Several Russian banks said on Sunday they would soon start issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator’s system coupled with Russia’s own Mir network, after Visa and MasterCard said they were suspending operations in Russia.

Announcements regarding the switch to UnionPay came on Sunday from Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, as well as Alfa Bank and Tinkoff.

‼️ Urgent appeal by President @ZelenskyyUa: a missile strike on #Vinnytsia consisted of eight missiles; the airport is completely destroyed.
The President called on the world to close the skies over #Ukraine and provide Ukraine with aircraft. pic.twitter.com/0s8nUneRZP

— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) March 6, 2022

A barrage of Russian missiles destroyed the airport in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

“I have just been informed about a missile strike on Vinnytsia. Eight rockets… The airport was completely destroyed,” he says

Two more Russian commanders have been killed on the frontline in Ukraine after a top general was shot dead by snipers, a Western official has claimed. 

Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky, 47, was reportedly killed by a Ukrainian sniper while the latest deaths since Russia invaded last week, were also both senior officers. 

One was a divisional commander and the other was a regimental commander, the Telegraph has reported. 

The Western official believes this is down to the commanders having to get ‘closer to the front’ as Russia feels progress still has not been made in Ukraine. 

‘The reason why that’s happening is that commanders feel they have to move further forward to get greater impetus and control over operations,’ the official said. 

‘That’s an indication perhaps of some degree of frustration, some degree of lack of progress and they’re trying to impose their personality onto the battlefield and then putting themselves at personal risk.’

Mr. Sukhovetsky, who was the deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of Russia’s Central Military District, died on Wednesday as Ukrainian defence forces repelled the Russian offensive. 

His death, announced on social media by his colleague Sergey Chipilyov, was widely reported by several Russian and Ukrainian news outlets and a military source confirmed that he was killed ‘by a sniper’.  

After days of denial, the Kremlin on Wednesday admitted that 498 of its troops have been killed and 1,600 injured in the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, but the true figure is said to be higher than that.

Kyiv says Russia has now lost around 9,200 men in the fighting, along with hundreds of tanks, almost a thousand armored vehicles, and dozens of helicopters and jets. 

The Russian Government has, on Friday, blocked access to Facebook and threatened up to 15 years in prison for those who stray from the state narrative on the war in Ukraine.

The clampdown on free speech is more aggressive than at any other point in President Vladimir Putin’s 22 years in power.

Ukrainian soldiers send message to Russian counterparts, scenes from the streets of Ukraine. See video below:

President Putin has warned those opposing Russia’s actions in Ukraine “not to exacerbate the situation” by imposing more restrictions on his country.

The Russian president was speaking at a government meeting broadcast on the state-controlled Rossiya 24 news channel.

“We have no ill intentions against our neighbours,” Putin claims.

And he says his government sees “no need” for its neighbours to take further action that will “make our relations worse”.

“I think everyone must think about how to normalise relations, co-operate normally and develop relations normally,” he adds.

 Russia’s number one target, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly survived three assassination attempted in the last week, new report claims.

According to The Times, mercenaries from Wagner group, who are sponsored by the Russian government and Chechen special forces were both sent to kill the Ukrainian president since Russia’s invasion began last week. 

But the assassins were foiled by saboteur anti-war members within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) – who alerted Ukraine officials,  The Times reported. 

Ukraine Secretary of National Security and Defense confirmed the three assassination attempts and told local press that he had received information from the double agents ‘who do not want to take part in this bloody war.’

One of the groups that reportedly tried to kill Zelensky, 44, was the Wagner Group – which has 400 members located in Kyiv as members infiltrated Ukraine with a 24-name ‘kill list.’ If the attempt had been succesful, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have been able to deny any involvement in the killing plot.
 

‘They would be going in there with a very high-profile mission, something that the Russians would want to be deniable — a decapitation of a head of state is a huge mission,’ a source told the Times. ‘In terms of the impact on Russian sovereign policy, this would be perhaps their biggest mission so far. It would have a major impact on the war.’ 

The assasins were flown in five weeks ago and were offered a huge sum for the mission. 

The assasins hit list included Ukraine’s prime minister, the entire cabinet, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir – both boxing champions . 

The plan was sabotaged after they reached the upper echelons of the Ukrainian government on Saturday morning, prompting Kyiv authorities to declare a 36-hour curfew, ordering everyone indoors so that soldiers could attack any Russian saboteurs, the report adds .

Last week, the US offered to evacuate Zelensky, who then told Biden he ‘needed ammunition, not a ride’ despite Ukraine facing several bomb threats and a potential nuclear war.

Russian troops taking part in the invasion of Ukraine were complaining about lack of supplies and argue about orders to bomb civilian areas.

