Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news

The AFU Air Force Command reports:

Ukrainian air defence forces have destroyed at least 39 Russian aircraft and 40 helicopters within nine days of war.

Today the Russian invaders lost three "Rooks" - that's what they call Su-25 attack aircraft. Two of them in Chernihiv Region and one near Volnovakha.

In addition, three more Russian invasion force helicopters went on their last flight today.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Twitter:

“Nuclear terrorism requires decisive action in response. At the UN Security Council meeting, we called for closing the sky over Ukraine and launching an operation to maintain peace and security. The goal is to save hazardous facilities. The world must not watch, but help!”

Ядерний тероризм вимагає рішучих дій у відповідь. На засіданні Радбезу #ООН ми закликали закрити небо над Україною та започаткувати операцію з підтримання миру й безпеки. Мета – вберегти небезпечні об'єкти. Світ має не спостерігати, а допомагати!

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 4, 2022

Mykhaylo Podolyak on Twitter:

Banal story. Coca Cola on blood. It just has to be accepted. Big market, nothing more. Why should James Quincey care about the lives of some Ukrainian children? Although money has no smell for someone, exchanging more than a century of history for a few Russian rubles is a true talent

Михайло Подоляк про відмову Coca-Cola приєднатися до бойкоту Росії: "Це просто треба прийняти. Великий ринок збуту. І чому Джеймса Квінсі має хвилювати життя якихось українських дітей? Та хоч для деяких гроші не пахнуть, розміняти більш ніж столітню історію на кілька російських рублів – це справжній талант".

Банальна історія. @CocaColaCo на крові. Це просто треба прийняти. Великий ринок збуту. І чому Джеймса Квінсі має хвилювати життя якихось українських дітей? Та хоч для деяких гроші не пахнуть, розміняти більш ніж столітню історію на кілька російських рублів – це справжній талант. pic.twitter.com/FxPxhmPEn2

— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) March 4, 2022

March 4, 2022

Zelenskyy: "All the Alliance has managed to do as of today is to run 50 tonnes of diesel fuel for Ukraine through its procurement system. Probably so we could burn the Budapest memorandum to make it burn better". 

One more captive. “My friends and I were sneakily used by the Russian Military Forces”.
“I am Gagarin Dmitry Anatolievich, a conscript, I was born on 11.07.2001, in the town of Solikamsk, Perm Krai.

Made it into the army in 2021, as a tank driver/mechanic. We had a field training exercise in December in Voronezh and stayed there until February. Then we relocated to Belgorod Oblast. During the night of the 24th through the 27th of February, we got the command to endure 80 km of marching. We crossed the state border of Ukraine, and I was told by my commander, today dead, that we are going to war. Mommy and daddy, I am among many of those lied to, tricked into waging an unfair and unjustified war on the territory of Ukraine.

I was captured, but don’t worry since I am being well treated both physically and mentally.
Many of my friends died, and the number is hidden from you by our government. There are about 7000 dead. My family and compatriots, do not let your sons and brothers join this war. Only together we can stop it. Share the truth and do not trust the information from the TV”.


“Gagarin Dmitry Anatolievich
July 11, 2001
Solikamsk
212 District Training Center
Captive rashist. Mom, will you take back your rashist son?”

The European Court of Human Rights expanded its demands to Russia presented on March 1, judge Hanna Yudkovska reported.

Today, the Court extended the use of provisional measures under Rule 39, adopted on Tuesday, onto the requests filed by individuals suffering from the Russian invasion: “hiding in bomb shelters, houses and other buildings, fearing for their lives due to constant bombing and shelling, without access or with limited access to food, medical services, water, sewerage, electricity, and other related services necessary for survival, in need of humanitarian aid and safe evacuation.” The Court also demanded that the Russian Federation provided safe evacuation routes and passage of humanitarian aid:

“Having regard to the general scope and nature of the above interim measure, already indicated to the Government of the Russian Federation on 1 March 2022, and taking into account the Court’s previous practice (see NA. v. the United Kingdom, no. 25904/07, § 21, 17 July 2008), the Court (the President of the Court) decides that this interim measure, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, shall be considered to cover any request brought by persons falling into the above category of civilians who provide sufficient evidence showing that they face a serious and imminent risk of irreparable harm to their physical integrity and/or right to life (see Lisnyy v. Ukraine and Russia (dec.), nos. 5355/15, 44913/15 and 50853/15, §§ 25-30, 5 July 2016). With regard to such requests, the Court moreover decides to indicate to the Government of the Russian Federation, under Rule 39, that, in accordance with their engagements under the Convention, notably in respect of Articles 2, 3 and 8, they should ensure unimpeded access of the civilian population to safe evacuation routes, healthcare, food and other essential supplies, rapid and unconstrained passage of humanitarian aid and movement of humanitarian workers.”

