Russia-Ukraine War LIVE Updates: Kyiv, Moscow agree on humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians

As the second round of delegation-level talks takes place in Belarus, Kyiv and Moscow have agreed on humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.

As the second round of delegation-level talks between Ukraine and Russia take place, President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine and Russia are 'one people'.

• We urge immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities. No solution can ever arrive at the cost of human lives. Dialogue and Diplomacy are the only solutions for settling differences and disputes.

• We are deeply concerned over the safety&security of thousands of Indians stranded in Ukraine. We're working together with neighbouring States for their evacuation. We call for respect & protection of human rights of people in Ukraine.

• India has already dispatched humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including medicines, medical equipment & other relief material. We're sending more assistance in the coming days. This is an urgent necessity that must be addressed.

Russian oil giant Lukoil has called to halt Ukraine war, reports AFP

When asked if they received assurance from India that it's trying to talk to Russia to douse the crisis, French Ambassador says,"...Hope Indian authorities use connection with Russia to call on ceasefire as door isn't closed. Primary call is on cessation of hostilities."

India's voice is very important. India aspires to an even larger responsibility in the international fora. My country is a strong supporter of India getting a permanent seat in UNSC. India is a voice that's heard in the world, says French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain.

So, we really count on the largest democracy in the world. India has made statements on respect for territorial integrity which are very welcome, Emmanuel Lenain added.

Russia  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office says a second round of talks with Russia about the war in Ukraine has begun in neighbouring Belarus. A video released by Zelenskyy's office Thursday showed the informally dressed Ukrainian delegation walking into the meeting room where they shook hands with Russian delegates in suits and ties.

The talks are aimed at stopping the fighting that has sent more than 1 million people fleeing over Ukraine's borders, but the two sides appeared to have little common ground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine that it must quickly accept the Kremlin's demand for its “demilitarisation” and declare itself neutral, formally renouncing its bid to join NATO.

Putin has long contended that Ukraine's turn toward the West is a threat to Moscow, an argument he used to justify last week's invasion.

The talks came as the Russian military made significant gains in the south of Ukraine as part of an effort to sever the country's connection to the Black and Azov seas.Ukraine Crisis Live News, Russia Ukraine News, Ukraine Crisis Live, Ukraine News today, Ukraine crisis today latest updates, russia

Vladimir Putin aiming to seize 'whole' of Ukraine, says Macron aide after call with Russian President.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju interacts with stranded Indian students at the Slovakia border

Ukrainian delegation arrives at place of negotiations with Russia in Belarus, reports Sputnik

Ukraine Parliament approves law to allow seizure of assets owned by Russia or Russia citizens in Ukraine

A total of 18,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since our first advisory was released. 30 flights under Operation Ganga have brought back 6,400 Indians from Ukraine so far. In the next 24 hours, 18 flights have been scheduled: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi

Ukraine confirms peace talks with Russia today, on March 3. A member of the Ukrainian delegation, lawmaker David Arakhamia, said that Ukraine is looking to at least agree on humanitarian corridors.

Ukrainians who have lost their job because of Ukraine Russia War will get 6500 hryvnyas salary, Zelensky said.

Adviser to Zelensky's office says that the Ukrainian delegation is heading to negotiate with Russia, reports Sputnik

Skoda joins other auto giants in suspending operations in Russia.

Russian forces have fully captured the building of the Kherson Oblast Administration, according to governor Hennadiy Lahuta: Kyiv Independent

All students coming from Ukraine must get vaccinated immediately if not already done so: Govt

Russian FM Lavrov says Russia will continue Ukraine war till 'the end'

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said special teams would be set up in medical colleges across the state to address the physical and psychological issues of those coming from war-torn Ukraine. The Department of Medical Education has made arrangements to provide specialist services in the state-run medical colleges in this regard and the treatment is coordinated in a way that resolves the physical and mental trauma of those coming from a war situation. Stating that the control rooms in medical colleges have been directed to coordinate the calls from the Ukraine returnees, she requested such people to contact there immediately if they suffer any difficulty.