The soldiers were said to be in ‘complete disarray’, according to voice recordings obtained by a British intelligence company.

DailyMail reports that the intercepted radio messages indicate that troops are refusing to obey central command orders to shell Ukrainian towns and are complaining about running out of supplies of food and fuel.

The recordings were said to be among around 24 hours of material obtained by intelligence firm ShadowBreak since the invasion of Ukraine began last week.

In one of the eavesdropped conversations, listened to by The Telegraph, a soldier reportedly sounds as though he is crying.

In another, a soldier is heard losing his temper when asking when food or fuel will arrive. He says, “We’ve been here for three days! When the hell is it going to be ready?”

A third message reveals a tense exchange in which the same soldier has to remind a colleague speaking from a command centre that they cannot use artillery on an area until civilians – who are labelled ‘the goods’ – have left.
ShadowBreak’s founder Samuel Cardillo, 26, told The Telegraph he had been sent the messages by amateurs listening in with antennas.
He said, “What we have found is that the Russian operatives are operating in complete disarray.

“They have no clue where they are going and how to really communicate with each other properly. There were periods where we heard them [Russian soldiers] crying in combat, a period where they were insulting each other – obviously not a sign of great morale.”

Some of the messages were also “proof of war crimes” because they revealed ordered to fire missiles into urban areas, Mr Cardillo said.

Other video recordings are said to show Russian soldiers retreating back into Russia after becoming frustrated, whilst a text message sent by a soldier to his mother is alleged to have said, “The only thing I want right now is to kill myself.”

In a further sign that morale may be poor, a senior US defence official told the New York Times on Tuesday that some troops have “deliberately punched holes” in their vehicles’ petrol tanks in the hope of avoiding combat.
Parts of the Russian military are also still using analogue ‘walkie talkie’ two-way radios, making them more vulnerable to interception.

Ukrainian forces are also said to have had no problem jamming Russian communications and interrupting them with the sound of their national anthem.

Another recording obtained by ShadowBreak is said to reveal a soldier in tears, pleading with his command: ‘…it’s slow, it’s slow.’

The communications are also said to show that soldiers were told they would meet little resistance upon entering Ukraine.

Instead, Ukrainian forces are now in the ninth day of resistance to the Russian attack and multiple videos reveal civilians confronting the invading troops and convoys.

A top Russian general has reportedly been killed in the war with Ukraine.

Andrei Sukhovetsky, deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, died yesterday, Ukrainian news outlets report.

They referred to a post on Russian social media platform VKontakte written by Sergei Chipilev, a deputy of the Russian veteran’s group, Combat Brotherhood.

It said: ‘It is with great sorrow that we learned of the tragic news about the death of our friend, Major General Andrei Aleksandrovich Sukhovetsky, on the territory of Ukraine during a special operation.’

After graduating from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1995, Sukhovetsky started his career path as a platoon commander. He went on to become chief of staff of the Guards airborne assault unit.

Ukrainian outlet Fakti said he had been in his latest role since October 2021 and was based in Novosibirsk.

Yesterday the Russian Ministry of Defence said 498 of its servicemen were killed, more than 1,500 were injured since the invasion of Ukraine was launched last Thursday.

Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov rejected reports about ‘incalculable losses’ among Russian forces as ‘disinformation’. But Ukraine has said the true number of Russian troops killed is higher than Moscow admits.

Konashenkov denied that conscripts or cadets have been involved in the operation in Ukraine, dismissing media reports suggesting otherwise. But Russian independent organisations that help parents find their sons have said were taking part and had been made to sign documents before crossing the border.

Konashenkov also said more than 2,870 Ukrainian troops have been killed and some 3,700 more sustained injuries, while 572 others have been captured by the Russians.

The claim is yet to be independently verified, and Ukraine has not commented on these figures.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said that more than 2,000 civilians have died in the conflict, but again the claim has not been verified.

Several demoralized Russian troops who were captured in Ukraine were reportedly allowed to call home over the weekend to inform their families about their safety and profess confusion about why they were sent to war.

In one of the videos purporting to show the phone calls which were taken by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry and posted on YouTube, a Russian soldier said: “Mama and Papa, I didn’t want to come here. They forced me to”.

Tori Media learnt that videos of captured or surrendered Russian troops were also posted on the Ukrainian Security Service’s Facebook page.

The posting of the videos showing captured Russian troops raised questions about whether Ukraine had violated Article 13 of the Geneva Conventions, calling for the protection of prisoners of war “against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.”

The captured Russian soldiers, and any Ukrainians captured by the Russians, were entitled to humane treatment and protections under the law of war and the Geneva Conventions, said Gary Solis, a Vietnam veteran, retired Marine judge advocate general and author of the book, “The Law of Armed Conflict.”

