[LIVE] War in Ukraine: follow the latest information live
An explosion in a building in Mariupol after Russian tank fire on March 11.
AP - Evgeniy Maloletka
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
On the seventeenth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, follow the latest developments live.
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The main points:
► On the ground, Russian forces
are at the gates of the capital Kiev
where they are increasing the pressure
while the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv - the last lock before the port of Odessa - are still under fire from bombs.
But now the cities of Dnipro, Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk are also targeted.
► Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized
the dispatch of "volunteer" fighters
, particularly from Syria.
Syrian mercenaries are already fighting alongside the Russians and the Syrian army against the jihadists in Syria.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of hiring "
Syrian assassins
" to "
destroy
" Ukraine.
► About
100,000 people
were evacuated in two days from Ukrainian cities.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed the death of 564 civilians in Ukraine, including 41 children, since the launch of the Russian military offensive on February 24.
► The Heads of State and Government of
the European Union met in Versailles
to reflect on ways to reduce their dependence on Russian gas and oil.
Coming out of the summit, the Twenty-Seven displayed their unity, but without any concrete announcement.
► The UN Security Council also met on Friday.
Westerners are openly worried about the possible
use of chemical weapons in Ukraine
by Moscow, whose military offensive did not achieve the expected rapid success, raising the specter of atrocities committed by the Damascus regime in Syria.
► The United States and its allies have taken the escalation of sanctions a step further, by deciding to exclude Russia from
the normal reciprocity regime governing world trade
, which opens the way for the imposition of tariffs punitive customs officers.
Times are given in Universal Time (UT)
00:00: Zelensky appeals to the mothers of Russian soldiers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons from being sent to "war" in Ukraine.
“
I want to say this again to Russian mothers.
Particularly, to the mothers of conscripts.
Do not send your children to war in a foreign country
, ”said Volodymyr Zelensky, in a new video address broadcast on Telegram.
“
Check where your son is.
And if you have the slightest suspicion that your son could be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately
” to prevent him from being killed or captured, he said.
“
Ukraine never wanted this terrible war.
And Ukraine does not want it.
But it will defend itself as much as necessary
, ”added the Ukrainian president.
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Ukraine
Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky
Vladimir Poutine