Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION

[PommyMommy]

Iran International English on Twitter
Iran's ex-president @Ahmadinejad1956: "The great nation of Ukraine President Zelenskyy, Your honorable & almost unrivalled resistance uncovered the Satanic plots of enemies of mankind. Trust that the great nation of Iran is standing by you,while admiring this heroic persistence."

Manoj Viswanathan on Twitter
Third Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft carrying 208 Indian citizens from #Ukraine, lands at Hindan airbase near Delhi from Rzeszow in Poland.
@NewIndianXpress @xpresskerala @IndiainUkraine
#OpGanga #India #UkraineRussiaConflict


Robert Jobson on Twitter
Pres. #Zelenskyy: “They (Russians) will not have peace here, they will not have food here, they will not have a single quiet moment here, The occupiers will receive only one thing from Ukraine - a rebuff, a worth rebuff. They will remember that we do not give up.”

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/02/ukraine-news-russia-war-kyiv-kharkiv-russian-invasion-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-latest-live-updates']ICC begins collecting evidence of war crimes; more talks to begin – as it happened | World news | The Guardian[/URL]
48m ago 23:39

Russia-Ukraine war: day 8 re-cap
Here is a quick re-cap of what we know on day eight of the Russia-Ukraine war:

• The international criminal court (ICC) has confirmed it is opening an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine and begun collecting evidence. The ICC process was sped up after 38 countries formally referred reports of atrocities to it, the largest referral the court has ever received.
• Russia has claimed to have captured the strategically important southern city of Kherson on the Black Sea. US intelligence and Ukrainian officials have disputed the claim. In a Facebook post, Kherson’s mayor, Igor Kolykhaiev, said “there were armed visitors in the city council”. and Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said:“We’re not in a position to call it either way. It appears to us that the Ukrainians are certainly fighting over that town.”
• The strategically important Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol is reportedly surrounded by Russian troops. “We cannot even take the wounded from the streets, from apartments, since the shelling does not stop,” its mayor said.
• The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has come under more heavy shelling as Russian forces step up their offensive and move forces closer towards the capital in an apparent attempt to encircle it.
• Police in Moscow detained two women and five children holding a poster outside the Ukraine embassy that said “No to war”. Police allegedly threatened to strip the women of custody of the children. In St Petersburg, Yelena Osipova, an activist said to have survived the infamous wartime siege of Leningrad was detained for protesting against the war.
• Russian paratroopers landed in Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, following several days of bombardment that has killed or wounded dozens of civilians. Four more people died on Wednesday, local authorities said, adding the city was still under their control.
• More than 350 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. Hundreds of structures including transport facilities, hospitals, kindergartens and homes have been destroyed, it said.
• Ukraine claimed nearly 7,000 Russian troops had been killed in the first six days of Moscow’s invasion. Russia’s defence ministry said 498 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine since the start of its campaign, its first statement on casualties.
• The UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly to deplore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for the immediate withdrawal of its forces. On Wednesday, 141 of the 193 member states voted for the resolution, 35 abstained and five – Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea – voted against.
• A second round of talks is reportedly to get under way on Thursday. A Russian negotiator said a ceasefire was on the agenda, but Ukraine has said Moscow’s demands are unacceptable and Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before any progress can be expected.
• Police in Poland warned that fake reports of violent crimes being committed by people fleeing Ukraine are circulating on social media after Polish nationalists attacked and abused groups of African, south Asian and Middle Eastern people who had crossed the border.

 

[margarita25]

WHO leader says "critical" oxygen shortage in Ukraine will impact ability to treat Covid-19 patients

“Critical shortage of oxygen will have an impact on the ability to treat patients with Covid-19 and many other conditions. At least three major oxygen plants in Ukraine have now closed and we're seeking ways of accessing oxygen from neighboring countries and ways to deliver it safely to where it's needed,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news briefing.
Tedros said there is an “urgent need” to establish a corridor so supplies can be transported in the region.

“I think the estimate just last week was 2,000 people on oxygen, high-flow oxygen for Covid,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said, adding that the number has likely risen since then, including people who need oxygen for non-Covid conditions.”

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Conflict in Ukraine makes it "much more likely" Covid-19 will spread, WHO official says

“Conditions on the ground in Ukraine will make it easier for Covid-19 to spread, Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said during a news briefing on Wednesday.

“Anytime you disrupt society like this and put literally millions of people on the move, then infectious diseases will exploit that,” Ryan said.

