Russia's invasion of Ukraine, day 8. Timeline of events, March 3

 “The second round of negotiations with Russia has been completed, unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs have not been achieved. There is only a solution for the organization of humanitarian corridors. For this, Ukraine and Russia are organizing special communication channels for interaction during the evacuation of civilians”, said Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the President of Ukraine. The third round of Russian-Ukrainian talks is planned to be held in the near future, said Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation.

VIDEO: Commentary by Mikhail Podolyaka:

Presidents of Ukraine, Russia and France commented on the war

 Zelensky urged Putin to join him at the negotiating table. “What do you want from us? Get out of our land. If you don’t want to leave now, sit down with me at the negotiating table, I’m free. Sit with me, but not at 30 meters distance, as with you did with Macron, Scholz and others. Well, I’m a neighbor, I don’t need to be kept at 30 meters distance. I do not bite. I’m a normal man, sit down with me, talk, what are you afraid of? We do not threaten anyone, we are not terrorists, we do not seize banks and we do not seize other people’s lands”.

 Zelensky on when NATO closes the skies over Ukraine: “If you can’t close the sky now, tell me how many people should die, how many arms, legs, heads should fly off to reach you? Tell me how many, I’ll start a countdown and wait for this moment”.

 Putin said that “the special operation of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine is proceeding according to the schedule, according to the plan. All assigned tasks will be completed. At a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, he stated again that “the Russian army in Ukraine is fighting neo-Nazis who cover the civilian population with a human shield, causing casualties among the civilian population”.

 Putin on helping soldiers: All the families of the dead will receive 7,421,000 rubles [approximately $69,000] and monthly compensation, as well as one-time allowances to the wounded of more than 2 million rubles [about $ 18,616] in case of unfitness for service and monthly benefits – in case of disability.

 Putin announced the first award of the title of Hero of Russia for fighting in Ukraine. The title was awarded posthumously. It was received by Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, a native of Dagestan.

 Macron: “The worst is yet to come”. This is what the President of France said after today’s conversation with Putin. He relayed Putin’s words this way: “If Ukraine does not accept Russia’s conditions, Putin expressed great determination to continue the offensive, the goal of which is to take control of the entire country. This was reported by the French TV channel BFM with reference to the press service of the head of state.

 Another statement was made by the director of the Russian Security Service, Naryshkin:

▪️ The neutral status of Ukraine is critical for Russia, it is a barrier needed to repel attacks from the West.
▪️ The West is not only trying to surround Russia with a new “Iron Curtain”, but wants to destroy it;
▪️ The United States and the Ukrainian regime submissive to them are betting on the maximum prolongation of the conflict;
▪️ The United States and its allies are trying to establish an economic and information blockade of the Russian Federation, as there is not enough spirit for open confrontation.

 The Russian Ministry of Defense warned that “all Western mercenaries who arrive in Ukraine will not have the right to the status of a prisoner of war”. Today it was reported that about 16,000 volunteers arrived to help Ukraine.

Bombing of Ukrainian cities

 Sumy: Two explosions damaged a thermal power plant and an electrical substation. Residents of the city report that they were left without heat, water and electricity.

 Bucha: The shell hit the administrative building:

 Reuters filmed from a drone what Borodyanka looks like, a village in the Kiyv region that was bombed for several days:

Assistance to Ukraine

 The Minister of Defense of Canada announced that Ukraine will receive 4,500 M-72 LAW grenade launchers and 7,500 hand grenades.

 France announced its readiness to transfer to Ukraine the latest MMR and Enforcer anti-tank systems.

 Moldova, following Georgia, announced that it is applying for EU membership, said the President of the Republic Sandu

In Russia

 Dozhd TV channel announced that it is temporarily suspending broadcasting. On March 1, his website was blocked. This is what the TV channel screen looked like before the shutdown:

VIDEO: In Moscow, mass arrests at protests against the invasion of Ukraine.

The second round of negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine on the border of Ukraine and Belarus has begun. The exact meeting place has not been specified. A short video clip showed the Ukrainian delegation entering the conference room where the Russian delegation was sitting. The two teams shook hands before sitting down to begin negotiations.

Advisor to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted the key issues on the agenda:

1. Immediate ceasefire
2. Armistice
3. Humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from destroyed or constantly shelled villages/cities.”

  The Ukrainian delegation flew by helicopter for talks with Russia in Belovezhckaia Pushcha in Belarus, Zelensky’s office said. The Ukrainian side states that the first requirement for Russia will be the organization of humanitarian corridors. The first round of negotiations took place on February 28, lasted five hours and ended without a breakthrough.

  Presidents of Russia and France Putin and Macron spoke on the phone. Putin said that “negotiations are meaningless.” “In any case, the task of the special military operation will be completed to the end. And an attempt to drag out the negotiations will only lead to Russia making additional demands on Kiyv”, Putin is quoted as saying in a communiqué published by the Kremlin.

The balance of power seven days after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine:

  Russia is pushing Ukrainian troops in the south, fierce battles continue for control of the strategically important cities of Mariupol and Kherson. By 12 noon today, the picture has been as follows (CNN):

  Moscow is changing tactics: Russian troops have launched direct attacks on Ukrainian cities after attempts to encircle facilities like Kyiv were thwarted, a NATO official told CNN.

  In Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, 34 civilians were killed in a day as a result of Russian shelling.

  Mariupol under siege, Mayor Vadim Boychenko said that the Russian military had created a “humanitarian catastrophe” in this port city.

 The situation around Kherson remains unclear. The mayor announced yesterday that the city had fallen and the Ukrainian forces had left. However, neither the Ukrainian authorities nor Western intelligence has yet confirmed this.

