Russia - Ukraine | News summary for 14 March
Russia-Ukraine Live Updates
Russian invasion of Ukraine headlines
- At least two killed after Russian missile hits a residential building in north-west Kyiv on Monday morning; at least two people were killed and twelve were wounded in the attack.
- Russian journalist and TV producer Marina Ovsyannikova arrested after staging an anti-war protest during a nightly news broadcast on a state run channel.
- Diplomatic talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to restart after brief break. This comes as the mayor of Mariupol reports that the city's "last reserves of food and water are running out”
- 35 are dead and over 100 people are wounded after a Russian attack on a Ukrainian military base which sits around 10 miles from the Polish border
- 2.8 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the invasion began
- US warns China that military and economic support to Russia could bring about serious financial consequences for the country.
- US journalist and award-winning filmographer Brent Renaud killed near by Russian troops in Kyiv; Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall has also been injured while in Ukraine.
Russia - Ukraine conflict information
- Can families in the US sponsor Ukrainian refugees?
- Gas prices are up around the world. Where are people seeing the quickest increase?
- Ukrainian officials say Russia is preparing a "false flag" operation on the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
- How does the Russian government prevent protests against the Kremlin?
Related News
Russia installs own mayor in Melitopol - UK intelligence update
In its latest intelligence update on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK’s Ministry of Defence says Russia has reportedly installed its own mayor in the occupied city of Melitopol, after its forces allegedly abducted previous incumbent Ivan Fyodorovon Friday.
The updated also noted: “Russia may seek to stage a ‘referendum’ in Kherson in an attempt to legitimise the area as a ‘breakaway republic’ similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea.”
The Ministry of Defence added that there have been “multiple demonstrations” in the occupied cities of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk.
In Kherson, there were reports of Russian forces "firing warning shots in an attempt to disperse peaceful protesters”, the update said.
The spelling of the name of Ukraine's president is likely to be different on every website you read. The BBC and AFP has his name down as 'Zelensky', the Guardian and Reuters have it as 'Zelenskiy', while Sky and Al Jazeera are calling him Zelenskyy. (Here on AS USA we go with Zelenskyy).
In Ukrainian it's written: Зеленський. The various spellings of the Ukraniain leaders sir name reflect differences in a Ukraine seeking detachment from its past. Read more on the reasons for the various spellings.
An attack on a Ukrainian military base positioned around ten miles from the Polish boarder has many worried that the conflict could spill over into NATO territory. Russia has warned the US that military aid shipments to Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets” for the Russian armed forces.
President Biden has reiterated the US’s commitment to the alliance to NATO members and Putin. “There is no doubt —no doubt that the United States and every NATO ally will meet our Article 5 commitments,” Biden said. "As I made crystal clear, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power."
Read more on how NATO allies are preparing for a possible escalation in the crisis.
Diplomatic talks set to continue
BREAKING: The fourth round of diplomatic negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are expected to resume today after a "technical" break was announced.
So far the a ceasefire agreement has failed to materialize. Many hope that the Russia will agree to stop attacking civilian infrastructure and allow for safe passage through humanitarian coridors as some cities are running out of clean drinking water and food.
Is Russia expanding its targets in Ukraine?
According to the US Department of Defense, Russia has begun to target an increased number of military bases in western Ukraine. Air raid sirens have been heard daily in the western city of Lviv, which could place further strain on humanitarian efforts in the country as many have fled into the city as their areas were attacked in the first three weeks of the war.
Oil imports from the Russian Federation began in October 2020 and peaked at around six percent of crude oil imports in August 2021 as fuel prices began to increase rapidly in the US.
Over the last year the United States has imported an average of 179 barrels of Russian oil each day. From an export perspective, the US is not a major market for Russian crude oil, representing only around four percent of the total market share.
With the US announcing a ban on Russian oil and gas, many are wondering what other countries the US may look to for crude oil. Read our full coverage for more information on the quickly shifting dynamics in the global energy market.
