KYIV, Ukraine — A senior Ukrainian official says about 20,000 people have managed to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a deputy head of office of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the evacuees left Mariupol in private vehicles via a humanitarian corridor on Tuesday.
He said that 570 of some 4,000 vehicles that left the city have reached the city of Zaporizhzhia some 260 kilometers (160 miles) northwest while others will spend the night in various towns along the way.
Mariupol, a strategic port city of 430,000 on the Sea of Azov, has been besieged by Russian troops for more than 10 days, facing heavy shelling that has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine.
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HERE ARE TODAY'S KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about Russia's invasion
— Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv, as a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital city
— The European Union has imposed new sanctions, including measures that target Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich
— The leaders of three European Union countries have traveled to Kyiv
— Fox News says one of its video journalists was killed in Ukraine when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by incoming fire
Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for updates throughout the day.
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY:
WASHINGTON — Russian ground troops have made limited progress over the last 24 hours in their effort to seize major cities in Ukraine, a senior defense official said Tuesday.
And as deadly airstrikes continue, the U.S. has seen indications that Russia may believe it needs more troops and supplies than it has on hand in the country, and is considering ways to get resources brought in, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. military assessments.
The official did not elaborate on the indications, and said that as of Tuesday, however, there has been no actual movement of reinforcement troops currently in Russia going into Ukraine.
According to the official, Russian ground forces are still about 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) northwest of Kyiv and 20-30 kilometers (12-19 miles) east of the city, which is being increasingly hit by long-range strikes. The official said Ukrainian troops continue to put up stiff resistance in Kharkiv and other areas.
Russia has launched more than 950 missiles so far in the war, and both Russia and Ukraine still retain about 90% of their combat power, the official said.
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Associated Press Writer Lolita Bandor contributed to this report.
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MEDYKA, Poland — Refugees continued to pour into Poland on Tuesday at a border crossing connecting Ukraine to the Polish village of Medyka.
Ludmila Deslichenko, 41, traveled from Cherkasy in central Ukraine.
“We would like to go back home as soon as the war ends and when there’s peace,” Deslichenko said. “It was very terrifying. There were bombs during the day, also rockets, everywhere in Ukraine. There were a lot of explosions. As soon as it calms down and the war is over, we will go back.”
Oksana Voloshen, 59, said she crossed the border to buy groceries to bring back to Mostyska in far western Ukraine.
“We have nothing in the shops,” she said.
Nicolas Kusiak, who leads NGOs and volunteers at the Medyka border crossing, said that while they’re seeing mostly refugees entering Poland, some are headed the other way.
“We have a lot of military, ex-military from all over the world, the (United) States, U.K., Germany, Denmark, even Poland, joining the international legion,” Kusiak said.
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KYIV, Ukraine — A senior aide to Ukraine’s president says that Russia has softened its stance in the talks over a possible settlement.
Ihor Zhovkva, a deputy chief of staff to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Tuesday that the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives have become “more constructive” and Russia has changed tone and stopped airing demands for Ukraine to surrender — something Russia had insisted upon during earlier stages of talks.
Three rounds of talks in Belarus earlier this month have been followed by video calls between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, including the one on Tuesday.
Zhovkva said that Ukrainian representatives feel “moderately optimistic” after the talks, adding that it would be necessary for Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet to make major progress.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s foreign minister is traveling to Moscow as part of efforts to secure a cease-fire.
Mevlut Cavusoglu would hold talks in Moscow on Wednesday before traveling to Ukraine for talks on Thursday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.
In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan also said the Polish President Andrzej Duda would be visiting Turkey on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on the crisis.
Last week the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum organized by Turkey, although their talks failed to produce a breakthrough.
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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia’s Parliament has approved a NATO plan to deploy up to 2,100 troops on Slovak territory following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The plan is part of the NATO initiative to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank by sending forces to help protect them.
Germany is supposed to contribute the biggest number of soldiers, up to 700, to the multinational battlegroup. The Czech Republic follows with 600 and the U.S. will send up to 400. The Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia will also contribute troops.
Their deployment together with the Patriot air defense system will increase the defensive capabilities of Slovakia’s armed forces.
The alliance stationed troops in the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — and Poland after the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula by Russia. After Russia attacked Ukraine, NATO decided to boost its presence along the entire eastern flank by deploying forces in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
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MILAN — Italian museums said Tuesday that they had gotten a reprieve from a Russian request to immediately repatriate artworks on loan from the State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg.
The director of the State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg said in a message relayed Monday by the Hermitage Italia collection that an agreement had been reached with Russian cultural officials so that “the paintings of Titian and Picasso can continue to remain on the walls of museums,” at Palazzo Reale in Milan and the Fondazione Alda Fendi in Rome. The same goes for works on loan to the Gallerie d’Italia, owned by bank Intesa Sanpaolo, in Milan.
Russian cultural officials had requested the immediate repatriation of the works last week as cultural ties frayed along with the diplomatic tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Hermitage director general, Michail Piotrovsky, expressed regret “that cultural relations between our countries have collapsed into such ‘darkness.’ It can recover only if we conserve an atmosphere of good will and benevolence. We always repeat that the bridges of culture are the last to blow up. It is time to protect them.”
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BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he’s convened a summit for next week of the military organization’s 30 leaders to discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Stoltenberg says the March 24 summit will be led by U.S. President Joe Biden and “will address the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense in response to a new reality for our security.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden will travel to Brussels for the face-to-face talks with European leaders.
The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration’s support for NATO allies.
Stoltenberg said in a statement Tuesday that “at this critical time, North America and Europe must continue to stand together in NATO.” NATO has been bolstering its eastern flank with troops and equipment to deter Russia from invading any of its members. NATO refuses to deploy troops to Ukraine as it is concerned about sparking a wider war in Europe.
