Russia-Ukraine crisis, day 7. Timeline of events, March 2

Rocket attack near the railway station in Kyiv: initially, there were no casualties, but a large insulated pipe has been destroyed, Ukrainian media reports.

The Ukrainian delegation is heading to meet with the Russian one in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Belarus, Zelensky’s office said. The Russian delegation has already arrived there. The time of the second round of negotiations remains unknown.  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that “Russia is ready to discuss the issue of security guarantees during the second round of negotiations with Ukraine”.

Sweden announced the violation of its airspace by four Russian fighters.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has officially announced the losses for the first time: 498 dead. According to Ukraine, and Western ecxpers, at least 5,000 Russian soldiers have died on Ukrainian soil since the start of the war.

The Kyiv metro is used as a shelter from bombing, there are constantly up to 15,000 people there, said the head of the metro, Viktor Braginsky. “The stations have water, sanitary facilities, we bring food and, if possible, medicines. Many people have nowhere to go back to. A few meters of the floor and a blanket became their only home. The infrastructure is designed for up to 100,000 people”.

Assistance to Ukraine

Macron on the war in Ukraine:

▪️ “It’s a lie to say that this war is the fight against Nazism.”

▪️ As president, Macron will maintain a dialogue with Putin.

▪️ On March 10-11, the EU summit on Ukraine will be held in Versailles.

▪️ France will continue to make efforts to reach agreements between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on a ceasefire.

The United States imposes blocking sanctions against Russia’s defense sector. The list will include 22 organizations.

The United States is also preparing export control measures for oil and gas production equipment, sanctions against the oil refining industry and organizations “supporting the armed forces of Russia and Belarus”.

Nebraska Senator Ben Sass, while speaking in the Senate, joined the flash mob about the “Russian ship”: “Russian warship, idi nahui!”

The largest Czech beer producers have suspended deliveries to Russia. These include Plzensky Prazdroj, Staropramen, Budejovicky Budvar and Bernard, the Lidove Novyny newspaper reports.

Abramovich announced the sale of Chelsea and the creation of a charitable foundation. All net proceeds from the sale of the club will be transferred to it, the money will be donated to the victims of the war in Ukraine.

The H&M chain suspends sales in Russia.

Placebo announced on Twitter that they are canceling their Park Live performance in Moscow. Previously, Iron Maiden, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and Iggy Pop have refused to perform in Moscow.

VIDEO: A grenade was thrown at Energodar residents protesting against the Russian army – UNIAN

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces, an action that aims to diplomatically isolate Russia at the world body, reports Reuters. Georgia was among those who voted in support of the resolution.

35 members of the General Assembly abstained, including Armenia. Azerbaijan did not take part in the voting.

5 countries voted against the resolution: Russia, Belarus, Syria, Eritrea and North Korea.

The resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not binding, but they are of great political importance. The last time the Security Council convened an emergency meeting of the General Assembly was in 1982, according to the UN website. At that time, a state of emergency was considered in the Arab territories occupied by Israel.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will apparently take place today. The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Arakhamia, confirmed participation in the comments on his Facebook post. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said that the Russian delegation would wait for Ukrainian negotiators at the negotiating site in the late afternoon.

The bombing of Ukrainian cities continues all day.

VIDEO: Kyiv suburb Irpin after shelling today:

PHOTO: Chernihiv after shelling today:

VIDEO: Kharkiv is under fire again, missile attack on the TV tower:

In Kharkiv, it is now possible to use the metro tunnels to move underground:

In Korosten, a missile strike destroyed a TV tower, four people have been killed and five were injured, the local administration reported.

 General Staff of Ukraine: 30 armored groups are going to Kyiv, in the Black Sea Russia is preparing a landing operation.

Ukraine called on the UN to reconsider the issue of Russia’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council.

Amendments were made to the State Duma of the Russian Federation on punishment of up to 15 years in prison “for spreading fake information about the actions of the Russian armed forces”.

