Russian-Ukrainian war. Timeline of events, March 7

 The third round of negotiations has ended. “There are small positive shifts in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors. On the basic political block of the settlement – a ceasefire and security guarantees – intensive consultations will continue”, adviser to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak said.

 The Russian side hopes that from tomorrow the humanitarian corridors will start working, the Ukrainian side has given assurances of this – RIA Novosti.

 Service for Emergency Situations of Ukraine: At about 20:20, airstrikes have been carried out on oil depots in Zhytomyr and Chernyakhiv. According to preliminary data, there are no victims or injured. In Zhytomyr, a tank with a volume of 10 cubic meters has caught fire. Two half-empty tanks caught fire in Chernyakhovo.

Video: In Chernyakhiv, Zhytomyr region, Russian troops attacked an oil depot:

 The deputy head of the city of Izyum near Kharkiv, where six people (including children) died, compared the bombardment of the city with the destruction of the inhabitants of Khatyn by the Nazis. “The city is literally erased – there is no train station, court, executive committee, police, medical college, military registration and enlistment office. Shells have even hit a children’s sports school”:

 Over the past 24 hours, another 10 civilians have been killed as a result of the shelling of Kharkiv. In total, 143 residents of the city have become victims since the beginning of the war, local authorities report.

 Senior U.S. Department of defense official says nearly 100% of Russian combat power deployed for invasion is already in Ukraine – CNN.

 “Russian forces are stepping up their bombardment of major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Kyiv and Chernihiv, as well as Mykolaiv and Mariupol. These strikes hit civilian targets, infrastructure, residential areas”, said a senior US Department of Defense official.

 French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not expect a settlement of the situation in Ukraine in the near future.

 The Biden administration is ready to start imposing a ban on the import of Russian oil into the United States without the participation of European allies – Reuters.

 One of the world’s largest financial corporations, Morgan Stanley, predicts Russia’s default. It is expected in mid-April – Bloomberg.

 The US and the EU have stopped delivering dollars and euros to Russia in cash.

PHOTO: Spanish Instalaza C90 light rocket launcher in service with Ukrainian defense forces:

Another big rally in Tbilisi in support of Ukraine. Photo by Bashir Kitachaev

From 19.00, the third round of negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia on the territory of Belarus is underway.

70% of the territory of the city of Irpen in the suburbs of Kyiv, after several days of fighting, has returned under the control of Ukrainian forces, head of the local administration Markushin reports. “There was information that Irpin is completely under the control of Russian troops. I officially deny it. Irpin holds up and is comparable to the Donetsk airport”. Markushin said that from now on every morning at 10 o’clock an evacuation of the city’s residents by bus will be operating.

 At least 1,207 civilians have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian attack – UN.

 The President of Lithuania called for military assistance to Ukraine. During a meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Gitanas Nauseda said: “If we want to avoid World War III, we must do it now”.

 Several EU countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, oppose granting Ukraine candidate status this week – Bloomberg.

 Hungary will not support the inclusion of the energy sector in EU anti-Russian sanctions – Reuters.

 EU expects about 5 million refugees from Ukraine to enter EU countries – EU diplomat Borrell

 Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki on conditions for Ukrainian refugees:

1. More than 1 million refugees have already arrived in Poland, most of them women and children, “while the men defend their land”.
2. A law has been adopted according to which citizens of Ukraine will be able to legally live and work in Poland for 18 months.
3. If necessary, the period of stay can be extended for another 18 months, in total, citizens of Ukraine will be able to stay in Poland for up to 3 years.
4. Poles who take Ukrainian refugees under the roof will receive from the state about 40 zlotys a day ($8.7), or about 1,200 zlotys a month ($263).

 The ruble has reached a new historical low today, 140 rubles now equal one dollar.

PHOTO: For many years there was a popular “Putin Pub” in Jerusalem. After the beginning of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the owner of the pub removed Putin’s name, and it has already become the Zelensky Pub. The photo was published by Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky

 The third round of talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine will begin in Belarus after five o’clock in the afternoon, both delegations have arrived at the scene.

 A meeting is planned for March 10 between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya, Turkey.

 Peskov said Russia had told Ukraine that it could end the operation “at any moment” if Kyiv complied with Russia’s conditions. The main one is the refusal to join NATO.

 In a new appeal, Zelensky demanded new international sanctions against Russia. “Boycott Russian exports. In particular,  reject oil and oil products from Russia. We demand to close the sky or give planes as soon as possible. How many more deaths and losses are needed to save the sky over Ukraine? How do peaceful people in Kharkiv or Nikolaev differ from Hamburg or Vienna? We are waiting for a decision. Clear the sky”.