“It’s a violation” of Geneva to post the videos, but not what would be considered a “grave breach” to be taken up by a war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Solis said.

“Anybody who is captured is a prisoner of war” and must be shielded from abuse and provided medical treatment as a lawful combatant, he added. “Clearly, the Russians who were captured were wearing uniforms.”

He compared what the Ukrainians had done more to a misdemeanor than a felony, and also noted that there was a positive humanitarian aspect of the videos in showing “proof of life” to the families of the captured troops.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has made no mention of Ukrainian actions since Russia invaded last week, but on Monday, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a press release that he planned to begin an investigation “as rapidly as possible” into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia tied to the bombing and shelling of civilian buildings.

In English subtitles added to one video by Ukrainian authorities, another Russian soldier tried to explain his plight to his mother: “Hello, hello, Mom? Hi, did you recognize me? I am in the territory of Ukraine. I’ve been taken captive but I’m alright.”

In addition to the videos of soldiers calling home, the Interior Ministry showed off-camera interrogators questioning the troops who mostly appeared to be unharmed and speaking freely, but some had cuts and bruises on their faces.

One soldier appeared under sheets in what was either an aid station or hospital bed and said “I got here not knowing” what the mission was, according to the Ukrainian translation. “I didn’t imagine what will happen here. There was no need to come here.”

He said “our convoy got under fire” and now “my legs are broken.” He had a wife and two children back in Russia, the soldier said, and “I pray to God to recover.”

A common theme among the soldiers was that they were conscripts, with little concept of why they were sent into Ukraine and-or what their mission was once they crossed the border.

One Russian soldier said: “We came here under the pretext of doing military exercises. We were not planning to make war on Ukraine. I am alive and healthy as a captive, and my message is to stop the war in Ukraine. It is nonsense; people are dying.”

Ukrainian officials gave no overall figure for how many Russian troops may have been captured, but Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reported Tuesday that 5,710 Russian troops had been killed since the Feb. 24 invasion began.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov declined Sunday to give numbers on how many Russian troops had been killed or captured but said more Ukrainians than Russians had been killed, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.

“There are dead and wounded among our comrades,” Konashenkov said without giving any figures, but added that Ukraine’s losses were “many times” more than Russia’s — again without giving specifics.

Although they may not be wearing uniforms, the civilians would be considered lawful combatants so long as they were wearing a sign or symbol of their allegiance, and simply carrying a weapon would qualify as such a sign, Solis said.

In a live TV broadcast to the nation, Macron warned that “the days ahead are likely to become tougher and tougher.”

Saluting the courage of the Ukrainian people and standing in front of a Ukrainian flag, he said that the war would undoubtedly make its effects felt across Europe, including in France, where the prices of petrol, gas and everyday items are likely to rise.

On a wider scale, he warned that “our farmers, our industry and a number of economic sectors will suffer”.

He said that he has asked Prime Minister Jean Castex to create a comprehensive plan to deal with price rises and other knock-on effects of the war “within the next few days”.

Macron also announced that he would be hosting European leaders at Versailles on March 10th and 11th for a summit to discuss energy independence and defence.The French president described his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymr Zelensky as “the face of honour, freedom and bravery”.

“It is alone and deliberately that President Putin has chosen the war. This war is not a conflict between Nato on the one hand and Russia on the other. Russia is not attacked, it is the aggressor.”

“Already our Europe has shown unity and determination. We have entered into a new era.”

However he added: “We are not at war with Russia”.

He added that France would do its share to welcome the millions of Ukrainians displaced by war, including taking in children separated from their parents.

Macron has been criticised by some for his continuing conversations with Russian premier Vladimir Putin, but told the nation: “I have chosen to remain in contact with President Putin for as long as I can, and for as long is necessary, to unstintingly seek to convince him to renounce violence… and to prevent the contagion and spreading of the conflict.”

But he said he believed that the war will continue and represents “a new era” in Europe.

The speech did not directly touch on the issue of French domestic politics, as Macron’s office had already made clear.

Macron has so far not officially declared that he will run for re-election, and the deadline for candidates to declare is Friday, March 4th.

It is, however, widely thought to be extremely unlikely that he will not enter the presidential race. His team had previously announced an event in Marseille on Saturday, March 5th, which was expected to be the first official event of the campaign. However this was cancelled earlier this week because of the international situation.

Macron’s handling of the crisis is generally viewed positively in France, and his poll ratings have gone up over the past two weeks.

Russian soldiers taking part in the invasion of Ukraine are in ‘complete disarray’, according to voice recordings obtained by a British intelligence company.

The intercepted radio messages indicate that troops are refusing to obey central command orders to shell Ukrainian towns and are complaining about running out of supplies of food and fuel.

The recordings are among around 24 hours of material obtained by intelligence firm ShadowBreak since the invasion of Ukraine began last week.

In one of the eavesdropped conversations, listened to by The Telegraph, a soldier reportedly sounded as though he was crying.

In another, a soldier was heard losing his temper when asking when food or fuel would arrive.

He said: “We’ve been here for three days! When the hell is it going to be ready?”

A third message revealed a tense exchange in which the same soldier had to remind a colleague speaking from a command centre that they could not use artillery on an area until civilians – who were labelled ‘the goods’ – had left.

ShadowBreak’s founder Samuel Cardillo, 26, told The Telegraph he had been sent the messages by amateurs listening in with antennas.

He said: “What we have found is that the Russian operatives are operating in complete disarray.

“They have no clue where they are going and how to really communicate with each other properly.”

He added: “There were periods where we heard them (Russian soldiers) crying in combat, a period where they were insulting each other – obviously not a sign of great morale.’

Mr Cardillo said that some of the messages were also ‘proof of war crimes’ because they revealed orders to fire missiles into urban areas.

Other video recordings are said to show Russian soldiers retreating back into Russia after becoming frustrated, whilst a text message sent by a soldier to his mother is alleged to have said: “The only thing I want right now is to kill myself.”

In a further sign that morale may be poor, a senior U.S. defence official told the New York Times on Tuesday that some troops have “deliberately punched holes” in their vehicles’ petrol tanks in the hope of avoiding combat.

Parts of the Russian military are also still using analogue ‘walkie-talkie’ two-way radios, making them more vulnerable to interception.

Ukrainian forces are also said to have had no problem jamming Russian communications and interrupting them with the sound of their national anthem.

Another recording obtained by ShadowBreak is said to have revealed a soldier in tears, pleading with his command: “…it’s slow, it’s slow.”

The communications are also said to show that soldiers were told they would meet little resistance upon entering Ukraine.

Instead, Ukrainian forces are now on the ninth day of resistance to the Russian attack and multiple videos reveal civilians confronting the invading troops and convoys.

The new recordings come after Ukraine on Monday paraded captured Russian soldiers in dozens of online videos.

Footage posted online shows tied up ‘demoralised, and exhausted’ Russian prisoners of war captured after they failed to break through Ukrainian defences in Kyiv and Kharkiv over the weekend.

Several of the videos were posted on a Telegram channel set up on Saturday by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry called ‘Find Your Own’.

Many Russian troops claimed that they believed they were conducting training exercises in the border regions and did not know they were being sent to invade Ukraine. 

(Reuters/Mail online/NAN)

As Russian forces advances into Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly escaped an assassination attempt, a government official announced early today, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

A report by Anadolu Agency quoted the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as reporting on its website that the attempt on Zelenskyy’s life was planned by members of the elite unit of the Kadyrovtsy (Kadyrov followers).

The report quoted Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, as confirming the development on the air on the Ukraine 24 TV channel.

“The special operation that was to be carried out directly by Kadyrovtsy to eliminate our president is fully known to us today. I can say that we received information from representatives of the FSB (Russia’s Federal Security Service) who have no desire to take part in this bloody war. Thanks to this, the Kadyrov elite group that came here to liquidate our president was killed,” Danilov told Ukraine 24.

The Kadyrovtsy is a paramilitary organization in Chechnya that serves as the protection of Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic.

The alleged assassination attempt took place as Russia stepped up its war against Ukraine in defiance of global opinion, with Russian troops bombarding the capital city Kiev, and second largest city, Kharkiv, hours after Monday’s peace talks between both countries in neighbouring Belarus.

The final text message a soldier sent to his mother before he was killed in Ukraine has shown the horrifying reality of the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s ambassador read out the horrifying text messages to the United Nations yesterday, February 28.

The soldier wrote via text: “Mom I’m no longer in Crimea. I’m not in training sessions.”

His mother replies: “Where are you then? Papa is asking whether I can send you a parcel.”

He responds: “What kind of a parcel mama can you send me?”

“What are you talking about? What happened?” his mum asks.

“Mama, I’m in Ukraine,” he replies back. “There is a real war raging here. I’m afraid. We are bombing all of the cities together, even targeting civilians.

“We were told that they would welcome us and they are falling under our armoured vehicles, throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass.

“They call us fascists. Mama. This is so hard.”

The Ukrainian ambassador said that the last message was sent just “moments” before the soldier lost his life.

The Ukrainian army said on Tuesday that it had shot down several Russian fighter planes as Russia’s invasion of its neighbour country entered its sixth day.

Five Russian fighter planes and a helicopter were shot down during aerial attacks on Monday, the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper and the Ukrainian air force reported.

The planes were reportedly shot down during aerial attacks on the cities of Vasylkiv and Brovary in the area surrounding Kiev, and a cruise missile and a helicopter were shot down near Kiev.

Ukrainian warplanes reportedly fired missiles and bombs at Russian tanks and troops near Kiev and close to the city of Zhytomyr.

Bombs were reportedly dropped in the northern region of Chernihiv and the southern Ukrainian city of Berdyansk, currently under Russian control.

Meanwhile, satellite imagery has shown a convoy of Russian military vehicles estimated to be 64 kilometres long heading towards the Ukrainian capital Kiev, according to Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.

More than 100 civilians have already died during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the UN.

Ukraine’s government puts the civilian toll at more than 150. 

Ukraine on Tuesday has offered Russian soldiers a sum of $40,000 and promised them immunity from punishment if they surrender, Tori Media reports.

“Make your decision. Come out without weapon, with a white flag,” Defence Minister Oleksii Resnikov wrote on Facebook.’’

Each soldier was being offered the equivalent of more than $40,000.

The campaign was reportedly being financed by the international IT industry.

“Anyone who refuses to be an occupationist will bring peace. For those who choose the path of the occupationist there will be no mercy!” said Resnikov.

Whether surrendering Russians will actually receive the money could not be verified.

According to Ukrainian sources, at least 200 Russian soldiers have been captured so far.

In interrogation videos, many have said they believed they were taking part in a manoeuvre but were actually sent to fight in Ukraine.

Russia attacked the neighbouring country on 24, without declaring war.

According to the UN, more than 400 civilians have already been killed.

The Russian army had already fired at least 113 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources but Moscow vehemently denies attacking Ukrainian civilians.

The Ministry of Defence in Kiev said more than 5,700 Russian soldiers had been killed but again, these figures cannot be independently verified.

Meanwhile, Ukraine listed some 29 aircraft, 29 helicopters and 198 tanks among allegedly destroyed Russian military equipment.

The African Union has reacted to reports of Africans being stopped from crossing Ukrainian border following the invasion of the European country by its neighbour, Russia. 

Macky Sall, chairman of the AU, and Moussa Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, in a statement released on Monday night February 28, said all people irrespective of their racial identity, have the right to flee to safety in times of war.

Countries have been asked by the AU to “respect international law” by showing empathy to all people fleeing the war. According to the union, stopping Africans from fleeing Ukraine is racism and breaches international law.

The statement read; 

“The current Chair of the African Union and President of the Republic of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, are following closely the developments in Ukraine and are particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety.

“The two Chairpersons recall that all people have the right to cross international borders during conflict, and as such, should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity.

“Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach of international law. In this regard, The Chairpersons urge all countries to respect international law and show the same empathy and support to all people fleeing war notwithstanding their racial identity.

“The Chairpersons commend the efforts by African Union Member State countries and their embassies in neighbouring countries to receive and orientate African citizens and their families trying to cross the border from Ukraine to safety.”

A Ukrainian official says a Russian artillery attack on a military unit in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, killed at least 70 Ukrainian soldiers on Monday.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble.

This is coming as Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian news outlet, is reporting air raid sirens in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, including Vinnytsia, Uman and Cherkasy.

It also cited a hospital administrator saying that Russian shelling has hit a maternity hospital in the village of Buzova near Kyiv. “All people were evacuated from the building,” it

*****

U.S. citizens should consider leaving Russia immediately on commercial flights, the State Department said on Sunday, citing an increasing number of airlines canceling flights and countries closing their airspace to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

“U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” said a security alert dated Feb. 27 on the web site of U.S. embassy in Moscow.

It has asked U.S. citizens to have “a contingency plan that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two, has unleashed a barrage of Western reprisals, with U.S. and European governments imposing sanctions on Russian banks and financial institutions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the attack a “special operation” through which he aims to demilitarise Moscow’s southern neighbor.

The State Department has kept its travel advisory for Russia at “Level 4: Do Not Travel”. On Feb. 20, the U.S. embassy in Moscow had advised Americans in the country to have an evacuation plan, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine.

Switzerland, known for its neutral stances on global conflicts, has announced that it will adopt standard European Union sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement on Monday February 28, the Swiss government openly condemned the Russian invasion and expressed solidarity with Ukraine. It also announced that it will enact the same sanctions announced by the EU against Russia.

“In view of Russia’s continuing military intervention in Ukraine, the Federal Council took the decision on February 28 to adopt the packages of sanctions imposed by the EU on February 23 and 25,” the Swiss government wrote.

“Switzerland reaffirms its solidarity with Ukraine and its people; it will be delivering relief supplies for people who have fled to Poland.”

The sanctions enacted against Russia will not only target the country’s economy but the assets of important Russian government figures. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be unable to send or receive money from Swiss banks for as long as the sanctions are in place.