Comparison of Ukraine’s and Russia’s military capabilities (CNN)

Russia has lost roughly 3% to 5% of its tanks, aircraft, artillery and other military assets inside Ukraine — compared to Ukrainian losses of roughly 10% of its capabilities, according to two US officials familiar with the latest intelligence. US and western officials warn that those ratios are difficult to calculate and likely to change — not only because both sides continue to incur losses as the week-old war grinds on, but also because both Russian and Ukrainian forces are being resupplied.

But the stark imbalance underscores grim assessments from US and western officials that despite a stiffer-than-expected resistance by Ukraine that has kept major cities out of Russian hands, it is still likely to be overwhelmed as Russia launches an intensified and less discriminate phase of its assault.

And even despite western assistance, US officials say Ukraine is still vastly outgunned by Russia. Moscow has initially leaned heavily on its more modern precision cruise missiles, according to a source familiar with the intelligence, heavily degrading Ukraine’s military infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to burn through its supply of shoulder-fired Javelin missiles.

Ukraine “need[s] the classic bits of kit now. They need bullets, they need bandages. They’re going to need fuel. They’re going to need ammunition, in addition to the humanitarian support to help with medical assistance, sustaining hospitals, both for combat wounded, and for civilians that are being hurt”, said a senior Western intelligence official.

“And they’re going to need a large ammunition and weapons resupply, because the Russian force is both numerically and qualitatively superior,” the source said.

Almost 6,000 Russian soldiers have died during the first six days of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Zelensky claimed Wednesday morning. The senior western intelligence official said Wednesday morning that the western figure is similar — roughly 5,800 — but cautioned that “my number is from yesterday.”

Assistance for Ukraine

19 countries supply weapons to Kiev, more than a thousand volunteers from 16 countries have already arrived to fight- Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The European Union has disconnected VTB, Rossiya and Otkritie banks from SWIFT, as well as Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank.

The skies for Russia have already been closed by 37 countries – all of South America and almost all of Europe.

Almost 836,000 people left Ukraine – UN.

As of March 2, the Migration Service of Armenia did not receive asylum applications from either citizens of Russia or citizens of Ukraine”, said Deputy Head of the Service Irina Davtyan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that those citizens of the Republic of Armenia who, in connection with the hostilities in Ukraine, intend to return to their homeland, crossing the borders of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, and who already have previously received visas for the indicated countries of the Schengen zone, will not need a new visa.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that the Armenian Embassy in Ukraine continues to work in full force. This is one of the few embassies that continues to remain in Kyiv. The minister said that more than 1,500 calls have already been received. Armenian diplomats have been sent to the border cities of Ukraine, and are trying to help the citizens of Armenia return to their homeland.

Now there is a powerful bombing in Odessa. According to preliminary data, the explosion was near the airport.

In Kharkov, the police department was bombed. The fighting in the city has been going on for four days, the local administration today reported that 21 people have already died and 112 injured. VIDEO: Military campus in Kharkiv

The Russian armed forces have taken full control of Kherson, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Ukraine has not yet officially confirmed. But the mayor of Kherson confirmed it, who appealed to the government of Ukraine and humanitarian organizations with a request to urgently send medicines and food to the city, as well as evacuate the wounded. VIDEO: After the battle for the building of the local security department:

Throughout the night, the Russian armed forces carried out rocket attacks on schools and military units in Ukraine.

Three Russian columns from different sides entered the city of Trostyanets and took it under full control, said the governor of the Sumy region Zhivitsky.

Highlights from US President Biden’s speech:

● The US closes airspace to Russian aviation;

● The US Department of Justice will create a special group to investigate the crime of Putin and Russian oligarchs;

● Luxurious apartments of Putin’s oligarchs, yachts, planes, accounts will be arrested;

● US troops are sent to Europe to protect NATO allies and protect “every inch” of the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance;

● The US will sell oil from the US strategic reserve to lower prices.

Support Ukraine

Spain will supply offensive weapons to Ukraine – Prime Minister of Spain.

New Turkish drones delivered to Ukraine – Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

The US has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft.

Canada has closed ports for Russian ships.

In March, WizzAir airline provides one hundred thousand free tickets to refugees from Ukraine on all flights of continental Europe departing from the border countries of Ukraine (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania).