 Now it is Russian air attacks that cause the greatest damage to the Ukrainian military, writes the BBC.

 The “green corridors” announced by Russia for the exit of the civilian population from the besieged and bombed cities in Ukraine turned out to be some kind of deception. It turned out that these humanitarian corridors allow people to enter the territory of Belarus or Russia only, the BBC writes.

Reports from the frontline:

 At least eight people were killed in an airstrike in the Kharkiv region on March 6-7. About 200 people were pulled out from under the rubble. The final information about the dead and injured is being specified. High-rise residential buildings, administrative buildings, medical institutions, educational institutions and hostels have been completely or partially destroyed. There have also been large-scale fires in 21 houses in the central part of the city.

Video: The largest Fabrika shopping center in the Kherson region was bombed

 

 Minister of Defense of Ukraine Reznikov: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernigov and Nikolaev will become the targets of a massive assault on Russian troops in the near future.

 Center for Defense Strategies of Ukraine: At the time of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Russian ground forces numbered 145,000 people: 110,000 ground troops and 35,000 police officers, including special forces. In 11 days, Ukraine neutralized 46,000 Russian soldiers who have either been killed, wounded or taken prisoner.

 The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Reznikov, said that there was significant progress in the issue of supplying weapons and ammunition to the country and promised Russia a “surprise”.

Sanctions and support for Ukraine

 Blinken: An additional 400 military will arrive in Lithuania from the United States in the coming days. Blinken also said that the Russian army is much superior to the Ukrainian one and is able to “grind” it.

 EU prepares new sanctions against Russia, they may affect ports and ships, military technology and individuals – Bloomberg

 Serbian President Vucic said that the price of oil in the world could rise by 2-3 times in the event of a ban on imports from Russia

 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Morrison called the invasion a “wake-up call” for Europe and said a “new arc of autocracy” was threatening the world. Moscow “has chosen the path of violence and seeks to overturn the world order”, he added.

 Finnish dairy products manufacturer Valio and coffee producer Paulig have stopped working in Russia.

 The United States is holding secret talks with the government of Venezuela, a key Kremlin ally in the region – The Washington Post.

 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is being proposed to ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports, while Washington seeks to isolate Russia in the energy sector in the first place.

 The price of aluminum has also reached a record high. The price of one ton of aluminum on the London Stock Exchange is $4,000.

 Levi Strauss&Co has temporarily stopped working in Russia.

 The Hungarian authorities issued a decree banning the supply of weapons to Ukraine from the country’s territory. This was stated by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

 In recent days, 20-25 thousand Russians have crossed the border with Georgia – Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia Davitashvili

In Russia

 The Russian government has approved a list of unfriendly states and territories committing unfriendly actions against Russia. The list includes: USA, Ukraine, the EU countries, as well as Australia, Albania, Andorra, Great Britain, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, Taiwan, Montenegro, Switzerland, Japan.

 At least 150 journalists have left Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the exodus continues. The offices of leading Western media have also been evacuated from Russia. The reason is a new law providing for up to 15 years in prison for a “fake coverage of war”, as well as a massive media blocking.

VIDEO: In Germany, firefighters made a living corridor to express their support for Ukraine. Several dozen firefighters lined up, followed by their equipment:

 

The Azerbaijani consulate in Kharkiv has been, Nexta live reports.

 

In the midst of its aggression in Ukraine and the unprecedented severity of international sanctions, Russia has lifted a ban on export of dairy products of several Georgian enterprises. This decision has immediately sparked outrage among the country’s opposition and society. Disappointment with the Georgian authorities has also been expressed by Kyiv, which called such a development of Georgian-Russian economic relations a “stab in the back”. Analysis of the situation and statement by the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine here

  The shelling of cities in Ukraine has intensified since the night. The day before, Ukrainian and Western military sources claimed that Russian forces were regrouping and preparing for a full-scale assault on key cities and Kyiv. Fuel for the tanks was delivered from Belarus.

  The Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that “precision strikes will be delivered to Ukrainian enterprises”.

  Polish President Andrzej Duda believes the opposite: “Russian troops have neither enthusiasm, nor readiness to storm Kyiv”, he tweeted.

  MoD: Russian forces have made minimal gains in the past 48 hours, with their forces bogged down in stiff Ukrainian resistance and fuel and logistics issues. The Pentagon says that a huge column of tanks near Kiev is still standing still – presumably, it got stuck in the mud and burned all the fuel.

