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

Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko: Russians intend to destroy St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. They aim to eliminate all Ukrainian history in an effort to appropriate it. An hour ago, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation announced its intention to bomb “the installations of Security Service of Ukraine” in the central part of Ukraine’s capital—Kyiv. This malicious intent is a threat to people and holy places of Kyiv. The installation indicated by the Russians is located a few dozen meters away from St. Sophia Cathedral, which is decorated with 11th-century mosaics and wall paintings. This unique architectural landmark is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Any damage to or the destruction of the cathedral by Russia will be an irreplaceable loss to the entire humanity. We have already sent a letter to UNESCO, and we urge the international community to interfere and help break UNESCO’s silence to save St. Sophia Cathedral from the threat of destruction!

The #DopomohtyUALviv humanitarian center established in affiliation with Lviv Customs jointly with volunteers is now operational.
The center’s purpose is to provide as much help as possible to the Ukrainian army, volunteers, and civilians willing to support our country at the time of war. Also, it will ensure obstacle-free movement of relief consignments and other cargos that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may require.
The center’s contacts:
+38 093 450 82 97
+38 093 450 82 91
Email: [email protected]

Russia struck the Kyiv TV tower.
"Putin's nazists have just struck the Kyiv TV tower"

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Internal, TV channels will be down for some time. Fallback broadcasts will be launched soon.

The Public Prosecutor General’s Office of Poland has launched a criminal investigation into Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
“Public Prosecutor General’s Office of Poland has launched an investigation in connection with the crime of military attack against Ukraine,” Minister of Justice of Poland Zbigniew Ziobro said.

A Russian plane dropped a bomb onto a house in the village of Borodianka in Kyiv region, journalist Yuriy Butusov reports.

Kharkiv: air alarm is on.

The priests of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate call on Metropolitan Onufrii to assemble the Regional Church Council and sever ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Journalist Andriy Tsaplienko has published a video with allegedly Belarusian fighters who decided to join the Ukrainian army.

“Foreign volunteers start forming battalions.”

“Belarusian brothers, I will speak Russian so that both our enemies and friends hear us. Today, a Belarusian company has been established with the Territorial Defence Force of Azov. Every Belarusian willing to fight by Ukrainians’ side for the shared ideals of liberty and values of sovereignty is welcome to join. Long live Belarus! Live forever!”

According to UN: "More than 660,000 people have left Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, most of them - women and children".

Head of Sumy regional administration Zhyvytskyi: The first prisoner swap took place in Sumy region. Five people from our territorial defence formation were swapped for one Russian military police officer.

Another trophy for the Ukrainian army in Kyiv region, Anton Herashchenko reports.
[The Ukrainian Army has got another trophy. Now it will shoot down the occupants! Irpin/Bucha] 

Dozens of diplomats left the UN Human Rights Council chamber in protest before Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov`s speech

Video briefing by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced strikes “on the technological facilities of the SBU and the 72nd Informational-Psychological Operations Center in Kyiv".

“We call on Ukrainian citizens, engaged by Ukrainian nationalists into carrying out provocations against Russia, as well as the residents of Kyiv who live near the relay nodes, to leave their homes,” stated the military department of the occupiers.

The operator of the "Nord Stream-2" gas pipeline is considering filing for bankruptcy, — Reuters reports, citing two informed sources

Manfred Weber, Head of the European People's Party of the European Parliament: The people of Ukraine are holding the torch of freedom for all of us. I am sure that the people who fight with such courage for the principles on which our union is built deserve to be part of it.

At 4:30 pm, the European Parliament is going to consider Ukraine’s application for membership.

How Russian occupiers are welcomed in Melitopol

Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov warned that Russia is preparing a large-scale information and psychological operation, the purpose of which is to break the resistance of the Ukrainian army and people, using lies.

“First, they plan to interrupt communications. After that, they will spread fake messages that Ukrainian military-political leadership allegedly agreed to surrender.

In confirmation of this fake, they will distribute supposedly signed “documents”, as well as edited videos. THIS IS A LIE! Never gonna happen! There will be no surrender! Only victory!"

