Russian-Ukrainian war. Timeline of events, March 8-9

Photo from Mariupol, where the children’s hospital and maternity hospital have been bombed by aircraft. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities, but 17 people have been injured.

The authorities of Mariupol said that 17 people were injured as a result of an airstrike on a local maternity hospital. Authorities also reported that a total of 1,207 people had died in the city since the beginning of the war.

After the shelling of the Mariupol hospital, Zelensky urgently turned to the international community with a demand to immediately close the sky over Ukraine.

“Close the sky immediately. Stop the killings, you have the strength, but it looks like you are losing your humanity”,  Zelensky said.

Al Jazeera: Who controls what in Ukraine at the moment? 

PHOTO: Bombing and siege of Kharkov continues

VIDEO: Fighting in Volnovakha filmed by Russian soldiers

  An entire street (seven houses) in the village of Malina in the Zhytomyr region has been destroyed by Russian bombing, the Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine reports. Five people died, two of them one-year-old babies. Search and rescue work continues.

  Head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Reznikov: “Please do not spread messages about the provision of weapons to Ukraine by other countries. All information that can be made public upon agreement with partners, we will be sure to publish in a timely manner. The enemy must not know what to expect. Let it be an unpleasant surprise for him”.

  Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine Sergey Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba will meet in Antalya on Thursday. This will be their first meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

  The leaders of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have refused to hold a telephone conversations with Joe Biden, who wanted to discuss the situation around Ukraine and the possibility of increasing oil production to reduce world prices for hydrocarbons – The Wall Street Journal.

  Head of Eurodiplomacy Borrell urged all Europeans to reduce energy consumption at the individual level in order to reduce the overall dependence on gas from Russia.

  The UK has made it a criminal offense for any Russian aircraft to enter its airspace. One plane has already been detained by the British authorities – Sky News.

  The UK government has announced a ban on the export of aviation and space products and technologies to Russia amid the ‘special operation’ launched by Moscow in Ukraine.

 The US has rejected a Polish offer to transfer its MiG-29 fighters to a US base in Germany as a way to replenish the Ukrainian air force to protect against invading Russian forces, – Reuters.

  Intel suspends all deliveries to Russia and Belarus.

  The British tobacco company Imperial Brands, which produces Richmond and Winston, suspends sales and production in Russia.

  Heineken stops production and sale of beer in Russia.

In Abkhazia, Russia’s actions in Ukraine are supported by both the authorities and the opposition. But this support has become an element of internal political struggle. The opposition demands from the authorities to express it more actively. “In Georgia, the authorities are silent, and the opposition is holding rallies in support of Ukraine. But in Abkhazia, the authorities are silent, and the opposition will hold rallies in support of Russia, or what?” Find our more here 

 Ukrainian military sources reported the death of a Russian general, chief of staff of the 41st Army Vitaly Gerasimov in the battle near Kharkov. He will become the second officer of this rank to be killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, if this is  confirmed. At this stage, the information is based on the interception of telephone conversations between Russian intelligence officers. British analysts say it is unusual for senior Russian officers to be so close to the front lines, and this is due to the intensity of the war.

 All night and in the morning, intensive shelling of various cities of Ukraine continued.

 General Staff of Ukraine reports:

1. The attempts of the Russian army to blockade Kharkiv from the north are continuing, at the same time rocket and bomb strikes are carried out on civilian infrastructure in order to intimidate the population.
2. The main efforts of the enemy continue to focus on the encirclement and capture of Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Nikolaev, Chernigov.
3. There is a battle for Izyum in the Kharkiv region. The enemy brings pontoon-bridge crossings across the Seversky Donets and Bereka rivers.
4. The Russian Khabarovsk special forces brigade lost more than 400 servicemen and has been withdrawn to the territory of the Russian Federation due to the loss of combat capability.
5. The Russian army holds the settlements of Kherson, Energodar, Vasilyevka, regroups forces for a further offensive in Zaporozhye.
6. It is expected that cruise missiles will be launched from Russian ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla.

VIDEO: Night shelling in Kharkiv region

VIDEO: Two stages of the evacuation from Sumy were completed successfully – 5,000 people and 1,000 private cars left safely, said Dmitry Lunin, head of the Poltava administration. From Poltava people left for the West. Those who wish to stay will be granted asylum:

REUTERS: Maxar Technologies satellites have once again flown over Ukraine and showed a broken bridge in Irpin and a group of armored vehicles at the Antonov airport in Gostomel:

“Putin has no real information”

“Russian President Putin is not given full information about the invasion of Ukraine. They are simply afraid to report that there are many more failures. He is not told that 100% of the country’s population is against the invaders. Putin’s propaganda works quite effectively for its audience, and is entirely useless to foreign audience. Compared to 2014, when they managed to influence part of Western thought, now there is not a single adequate person in Europe who would believe in these fakes. Unfortunately, for the Russian audience it works. After the closure of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TV Rain […] people in Russia have a slightly inverted picture. The problem is not that fakes are being made, but that the sources of information have been closed”, Bellingcat investigative journalist Hristo Grozev.

