The exodus of refugees from Ukraine has been the fastest this century. Shabia Mantoo spokeswoman for U.N. High Commission for Refugees and said that “at this rate” it could become “the largest refugee crisis this century.”
Russia and Ukraine announced Wednesday that they are ready to hold talks for the second occasion, which is expected to be held in Belarus on Thursday. The two sides appear to have little in common.
On Wednesday, the U.N. General Assembly condemned Russia’s invasion and called for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
Russia continued its assault on Ukrainian cities. Russia claimed that it had seized Kherson, Ukraine’s first major city. However, this claim has been challenged. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskyy addressed the nation on Thursday morning. He called for Ukrainians to resist the Russians, but did not comment on whether they had seized any other cities, such as Kherson.
Zelenskyy stated that “they will not have peace here.” They will not have food. They won’t have one moment of silence.”
Here are some key facts about the conflict.
POSSIBLE TALKS
According to the Ukrainian president’s office, Wednesday night’s announcement stated that the delegation of the country was heading to Russia for the second round in talks since the invasion. However, it did not specify when the delegation would arrive. Vladimir Medinsky (Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, and head of Russia’s delegation), told reporters that the Ukrainians would arrive in Brest, Belarus on Thursday. This region borders Poland.
Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, stated Wednesday that talks could resume. However, he said that Russia’s demands had not changed and that he would not accept any ultimatums.
DID KHERSON SUSPEND?
According to a Russian official, troops had taken control of Kherson on the coast — something the Ukrainian military has denied.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday that the Black Sea port city of almost 300,000 people was now under Russia’s control. He also stated that talks are ongoing between Russian commanders, city and regional authorities about how to maintain order.
Kherson, Mariupol, and Kharkiv were just three of the cities that Russian troops had encircled in northeastern Ukraine.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN KHARKIV
According to officials from the Ukrainian emergency services, the Russian assault on Kharkiv (which has 1.5 million inhabitants) continued with a strike at the regional police headquarters and intelligence headquarters and the university building across the street. An explosion also struck a central square that was near other government buildings, including that of the city council.
Zelenskyy’s adviser Oleksiy Arestovich stated that a Russian advance on Kharkiv had been stopped. Russia responded by bombarding the city with missiles and airstrikes.
“Kharkiv today, is the Stalingrad the 21st Century,” stated Arestovich. He also said that many Russian planes had been shot down above the city.
Oleg Sinehubov (head of the Kharkiv region administration) stated that 21 people were killed and at most 112 injured in the past 24 hours.
What do you think about VIOLENCE Elsewhere?
Russia has reported its first military casualties since the invasion started last week. It said that nearly 500 troops were killed and nearly 1,600 were wounded. Ukraine claimed Russia suffered much greater losses, but didn’t immediately reveal itss.
Russia’s convoy of tanks and vehicles, measuring 40 miles (64 km) long, remained outside Kyiv while the capital was still under shelling.
Zelenskyy’s bureau reported that there was a strong explosion Wednesday night at the Southern Railway Station and Ibis Hotel in Kyiv. Near this area is the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Railway Service, at the time of the strike thousands of children and women were being evacuated from the station. The station sustained only minor damage.
According to UNIAN, two cruise missiles struck a Chernihiv hospital. He said that the hospital’s main structure was destroyed and that authorities were trying to determine the death toll.
In Mariupol, at most one teenager was killed and two others were injured by Russian shelling. Their families claimed that they were playing soccer close to a school.
WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION?
Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner For Refugees, tweeted: “In only seven days we have seen the exodus one million refugees from Ukraine into neighboring countries.”
This tally is more than 2% of Ukraine’s population. However, some of the people fleeing Ukraine are citizens from other countries.
Although the U.N. agency predicted that 4 million people would eventually leave Ukraine, it cautioned that this projection could be modified upward. According to the World Bank, Ukraine’s population was 44 million as of 2020.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine claimed that more than 2000 civilians had died. However, it was not possible to verify this claim. According to the U.N., the human rights office had documented the deaths of 136 civilians in Ukraine, 13 of them children, since the February 24th invasion.
Wednesday’s announcement by the EU Commission stated that temporary residence permits will be granted to refugees fleeing violence to allow them to study or work in the 27-nation bloc. This move will require the approval of all member states, who have already shown broad support.
U.N. CONDEMNATION and WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION
The U.N. The U.N. General Assembly voted Wednesday in favor of Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine. It was condemned by nations ranging from small island states to large world powers. Vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the vote “demonstrates how outraged the world is at Russia’s terrible attack on a sovereign neighbour.”
The resolution condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the strongest terms. General Assembly resolutions don’t have legal binding force.
The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor opened Wednesday an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. This investigation covers the period from 2013 to the present conflict.
Karim Khan, the prosecutor, said that he did this after 39 member states of the court requested an investigation.
Are THE SANCTIONS HARRYING RUSSIA?
Russia is increasingly isolated and has been hit with sanctions that have caused its economy to go into turmoil . This has rendered Russia practically unfriendly, aside from China, Belarus, and a few others.
Sberbank, a leading Russian bank, announced Wednesday that it is withdrawing from European markets due to tightening Western sanctions. According to Russian news agencies, the bank stated that its European subsidiaries were experiencing an “abnormal flow of funds and a risk to the safety and security of employees and branches.”
The White House announced additional sanctions against Russia, Belarus and Belarus in Washington. These included extending export controls to Russia that target oil refining companies and those supporting the militaries of both countries.
The Kremlin is struggling to maintain its economy after the West’s sanctions and the resulting crash in the ruble. Good news for Putin came Wednesday from the head of China’s bank regulator, who said that China would not impose financial sanctions against Russia. China is the largest buyer of Russian oil, and the only major country that has not criticized the invasion of Ukraine.
HOW ABOUT THE SANCTIONS OVER RUSSIA’S Ultra-RICH?
The war has caused shockwaves in the global community of wealthy Russians. They now face sanctions that could threaten their London mansions, Mediterranean yachts, and children’s education at elite European private schools. Although some have started to speak out, it is not enough to end the war or protect their Western fortunes.
