Russia-Ukraine crisis: EU bans exports of champagne, luxury cars, apparel to Russia in new sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday that talks with Russia would continue even as Moscow continued to shell a number of cities across Ukraine. The Kremlin, meanwhile, claimed that it had not received a formal request from Ukraine for direct talks with President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's deputy interior minister Yevheniy Yenin said that 548,000 civilians have been evacuated since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Stay tuned to DH for live updates.

EU bans exports of champagne, luxury cars, apparel to Russia in new sanctions

Russian court fines woman for anti-war protest on state TV

A Russian court fined a woman 30,000 roubles ($280) on Tuesday after finding her guilty of flouting protest legislation when she interrupted a live news bulletin on state TV and denounced the war in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported.

Marina Ovsyannikova, a Channel One employee, held up a sign behind a studio presenter reading the news on Channel One on Monday night and shouted slogans condemningRussia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

After Biden, Russia bans Canadian PM Justin Trudeau from entering country

Russia withdraws from Council of Europe

Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe. "Russia will be forced to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights because of its withdrawal from the Council of Europe", said MP Slutsky.

(NEXTA)

Ukrainian president questions NATO's commitment to mutual defence article

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday stepped up criticism of NATO followingRussia's invasion of his country, questioning the alliance's commitment to its Article 5 collective defence clause.

Zelenskyy said in a video address that Article 5 had never looked "as weak as it is today."

Fox News cameraman killed in Ukraine, agencies report

Modi interacts with groups involved in Operation Ganga

Kyiv curfew extended to safeguard residents

Kyiv mayor Klitschko said, "Curfew in Kyiv extended due to risk of potential escalation. Thecurfew in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast will last from 8 pm on March 15 until 7 am on March 17.Overnight, four people in Kyiv were killed due to Russian shelling."

(The Kyiv Independent)

US imposes more Russia, Belarus-related sanctions

The United States on Tuesday imposed freshRussiaand Belarus-related sanctions, including on a Russian judge and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, according to the US Treasury Department website.

NATO concerned Moscow could stage "false flag" operation in Ukraine: Stoltenberg

NATO is concernedRussiamight use chemical weapons in a "false flag" attack as part of its invasion of Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. "We are concerned Moscow could stage a false flag operation in Ukraine, possibly with chemical weapons," Stoltenberg told a press conference.

NATO chief said that China must condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine

Russia calls for UN Security Council vote Wednesday on 'humanitarian' resolution: Diplomats

Russia drafting thousands in Syria for Ukraine war: Monitor

Russiahas drawn up lists of 40,000 fighters from Syrian army and allied militias to be put on standby for deployment in Ukraine, a war monitor said Tuesday.

The Kremlin said last week that volunteers, including from Syria, were welcome to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.

Ukraine resumes talks with Russia amid continued shelling

The Ukrainian negotiator said that talks with Russia over ceasefire and withdrawal of troops have resumed, amid continued reports of shelling and deaths.

Civilians continue to drive out of Mariupol as humanitarian corridors pave way for safe passage

Zelenskyy says Ukraine must accept fact that it won't join NATO, reports Sputnik

PM Modi interacts with embassy officials, community organisations involved in Ukraine evacuation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an interaction on Tuesday with embassy officials and community organisations involved in the evacuation of Indians from war-hit Ukraine, sources said, according to a PTI report. Union ministers Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and V K Singh, who as "special envoys" of India had been sent to countries neighbouring Ukraine to facilitate the evacuation of Indians smoothly followingRussia's attack, also participated in the meeting.

97 children killed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine

As many as 97 children have been killed and over 100 children injured since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported. At least five children die under shelling every day.

(The Kyiv Independent)

Allies join G7's WTO stance towards Russia: EU trade chief

Nine other countries have joined the G7 nations in stripping Moscow of its privileged trade treatment followingRussia's invasion of Ukraine, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday.

US has assured sanctions will not hinder cooperation within framework of the Iran nuclear deal, says Lavrov

Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov says that US' accusations that Russia is blocking Iranian nuclear deal are untrue. He said that Russia has received written assurances from the US that sanctions will not hinder cooperation within the framework of the Iran nuclear deal.

Death toll from strike on TV tower rises to 19

As many as 19 people have died from the strike on the TV tower near Rivne in Ukraine. Dismantlement of the destroyed building continues, authorities said.

(KyivPost)

New UK sanctions target Russian luxury goods, steel and iron

The UK government on Tuesday imposed an additional 35 per cent import tariff on a swathe of Russian goods, including vodka, and banned exports of luxury products because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.Iron, steel, wood, copper, aluminium, silver, lead, iron ore and beverages are among the Russian imports that will face the higher tariffs, the government said.

China says it's 'impartial' on Ukraine, denies aiding Russia

China on Tuesday said its stance on the Ukraine conflict is “completely objective, impartial and constructive,” and repeated accusations the US is spreading misinformation over reports Beijing has responded positively to a Russian request for military supplies.

Beijing has refused to criticiseRussiaover its invasion of Ukraine, or even to refer to the conflict as a “war”.