“In so doing, Switzerland is responding to the serious violations of international law for which these individuals are responsible,” the Swiss government said.

Another critical ban that Swiss authorities have enacted on the Russian government is the suspension of a 2009 visa agreement.

The statement said that people connected to Putin will not be allowed into the country. The decision, according to the government, will allow “appropriate measures to safeguard the country’s interests or Switzerland’s external security, independence and neutrality.”

Switzerland is perhaps most well known for its neutrality in many major international conflicts, with representatives from the country acting as mediators. In it statement, the Swiss government explained that enacting the EU sanctions is an attempt at preserving the neutrality.

“In reaching its decisions, the Federal Council took Switzerland’s neutrality and peace policy considerations into account. It reaffirmed Switzerland’s willingness to actively contribute to a solution to the conflict through its good offices,” it explained.

“Russia’s unprecedented military attack on a sovereign European country was the deciding factor in the Federal Council’s decision to change its previous stance on sanctions,” the Swiss government added. “The defence of peace and security and respect for international law are values that Switzerland, as a democratic country, shares with its European neighbours and supports. As before, Switzerland will examine each further package of sanctions imposed by the EU on a case-by-case basis.”

Alphabet today confirmed with TechCrunch that it has disabled certain Google Maps live traffic tools in Ukraine. 

The news, reported by Reuters, comes after the company has consulted with local authorities as the country faces attacks from Russian forces. The features will remain on for local turn-by-turn navigation for drivers, while broader global access is disabled.

The popular mapping technology has served a surprise role in the invasion of Ukraine since the outset. One research facility in California was able to spot the Russian approach toward the Ukrainian border hours before the “special military operation” was officially declared, using a combination of Maps traffic data and satellite imaging to spot traffic pileups.  

“In the old days, we would have relied on a reporter to show us what was happening on the ground,” researcher Jeffrey Lewis told The Washington Post. “And today, you can open Google Maps and see people fleeing Kyiv.”

Alphabet’s move appears to stem from concerns that the information could similarly be exploited by the Russian military to track the Ukrainian troop movement. The corporation hasn’t offered anything in the way of specifics on the matter, including when the switch was flipped or whether it’s taken similar action amid other global conflicts. 

On the ground, Ukrainians have been taking a far more old-school approach to the matter. The government’s road agency, Ukravtodor, began removing road signs in an attempt to confuse Russian forces.

“Let’s help them get straight to hell,” it wrote on social media on Saturday. “Ukravtodor calls on all road organizations, territorial communities, local governments to immediately begin dismantling nearby road signs.”

Long periods spent in isolation during the Covid pandemic may have fuelled Vladimir Putin’s ‘paranoia’ and ‘bunker mentality’, experts believe.

The Russian president had only ­limited contact with people over the last two years which left him with too much time ‘stewing in his own fears’, it is claimed.

Even those in his inner circle had to isolate for two weeks before a face-to-face meeting.

Meanwhile, his closest contacts had to provide faecal samples several times a week to check for infection.

Mr Putin’s state of mind has come under scrutiny after he announced the invasion of Ukraine in ‘rambling’ and ‘apocalyptic’ fashion.

Reports suggested he is suffering from ‘brain fog’ caused by long Covid.

Fears were raised again after US senator Marco Rubio suggested that the 69-year-old ­dictator is mentally unwell.

‘I wish I could share more, but for now I can say it’s pretty obvious to many that something is off with #Putin,’ the Florida Republican tweeted.

‘He has always been a killer, but his problem now is different & significant. It would be a mistake to assume this Putin would react the same way he would have 5 years ago.’

Tatiana Stanovaya, who has worked for leading Moscow-based think tanks, said Putin no longer asks for advice but ‘sets tasks and demands and they are implemented’.

She told The Times: ‘He has withdrawn into himself during the past two years. He has become distanced from the bureaucratic machinery, from the establishment, from the elite.’

Andrey Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council, told the BBC the decision to invade ‘surprised and shocked’ Putin’s own officials.

Many are ‘devastated to see what is happening’, he added.

The Russia rouble has crashed by 30% against the US dollar, after the US and its allies announced new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The new record low for the Russian currency comes after some of the country’s major banks were banned from using the Swift international payment system over the ongoing conflict with it’s neighbor, Ukraine.

Following the rouble crash, and the citizens rush to withdraw cash from banks and ATMs, Russia’s central bank on Sunday, February 27 appealed for calm.

The move by the European Union, United States and their allies to cut off a number of Russian banks from the Swift payment system is the harshest measure imposed to date on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.

Also in addition to the Swift ban, assets of Russia’s central bank will also be frozen, limiting the country’s ability to access its overseas reserves.

The intention is to “further isolate Russia from the international financial system”, a joint statement said.