“People are packed together, they're stressed, and they're not eating, they're not sleeping properly. They're highly susceptible to the impacts, first of all being infected themselves. And it's much more likely that disease will spread,” he said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization is “deeply concerned” about reports it has received about attacks on health care facilities and workers.

“We have received several unconfirmed reports of attacks on hospitals and health infrastructure, and one confirmed incident last week in which a hospital came under heavy weapons attack, killing four people and injuring 10, including six health workers. We are currently in the process of verifying several other incidents,” he said.

“Attacks on health care are in violation of international humanitarian law,” Tedros said.”

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[margarita25]

FROM YESTERDAY / hospital patients underground /sick babies underground, refugees

Tonight:

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[margarita25]

Conflicting accounts about civilian deaths in Ukraine
13 hr 52 min ago

“More than 2,000 Ukrainians died, not counting our defenders,” the service said in a statement before removing it.

CNN has reached out to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service for more information.

“Children, women and our defense forces are losing their lives every hour,” the statement said before it was removed.

According to the service, some transport infrastructures, houses, hospitals and kindergartens have been “destroyed” by Russian forces over the last seven days.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ reported civilian death toll is far lower than the “more than 2,000” figure, although the UN has cautioned that the real toll is likely to be “much higher.

 

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8 hours ago
https://youtu.be/OdDxU56mypQ

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://mol.im/a/10571561']First Ukrainian city falls: Mayor of Kherson tells people to follow the orders of Russian soldiers | Daily Mail Online[/URL]

Bipartisan calls grow for end to Russian oil imports

The Blast Wave

Live Updates: 1 Million Flee Ukraine as Russia Bombards Key Cities - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The New York Times on Twitter
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine portrayed invading Russian troops as directionless, even as Russia captured the city of Kherson.

"They don't know why they are here," he said of Russian soldiers.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russian and Belarusian athletes banned from Winter Paralympics after U-turn

Paralympic Committee reverses its original decision after threats of boycott over Ukraine conflict

(...)

The IPC’s announcement on Wednesday that athletes from those countries would be allowed to compete under a neutral flag despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine was met by criticism and the threat of a boycott.

(...)

(IPC president Andrew) Parsons apologised to athletes from Russia and Belarus: “First and foremost, we have a duty as part of the Paralympic mission, enshrined in the constitution, to guarantee and supervise the organisation of successful Paralympic Games, to ensure that, in sport practised within the Paralympic movement, the spirit of fair play prevails, violence is banned, the health risk of the athletes is managed and fundamental ethical principles are upheld.

“With this in mind, and in order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of all participants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from Russian Paralympic Committee and NPC Belarus. To the Para athletes from the impacted countries, we are very sorry that you are affected by the decisions your governments took last week in breaching the Olympic truce. You are victims of your governments’ actions.

“I hope and pray that we can get back to a situation when the talk and focus is fully on the power of sport to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, and the best of humanity.”

(...)

 

[PommyMommy]

Expert on Russian plane crash: "Most intense since the Cold War"

One of the world's leading experts on nuclear weapons, Hans Kristensen, head of nuclear weapons research at the Federation of American Scientists, has commented on Wednesday's Russian aircraft violation of Swedish airspace east of Gotland.

Two of the fighter jets were of the model Su-24, which is an attack aircraft and has the capacity for nuclear bombs, according to Stockholm's International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) annual compilation of the world's nuclear weapons, for which he is responsible.

Kristensen describes the Russian maneuver as the most intense since the Cold War and may affect Sweden's current position of not being a member of the NATO defense alliance.

In 2013, an incident called "Russian Easter"occurred when Russia practiced nuclear weapons in heavy bombers. These then never violated Swedish airspace.”

Kriget i Ukraina

 

[PommyMommy]

Four Russian fighter jets violate Swedish airspace over Baltic Sea (thelocal.se)

Four Russian fighter jets entered Sweden's air space to the east of the island of Gotland on Wednesday evening, the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement.

“Against the background of the current situation we are taking the incident very seriously,” Carl-Johan Edström, Chief of Sweden’s Air Force, told AFP.

According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the violation was brief, but Swedish Jas 39 Gripen jets were scrambled to document and photograph the two Su-24 and two Su-27 fighter jets.

The violation occurred during the day, at about the same time as a joint Swedish-Finnish military exercise in the Baltic Sea.

