LIVE: Ukraine says Russian forces kill seven civilians in evacuation convoy

11:46 PM

Peace talks between Ukraine, Russia continue via video conference: Report

11:44 PM

Ukraine says Russian forces kill seven civilians in evacuation convoy

Ukraine accused Russian forces on Saturday of killing seven civilians in an attack on women and children trying to flee fighting near Kyiv, and France said Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown he was not ready to make peace.

 

The Ukrainian intelligence service said the seven, including one child, were killed as they fled the village of Peremoha and that "the occupiers forced the remnants of the column to turn back."

 

Reuters was unable immediately to verify the report and Russia offered no immediate comment. Moscow denies targeting civilians since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 and blames Ukraine for failed attempts to evacuate civilians from encircled cities.

10:33 PM

Paris says call with Putin was 'difficult'

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron says his three-way call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin was very frank and also difficult.

 

French officials said the Russian leader gave no indication during the call Saturday lasting more than an hour that he intends to stop the fighting in Ukraine.

 

European leaders are working on what they describe as a punishing new set of massive economic sanctions against Moscow in the hope of getting Putin to change his mind.

10:15 PM

Biden authorises $200 mn in new weapons, military training for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday authorized $200 million in weapons and other assistance for Ukraine, the White House said, as Ukrainian officials said heavy shelling by Russian forces were endangering attempted evacuations.

 

The decision brings total U.S. security aid provided to Ukraine over the past year to $1.2 billion, a senior administration official said.

 

In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden directed that up to $200 million allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act be designated for Ukraine's defense.

10:15 PM

Russian central bank decides not to reopen stock market trading next week

Russia's central bank on Saturday said it has decided not to reopen stock market trading on the Moscow Exchange from March 14-18, with the exception of some non-open-market transactions an transactions using the SPFI payment system.

 

It said the foreign exchange market, money market and repo market would open at 0700 GMT on those days. The bank said it would announce the operating mode for the following week at a later date.

 

10:14 PM

Ukrainian foreign minister says ready to negotiate, but will not surrender

Ukraine was ready to negotiate to end the war started by Russia more than two weeks ago, but would not surrender or accept any ultimatums, the country's foreign affairs minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday.

 

Speaking at a virtual event organized by the non-partisan, nonprofit organization Renew Democracy Initiative, Kuleba said civilian lives would be saved if Ukraine had fighter jets and more attack planes to destroy large military columns.

9:33 PM

Ukraine President proposes meeting Russia's Putin in Jerusalem

9:24 PM

Eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha destroyed after Russia invasion, local governor says

The eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha has been completely destroyed following the Russian invasion but fighting continues for territory there to prevent a Russian encirclement, Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Saturday.

9:22 PM

Kremlin says crisis talks with Ukraine have continued by video link: RIA

Crisis talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the conflict in Ukraine, which had been conducted in person in Belarus, have continued via a video link, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, according to the RIA news agency.

 

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had briefed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a call on Saturday about the negotiations held in video format in recent days.

 

He said Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Russia's delegation at the in-person talks, would continue to lead the negotiations on Russia's behalf.

9:18 PM

Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear plants being run by Ukrainian staff: Russia

The Ukrainian nuclear power plants at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia, both now under the control of Russian forces, are being run and managed by their Ukrainian staff, Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom said on Saturday, according to the RIA news agency.

 

Rosatom's statement said an external power supply was being restored to the defunct Chernobyl plant, site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, with the help of Russian specialists.

 

It also said activities to ensure safety at the plants were being carried out in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

9:07 PM

Pope renews calls to end war in Ukraine

Pope Francis is renewing calls for an end to the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the impact on children.

 

In a tweet on Saturday he wrote: “Never war! Think first about the children, about those who are deprived of the hope for a dignified life: dead or wounded children, orphans, children who play with the remnants of war." Francis added: “In the name of God, stop!” Ukrainian officials and the U.N. human rights office say dozens of children have been killed since the start of the war.

8:35 PM

Most Ukrainian businesses not operating since Russian invasion, Zelensky says

Most Ukrainian businesses have stopped operating since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

 

Zelensky's economic adviser previously estimated that the Russian invasion had already caused more than $100 billion of damage.

8:35 PM

Russia planning 'pseudo' independence referendum in Ukraine's Kherson port: Local official

Russian occupying forces are planning to stage a "pseudo" referendum in the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson to create a breakaway region, the deputy head of the local council said on Saturday.

 

"The creation of the (republic) will turn our region into a hopeless hole without life or a future," Sergey Khlan said in a post on social media.

 

Russian forces captured Kherson following the start of an invasion on February 24, but pro-Ukraine protesters have taken to the streets in the city to protest the invasion force.

 

8:34 PM

Around 1,300 Ukrainian troops killed since Russian invasion: Zelensky

Around 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

 

Speaking at a news briefing, Zelensky said Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams had started discussing concrete topics rather than exchanging ultimatums.

 

He said the West should be more involved in negotiations to end the war but welcomed efforts by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, and said he had suggested to Bennett holding talks in Jerusalem.

8:23 PM

UN says 579 civilians killed since war began

The UN human rights office says at least 579 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and more than 1,000 have been injured.

 

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Saturday that 42 of those killed were children, while 54 were injured.

 

The Geneva-based office had documented 564 civilian deaths and 982 injured a day earlier.

 

It said most recorded civilian casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a “wide impact area,” such as shelling from heavy artillery and missile strikes.

 

U.N. officials said they believe the actual number of casualties is considerably higher than so far recorded because the receipt of information has been delayed and many reports still need to be corroborated. 

8:19 PM

Zelensky demands release of Melitopol mayor

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on Russian forces to heed the calls of residents in the occupied city of Melitopol who protested to demand their mayor be freed.

 

Zelensky, who spoke earlier Saturday with the leaders of Germany and France, said the detention of Mariupol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was an attempt "to bring the city to its knees.” He said that Ukraine expects “the leaders of the world to show how they can influence the liberation (of) a man who personifies Ukrainians who do not give up.” 

 

Zelensky also encouraged Ukrainians to keep fighting, saying it was “impossible to say how many days we will still need to free our land, but it is possible to say that we will do it.”

7:36 PM

Jharkhand's Deoghar airport is all set for domestic flight operations

7:33 PM

Germany's Scholz, France's Macron demand Ukraine ceasefire in call with Russia's Putin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict during a 75-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a German government spokesperson said.

 

"The conversation is part of ongoing international efforts to end the war in Ukraine," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the participants agreed to say nothing further about the substance of the phone call.

 

Scholz had earlier spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about the situation, the spokesperson added.

7:24 PM

Putin briefed French and German leaders on Russia-Ukraine talks: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and responded to their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine during a three-way phone call on Saturday, the Kremlin said.

7:07 PM

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6:48 PM

Ukraine bans fertiliser exports: Agriculture ministry

Ukraine, a major global producer of agricultural products, has banned exports of fertilisers given the Russian invasion, the agriculture ministry said on Saturday.

 

Ukraine has already banned exports of some agricultural commodities and introduced licenses for its key export goods - wheat, corn and sunflower oil.

 

"The cabinet of ministers is introducing a zero quota for the export of mineral fertilisers that is a de facto ban on the export of fertilisers from Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.

6:14 PM

Italy seizes Russian oligarch Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

Italian police have seized a superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

The 143-metre (470-foot) Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of 530 million euros ($578 million), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

 

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, the government said.

5:57 PM

Governor of Ukraine's Kyiv region says evacuations ongoing

Evacuations of civilians from frontline towns in Ukraine's Kyiv region were proceeding on Saturday and are planned to continue on Sunday, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba told local media.

 

"We will try to get people out every day, as long as it's possible to observe a ceasefire," he said.

5:33 PM

Ukraine's president says Russia sending new troops after heavy losses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia was sending new forces to Ukraine after suffering what he said were its biggest losses in decades.

 

Zelensky also said he had spoken to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron about pressuring Russia to release the mayor of the city of Melitopol, who Ukraine says was kidnapped on Friday by Russian forces.

 

In a televised address, Zelensky urged Russia to uphold an agreed ceasefire to allow evacuations to proceed from the besieged port city of Mariupol, after blaming Moscow for the failure of previous attempts.

5:23 PM

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4:44 PM

Russian attacks continue during latest evacuation attempts, Ukrainian officials say

The governors of two Ukrainian regions, Kyiv and Donetsk, said in separate statements on Saturday Russian attacks were continuing in areas where Ukraine was trying to evacuate people and bring aid through "humanitarian corridors."

 

"Humanitarian cargo is moving towards Mariupol, we will inform you how it develops ... The situation is complicated, there is constant shelling," Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told local media. "The situation is extremely difficult." 

4:42 PM

Belarus denies plans to join Russian invasion but is 'rotating' troops at border

Belarus has no plans to join the Russian invasion of Ukraine but is sending five battalion tactical groups (BTGs) to its border on rotation to replace forces already stationed there, its Chief of General Staff Viktor Gulevich said on Saturday.

 

A top Ukrainian security official on Friday warned Belarus not to send troops to Ukraine, saying Ukraine was showing restraint towards Belarus despite the country being used as a launchpad for Russian planes.

 

"I want to underline that the transfer of troops is in no way connected with (any) preparation, and especially not with the participation of Belarusian soldiers in the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine," Gulevich said.

4:02 PM

Govt directs reducing NEET-PG 2021 cut-off by 15 percentile across all categories

3:43 PM

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3:33 PM

Ukraine says Russian forces shelled mosque in Mariupol

Russian forces have shelled a mosque in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where more than 80 adults and children, including Turkish citizens, have taken refuge, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

 

Ukraine has accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of Mariupol, where a blockade has left hundreds of thousands trapped. Russia blames Ukraine for the failure to evacuate people.

 

"The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders," the foreign ministry said in a tweet. "More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey."

 

It did not say if there were any people killed or wounded.

 

Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.