  1,335 civilians became victims of the war in Ukraine. 474 people died, another 861 were injured – Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as of March 7.

  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba: “Sanctions and the withdrawal of companies from Russia is the approach of victory and saved human lives. But [from the West] more is needed. There are attempts by individual partners to limit themselves to half-solutions. Some try to play with time. But we are not slowing down. Sometimes partners accuse the president, me, all of us of being harsh. Yes, we are. Sometimes ruthless. Especially to those who are trying to deceive us a little”.

  Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko: “Workers of the seized Zaporozhye NPP are being tortured. They were forced to record an appeal for Russian propagandists, which they plan to use for propaganda purposes. They have been held hostage for 4 days. In the middle of the station are about 500 Russian soldiers and 50 pieces of heavy equipment. The station workers are physically and psychologically exhausted”, Galushchenko calls on international partners to take measures to ban hostilities around nuclear power plants, withdraw Russian troops from captured nuclear facilities and close the sky over Ukraine.

  The IAEA reports that it has lost connection with remote data transmission from the safety control systems of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

  NATO strengthens its defense in Europe: two batteries of Patriot air defense systems are being transferred to Poland, the US Air Force European Command said

  After the US completely abandons Russian oil and gas, Putin will be forced to sit down at the negotiating table, said Vadim Denisenko, adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to him, this could happen within the next 10 days.

  80% of Americans support sanctions on the import of Russian gas and oil, despite the rise in fuel prices – Reuters poll.

  Sanctions against Russia should not include a ban on energy imports from Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. “We condemn the Russian armed offensive and condemn the war, but we will not allow Hungarian families to pay for the war, and therefore the sanctions should not extend to the areas of oil and gas production.”

  The IMF will consider an immediate allocation of $ 1.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine. “Our goal is to reduce the shock to the Ukrainian economy”, said Fund Director Kristalina Georgieva.

  Britain has equated the entry of any Russian aircraft into its airspace to a criminal offense. Intruding planes could be detained, British Transport Minister Grant Shapps said: “We will stifle the ability of Putin’s friends to continue living normal lives while thousands of innocent people are dying.”

  McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca-Cola have become the latest Western companies to suspend operations in Russia.

  Bolt will stop operating in Belarus and give €5 million to Ukraine. The company is going to resort to three steps: transferring 5% of all Bolt orders in Europe over the next 2 weeks in support of the Ukrainian people; withdraw Russian products from the Bolt Market; stop activities in Belarus.

  Cloud service Amazon Web Services stopped providing services to new customers from the Russian Federation.

  Kamaz will switch to the production of classic trucks from Russian components and assemblies. The company has already faced a shortage of imported parts due to sanctions, the Izvestia newspaper writes.

  Canadian journalist Dean Blundell reports that about 40,000 foreign active and retired soldiers have reached Kyiv to fight for Ukraine, among them many Canadians (over 500 and growing) who have formed their own unit.

PHOTO: For the first time in history, Japan brought weapons to Ukraine – bulletproof vests, helmets

PHOTO: Terroborona has already received German Panzerfaust 3 and is waiting for the invaders to visit, UNIAN reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the British House of Commons, becoming the first foreign leader to speak there:

1. “We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight to the end – at sea and in the air. We will continue to fight for our land, no matter what the cost.”
2. Zelensky gave a brief summary of all 13 days of the Ukrainian war and asked for increased sanctions against Russia.
3. Zelensky thanked Britain and “the whole civilization of big countries” for their support, and especially  “Boris, his friend”. He asked to recognize the Russian Federation as a terrorist state and “find a way to make the Ukrainian sky safe”.

The House of Commons gave Zelensky an applause at the end of his speech.

The General Staff of Ukraine report as of March 8:

1. The defense of Kyiv continues to repulse the enemy’s offensive and holds the defensive lines around the city.
2. Fighting in the Donetsk, Slobozhansky and Tauride regions is ongoing.
3. There is a circular defense of Mariupol and Chernigov, a defensive operation in the Polessky, Volyn and Seversk regions.
4. There is a cover of the sea coast, the defense of nearby settlements.
5. Russia plans to deploy an additional military grouping of troops in the direction of Kyiv.
6. The invaders continue to hold the civilian population hostage, damage residential buildings, rob local residents, commit sabotage at civilian infrastructure facilities, place weapons and military equipment in densely populated areas of settlements, and steal vehicles.
7. At the same time, as of this time, the enemy has significantly reduced the pace of advancement, his personnel are demoralized.