  Russian missile strikes on residential areas of Chernihiv:

  The Verkhovna Rada appealed to the UN, the Red Cross, the European Parliament and other international organizations with a demand to urgently ensure the protection of the population of Ukraine from Russian armed attacks. The requirements are as follows:

▪️ Immediate introduction of a no-fly zone over the territory of Ukraine;
▪️ Urgent opening of “green” corridors for the safe evacuation of people;
▪️ The introduction of UN peacekeeping forces into Ukraine on the basis of UN General Assembly Resolution 377 (V) “Unification for Peace” of November 3, 1950.

 Also, the Verkhovna Rada appealed to the UN Secretary General with a call for mediation in ending the war.

  The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the forced seizure of Russian property on the territory of Ukraine.

  Russia for the first time recognized massive losses in Ukraine. The official data of the Russian Ministry of Defense is 498 dead, 1,597 wounded. According to Ukraine, Russia has already lost about 9,000 people who have either been killed, wounded or taken prisoner.

  More than 50,000 Ukrainian citizens living abroad returned to Ukraine from Lviv to join the resistance, according to a Facebook post by the Ukrainian Border Protection Agency. Male citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 60 living in the country are prohibited from leaving it.

Support for Ukraine

  French volunteers are planning to go to Ukraine to join the new foreign legion, writes the New York Times.

  The European Union signed a Memorandum with Ukraine on the provision of €1.2 billion in macro-financial assistance.

  The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve the allocation of $ 32.5 billion to support Ukraine – The Washington Post.

  Paralympic athletes from Russia and Belarus were banned from participating in the Paralympics even under a neutral flag. Numerous teams threatened to withdraw from the Paralympics otherwise.

  More than 2 million people have been forced to leave their homes due to the conflict in Ukraine over the past seven days, including 1 million 40 thousand seeking asylum in neighboring countries, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

In Russia

  Participation in anti-war actions is now equated with participation in radical organizations and is punishable with 6 years in prison, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation said.

  In Russia, from March 3, individuals who buy foreign currency must pay a commission of 30% to the state.

  Another example of the diplomatic language of the Russian Foreign Ministry: “The rooster is a national symbol of the French. Hense their cockiness”, Sergey Lavrov

🔘 VIDEO: IKEA closes all its stores in Russia from March 4th. Today in IKEA in Moscow pandemonium:

On March 2, in his speech at an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the UN, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that he could not help but comment on the events in Ukraine. Before that, he did not express an opinion on this issue.

“It is with pain in our hearts that we are following the events that are now unfolding in Ukraine, which, obviously, will have global consequences. We hope that the planned Russian-Ukrainian talks will take place and be fruitful, that diplomacy will be able to silence the guns”, the prime minister said.

Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine are under constant missile and bomb attacks.

VIDEO: Kharkiv school after heavy fighting:

VIDEO: Consequences of a missile attack on Izyum:

In the waters of the Black Sea, the movement of the landing troops of the Russian Federation, consisting of four large landing ships, accompanied by three missile boats, is moving in the direction of the city of Odessa – the General Staff of Ukraine.

The Board of Directors of Ekho Moskvy decided to liquidate the radio channel and the website. This independent publication, as well as the Dozhd TV channel, were blocked yesterday.

Ukraine may become a candidate for EU membership tomorrow or the day after tomorrow – Polish Foreign Ministry.

Zelensky is creating a Coordinating Headquarters for Humanitarian and Social Issues, which will help citizens. Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, called on international organizations to help form humanitarian corridors.

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

In the Russian Federation, on March 3, individuals will be charged a commission of 30% for the purchase of foreign currency.

Forbes: Alisher Usmanov’s 156-meter yacht for $600 million (one of the most expensive in the world!) Is confiscated by the German authorities

Heavy bombardments of residential areas of many cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, has continued throughout the night.

  In Kyiv, rocket attacks have hit carried out on the buildings of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the ground forces.

VIDEO: Explosion in Kyiv at about 4 am:

  Russian troops have surrounded two key cities – Kharkiv and Mariupol.

  Ukrainian forces say that Russian paratroopers have landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, and street fighting is currently ongoing on the city’s outskirts. Marina Fenina, an employee of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, has been killed during the shelling of Kharkov, the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna said. At least three schools were bombed, as well as the central Assumption Cathedral.

  Mariupol has been shelled continuously for almost 15 hours, and now the situation is close to a humanitarian disaster. “There are fears that hundreds of people have died, including my own father, who does not get in touch”, Deputy Mayor of Mariupol Sergey Orlov.

  Earlier, Russia announced the capture of Kherson, a strategically important city in the south. Ukraine says the city continues to be under its control. Videos are being published showing Russian troops in the center of the city.

VIDEO. “Your children have become murderers. There is a war going on in Ukraine. Your children are shooting at civilians. Get them out of there” – Appeal of Clement, bishop of Simferopol and Crimea, to the mothers of Russia:

  There is no information yet on the second round of negotiations. According to official reports, both delegations arrived in Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus late last night.

  The US canceled missile tests to demonstrate that the US has no plans to increase the readiness of its nuclear forces.

  Spain will send a batch of offensive weapons to Ukraine – grenade launchers, cartridges and light machine guns.

  Canada imposes sanctions against ten representatives of the Russian oil and gas monopolists Rosneft and Gazprom.

  The Japanese government will freeze the assets of four Russian banks, including VTB, Kyodo reported, citing the Ministry of Finance.

  More than 70 global companies have protested against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and stopped cooperation with Russia, including Apple, Audi, Apple Pay, Amazon, Google Maps.  Cannes Festival, Eurovision, Formula 1, FIFA and many others have canceled the participation of Russia. Adidas has refused to work with the national football team.

  1 million refugees left Ukraine in a week, UN said

PHOTO: Humanitarian aid collection point in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi