LIVE updates: Ukraine agrees for talks with Russia on Belarus border
News live updates: As the West imposed more crippling sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, 240 more Indian nationals returned home safely. Catch all the live updates here
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100,000 in Berlin protest Ukraine invasion
14 students back to Hyderabad from Ukraine
PM Modi to preside high-level meeting on Ukraine crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday, official sources said.
He is expected to preside over the meeting immediately upon his return from Uttar Pradesh, where he addressed rallies as part of the BJP's campaign for the state assembly polls.
A large number of Indians, mostly students, have been stuck in Ukraine following Russia's attack on the country. India has begun evacuating them, and over 900 people have been brought back since Saturday.
Modi has also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, with India calling for dialogue to defuse the crisis.
Kremlin: Israel has offered to mediate peace
The Kremlin says Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has offered to help broker an end to fighting in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Bennett told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call on Sunday that Israel is ready to play mediator. It didn't say whether the Russian leader accepted the offer.
The Kremlin said Putin told Bennet that Russia has sent a delegation to Gomel in southern Belarus to conduct peace talks with Ukrainian officials, who have refused to come. Ukrainian officials described the Russian move as a manipulation, noting that Ukraine hasn't agreed to hold talks in Belarus.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the country's readiness for peace talks but said that they can't be held in Moscow's ally Belarus, which has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion that began Thursday.
Kremlin: Israel has offered to mediate peace
The Kremlin says Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has offered to help broker an end to fighting in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Bennett told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call on Sunday that Israel is ready to play mediator. It didn't say whether the Russian leader accepted the offer.
The Kremlin said Putin told Bennet that Russia has sent a delegation to Gomel in southern Belarus to conduct peace talks with Ukrainian officials, who have refused to come. Ukrainian officials described the Russian move as a manipulation, noting that Ukraine hasn't agreed to hold talks in Belarus.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the country's readiness for peace talks but said that they can't be held in Moscow's ally Belarus, which has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion that began Thursday.
Putin praises his special forces for 'heroically carrying out their military duties'
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday praised his country's special forces for "heroically carrying out their military duties" in a new televised address, Daily Mail reported.
Putin gave his "special gratitude" for troops involved in the "special operation to provide assistance to the people's republics of Donbas" - a reference to the Kremlin's propaganda line that it intervened in Ukraine to help pro-Russian separatists who were at risk of 'genocide' at the hands of the legitimate government, the report said.
Putin spoke to mark the annual day of Special Operations Forces (SOF), as his huge forces appeared to be stepping up their battle to crush Ukrainian resistance amid mounting Russian losses.
The Kremlin has so far not declared any fatalities from the fighting, although the head of the Dagestan regional government recently offered his condolences to the family of a slain paratrooper in what may have been a case of going off script.
Russian forces on Sunday entered Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv after failing in their overnight efforts to seize control of the capital city of Kyiv - as Ukraine's President said his country were ready for peace talks.
Footage shared on social media Sunday morning showed Russian's army trucks rolling through the city of 1.41 million people, which sits in Eastern Ukraine close to the border with Russia, Daily Mail reported.
Soldiers were also seen marching through Kharkiv on foot, with a very dramatic clip showing Russians slowly advancing along a road before running and firing their guns as Ukrainians opened fire on them.
Walked along to reach Romanian border, says TN student back from Ukraine
Indian students had to walk for about 5-8 kilometers to reach the Romanian border from battle scarred Ukraine, a Tamil Nadu student who arrived from the eastern European nation said here on Sunday.
Notably, the Indian authorities facilitated quick evacuation to Romania and this helped avoid the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine, students said here on arrival.
A student of an institution in western Ukraine, Selvapriya said though the situation was relatively less tense in the western region, the Indian embassy evacuated students quickly to Romania to avoid peril in case the western side was also to witness escalation. "Since we were evacuated quickly, we escaped from the impact (of war), but a large number of students are stuck on the eastern side of Ukraine", she told reporters here at the airport.
She and other returnees said such stranded Indian students should be brought home safely and quickly. Belonging to Pudukottai District of Tamil Nadu, Selvapriya said several students from the western region have crossed the Romanian border and were on their way back home via Mumbai and Delhi.
On the experience of Indian students in reaching the Romanian border from Ukraine, she said there was heavy traffic congestion on the highway close to the border in the wake of war and they had to walk for about 5-8 kilometers to get out of Ukraine and reach Romania.