In Russia

The ruble continued to fall on the stock exchange: the dollar reached 105.12 rubles, the euro – 116 rubles.

Several newspapers in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia came out today with covers against the war in Ukraine. On the front pages of “Vecherniy Krasnoturinsk”, “Vecherniy Karpinsk”, as well as the newspapers “Pro Severouralsk” and “Globus” (Serov), in large letters the phrase: “This madness must be stopped.” “Roskomnadzor forbids the Russian media to name what is happening these days in Ukraine, but if you call black white, it will not stop being black,” the covers say.

“Azerbaijan is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and has sent 24 tons of humanitarian cargo worth 11 million manats [about $6.5 million] to support Ukraine”,  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has announced.

Political observer Hakob Badalyan said in an interview with JAMnews that “the neutral position of the Armenian authorities on the war in Ukraine is connected with the country’s security issues and its own interests.”

“For Armenia, after the defeat in the Karabakh war and in its current security situation, neutrality is the most optimal position, otherwise the consequences may turn out to be the most unpredictable. If Armenia takes the side of Russia, it will certainly have problems with the West. Conversely, if it adheres to the position of the West, problems will arise with Moscow. But how long will Armenia be able to maintain this neutrality is difficult to predict. Much depends on the development of events.

Unlike the authorities, the Armenian society reacts extremely emotionally to the war in Ukraine, and people’s opinions are highly polarized. People recall Ukraine’s unconditional support for Azerbaijan and Turkey during the 2020 Karabakh war, both at the level of the country’s leadership and at the level of ordinary citizens, when in the most vivid terms they wished the Azerbaijanis victory in the war in Karabakh. Russia is also being criticized for its policy towards Armenia over the past 20-25 years”, says Hakob Badalyan.

PHOTO: Rally in support of Ukraine in Yerevan 

Ukrainian President Zelensky in an interview with CNN:

● This is a full scale war.

● I said that Ukraine would fight, but we will not be able to do it alone.

● I warned Europe that sanctions should be introduced preventively, and that if Russia is not stopped, then its troops will be at the borders of Lithuania, Poland and other NATO countries, and there will also be provocations.

● Kharkiv was simply bombarded with two cruise missiles. In official statements, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that there would be rocket attacks on the building of the Ukrainian Security Service, located 200 meters from St. Sophia Cathedral. Therefore, we ask for the closure of the sky and the imposition of sanctions against Russia.

● We ask for security guarantees for Ukraine – this is territorial integrity, this is protection of our borders and security provided to us on legal grounds.

● Negotiations with Russia: “They [Russia] have decided to start talking about this situation, and I really want to as well. Everyone must stop fighting and return to the point where it all started six days ago. If [they] do it, then we will be ready to as well. If they’re not ready to do so, it’s just a waste of time”.

NATO can help enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine

“The United States, together with NATO allies, can secure a no-fly zone over Ukraine, despite the danger of being drawn into a direct conflict with Russia. At first, this can be done over Kiyv and Western Ukraine – with the participation of allies, in particular, Great Britain, Poland, possibly Turkey. First of all, attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure, such as a nuclear power plant, must be prevented”, said Kurt Walker, former US ambassador to NATO.

What else happened during the night

The United States will close airspace to Russian aircraft.

Wizz Air will provide about 100,000 free tickets for Ukrainians for flights to Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary.

Apple has stopped selling all equipment in its  official online store in Russia.

 Nike website closed sales on the official website in Russia.

Boeing has suspended technical support for Russian aircraft, supplies of spare parts and maintenance.

Exxon Mobil announced the termination of operations in Russia, the company is taking steps to withdraw from the Sakhalin-1 project, one of the largest oil and gas projects with foreign direct investment in Russia.

Putin signed a decree prohibiting the export of foreign currency worth more than $10,000 from Russia from March 2.

Ekho Moskvy and Dozhd TV channel are blocked in Russia. Dozhd announced that it would continue to work on YouTube and social media.

VIDEO: “Russia has a short memory; Federal channels lie shamelessly; there is military censorship about the war in Ukraine on Russian TV” — Russian Senator Lyudmila Narusova in an interview with Dozhd: