▪️Czech Rep to close Russian consulates in Karlovy Vary and Brno – Czech PM
The prime minister also announced the Czech Republic has suspended the work of its Russian consulates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
The country also suspends issuing visas to Russian citizens.
▪️Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is not the beginning of a war, but the prevention of a global war – Foreign Ministry spox Maria Zakharova
▪️Russian MoD: Armed forces strikes have disabled 74 Ukrainian military ground infrastructures – including 11 airfields
▪️Ukrainian FM Dimitry Kuleba calls on all partners to “sever diplomatic relations with Russia”
▪️Telegram suffers “unprecedented load” – Durov
Due to today’s events in Ukraine, the European Telegram cluster has faced an unprecedented load according to founder Pavel Durov.
“As a result, some users may experience periodic short-term interruptions in the operation of a number of Telegram services. We understand that today people need reliable communication with their loved ones more than ever, and we are doing everything possible to maintain a high speed of sending and receiving messages.”
▪️Strong DDoS Cyberattack Targets RT
Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan has confirmed the DDoS attack on the news agency.
RT has been able to repel the hit on their servers.
▪️Ukrainian Army claim battle underway for control of airbase near Kiev (AFP)
▪️President Zelensky claims fighting breaks out near Chernobyl nuclear facility
The Ukrainian president has taken to Twitter to post, “Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.”
Zelensky said his troops are defending the facility and he had reported the alleged attack to the Swedish PM. “This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” the president added.
▪️”The special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine is not the beginning of a war, but the desire to prevent a global war” – the Russian Foreign Ministry
▪️Turkey stated that Russia’s “attack” on Ukraine violates international law, Ankara will continue to support the political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
▪️The Ministry of Defense of Belarus called fake reports about the participation of the Belarusian military in the operation in Ukraine
▪️Ukraine has applied to the EU with a request for emergency assistance within the framework of the EU civil protection mechanism
▪️The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine claims that all authorities remain in the government quarter in Kiev
▪️French President Macron believes that Russia’s actions in Ukraine violate the UN Charter
▪️”The actions of the Russian Federation make dialogue impossible, sanctions against Moscow will be very tough” – Italian Prime Minister Draghi
“At the moment there are no communications between the EU and the Russian Federation” – the head of the European Diplomacy Borrel
▪️The head of the German Bundestag Committee on Defense: “There will be no military confrontation between NATO and Russia.
▪️”EU sanctions against Russia will affect the military, economic and energy spheres” – Macron
▪️Israel has condemned Russia’s military operation in Ukraine
▪️The European Union is ready to accept refugees from Ukraine to the EU, the head of the European Commission said
▪️The European Telegram cluster has faced an unprecedented load (due to the events in Ukraine), Pavel Durov reports.
“As a result, some users may experience periodic short-term interruptions in the operation of a number of Telegram services.”
▪️Sirens are sounding again in Kiev
▪️ One of the APU tank columns near Kherson is completely destroyed
▪️Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: “The Russian military shot down a Ukrainian combat helicopter and four attack drones. As a result of Russian strikes, 74 ground objects of Ukraine’s military infrastructure were put out of action, including 11 Air Force airfields, 3 command posts, a naval base and 18 radar stations of the S-300 and Buk-M1 air defense systems
▪️Shoigu gave special instructions to all unit commanders to treat captured Ukrainian servicemen with respect – Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
▪️An air alert has been declared in Lviv, where most of the embassies that left Kiev over the past two weeks have moved – Mass media
▪️A photo appeared on the Euromaidan Twitter account of the allegedly 7th downed aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which turned out to be an F-16 fighter of the US Air Force that crashed at an air show
▪️Zelensky announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia, comparing it with fascist Germany, and introduced a bill on general mobilization to the Rada. He also calls on Russians to come out to rallies against the war with Ukraine
▪️The Minister of Defense of Ukraine announced that the country is going into full combat defense mode
▪️In Poland, refugee reception points are being deployed in two regions on the border with Ukraine
▪️The German Chancellor has called a meeting of the Security Council because of the events in Ukraine
▪️Bloomberg: The EU plans to impose sanctions against Putin personally
▪️”There are wounded and dead among the militia and civilians in the DPR” – Pushilin
▪️Reuters: “A powerful explosion thundered in Kiev”
▪️Belgium supports the suspension of visas for all Russians
▪️British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called an emergency NATO summit. He will make a special address on the situation in Ukraine
▪️The Russian ruble is growing and has played a significant part of the morning fall against the dollar and euro
▪️Former Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern announced that he was terminating his membership in the Board of Directors of Russian Railways
▪️ Japanese airlines cancel flights to Moscow
▪️By Putin’s decision, the Russian Armed Forces have launched a special military operation to protect the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, the Russian Defense Ministry reports
▪️Lukashenka on the recognition of the LPR and the DPR: we have this issue on the agenda and in the near future we will do as we and Russia need
▪️China has officially refused to condemn Russia’s actions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it was necessary to take into account the “legitimate concerns” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and recalled the sale of American weapons to Kiev. “According to the Chinese side, Russia is independent and can determine the strategy based on its own interests,” Hua Chunying said.
▪️ Officially: China will continue strategic relations with Russia
▪️According to intelligence data, individual units and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are leaving their positions en masse, throwing weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry said
▪️Russian troops took control of the Kakhovskaya HPP
▪️The Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin called on the citizens of Ukraine not to participate in the mobilization and ask their loved ones serving in the armed forces of Ukraine to lay down their arms
▪️The Zelensky administration said that the stock of products in retail stores will only last for 15-20 days
▪️NATO considers Russia’s actions to threaten Euro-Atlantic security and is deploying additional defensive land and air forces in the eastern direction.
▪️Putin, in a special address to the Russians, announced that he had decided on a special military operation in the Donbass, he called the demilitarization of Ukraine the purpose of the operation and called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms.
In a number of cities on the border of Russia and Ukraine, local residents report explosions. It looks like we are talking about launching multiple rocket launchers. Also, the network has footage of explosions captured by eyewitnesses. Ukrainians write in social networks that “Russia is bombing the cities of Ukraine.” Explosions are heard in Kharkiv, Kiev, Mariupol, Odessa. It is reported that Boryspil airport is under attack.
China believes that diplomatic measures for the peaceful settlement of the conflict over Ukraine have not yet been exhausted
▪️ Ukraine demanded that the EU immediately disconnect Russia from the SWIFT banking system
During his televised speech, Putin addressed the Ukrainian military, calling on the soldiers of the armed forces of Ukraine to lay down their weapons and go home
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to Putin to stop the Russian military from attacking Ukraine
▪️Oil is getting more expensive against the background of events in Ukraine
Biden to Putin: “The world will call Russia to account”
It is expected that Solovyov’s YouTube channel, as well as his other social networks, may be blocked as a result of US personal sanctions. The same goes for Simonyan
Putin warns that any attempts by foreign states to interfere in Russia’s actions will lead to “consequences they have never seen”
Biden announced sanctions against the Russian gas pipeline “Nord Stream-2”
▪️President of Ukraine Zelensky announced the introduction of martial law throughout the country
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Putin in a telephone conversation that Turkey does not recognize any actions directed against the sovereignty of Ukraine and warned against a military conflict. The Erdogan administration views Russia’s special operation as a “military intervention.”
▪️”The armed forces of Russia do not strike at the cities of Ukraine, the civilian population is not in danger” – from the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
▪️ Residents of Kazakhstan are being evacuated from Ukraine
▪️ Lukashenko said that the situation along the perimeter of the western and southern borders of Belarus has changed
The fall in the stock indices of the Russian Federation reached 29-36%, many stocks fell to the lower price levels set by the exchange
“The EU will impose sanctions against strategic sectors of the Russian economy, blocking access to key technologies and markets,” the head of the European Commission said
Ukraine claims that at least 7 people were killed as a result of shelling, 9 injured