Moscow: Ekho Moskvy, a liberal radio station and one of Russia’s leading media outlets, has been taken off the air over its critical coverage of Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, the head of the radio station said on Thursday. Alexey Venediktov, the radio station’s Editor-in-Chief and one of Russia's most prominent journalists, wrote on Telegram that “higher-ranking people” earlier had hinted to him that such a decision was under consideration. "The Ekho Moskvy board of directors has decided by a majority to close down the Ekho Moskvy radio channel and the website,” he said. The press service of the Gazprom Media holding has confirmed the information to Russia's state-run news agency TASS. Venediktov told TASS that he planned to hold a meeting of the radio station’s journalistic staff later in the day.

Formula One terminates its contract with the Russian Grand Prix

Jaipur: Indian students who returned here from Ukraine said the situation at the war-hit country's border with Romania was horrific, with Ukranian soldiers thrashing Indians and firing tear gas shells. The eight students who arrived here after fleeing the war-torn nation amid the intense Russian military offensive also accused the Indian embassy officials in Ukraine of not extending any support. Tina Kumari, a first year student in a medical university in Ukraine, said, "Ukrainian soldiers were treating us very badly at the border. They were beating boys, firing tear gas shells and also bullets in the air. "The gate was being opened for 10 minutes and just a couple of students could enter. There was no support from the Indian embassy in Ukraine or at the border."

A few students also brought their pet dogs and cats on the Indian Air Force's evacuation flights that arrived from Ukraine's neighbouring countries to Hindon air base here on Thursday morning. Yukta, a student from Pune, brought her seven-month-old Siberian Husky puppy Neela on one of the four IAF's flights that landed here. Commenting on Neela, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said on Twitter that I am sure the puppy would have been a well behaved passenger. "Will see both (Yukta and Neela) of you again when I am back. Take care. Jai Hind," he added. India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive.

Jerusalem: Israel's prime minister is calling on world leaders to get Russia and Ukraine “out of the battlefield and to the negotiating table” after a week of fighting. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke in English on Thursday at a cyber tech conference in Tel Aviv, less than a day after he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Israel maintains good relations with both countries. It has condemned Russia's invasion and sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but the same time has avoided taking a stance that might anger Moscow. Russia and Israel cooperate on military operations in Syria. Bennett said of the situation in Ukraine that “things are looking bad on the ground right now, but it's important to understand that if world leaders don't act quickly it can get much worse.”

KyivMore than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's invasion, in the swiftest refugee exodus this century, the United Nations said Thursday, as Russian forces pressed their assaults on the country's second-largest city and two strategic seaports. The tally the U.N. refugee agency released to The Associated Press was reached Wednesday and amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine's population being forced out of the country in seven days. The mass evacuation could be seen in Kharkiv, a city of about 1.5 million people where residents desperate to escape falling shells and bombs crowded the city's train station and pressed onto trains, not always knowing where they were headed.

Russia's foreign minister: Moscow ready for talks to end fighting, won't stop targeting Ukraine military infrastructure, reports AP. 

Ekho Moskvy, a liberal radio station and one of Russia's leading media outlets, has been taken off the air over its critical coverage of Moscow's attack on Ukraine, the head of the radio station said on Thursday. Alexey Venediktov, the radio station's Editor-in-Chief and one of Russia's most prominent journalists, wrote on Telegram that higher-ranking people earlier had hinted to him that such a decision was under consideration. "The Ekho Moskvy board of directors has decided by a majority to close down the Ekho Moskvy radio channel and the website," he said.

Amid the conflict in Ukraine, the large number of Indian medical students in that far-off country, now seeking evacuation, has come as a surprise, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said here on Thursday. Intervening during a debate on the floor of the state assembly, Kumar also said that the ônational phenomenonö should lead to the realisation that medical courses, offered by private institutions back home, were prohibitively expensive. "I am surprised to see so many boys and girls opting for such a remote country for their studiesàà this is a different scenario compared with the Soviet era when wards of those associated with the communist parties flocked to Russia and adjoining lands to study medicine," said Kumar.