Another student said he and others faced hassles only till reaching the Romanian border and after that the journey back home was easy. While in Ukraine they had to face difficulty in accessing even food, he said. "We were however quickly evacuated from the war zone," he added. The students thanked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin for facilitating their return.
Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages
Belarusians cast ballots Sunday in a constitutional referendum that the country's authoritarian leader called to cement his 27-year old grip on power, even as he offers the country's territory to his ally Russia to invade Ukraine.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has edged even closer to Russia amid crippling Western sanctions over his crackdown on domestic protests, said he was confident that Belarusians will support a set of constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power until 2035.
The revised main law also sheds Belarus' neutral status, opening the way for stronger military cooperation with Russia, which deployed forces to Belarusian territory under the pretext of military drills and then sent them rolling into Ukraine as part of the invasion that began Thursday.
Some of those forces quickly closed in on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, located just 75 kilometers (less than 50 miles) south of the border.
In a video message Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked Belarusians for allowing their country to be used as a staging ground for the Russian invasion, adding that Ukrainian cities are facing an attack on a scale unseen since World War II when Belarus and Ukraine faced a Nazi invasion as parts of the Soviet Union.
Zelenskyy moves International Court of Justice against Russia
Ukraine has moved the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the Russian military operation that started in Ukraine on Thursday (local time) and urged the top court to order Russia to cease "hostilities".
Taking to Twitter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week."
"Ukraine has officially filed a lawsuit against Russia in the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague. We demand that Russia be held accountable for distorting the concept of genocide to justify aggression. We ask the court to immediately order Russia to cease hostilities and schedule a hearing next week," he added.
Amid ongoing tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said that Russia must be isolated diplomatically and financially.
Earlier, he also spoke with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili and Prime Minister of Czech Republic Petr Fiala about the current situation.
Notably, Zelenskyy, in a phone conversation, thanked Andrzej Duda, President of Poland for his personal leadership in granting Ukraine membership in the EU.
In a tweet, Zelensky also said that he had thanked the Pope for his prayers, adding that "the Ukrainian people feel the spiritual support of His Holiness."
Steps under way to bring remaining Karnataka students from Ukraine safely: CM Bommai
Amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said that measures are being taken to bring the remaining students of the state back home safely from Ukraine.
Speaking to media persons after paying floral tributes to former Chief Minister K Chengalaraya Reddy's statues on his death anniversary, Bommai said, "The students who were in the western part of Ukraine have arrived in India through Romania. They are being brought to Bengaluru from Mumbai and Delhi. The Disaster Management department is taking care of their travel and other needs to reach home."
The Chief Minister further said that his government is in constant contact with the Union Minister for External Affairs to bring the remaining students from Ukraine back safely.
"Helplines set up by the Union and State governments are in contact with the students and their parents. Most of the students are stranded in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. The war is on in the same region," he said.
The Chief Minister said that the students stranded in Ukraine have taken shelter in underground metro stations and bunkers.
"We have requested the External Affairs Minister to make arrangements for food and water for these students. The Union minister has assured all the measures for their safety and transit to India. State government officials are in constant contact with the authorities in this regard," Bommai said.
Queen Elizabeth postpones diplomatic reception amid Ukraine crisis
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has delayed a planned diplomatic reception next week at Windsor Castle on the advice of the Foreign Office, Buckingham Palace said on Sunday.
The 95-year-old monarch, who has previously cancelled her virtual engagements as she recovers from COVID-19, was due to host hundreds of ambassadors and high commissioners at the annual event on Wednesday.
According to reports, the reception has been called off over the conflict in Ukraine rather than for health reasons.
"The Queen has accepted the foreign secretary's advice that the diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 should be postponed," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The Queen was due to host members of the Diplomatic Corps in the UK at the reception. The news that it will not go ahead comes days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this week.
The monarch, meanwhile, is said to be carrying out light duties as she recovers from mild cold-like symptoms of COVID-19.
Her next scheduled public engagements are the annual Commonwealth Service in honour of Commonwealth forces who fought in world wars at Westminster Abbey in London on March 14.
Putin's days are numbered if he fails in Ukraine: UK Minister
UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Putin's "days are numbered" if he fails in Ukraine, with his campaign falling "well behind" its planned timeline and was facing several severe headwinds, Daily Mail Reported.
