11:00
Hundreds of people are taking part this morning in a demonstration near the Malitopol City Hall following the arrest of Mayor Ivan Fedorov by Russian forces yesterday.
A video released yesterday showed Fedorov being led from a government building by gunmen. Later in the day, it was alleged on behalf of the Russians that Fedoros was charged with terrorism and was under investigation. Ukrainian President Zalansky claimed that this was a “crime against democracy”.
The Russians occupied Melitopol several days after the invasion began, but residents have been protesting against them ever since.
10:40
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vershchuk said this morning that humanitarian corridors are expected to open today for the evacuation of civilians. Vershchuk noted that the Ukrainian government plans to evacuate civilians from cities and towns around Kyiv, Sumy, Mariupol and other areas suffering from incessant attacks. According to Mariupol city council estimates, at least 1,582 civilians were killed by Russian bombings.
9:40
According to British intelligence, the Russians are only 25 km from the center of Kyiv. At the same time, the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol continue to suffer heavy bombing by the Russian army.
Local media in Ukraine report that two oil depots near Kyiv go up in flames after a Russian attack. One warehouse was damaged in the city of Vasilkiv, which is 36 km from the Ukrainian capital. The city has a large base of the Ukrainian Air Force and it has become a target for the Russian army.
New Russian strike today on oil depots at the Ukrainian Vasylkiv Air Base southeast of Kyiv, the location of a missile strike on Feb 27 and an ill-fated airborne assault on the airport on the morning of Feb 26. Russians continue to strike fuel and air maintenance infrastructure pic.twitter.com/3ZjGuOtRSX
– Dmitri Alperovitch (@DAlperovitch) March 12, 2022
8:40
The Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its 17th day.
According to satellite footage, Russian forces are approaching Kiev and appear to be firing at residential areas in the capital, according to a Reuters report. Early in the morning alarms were sounded in Kiev and there were reports of heavy bombings on the city.
Yesterday Russian forces bombed many cities across the country and appear to be preparing to attack Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky said yesterday that the country appears to have reached a “strategic turning point” in the war.
In Ukraine, there are fears that Belarus will invade today, after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko yesterday. Ukraine accused Russia of firing on Belarusian settlement near the border to drag Belarus into war.
US President Joe Biden announced yesterday (Friday) new measures the US is taking against Russia. Biden has declared “the end of Russia’s status as a preferred nation” so that the era of normal trade with Russia is effectively ending. Following Biden’s announcement, the EU also announced a change in the status of trade with Russia and the implementation of a fourth sanctions program on the country. The Union will ban the export of luxury goods to Russia and the import of iron and steel products.