NEW YORK (1010 WINS/AP) -- Russia’s war on Ukraine entered its sixth day Tuesday, with a 40-mile-long convoy of Russian tanks and armored vehicles inching closer to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as fighting intensified on the ground. Russian shelling pounded Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, and other civilian targets Tuesday as Ukraine’s president accused Moscow of resorting to terror tactics to press Europe’s largest ground war in generations. The Russian defense minister vowed Tuesday to press the offensive until it achieves its goals, after a first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting.
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
5:47 p.m. Biden set to blast Russian President Vladimir Putin for his 'premeditated and unprovoked' war in 1st State of the Union address
Among the many topics and key themes set to be addressed during his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden will spend a portion of Tuesday night discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” Biden is prepared to say during Tuesday night's address. “They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.”
“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked," he's expected to add. "He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.“
4:25 p.m. - US cautions Russia has not used full force in Ukraine yet
The U.S. on Tuesday injected a strong note of caution into the persistent reports that Russian military progress — including by the massive convoy outside Kyiv — has slowed, plagued by food and fuel shortages and logistical problems.
One senior Defense official said that the U.S. has seen Russian military columns literally run out of gas, and in some places running out of food, and that morale is suffering as a result.
But the official added that it is important to be pragmatic. The Russians still have a significant amount of combat power that has not yet been tapped, and “they will regroup, they will adjust, they will change their tactics.”
4:05 p.m. - Apple pauses product sales in Russia after invasion, 'call for peace' in Ukraine
Apple said it is "deeply concerned" about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that it has taken a number of actions amid the conflict.
"We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence," the tech giant said in a statement. "We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region."
They continued, "We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens."
"We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace," the spokesperson added.
3:45 p.m. - UN's top court schedules hearings next week into request by Ukraine for the court to order Moscow to halt its invasion
The United Nations’ International Court of Justice has scheduled hearings next week into a request by Ukraine for the court to order Moscow to halt its invasion.
Kyiv filed a case with the International Court of Justice on Saturday accusing Russia of planning genocide in Ukraine and asking for urgent “provisional measures” instructing Moscow to halt hostilities.
Lawyers for Ukraine will present arguments March 7 supporting its request. Russia’s lawyers will be given time to respond on March 8.
Ahead of the hearings, the court’s president, U.S. Judge Joan E. Donoghue, sent an urgent message Tuesday to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underscoring the necessity for Russia to “act in such a way as will enable any order the Court may make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriate effects.”
3:15 p.m. - Russian attack damages Holocaust memorial in Kyiv
Holocaust remembrance organizations in Israel are condemning a Russian attack that inflicted damage to the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, the site of a massacre of more than 33,000 Jews by Nazi Germany in 1941. It is located on the outskirts of Kyiv and adjacent to the city's TV tower, where Ukrainian authorities said a Russian attack killed five people.
The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial's chairman, Natan Sharansky, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "seeks to distort and manipulate the Holocaust to justify an illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic country is utterly abhorrent. It is symbolic that he starts attacking Kyiv by bombing the site of the Babyn Yar, the biggest of Nazi massacres."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on Twitter.
"To the world: what is the point of saying «never again» for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed History repeating…," he tweeted.
3:00 p.m.- Mayor Eric Adams supports vote by Police Pension Fund to divest from Russian assets
Mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday that he supports the vote by the Police Pension Fund to divest from Russian securities.
"Freedom cannot be denied, here or anywhere. That’s why I stand in support of efforts to divest the city’s pension funds from Russian assets in light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine — an unprovoked and unjustified war," he said in a statement.
"This is not about penalizing the Russian people, but about holding President Putin and his government accountable for violating a nation’s sovereignty and inflicting widespread suffering on its people," he continued. "Our administration is committed to standing with Ukrainians and refugees here and abroad while doing all we can to advance peace, in collaboration with the community and our federal partners."
The vote Tuesday puts forward a resolution allowing Comptroller Brad Lander "to carry out the divestment of the Fund’s investments in securities issued by Russian companies, beginning with those identified by the United States government as financing, supporting or enabling the Putin regime."
1:55 p.m. - White House says Biden, Zelenskyy talked about ‘sustained help for Ukraine’
President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone to discuss the United States’ “continued backing for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
“President Biden underscored the United States’ sustained help for Ukraine, including ongoing deliveries of security assistance, economic support, and humanitarian aid,” the readout said.
“The leaders discussed how the United States, along with Allies and partners, is working to hold Russia accountable, including by imposing sanctions that are already having an impact on the Russian economy,” the statement continued. “The leaders discussed Russia’s escalation of attacks on sites used by civilians in Ukraine, including today’s bombing near Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial.”
Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy tweeted that he had spoken with Biden and thanked the U.S. for its support.
Biden is expected to address the war in Ukraine at his State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
1:45 p.m. - Russia, Ukraine will reportedly hold more talks Wednesday
Russia and Ukraine will hold a second round of talks Wednesday, two days after the first round of talks yielded no stop to the fighting.
A source on the Russian side told Russia's TASS news agency that the talks were planned for Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Government delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for talks in southeastern Belarus on Monday, but the talks didn’t appear to result in any tangible outcome as violence continued across Ukraine Tuesday.
1:30 p.m. - US, allies agree to release 60M barrels of oil from reserves as oil prices soar
The International Energy Agency’s 31 member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves — half of that from the United States.
Tuesday’s decision by the board of the Paris-based IEA is meant “to send a strong message to oil markets” that there will be “no shortfall in supplies” after Russia invaded Ukraine.
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement that President Joe Biden approved a commitment of 30 million barrels and that the U.S. is ready to “take additional measures” if needed.
Russia plays an outsized role in global energy markets as the third-largest oil producer.
While Western sanctions have not targeted Russia’s energy industry so far, the invasion has still shaken markets worldwide. Oil prices soared Tuesday. with U.S. benchmark crude surpassing $100 per barrel — the highest price since 2014.
1:00 p.m. - Estimated 5,000 Russian soldiers killed or captured so far: intelligence official
A senior Western intelligence official briefed by multiple intelligence agencies estimated Tuesday that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers have been captured or killed so far, and that Ukrainian forces have eliminated significant numbers of Russian aircraft and tanks and some air defense systems.
The official said that Russian forces have increased use of artillery north of Kyiv and around the eastern city of Kharkiv and northern city of Chernihiv, and have been using heavier weapons over the last 48 hours.
The official also said that Russian forces are bogging down in the Donbas region in the east, where most Ukrainian forces are concentrated after eight years fighting Russian-backed separatists there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence assessment.
Overall death tolls from the fighting remain unclear.
12:50 p.m. - Ukraine’s president speaks with Biden ahead of State of the Union address
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, hours before the U.S. president is set to deliver his first State of the Union address.
“Just had a conversation with @POTUS,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “The American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine was discussed. We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible. Thank you for your support!”
11:30 a.m. - Explosion rocks Kyiv TV Tower, channels stop broadcasting
A photo shows smoke rising over the Kyiv TV Tower after the Ukrainian parliament said the area was hit by Russian forces.
Ukraine’s parliament tweeted a photo showing clouds of smoke around the 1,263-foot tower, which broadcasts radio and TV and is taller than the Eiffel Tower. The tower is a couple miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings.
Ukraine’s State Service for Emergency Situations said the strikes on the TV tower killed five people and left five more wounded.
Local media reported that there were several explosions and that Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting shortly afterward. Video appeared to capture one of the explosions.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an electrical substation powering the tower and a control room on the tower were damaged from the hit.
Ukrainian officials said the country's main Holocaust memorial was another civilian site targeted by Russian forces Tuesday.
The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak, said on Facebook that a “powerful missile attack on the territory where the (Babi) Yar memorial complex is located” is underway.
Babi Yar, a ravine in Kyiv, is where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed within 48 hours in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation. The killing was carried out by SS troops along with local collaborators.
9:45 a.m. - Video shows bombing of Freedom Square in Ukraine's No. 2 city, Kharkiv
Video (above) shows a massive explosion next to the towering Soviet-era administrative building on Kharkiv’s central Freedom Square.
The building reportedly houses the City Hall of Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second largest city. The BBC reported that an opera house, concert hall and government offices were bombed.
A member of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said in a video posted to Facebook: "As a result of artillery shelling, a state administration building and adjacent building were damaged. People are trapped under the rubble. The head of rescue operations has learned that over 20 people have been wounded."
The explosion came as Kharkiv was pounded by shelling from the Russian military Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkiv’s main square “frank, undisguised terror,” blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. “Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget. ... This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation.”
8:30 a.m. - Amid Western sanctions, Russian official warns ‘economic wars’ often turn into ‘real ones’
A senior Russian official has launched a new stark warning over its sanctions against his country for its war in Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, was retorting to a comment by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday that the European Union was going to unleash an all-out economic and financial war against Russia.
“Today, some French minister has said that they declared an economic war on Russia,” said Medvedev, who served as placeholder president in 2008-2012 when Vladimir Putin had to shift into the prime minister’s post because of term limits. “Watch your tongue, gentlemen! And don’t forget that in human history, economic wars quite often turned into real ones,” Medvedev said on Twitter.
8:00 a.m. - RT indicates its Instagram account has been restricted across Europe
RT News, a Russian state-controlled international television network, said that its Instagram account has been “blocked” in more than two dozen European countries.
“Instagram’s censorship mirrors Facebook's restriction of RT pages,” RT tweeted along with a screenshot purportedly showing an email it had received from Instagram.
The apparent email from Facebook-owned Instagram reads: “Because of an order from the government, court or other authority, access to your account has been restricted in this region.” The email includes a list of 27 European countries.
Meanwhile, Google said Tuesday that it was blocking the YouTube channels of RT and another Russian media outlet, Sputnik, in Europe due to the war in Ukraine. Google said in a statement that the decision will be “effective immediately.” But the company added that “it’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up.”
7:30 a.m. - Russian military shelling Ukraine’s No. 2 city Kharkiv
Ukrainian authorities say the center of the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, has been hit by renewed Russian shelling.
Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said the administration building in the center of the city came under Russian shelling Tuesday along with residential buildings. Sinehubov didn’t give any specific numbers of casualties from the latest shelling.
Previously, Sinehubov said at least 11 people were killed and scores of others were wounded in the shelling in Kharkiv on Monday.
He said Ukrainian troops are fending off Russian attempts to advance on the city of 1.4 million people.
Videos posted on Ukrainian social networks and media showed a massive explosion next to the towering Soviet-era administrative building on Kharkiv’s central square hitting several cars parked in front of it, shattering windows but leaving the building largely intact.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkiv’s main square “frank, undisguised terror,” blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. “Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget. ... This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation.”
Meanwhile, more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, the head of the region wrote on Telegram. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble.
Satellite photos show a convoy of Russian forces north of Ukraine's capital stretching for 40 miles. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles from the center of Kyiv and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies. The Maxar photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus.
6:00 a.m. - Russia says it will continue Ukraine offensive ‘until it achieves its stated goals’
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says that the military will keep pressing its offensive in Ukraine “until it achieves its stated goals,” charging that the attack is intended to “protect" his country from a military threat from Western countries, "which are trying to use the Ukrainian people in the fight against our country.”
Shoigu reaffirmed on Tuesday that the Russian military “strikes only military facilities and uses exclusively precision weapons” despite abundant evidence documented by the AP of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools and hospitals across Ukraine.
5:30 a.m. - Russia denies using cluster munitions, striking civilian areas
The Kremlin has denied that the Russian military has used cluster munitions in Ukraine and insisted that the Russian forces only have struck military targets.
Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Tuesday that “the Russian troops don’t conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas.” Peskov’s claim contradicts abundant evidence documented by the AP of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools, and hospitals across Ukraine.
Peskov also rejected the accusations that the Russian military has used cluster munitions and devastating vacuum weapons, dismissing them as fabrications.
Speaking in a conference call with reporters, he wouldn’t respond to questions about whether the Kremlin is happy with the pace of the offensive and wouldn’t comment on Russian military casualties.
The Russian Defense Ministry said for the first time Monday that it has suffered losses but didn’t name any numbers.
5:15 a.m. - Russia’s economy will “collapse” amid sanctions, French minister says
French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said Tuesday on France Info radio that Western sanctions are “going to cause the Russian economy to collapse.”
“Russia’s foreign exchange reserves are disappearing into thin air and Vladimir Putin’s notorious war chest is all but empty,” Le Maire said Tuesday on France Info radio. “The market is collapsing. Inflation is rising. We’re going to see lines of Russian people trying to withdraw cash from their banks.”
5:00 a.m. - Google blocks YouTube channel of RT in Europe
Google is blocking the YouTube channels of Russian broadcasters RT and Sputnik in Europe due to the war in Ukraine.
Google said in a statement Tuesday on Twitter that the decision will be “effective immediately.” But the company added that “it’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up.”
“Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action,” Google said.
4:45 a.m. - UN says 660,000 people have fled Ukraine since last week
The U.N. refugee agency says that about 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began.
The number, given on Tuesday, was up from a count of more than 500,000 a day earlier.
Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva that “at this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century.”
She said the agency is urging governments to continue allowing access to all those who are fleeing, including third-country nationals living in Ukraine who are forced to escape the violence. She added: “We stress that there must be no discrimination against any person or group.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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