Gunfire reportedly heard as Ukrainians rally in Kherson against Russia's occupation
NEW YORK (1010 WINS/AP) -- The war in Ukraine entered its 11th day on Sunday. The Ukrainian port city of Kherson was the first major city to fall into Russian control. Ukrainians are continuing to fight and protest against the occupation there. A mass exodus of Ukrainian refugees have fled west since the Russian invasion began. The United Nations refugee agency estimated over 1.5 million Ukrainians have left, a number that doesn't account for internally displaced civilians. The U.N. refugee agency commissioner called it "the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II." Efforts to evacuate civilians under temporary, regional cease fires have been foiled twice due to Russian shelling. Below the latest:
6:35 p.m.: Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters for urban combat in Ukraine, according to United States officials
Russia has been operating in Syria since 2015, and Putin is a key benefactor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
It is unclear how many Syrian recruits could be heading to Ukraine, but the U.S. believes some are already there.
American officials say Syrian recruits, who have years of experience fighting in urban settings, could help Russia capture and occupy Ukrainian cities.
5:47 p.m.: Netflix said Sunday that it’s suspending its service in Russia.
A statement from the company cited “circumstances on the ground” for its decision to suspend its Russian service but didn’t offer any additional details.
The announcement comes after TikTok said users on its platform in Russia have been blocked from posting and viewing videos shared from elsewhere in the world. American Express also announced earlier in the day it would suspend operations in Russia, as well as in Russian-allied Belarus.
4:10 p.m.: TikTok prevents users from posting in Russia after Russia implements social media law against 'fake news'
TikTok said Sunday that users won’t be able to post new videos in Russia in response to the government’s crackdown on social media.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” the company said in a statement on Twitter. “Our in-app messaging service will not be affected.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on Russia’s war in Ukraine, blocking Facebook and Twitter and signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports.
2:54 p.m.: American Express joins Visa and Mastercard in ending all operations in Russia
American Express announced Sunday it is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus.
Globally issued American Express cards will no longer work at merchants or ATMs in Russia, the company said in a statement. AmEx cards issued locally in Russia by the country’s banks will also no longer work outside of Russia.
12:47 p.m.: Russian troops continue to interfere with operations at Europe's largest nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said Russian forces are tightening their grip on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, Ukraine’s largest, that they seized last week.
The director general of the agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said Sunday Ukrainian staff members are now required to seek approval for any operation, even maintenance, from the Russians, and that they have impeded normal communications by switching off some mobile networks and internet at the site.
Ukraine’s regulatory authority said that phone lines, as well as e-mails and fax, are no longer working. Grossi said he is “extremely concerned about these developments,” adding that for the plant to operate safely, “staff must be allowed to carry out their vital duties in stable conditions, without undue external interference or pressure.”
8:25 a.m.: Ukraine official says assault halts evacuations for a 2nd time
A Ukrainian official says a second attempt to evacuate civilians from a southern city under siege for a week has failed due to continued Russian shelling.
Evacuations from the port city of Mariupol were scheduled to begin at noon local time (10 a.m. GMT) during a 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. local ceasefire, Ukrainian military authorities said earlier Sunday.
Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said the planned evacuations along designated humanitarian corridors were halted because of an ongoing assault.
“There can be no ‘green corridors’ because only the sick brain of the Russians decides when to start shooting and at whom,“ he said on Telegram.
A similar cease-fire planned for Mariupol and the nearby city of Volnovakha collapsed Saturday, trapping residents under more shelling and aerial bombardment by Russian forces.
Drone Shows Intense Close Combat Between Ukrainian & Russian Troops In Kherson
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