Zelenskyy to MEPs: 16 children were killed yesterday. And again President Putin will say that this is some kind of operation and we are hitting military infrastructure. Where are our children? What military factories are they working in? What missiles are they on? Maybe they are moving in tanks? Sixteen children you (Putin) have killed.

Zelenskyy to the European Parliament: "I am glad that we have united the countries of the European Union, but I am not glad that it has happened in such a way. The price is thousands of people who died".

We will definitely win, I am sure of it. There is such an expression: the Ukrainian choice of Europe. This is what we are aiming at, what we want. And I would appreciate it a lot if today we would hear the European choice of Ukraine from you.

We fight for our land and for our freedom. And despite the fact that our big cities are blocked, nobody will violate our freedom, our country. Believe me. Each square of today, no matter how it is called now, will be called the Square of Freedom.

Hungary supports the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, said Foreign Minister Petr Szijarto.

"Hungary supports this initiative and we call on Brussels to put this issue on the agenda."

Ukrainian Pravda reports that Ukrainians have launched the application "Air Alarm." It will alert you to the risk in a certain area. The software is available on both Google Play and the AppStore.

The app does not require registration and does not gather personal information or geolocation information. Even when the smartphone is in silent or sleep mode, it delivers the loudest urgent messages regarding air, chemical, man-made, or other sorts of civil defense warnings.
The app must be given permission to deliver notifications and urgent warnings, as well as the ability to pick your location and monitor the start and end of air alerts.
The following locations are already accessible:

• Vinnitsa
• Volyn
• Donetsk
• Zakarpattia
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Poltava
• Rivne
• Kharkiv
• Kherson
• Khmelnytskyi
• Chernivtsi

The list of regions is constantly updated.

The update from the General Staff on the situation as of 12:00:

The advance of the Russian military columns lost pace as procurement becomes increasingly problematic for them on the territory of Ukraine. Enemy forces are suffering from unstable fuel and ammunition supply.

Having failed to capture administrative centers in Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions, the invaders started targeting those cities’ residential quarters with missile strikes.

Moreover, Sumy, Lebedyn, and Akhtyrka are still surrounded by Russian occupiers, who are regrouping to continue their movement toward Kyiv.

In Donetsk Region, the enemy’s 1st and 2nd army corps and detachments of the 8th army with artillery support committed to capturing Mariupol. So far, their efforts have been in vain, and they have not reached the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In the Taurida direction, the enemy managed to reach Skadovsk, Hola Prystan, Kherson, and Nova Kakhovka with available forces. Regrouped, they continue advancing in the direction of Mykolaiv.

Instances of looting by invaders were reported in Bucha, Hostomel, and Nova Basan.

After missing the opportunities for offensive actions, the enemy is focusing on surrounding Kyiv.

In Kupiansk, Kharkiv Region, unarmed civilians walked out against Russian invaders, throwing themselves at military vehicles.

Lachen writes

Kupiansk.

Our people walked out to protest against Russian invaders who fire into the air to scare them off.

Russians, are you still afraid of police batons and prisoner wagons?

Japan has imposed sanctions on 49 Russian companies as well as six politicians and military leaders, including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, and three Russian banks. Assets of the Central Bank, Promsvyazbank and VEB in Japan are frozen, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Forbes reported.

Sanctioned entities are banned from shipping goods from Japan. Japan's Foreign Ministry has also imposed a ban on imports to Russia of goods that could be used for military purposes.
According to the document, Japan's personal sanctions include President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Export restrictions are imposed on 49 Russian companies, institutions and agencies, including MIPT, Admiralty Shipyards, Irkut, Progress RSC, Rostec, Oboronprom and Rosoboronexport, Sukhoi, Kazan Helicopter Plant, UAC, OSK, MiG and Tupolev, the Ministry of Defense and all its units, FSB and the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Shipments of goods from Japan to 49 organizations have been banned since March 8. Russia is also banned from supplying "general-purpose goods that contribute to Russia's military capabilities".
"Given the current situation around Ukraine, major countries are now taking steps to maintain international peace and security as well as to contribute to international peace efforts aimed at resolving this problem," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Herashchenko: During today’s airstrike, Kharkiv was hit by a Kalibr-class missile. When the emergency response team arrived 5–7 minutes later, another similar missile hit the building. According to preliminary data, 10 people were killed and over 35 harmed. One third of Kharkiv Regional State Administration building collapsed.

Zelenskyy:

In Kharkiv, a cruise missile hit Europe's largest square, Freedom Square. There were dozens of victims. This is the price we pay for freedom. Such was the morning for the people of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Kharkiv and Russian Belgorod have always been close in many ways, even the border between them was conventional—only on maps, but certainly not in the soul.
Now, everything has changed, after the cruise missile from Belgorod hit Kharkiv. The missile that hit the Freedom Square, our Kharkiv’s very face.
It is an act of terror against a city. An act of terror against Kharkiv. And an act of terror against Ukraine. There were no military targets in the square, nor there were any in the residential areas of Kharkiv hit by rocket artillery. Striking the city’s central square with missiles is a blatant, overt act of terror. Nobody will forgive it. Nobody will forget.
This strike on Kharkiv is a war crime. It is the state terrorism of the Russian Federation. After this, Russia is a terrorist state.
It is obvious, and it should be declared officially. We call upon all nations of the world to respond immediately and effectively to such criminal tactics by the aggressor and to declare that Russia is resorting to state terrorism. We demand full accountability for the terrorists in international courts.
Kharkiv and Kyiv are currently crucial targets for Russia. Its acts of terror are aimed at breaking us, breaking our resistance. They are heading to our capital in the same way as to Kharkiv. Therefore, the defense of the capital today is the key priority for our country. In all cities of Ukraine, we must do everything possible to stop the enemy. It is the responsibility of the military and civilian authorities. But Kyiv is special. If we protect Kyiv, we protect the country. Kyiv is the heart of our Ukraine, which must keep beating. And it will keep beating for life to win.
Dear Kyiv residents, the defense of the capital is our utmost priority. Therefore, I have decided to appoint a professional military man as the Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration during the war period to guarantee that the city is defended, to block the enemy's approaches to our capital, so that Kyiv residents have everything they need. The Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration will be General Mykola Mykolayovych Zhernov. He served as Commander of the Support Forces and organized first-class engineering support for combat operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014–2015. He is currently a State Expert with the Military Security Service of the National Security and Defense Council. Vitali Klitschko remains the mayor of Kyiv, he will have his own area of responsibility, and the mayor and the Head of the Military Administration will work in tandem from now on. After the war, we will revert to the way things were in the capital.
As far as our diplomats are concerned, right now our diplomats are implementing fair and absolutely necessary decisions in relation to those states that have betrayed their word and international law. With immediate effect, we recall our ambassador from Kyrgyzstan for consultations, since the country justified the aggression against Ukraine. We also immediately recall the Ambassador from Georgia since the volunteers willing to help us encounter obstacles there, and the country’s stance on sanctions is immoral.

And now, I would like to mention those whose feats are an example of the highest moral strength. These are our doctors. You save people around the clock, at all times, and now your work is one of the key lines of our defense. You’re holding it brilliantly. Thousands of lives have been saved in these 5 days. We are grateful to everyone, who under these extremely difficult conditions provides our people with everything necessary for life: food, energy, and medicine. And I thank the ordinary people of Ukraine who stop tanks with their bare hands and remove the occupiers from administrative buildings by force of spirit, making their stay in Ukraine shameful to demonstrating that they are not welcome here. This is the people's war, these are the people of Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!

UPD: stand down
Air raid alert in Kyiv! To shelters, everyone!

Zelenskyy: Kharkiv, hit by a cruise missile into Europe's largest square, Freedom Square. Dozens of victims. That's the price of freedom.
It is terror against the city. It is terror against Kharkiv. It is terror against Ukraine. There was no military target on the square. Neither were those residential areas of Kharkiv hit by rocket artillery. Rocketing the central square is blatant, uncovered terror. No one will forgive. No one will forget.
This strike on Kharkiv is a war crime. It is the state terrorism of the Russian Federation. After this, Russia is a terrorist state.
Obviously. And it should be on the record. We call upon all nations of the world to respond immediately and effectively to such criminal tactics by the aggressor and to declare that Russia is carrying out state terrorism. We demand full accountability for the terrorists in international courts.

