 "India’s US envoy Kwatra discusses bilateral trade ties with US lawmakers")
 "Netanyahu accuses Hamas leaders of derailing ceasefire, says eliminating them in Qatar could end Gaza war")
Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates: The Russian president has warned in a speech that he has the weapons available and if anyone dares to use military means to try to stop Russia’s takeover of Ukraine he would use it. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has issued a statement saying that the Taliban was closely watching the Russia-Ukraine situation and that they were concerned about civilians. Ukraine’s nuclear agency said on Friday it was recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, reported news agency Reuters. Moscow on Friday banned all UK-linked planes, including transiting flights, from its airspace after its flagship carrier Aeroflot was prevented from flying over Britain following the Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia has bombed 33 civilian sites in its assault on Ukraine in the last 24 hours, Kyiv’s interior ministry said Friday as Russian troops advanced on the capital, according to Interfax news agency. Ukraine’s army said Friday it was fighting invading Russian forces northwest of the capital Kyiv, as Moscow pressed on with its advance on the pro-Western country for a second day. Moscow’s defence ministry says its forces have “successfully completed” their objectives for the first day of the invasion, earlier claiming to have destroyed over 70 Ukrainian military targets, including 11 airfields. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russians to protest against Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine as Moscow’s invading forces reached Kyiv, reports AFP. Air raid sirens rang out across Ukraine’s main cities for the second consecutive morning today. The United Nations has announced that it is immediately allocating $20 million to scale up UN humanitarian operations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. The Ukrainian ambassador to Japan is urging China to join international efforts to stop the Russian “massacre” in his country amid Beijing’s lack of criticism of Moscow’s actions. Russian “sabotage groups” have entered Kyiv, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday. Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands to decry their country’s invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow. Nearly 400 Indian students in Ukraine’s Sumy city bordering Russia have taken shelter in a basement after Russian forces took control of it and have appealed to the government of India to evacuate them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country. He calls them “heroes” in a video address released early Friday in which he also says hundreds more have been wounded. President Vladimir Putin said that he had ’no other way’ left apart from invading Ukraine to ensure Russia’s security, hours after his troops launched a wide-ranging attack on ex-Soviet neighbour’s borders on Thursday. “What was happening left us with no choice,” the Russian leader said during a televised meeting with business representatives, adding that “we had no other way of proceeding”. According to an AFP report, Russia said that its military had achieved its goals set out for the first day of its invasion of Ukraine, after launching the attack despite warnings of sweeping Western sanctions. “All of the tasks assigned to the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the day were successfully completed,” Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. Meanwhile, as many as 40 Ukrainian soldiers and around 10 civilians have been killed by Russian shelling, a Reuters report quoting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy adviser, said on Thursday. The AFP reported that Ukraine said it killed “around 50 Russian occupiers” without providing details. Ukraine said it lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, the site of the 1986 disaster. A senior official said that the staff at the Chernobyl plant had been “taken hostage” when Russian troops seized the facility, a move the US termed “incredibly alarming”. A senior US defense official said Russia may be intent on seizing Kyiv, the capital, and other key cities and ultimately installing a more friendly government.
Russia Ukraine crisis Updates: More than 50,000 Ukrainians flee country in 48 hours, says UN
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates: This comes after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday banned men of military age from leaving the country
 "Russia Ukraine crisis Updates: More than 50,000 Ukrainians flee country in 48 hours, says UN")
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Russian forces lose momentum to stiff Ukraine resistance, claims Pentagon
Russia’s drive to seize control of Ukraine quickly has lost momentum amid resistance from Ukrainian fighters on the ground and in the air, a senior US defense official said Friday.
“Their momentum, particularly as it comes to Kyiv, has slowed over the last 24 hours,” the official said.
Russian forces, which entered Ukraine early Thursday, have yet to seize any major cities, or gain control of airspace, the official said.
– AFP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Air India to operate two flights to evacuate students from Romania, Hungary tomorrow
Based upon inputs from MEA on the emerging situation in Ukraine, Air India will operate 2 flights from Delhi to Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary) tomorrow February 26: Air India pic.twitter.com/wezkiL1Ovb
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2022
,
#FlyAI : @TataCompanies pic.twitter.com/f3lyxD08nX
— Air India (@airindia) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
US issues travel advisory on Ukraine, level 4 restrictions imposed
US Department of State on Friday reissued the travel advisory for Ukraine and asked its citizens not to travel to the country.
“Do not travel to Ukraine due to armed conflict and COVID-19. US citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options,” read the US Department of State release.
The Department of State reissued the travel advisory for Ukraine to include information regarding Russia’s military actions. This replaces the previous travel advisory issued on February 12, 2022.
– ANI
Ukraine: Do not travel due to armed conflict and COVID-19. U.S. citizens should depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options. Read Travel Advisory here: https://t.co/aAtaM61Ufm. pic.twitter.com/wHBElJ77cu
— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
NATO releases statement on invasion, says will continue to provide political and practical support to Ukraine
Statement by #NATO Heads of State and Government on Russia's attack on #Ukraine 🇺🇦#StandWithUkraine
— NATO (@NATO) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Volodymyr Zelensky releases video from Kyiv to refute rumours of having fled the country
Zelensky posts a video with top aides + his prime minister, apparently from above ground in Kyiv.
— Felix Light (@felix_light) February 25, 2022
“We are all here, our soldiers are here … we are defending our independence” pic.twitter.com/CX7s7Rq0ED
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Russia does not plan to ‘occupy’ Ukraine, says Sergei Lavrov
Russia does not plan to “occupy” Ukraine and is ready to hold negotiations soon after the Ukrainian forces “lay down their arms” in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
The Russian top diplomat made the remarks following talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Sergey Peresada and Foreign Minister of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) Vladislav Deinego, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“No one is going to occupy Ukraine. The aim of the operation has been openly declared: demilitarising and denazifying, he said, a day after Russian troops launched a massive military operation against Ukraine.
President Putin signed treaties with leaders of DPR and LPR on 21 February, recognising the two regions of Ukraine as independent.
– PTI
PTI
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba
Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 25, 2022
He shared his assessment of the current situation.I emphasized that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out.
Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return.
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Roskomnadzor partially restricts access to Facebook in Russia
⚡️Роскомнадзор частично ограничил доступ к Facebook в России
— РБК (@ru_rbc) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Prospects for possible Ukraine talks uncertain, says Moscow
The Kremlin says prospects for possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look uncertain due to apparent differences over a venue.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to send a delegation for talks with Ukrainian officials in Minsk, Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko runs a pro-Russian government.
That agreement came in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer earlier in the day to discuss non-aligned status for Ukraine.
Peskov told reporters that after the parties discussed Minsk as a possible venue, Ukrainian officials changed course and said they were unwilling to travel to Minsk and would prefer to meet in NATO member Poland. They then halted further communication, Peskov said.
– AP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Lithuania: Major retail chains stop selling Russian and Belarusian products
Major retail chains in Lithuania started to remove Russian and Belarusian products from shelves, a move joined by online shops and widely applauded by the public as a protest against Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine.
Maxima LT, the largest chain in the Baltic nations, said Friday the Russian goods it sells are mainly alcohol, dried products and candy, amounting to millions of euros (dollars) in sales.
Other retailers like drug stores and home suppliers made similar announcements. The Lithuanian postal service said it will not be distributing any more Russian periodicals.
International companies such as IKEA are facing pressure to remove Russian-made goods from sale in the small Baltic country, which fears Russian aggression.
– AP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Belarus risks becoming vassal of Russia: France
France on Friday expressed fear that Belarus could become a vassal state of Russia, after autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko allowed Russian troops to use its territory for the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia, which had grouped some 30,000 troops in Belarus ostensibly for exercises in the last weeks, sent the troops deployed in the country across its southern neighbour’s border.
“Belarus and its people deserve better than to become the accomplices and vassals of a brutal regime that has chosen to wage war,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
– AFP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Czechs, Poland to close airspace to Russian flights
.@MorawieckiM wydał polecenie przygotowania uchwały Rady Ministrów, która doprowadzi do zamknięcia przestrzeni powietrznej nad Polską dla rosyjskich linii lotniczych.https://t.co/3hwXBuu0fL pic.twitter.com/VSgrjWFTPd
— Rzeczpospolita (@rzeczpospolita) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Joe Biden joins emergency NATO session on invasion
President Joe Biden joined an emergency NATO summit Friday to strengthen the frantic Western response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fears for the security of Europe.
The US president, who has spent weeks trying to lead a united trans-Atlantic response to Russia’s aggression against its neighbour, was meeting “with fellow NATO heads of state and government in an extraordinary virtual summit to discuss the security situation in and around Ukraine,” the White House said.
The meeting, with Biden joining from the White House Situation Room, was not open to the media.