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An employee of Russian state television who interrupted a live news program by protesting the war in Ukraine was ordered to pay a fine by a Russian court Tuesday.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of the Russian Channel 1, walked into the studio during Monday’s evening news show with a poster saying “no war” and “Russians against the war.”
In a video recorded before her action, Ovsyannikova said that her father is Ukrainian and her mother Russian. She urged Russians to join anti-war protests and said that “Russia is the aggressor country and one person, Vlaidmir Putin, solely bears responsibility for that aggression.”
Ovsyannikova spent the night in police custody, and Moscow’s Ostankino District Court on Tuesday ordered Ovsyannikova to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles (about $270) on charges of organizing unsanctioned actions for her call to take part in demonstrations against the war.
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BRUSSELS — The European Union has slapped sanctions on Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia.
The EU included the Russian oligarch in its updated list of individuals facing assets freeze and travel bans over their role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The 55-year-old Abramovich had already been punished in Britain by Boris Johnson’s administration last week. The aluminum magnate was among seven wealthy Russians who had their assets frozen under British sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich has also been suspended as director of the Premier League club.
The EU said Abramovich “has had privileged access to the president, and has maintained very good relations with him. This connection with the Russian leader helped him to maintain his considerable wealth.”
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The Russian Foreign Ministry says Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Defense Minister Anita Anand and other Canadian officials have been put on a sanctions list.
The ministry said in Tuesday’s statement that they have been barred from entering Russia in retaliation to Canadian sanctions against the Russian leadership. The Russian sanctions also targeted Canadian lawmakers.
The ministry said the decision was a forced move taken in response to “hostile actions by the current Canadian regime that has long tested our patience.” The decision followed the announcement of Russian sanctions against U.S. President Joe Biden and senior members of his administration.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow is withdrawing from the Council of Europe.
The ministry said it handed a formal notice about Russia’s decision to leave the continent’s leading human rights organization to the Council of Europe’s Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on Tuesday.
It said the move followed the Council of Europe’s decision to suspend Russia’s membership that was taken on Feb. 25.
The ministry charged that the Council of Europe has become an instrument of exerting pressure on Russia and alleged that it has been heavily influenced by NATO and the European Union. It said in a statement that its withdrawal from the Council of Europe wouldn’t impact human rights and freedoms in the country, which officials said are safeguarded by the Russian constitution.
Russia’s invasion has sparked widespread allegations of war crimes, as hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been killed and numerous residential areas have been targeted by Russian troops.
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The Kremlin says that President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in Ukraine with European Council President Charles Michel.
The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin informed Michel about the Russian view of the talks with Ukraine in Tuesday’s call, adding that Ukrainian officials haven’t yet “demonstrated a serious intention to search for mutually acceptable solutions.”
Michel said on Twitter that he told Putin about the “urgent need to stop Russia’s fratricidal war against Ukraine” and emphasized that “indiscriminate shelling by Russian forces of Ukraine civilians must stop.” He added that “Russia must urgently enable humanitarian access and safe passage.
KYIV, Ukraine – A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood 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.
Flames shot out of the apartment building as firefighters rescued people from ladders. Smoke choked the air.
A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person died and that several have been rescued alive but others are still inside as rescuers try to reach them.
Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, the head of the Kyiv region Oleksiy Kuleba said on Ukrainian television.
Russian forces also renewed efforts Tuesday to capture the important port city of Mariupol in the south, and unleashed new artillery strikes on downtown Kharkiv in the east, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Facebook.
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TOKYO — Japan’s government is freezing the assets of 17 more Russian politicians tycoons and their relatives to step up sanctions and pressure Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine.
The list of sanction targets include 11 members of the Russian parliamentary chamber of Duma, banker Yuri Kovalchuk and his relatives, as well as billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of Renova Group, according to a statement jointly issued by the foreign, finance and trade ministries.
The move brings the number of Russians targeted by Japan’s asset freezes to 61.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday the additional steps were taken "in order to stop Russia’s invasion (of Ukraine) as soon as possible.”
Matsuno said Japan will cooperate with other Group of Seven nations and other international community to respond appropriately in case of further sanctions.
Japan has previously imposed sanctions against Russian central bank, seven private banks, and Russian and Belarusian individuals and groups. Tokyo also imposed an export ban to Russia of items including high technology equipment that may be used for military purposes.
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UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief warned Monday that Russia’s war on Ukraine is holding “a sword of Damocles” over the global economy, especially poor developing countries that face skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices and are now seeing their breadbasket “being bombed.”
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that “Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the world’s supply of sunflower oil and about 30 percent of the world’s wheat” and that “grain prices have already exceeded those at the start of the Arab Spring and the food riots of 2007-2008.”
He told reporters that 45 African and least developed countries import at least one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and 18 of them import at least 50%. These countries include Egypt, Congo, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, he said.
“All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe,” Guterres warned.
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations will continue Tuesday.
Speaking in a video address, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation did good work during Monday’s talks. He didn't provide further details.
He said he spoke Monday to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as part of efforts to “quickly end the war” and achieve “honest peace.” Bennett, who has sought to mediate a peaceful settlement, also spoke Monday to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy hailed a Russian state TV employee who interrupted the main evening news program on Russian Channel 1 by running into a studio with a poster against the war in Ukraine. The employee was later arrested by police.
The Ukrainian president again addressed the Russian soldiers, urging them to stop fighting and saying: “I’m offering you a chance to survive.”
In a bid to shore up the economy badly battered by the war, Zelenskyy announced a plan to sharply reduce taxes for business.
AP
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