LIVE: India brings back 219 citizens from Ukraine; 250 more on their way

First Air India flight carrying 219 Indian evacuees from Ukraine lands at Mumbai airport from Bucharest at 7.50 pm

10:45 PM

More US military aid to arrive in Ukraine soon

A $350-million package of additional US military assistance to Ukraine announced Saturday includes anti-armour, small arms and various munitions, body armour and related equipment, according to John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary.

Separately, a senior defense official said the assistance includes Javelin anti-tank weapons and that it will be delivered to Ukraine in phases and as soon as possible.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said the U.S. has delivered military assistance to Ukraine by unspecified means as recently as the last couple of days, and that ground routes for delivery of the additional material would certainly be on the list of options we would consider.

10:27 PM

Chhattisgarh govt to bear travel expenses of people of state returning from Ukraine: CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said his government would bear the travel expenses of people from the state who were returning home from Ukraine.

10:06 PM

Russians about 30km outside Kiev: US official

A senior US defense official has said that according to United States estimates more than 50 per cent of Russian combat power arrayed along Ukraine's borders has entered Ukraine. That is up from a US estimate on Friday that one-third of the Russian force had been committed to the fight. The official, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal US assessments, did not say how many Russian troops were inside Ukraine, but the US had estimated the total Russian force arrayed near Ukraine at more than 150,000.

 

9:25 PM

Second flight from Bucharest has taken off for Delhi with 250 Indians: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has confirmed that the second Air India flight has taken off from Bucharest for Delhi with 250 Indian nationals on board.

9:18 PM

Putin paused military operation but resumed after Ukraine refused to negotiate: Kremlin spokesperson

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of advancement of its military forces in Ukraine on Friday but the operation was resumed Saturday afternoon after the Ukrainian leadership refused to talk, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "Yesterday afternoon, in connection with the expected negotiations with the Ukrainian leadership, the Russian President and supreme commander ordered the suspension of the advance of the main forces," Peskov said.

9:00 PM

UK says Russian advance has slowed, likely caused by logistical problems, resistance

The Russian advance into Ukraine has temporarily slowed, probably because of logistical problems and strong resistance, Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday.

 

"The speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance," the ministry said in a regular intelligence update posted on Twitter.

 

"Russian forces are bypassing major Ukrainian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them.

 

Overnight clashes in Kyiv are likely to have involved limited numbers of pre-positioned Russian groups. The capture of Kyiv remains Russia's primary military objective." 

8:56 PM

Russia resumes Ukraine offensive from all directions after pause: Report

All Russian units in Ukraine were on Saturday given the order to resume their offensive from all directions after a pause on Friday, the RIA news agency quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying.

 

Echoing similar comments by the Kremlin, the ministry said Friday's pause had been made in anticipation of talks between Moscow and Kyiv but the offensive resumed after Ukraine refused to negotiate.

8:43 PM

Our main objective was to bring back each and every Indian stranded in Ukraine: Goyal

8:34 PM

Piyush Goyal welcomes Indian students evacuated from Ukraine

8:30 PM

Russian forces frustrated by 'viable' Ukrainian resistance: US official

Russian forces are becoming increasingly frustrated by what the United States believes is "viable" Ukrainian resistance, a U.S. defense official said on Saturday.

 

"We know that they have not made the progress that they have wanted to make, particularly in the north. They have been frustrated by what they have seen is a very determined resistance," the official said, without providing evidence.

 

"It has slowed them down," the official added.

8:20 PM

Official Kremlin website down amid war in Ukraine

The official website of the Kremlin, the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin, kremlin.ru , was down on Saturday, following reports of cyberattacks on various other Russian government and state media websites.

8:09 PM

AI flight carrying Indian evacuees from Ukraine lands in Mumbai

7:51 PM

Kyiv city imposes curfew from Saturday evening until Monday morning

Kyiv city mayor has imposed a curfew that would last from Saturday evening until Monday morning without breaks, the mayor's office said, clarifying an earlier announcement.

 

Kyiv said earlier that the curfew would last from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. every day.

 

"For more effective defence of the capital and security of its residents the curfew will run from 1700 today, February 26, 2022, until the morning February 28," it said in a statement.

 

It said that strict rules were needed to clean the city, which is being under shelling and gunfire, from "the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups".

7:44 PM

Ukraine not refusing to negotiate but not ready for Russian ultimatums: Official

Ukraine on Saturday denied suggestions that it was refusing to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia but said it was also not ready to accept ultimatums or unacceptable conditions.

 

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told Reuters Ukraine has prepared a negotiating position but was faced with impractical negotiating conditions from Russia.

 

"It was yesterday that the aggressive actions of the armed forces of the Russian Federation escalated, up to evening and night mass air and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities," he said in a message. "We consider such actions only an attempt to break Ukraine and force it to accept categorically unacceptable conditions."

