It’s 12 p.m. in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know

News Desk March 22, 2022 in EUROPE, UKRAINE WAR, WORLD - 3 Minutes

After days of fighting, Ukrainian forces have regained control of Makariv, a town 30 miles west of Kyiv, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday. The “state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makariv” as the Russians retreated, the post said. CNN could not confirm the claim by the Ukraine forces.

Meanwhile, Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was found guilty of fraud on Tuesday by a Moscow court, according to state-owned news agency Tass. While not directly connected to the invasion of Ukraine, the verdict coincides with Putin’s broad crackdown on opposition voices and independent media over the past four weeks.

Here’s the latest on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

Hypersonic missiles: Russia has used hypersonic missiles in its invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden confirmed Monday. “It’s a consequential weapon … it’s almost impossible to stop it. There’s a reason they’re using it,” Biden said. Essentially, all missiles are hypersonic, which means they travel at least five times the speed of sound. What military powers — including Russia, China, the United States and North Korea — are working on now is a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), a weapon that in 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin called “practically invulnerable” to Western air defenses.

Japan’s PM protests Russia’s suspension of peace talks: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday protested Russia’s decision to suspend peace treaty talks to formally end World War II hostilities between Moscow and Tokyo. “This entire situation has been created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Russia’s response to pass this onto Japan-Russia relations is extremely unjustified and absolutely unacceptable. Japan would like to protest this move,” said Kishida during a parliamentary session. “We will unite with the international community and take resolution action so Japan can continue following the foundation of the international order.”

Ukrainian mayor urges residents to leave: The mayor of a city to the east of the capital of Kyiv is calling on residents to leave. “There is no urgent need to be in the city at the moment. Fighting is already raging around the region. I appeal to the population, be smart and leave the city if you can,” Boryspil mayor Volodymyr Borysenko said in a video statement posted to Facebook. Borysenko said authorities would help with the evacuation of those who did not have their own vehicles, adding there were almost daily transfers to the west of Ukraine, where Russian attacks have been much lower in numbers.

Refugees continue to flee Ukraine: More than 3.5 million refugees have now fled Ukraine, according to the latest update from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). According to the update, 3,532,756 refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24. In a separate update, the agency said it has ramped up supplies of thermal blankets, hot meals, and tents along the Ukrainian border, with a particular focus along the Polish side as temperatures plummet.

Ukraine accuses Russia of forcibly deporting children: Russian forces forcibly deported 2,389 children from Donetsk and Luhansk, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday, calling the move “a gross violation of international law.” The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that 16,434 people, including 2,389 children were evacuated a day earlier, and people left of their own volition. UNICEF commented on these latest reports on Tuesday and raised concerns, though noted they have not been able to independently verify them.

Kyiv

Comments