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov says they will not allow Ukraine "to keep infrastructure that is threatening us", and that they continue its operation till the end

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused Western politicians of considering nuclear war, one week after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. "I would like to point out that it's in the heads of Western politicians that the idea of a nuclear war is spinning constantly, and not in the heads of Russians," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian and foreign media. 

As many as 370 Indian students, who reached Slovakia from the war zones of Ukraine, will be brought back in two flights on Thursday, Union minister Kiren Rijijju said. The Minister of Law and Justice is currently at the Slovakian city of Kosice overseeing the evacuation plans of Indian students following a directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the 'Operation Ganga'. "Today, we will send two flights from here (Kosice) with around 370 students," he told PTI over phone.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor has launched an investigation that could target senior officials believed responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide amid a rising civilian death toll and widespread destruction of property during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced the probe late Wednesday night after dozens of the court's member states asked him to take action. "An investigation by the International Criminal Court into Russia's barbaric acts is urgently needed and it is right that those responsible are held to account," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. "The U.K. will work closely with allies to ensure justice is done." After informing the court's judges of his decision to open an investigation that covers all sides in the conflict, Khan said: "Our work in the collection of evidence has now commenced." Ukraine's State Emergency Service has said that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the Russian invasion, a claim that was impossible to verify. There also have been reports of the use by Russian troops of cluster bombs, with a preschool and a hospital both reportedly hit.

State Bank of India, the nation's largest lender, has stopped processing transactions of Russian entities that have been sanctioned by the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, sources said. To effect this, SBI has issued a circular as it fears that any transaction with entities or sectors under sanction will invite sanction on it as well, sources said. No transactions involving entities, banks, ports or vessels appearing on a US, European Union or United Nations sanctions list would be processed irrespective of the currency of the transaction, they said. Payments due to such entities have to be processed by other mechanism rather than through the banking channel, sources added. SBI operates a joint venture in Moscow called Commercial Indo Bank Llc, where Canara Bank is another partner with 40 per cent stake. The bank has not responded to e-mail seeking comment on the matter. Russia is one of biggest suppliers of defence products and equipment to India mostly under government-to-government contract.

Russian major general Andrei Sukhovetskiy has been killed in Ukraine.

The Modi government is working day and night on a mission-mode to ensure that all the Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine are brought back to India safely, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Thursday as he welcomed a batch of evacuees arriving via Poland. The ongoing "Operation Ganga" to evacuate Indian citizens safely from Ukraine is a testament to the capability of India and the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naqvi said. Naqvi said thousands of Indian citizens have been brought to India safely under the  "Operation Ganga" and it is the Modi government's effort that every citizen can be evacuated safely. The Indian Air Force has also started operations to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine on a war footing, he added. India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive.

As many as 370 Indian students, who reached Slovakia from the war zones of Ukraine, will be brought back in two flights on Thursday, Union minister Kiren Rijijju said. The Minister of Law and Justice is currently at the Slovakian city of Kosice overseeing the evacuation plans of Indian students following a directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the 'Operation Ganga'. "Today, we will send two flights from here (Kosice) with around 370 students," he told PTI over phone.

The World Bank has announced that it will stop all its programmes in Russia and Belarus with "immediate effect" in response to Moscow's military operations in Ukraine and "hostilities" against the people of the war-torn country. On February 24, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. The decision comes as a large number of countries, organisations and businesses are severing ties and have imposed sanctions on Russia over the country's invasion of Ukraine, and with Belarus for its support and cooperation with Moscow. "The World Bank Group has not approved any new loans to or investments in Russia since 2014. There has also been no new lending approved to Belarus since mid-2020," the Washington-based global lender said in a statement on Wednesday. "Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hostilities against the people of Ukraine, the World Bank Group has stopped all its programmes in Russia and Belarus with immediate effect," the statement said. The banking organisation, with 189 member countries across the globe, has not approved any new loans or investments in Russia since 2014, when the country annexed the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine, or in Belarus since 2020, following a disputed presidential election, The Hill reported. After Russia invaded, World Bank President David Malpass condemned the assault, saying the group was "horrified by the shocking violence and loss of life as a result of the events unfolding in Ukraine."

A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is expected to take place on Thursday in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border, as Moscow's military assault continued on Kiev for the eighth day. Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said the delegation headed by him arrived at the negotiating site Wednesday evening, reports Xinhua news agency. The Ukrainian side is expected to arrive on Thursday, Medinsky said, adding that Moscow and Kiev agreed upon the location for the new round of talks. Russia's military has established a safe corridor to allow the Ukrainian delegation to move through Ukrainian territory, he said. The possibility of a ceasefire, among other things, would be discussed during the talks, according to the official.

South Korea's mission in Ukraine is preparing to resume operations in Chernivtsi, near Romania, after moving out of the capital city of Kiev in the wake of Russia's military assault, an official from the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said on Thursday. Ambassador Kim Hyung-tae and other embassy staff arrived in Chernivtsi on Wednesday night, along with six South Korean nationals who expressed intent to move out of the Ukrainian capital, Yonhap News Agency quoted the official as saying. The Ministry earlier announced the mission will be relocated as it became "difficult to continue embassy operations and guarantee the staff's safety due to heightening military threats in the city of Kiev". Chernivtsi is where the Seoul ministry has been running a temporary office to support South Korean residents in the European country, along with another office in Lviv, near the Polish border. As of Thursday morning, 40 Korean nationals remained in Ukraine, with 26 of them wishing to staying there.

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Valerii Zaluzhnyi: "We have just shot down a russian SU-30 fighter aircraft over Irpin. The combat crew of the air defence complex worked perfectly!"

Just completed a MEA consultative committee meeting on developments in Ukraine. A good discussion on the strategic and humanitarian aspects of the issue. Strong and unanimous message of support for efforts to bring back all Indians from Ukraine: EAM Dr S Jaishankar

The Swedish Armed Forces said that four Russian fighter aircraft have violated the country's airspace. In a statement, the Forces said that it conducted an operation with JAS 39 Gripen aircraft of the rapid readiness unit, which documented and photographed the incident. "This demonstrates that our readiness is good. We were on site to secure the territorial integrity and Sweden's borders. We have complete control of the situation", said Air Force Commander Carl-Johan Edstrom. The Swedish airspace was violated by two Russian SU 27 and two Russian SU 24. The incident was brief and took place east of Gotland, out at sea. "With the current situation as backdrop, we take this incident very seriously. Russia's conduct is unprofessional and irresponsible", says Air Force Commander Edstrom.

Through the Cold War and the decades since, nothing could persuade Finns and Swedes that they would be better off joining NATO until now. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed Europe's security outlook, including for Nordic neutrals Finland and Sweden, where support for joining NATO has surged to record levels. A poll commissioned by Finnish broadcaster YLE this week showed that, for the first time, more than 50% of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In neighboring Sweden, a similar poll showed those in favor of NATO membership outnumber those against. "The unthinkable might start to become thinkable," tweeted former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, a proponent of NATO membership. Neither country is going to join the alliance overnight. Support for NATO membership rises and falls, and there's no clear majority for joining in their parliaments. But the signs of change since Russia began its invasion last week are unmistakable.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Russia's credit rating, citing a ôsevere shockö to fundamental conditions due to its invasion of Ukraine. Fitch said the war has raised risks to financial stability and could undermine Russia's ability to service its government debt. It said that, in turn, will weaken the country's finances and slow its economy, further raising geopolitical risks and uncertainty. Among other factors, the ratings agency noted sanctions imposed by Western countries that are limiting access to foreign currency needed to repay debt and purchase imports and increased uncertainty over Russia's willingness to pay such debts.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday informed the assembly that 198 people from the state have been evacuated from war-torn Ukraine so far. Besides, 249 students from Himachal Pradesh have reached Ukraine's neighbouring countries, he said. Speaking during the budget session, the chief minister said 53 students from the state are still stuck in Ukraine's Kharkiv.

Russia's secret war documents have revealed that the plans for Moscow's war with Ukraine were approved on January 18 and it anticipated that the capture must be executed within 15 days, from February 20 to March 6. READ MORE

The servicemen of the S-400 "Triumf" anti-aircraft missile systems have started practising combat training tasks to detect and destroy a simulated enemy within the framework of the exercises in the Novosibirsk region of Russia as Moscow stepped up attacks on Ukraine.

Brent crude topped $117 per barrel and is now up almost 20% on the week, while everything from coal to natural gas and aluminium are on fire as Western nations tighten sanctions on Russia: Reuters 

Belarusian and Russian Paralympians are banned from the Paralympics. They are not allowed to participate, even under a neutral flag.

Germany intends to supply Ukraine with 2.7 thousand anti-aircraft missiles. Germany is member of NATO.

Russian troops destroyed a reserve radio and television center in Kyiv. Today is the 8th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

The IAF and Indian carriers will operate 19 flights to bring back 3,726 Indians from Ukraine's neighbouring countries to India on Thursday, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said. Under Operation Ganga, eight flights of the IAF, Air India and IndiGo will operate from the Romanian capital Bucharest to India on Thursday, he said on Twitter. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is using its C-17 military transport aircraft for this evacuation operation. India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive. The minister said two flights of IndiGo will depart from Romanian city Suceava and one flight of SpiceJet will leave from Slovakian city Kosice on Thursday. The IAF, Go First and Air India will operate five flights from Hungarian capital Budapest to India on Thursday, he said, adding IndiGo will operate two flights from Polish city Rzeszow to India the same day.  "With all hands on deck and the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we will get 3,726 of our people back home today. Jai Hind!" Scindia tweeted.

Wax statue of Vladimir Putin removed from Paris museum. - AFP Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompts director of the Grevin Museum in Paris to remove the statue. "We have never represented dictators like Hitler in the Grevin Museum, we don't want to represent Putin today"

Spotify closes its office in Russia indefinitely in response to what the music streaming service described as Russia’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”

The eighth day of the heroic opposition of the Ukrainian people to the Russian military invasion continues. The occupying forces, having failed in almost all areas in which they were advancing, resorted to tactics of night shelling of residential areas of large cities. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to steadfastly defend certain borders and counterattack and block the occupiers' forces in various directions. In the Volyn direction, the enemy continues to hold demonstrations along the state border. In the Polissya direction, the enemy is trying to carry out offensive operations in the area of the settlements of Kozarovychi, Vyshhorod, Fastiv, and Obukhiv. Further deployment of field logistics camps in the Borodyanka, Katyuzhanka and Gavronshchyna districts was noted. In the northern direction, the Russian occupiers, without success in the Ukrainian cities of Chernihiv, Nizhyn and Sumy, Lebedyn and Okhtyrka, trying to avoid clashes with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are trying to reach the northern outskirts of Kiev. Enemy units and subdivisions were concentrated in the areas of the settlements of Baryshevka, Nova Basan, and Lyubech. 

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has nothing to do with Kazakhstan. We do not support either side: Vice Minister of Defense Sultan Kamaletdinov.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has launched an app with air alert notifications. The app is already available in Google Play Market or AppStore.

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina promised to transfer her prize money from the tournament in support of the Ukrainian army. She stated this after the victory over Russian Anastasia Potapova at the tournament in Monterrey, Mexico. Svitolina could not hold back her tears.

"Russia was ready for sanctions, but Moscow did not expect them to be imposed on athletes, journalists, representatives of the cultural sphere," says Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov 

A building of the military faculty of Sumy State University in Ukraine's northeastern city Sumy was shelled this morning by Russian forces, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytsky reported.