Russia is heavily reliant on the Swift system for its key oil and gas exports.

The new ban on the Central Bank of Russia’s ability to use its roughly $630bn in foreign reserves undermines its ability to defend the rouble. Inflation is likely to go up because of the currency’s weakness.

This leaves the central bank with a few options, including raising interest rates or limiting the amount of money that can be brought into or out of the country.

Russia’s central bank said it “has the necessary resources and tools to maintain financial stability and ensure the operational continuity of the financial sector”.

In the first day of trading since harsh new sanctions were imposed, the Russian rouble plunged to a new record low against the US dollar. The euro sank more than 1%, while the price of oil surged above $100 per barrel..

Since the sanctions were imposed, several Russians have been pictured waiting in long queues, worried that their bank cards may be stopped from working or that limits will be placed on the amount of cash they can withdraw.

Alexandre Moutin, head of investments at SMBC Private Wealth, believes “a bank run is already ongoing and will most likely intensify in the coming days”.

“The military conflict will last longer than Putin expected and the reaction of the West and the global community might be more harmful that he expected too,” he said to the press.

Anonymous, a group of computer nerds who declared full scale cyber war against Russia for launching military action against Ukraine, says it has taken down more than 300 Russian government, state media and banks website in the last 48 hours.

The group confirmed the cyber attack through their official Twitter handle.

JUST IN: #Anonymous takes down more than 300+ #Russian government, state media & banks websites in the last 48 hrs, with most of them currently offline. #OpRussia #FckPutin #FreeUkraine pic.twitter.com/wfWB1M0jYI

— Anonymous TV 🇺🇦 (@YourAnonTV) February 27, 2022

“#Anonymous takes down more than 300+ #Russian government, state media & banks websites in the last 48 hrs, with most of them currently offline.”

This is coming as the group yesterday claimed a significant victory against Russia after it managed to breach the Russian Ministry of Defence’s database and posted it online for the world to see.

Among the information released to the public according to Anonymous included emails, passwords and telephone numbers.

Panic in Russia as nation’s economy plunged to record lows with people concerned about their savings.

Russians waited in long queues outside ATMs on Sunday, worried that the new Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine will trigger cash shortages.

One of the factor that contributed the problem was the decision of United Kingdom to impose sanction against
Russia in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

It was gathered that
New rules will make it illegal to do business with Russia’s central bank, national wealth fund or treasury.

The new round of moves, which also includes further restrictions on Russian financial institutions, continue efforts to cut off its economy in retaliation for the invasion.

Scary sanctions slammed by Western allies against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are already showing effect, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday, warning that further embargoes could come if Moscow failed to change course.

“Already in the last week, the Russian stock markets sank by more than 30 percent. That shows: our sanctions are working,” said Scholz.

“And we reserve the right to impose further sanctions,” he warned.

Germany and its Western allies agreed Saturday to cut “selected” Russian banks out of the SWIFT global payment system.

The move is part of a new round of sanctions targeting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. 

The US, EU and UK also agreed to impose ”restrictive measures” on Russia’s Central Bank. 

The measures were announced jointly and mark a major escalation of sanctions against Moscow.

“This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a videoconference with the leaders of the US, Germany, France, Italy and Canada.

“All of these measures will significantly harm [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s ability to finance his war and they will have a severely eroding impact on his economy,” she said. “Putin embarked on a path aiming to destroy Ukraine, but what he is also doing in fact is destroying the future of his own country.”

The restrictions on the Central Bank target the more than $600 billion (€530 billion) in reserves that the Kremlin has at its disposal. 

US officials said the new sanctions aimed to send the ruble into “free fall” and promote soaring inflation in the Russian economy. 

The allies also announced a commitment to “taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship — so-called golden passports — that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our
financial systems.”

Ukraine grateful for financial sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal took to Twitter to thank the countries for the latest round of financial sanctions.

“Thanks to our friends … for the commitment to remove several Russian banks from SWIFT,” and for “the paralysis of the assets of the central bank of Russia,” he said.

Germany changes course on SWIFT  

The move was made possible after Germany dropped opposition to kicking Russia out of the SWIFT system. Berlin had been reluctant to take that step because it could also have a negative impact on Germany’s economy.

Earlier on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a joint statement that they were “urgently working on how to limit the collateral damage of decoupling from SWIFT in such a way that it affects the right people.”

“What we need is a targeted and functional restriction of SWIFT,” the ministers said.

In an apparent concession to Berlin, the Western powers agreed that the ban would only apply to selected banks.

The SWIFT financial system moves billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions worldwide on a daily basis.

nm/lo (Reuters, AFP, AP)

The Ukrainian armed forces on Friday said they had inflicted heavy losses on Russia.