New Zealand plans to support Ukrainian refugees
New Zealand's progressive leader Jacinda Ardern has announced a "special Ukraine policy" visa that will allow family members of Ukrainian born New Zealanders a fast track into the country. The first round of visas will be made available to 4000 individuals.
President Zelensky thanks Russian journalist Marina Ovsyanikova
After Marina Ovsyanikova staged an anti-war protest during a live news broadcast on a state run news channel in Russia she was arrested. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has released a short video thanking her for her bravery.
Wheat futures have increased 65 percent in the last year
Half of the world's sunflower seed oil and around a third of global what production comes from Ukraine. As the Russian invasion continues, production of these goods will drop significantly.
Prices of wheat futures are hitting the highest prices seen since 2008 when the financial crisis sent markets surging upwards. This rapid increase in price can be incredibly destabilizing, especially in low income countries.
At this point, leaders on hunger and global food supply chains are sending out a stark warning that famine could hit many countries this fall if production and supply aren't unable to increase. In addition to production levels falling in Ukraine, China has reported a poor harvest that will put further pressure on the prices of wheat in international markets.
Russian journalist arrested after staging an anti-war protests live during a news broadcast
Marina Ovsyannikova a Russian TV producer, who had worked for the Chanel One Russia TV, a state run news channel has been arrested after protesting the war and disrupting a nightly broadcast.
Ovsyannikova's connection to the conflict is personal, her father is Ukrainian and her mother Russian and she said that they never "lived as enemies." In a video posted to social media before staging the protest, she said that she was "ashamed of working for Kremlin propaganda."
She has been arrtested after protesting the war by running up behind a news broadcaster during a nightly address with a sign that read "No war. Don't believe the propaganda, here they are lying to you, Russians against war." Shortly after she was arrested.
What did the International Monetary Fund say about the conflict in Ukraine
On 14 March, the IMF released a disbursement of "US$1.4 billion (SDR 1,005.9 million) under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to help meet urgent financing needs and mitigate the economic impact of the war."
A payment was scheduled but given the situation the IMF has released fifty percent of the countries quota to support the government during the crisis. However, the organization does not think that the country will be able to prevent a deep recession. Additionally, many are begining to worry about how the war will imapct global the global food supply this fall. Ukraine produces almost a third of the world's wheat and with the conflict raging the argulcultural production and cultivation has slowed significanty.
“For predators and human traffickers, war is not a tragedy. It’s an opportunity. And women and children are the targets. They need safety and support every step of the way. I will continue to highlight the desperate plight of the people of Ukraine as I am doing again today.”
Site set up to allow families in the UK to host a Ukrainian family collapses
A site that allowed housholds in the UK to sign up to host a Ukrainian family has crashed as so many people tried to submit an application. At the time the site went down over 25,000 applicants submitted.
How are Ukrainian refugees have fled the country?
So far the United Nations High Commission on Refugees 2.8 million people have left Ukraine, the majority if which are children and have sought safety in Poland.
The United States has said that they will not accept Ukrainian refugees but will provide direct aid to countries that are accepting large numbers.
Ukrainian Olympic medalist takes up arms to defend country against Russia
Thousands of everyday Ukrainians rushed to enlist with the army when Russian troops invaded 24 February. Ukraine has also established a Foreign Legion accepting volunteer fighters from around the globe. According to the nation's defense officials over 20,000 individuals from 52 nations have volunteered.
Woman interrupts Russian state news to protest Putin's war in Ukraine
Protesting the war in Russia can be criminally charged in Russia. Likewise reporting any news that contradicts the state version of events can come with a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
Fox News crew member injured in Kyiv, Ukraine
Fox News reports that one of their journalists was injuried while gathering information outside Kyiv.
Sunday saw the first American journalist killed in Ukraine when the car Brent Renaud was traveling in came under fire from a Russian checkpoint in Irpin west of Kyiv. A photographer, Juan Arredondo, was wounded.
Estonian parliament calls on UN to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine
Estonia has become the first NATO member to call for the implementation of a no-fly zone "in order to prevent massive civilian casualties in Ukraine." The letter calls on UN member states to establish the measure along with a comprehensive trade embargo on both Russia and Belarus which is participating in the agression on Ukraine.
