Russia-Ukraine War LIVE Updates: Refugee exodus reaches 2 million as people flee war-torn cities through safe corridors

LIVE BLOG

• 08 Mar 2022, 04:37 PM

  New sanction package on Russia in pipeline as the European Commission looks to further tighten the economic noose. The new sanctions will hit more of Russian oligarchs as well as three Belarusian banks, news agency Reuters quoted three sources.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 01:21 PM

  War will not stop at Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns Western countries

  Terming Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "beast" who will never be satisfied, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday (local time) warned Western countries that the ongoing war will not stop at Ukraine and will affect the rest of the world as well.

  "Everyone thinks that we are far away from America or Canada. No, we are in this zone of freedom. And when the limits of rights and freedoms are being violated and stepped on, then you have to protect us. Because we will come first. You will come second. Because the more this beast will eat, he wants more, more, and more," CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying during an interview on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.

  Reiterating his appeal to secure the airspace of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, "We cannot allow Russia to be active there only, because they're bombing us, they are shelling us, they are sending missiles, helicopters, jet fighters -- a lot of things. We don't control our sky."

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 01:20 PM

  Leonardo DiCaprio donates USD 10 million to support Ukraine.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 01:18 PM

  UK says it will back Poland if decides to sends jets to Ukraine

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 08:24 AM

  Russia declares ceasefire for humanitarian corridors in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol

  Russia on Tuesday declared a ceasefire amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine from 10 am (Moscow time) to provide humanitarian corridors in the cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in a statement.

  The development comes following the third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus on Monday, which apparently ended up in failure. In the meeting, both sides addressed the issues of civilian evacuation and the Ukrainian side assured Russia that the humanitarian corridor will start working from Tuesday.

  "From 10:00 a.m. (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022, the Russian Federation declares a ceasefire and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors," the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry said, giving further details of the humanitarian corridors to be created in the cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol for the evacuation of civilians.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:21 AM

  A special flight, carrying 200 Indian evacuees from Ukraine, lands in Delhi from Suceava in Romania.

  "While we were travelling in the bus, there were no bombings. The government & our Embassy helped us a lot, we are very happy to be back" said a student who returned from Ukraine.

  A special flight, carrying 200 Indian evacuees from Ukraine, lands in Delhi from Suceava in Romania.
  
  "While we were traveling in the bus, there were no bombings. The government & our Embassy helped us a lot, we are very happy to be back" said a student who returned from Ukraine pic.twitter.com/9HVUcguWsp

  — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2022

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:21 AM

  Ukraine kills Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv, reports The Kyiv Independent quoting Ukraine’s Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Defense Ministry.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:20 AM

  The issues of evacuation of the population from other regions, as well as the provision of humanitarian assistance, are being politicized. In particular, the requests of the Ukrainian side voiced to us less than 3 hours before the opening of humanitarian corridors: Russia at UNSC.

  From the area of special military operation, more than 1,68,000 people have safely evacuated to Russia & in last 24 hours, 5,550 people have crossed the border. We're also establishing temporary accommodation points for the civilians arriving from Ukraine: Russia at UNSC meeting

  The issues of evacuation of the population from other regions, as well as the provision of humanitarian assistance, are being politicized. In particular, the requests of the Ukrainian side voiced to us less than 3 hours before the opening of humanitarian corridors: Russia at UNSC pic.twitter.com/QrteCkgFWU

  — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2022

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:18 AM

  A Russian air strike hit a bread factory in northern Ukraine and killed at least 13 civilians, Ukrainian officials said.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:17 AM

  Negotiators make little progress

  
  
  Russian negotiators said they did not have positive developments to report following talks with Ukraine and warned not to expect the next round to bring a final result. The talks "are not easy," Vladimir Medinsky said.

  Ukraine's negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said some small progress had been made on agreeing logistics for the evacuation of civilians, but no agreement was reached that significantly improves the broader situation.

  A fourth round will take place very soon, Russia said. The Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are expected to meet in Turkey on Thursday.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:17 AM

  US congressional negotiators neared a deal to provide Ukraine billions of dollars in emergency aid. The White House requested $10 billion.

  
• 08 Mar 2022, 07:17 AM

  Oil prices soar as the US says it may go alone on import ban

  Oil prices hit 14-year highs and Wall Street fell after Washington said it was talking to European allies about banning imports of Russian oil.