We keep fighting. We will protect our country. We will liberate our land. All thanks to our heroes.

Three quotes from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the participants of today’s rallies in Tbilisi, Frankfurt, Lyon, Paris, Prague, and Vilnius:

• “I have three minutes to talk to you. Let the first one be a minute of silence in memory of all the perished—our military, special service officers, police officers, intelligence workers, and firefighters. Those who sacrificed their lives. Those who are among us now—but we can’t see them anymore.”
• “Let the second minute of my address be a minute of silence, too. In memory of our civilians—adults and children, dozens and hundreds of those who sacrificed their lives unknowingly. They sacrificed their lives and found eternal peace.”
• “Let the third minute go to you, European nations. Don’t be silent! Take to the streets. Support Ukraine. We need it! Support our freedom, as it is victory. Victory not only over the Russian troops, but victory of light over darkness, of good over evil. If Ukraine falls, the whole Europe will fall.”

Roskomnadzor has informed Russians that access to Twitter is now restricted to them.

This is not for the first time that the fakes about the “escape” of President Zelenskyy are being disseminated in Russia. Now the claim was made by the Chairman of the illegitimate State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin. Mykhailo Podoliyak, the Ukrainian presidential advisor, needed to disaffirm the statement.

“We reaffirm it once again that the President stays in the capital of Ukraine, managing the state affairs and defence, keeping in touch with our partners and giving live interviews regularly,” – the advisor said.

Bloomberg: The White House considers the possibility of a ban on the petroleum importation from Russia.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova announced on Facebook to Russian director Nikita Mikalkov that the Ukrainian court allowed Ukrainian prosecutors to arrest him “and bring in front of the Ukrainian court to be dealt with according to the law as a suspect”. She published document scans from which it appears that the Oscar-winning director is accused of calling for violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity as per Pt. 2 of Art. 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Venediktova added that the procedure of issuing an international warrant for the arrest of Mikhalkov had already been initiated.

Full post by Iryna Venediktova:

Nikita Sergeyevich Mikalkov. A Soviet and Russian director and actor. Millions of people watched the films you played in. Almost all of us used to like them at some point. It is objective. However, the times have changed. For whatever reason, you stopped appearing in fiction films and became a staple for documentaries... about war.

We are all perfectly aware of what rung you occupy in the Russian Federation hierarchy of power—it is fairly high. It is my understanding that you are in a close relationship with the Russian Federation's top figures, and it is for this very reason that you support and espouse war so eagerly. In any case, this is how we see it in Ukraine. This is where the illustrative part ends.

I officially inform you that the independent, sovereign, and just Ukrainian court permitted Ukrainian prosecutors to arrest and bring you in front of the Ukrainian court to be dealt with according to the law as a suspect.

Now let me explain to you what exactly will happen and what your reaction will be.

First, you will contact the “high and mighty of the Pax Russica” and ask them to comment on my message. That minute, you will not think about anything bad. I give you 100% that they say that Venedictova is out of her mind and is not worth your attention.

With this in mind, I will give you a hint: we have initiated the official procedure of issuing an international warrant for your arrest.

Having read the passage above, you will think at some point whether you need to consult professional lawyers. You are a wealthy man and will hire experienced and competent lawyers. I am sure that, to your utter surprise, you will realize that the risks are real, and you may very well be arrested upon crossing the border of almost any civilized country. By the way, I recommend that you clarify this procedure with the lawyers you ask to analyze your case.

I intentionally avoided overloading this text with procedural terminology to make it more easily readable. I am not prejudiced. I am not trying to offend you. I am not emotional. I am talking about this on the job in the capacity of Ukrainian prosecutor, and I am doing it officially.

Secretary of National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov reacted to the arrest of People’s Deputy Nestor Shufrych of the Opposition Platform—For Life party. Danilov warned while talking to the Ukraine 24 channel on air that people photographing checkpoints and sending the photos to the enemy will be “destroyed on the spot”.

The town of Trostyanets is being temporally occupied by the Russian militaries, as the Chief of local state administration of Sumy informs.

The occupiers control the medical emergency substation. Medical workers are not allowed to go on field duty, but for children in critical situations. The staff is warned they will be shot if they leave without permission. The ambulances from other population centres are not allowed either. Locals can buy neither food nor other goods. All trading places are looted, ransacks and sniping are taking place. There is no possibility to get into the city to provide aid.