EU prepares new sanctions on Russian oil produces but won't ban purchases
The European Union is set to adopt new sanctions against three Russia's oil majors reports Reuters. Under the tighter sanctions, Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft would be subjected to a "transaction ban," blocking investment in new production and exploration for all fossil fuel projects beyond the current sanctions that restrict loans and debt financing.
However, unlike the US, the EU which is much more dependent on imports of Russian energy will not ban oil and gas imports by companies or member states.
Photo by Thomas Lohnes via Getty Images of People in Berlin, Germany on Sunday protesting against the ongoing war in Ukraine while demanding a suspension of Russian gas and oil.
Ukraine accuses Russian forces of destroying agricultural machinery
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent wheat futures spiking as both countries account for around 30 percent of global production. Ukraine is the largest producer of sunflower and saffflower followed by Russian which combined account for 70 percent of world supply. There are fears that the war could cause worldwide hunger hitting poorer nations more severely.
Zelenskyy confirms that Ukraine will continue to push for EU acceptance
In response to the Russia attack, Ukraine has been looking to become more aligned with Western Europe to help protect itself against the threat of further Russian expansionism. If Ukraine were a member of NATO then it would be protected by the alliance's group security pact, which dictates that an attack on one member is seen as an attack on all member states.
The Ukrainian government had hoped to push through a quick entry procedure to the European Union but that was deemed unfeasable. However President Zelenskyy has confirmed that the nation is still seeking entry into the EU.
Can you still get a McDonald's in Moscow? A Starbucks in St. Petersburg? Many American brands like Apple and Nike were quick to announce a suspension of operation in Russia due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine but fast food restaurants, who were among the earliest entrants into the post-Soviet market, were more reluctant to join.
First successful 'humanitarian corridor' gets convoy out of Mariupol
Multiple news sources have reported that a convoy of more than 160 cars exited the beseiged city of Mariupol on Monday, in what could be the first successful use of a “humanitarian corridor” in the conflcit. Peace negotiations between Ukriane and Russia has allowed Ukrainian authorities to evacuate civilians from the encircled Ukrainian city.
The Guardian reports: "After several days of failed attempts to deliver supplies to Mariupol and provide safe passage out for trapped civilians, the city council said a local ceasefire was holding and the convoy had left for the city of Zaporizhzhia."
Heartwarming welcome for Ukrainians moved to Italian school to escape the war
Nations close to Ukraine have taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine as the danger in their own country intensifies by the day. Many have gone to Italy and a group of Ukrainian children were given a warm reception on their first day in school, captured in this footage...
This morning Elon Musk, owener of SpaceX and Tesla, took to Twitter to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeming to suggest that the two men settle the conflict in Ukraine with their fists. Musk suggested that they engage in a bit of "single combat" to decide the fate of Ukraine, a nation that he has recently offered to support with use of his Starlink internet system.
Musk reportedly received a bit of martial arts training when he was younger, but it's hard to see him causing former KGB agent Putin too much hassle.
Zelenskyy address to the Council of Europe cancelled
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to address the European Council later today but his appearance has been cancelled due to "very important unforeseen circumstances", Euro News correspondent Jack Parrock reports. In the past week the Ukrainian leader's calls for additional support from the West have grown increasingly desperate in the faxce of increasingly brutal Russian attacks. This morning an apartment block in northern Kyiv was destroyed in targeted missile strikes.
Map shows Russian military movement into Ukraine
Franz Stefan-Gady of the International Institute for Strategic Studies outlines the current situation on the ground in Ukraine as Russian forces continue their slow progress toward the capital city of Kyiv. As the map shows, Russian advances have concentrated on the capital city which is close to the northern border and the port cities to the south which are vital to Ukraine's trade and supply chain.
Southern areas of Ukraine are relatively easy to access from the Crimea, the territory annexed by Russia in 2014, in what has been viewed as a precursor to the full-scale invasion that we are witnessing now.