– AFP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Watch | Russian tank swerves, crushes civilian’s car on Kyiv highway
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Council of Europe suspends Russia over invasion
The Council of Europe said Friday that it is suspending all representatives of Russia from participation in the pan-European rights body over Moscow’s attack against Ukraine.
Permanent representatives of its 47 member states “agreed to suspend the Russian Federation from its rights of representation in the Council of Europe,” invoking Article 8 of its statute, the body said in a statement.
– AFP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Watch | First batch of evacuees from Ukraine reach Romania via Suceava border crossing
The first batch of evacuees from Ukraine reach Romania via Suceava border crossing.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 25, 2022
Our team at Suceava will now facilitate travel to Bucharest for their onward journey to India. pic.twitter.com/G8nz2jVHxD
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Ankara wants to be mediator in Ukraine crisis, says Turkish Ambassador to US
Ankara wants to be a mediator in the Ukraine crisis, Turkish Ambassador to the United States Murat Mercan said on Friday.
“In terms of Turkey’s role in Ukraine, in this conflict we want to be be a mediator,” Mercan said. “We want to contribute to peace making.”
On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Russia and Ukraine to resolve the crisis through dialogue within the framework of the Minsk agreements.
– ANI
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
MEA updates coordinates of teams assisting Indian nationals in Ukraine
Updated Coordinates of MEA Teams assisting Indian nationals in Ukraine ⬇️https://t.co/yBtn5qtFux pic.twitter.com/hXn1pPO4D9
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Iceland, Estonia join Netherlands’ call for excluding Russia from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
IOC urges all federations to cancel events in Russia or Belarus
‘The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reiterated today the IOC’s strong condemnation of the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government and the government of Belarus through its support in this,’ the IOC statement said.
IOC Executive Board urges all International Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarushttps://t.co/w3zJFhiWpc
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Putin calls on Ukraine army to topple Zelenskyy govt
Calling Ukraine’s authorities ‘gang of drug addicts,’ Putin said that it will be much easier to negotiate with the Ukrainian military.
Right-wing Banderites and neo-Nazis in Ukraine are putting up heavy weapons, including multiple launch rocket systems, right in the central districts of major cities, including Kiev and Kharkiv, says Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/oi1RDS1uwb
— RT (@RT_com) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Over 470 Indian students to enter Romania from Ukraine
Efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming from the hinterland, Indian Embassy in Kyiv said.
Today afternoon more than 470 students will exit the Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret Border. We are moving Indians located at the border to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation. Efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming from the hinterland. pic.twitter.com/iLFTWHifpm
— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
France sends elite police unit to protect Kyiv embassy
France has sent an elite police unit to Kyiv to bolster the safety of its embassy in the Ukrainian capital, a security source told AFP on Friday. The team of eight, deployed since Wednesday at the embassy, is part of the GIGN, the French gendarmerie’s elite tactical police force, the source said.
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
MEA teams from neighbouring nations head to Ukraine border to help evacuate Indians
Nearly 20,000 Indians were left stranded in Ukraine after the country shut its airspace on Thursday, amid a Russian attack.
To assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine,MEA Teams from @IndiaInHungary, @IndiainPoland, @IndiaInSlovakia & @eoiromania are on their way to the adjoining land borders with Ukraine.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 24, 2022
Indian nationals in Ukraine near the border points can contact these teams ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OSd90I4DGH
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Russia says ready for talks with Ukraine
The Kremlin says Russia is ready to send a delegation to Belarus for talks with Ukrainian officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to send the delegation in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to discuss a non-aligned status for Ukraine.
That indicates Zelenskyy would be willing to negotiate dropping his country’s bid to join NATO, as Russia has demanded.
Before the invasion, the West had rejected the demand. Putin claimed the refusal to discuss keeping Ukraine out of NATO prompted him to order a military action in Ukraine to “demilitarize” it.
– AP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Russian military claims to have captured strategic airport near Kyiv
The Russian military claims it has taken control of an airport just outside Kyiv, as Kremlin forces bear down on the Ukrainian capital. The claim could not be independently verified.
Taking possession of the airport in Hostomel, which has a long runway allowing the landing of heavy-lift transport planes, would mean Russia can airlift troops directly to Kyiv’s outskirts. Hostomel is just 7 kilometers (4 miles) northwest of the city.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Friday that the Russian airborne forces used 200 helicopters to land in Hostomel and killed over 200 troops belonging to Ukraine’s special forces.
– AP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Indian Air Force ready to evacuate citizens from Ukraine, says Wg Cdr Ashish Moghe
Indian Air Force is geared up for any requirements of the evacuation of our citizens from Ukraine: IAF spokesperson Wg Cdr Ashish Moghe pic.twitter.com/obElIfmATX
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
More than 1,000 Russian troops killed since Friday, claims Ukraine defence ministry
Ukraine reports over 1,000 Russian soldiers killed on invasion's second day.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 25, 2022
Ukraine's Armed Forces allege that it is the largest number of casualties in conflict ever sustained by Russia in one day.
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
Watch | Ukrainians seek shelter inside Zoloti Vorota metro station as forces fight on streets of Kyiv
VIDEO: Ukrainians seek shelter inside #Kyiv's Zoloti Vorota metro station on Friday as Ukrainian forces fight off Russian invaders in the streets of the capital pic.twitter.com/CYx6u8WEOF
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
‘Stop the madness of this war now’, says German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Germany’s president is appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop the madness of this war now.”
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Berlin on Friday said that “we don’t want enmity with the Russian people, quite the contrary, but this wrongdoing cannot go without a clear answer.”
Steinmeier, whose post is largely ceremonial but holds moral authority, said that Germany will do its part in deterring Putin from using force against its NATO allies. The president, who served twice as Germany’s foreign minister, said that Putin “should not underestimate the strength of democracies” and Germans shouldn’t either.
– AP
“Stop the madness of this war, now.”
— DW Politics (@dw_politics) February 25, 2022
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately end Russia's attack against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/afJWabtXUM
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
Putin ready to send delegation to Minsk for Ukraine talks, says Kremlin
The Kremlin on Friday said President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Belarus’s capital Minsk for talks with Ukraine, as Russian forces approach Kyiv on the second day of Moscow’s invasion.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was “ready” to send a high-level delegation “for talks with a Ukrainian delegation” to Minsk, the host city for previous peace talks and agreements.
– AFP
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko takes up Kalashnikov rifle alongside civilian defense forces
“How long do you think you can hold out?”
— CNN (@CNN) February 25, 2022
“Forever.”
Former Ukrainian President @poroshenko takes up a Kalashnikov rifle alongside civilian defense forces as he speaks to @JohnBerman from the streets of Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/jxGl6BKgZR
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
No direct impact of conflict on India
There is no direct impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on India in terms of bilateral trade but a surge in oil prices poses considerable risk to the economy, an analyst report said on Friday.
International oil prices which have surged past USD 100 per barrel “pose risks to external stability and currency movement,” a Bank of Baroda Economics Research report said.
Russia has launched military operations against Ukraine, stoking fears of significant disruption in the region, including loss of life. The West is ramping up financial sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.
– PTI
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Day after seizing Chernobyl nuclear plant, Russia claims personnel working at the facility as usual
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s personnel are continuing to service the facilities and monitor the radiation situation at the station as usual, a top Russian official claimed on Friday, a day after Russian forces took over the decommissioned facility after a fierce fight with Ukrainian soldiers guarding it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched a multi-pronged all-out attack on Ukraine, casting aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences they had never seen”.
Russian forces took over the decommissioned nuclear power plant (NPP) on Thursday after a fierce battle with the Ukrainian battalion guarding the facility, where nuclear radiation is still leaking from the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
– PTI
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
Russian forces press closer to Ukrainian capital Kyiv
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
Russian forces press closer to Ukrainian capital Kyiv
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
First batch of Indian students leave Chernivtsi for Ukraine-Romania border
The first batch of Indian students have left Chernivtsi for the Ukraine-Romania border
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2022
MEA Camp Offices are now operational in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine. Additional Russian speaking officials are being sent to these Camp Offices. pic.twitter.com/OvRlqA8Q4t
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Indian nationals arriving at Poland-Ukraine border advised to make for Shehyni-Medyka crossing
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates:
Will be talking with Russia and US, says South African president Cyril Ramaphosa
We will be having engagements with Russia and the United States. pic.twitter.com/rmkaDW1aZF
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 25, 2022
Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE Updates
Russian Grand Prix cancelled
The Russian Grand Prix scheduled for 25 September has been cancelled in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sport’s owners Formula One announced on Friday.
“On Thursday evening Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances,” read the Formula One statement.
– AFP
‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’
Erika Kirk delivered an emotional speech from her late husband's studio, addressing President Trump directly. She urged people to join a church and keep Charlie Kirk's mission alive, despite technical interruptions. Erika vowed to continue Charlie's campus tours and podcast, promising his mission will not end.
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