What to do if the occupier wants to surrender

Instructions for civilians who have apprehended invader’s soldiers. Russian invader soldiers, who have covered themselves with eternal shame, are scattering in different directions and roaming the forests and ravines of Ukraine. They must be alive. They are needed for the captive exchange fund.

If you see a hungry Russian soldier ready to surrender:

1. Order the invader to throw his weapon aside

2. Make their hands up

3.  Get down on the ground

Important:

- Search him

- Make sure he has no weapon

- Order him to stand up and convoy him, keeping a distance of 2 metres, 2 to the local village council or to the local community office.

If the community office is far away from you or it is dangerous, call for help and be sure to dial the hotline number of the collection point of the Ministry of Defence. +380894201863

During the past 24 hours, the Russian army has sought to capture Kyiv, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff has said. "The invaders continued rocket and bomb attacks on populated areas. They used artillery and multiple rocket launchers to destroy critical infrastructure and residential buildings," the report said.

North operative command: The Armed Forces of Ukraine specialists downed two Su-25 ground-support fighters with Igla man-portable air-defence systems. One of them crashed near Kriukivka and Mena, and the other in the vicinity of Chernihiv. Pictured in the photo is one of those who had been mercilessly bombing Chernihiv for almost three days, killing our people. The other pilot was captured.

In Kherson, occupiers made an attempt to stage a show for propaganda media about “saviours” providing humanitarian assistance. However, locals took to the streets and expressed their real attitude to the Russian military invasion.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, that the world "almost averted a nuclear disaster last night" after Russians’ shelling and a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. She called Russia's actions "reckless" and "dangerous", pointing out that they put civilians both in Russia and across Europe at serious risk (CNN)

President Zelenskyy thanked the participants of the international rally in support of Ukraine and honoured the memory of perished Ukrainians.

As official Russian sources inform, Facebook was blocked in Russia.

Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine:

"The Territorial Defence Force keeps seizing enemy equipment!

This time, it's been 4 tanks.

A useful addition to help us fight".

Kyiv Territorial Defence detained Nestor Shufrych, deputy from the Opposite platform for life party. The deputy was taking pictures of one of the block posts and was detained for that. "When he was detained, his guards tried to shoot back... “We are waiting for the police and the SSU to hand them over. Military facilities or facilities used by the military personnel cannot be photographed," the Territory Defence soldier highlighted.

British dockers in the county of Kent refused to unload two bulk carriers with Russian liquefied gas, prompting the vessels to seek another unloading location.

"This is not the war we need," says another “liberator of Ukraine”.

The SSU captured a Russian spy on his way to Kyiv.

The Russian leadership has sneakily, "without further contact" thrown its soldiers into the heart of our state to make an attack from within.

But after the Ukrainians resist, the invaders begin to realise that they are only cannon fodder for their command. And their only chance of staying alive is to surrender!

We will win!

Glory to Ukraine!

#STAND

#Stop the Invaders

#stoprussia

The Russians are misusing mortars - they shoot from them in the wrong direction. But this one has a chance to improve the situation.

Borrell about the EU Foreign Affairs Council: “We discussed with brave Dmytro Kuleba the latest developments in Ukraine. We heard you. Count on us.”

Glad to reconfirm our Euro-Atlantic partnership, having @SecBlinken @melaniejoly @trussliz and @jensstoltenberg join the EU Foreign Affairs Council #FAC today.

We discussed via video-link with brave @DmytroKuleba the latest developments in #Ukraine. We heard you. Count on us. pic.twitter.com/GIKiKNbC5u

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) March 4, 2022

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, claimed that “if conditions permit, we are ready to organize a meeting between Lavrov and Kuleba within the framework of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya taking place from 11th to 13th of March”. "The formation of humanitarian corridors is an important issue, but the end of the war is the absolute priority for us," – he stated.

President Zelenskyy spoke with President of the European Commission von der Leyen. "I reported the aggressor’s nuclear terrorism... We discussed tightening of sanctions against the Russian Federation. The issue of Ukraine's membership in the EU was also on the agenda."

Поговорив з Президентом Європейської комісії @vonderleyen. Поінформував про ядерний тероризм агресора. Запобігти йому – наше спільне завдання. Обговорили посилення санкцій проти РФ. На порядку денному було також питання членства

Mykolaiv is back under control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Kul'bakyne air base is free from the occupiers.

Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested a traitor who directed the invaders' shelling of Lutsk Air Base Airport. The information came from the agency press service. Security Service of Ukraine established that the traitor relayed to the enemy's intelligence the information about the numbers and types of military aircraft, their location, training flights, and personal data of the airport personnel. Also, he continuously leaked the data about the results of the Russian army's invasion in Volyn, SBU said. “With his ‘assistance’, the airport was struck with missiles, which wiped out its infrastructure. After that, the traitor reported to the Russian Federation on the strike results,” the agency's statement reads. The invaders' co-conspirator was served with charges of treason as per Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The man is currently in custody and faces up to 15 years of jail time.

What appears to be a missile fragment fell in the yard of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's state villa in Koncha-Zaspa. According to his press secretary, Zelenskyy commented: “Nice try, but no cigar”.

Ukrainian Railways scheduled for today three more evacuation trains to the western part of the country.

Specifically, the following trains were added:

17:00 Kharkiv–Chelm (to Warsaw, with a transfer)

22:00 Kyiv–Chop

22:32 Odesa–Uzhhorod

More than eight private residential buildings caught fire as a result of the shelling in the village of Markhalivka, Fastovsky district, Kiev region around 15:24 on March 4.

Subdivisions of the State Emergency Service evacuated two children from the rubble, the civil service reports. As of 16:55, the fire in private houses has been eliminated.

Five people were killed (including three children), another woman is probably under the rubble, as a result of the shelling. Rescue work continues, 14 people and three pieces of equipment from the State Emergency Service are involved.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down another Russian air jet fighter. 37 aircraft and 37 helicopters have been destroyed since the start of the war.

Russian Federation invasion into Ukraine. Mariupol is being wiped off the face of the earth, but the city is not giving up - says the mayor's adviser.

The enemy has surrounded Mariupol.LIGA.Life asked city mayor's advisor Petro Andryushchenko about the current situation in the city

A report as of 10:00 a.m. on 4 March by journalist Yuriy Butusov.
Russia has been defeated in the battle for Kyiv and is rushing all forces south to seize Mariupol, Donbass, Mykolaiv, Odessa, and the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine.

1. Russian Command is concentrating its efforts to seize and entrench itself in the south and east of Ukraine, in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odessa regions, to destroy the Ukrainian economy by blockading the ports.

2. Mariupol remains the only city currently in the way of Putin's plans to take over eastern Ukraine. Mariupol has fallen into an operational encirclement and heavy fighting is taking place over the city. Mariupol is a key city in Donbass, a port and an industrial centre, and it cannot be surrendered categorically. The enemy is constantly pounding the city with aircraft and artillery. All life-support systems have been destroyed, the city is in humanitarian disaster, this is done to cause civilians to flee and facilitate the storming of the city. The well-known regiment of the National Guard, the Armed Forces Marines and other defence forces are heroically defending the city despite the powerful attacks of the enemy.

3. The enemy has occupied Energodar and is threatening to disconnect the nuclear power plant from the Ukrainian energy system and power supply to industry.

4. The enemy has occupied Kherson and fighting is taking place in the city area.

5. The Armed Forces of Ukraine firmly hold Volnovakha and repel attacks near Orekhovo, maintaining a bridgehead on the approaches to Mariupol, but the Russian command is trying with all its might to push our forces as far away from Mariupol as possible.

6. The Russian offensive on Mykolaiv and Voznesensk is repulsed with heavy losses, but new enemy reserves continue to advance in that direction.

7. Direct attacks on Kharkiv are successfully repelled, with the entire perimeter of the city's defences firmly controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russian commanders continue their attacks west of Kharkiv.

8. East of Kharkiv, the Russians have occupied Balakleya and are threatening to attack Izyum and encircle Kharkiv from the east, overhanging the northern flank of the OOS grouping in Donbas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces effectively smash the occupiers in these areas, while the Russians shell populated areas.

9. Russia continues to occupy an incursion west of Kyiv, but the AFU counterstrike at Makarov and dislodge the Russians from the Zhytomyr highway, inflicting heavy losses on the occupiers, and the Russians are moving new reserves into the area.

10. Direct attacks on Kiev have ceased, AFU are active and effective fighting in the Gostomel area, enemy losses in the Kyiv area are very high, Armed Forces of Ukraine knocked out the Russians from many towns, including Irpen and part of Bucha.

11. The heroic defence of Chernihiv continues, the enemy is constantly shelling the city.

12. The heroic defence of Sumy and Akhtyrka, cities under Russian fire, continues. The enemy suffered huge losses in Sumy.

13. To fight against the people of Ukraine, Russia has employed total terror tactics - aircraft and artillery are destroying the civilian life support system of Ukrainian cities. Planes have bombed the Akhtyrska thermal power plant, power substations in Sumy, Mariupol and Kharkiv. Ukrainian mobile phones in the occupied territories are being turned off to cut off communication between residents. Rocket attacks are being launched against densely populated residential areas in all Ukrainian cities of central and eastern Ukraine, destroying dozens of residential buildings, schools, and public buildings.