  Ukraine is ready to discuss security guarantees outside of NATO membership, together with international partners. This statement was made by the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks with Russia, David Arakhamia, in an interview with Fox News. “NATO is clearly saying that they will not talk with Ukraine about membership in the Alliance for another 5-10 years, but Ukraine needs security guarantees immediately”, Arakhamia said.

  Russia is recruiting Syrians who know how to fight in urban areas, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing four American officials.

 

Latest news from Ukraine:  

  Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: The invaders continue to use the airfield network of Belarus to deliver air strikes on Ukraine.

  The battles for Kharkiv continue.

Video: Shelling of Kharkov at dawn:

 Ukrainian forces liberated the city of Chuguev.

  There are fights for control over Bucha, Gostomel and in the Irpen region – all in the suburbs of Kyiv. Irpen has been left without electricity, water and heating for more than three days, there is no food and water delivery, the invaders forbade the townspeople to leave their houses.

  In the Nikolaev region, the Russian army crossed the Ingul River and occupied Kashpero-Nikolaevka. Nikolaev was hit with multiple rocket launchers.

VIDEO: After the shelling of Nikolaev tonight:

  The Russian army is conducting a tank attack on Zaporozhye.

  Odessa region was hit from the sea near the village of Tuzla. Local authorities reported that the strike targeted critical infrastructure.

  In the city of Ovruch, Zhytomyr region, as a result of air strikes, two residential buildings and an employment center have been destroyed, and several more apartment buildings have been damaged.

  Russian troops are intensively shelling settlements on the outskirts of Kyiv. The day before, a checkpoint for the evacuation of civilians was struck, killing eight people, including two children, who were trying to leave their homes.

  Under siege and under heavy shelling is Mariupol and Volnovakha. Local residents could not be evacuated, despite the declared ceasefire and “green corridors”.

 NATO will not close the sky over Ukraine, as this threatens to start a third world war

  Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would almost certainly mean “the beginning of World War III.” This was also stated by German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock: “NATO will not close the airspace over Ukraine, because it is responsible for the lives of Europeans. The closure will mean entering into a military conflict with Russia, NATO planes will shoot Russian planes. This will endanger the lives of millions of Europeans and people on the planet”.

  Today, the third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia is expected to take place.

  The price of Brent oil exceeded $130 per barrel, beating the record of 2012 at over $128. In 2008, Brent oil cost $143.

  According to UN estimates, at least 1.5 million refugees have left Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion.

  International members of the OSCE mission left Ukraine.

  Ukraine has suspended the export of a number of crucial products: meat, rye, oats, buckwheat, sugar, millet, salt.

Sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine

  The UK will provide Ukraine with $100 million through the World Bank.

  British Home Secretary Priti Patel demanded a decision to exclude the Russian Federation from Interpol.

  Speaker of the US House of Representatives (lower house of Congress) Nancy Pelosi said she was exploring legislative options for isolating Russia, including a ban on Russian oil.

  Denmark will get rid of Russian gas and significantly increase its defense budget. It is reported by Reuters with reference to the words of Prime Minister Matte Frederiksen.

  South Korea will stop transactions with the Central Bank of Russia.

  VTB Bank, which fell under sanctions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is leaving the European market. Earlier, a similar decision was made by Sberbank.

  Netflix, American Express, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers are among the latest major companies which have left the Russian market.

  TikTok said it was temporarily suspending operations in Russia, “for fear of the consequences of the new ‘law on fakes’, which provides for 15 years in prison for Russian residents for information about the war in Ukraine that does not match the official one.

  Mikhail Fishman, a journalist for the independent Russian TV channel Dozhd, was denied entry to Georgia: “This is a demonstration of Georgia’s attitude towards independent Russian media, which are now being persecuted in Russia and are in danger like never before”.

  The Anonymous hackers broke all the state TV channels of the Russian Federation in several streaming services and broadcast the truth about the war in Ukraine

In Russia

  Since the beginning of the war, there have been protests in support of Ukraine in different cities of Russia. To this day, 13,019 of their participants have been detained.

  The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill: “Donbass is being punished for refusing to hold gay parades. This is a war of values. There is a loyalty test, which is a kind of pass to their “happy” world, and this test is a gay parade. If people or countries reject these demands, then they do not enter their world, they become strangers to them.

PHOTO: 11-year-old boy from Zaporozhye crossed the border into Slovakia on his own. He had a passport and a phone number written on his hand. His parents were forced to stay in Ukraine.

• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Follow the timeline of March 5/6 events here.