A view of a destroyed shoe factory in the aftermath of a missile attack, amid Russia's invasion, inDnipro, Ukraine. (Reuters Photo)

'Massive destruction' at Dnipro airport after shelling, reports AFP quoting Ukrainian authorities.

Evacuation corridors to open in Ukraine's Sumy region

Ukrainian authorities said that evacuation corridors will operate from four cities in the Sumy region, where heavy fighting has continued since Russia's war started on February 24. (IANS)

New Zealand offers visas to 4,000 Ukraine war refugees

New Zealand will offer 4,000 special visas to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine if they have family in the southern hemisphere nation, its government said Tuesday.

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said it was New Zealand's largest special visa category in decades in support of an international aid effort.

Over 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, according to UN estimates. (AFP)

Two dead in strike on Kyiv housing block: emergency service

A strike on a housing block in Kyiv killed at least two people on Tuesday, the emergency service said as several areas of the capital came under attack.

"The bodies of two people were recovered, 27 people were rescued," Ukraine's emergency service said on Facebook, adding that the 16-storey building was located in the Sviatoshynsky district in western Kyiv. (AFP)

Strikes on residential areas in Kyiv killed at least two people early on March 15, emergency services said, as Russian troops intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian capital. (AFP Photo)

Russian strikes hit apartment building in Kyiv

A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighbourhood of Ukraine's capital on Tuesday, igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue effort in a 15-story Kyiv apartment building.

At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside.

The Ukrainian military said in a statement that the strikes were artillery strikes. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. (AP)

Blasts rock Kyiv as talks with Russia to resume

A series of powerful explosions rocked Kyiv early Tuesday even as talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume.

At least three large blasts were heard in the centre of the capital early Tuesday, and an AFP journalist saw a column of smoke rising.

The cause was not immediately clear but Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko tweeted a photograph of smoke coming from a damaged block of flats, with firefighters in attendance.

Loud explosions heard in centre of Ukraine capital Kyiv

Zelenskyy submits bill to extend martial law in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyhas submitted a draft bill in Parliament calling for the extension of a martial law for another 30 days in the country as Russia continues its military onslaught against Kiev.

According to the Verkhovna Rada, or Parliament, the bill presented on Monday suggests the extension of the law from 5:30 amon March 26, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Zelenskyy first declared the martial law February after Russia launched its military invasion of Ukraine.

In a televised address to the nation, the President announced that all able-bodied men from 18-60 years old were not allowed to leave Ukraine as the country began a general mobilisation of all reserve forces. (IANS)

Two days later, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared a daily curfew from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The curfew was however, lifted on February 28.

UN says women pay highest price in conflict , now in Ukraine

Women and girls pay the highest price in all crises and conflicts from Myanmar and Afghanistan to the Sahel and Haiti, and “the horrifying war in Ukraine now joins that list,” the head of the U.N. women's agency said Monday.

Undersecretary-General Sima Bahous told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women's annual meeting that with every passing day the war is damaging the lives, hopes and futures of Ukrainian women and girls.

And, she added, the fact that it is between “two wheat and oil producing nations threatens food security and access to essential services the world over” and “this, too, will impact women and girls the hardest. (AP)

Power supply renewed to Ukraine's Chernobyl Plant

War could be over by May, says Ukrainian presidential adviser

The war in Ukraine is likely to be over by early May when Russia runs out of resources to attack its neighbour, Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, said late on Monday.

Talks between Kyiv and Moscow - in which Arestovich is not personally involved - have so far produced very few results other than several humanitarian corridors out of besieged Ukrainian cities.

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A person interrupts a live news bulletin onRussia's state TV "Channel One" holding up a sign that reads "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." at an unknown location inRussia. (Reuters Photo)

Biden expected to meet with NATO leaders in Brussels on Russia-Ukraine: Report

USPresident Joe Biden is expected to travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine, USand foreign sources familiar with the situation said on Monday. (Reuters)

A person take a picture of the Metropolitan Opera and the Ukrainian flag at Lincoln Center after attending "A Concert For Ukraine" in New York City.Ticket sales from the benefit performance will support Ukrainian citizens and relief efforts. (AFP Photo)

Ukraine has evacuated 548,000 people since invasion began: Minister

Ukraine has evacuated 548,000 civilians since Russia invaded it on Feb. 24, the country’s Deputy Interior Minister YevheniyYeninsaid in a televised interview on Monday.

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Moscow says 23 dead in Donetsk after Ukraine attack

Russia said Monday that an attack by Kyiv's forces on the separatist stronghold of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine had left 23 people dead, with the military accusing Kyiv of committing a "war crime".

Moscow accused Ukraine's army of firing a Tochka-U missile at a residential area in Donetsk, in one of the most serious attacks on the city since Russia sent troops into Ukraine over two weeks ago.

Ukraine-Russia talks to continue Tuesday: Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late on Monday that negotiations with Russia are to continue on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy also said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as part of a negotiation effort to end the war with Russia "with a fair peace."