 In the Chernihiv region, six civilians were blown up by an anti-personnel mine, said the Ombudsman of Ukraine Lyudmila Denisova.

Anti-personnel mines are prohibited under the 1997 Ottawa Convention. Their placement is also a crime against humanity and a violation of the four Geneva Conventions.

 In Kyiv, 41 children have died and 76 have been injured since the Russian invasion – Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova. The number of those killed and wounded in Mariupol and Volnovakha cannot be determined, because these areas are under blockade and it is impossible to enter there.

 Russian troops shot at a bus carrying teachers from an orphanage in the Mykolaiv region: three women died and two were injured, local authorities said.

VIDEO: The aftermath of the bombing of Sumy. At the moment, 21 have been reported dead, of which two are children.

VIDEO: Evacuation of civilians from Irpin

Ukraine is ready for negotiations with the Russian Federation on key points, but wants to receive a “clear and specific, legally binding set” of guarantees for its security in a situation where NATO has openly announced that it will not accept Ukraine, – adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak.

President of Ukraine Zelensky:

“We are promised that help is about to come, that equipment is about to be delivered. Yes, the blame for every death in Ukraine lies with Russia, with Russian troops. But also with those who are in the West, in their offices, who  have not been able to make a decision for 13 days to ensure a no-fly zone over Ukraine, even though they can do it. But they can’t even help lift the blockade around the cities.”

USA and Britain refuse Russian oil, Europe does not

 US President Biden announced a US ban on Russian oil and gas imports. This decision will hit the United States itself, but Washington believes it must take this step. At the same time, they understand that the allies in Europe will not be able to join the ban on energy imports from the Russian Federation. Earlier, the head of Eurodiplomacy Borrell said that the EU does not intend to ban the import of Russian energy resources. But the UK has already said it will phase out imports of Russian oil and petroleum products by the end of 2022.

 Gasoline prices in the United States have overcome an all-time high, reaching $4.17 per gallon.

 British Petroleum will stop making new deals to buy oil and gas from Russia – Bloomberg.

 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Western countries will develop an analogue of the Marshall Plan to restore Ukraine.

The Marshall Plan is a US-funded aid program for Europe after World War II. 17 countries received assistance. The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe refused to join this plan.

 US President Biden called on the US Congress to pass a $12 billion package to support Ukraine. He also said that “the United States is restricting Russians’ access to high technology, which will hinder Russia’s military sector for many years to come.”

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would continue to discuss the Ukrainian crisis with various world leaders. He spoke about contacts with 20 heads of state and said that he would discuss what is happening in Ukraine during the visit to Turkey by Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog on March 9 and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on March 10.

 Hackers from Anonymous attacked Russian television. On state channels they played a video from Kharkiv and the results of the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine. At the end, there was a call to the population to “wake up and protest.”

VIDEO: Protests and detentions continue in St. Petersburg

VIDEO: Military volunteer from Azerbaijan addressed Kadyrov and compatriots

“I am a citizen of Azerbaijan, a volunteer of the Azov Regiment. I thank Ukraine for the opportunity to protect my home and my family. I turn to Kadyrov. Since when does a traitor to his people have the right to appeal to the people’s choice? I note that to the people, and not to Putin’s protege, who sent his Kadyrovites to their deaths. Your courage is only in words, as is your honor. And the Ukrainian president, along with his people. Long live Ichkeria! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!”

  The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a “silence mode” has been operating since 10 am today so that the population from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol can leave through humanitarian corridors. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine announced her readiness to ensure today the movement along the humanitarian corridor from Sumy to Poltava. However, it is not yet clear whether the promises work. At the very least, the Ukrainian authorities have already stated that Russian troops fired on an evacuation bus and several villages in the Kiev region.

Sumy was bombed at night, 18 civilians have been killed, including two children – UNIAN.

VIDEO: Consequences of night bombardment of Akhtyrka by Russian troops. The museum, city hall and cultural center were destroyed:

Zelensky warns Russia will not stop at Ukraine: “We will come first. You will come second”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Western countries that the war will not stop at Ukraine — and an attack on freedoms there will affect the rest of the world – CNN.

During an interview on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir on Monday, Zelensky again highlighted the need to secure Ukraine’s airspace — something he has urged the US and NATO to help do, to no avail. “We cannot allow Russia to be active there only, because they’re bombing us, they are shelling us, they are sending missiles, helicopters, jet fighters — a lot of things,” Zelensky said. “We don’t control our sky.” He added that he believes US President Joe Biden “can do more” to stop the war. “I am sure he can and I would like to believe that. He is capable of doing that,” Zelensky said.