7:35 PM

Masks no longer mandatory for travellers in private car: Delhi govt

7:22 PM

PM Modi reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence: PMO

7:08 PM

UK's Prince William and wife say they stand with Ukraine

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate said on Saturday they stood with the people of Ukraine as they "bravely fight" the invasion by Russia, in a rare public comment for British royals on political issues.

 

"In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future," Queen Elizabeth's grandson William and Kate said on Twitter.
 

"Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future." The British royal family do not usually comment on major political matters, sticking to a constitutional norm that they should remain neutral.

 

However, William's younger brother Harry and his wife Meghan, who have stepped down from royal duties to move to Los Angeles, said on their website on Thursday that they also stood with the Ukrainian people "against this breach of international and humanitarian law".

6:51 PM

Piyush Goyal to receive the Indian nationals safely evacuated from Ukraine

6:37 PM

'Urged India to give us support in UNSC,' tweets Ukraine President

Spoke with

6:35 PM

Delhi government lifts all Covid restrictions

6:30 PM

Kremlin says Ukraine offensive resumed on Saturday after Friday pause

Russian troops started advancing into Ukraine again on Saturday after President Vladimir Putin paused the offensive a day earlier in anticipation of talks with Kyiv that never happened, the Kremlin said.

 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov also told a briefing Russia had expected the sanctions imposed by the West in response to the invasion and was taking measures to minimise their impact on the economy.

6:29 PM

Kremlin says Ukraine refused talks

Russia has resumed military operations in Ukraine after Kyiv refused to conduct negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call. 

 

Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had ordered Russian troops to stop their advance Friday as the two sides discussed the possibility of negotiations, but had failed to reach agreement on a format or location. 

6:24 PM

Italy to support EU line on Russia sanctions, including on SWIFT: PM's office

Italy will support any European Union line on sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including measures on the SWIFT global payment system, Prime Minister Mario Draghi's office said on Saturday.

 

Draghi held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, "reiterating Italy ... will fully support the European Union line on sanctions against Russia, including on SWIFT", the office said in a statement.

 

A decision to cut Russia off from SWIFT will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters on Saturday.

6:22 PM

Russia bans Polish, Bulgarian, Czech airlines from its airspace

Russia has banned airlines from Bulgaria, Poland and Czech Republic from flying to and over its territory in response to similar moves by those countries, the Russian civil aviation authority said on Saturday.

 

Earlier this week, Russia banned all British airlines from its airspace in retaliation for London's ban on flights to Britain by Russian flag carrier Aeroflot.

5:35 PM

Kyiv mayor extends curfew as Russians press on

The mayor of the Ukrainian capital is imposing an intensified curfew as Russian troops press on the city.
 

Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on Telegram that the curfew will extend from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. and “all civilians on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups.” The previous curfew imposed two days ago was from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.

5:24 PM

Estonia will close its airspace to Russian airlines, minister tells broadcaster

Estonia will ban Russian airlines from using the Baltic nation's airspace, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas told public broadcaster ERR on Saturday.

5:19 PM

Batches of Indian students enter Hungary from the Ukrainian side at Zahony crossing

5:05 PM

UNHCR predicts 4 mn will flee to neighbouring countries

The UN refugee agency said on Saturday that nearly 120,000 people have so far fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries in the wake of Russian invasion.

 

The number was going up fast as Ukrainians grabbed their belongings and rushed to escape from a deadly Russian onslaught on their nation, including an attempt to take the capital.

 

Almost 116,000 have crossed international borders as of right now. This may go up, it's changing every minute, said Shabia Mantoo, the spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

 

The agency expects up to 4 million Ukrainians could flee if the situation deteriorates further.

4:59 PM

Ukraine security service denies Russian attack in Lviv region

Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) denied a report earlier on Saturday that Russian helicopters had landed in the Lviv region, a development that would have signalled a widening of the theatre of Moscow's invasion.

 

The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, said Russia had landed three helicopters near the city of Brody in the western Lviv region and that Ukrainian forces had repelled the attack.

 

The SBU said the information was false and that no such landing had taken place. It said a Ukrainian helicopter had done a reconnaissance flight in the area.

 

"We ask residents to remain calm!" the SBU said in a statement posted on Facebook.

4:30 PM

UK says bulk of Russian forces 30 km from the centre of Kyiv

Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday that the bulk of Russian forces involved in the advance on Ukraine's capital Kyiv were now 30 km from the city centre.

 

Britain, which earlier disputed Russian reports that Russian forces had captured the southeastern city of Melitopol, said the Ukrainian military was continuing to put up staunch resistance across the country.
 

"Russian forces have continued their advance on Kyiv with the bulk of their forces now 30 km from the centre of the city," the defence ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.

 

"Russia has yet to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine greatly reducing the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force.

 

Russian casualties are likely to be heavy and greater than anticipated or acknowledged by the Kremlin," it said.