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Russia-Ukraine War Highlights: 7th Operation Ganga flight, with 182 Indians, departs from Bucharest
Thousands of Indian nationals are being brought back to the country from the crisis-hit region in the past few days.
Highlights
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered day five on Monday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes the next 24 hours is a crucial period for Ukraine.
- The UNSC has meanwhile adopted a resolution urging the UNGA emergency session on Ukraine.
Latest Updates
Putin discusses Russia's economic situation with Central Bank
"President Putin discussed the economic situation with the financial and economic bloc of the Government and the Central Bank," tweets President of Russia's Twitter handle
UNGA vote on resolution on Wednesday
India will speak at UNGA evening time (New York time) or by tomorrow morning IST, the vote on the resolution against Russia will be held on Wednesday.
PM Modi express anguish over violence in Ukraine
In talks with leaders of the Slovak Republic, Romania, PM Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the violence, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, reported PTI.
PM Modi on evacuation of Indians from Ukraine
PM Modi reviewed the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine during the meeting, said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The prime minister also said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, MEA Bagchi added.
Russia bans all residents from transferring money abroad, reports AFP quoting Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin on war with Ukraine
Ukraine's solution is possible only if Russia's security interests are considered, Russian President Putin tells French President Emmanuel Macron, reported Sputnik.
Special UN General Assembly session begins with a minute of silence
Russian shelling kills 11 in Kharkiv
Russian shelling has killed at least 11 civilians in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, reports AFP quoting the regional governor.
IOC Executive Board recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials.
Switzerland joins EU sanctions against Russia
Switzerland's president said that his country will join EU sanctions, including asset freezes, targeting Russia after it launched assault on Ukraine.
Russia's nuclear forces on enhanced combat duty
Russia's defence ministry on Monday said its nuclear missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets had been placed on enhanced combat duty, the Interfax news agency reported, in line with an order the previous day from President Vladimir Putin.
Russia bans flights from 36 countries
Russia on Monday banned flights by airlines from 36 countries, including Britain and Germany, reports AFP quoting aviation authority
Russian Foreign Minister cancels trip to UN
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov cancels the trip to the UN in Geneva due to the European Union airspace ban.
Protests outside White House
With Ukrainian flags, prayers and slogans against Russian President Putin, protesters gathered in front of the White House in Washington, DC in a show of support for Ukraine.
India to send help to Ukraine
India will send humanitarian aid including medicines to Ukraine amid the war situation, announced MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
India finds a new route via Moldova to evacuate Indians from Ukraine
We have a new route through Moldova, it's operational now, our teams will assist the evacuation of Indians through Romania, said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
Six flights have arrived carrying around 1400 Indian citizens from Ukraine so far
As of now, six flights have arrived carrying around 1400 Indian citizens. Four flights have arrived from Bucharest (Romania) and two flights from Budapest (Hungary), said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
He also spoke about the decision to deploy four Union ministers at the various sites.
Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Hardeep Puri to Hungary, VK Singh to Poland to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process.
TMC, Shiv Sena criticise govt for abstaining from vote in UNSC meeting
TMC and Shiv Sena leaders on Monday criticised the government after India abstained from voting in UNSC on the Ukraine crisis.
Taiwan says inappropriate to link its situation to Ukraine's
The government on Monday said that it is inappropriate to link Taiwan`s situation to that of Ukraine's as the two are completely different and people should not try to manipulate the situation by saying "today`s Ukraine is tomorrow`s Taiwan."
No Indian will be left behind, says Union Minister Gen VK Singh
No Indian will be left behind if he/she gets into trouble. In a war zone, there'll be restrictions, confusion and agitated border guards on both sides. If you don't have patience and don't follow the instructions things can go wrong, said Singh.
That (even if you're stuck on Mars, Indian Embassy will help you) is the philosophy of govt led by PM Modi. PM is visionary in his thinking and decided to despatch 4 Ministers to countries bordering Ukraine to help better coordinate the evacuation of Indian nationals, he added.
Boris Johnson's Ukrainian relatives get UK visa
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered UK visas to Ukrainian relatives amid the ongoing war crisis.
Indian embassy issues new advisory to Indian nationals in Ukraine
"Weekend curfew lifted in Kyiv. All students are advised to make their way to the railway station for the onward journey to the western parts. Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations." the advisory reads.
India expresses gratitude toward Poland for assistance in evacuation process
Discussed the Ukraine developments with Zbigniew Rau, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Appreciate Poland’s facilitation of the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine, tweeted EAM S Jaishankar.
Ukraine is assisting in evacuation of Indian students
Amid reports of Indian students being mishandled and troubled by the Ukrainian army on the border, Ukraine's ambassador Igor Polikha said that the authorities are trying to assist in evacuation of stranded Indian nationals though ground situation is very difficult and complex
Journey from Ukraine was hassle-free, say Indian students upon return
Students who returned to Bengaluru from war-torn Ukraine said their journey was hassle-free due to the efforts made by the Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as Hungary and Slovakia.
Air India Express joins Operation Ganga
Air India Express Mumbai- Bucharest (flight) departed at 1:50 pm.
The flight is scheduled to arrive in Bucharest at 6:15 pm local time and is carrying 182 passengers.
Indians can cross into Poland border without any visa: Ambassador of Poland to India
There will be special flights for Indian students. Poland is cooperating & will also help India's High-level delegation in the evacuation process. Indian nationals can cross into Poland border without any visa, says Ambassador of Poland to India, Adam Burakowski
Indian students in Ukraine find refuge in Poland
Already more than 2 lakh people have crossed the border into Poland including Indian students. The border points are overcrowded but we are receiving everyone with a warm heart, said Ambassador of Poland to India, Adam Burakowski.
Ukraine suffering a lot of civilian casualties
We're suffering a lot of civilian casualties. According to official information of our Ministry, already 16 children were killed from bombings, shellings & so on as result of Russian peace-fighting operation, says Dr Igor Polikha, Ambassador of Ukraine to India.
Russia interested in reaching agreement with Ukraine at peace talks
Russia is interested in coming to an agreement that is in the interests of both sides at peace talks with Ukraine, Reuters quoted Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky as saying on Monday. Talks are likely to begin at 12 pm local time (2:30 pm IST).
All hands on the deck
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and former Union Aviation Minister is going to Hungary to assist in the evacuation operation of Indians. General VK Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is going to Poland.
Ukrainians protest in front of White House
Ukrainians rallied in front of the White House in Washington to protest against the Russian invasion.
After Air India and IndiGo, SpiceJet to operate special flights to evacuate Indians from Ukraine
After Air India and IndiGo, SpiceJet will operate a special evacuation flight to Budapest, Hungary to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine.
Sixth flight from Budapest to Delhi takes off with 240 Indian nationals
A sixth flight, under Operation Ganga, has taken off from Budapest (Hungary) to Delhi with 240 Indian nationals, informs External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
Weekend curfew lifted in Ukrainian capital Kyiv
The embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine, has advised all Indian students to make their way to the railway station for an onward journey to the western parts as the weekend curfew is lifted in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
"Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations," the embassy said in a tweet.
Singapore to impose sanctions on Russia due to invasion of Ukraine
Singapore will impose "appropriate sanctions and restrictions" on Russia, including banking and financial measures and export controls on items that could be used as weapons against the people of Ukraine, its foreign minister has said on Monday.
"Singapore intends to act in concert with many other like-minded countries to impose appropriate sanctions and restrictions against Russia," Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament, describing Russia`s invasion as unacceptable and a gross violation of international norms.
Unbelievable Russia-Ukraine war happening in 21st century
Ukrainian nationals in India approach Ukrainian Embassy in Delhi regarding their families back home.
"I want to go to some country nearest to Ukraine. It's unbelievable that such kind of thing is happening in the 21st Century," a Ukrainian woman told ANI.
Four Union Ministers to travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuation ops
Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh are scheduled to travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation mission and help students, government sources have said.
PM Narendra Modi holds another high-level meeting on Ukraine crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired another high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis. Some Union Ministers are also likely to go to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuations.
Earlier on Sunday also, the Prime Minister had chaired a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis. Sources said that he had asserted that ensuring the safety of Indian students and evacuating them is the government's top priority. It was also decided at the meeting to further enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation of Indian students, sources said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval were part of the meeting.
Can't abandon our own people: Rahul Gandhi on Indian students stranded in Ukraine
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has shared a video of some students being harassed by the military in Ukraine and asked the Centre to urgently share its evacuation plan with those stranded in the war-torn country and their families.
"My heart goes out to the Indian students suffering such violence and their family watching these videos. No parent should go through this," he said on Twitter.
"The GOI must urgently share the detailed evacuation plan with those stranded as well as their families. We can't abandon our own people," Gandhi added.
Russia-Ukraine war knocks down Asian stock prices
Asian stock prices have fallen after Western nations moved to tighten sanctions against Russia. US futures fell, with the contract for the S&P 500 down 2.5% early Monday. The stock markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai ALSO declined while Sydney was higher. The Russian ruble has weakened sharply but was steady early Monday at 83.86 to the dollar.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused markets to swing wildly, given the potential impact on inflation, energy supplies and other areas.
Canada's two largest media companies to drop Russian state TV channel from cable offerings
The two largest media companies in Canada, Rogers and Bell media company, are dropping Russian state TV channel RT from their cable offerings.
Australia to provide lethal military equipment to Ukraine
The Australian government has announced that it will provide lethal military equipment to Ukraine to help the Ukrainians resist the Russian invasion. The announcement. however, gave no details on what material it may be sending. The move follows an offer on Friday of non-lethal military equipment, medical supplies and a $3 million contribution to a NATO trust fund for the support of the besieged country.
Australia has imposed sanctions on more than 350 Russian individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin since Thursday.
Blasts have been heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and in the major city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, Ukraine`s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection said. In a separate statement, the agency also informed that a residential building in the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine was on fire after being struck by a missile.
Another northern Ukrainian city, Zhytomyr, was hit by missiles overnight, Ukrainian Ground Forces command said on Facebook.
Gujarat: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel greets students, who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine, at Gandhinagar. The students had landed in Mumbai and Delhi under Operation Ganga and were brought back to Gujarat by Volvo buses.
Operation Ganga: The fifth flight, carrying 249 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, reaches Delhi from Bucharest (Romania).
Europe and Canada have said they would close their airspace to Russian airlines after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would shut down its airspace for planes owned, registered or controlled by Russians, "including the private jets of oligarchs." Canada's transport minister said his nation was closing its airspace to all Russian planes to hold the country accountable for an unprovoked attack on its neighbour.
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ALSO READ | Russian forces destroy world's biggest cargo plane Mriya in Ukraine
Meanwhile, from Moscow to Siberia, several Russian anti-war activists took to the streets on Sunday to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Demonstrators held pickets and marched in city centres chanting "No to war!" as President Vladimir Putin ordered a Russian nuclear deterrent to be put on high alert.
Ukraine has filed an application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Ukraine has filed an application instituting proceedings against Russia concerning "a dispute . . . relating to the interpretation, application and fulfilment of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" (the "Genocide Convention"), the International Court of Justice said in a statement.
In its application, Ukraine contends that the Russian Federation has "falsely claimed that acts of genocide" have occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine, and on that basis recognized the Donetsk People`s Republic and Luhansk People`s Republic, and then declared and implemented a special military operation against Ukraine.
The UN Security Council has voted on Monday (Indian time) to call for a 'rare emergency special session' of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. The measure convening the General Assembly session was adopted by a vote of 11 in favour, with Russia voting against, and India, China and the United Arab Emirates abstaining.
Sunday's request for the Assembly to urgently convene a meeting came after Russia vetoed on Friday a US-led draft Security Council resolution that would have ‘deplored in the strongest terms the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine’.
Amid the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today (February 28) talked to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the current security situation. Zelenskyy told him that he believes the next 24 hours was a crucial period for Ukraine.
The seventh Indian flight, operating under Operation Ganga, departs from Bucharest carrying 182 Indian nationals in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, The 11th emergency session of the UNGC on the Ukraine crisis began in Geneva on Monday. Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed an application for the membership of Ukraine in the European Union, announced Parliament of Ukraine.
Notably, Russia-Ukraine peace talks, aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries, concluded with no immediate ceasefire but the next round will be held soon.
Ukrainian delegation arrived for talks with Russia on the border of Belarus; unclear whether they'll lead to a breakthrough, reports AP.
Stepping up its efforts to evacuate Indian students stranded in war-torn Ukraine, four Union ministers will travel to its neighbouring countries to coordinate the evacuation mission and help students.
While Hardeep Singh Puri is going to Hungary, General VK Singh will visit Poland. Union Civil Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will look at Romania and Moldova and Kiren Rijiju will go to Slovakia.
The ministers are going there as "special envoys" of India. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, a sixth flight carrying 240 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, from Budapest (Hungary) has landed in New Delhi. The flight was running as part of Operation Ganga, which is India's mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from war-torn Ukraine.
Thousands of Indian nationals are being brought back to the country from the crisis-hit region in the past few days.