Edström told Sweden’s TT newswire that the four Russian fighter jets had flown “a few kilometres” into Swedish airspace, and that two Swedish fighters were sent up to meet them.

“We saw that they were nearing Swedish territory on the eastern side of Gotland, from the north,” he told the newswire. “As we arrived, an airspace and territory violation was carried out by the Russian jets. We were on the scene and could directly confirm that it had been done, and made sure it couldn’t happen again.”

Defence expert Robert Dalsjö told TT that Wednesday’s violation might be a warning to Sweden against Ukraine’s side.

“It would be very surprising if it wasn’t a way for Russia to send a message,” he said. “Four planes violating Swedish airspace at the same time looks a lot like a statement, especially now.”

 

[PommyMommy]

Day seven of Russia's war in Ukraine explained - BBC News

Kelly O'Donnell
President Biden will hold a secure video call with fellow Quad Leaders, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, to discuss the war against Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific.

 

[PommyMommy]

Rutte: Russische agressie totaal ongekend • 'Situatie Kiev moeilijk maar onder controle'

Rutte: violation of human rights must not go unpunished
According to Prime Minister Rutte, any war crimes must be well documented. Partly for this reason, Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs has called for attention at the UN to set up a commission of inquiry to map out any crimes.

"Human rights violations must not go unpunished, justice must run its course," said Rutte.

Rutte: Russian aggression completely unprecedented
Prime Minister Rutte calls the situation in Ukraine terrible. "Russian aggression is totally unprecedented," he just said in a statement. "That aggression is also starting to focus more and more on military targets, but also on civilian targets, so civilians. It's all terrible."

"We have all seen the images of the attack on the mediators in Kiev, but also of the destruction of civilian buildings, government targets and apartment complexes in Kharkov. These are images that are etched on all of us and that we will never forget. "

DPG Media Privacy Gate

At the request of Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, Rutte will record a video message for the Ukrainian population later today, the prime minister said. ,,I have expressed all support and respect to him on behalf of 17 million Dutch people, he also asked me to do the same in a video message. I will record it.”

The Netherlands continues to send weapons and relief supplies, and preparations are also being made to receive Ukrainian refugees. Rutte could not report on how many refugees he is counting on.

 

[PommyMommy]

People around the world ask NATO to close the airspace over Ukraine - Online petition

PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ASK NATO TO CLOSE THE AIRSPACE OVER UKRAINE

We, people around the world, are asking NATO member states and Ukraine-friendly countries to close the airspace over Ukraine and deploy peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, provide military assistance to Kyiv and support the Ukrainian people.

1,065,685 Supporters as of now.

 

[PommyMommy]

Reports are coming in of fresh explosions in the capital Kyiv.

Kyiv was hit by missile strikes overnight. Now the bombardment appears to have resumed.
Russia Ukraine LIVE updates

The federal government has approved more than 1,000 visas for Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion, with several people due to arrive in Australia this weekend.

The majority are expected to stay in Europe but Australian organisations have already received a large number of requests for help.

"There are people who are fleeing invading troops and bombs. We've also heard from Ukrainians who were working in China, for example, and now can't go home," said Mr Romaniw.
More than 1,000 visas approved for Ukrainians fleeing Russian invasion

 

[PommyMommy]

Q&A host Stan Grant took the extraordinary step of expelling a member of the audience from the studio on Thursday night after the young man, named Sasha, expressed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The young man, identified only as Sasha, said he was “someone who comes from the Russian community here in Australia” as he began his question for the panel.

He said he had been “pretty outraged by the narrative created by our media depicting Ukraine as ‘the good guy’ and Russia as ‘the bad guy’. Believe it or not, there are a lot of Russians here and around the world that support what Putin is doing in Ukraine, myself included.”

Sasha then went on to claim that Ukrainians had been responsible for the deaths of 13,000 ethnic Russians living in the country since 2014. “Where was your outpouring, or even concern, for those thousands of mostly Russians,” he asked.

(The host): “People here have been talking about family who are suffering, and people dying, and I understand you wanted to ask your question about ‘is there some reasoning for this’. But you supported what’s happening, hearing that people are dying. And can I just say I’m not comfortable with you being here. Could you please leave.“

Russia Ukraine LIVE updates: Kharkiv under attack, Kyiv braces for further conflict, Joe Biden slams Vladimir Putin in State of the Union speech, Sydney weather worsens, NSW flood victims in Lismore, Grafton, Ballina evacuated, Brisbane floods continue