The US stance: The US and NATO oppose creating a no-fly zone in Ukraine, warning that such a move could lead to “full-fledged war in Europe.” Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday countries imposing such a no-fly zone would be considered to be participating in the conflict. On Monday, the White House said Biden remains firm in his commitment to keep US troops out of the conflict.

Zelensky’s response: The Ukrainian president said missiles were hitting civilian structures including universities and pediatric clinics. If a missile is flying overhead, “I think there is no other answer … they need to be shot down. You have to preserve lives,” he said.

He warned the war would affect the rest of the world: “Everyone thinks that we are far away from America or Canada. No, we are in this zone of freedom. And when the limits of rights and freedoms are being violated and stepped on, then you have to protect us. Because we will come first. You will come second. Because the more this beast will eat, he wants more, more, and more”.

The EU has developed a plan for how its member countries will refuse Russian gas. Russia threatens

Today, the European Commission will present a plan to phase out Russian gas supplies to the EU – Russian gas now accounts for 40 percent of EU consumption, reports the BBC. “The plan will significantly reduce our dependence on Russian gas already this year and in a few years will allow us to completely abandon imports from Russia. It will not be easy, but possible,” European Commission Vice President Franz Timmermans told MEPs.

According to Reuters and the Financial Times, it is planned to increase purchases of liquefied natural gas, its main suppliers are Qatar and the United States. We need to make more reserves for the winter, increase the production of hydrogen and biogas, and build windmills and solar farms.

Russia responds by threatening to turn off Europe’s gas if an oil embargo is imposed. “Russia has the right to cut Europe off from gas, and oil could jump to $300 a barrel in the event of a Russian embargo, which the United States insists on,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned.

PHOTO: Barricades in the center of Kyiv

  Zelensky to the question about the possibility of recognizing Crimea and the republics of Donbass: “The people who elected me are not ready for capitulation on the terms of the Russian Federation, we are not ready for ultimatums. But we can discuss the future of Crimea and Donbas with Russia”.

  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba: “Our president is not afraid of anything, including a direct meeting with Putin. If Putin is also not afraid, let him come to the meeting, let him sit down and talk” – Reuters.

  President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky received the Ronald Reagan Medal of Freedom. Czech President Milos Zeman also decided to award the Ukrainian leader with the highest state award – Nexta live.

  The World Bank Board decided to support Ukraine in the amount of $723 million.

  According to the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States, more than 3,000 Americans have already applied to join the Foreign Legion, including veterans of the armed forces. In total, according to the Ukrainian authorities, by March 6, 20,000 foreigners had already applied for participation in hostilities. — UNIAN

VIDEO: Scottish Volunteers in Ukraine

Thirteenth day of the war. Important news of the last hours

  Putin: “The destruction of Ukraine’s military infrastructure is almost complete.”

  Despite repeated agreements, it was not possible to organize safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians. One reason is that Russian rocket attacks continue. Another – it turned out that some of the corridors only led to Russia or Belarus.

  On March 7, the third round of negotiations took place, but failed to yield significant results. The fourth round is scheduled for March 8.

  The Russian army actually stands still, but continues to actively bomb cities and villages – Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Nikolaev and others. Moscow says it is hiting military targets. However, photo and video materials, as well as the number of victims among the civilian population, indicate the opposite. According to the UN, more than 1,200 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine, and almost two million left the country.

  The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service accuses Poland of becoming a “hub” for the supply of weapons and “militants” to Ukraine with the support of other NATO countries.

  Over the past few days, about 25,000 Russian citizens have entered Georgia.

  Bloomberg writes that Russia has surpassed both Iran and North Korea in the number of unprecedented sanctions imposed on it. About 230 foreign companies have already left Russia because of the war with Ukraine.

  Leonardo DiCaprio donated $10 million to the armed forces of Ukraine. This is by far the largest donation made by one person to help Ukraine.

  Oil prices are rising rapidly as the US considers a ban on oil imports from Russia.

  Putin promised not to send conscripts and reservists to the war with Ukraine.

  A new historical low of the ruble exchange rate against the euro and the dollar.

  The European Union has officially started considering the application of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova for entry. The preliminary opinion must be given by the European Commission. This usually takes up to 18 months. If successful, the process of joining the European Union according to the traditional procedure takes years.

  Russian Deputy Prime Minister said that Moscow may stop deliveries of natural gas to Western countries in response to European sanctions.

  Russia has published a list of unfriendly countries. The list includes the EU countries, the United States, as well as all countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia because of Ukraine. Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan are not included on this list.

  The Georgian Minister of Agriculture said that the Russian market (which, after the war with Ukraine, eased restrictions on Georgian agricultural products) would be “an opportunity for Georgian companies to plan for increased production”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Follow the timeline of March 7 events here.