IAF, Indian carriers to operate total 19 evacuation flights with 3,726 Indians today: Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

A South Korean pharmaceutical company manufacturing Russia's COVID-19 vaccine says it's bracing for business complications as the U.S.-led West escalates sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. Recently expanded U.S. sanctions include targeted measures against the Russian Direct Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund run by a close ally of President Vladmir Putin that globally markets the Sputnik vaccines. Kim Gi-young, an official from Seoul-based GL Rapha, said the sanctions won't directly impede its production of the shots as the measures aren't aimed at essential medical supplies. However, the company is concerned about potential problems rising from the financial side as South Korea joins the United States and many European countries in a move to cut off key Russian banks from global payment systems. "Right now, we are watching how the situation develops," Kim said.

The United Arab Emirates says Ukrainian passport holders continue to be eligible for visas on arrival to the Gulf state. The UAE's Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday came in response to media coverage quoting Ukraine's Embassy in the UAE saying that the Gulf country is reimposing visa requirements on Ukrainians and suspending an agreement for visa-free travel between the two countries. The energy-rich UAE, which relies on Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports, is home to some 15,000 Ukrainian residents among its roughly 8 million foreign residents and 1 million Emirati citizens. Before the coronavirus pandemic, around a quarter-million Ukrainian tourists visited the UAE. The UAE, like other Gulf Arab states, does not recognize individuals fleeing war and has not permitted refugees from Syria, Iraq and other wars to seek asylum or seek resettlement. The UAE, which is home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, abstained in a U.N. Security Council vote late last week condemning Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. It is also chair of the Security Council.

At least eight people were killed in a Russian air strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv. Two kids are said to be among the deceased. Kharkiv is a city in northeast Ukraine

A Bangladeshi ship anchored at the northern Black Sea port of Olvia in Ukraine has reportedly been hit by a missile. One person is said to be killed in the attack. Russia is pushing hard to seize control in major Ukrainian cities as the country puts up the defiant stand. 

The U.N. refugee agency says 1 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed. The tally from UNHCR amounts to more than 2 per cent of Ukraine’s population on the move in under a week. The World Bank counted the population at 44 million at the end of 2020. READ FULL STORY 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate along with US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison, and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida in a Quad Leaders' virtual meeting today: Ministry of External Affairs. FULL STORY 

Many Indian students are still stuck in Ukraine and the problem is in the war-torn country's  eastern parts where stranded people need assistance, said an evacuee who arrived in Mumbai on Thursday. A flight from Bucharest carrying 183 Indians, including an infant, stranded in Ukraine landed here in the morning, officials said. Union minister Raosaheb Danve welcomed the passengers as soon as the Air India Express Flight IX 1202 landed here around 5.30 am. The eastern side of Ukraine has been facing a brutal Russian assault. After landing here on Thursday, one of the students said, "The eastern side is where the problem is and people (students) there need assistance." Another student said while she managed to cross the (Ukraine) border, a lot of students were still stuck. "So, I am praying that they also get out of there," she said. 

The state govt has arranged three flights to bring back students arriving at Delhi from Ukraine today. Bus services will be arranged from Kochi Airport to Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod. NORKA teams deployed in all four airports in the state to help Ukraine returnees: Kerala CMO

"We have not received reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested the support of the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. I applauded his leadership and the courage of Ukrainians. Volodymyr, Canada and the world stand with you – and call for an immediate end to President Putin’s illegal attacks that have resulted in the deaths of civilians: Justin Trudeau

We are taking care of every student returning from Ukraine. Our four Union ministers are taking care of every aspect of evacuation operations in different neighboring countries of Ukraine. Operation Ganga is progressing successfully: MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt

Fourth IAF aircraft carrying Indians rescued from Ukraine arrives at Hindan airbase near Delhi; MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt interacts with the evacuees I welcome you all on your safe return to our motherland... PM Modi himself is monitoring all developments, he says.

