O VOO DO CORVO

Ukraine: what we know on day seven of Russia’s invasion

 

Several cities are under heavy bombardment again, Russian paratroops have landed in Kharkiv, and Joe Biden attacks Putin in his State of the Union address

 

Martin Farrer

Wed 2 Mar 2022 05.13 GMT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/02/ukraine-russia-invasion-war-what-we-know-on-day-seven

 

• Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine are coming under more bombardment in the early hours of Wednesday morning as the Russian military steps up its offensive and moves forces closer towards the capital.
• Four people have been killed after homes in the city of Zhytomyr west of Kyiv were hit by a cruise missile apparently aimed at a nearby airbase, Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the interior minister, said on his Telegram channel.
• Russian paratroopers landed in Kharkiv at around 3am local time on Wednesday morning, according to Ukrainian security chiefs, after heavy on Tuesday that left at least 11 people dead. A video taken in the city shows wrecked residential buildings with no windows, and fallen trees and power lines, in the aftermath of bombing.
• Heavy fighting was also reported in Kherson, a city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, where the mayor said Russian forces had taken control of the railway station and the port by the early hours of Wednesday. There were also reports that the strategically important Sea of Azov port city, Mariupol, was surrounded by Russian troops.
• Thousands of Ukrainians are trying to leave Kyiv, our correspondent in Kyiv reported, as Russia’s defence ministry warned residents to leave as it plans to strike targets in the Ukrainian capital. The UN says more than 680,000 people have already fled the city.
• Russia’s military move on Kyiv has stalled as its forces struggle with basic logistics challenges, including shortages of food and fuel, with some units appearing to be gripped by low morale. US official also claim that some Russian troops are sabotaging their equipment and surrendering rather than fighting.
• Joe Biden’s will use his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to warn Vladimir Putin that he cannot divide the west and that dictators should “pay a price for their aggression”, according to a pre-release of parts of his speech.
• The IMF and the World Bank have condemned the Russian action in Ukraine and the “horrifying” suffering of people there. The organisations pledged a $3bn package of support for the country.
• Apple has said it will pause all product sales in Russia, heeding requests from Ukrainian officials to take action against the country in response to its invasion.
• Boeing is suspending “major operations” in Moscow, as well as “parts, maintenance, and technical support services for Russian airlines”. Ford and the British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover have also suspended operations, along with Nike.
• The US and 30 countries have agreed to release 60m barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to stabilise global energy markets, the US department of energy said on Tuesday, as oil prices surged to a seven-year high. It came after Brent crude oil rose 7% on Tuesday to $104.97 a barrel.
• The Russian rouble has fallen again in early trading on Wednesday to hit 109.2 to the dollar. Stocks on Wall Street suffered another day of losses amid the jitters over Ukraine.