The Defence Ministry said 2,800 Russian soldiers had been lost.

It was unclear whether the soldiers were killed, wounded or captured.

The ministry also estimated that up to 80 tanks, more than 500 other military vehicles, 10 aircraft and seven helicopters had been destroyed.

The toll on soldiers and civilians was impossible to confirm and the sides gave conflicting information.

Russia claims it has not suffered any significant losses.

Earlier, Ukraine said more than 1,000 Russian attackers had been killed.

“We are strong! Victory will be ours!” the Defence Ministry said in its latest statement.

(dpa/NAN)

The French navy has intercepted a cargo ship in the English channel bound for the Russian city of St Petersburg, the BBC has learned.

French officials told the BBC that the ship was intercepted in line with new EU sanctions and say it has been redirected to the northern port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.

“A 127 meters long Russia cargo ship called the ‘Baltic Leader’ transporting cars has been intercepted overnight by the French Navy in the Channel and escorted to the Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in Northern France,” the official said.

“It has been taken to the French port after a request by the French government because it is suspected of belonging to a company targeted by EU sanctions against Moscow. French boarder forces are currently investigating the cargo ship. Crew aboard the ‘Baltic Leader’ has been cooperating with French authorities.”

The Russian embassy in France is seeking explanations from the French authorities over the seizure, Russia’s RIA news agency said.

Elon Musk said Saturday his company SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service had been activated in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.

“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” Musk tweeted, adding “more terminals en route.”

The tweet came some 10 hours after Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov urged Musk to provide Starlink services to Ukraine, days after it was invaded by neighboring Russia.

“While you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations,” Fedorov tweeted at Musk.

He also called on the billionaire “to address sane Russians to stand” against their government’s invasion.

Internet monitor NetBlocks said Ukraine has seen a “series of significant disruptions to internet service” since Thursday, when Russia launched military operations in the country.

Starlink operates a constellation of more than 2,000 satellites that aim to provide internet access across the planet.

The company on Friday launched a further 50 Starlink satellites and many more are slated to be put into Earth’s orbit.

A former head of the European Council says Germany and Italy have “disgraced themselves” after blocking tough sanctions against Russia.

This comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused European countries of not doing enough to stop the Russian invasion.

The EU hailed a 2am agreement on a “massive” package of measures in punishment for the Ukraine invasion, including a freeze on assets and a block on Russian banks’ access to European financial markets.

But there is an exemption for Moscow’s main source of revenue – energy exports – which means its banks will still enjoy lucrative revenues from gas and oil sales.

And Germany, France and Italy opposed a UK request to shut Russia out of the SWIFT international payments system – despite Ukraine saying the West would have “blood on its hands” if it refused.

The German finance minister, Christian Lindner, admitted Berlin refused to go further because of “a high risk that Germany will no longer be supplied with gas or raw materials”.

Donald Tusk, the European Commission president during the Brexit negotiations, hit out at EU countries for their “pretend” sanctions.

“In this war everything is real: Putin’s madness and cruelty, Ukrainian victims, bombs falling on Kyiv. Only your sanctions are pretended,” he tweeted.

“Those EU governments, which blocked tough decisions (i.e. Germany, Hungary, Italy) have disgraced themselves.”

In the meantime, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Ukrainian troops “you are all we have” as he accused European countries of not doing enough to stop the Russian invasion.

Mr Zelenskyy said tougher sanctions need to be imposed on Moscow as his troops battled Russian forces closing in on the capital.

Tougher measures he suggested included banning Russians from entering the European Union, cutting Moscow off from the SWIFT global payments system and an oil embargo.

“The invasion of Russia into Ukraine is not just an invasion, it’s the beginning of the war against Europe,” Mr Zelenskyy said. “Against the unity of Europe. Against basic human rights in Europe. Against all rules of coexistence on the continent. Against the fact that European states refuse to divide borders by force.”

“What are you going to do about it?” he asked in a televised address.

“How are you going to defend yourselves if you are so slow helping us in Ukraine?”

He said Europe “has enough strength to stop this aggression”.

Cutting Russia off from the SWIFT global payments system would be one of the toughest sanctions the West could impose – but it would also involve pain for foreign banks and other creditors that do business with the country.

The system, which has its headquarters in Belgium, is used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries and territories to send money and information to each other.

The UK is also now backing such a measure but it would require unanimity – a lack of which US president Joe Biden is blaming on Europe.

The move would have a major impact, damaging Russia’s economy immediately and in the long term.

It would cut Russia off from most international financial transactions, including international profits from oil and gas production, which in all accounts for more than 40% of the country’s revenue.

Shortly after his comments the EU decided to freeze European assets held by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to an unnamed EU official.

The US and EU have made it clear that they would not stop imports of Russian gas.