Chernihiv mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko promises a bonus for destroyed Russian equipment:

• 150,000 UAH for an APC; 
• 200,000 UAH for a infantry fighting vehicle (IFV); 
• 250,000 UAH for a tank. 

The mayor will also give out $300 for each occupant captured or killed

Locals are helping fortify a beach in Odesa.

- Hey, guys, it’s for history! Russian ship!

- Go f*ck yourself!

- Glory to Ukraine!

- Glory to heroes!

- Glory to the nation!

- Death to the enemies!

- These people cannot be defeated.

- Above all!

Belarusian troops have entered Chernihiv Region, Suspilne.Chernihiv reports. The publication also claims that the information has been verified by Vitalii Kirillov, a representative of the Territorial Defence Force’s North Regional Command.

North Operative Tactical Command did not answer Liga.net’s calls. No other sources have verified the information so far.

The command of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has published a video where another Russian soldier says he was "cheated". Ivan from Buryatia told his mother about this in a phone conversation.

"We thought we had come to defend, but on the contrary, we came to kill civilians," the Russian soldier says.
This is not the first soldier who has been captured by the Ukrainian army, telling "thought we were going to study" or "wanted to protect, but it turned out..."

Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian counterintelligence officers detained an agent of the Russian special services in Rivne Region who was taking pictures and videos of strategic and military facilities. The information was needed by the hijackers to prepare sabotage, the SBU reports in its telegram channel.

The traitor also organised subversive activities on social media. He tried to find accomplices who would distribute hostile content for money.

In Zhytomyr region, SBU special forces have neutralized a fire spotter. He was detained as he was placing a radio tag on a bridge at the exit from Zhytomyr. During an ID check, he started shooting back, but the security forces immediately eliminated him.

In addition, eight people were detained during the day who had been tagging fire control and sabotage operations in return for financial remuneration from the enemy.

The Security Service of Ukraine has detained two traitors in Mariupol.

They had been passing to the enemy information about the location of checkpoints, the deployment and movement of Ukrainian military equipment. The enemy agents tried to sow panic on social networks and agitated residents to surrender Mariupol to Russian invaders.

The SBU in Dnipro Region has reported that an accomplice of the Russian occupiers was suspected. A local resident was filming the movement of Ukrainian military equipment over the phone. Then he transmitted this data to a subscriber from the Russian territory.

SBU operatives in Zaporizhzhya have detained an enemy agent who turned out to be a militant of the so-called Donetsk people's republic, the leader of the Vostok battalion.

The militant disguised himself as a local resident and had been near and photographing military facilities since the first for the war.
The Security Service of Ukraine round-the-clock identifies and disarms agents, saboteurs and accomplices of the Russian occupiers, the SBU wrote in a telegram

Residents of Dubno, Rivne region and surrounding villages prepared 2.5 tons of dumplings for delivery to hospitals in Kyiv and Kyiv region. People's Deputy Oleksandr Aliksiychuk informs

The people of Dubno delivered to the capital not only dumplings, but also 10 tons of food

Attention! Air raid alert in Kyiv!

ATTENTION. The road from Olshany to Priluki is under tank fire. This is reported by the Ichnya city council.

According to the council, civilian vehicles are being destroyed there without warning.

Traffic in this direction is currently prohibited.

The international payment system Mastercard has blocked access to its system for several Russian banks due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. This was stressed in a statement by the Head of the company, Michael Meebach.
"As a result of the sanctions orders, we have blocked several financial institutions in the Mastercard payment network," he said.
He clarified that the blocking comes as part of the sanctions against Russia over its military invasion of Ukraine. It was not reported which financial institutions were denied access to.

The video shows the building of Kharkiv Regional State Administration after Russian army’s strikes. Deputy chairman of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Roman Semenukha told Ukrainian mass media that the Regional State Administration building is now unusable.