The vast scale of the Russian war on Ukraine has had a catasrophic effect on life for the millions of people living in Ukraine. One of Ukraine's highest ranking economic advisors, Oleg Ustenko, reports that in the first wo weeks more than $100 billion worth of damage has been done to buildings and the country's infrastructure.
The consequences of that destruction have been felt keenly by the Ukrainian people, who are being forced to withstand a sustained attack from one of the most powerful militaries on earth. Here's what the United States is doing to support Ukrainians at home and overseas...
Drone footage shows terrifying extent of overnight attacks on Mariupol
In recent days the bombardment of Mariupol, the port city on the northern coast of Ukraine, has been ramped up as Russian forces lay seige to the major cities in Ukraine. Overnight there was a continuation of the missile strikes that have been seen across the last week as Moscow, seemingly frustrated with the slow pace of progress in Ukraine, has began striking civilian targets indiscriminately.
This footage captured by drone shows the vast extent of the destruction in the region.
Monday morning strike hits Obolon, in northern Kyiv
After nearly three weeks of attacks from Russia, Ukraine is standing strong in the face of naked aggression but is coming under relentless bombardment from Russian forces. Early this morning the region of Obolon in northern Kyiv was the subject of a major aerial assault, which has killed at least two people and injured many more after an apartment block collapsed in the attack.
President Zelesnkyy reiterates call for no-fly zone
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine 19 days ago, there has been talk of a NATO-supported no-fly zone above Ukraine to prevent Russia from gaining aerial supremacy in the region. In theory this would help to prevent the air strikes that have bombarded Ukrainian cities over the past week, but NATO is reluctant to engage phyically with Russian troops and military vehicles out of fear that doing so could escalate the conflict into a full-blown world war.
Pregnant woman dies after maternity ward was bombed by Russia
The horrors of the war in Ukraine have become more and more bleak in recent days as the Kremlin appears to grow restless with the defiant defences put up by Ukrainian troops and civilians. The bombings have become more indiscriminate over the past week with civilian buildings increasingly targeted by the invading forces.
Last Wednesday photos emerged of a heavily pregnant woman being removed from a bombed hospital on a stretcher after it was hit by a Russian airstrike. AP has now reported that the woman has since died of injuries sustained in the blast.
TikTok creators tapped up to counter Russian propaganda
Social media use in Russia is kept tightly controlled by the Kremlin in an effort to prevent citizens from seeing any posts critical of the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian state is thought to be using digital platforms like TikTok to forward falsehoods about the brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians and Western governments are now looking to kick back against the trend.
The Washington post reports that the White House has contacted 30 digital content creators, proving them withaccurate information to use in posts to help counter Russian proaganda.
Russian convoy closes in on Ukraine
Experts had been expecting a swift assault on the Ukrainian capital by Russian forces but fierce resistance from Ukrainians defending their homeland has slowed their progress so far. However the advancing enemy has been slowly gaining on Kyiv, which says it has a two-week supply of food stuffs and approximately 2 million residents who have not yet fled. Reports suggest that Russian troops are now just 12 miles from the center of Kyiv.
Last month President Putin said that he was placing his country's nuclear forces on ‘special alert', something that UN Secretary General António Guterres described as a "chilling development". Since the announcement, an American military aircraft known as the ‘Doomsday Plane’ has been spotted in the air. The plane is designed to provide an airborne command post for the US secretary of defence and high-ranking military personnel in the event of a nuclear war.
At least one of these planes is kept on standby 24 hours a day but one such aircraft is thought to have taken off from an Air Force base in Nebraska, reportedly completing a training mission.
Friend of US journalist killed in Kyiv recounts horrific experience
Fellow journalist Juan Arredondo was with Brent Renaud, the American killed in a Russian military attack on Sunday, when their car was shot at by Russian troops. The two were spearated after their car came under fire and Arredondo managed to make it to hospital safely but Renaud lost his life.
Good morning and welcome to AS USA
This is the AS USA dedicated live feed for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, bringing you the latest news, information and footage from the ground in Ukraine as Putin's forces bombard the country. In recent days the Russian military convoy has converged on Kyiv and hopes of a peaceful resolution are in tatters after numerous unsuccessful rounds of peace talks.