadym Boichenko said live on Ukrainian TV.

The intensity of the attacks meant it was proving impossible to evacuate those who had been wounded, he added.

2nd round of Russia-Ukraine talks to be held Wednesday

The second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will probably take place on Wednesday evening or later, a diplomatic source said.

“The negotiations were not cancelled, but their time was postponed. They can take place on the evening of March 2 or later,” the source said.

Zelensky says Russia wants to ‘erase’ Ukraine and its history

Zelensky has claimed that nearly 6,000 Russians have been killed during the first six days of Moscow’s attack and warned the Kremlin it will not be able to take control of Ukraine with bombs and air raids.

“They don’t know a thing about Kyiv, about our history. But they all have orders to erase our history, erase our country, erase us all,” in a video address, the Ukrainian president said about the Russian strike in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Russian troops destroy 1,502 Ukrainian military facilities 

The Russian troops have wiped out 1,502 Ukrainian military facilities and destroyed 47 aircraft since the start of the special operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.

“Over the period of the special operation, 1,502 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities have been crippled, including 51 command and communications centers of the Ukrainian armed forces, 38 S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa surface-to-air missile systems and 51 radar stations,” the spokesman said.

The Russian troops have also destroyed 47 planes on the ground and 11 aircraft in the air, 472 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 62 multiple launch rocket systems, 206 field artillery guns and mortars, 336 special military motor vehicles and 46 unmanned aerial vehicles,” the general said.

Russia’s MoD says Armed Forces taken control of Kherson

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed strikes on what it claims are part of Ukraine’s psyops infrastructure, including a TV tower in Kyiv, as well as Moscow forces taking control of Kherson, RT reported. 

Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that Russian military units have taken full control of the Ukrainian regional centre of Kherson.

Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Kherson’s infrastructure, support facilities, and urban transport are operating on a daily basis.

He added that the Russian military is now taking control of the settlements of Tokmak and Vasilyevka, where Ukrainian Army servicemen earlier gave up resistance and voluntarily laid down their arms.

Ukrainian official says at least 21 killed, 112 wounded in shelling of Kharkiv

At least 21 people have been killed and 112 wounded in shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in the last 24 hours, regional governor Oleg Synegubov has said.

Belarus to host new round of Russian-Ukrainian talks

A new round of negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia is expected on Wednesday. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the talks are to be held on the territory of Belarus, in its western area of Bialowieza Forest.

South Korea to ban 7 Russian banks

South Korea will ban financial transactions with seven major Russian banks and their affiliates as part of its economic sanctions on Russia.

The country’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday released a detailed plan on the sanctions after consulting with the US Department of the Treasury.

The seven Russian banks are Sberbank, VEB, PSB, VTB, Otkritie, Sovcom and Novikom.

Putin issues new decree amid West sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a decree prohibiting Russians from leaving the country with more than $10,000 in foreign currency. 

Russian airborne troops land in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

Russian airborne troops landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, the Ukrainian army said, adding that there were immediate clashes.

“Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv… and attacked a local hospital,” the army said in a statement on messaging app Telegram. “There is an ongoing fight between the invaders and the Ukrainians.”

Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions

US payment card firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc have blocked multiple Russian financial institutions from their network, complying with sanctions imposed on Moscow.

US closes its airspace for Russian flights

The US authorities are closing the country’s airspace for Russian aircraft, US President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address to the US Congress.

“Today I’m announcing that we are joining our allies and closing off the American airspace to all Russian flights,” he said.

Biden says Ukrainian operation was premediated

US President Joe Biden claimed on Tuesday Russia had rejected attempts to solve European security issues through diplomatic means because it was planning a special operation in Ukraine from the very outset.

“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready,” the US President was quoted as saying in excerpts from his State of the Union Address, published by the White House website and expected to be delivered in coming hours.

“The costs and threats to America and the world keep rising,” Biden said. “That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations. It matters. American diplomacy matters.”

Joe Biden said Putin is isolated by the world more than ever. “Together with our allies, we are enforcing sanctions on Russia… We are choking Russia’s access to technology,” Biden said.

Italy’s Eni to pull out of Russia-Turkey pipeline

Italian oil giant Eni said that it will withdraw from the Blue Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Turkey in which it has a 50 percent stake.

World Bank preparing $3bn aid package for Ukraine

The World Bank said that it is preparing a $3bn aid package for Ukraine, which will include at least $350m in immediate funds.

The first tranche of the aid “will be submitted to the Board for approval this week, followed by $200m in fast-disbursing support for health and education,” the World Bank said in a joint statement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

EU bans Russian media outlets, banks from SWIFT

The EU has banned Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in the bloc while banning “certain” Russian banks from the SWIFT bank messaging system, the EU’s rotating presidency said.

The moves, due to come into force on Wednesday after publication in the official journal of the EU, come as Brussels intensifies its sanctions on Moscow.

Russian forces entered Kherson, says Ukrainian Official

Russian forces have entered the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, but Ukraine still controls the city administration building, Ukrainian interior ministry advisor Vadym Denysenko said on television on Tuesday.

Miles-long Russian convoy appears stalled near Kyiv, says US official

An enormous Russian military convoy is lumbering towards the capital, Kyiv.

A senior US defence official told reporters the convoy appeared to stall on Tuesday, however, due to a number of factors, including the Ukrainian resistance that the Russian troops have faced.

Boeing suspends technical support services to Russian air carriers

US aircraft maker Boeing has suspended technical support services and deliveries of parts to Russian air carriers, Reuters journalist David Shepardson said on Twitter citing a Boeing statement.

“We are also suspending parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines,” he quoted the statement as saying.

Earlier, Boeing suspended operations of its Kyiv office and training center in Skolkovo, near Moscow.