Heappey, a former major in the Rifles, said Putin's forces had been unable to capture key cities in the first few days of fighting as intended and had left pockets of 'well-armed' Ukrainians to the rear of their front line, the report said.
A picture is emerging of a haphazard and disorganised invasion effort, with armoured columns running out of fuel or getting lost, and some having to advance without air cover, Daily Mail reported.
Heappey wrote in the Telegraph: "After three days of intense fighting, spurred by dogged Ukrainian resistance, Russia is well behind its planned timeline."
"Progress to Kyiv has been much slower than they'd expected, they were unable to take key cities early and now must try to bypass them."
"This leaves pockets of well-armed and well-trained Ukrainians to the rear of the Russian front line, exposing a vulnerable logistics tail - an omen for what awaits Putin."
At the same time, Ukrainians are volunteering in their droves, with 'long queues' at recruitment centres, the minister wrote, Daily Mail reported.
Poland allows Indians evacuating war-torn Ukraine to enter without visas
Poland is allowing entry of all the Indian nationals evacuating conflict-ridden Ukraine in its country without visas, said the Poland Embassy in India on Sunday.
Ambassador of Poland to India, Adam Burakowski shared the information on his Twitter handle. Taking to Twitter, Burakowski said, "Poland is allowing to enter without any visa all Indian students who escape from Russian aggression in Ukraine."
The fourth flight has left Bucharest (Romania) for Delhi to bring back 198 stranded Indians from Ukraine safely under 'operation Ganga', External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said on Sunday.
"Operation Ganga continues. The fourth flight has left to bring our 198 Indians from Bucharest to Delhi safely," Jaishankar said in a Tweet.
Earlier in a Tweet, the Foreign Minister said that the third flight to Delhi with 240 Indian nationals has taken off from Hungary's Budapest under Operation Ganga.
"The third flight of #OperationGanga with 240 Indian nationals has taken off from Budapest for Delhi," he said tweeted.
Amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts.
So far, a total of 469 Indian nationals have been evacuated from war-hit Ukraine, out of which 250 landed in Delhi on Sunday morning and 219 landed in Mumbai on Saturday evening.
In an advisory to Indian nationals on Saturday, the embassy stressed that the situation at various border checkpoints is sensitive and it is working continuously with Embassies in the neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of our citizens.
Ukrainian men return from abroad to fight Russian invasion
While tens of thousands of refugees are leaving Ukraine amid Russia's attack on the country, some Ukrainian men and women are returning home from across Europe to help defend their homeland.
At the checkpoint in Medyka, in southeastern Poland, many were standing in a line early Sunday to cross into Ukraine.
"We have to defend our homeland. Who else if not us, said a moustachioed man in front of a group of some 20 Ukrainian truck drivers walking to the checkpoint to enter Ukraine. They came from across Europe to return to Ukraine. They spoke to The Associated Press in Ukrainian and in Russian.
Another man in the group said: The Russians should be afraid. We are not afraid."
Members of the group declined to give their names, or only gave their first names, citing their security and that of their families.
A woman in her 30s who gave her first name, Lesa, spoke to the AP just before entering the checkpoint building. I am afraid, but I am a mother and want to be with my children. What can you do? It's scary but I have to."
Another young woman said she, too, was returning to take care of her children, so that Ukrainian men can defend the country.
We have to, we Ukrainians have to take our children away ... to allow our boys to fight, she said.
At least 150,000 people have fled Ukraine into Poland and other neighbouring countries in the wake of the Russian invasion, the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, said Saturday. It did not give the figures for those going to Ukraine.
Stranded Jharkhand student in Ukraine seeks BJP MP's help for safe return
A student from Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district, stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine, has appealed to former Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha to initiate necessary action to ensure the safe return of him and his three mates.
Danish Hassan and three other students from the district are pursuing studies in different medical universities in the East European country.
"I have received a message from Danish Hassan that he got stuck at the Poland border and the Russian Army was not allowing them to proceed further," Sinha, the BJP MP from Hazaribagh, said in a statement.
Sinha said he has already forwarded the message to the Ministry of External Affairs and marked a copy to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.
The BJP leader asserted he would leave no stone unturned to ensure their safe return.
Earlier, the parents of the three other students had appealed to the Indian government for making arrangements to bring back their wards from Ukraine.
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First Published: Feb 27 2022 | 6:40 AM IST
