27/02/2022
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates : Ukraine says will meet Russia as Putin puts nuclear defences on alert
Russia Ukraine News Live Updates: Ukraine said Sunday it had agreed to talks with Russia after four days of conflict, as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his defence chiefs to put nuclear "deterrence forces" on alert. The conflict has already killed dozens of civilians, forced hundreds of thousands to flee and turned Moscow into a global pariah. President Volodymyr Zelensky's office said a Ukrainian delegation would meet the Russian one at the border with Belarus, which has allowed Russian troops passage to attack Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion, but leaving the door open to negotiations in other locations. The Kremlin said on Sunday its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel. Earlier today, Ukrainian authorities said that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv and fighting is underway in the streets. Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said Sunday that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes. Earlier today, Russia unleashed a wave of attacks on Ukraine targeting airfields and fuel facilities in what appeared to be the next phase of an invasion that has been slowed by fierce resistance. The U.S. and EU responded with weapons and ammunition for the outnumbered Ukrainians and powerful sanctions intended to further isolate Moscow. Huge explosions lit up the sky early Sunday south of the capital, Kyiv, where people hunkered down in homes, underground garages and subway stations in anticipation of a full-scale assault by Russian forces.
Latest from Ukraine crisis:
Russia attacked Ukrainian oil and gas facilities, sparking huge explosions, and some Russian forces entered the second city Kharkiv. A blast was heard after air raid siren in the capital Kyiv, where President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were resisting a Russian advance.
Zelenskiy said the night had been brutal, with shelling of civilian infrastructure and attacks on everything, including ambulances.
Western allies announced sweeping sanctions against Russia, including barring some key banks from the SWIFT payments system. The move will inflict a crippling economic blow to Moscow but also hurt Western companies and banks.
At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed in Russia's invasion, the head of the Ukrainian Health Ministry was quoted as saying. A United Nations relief agency said at least 64 civilians had been killed among 240 civilian casualties, but that the real numbers were likely "considerably higher".
Russian forces blew up a natural gas pipeline in Kharkiv, while Russian-backed separatists said Ukraine had blown up an oil terminal in the breakaway Luhansk province. Russia continues to supply Europe with gas via Ukraine.
Refugees continued to pour across Ukraine's western borders, with around 100,000 reaching Poland in two days.
Ukraine denied that it was refusing to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia but said it was not ready to accept ultimatums or unacceptable conditions.
A Ukrainian road-maintenance company said it was removing all road signs to hinder invading Russian forces: "Let us help them get straight to hell."
In a sea of blue and yellow flags and banners, protesters around the world expressed support for the people of Ukraine and called on governments to do more to help Kyiv, punish Russia and avoid a broader conflict.