Russian troops shelled Pokrovsk, Donetsk Region, with jet cluster munitions. In defiance of all international norms, the enemy has struck at the Ukrainian city's residential quarter and civilian infrastructure, Vostok operative tactical formation informs.

Several munitions of this kind fell on the territory of city residents' private houses without detonating. Demining teams are already working in the city.</ br>

State Emergency Service of Ukraine warns that these munitions are dangerous because they are equipped with gel detonators. If they leave the cluster, the munition is armed and will explode within up to 20 hours. They are also sensitive to changes in temperature and therefore must never be moved.</ br>

Cluster munition strikes cover large areas and are indiscriminate by definition. Therefore, shelling settlements with these is a potential war crime, Vostok operative tactical formation informs.

Microsoft's halts sales in Russia
 
“Like the rest of the world, we are horrified, angered and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine and condemn this unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russia. We are announcing today that we will suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia,” Microsoft official statement reads.

The Ukrainian army has eliminated more than 500 units of enemy equipment in the Kharkiv region in seven days of hostilities with Russia, - Oleg Synehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration reported.

Lyudmila Narusova, a member of the illegitimate Russian State Duma, at what turns out to be some kind of hearing on tougher punishment for "fakes" about the Russian armed forces, says that a compatriot of conscripts who were "forced" to sign contracts has been withdrawn from Ukraine.

"Out of a hundred-person compatriot unit, four were left alive," she says. After that, fellow MPs stop her from talking.

The SSU has shown a video of interrogation of another "orc" from the Russian Federation, who in fact turned out to be a Ukrainian military traitor who defected to the occupier's side in Crimea in 2014.

On 24 February his howitzer-artillery division received orders to advance into Ukraine and went to Novaya Kakhovka. Next was to be Nikolayev and later Odessa.They were promised that everything had been arranged with the authorities, that they would not bombard residential houses, but would simply raid them.

It was explained to them: "It will be like in 2014, when Russia took Crimea". But Ukraine met the occupiers with frenzied resistance.

Having fallen behind the main force during the battle, the traitor surrendered himself and his entire platoon to the Ukrainian soldiers.

Investigators and the SBU counter-intelligence service are now working with him.

Another captive Russian occupier has decided to tell the truth to his family in Russia.

A member of the invaders’ tank crew begs his family not to trust a word they hear on the Russian TV, because the Kremlin authorities are intentionally brainwashing them with lies.

The invader admits that Russia is an aggressor, and its army strikes at civilians and kills children, and says that going into captivity is “the only chance to survive” for him.

“Don’t believe the Russian propaganda! Not about ten, but about ten THOUSAND of Russians died here! It’s our own fault…” he said.

Russia planned a short war and reckoned to lose 100 troops, but the way the Ukrainian army fights has surprised everyone, said advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak and Head of the Servant of the People parliamentary group Davyd Arakhamia, who were a part of the Ukrainian delegation during the talks with the Russian Federation.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has lost over 9,000 personnel already.

The Defense Ministry's special force soldier appealed to Russians: "Guests don’t come with weapons.

So we recommend you to stay at home, read smart books, think and get rich," he said.

Kyiv authorities appeal to the owners of veterinary shops, pharmacies and clinics to ensure their work so that Kyiv residents can take care of their pets, according to the Kyiv City State Administration.

Private businesses’ representatives can contact the humanitarian headquarters if they have problems organising the work.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not make concessions that could humiliate the struggle of Ukrainians against the Russian aggressor. This was stated at a press conference by the adviser to the Chief of President's Office Mikhaylo Podolyak. 

According to him, the positions of both sides are tough, negotiations will be difficult, but they will continue. However, Ukraine's position has been strengthened by the Western partners, he said.

NATO again refuses to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which is being bombed by Russian invaders. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this at a briefing after the meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

He stated, that the issue of the no-fly zone had been mentioned at meetings of NATO countries’ foreign ministers.  "At the same time, the allies agreed that neither NATO aircraft should operate over Ukraine, nor should NATO troops on Ukrainian territory," the secretary-general said.

KHERSON. Local residents refuse humanitarian aid from the hands of Russian Nazis.

"According to the results of the distribution of humanitarian aid, so far, no one has taken it at all. Only a couple of people. Right now, white Kamaz trucks of the Russian Federation have started up and, most likely, will leave the central square of Kherson to look for a new location," the source in the city said.

General Electric Co intends to donate $4.5m worth of medical equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.