Pravda Gerashchenko

Inside Kharkiv Regional State Administration

Those who waited for the coming of Russian World with Russian flags in hand in the square, is this what you wanted? We warned you that it’s a bad idea. Many people have been injured. No dead have been found so far.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published estimates of total enemy losses from February 24 to 6 AM on March 1.

• Manpower: 5,710 + 200 captured
• Aircraft: 29
• Helicopters: 29
• Tanks: 198
• Armored combat vehicles: 846
• Artillery systems: 77
• Air defence hardware: 7
• Multiple-rocket launch systems: 24
• Fuel-oil tanks: 60
• Tactical drones: 3
• Cutters: 2
• Automotive vehicles: 305.

The shelling of the Kharkiv city state administration building has injured six people, including one child. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has been informed.

The death toll is being updated. The fire on the roof of the opera house has been extinguished.

How the night passed. Kharkiv region (according to RSA).

• Russian troops shelled the centre of Kharkiv, including Svoboda Square. There was chaotic shelling in all directions - Lipetsk, Belgorod, towards Chuguev and others.
• A large sabotage group of 20 men was neutralised and liquidated near Gagarin Avenue.

State Emergency Service extinguished 24 fires caused by enemy shelling:

• Gurevicha str. Gurevicha Street, a car was on fire;
• Baturicha str. Batumskaya Street, a garage and a car were on fire; a man was injured as a result of the shelling;
• Koltseva str. Koltsevaya Street, 5 cars were on fire, as a result of the shelling two people were injured and one killed.
• On Kola Street, 5 cars burned, as a result of the shelling two people were injured and one killed. As many as 15 garages and 5 cars were on fire in Tractorostroiteley Street;
• On Svyatlaya Street, the garage and 5 cars were on fire. Svetlaya street, a garage and a car were on fire;
• August 23rd Ave. 23 August, 7 cars on fire;
• Balakireva str. Balakireva St., 2 cars on fire;
• On Buchma Street, a garage was on fire;
• village Rogan, a residential house was on fire, as a result of artillery fire 1 person was injured and 1 killed;
• On 23 August str, a garage was on fire in the town; On 23 August str, a garage was on fire in the town. On 23 August Str., a garage was on fire;
• Osinova str., a residential house was on fire;
• Koltsevaya Street, as a result of shelling, 8 people were injured and 35 people were evacuated;
• Izyum district, Balakleya town, a residential house was on fire;
• Kharkiv district, Rogan village, a residential house was on fire.
• One of the fatalities was a fire in a residential house in the town of Oleksandrivka. Kyrgyzska Street, a 110/6 kW electrical substation and three tons of transformer grease were on fire as a result of a shell hit;
• Tankopia Street, 10 garages were on fire;
• Morozova str. Morozova Street, a warehouse was on fire;
• Enakievskaya Street, the gas pipeline to a residential building was on fire;
• Mukhtarova str. Nemyshlyanskoye, a storage building on fire;
• Traktorostroiteley prospect, the garage was on fire;
• Dergachi, Kharkiv district, a house on fire;
• Verkhnehiyivska Street, four vehicles burned as a result of a projectile hit, 15 vehicles were damaged. A gas main to a house was damaged and windows of School No. 108 were damaged.
• A large sabotage group of 20 men was disarmed and eliminated near Gagarin Avenue.

Civilian casualties not yet known

Kyiv, Air raid alert!

Sheriff head coach Yuriy Vernidub has joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He told this in an interview with FootBoom.

According to him, he is now being formed into an artillery brigade.

Kyiv city: stand down to the air-raid alert.

Maksym Kozytskyi
Residents of Lviv Region, please do not set up checkpoints without authorization. The Command of the 103rd independent brigade of the Territorial Defence Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine urges the residents of Lviv and Lviv Region to set up checkpoints and concrete barriers in the cities and travelways only upon approval of the brigade’s Command. If set up without authorization, they hinder the passage of our convoys, robbing them of precious time with frequent stops.
I ask you to be understanding of this.
Brigade Staff mobile contact number: 096 080 69 87