Finland and Sweden, which are not NATO members, have received letters from Putin demanding to provide security guarantees for Russia.

The IAF's three evacuation flights with 628 Indians from the Romanian capital Bucharest, Hungary's Budapest and Polish city Rzeszow landed at the Hindon airbase here in the early hours of Thursday, sources said. The Indian Air Force's first flight carrying 200 people from Bucharest landed at 1.30 am and Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt welcomed them at the airbase, they noted. All three IAF flights were conducted using C-17 military transport aircraft, sources said. India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive. The second evacuation flight of the IAF with 220 Indians from Budapest landed at the Hindon airbase on Thursday morning, sources mentioned. A little while after the second, the IAF's third evacuation flight arrived at the airbase from Rzeszow with 208 Indians, they noted, adding the fourth flight is expected to arrive later in the morning. Four Union ministers have gone to Ukraine's western neighbours to facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals. Hardeep Singh Puri is in Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia is in Romania, Kiren Rijiju is in Slovakia and V K Singh is in Poland.

Some of the 1 million people who have fled Russia's devastating war in Ukraine count among society's most vulnerable, unable to decide on their own to flee and needing careful assistance to make the journey to safety. In the Hungarian town of Zahony on Wednesday, more than 200 Ukrainians with disabilities residents of two care homes in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv disembarked into the cold wind on a train station platform after an arduous escape from the violence gripping Ukraine. The refugees, many of them children, have serious mental and physical disabilities, and were evacuated from their care facilities once the Russian assault on the capital intensified.

A 22-year-old student from Punjab's Barnala district who had suffered an Ischemia stroke and was undergoing treatment for about a month died Wednesday in the war-hit Ukraine. Chandan Jindal was admitted at the Emergency Hospital Vinnytsia in Ukraine, official sources said. His family has requested the government to bring back his mortal remains. Jindal was studying at Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia.

Ukrainian officials confirm Russia's capture of southern city Kherson, report AFP

The UN refugee agency says 1 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed. The tally from UNHCR amounts to more than 2 percent of Ukraine's population on the move in under a week. The World Bank counted the population at 44 million at the end of 2020. The UN agency has predicted that up to 4 million people could eventually leave Ukraine but cautioned that even that projection could be revised upward. In an email, UNHCR spokesperson Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote: “Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark” as of midnight in central Europe, based on counts collected by national authorities.

World Bank halts all projects in Russia and Belarus: AFP

A flight from Bucharest landed in Mumbai Thursday carrying Indians stranded in war-torn Ukraine, an official said. Union minister Raosaheb Danve welcomed the passengers as soon as the Air India Express Flight IX 1202 landed in Mumbai. “I have been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to welcome you. There were around 17,000 Indians, including students, stranded there (in Ukraine) and the PM started Operation Ganga to evacuate them,” Danve said, interacting with passengers inside the aircraft.

A Russian official says troops have taken the Ukrainian port city of Kherson — a claim that the Ukrainian military denies. The city is under Russian soldiers' “complete control,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday. He said that the city's civilian infrastructure, essential facilities and transport are operating as usual and that there are no shortages of food or essential goods. Konashenkov said talks between the Russian commanders, city administrations and regional authorities on how to maintain order in the city were underway Wednesday. The claims could not be immediately verified. The fall of Kherson -- a city of 300,000 people, northwest of the Crimean peninsula -- is significant because it would allow the Russians to control more of Ukraine's southern coastline and to push west toward the city of Odessa.

Air raid alerts in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv and Chernihiv Oblast, Volyn Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, a Ukraine media outlet the Kyiv Independent reported

Two explosions were heard near Kyiv's Druzhby Narodiv metro station on Wednesday (local time), according to The Kyiv independent, a Ukraine media outlet. "A third and fourth explosion has now been heard near Kyiv's Druzhby Narodiv metro station. Air raid alerts in Kyiv. Residents must go immediately to the nearest shelter," The Kyiv Independent reported.